• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Agriculture / Ernst & Grassley back giving Obama ‘fast track’ authority

Ernst & Grassley back giving Obama ‘fast track’ authority

May 13, 2015 By O. Kay Henderson

Senator Joni Ernst.

Senator Joni Ernst.

Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators are in favor of giving President Obama broad, “fast track” authority to negotiate international trade deals, but Democrats in the Senate have blocked a vote on the “trade promotion authority” bill. Senator Joni Ernst says Republicans and Democrats “have different constituencies” that have different opinions on this issue.

“Here in Iowa, about one in five jobs is dependent upon trade, which is a significant part of our economy here in Iowa,” Ernst says.

The bill would help to ensure greater transparency, according to Ernst. She says that means the public would know more about U.S. trade negotiations with other countries.

“(It) still doesn’t give the president just carte blanche whatever he wants to do,” Ernst says. “It would be within the parameters set by the legislature what he is allowed to negotiate and then when he has negotiated a trade agreement, it still has to be brought back to congress for an up or down vote, so we still have the authority to say, ‘No, Mr. President or Mrs. President, this is not the way that we want to go.'”

Ernst made her comments this weekend during an appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

Senator Chuck Grassley says it is “disappointing for senators to refuse to allow a trade bill to come up for debate.” Grassley, Ernst and the 50 other Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted to bring the bill up for debate yesterday, but — according to debate rules in the senate — that tally was short of the 60 votes needed. Grassley says the Senate’s inaction is “frustrating to the agricultural producers, manufacturers” and others who see expanded trade as a way to grow the U.S. economy.

The bill would not allow congress to seek changes in trade deals negotiated by the president and would simply require congress to either approve or reject the deal in total. Critics say that removes congressional authority to adequately review the details of complicated trade deals that are negotiated in secret.

Negotiators say the pending “Trans-Pacific Partnership” trade pact with 11 other countries cannot be finalized without passage of this “fast track” bill in the U.S. congress.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Chuck Grassley, Corn & Soybeans, Joni Ernst, Pork/Cattle

Featured Stories

Senator Ernst says Russian ban shows she’s doing something right

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

A haboob, a dust storm black out, hits northwest Iowa

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa’s Huckstorf garners national award

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC