Warren Group Post: Thanks for contacting me about TPP

[merrily]

As some of readers may recall, I don't think our contacting our Rep and Senators changes the way they plan to vote, but I do it anyway.

Some months ago, I contacted my alleged representatives about TPP. Lynch replied promptly, telling me what I already knew: he opposed Fast Track, though not necessarily TPP. I just heard back from Warren, below (also no surprise). I've not heard from Markey.

Dear merrily,

Thank you for contacting me about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). As you may know, the TPP is large trade agreement that the United States is currently negotiating with eleven other countries, including Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Australia, and Japan.

I am concerned about the process our government has created for negotiating this massive agreement. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is responsible for negotiating the TPP. Although the agreement will affect nearly every American industry and modify everything from copyright protections to labor standards for 40% of the world's economy, USTR does not make its negotiating texts publicly available. Even Members of Congress can only view the negotiating text with strict restrictions. If our government believes that this trade deal is a good one for working families, it should be more transparent about its negotiations.

I am also concerned with certain aspects of the agreement that have become public. The TPP, like many previous trade deals, includes a process known as investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS. ISDS permits corporations to go straight to an arbitration panel when a country passes new laws or applies existing laws in ways that the corporations believe will cost them money. These panels can force countries to pay billions of dollars in compensation, and their decisions cannot be appealed or reviewed by a domestic court. Because of how costly these awards can be, ISDS creates enormous pressure on governments to avoid actions that might offend corporate interests -- actions like raising the minimum wage, attempting to cut smoking rates, or prohibiting the dumping of toxic chemicals.

While corporations can use ISDS to enforce their interests, everyone else must rely on our government to enforce the labor and environmental standards in the TPP. According to reports from the Government Accountability Office and the State and Labor Departments, our track record in this area is abysmal, with the government refusing to act even in the face of clear evidence of violations.

America needs trade - but not trade agreements that offer gold-plated enforcement for giant corporations and meaningless promises for everyone else. We should fix the way we enforce trade agreements to ensure a level playing field for everyone -- and then, and only then, should we consider entering into any new trade agreements.

Thank you again for your input on this important issue.

Sincerely,