As neighbors to people around the world and stewards of the planet, we must be especially vigilant when laws affecting hundreds of millions of people and the environment are being written. The U.S. is currently negotiating two major trade agreements, the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union. These treaties are being written in secret, in violation of all democratic principles. Now Congress is poised to pass “Fast Track” legislation, trade promotion authority that will further thwart the democratic process.
Urge the Senate to oppose an irregular, “Fast Track” approval process that curtails public input and bars our elected representatives from fully examining the proposed treaties.
Trade agreements are typically many hundreds of pages long and address a multitude of issues that affect our jobs, wages and salaries, environmental protections, access to medicines, food safety, consumer protections, tax policy, and banking regulation.
The public must be allowed to see and comment on these treaties. Congress must also exercise its full constitutional authority to carefully examine the proposed legislation and amend it, if necessary.
Urge your Senators to oppose an irregular, “Fast Track” approval process.