The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is supposed to be the trade deal that needs fast-track authority to get approved by Congress. But the real worry is not TPP — it’s the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) that’s being negotiated well out of public view.
Until recently, the details of TISA had been carefully hidden, but a draft treaty and notes about the negotiations now in progress were leaked and posted earlier this month on the WikiLeaks website. It is now clear that, even as Republicans like Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) have been assuring us that the free flow of labor is not covered in the TPP, it is the entire point of much of TISA.
An article by Daniel Costa and Ron Hira of the Economic Policy Institute wades through the pages of TISA documents posted on WikiLeaks to find provisions on open immigration. Article 4, concerning “Entry and Temporary Stay of Natural Persons,” states signatories “shall not maintain or adopt Economic Needs Tests, including labor market tests, as a requirement for a visa or work permit.” Costa and Hira explain: “In other words, U.S. laws or regulations limiting guestworkers only to jobs where no U.S. workers were available would violate the terms of the treaty.”
Article 5 goes further, proposing that member nations “shall take market access and national treatment commitments for intra-corporate transferees, business visitors, and … contractual service suppliers and independent professionals.” The draft then goes on to require signatories to “allow entry and temporary stay of [contractual service suppliers and independent professionals]” in a long list of specific fields.
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5 comments:
The continuing Obamanation of the nation. He going to do as much damage as possible before the 18 month term is up.
8:28 Except that his was pushed by the Republicans in congress, what is their motive?
9:51 Call it compromised. Now they will be good little Obamanites after that phone call in the night.
It's going to be like D-Day but with Chinese rolling in on landing craft on the western front marching eastward taking every job for less money. It will be a literal invasion overnight. Even the Mexicans will all get fired.
THIS top secret "trade agreement" is supposed to serve the interests of the AMERICAN PEOPLE in what way??
If it was SO good for the USA, you KNOW it would be the talk of the town. No one in this "transparent" administration is saying one dang thing about the benefits for the USA.
That alone should scare the heck out of everyone.
Or, at least, give one pause to think...
And it's all brought to you by our "leaders"....you know, the ones "we the people" pay to "represent" us?
Do you still think THAT is really happening?
Keep cheering.
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