When Issues Overwhelm U.S.

With fearful issues like Ebola and ISIS making endless headlines, the public’s attention is being pulled a thousand different directions.
The trick for voters is to see through the chaos and keep in mind that Ebola and ISIS, though important, could overshadow other important issues.
Indeed, as the lame-duck session of Congress grinds on, several vital issues are heating up and could be decided soon.
For instance, two massive free-trade deals may get a boost before the year ends. Those pending deals are:
• The Trans Pacific Partnership
• And the Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
The Pacific trade deal would span 12 nations, while the Atlantic deal would be the world’s first U.S.-EU formal trade pact.
Critics believe these trade deals will bend national laws unfairly in favor of corporations and hurt the middle class. Supporters say they would boost U.S. exports to help the economy.
But Congress would first have to vote to grant President Obama fast-track trade-promotion authority to wrap up these trade bills more quickly. However, that power would prevent Congress from amending both deals.
Another major lame-duck issue is that the Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on a bill to advance the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The Senate’s Keystone legislation needs a 60-vote threshold in order to be forwarded to President Obama’s desk. He may sign it into law. Yet, according to White House Spokesman Josh Earnest, he very well may veto it.
As we’ve reported, the Keystone debate has been wrapped up in post-midterm politics.
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and her opponent in a Dec. 6th Louisiana Senate runoff—GOP Congressman Bill Cassidy—are both pushing pro-Keystone bills.
The House did pass legislation Friday to approve completing the Keystone. The House passed the Cassidy bill with a tally of 252 to 161. That outcome prompted Landrieu to say she’s “confident” she can rally the 60 votes needed for a filibuster-proof Senate majority.
One other critical issue simmering during the “lame duck” is a possible immigration executive order which President Obama may issue.
Numbers USA, an immigration watchdog group in Washington, just issued an action bulletin urgently stating:
“We simply must stop President Obama’s Executive Amnesty. If we don’t stop him, [he] could issue a policy authorizing work permits for as many as 12 million illegal aliens by Christmas.”
The group also is warning about the erosion of separation of powers, stating: “[T]he President has decided to ignore the constitutional way of making laws and [may] completely bypass Congress.”
Yet another issue to be aware of is whether Congress will take surprise action to send monetary and military assistance to Ukraine.
This issue is lurking in the background, thanks to a fall speech by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to a joint session of Congress.
In that address, he claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the root of all evil and pleaded for American help—even though some see Poroshenko as the real aggressor against East Ukrainian civilians—punishing them for their loyalty to Russia.
So, all told, these are among the key issues on the burner as Ebola and ISIS reports nearly overwhelm us. And if constant vigilance is the price of freedom, Americans perhaps need to be more watchful than ever—to make sure bad policies are not passed “under the table.”