Fast track to free trade prosperity

Though conservatives have reason to distrust President Obama’s actions after years of failed policies, they should be cautiously optimistic about last week’s bipartisan congressional approval — dominated by Republicans — of Trade Promotion Authority, otherwise called fast track authority.

“Fast Track” authority gives presidents for the next six years an opportunity to negotiate trade agreements that Congress will then vote up or down after at least 60 days of public review. This makes it different from Obamacare, in which then-House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi before passage said, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”