Former military chiefs press US Congress on trade deals

Some top US former military leaders have called for Congress to give President Barack Obama the fast-track authority he needs to complete ambitious trade deals in both the Pacific and Atlantic, warning of "harmful strategic consequences" if they are not successful.

The intervention from 17 former secretaries of defence and retired military leaders including Colin Powell, Leon Panetta, Donald Rumsfeld and David Petraeus in a letter sent on Thursday to congressional leaders from both parties comes amid a volatile debate over trade in Washington.

"The stakes are clear. There are tremendous strategic benefits . . . and there would be harmful strategic consequences if we fail to secure these agreements," the military leaders wrote. "In both Asia-Pacific and the Atlantic, our allies and partners would question our commitments, doubt our resolve, and inevitably look to other partners. America's prestige, influence, and leadership are on the line."

Mr Obama needs what is formally called Trade Promotion Authority in order to guarantee US negotiating partners that Congress will not rip up any deal struck by the administration. A bill presented last month would give the president the power all of his predecessors have had in one form or another for decades and limit the legislature to a simple up-or-down vote on trade agreements and require decisions by the Congress within 90 days of being presented a deal for ratification.

The president has the backing of the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, and votes on fast-track are expected in the coming days and weeks.

But Mr Obama is facing a significant revolt from members of his own party led by Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator who is now the de-facto leader of the Democratic party's left.

Ms Warren and her supporters argue the deals would lead to the offshoring of American jobs, open the door to corporate challenges to US regulations and even result in the dismantling of the strict financial regulations introduced in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

Mr Obama has rejected those charges, dubbing Ms Warren "wrong" and some her claims "bunk". But he faces the likelihood of a majority of Democrats in Congress voting against the fast-track bill and other Democratic leaders working hard to block any progress.

Harry Reid, the party's leader in the Senate, this week sought to mobilise members in the chamber for a filibuster, causing Mr Obama to invite Senate Democrats down to the White House on Wednesday to make his case in person.

The president's lack of fast-track authority has become particularly relevant to negotiations with Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim economies over a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) now nearing a climax. The TPP, which would cover roughly 40 per cent of the global economy, has been sold as the economic backbone of Mr Obama's strategic pivot to Asia.

Dennis Blair, a former admiral who once commanded the Pacific fleet of the US and served as director of national intelligence under Mr Obama, said he had signed the letter to congressional leaders because the TPP represented a strategic "fork in the road" for the US.

"I think it's an unmistakable fact that although US absolute power is continuing to grow, our relative power is less because other countries are moving up the well-trodden path of economic prosperity . . . turning into greater strategic weight," he told the Financial Times.

"The United States has had the lead in moving the international economic system for 70 years now," he said.

"This is a logical next step and we should be taking it. If we step back from that and leave it to China . . . we forfeit leadership."

In their letter the former military leaders said concluding both the TPP and a mooted Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU would "be a powerful symbol of continued US leadership and engagement globally" and "reinforce relationships with important allies and partners in critical regions of the world".

"TPP in particular will shape an economic dynamic over the next several decades that will link the United States with one of the world's most vibrant and dynamic regions. If, however, we fail to move forward with TPP, Asian economies will almost certainly develop along a China-centric model," they wrote.

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