Schumer: Republicans' Flip-Flops Prove They Want To Hurt Economy

WASHINGTON -- Republicans' decision to block free-trade deals that they have previously supported is evidence that the GOP wants to hurt the economy to help its 2012 election chances, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) charged Friday.

Democrats have been making that argument for the past week, and evidently find it effective. So after Republicans boycotted a Finance Committee meeting Thursday that would have advanced trade deals with South Korea, Panama and Colombia that the GOP long has been seeking, Schumer pounced.

"You would have thought the Republicans would jump for joy," Schumer said. "They've been waiting and waiting and waiting."

The scuttling was entirely unexpected, especially after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hailed the bipartisan agreement that had been cut earlier in the week. The Chamber warned failing to finish the trade deals would put "380,000 American jobs at risk."

Many Republicans had also previously backed efforts to help displaced workers through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, including Finance Committee members Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Rob Portman (Ohio), Richard Lugar (Ind.) and John Thune (S.D.).

gettheminNOVEMBER wrote:One thing I will never forget is the look of disgust on Mitch MCconnell face when millions of people got help and a tier 3 and 4. He is a terrible man.

For some reason I just remembered that. Maybe its all the political talk today.

tristen303 wrote:How about doing the deals without adding more spending God when will it get through their heads were broke no more money and those that are paying are feed up with those that thinks the rich is bad the rich are evil or the rich stole it all so that more of their earned money gets wasted. The left thinks it's their money and are wrong. That is a slippery slope down and it changes us from Americans into a variety of other joke failed ideologies that we fought against.

tristen303 wrote:I'm talking about why they won't pass a trade bill