Cartoon

Perfectly Clear

Written by SK Ashby

(Cartoonist - Bruce Plante)

In other news, the Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) today. Now that the House and Senate have both passed TPA, it is entirely possible that it will be sent to the president's desk without Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), an aid program for workers who lose their jobs as a result of trade.

The White House has not made it clear if the president will sign TPA without TAA, but it seems like a possibility if it is the only way forward.

As you may recall, House Democrats can be credited for killing TAA, the worker assistance program. If TPA is signed into law but TAA is not, it's their fault. They had a chance to pass both, but they collapsed under the weight of their own misinformed rhetoric and killed the wrong legislation.

It appears House Democrats will have one more chance to pass the Trade Adjustment Assistance program before TPA is sent to the president without it.

Obviously, Republicans don't give a shit if we pass an assistance program. Do House Democrats?