Representatives Scott Peters and Susan Davis Disappoint on Trade Bill

Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego)

By Doug Porter

On Friday the House of Representatives used a legislative maneuver to block President Obama’s path to fast track legislation on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

One good thing about Friday’s vote is that we now know where Representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters stand on the issue. Both voted to advance the measure despite weeks of intensive citizen/grassroots/labor lobbying for a no vote. Both did so knowing they’d face the wrath of the coalition opposed to TPP in future elections.

For Davis, this may not mean much; for Peters, the consequences look to be serious–a labor-backed search committee is already looking at alternative candidates to run in the June 2016 primary. The word is that there’s a million dollar war chest to be spent defeating him.

The House separated the bill passed by the Senate into two parts: Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced workers and the Fast Track process. Both parts needed to pass for the bill to pass. The House voted down the TAA portion by a dramatic 126 – 302 vote, thus voting down the entire bill.

Rep. Scott Peters (D?-San Diego)-

If ain’t over ‘till it’s over, though. The package can be re-voted this week; it’s likely a provision saying such a vote must take place within two working days will be extended to allow a vote on Thursday.

From the Guardian’s coverage of the organized labor-led campaign:

Organized labor’s victory – one of its biggest triumphs in years – grew out of a new strategy the AFL-CIO adopted two years ago. Trumka announced that labor would henceforth seek to form broad coalitions out of recognition that it was no longer as powerful and was having a harder time securing legislation it supported.

The anti-fast track coalition was immense – labor was at its heart, and it included environmental, faith, immigrant and food safety groups. The coalition spanned the Democratic base, including 2,000 groups, among them the American Civil Liberties Union, Consumers Union, the Electric Frontier Foundation, Friends of the Earth and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“This is the first time Congress considered a trade deal since we as a country became much more cognizant of surging inequality and the crisis in middle-class jobs,” said Joseph McCartin, a labor historian at Georgetown University. “The old playbook of the president being able to get the votes at the last minute doesn’t seem to apply anymore.”

Richard Barrera

Richard Barrera, secretary-treasurer of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, released a statement via Facebook:

“We are deeply disappointed that Congress members Scott Peters (CA-52) and Susan Davis (CA-53) have prioritized the interests of corporations and the one percent over working families.

We are disheartened that Congress members Peters and Davis would vote to advance trade agreements that would put more than 300,000 San Diego jobs at serious risk of outsourcing when two in five San Diego households can’t afford to make ends meet (even with full-time work) and 26% of working families households still fall below the Self Sufficiency Standard. Something just doesn’t add up.

It is imperative that we hold our members of Congress accountable for their choices on issues affecting San Diegans. These Congressional districts need leaders who will stand together with working families to protect good jobs, the environment and healthy communities in the future.

The local rumor mill would have us believe that Peters is contemplating a run for Mayor in 2020. I wonder if he’ll switch parties along the way…

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The above is an excerpt from Doug Porter’s column at SDFP.