Rep Dave Brat Perfectly Explains GOP Skepticism Of The TPP

The Libertarian Republic features a story on the principled conservative opposition to granting Obama fast track trade promotion authority. Rep. Dave Brat - the man who toppled (former) Majority Leader Eric Cantor - lays out why conservatives are loathe to give up the power the Constitution vested in Congress.

In an interview with the John Fredericks radio show, Rep. Brat explains

if we're arguing in the best interest of the average American, we should be able to make these arguments in the light of day and debate. Debate is a very healthy thing... We need to debate and show where the pressure points are on these arguments, [but] we can't do that. [Instead] I have to go down to a security bunker-- and I have been in there to read the bill-- and it's 400 pages. What am I going to do? Memorize that and then arrange the key points in my head? And then part of it's classified and you don't know what you can even mention to your fellow members or not that haven't read it yet because it's under security....

when you make a Constitutional end run around the entire body of Congress and then say, 'Hey, trust me on this secret document thing and let's sign off on it on a trade agreement and we're not all sure on the details,' that's asking a bit much.”

Rep. Brat is also skeptical about the fact that the TPP is considered a "living agreement" that will change over time:

What's he [Obama] got in his mind down the pike that can be added to this thing? And Senator Sessions has talked about this 'living document' kind of thing... can be changed and morphed as time goes on, and so I'm skeptical. President Obama-- you've got to give him credit-- he's got a room full of sharp lawyers who can look down the pike 10-20 years -- and I'm hugely skeptical.”

Listen to the entire interview here.