Page 6 - 5-26-15 Tuesday's Edition

Presidential News
Senate Approves Fast Track Trade Agreement; Most Democrats Not Supporting The President
Pressure Cooker Found In Unattended Car In Front Of U.S. Capitol
The White House and Re- publican leaders have a lot of work to do to push fast-track trade authority through the U. S. House of Representatives.
The U. S. Senate approved a fast-track bill just before leav- ing for the Memorial Day re- cess, with supporters beating back Democratic efforts to delay the bill or undercut it through amendments.
But while the Senate man- aged to work out its procedural knots, the House outcome re- mains in doubt with propo- nents and opponents each claiming they can win the toughest legislative battle of the year.
The issue has made surpris- ing allies of the President and GOP leaders, who back trade promotion authority (TPA) against progressives who worry about the effect on jobs and conservatives opposed to ceding more power to Obama.
Fast-track supporters are cau- tious but growing more opti- mistic.
Republican leaders see sup- port for the bill building and may take a shot at bringing up the trade bills immediately after the Memorial Day re- cess.
On the Republican side, the fight is centered around a
President Obama has gained support from some unlikely al- lies.
number of conservatives wor- ried about empowering Presi- dent Obama on trade at the expense of Congress.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, has been rallying the troops, holding meetings for months to sell skeptical Republicans on giving President Obama the authority he needs to wrap up sweeping global trade deals.
Rep. Charles Boustany
(R-La.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said Republicans are still, trade watchers estimate that as many as 40 Republicans may buck their leaders and oppose the bill.
According to reports only 13 House Democrats have pub- licly said they'll vote yes, with
77 intending to vote against. Democrats may provide no more than 25-30 of the 217
votes needed for passage. Many Democratic lawmak- ers are keeping their powder dry, likely waiting to reveal their stance with their vote on
the House floor.
While Ryan and his col-
leagues lobby fellow Republi- cans, President Obama and his Cabinet have ramped up pressure on Democrats to back fast-track and pave the way for completion of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
President Obama made calls to a number of senators to win passage in the upper chamber and will also person- ally appeal to House Democ- rats.
Labor groups however, have vowed to make a strong push to block the bill. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio) lost their fight to stop the bill in the upper chamber, but can be expected to press their House party members against fast track.
That has fast track backers hoping to move the bill quickly through the House and avoid a long summer fight with critics chipping away at their sup- port.
A U.S. Capitol Police bomb squad detonated a pressure cooker found in a car on the Mall late Sunday, according to media reports, raising security concerns amid the long holiday weekend.
The pressure cooker was found in an unattended car that reportedly smelled of gasoline as crowds gathered for the an- nual Memorial Day concert on the West Front of the U.S. Capi- tol.
The bomb squad destroyed "items of concern in the vehicle including the pressure cooker" Sunday evening. The detona- tion produced a loud bang.
Pressure cookers have been used in the past to make impro- vised bombs, including those used in the Boston Marathon attack.
An Alexandria, Va. man who owned the car was arrested and charged with “operating after revocation”.
Byron Allen Has Lost It!
Calls President Obama ‘Uncle Tom’
TV mega-mogul Byron Allen trashed President Obama Saturday night, es- sentially calling him an Uncle Tom, accusing him of not act- ing "like a black man."
Allen, a major TV producer who often programs for mi- nority audiences, said he was outraged President Obama referred to the Baltimore riot- ers as "thugs."
Allen warned the President, "remember who you are," telling him, "It's OK to be Pres- ident and a Black man."
And then Allen goes for the jugular, saying President Obama is a "white President in Black face."
Byron Allen and his wife. Ok. You of all people are calling President Obama an Uncle Tom.
This coming from a man who is married to a white woman. REALLY!
President Obama Honors Fallen Soldiers On Memorial Day
President Obama at Arlington Cemetery
President Obama on Sat- urday used his weekly address to commemorate Memorial Day, calling this year’s holiday “especially meaningful” be- cause it is the first since the end of major combat operations in Afghanistan.
The President visited Arling- ton National Cemetery today (Monday) and stood alongside military families and remem- ber American troops who lost their lives during the nation’s longest war.
He shared the stories of the last two U.S. troops to die in combat operations in Afghanistan: Army Special- ist Wyatt Martin, an Arizona native, and Sergeant First Class Ramon Morris, a Ja- maican immigrant who lived in Queens.
“Like generations of heroes before them, these Americans
gave everything they had — not for glory, not even for grati- tude, but for something greater than themselves,” President Obama said. “We cannot bring them back. Nor can we ease the pain of their families and friends who live with their loss.”
Even though major opera- tions in Afghanistan have ended, the President noted there are still American troops serving there.
“This weekend also reminds us that, around the world, our men and women in uniform continue to serve and risk their lives,” Obama said. “This Me- morial Day, we’ll honor Cor- poral Dawson as well.”
President Obama called on all Americans to use Memo- rial Day to remember soldiers who fought and died in the na- tion’s wars.
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015