The McLaughlin Group panelists this week discuss the Democrat trade bill revolt, and the Democrats’ attempts to blame the Amtrak train crash near Philadelphia on the GOP. President Obama suffered a lame duck-like defeat at the hands of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
With Democrats divided, intense lobbying on both sides of the issue resulted in the failure of the upper chamber to agree to start debate on expanding the president’s authority to negotiate trade deals. The motion failed on a 52-45 vote, which was not very close considering it needed 60 votes — or, 6 Democrats — to move forward.
In another segment, The McLaughlin Group panelists discuss the Democrats’ attempts to pin the tragic Amtrak train crash on a lack of funding by a Republican-controlled Congress. In truth, spending on Amtrak has increased under the Republican leadership in the House and Senate, and the safety technology installations have been funded. Amtrak has said they simply haven’t had enough time to install them yet.
Further, the train was speeding along at over 100 mph around a curve in a 50-mph zone.