2,009 Organizations Call on Congress to Oppose Fast Track Authority for the TPP

[marmar]

2,009 Organizations Call on Congress to Oppose Fast Track Authority for the TPP

Unprecedented Unity Against Bill to Railroad into Place a TPP Replicating Failed Terms of Past Trade Pacts that Offshored Jobs, Lowered Wages and Exposed Consumer and Environmental Safeguards to Attack

WASHINGTON - An unprecedentedly united movement of labor, environmental, family farm, consumer, faith, Internet freedom and other organizations escalated their campaign to defeat Fast Track trade authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) today with a joint 2,009-group letter urging Congress to oppose it.

As the TPP text leaks revealed that the pact replicates and expands on the most damaging provisions of past U.S. trade pacts, thousands of organizations nationwide have educated their members about the TPP’s threats to American jobs and wages, food safety, affordable medicines, the environment, financial stability and more. The pact also replicates the labor and environmental framework first established in George W. Bush’s final trade agreements, which recent U.S. government reports reveal has proved ineffective. These facts have generated wide opposition to the agreement and undermined the White House effort to characterize it as “progressive.”

“Fast Track is rigged to give special rights to corporations at the expense of workers and consumers,” said Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “We’ve seen this before and it has led to massive job loss. We cannot get better trade agreements until we get our priorities straight.”

“While we are not currently permitted to see the terms of the new trade deal, what we do know is the Fast Track process enables trade deals that hurt everyday Americans and stack the deck in favor of corporations,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “It limits public and congressional oversight and does not allow effective enforcement. We need trade policy that strengthens our country — ensuring the rights of workers, and protecting consumers and the environment. We need a democratic and transparent trade process that offers a fair shake for American workers. Fast Track fails these standards and should be rejected.” ..................(more)

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2015/04/28/2009-organizations-call-congress-oppose-fast-track-authority-tpp

[cali]

1. fantastic.

[marmar]

3. Obama is the biggest cheerleader for it.

[pipoman]

5. Not been paying attention eh?

There are as many dems as thugs pushing this....this is Obama's top priority perhaps since he took the presidency....

[leftofcool]

4. You lost me at "call on Congress"

When was the last time Congress cared one rat's butt about what the American people want? That buzzing sound you hear is just a dial tone because no body's home in DC.

[Agony]

6. Dredging up 6 year old news to attack the President seems desperate.

I am SURE that some of those organizations have changed their position since 2009… Sheesh

[cali]

7. uh, this is dated APRIL 28, 2015- making it 6 days old, not 6 years.

It's 2,009 organizations not the year.

[Agony]

8. all I ever read is the thread title and whats a little comma anyway

We should keep this thread kicked, btw

The article speaks for itself even if it is about 6 year old news

[cali]

9. sorry, I feel compelled to repeat myself as you still seem to be in doubt

this happened on April 28, 2015. click the link and it's clear.

[Agony]

10. Thanks, cali.

and Good Morning!

once 2,015 organizations sign on I will be clear on what's going on…

Cheers,
Agony

[cali]

11. lol. I had the same thought

there should be 2,015 organizations, not 2,009. They couldn't dig up 6 more to make that happen?

[turbinetree]

13. I am

the 2,010 organization.
I am a human being of one organization out on million that demand a "FAIR TRADE"

And to repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, Korean Fair Trade agreement, the Columbian Trade agreement, all you have to do is look, at what is going on in our cities to see what economics or lack of jobs is doing to this country

[Agony]

14. I would think that the Democratic Party would be fully behind a

"united movement of labor, environmental, family farm, consumer, faith, Internet freedom and other organizations (as they) escalate[d] their campaign to defeat Fast Track trade authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)"?

There are some key elements of the Party MIA in this regard and I hope that this "holding of feet to the fire" puts my Party back in full solidarity with ordinary working people.

Agony