The Fight against Fast Track Isn't Over!
Date: June 16, 2015
CALL TO ACTION:
1. Call 1-855-980-2256 to tell your Representative to "oppose TAA paid for by Medicare cuts."
2. And tell your Representative Vote NO on Fast Track
Last week we won the fight to block Fast Track. The media has reported incorrectly that the President lost and has been humiliated. But this isn't about the President. It's about the fact that workers and our communities stood up to say we will not be sold out. And the majority of Congress stood with us because we were louder and more relentless than those who think they can buy our government and take away our democracy. We can't let our guard down because this is about us.
But corporate interests are working overtime to find a way to pass Fast Track. We expect another vote on Fast Track and Trade Adjustment Authority (TAA) today. We need to light up the phone lines again and put a stop to any gimmick presented as a means to rush through a trade deal negotiated in secret.
Fast Track authority (Trade Promotion Authority) means Congress will have to vote on a trade deal as written with almost no debate and no ability to amend. Billions of dollars of multi-national corporate interests are behind this unprecedented attempt to silence our democracy.
If your member of Congress already voted NO, call them to say thank you and encourage them to stay strong.
We still need to put pressure on those who haven't voted against Fast Track.
All but 28 Democrats in Congress voted against Fast Track and 12 more voted against Fast Track but for TAA.
If your member of Congress is listed below, please call them again and encourage them to vote NO to Fast Track and NO to TAA funded by Medicare. If your member of Congress is not on either list, please call to thank them for standing up for working people and our communities.
Democrats Who Voted for Fast Track and TAA:
Alabama - Terri Sewell
California - Ami Bera, Jim Costa, Susan Davis, Sam Farr, Scott Peters
Colorado - Jared Polis
Connecticut - Jim Himes
Florida - Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
Illinois - Mike Quigley
Maryland - John Delaney
Nebraska - Brad Ashford
New York - Gregory Meeks, Kathleen Rice
Oregon - Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Kurt Schrader
Tennessee - Jim Cooper
Texas - Henry Cuellar, Ruben Hinojosa, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Beto O'Rourke
Virginia - Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly
Washington - Suzan DelBene, Derek Kilmer, Rick Larsen
Wisconsin - Ron Kind
Democrats Voting for TAA Only
In addition, these 12 Democrats voted for TAA only (if this is your member of Congress, thank them for voting against Fast Track and encourage them to vote against TAA as well)
California - Karen Bass, Anna Eshoo
Connecticut - John Larsen
Delaware - John Carney
Illinois - Bill Foster
Louisiana - Cedric Richmond
Maryland - Steny Hoyer
New York - Steve Israel
North Carolina - David Price
South Carolina - James Clyburn
Washington - Adam Smith
Disgustingly, even the most basic standards for opposing Human Trafficking have been rebuffed by the proponents of this trade deal. Not only does this deal threaten labor rights and human rights - even the idea of opposing slavery is too much of an imposition on those who seek to control local communities and all business around the world.
For months, we've called on you to contact your member of Congress to oppose Fast Track. This is it - and our future is hanging in the balance!
TAA was introduced because Congress already knows people will lose their jobs through this trade deal so they are already planning to provide unemployment insurance for two years if certain categories of workers lose their jobs when they are shipped overseas. BUT, Congress wants to pay for TAA with Medicare. In other words, stealing from Medicare to pay for this trade deal that they already are admitting will cost U.S. jobs.
CALL TO ACTION:
1. Call 1-855-980-2256 and say you "oppose TAA paid for by Medicare cuts."
2. Continue to tell your Representative Vote NO on Fast Track
Call now! After you call - Tell every Flight Attendant to call. Tell your church, environmental groups and your PTA to call. Your friends, your family, the person standing in line at the grocery store with you. EVERYONE needs to tell the Democrats and every member of Congress that we will not forget. We will not forget that they will go so far as to steal from Medicare to fund a temporary deal for those who lose their jobs due to another bad trade deal negotiated in secret.
What Is the TPP?
The TPP is the biggest trade deal ever negotiated - and it's all done in secret with only corporate interests at the table.
TPP would make "Buy America" laws illegal. Right now the federal government gives preferential treatment to U.S. businesses when buying goods and services. TPP would make that practice illegal. If TPP is approved, corporations can sue a country if it raises its minimum wage, like Egypt did, or adopts regulations to protect the public health, like Australia. Corporations have taken advantage of any opportunity to pay foreign workers less and this will give them a blank check on our backs.
