Charles Rangel: “Mr. Speaker, fast track authority, Trade Promotion Authority, is a fraud. It is a hoax. The President has plenary…”

“Mr. Speaker, fast track authority, Trade Promotion Authority, is a fraud. It is a hoax. The President has plenary authority to negotiate anything he wants to. What we are purporting to do is forfeit Congressional authority. That is what it is about. We do not grant authority, we purport to forfeit Congressional authority to offer amendments. There is a difficulty. We cannot do it legislatively, because we have that power constitutionally. So this legislation, if it passes unanimously, is constitutionally unenforceable. Now, I do not think there is a constitutional scholar who would differ with that. But if they did, legislatively it is a hoax, because in every single so-called fast track bill, there has been a provision. There is in this bill, on page 217, lines 15 through 19. Basically what it says, we will give up our authority to amend, unless we change our mind and wish to amend, at which time we come forth with a rule and we offer any amendments we want. It is a hoax, a fraud.”