The
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive trade deal that is still being
written in secret. Corporations and big banks had a seat at the negotiating
table while the American people and their representatives were shown the
door.
To
get whatever is agreed to past the Congress, the corporate lobby, the president
and the Republican congressional leaders want to force an up down vote on the
final treaty, no amendments, after 20 hours of debate.
They
are having trouble lining up the votes. They are opposed by almost the entire
Democratic caucus, and by more than a few Tea Party legislators.
Yesterday,
Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch announced he will not introduce the "fast
track" bill until April. That gives us another month to mobilize opposition.
That’s the good news.
The
bad news is that Republican leaders plan to use the month to line up votes so
fast track can be introduced and voted on overnight. They want to "fast track"
fast track!
We
have to stop this. Campaign for America’s Future has joined with dozens of
nonprofits, labor unions and citizen advocates to send a message to every member
of Congress: Vote no on “fast-track.”
Over
the next month, we will be organizing petitions and a campaign to flood
congressional switchboards with calls. We’re writing articles and analysis
toinform Americans what is at stake.
The
TPP is a 12 country, twenty-nine chapter mistake comprising thousands of pages.
It has less about trade than it is about corporate privilege and a grab bag of
special interest giveaways.
Oil
companies got the right to export natural gas without government approval.
Fracking companies get the right to sue the US for damages if Congress decides
to enforce protections for our water or air.
Drug
companies won the right to entend their patents for years. Life-saving generics
will be denied to many poor and working people. Medicare and Medicaid will
strain under the weight of this profiteering.
Multinationals
got a ban on Buy America provisions, giving them even more incentive to ship
good jobs abroad. And that’s only the beginning.
Thank
you for all you do.
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