{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2146-114/featured_defending-public-safety-employees-retirement-act-1454549891.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2146-114/featured_large_defending-public-safety-employees-retirement-act-1454549891.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr2146-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-04-30","title_override":"Should Congress Approve the 'Fast-Track' for Free Trade Agreements (Like TPP)?","summary_override":"

Update June, 2015: This bill was originally the \"Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act,\" which allowed federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers to make penalty-free withdrawals from their government retirement plans after they turn 50. It had passed the House on a vote of 407 to 5, and was approved by the Senate through unanimous consent. Through the amendment process, the House turned the original bill into a \"legislative vehicle\" for the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act (TPA) — previously a standalone bill in both the House and Senate. Seem shady? It happens more often than you might think.

In its current form, this bill would let the President submit free trade agreements to Congress for approval or rejection. Congress would be \nable to cast an up or down vote on an agreement, but they couldn't amend the terms of the deal. This bill has been making waves in Congress because it's considered the missing piece to a U.S. entry into the 12-country trade deal, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact (TPP).

For those with transparency concerns — critics who call these fast-track deals \"secret backdoor meetings for corporate power\" —\n this bill requires that the legislative text of the trade agreement \nbe made public 60 days before the President could sign off on the \ndeal. This legislation would also include a mechanism for taking away \nthe ‘fast-track’ authorities if an agreement doesn’t meet the \nrequirements of this bill in the judgement of either chamber of \n Congress.

Tying\n Congress' hands on amendments and other legislative hurdles is why this\n bill is frequently referred to as a ‘fast-track’ for trade agreements. \nIf passed, the fast-track would be available until July 1, 2018, and \ncould be extended another three years at the President’s request.

Under\n this bill, all the trade agreements that the U.S. tries to get in on \nwould have to meet some overall trade objectives including:

Gaining more open, equitable, and reciprocal market access.
Strengthening international trade and investment disciplines, and mediating disputes.
Growing\n the economy, raising living standards, promoting full employment in the\n U.S., enhancing U.S. competitiveness in terms of the economy \n(nationally and globally).
Ensuring that trade and \nenvironmental policies are mutually supportive — to protect and \npreserve the environment while optimizing the use of the world’s \nresources.
Respecting worker rights and the rights of \nchildren consistent with core labor standards — basically working in \nagreements that want to eliminate exploitative child labor.
Ensuring\n that small businesses get equal access to international markets, \nequitable trade benefits, and expanded export market opportunities.
Improving\n the effectiveness of legal regimes, creating more democratic societies,\n and bolstering respect for internationally recognized human rights.

","official_title":"To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental plans after age 50, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act","popular_title":"Trade Promotion Authority bill","short_summary":"Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exemption from the 10% penalty tax on early distributions from a government retirement plan for qualified public safety employees who have reached age 50, to expand the exemption to include specified federal law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, federal firefighters, and air traffic controllers who similarly have reached age 50.\n\nThe bill also eliminates the restriction that only distributions from governmental plans that are defined benefit plans qualify for the exemption, thus allowing an exemption of distributions from defined contribution plans and other types of governmental plans. Additionally, early distributions are not treated as a modification of substantially equal payments for purposes of determining an increase in the penalty tax.\n\nThe amendments made by this bill apply to distributions made after December 31, 2015.\n\n(Sec. 3...","summarized":true,"cost":0,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimated that enacting the TPA — as H.R. 1890 — would not affect direct spending or revenues, as this would legislation would only facilitate the negotiation of trade agreements. Subsequently approved trade agreements could, however, lead to policies affecting spending and revenues.","impact":"Anyone in the U.S. who buys things, American businesses of all sizes and their employees, workers who lose their job as a result of international trade agreements, Congress, , the Department of Labor, the U.S. and global economy, and the President. ","argument_for":"There is bipartisan agreement that this bill will open markets for U.S. exports, give the U.S. more access to imports, and save average consumers money. Congress would still have a chance to weigh in, and ultimately approve or deny any trade agreements. ","argument_against":"This bill doesn't protect American workers who could lose their jobs because of the increased competition from \"fast-tracked\" trade agreements. It also gives too much negotiating power to the President and corporations — not the American people. ","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr2146-114","bill_id":"hr2146-114","formal_id":"H.R. 2146","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-06-29T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":true,"enacted_at":"2015-06-29","vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2015-06-24T00:00:00.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/2146","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2146enr/html/BILLS-114hr2146enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr2146-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/2146/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-04-30","related_bill_ids":["hres321-114","hr1314-114","s619-114"],"progress":"Enacted","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":271,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Finance","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFI","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr2146-114","details":"/api/bills/hr2146-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr2146-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr2146-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr2146-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":5,"slug":"hr2146-114-defending-public-safety-employees-retirement-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr2146-114","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":4947,"yea_vote_count":1443,"nay_vote_count":3497,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["work","international-trade-and-affairs","economy","taxes"],"issue_ids":["work","jobs","california","international-trade-and-affairs","federal-agencies","co-opted-bills","economy","taxes","banking","transparency","states","small-business","trade-agreements","diplomacy"],"sponsor_id":275}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"work","name":"Work","slug":"work","description":null,"page_title":null,"icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/black_work-1429042040.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/grey_work-1429042040.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/white_work-1429042040.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"jobs","name":"Jobs","slug":"jobs","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding employment. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. ","page_title":"Jobs Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/jobs/black_jobs-1429042050.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/jobs/grey_jobs-1429042050.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/jobs/white_jobs-1429042050.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"california","name":"California","slug":"california","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding California. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. ","page_title":"California Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/california/black_california-1429042049.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/california/grey_california-1429042049.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/california/white_california-1429042049.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. Recent legislation addressed approving the use of military force against ISIS (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the emerging situation in the Ukraine and Ebola. ","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Foreign Aid, International Trade and Relations and Human Rights - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/black_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/grey_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/white_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"co-opted-bills","name":"Co-opted Bills","slug":"co-opted-bills","description":"Ah the amendment process. Not only used to add riders and other unrelated things to legislation, but in this case, the amendment process has been used to completely co-opt a bill as the \"legislative vehicle\" for a totaly unrelated bill. \"A [Committee Markup] is a meeting of the committee to debate and consider amendments to a measure under consideration. The markup determines whether the measure pending before a committee will be recommended to the full Senate, and whether it should be amended in any substantive way...In [some] cases, the markup vehicle may be placed before the committee as an \"amendment in the nature of a substitute\" for the measure or text initially referred to it.\" http://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Senate_legislative_process.htm","page_title":"Co-opted Bills","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/black_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/grey_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/white_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"economy","name":"Economy","slug":"economy","description":"The US Economy is heavily impacted by Federal legislation. Here you can find bills encompassing US monetary policy, the US Federal Budget, overall government spending, appropriations and how we handle the US federal debt and state finances. ","page_title":"Legislation related to the US Economy, monetary policy, the federal budget and government spending - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/black_economy-1429042041.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/grey_economy-1429042041.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/white_economy-1429042041.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"taxes","name":"Taxes","slug":"taxes","description":"US Congressional Legislation related to all types of Taxation: Income Tax, Sales Tax, Property Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Employment Taxes, and the Administration and collection of taxes (including regulating the IRS).","page_title":"Tax Related Federal Legislation including: Income and Sales Tax, Regulating the IRS - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/black_taxes-1429042039.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/grey_taxes-1429042039.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/white_taxes-1429042039.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"banking","name":"Banking","slug":"banking","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Banking. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Banking Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/banking/black_banking-1429042064.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/banking/grey_banking-1429042064.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/banking/white_banking-1429042064.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"transparency","name":"Transparency","slug":"transparency","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Transparency. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Transparency Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/transparency/black_transparency-1453508996.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/transparency/grey_transparency-1453508996.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/transparency/white_transparency-1453508996.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"states","name":"States","slug":"states","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding States. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"States Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/black_states-1453508817.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/grey_states-1453508817.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/white_states-1453508817.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"small-business","name":"Small Business","slug":"small-business","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Small Business. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Small Business Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/small-business/black_small-business-1429042069.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/small-business/grey_small-business-1429042069.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/small-business/white_small-business-1429042069.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"trade-agreements","name":"Trade Agreements","slug":"trade-agreements","description":"The U.S.'s trade agreements with other countries have a direct impact on the our economic well being. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to U.S. trade agreements!","page_title":"Trade Agreements Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/trade-agreements/black_trade-agreements-1429042061.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/trade-agreements/grey_trade-agreements-1429042061.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/trade-agreements/white_trade-agreements-1429042061.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"diplomacy","name":"Diplomacy","slug":"diplomacy","description":"Maintaining positive diplomatic relations with foreign countries is critical in U.S. foreign policy. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to the U.S.'s diplomatic efforts!","page_title":"Diplomacy Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/diplomacy/black_diplomacy-1429042057.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/diplomacy/grey_diplomacy-1429042057.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/diplomacy/white_diplomacy-1429042057.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Leslie","vote_count":28,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/A9G23xkm/following","followers":"/api/users/A9G23xkm/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":200,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":1,"following_count":0,"position_count":27,"id":"A9G23xkm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"df0d767a-af87-4985-928b-87464a887589","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"Why do all of you Elites, Ceo's, Cfo's, Corporations.....want to see America as a Third World Nation? Is it greed, power, lack of compassion, empathy or a Christian Soul that is stuck in the OLD TESTAMENT (as Jesus) NEVER SAID all the CRAP you are trying to SHOVE DOWN OUR THROATS that motivates you to be so obtuse?","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":0,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/df0d767a-af87-4985-928b-87464a887589"},"body":"Why do all of you Elites, Ceo's, Cfo's, Corporations.....want to see America as a Third World Nation? Is it greed, power, lack of compassion, empathy or a Christian Soul that is stuck in the OLD TESTAMENT (as Jesus) NEVER SAID all the CRAP you are trying to SHOVE DOWN OUR THROATS that motivates you to be so obtuse?","stance":"nay","created_at":"2015-06-25T19:46:48.588Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/df0d767a-af87-4985-928b-87464a887589.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr2146-114","user_id":"A9G23xkm","endorser_ids":[]}}

Like Causes?

Leslie

Should Congress Approve the 'Fast-Track' for Free Trade Agreements (Like TPP)?