I've wondered about this; I keep hearing people say "It's entirely secret!" and others say "No, it's not secret at all!" We finally have some insight; it seems like the White House has put up as many onerous barriers as possible, to make an end-run around Congress:
DESVARIEUX: But who else has been able to see this deal? The USTR released names of about 600 trade advisors who have access to the text. Eighty-five percent of these advisors represent trade associations and corporations. The rest of the groups, like labor, are clearly in the minority. Members of Congress like Connecticut Democrat Rosa DeLauro has come out strongly against the secrecy around the TPP. Congress can only read one section at a time in a secret location in the Capitol's basement, and they are forbidden from taking notes, and only staff with special clearance can see the text.
DeLauro says getting information out to the public has been an uphill battle.
REP. ROSE DELAURO (D-CT): And it's taken us a very, very long time to get, to be able to see, to see, three or four chapters of this agreement. We have been unable to do that for months and months and months.
DESVARIEUX: As of April, only 43 members of Congress had actually asked to see the text, according to the Hill. President Obama stands by his assertion that the text is available, and that there is no secret deal.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You got some critics saying that any deal would be rushed through. It's a secret deal. People don't know what's in it. This is not true. Any agreement that we finalize with the other 11 countries will have to be posted online for at least 60 days before I even sign it. Then it would go to Congress, and you know they're not going to do anything fast.
DESVARIEUX: But critics say that once fast-track is passed the TPP is pretty much a done deal because it guarantees that Congress cannot amend or filibuster a deal, meaning the final deal will simply get an up or down vote. So the logic goes that if the Obama administration can get enough votes to pass fast-track they'll get enough votes for the agreement, and history has proven that to be true.
It happened with the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement under President Reagan, with NAFTA under President Clinton, and CAFTA under President George W. Bush, in addition to many others.
DELAURO: What we're asking on fast-track is that we allow there to be congressional input into the process of the negotiations. That's what we're asking for, and that has not happened.
DESVARIEUX: But is this level of secrecy around a trade agreement really unprecedented?
DAMON SILVERS, DIR. OF POLICY, AFL-CIO: [Inaud.] have been personally involved in trade negotiations for the last 20 years or so are universally of the opinion that this is the most secretive process that they've ever experienced.