Bill Pascrell: “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That seems to be the approach on trade. Despite the fact that TPA passed…”

“If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That seems to be the approach on trade. Despite the fact that TPA passed the House last week by only eight votes, at no point did the lightbulb go off for the leadership that perhaps they could work with the majority of the Democratic Caucus to find agreement on how to move forward. I don't know why that didn't occur to you. Instead of cooperation, they have opted to use procedural tricks to pass the TPA. The leadership has chosen to take a bipartisan bill passed by both Chambers of Congress that would aid our law enforcement officers and public safety workers and inject the unrelated, controversial trade debate into it. I can speak firsthand because I am one of the sponsors of the bill. This bill, the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act, I have worked on with my friend Congressman Reichert, on behalf of the men and women who serve the public in physically demanding work each and every day. It would ensure that they could access their full retirement benefits at the time they retire without incurring a tax penalty. It is a good bill. I am not only one of the sponsors, I vote for it. Today, this bill to provide tax fairness for our law enforcement officers has been twisted and diminished to a convenient vehicle to ram through fast track for a deeply flawed trade bill. This is not the same bill that we voted on Friday. Please read this bill. It is not. I urge a ``no'' vote.…”