Like it or not, ’fast track’ is on its way to becoming a reality. Last week, Paul Ryan’s House Ways and Means Committee passed the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act. The House bill would give President Obama the power to ‘fast track’ trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership right through Congress.

If President Obama does get these powers, our elected representatives wouldn’t be allowed to make any amendments whatsoever to that trade deal. Instead, the treaty would be sent directly to the floor with a simple up or down vote with no discussion or amendments.

So far, the TPP has been negotiated entirely in secret with the help of over 600 corporate advisors. And you know what that means.

Mike Papantonio discusses this with Jim Dean, the chair of Democracy for America.