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Victory for the People!
November 2016 President Obama has announced that he will not push for TPP approval during the lame-duck session of Congress. This great victory is the result of the actions of progressive people and some conservative allies in pressuring our US Senators and Representatives to oppose the TPP. This has been a movement of movements and individuals. Read Arthur Stamoulis, Exec Director of Citizens Trade Campaign, article on who won this battle here. While we declare our victory, we must also remain aware that the corporatists will not give up and we must be watchful after Donald Trump becomes President. |
What was the TPP in less than 150 words?
The TPP covers 40 percent of the global economy, yet it was negotiated in secret with hundreds of corporate advisors while the public was locked out. The key provision in TPP grants new rights to thousands of foreign corporations to sue the U.S. government before a panel of 3 corporate lawyers. These lawyers can award the corporations unlimited sums to be paid by America's taxpayers, including for the loss of expected future profits. These foreign corporations need only convince the lawyers that a U.S. law or safety regulation violates their TPP rights. Their decisions are not subject to appeal and the amount awarded has no limit. This agreement is not good for American taxpayers. It means higher drug prices. It makes it easier to send jobs overseas, means fewer jobs and lower wages, and a government that doesn't work for us.
Analysis since the text was released
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Center for Economic and Policy Research, Dean Baker - Key Findings
Intellectual Property Watch - USITC Finds TPP Benefits US Economy, But Maybe Not Jobs; Unclear on IP Rights Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - USITC Report Ignores Food Safety Costs; Overstates Benefits for Farmers National Farmers Union - USITC Report Predicts Increase in Trade Deficit; Modest Gains from TPP Good Fellow (Its Your Money, Grow It) - USITC Report Portrays Lackluster Economic Benefits Public Citizen - TPP Study Projects Worsening Trade Balance for 16 of 25 Economic Sectors, Overall US Trade Deficit Increase. Includes statement from Lori Wallach CWA (Communication Workers of America) - ITC Report Shows that TPP Fails American Workers ITC Report Shows TPP Is Disastrous for Working Families - Press statement by the AFL-CIO ITC Report Shows TPP's Deep Flaws for U.S. Workers, Says Machinists Union President - Statement by Machinists International President Robert Martinez, Jr. R-CALF USA (United Stock Growers of America) - USITC Report Predicts Exceedingly Small Benefits for U.S. Beef Packers While Failing to Address Impacts to the U.S. Cattle Supply Chain Levin Statement on ITC TPP Economic Import Report - Senator Levin statement DeLauro Statement on The International Trade Commission's Report on The Trans-Pacific Partnership - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro statement US Government's Own Report Shows Toxic TPP "Not Worth Passing" - This report indicates the TPP will produce almost no benefits, but inflict real harm on so many workers. Published by Common Dreams Why Pursue the TPP When We Know It won't Work - The Hill Kevin Kearns is president of the U.S. Business & Industry Council, a national business organization advocating for domestic U.S. manufacturers since 1933. Data Fail: The Divergence between Rosy International Trade Commission Projections and U.S. Trade Agreements’ Actual Outcomes Report from Public Citizen May 2016 |
Want to Know if the TPP Will be a Disaster? Just Look at the Korea Trade Deal. May 12, 2016 U.S. Export to the nation have been flat since the deal. By Leo Gerard, Pres. US Steelworkers union
Farm Groups Against the TPP April 27, 2016
This week, more than 160 farm, food, and faith groups sent a letter to congress asking it to reject the TPP and to stand up for independent farmers and ranchers. The National Farmers Union is one of the groups claiming the main beneficiaries of the agreement are the companies that buy, process and ship raw ag commodities -- not the farmers who face real risks from rising import competition.
Keep the US Mining Company Out of Colombia's Amazon A U.S. mining company has launched a $16.5 billion lawsuit against Colombia. Read the NOTICE OF DEMAND AND DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION AND STATEMENT OF CLAIM, the official filing of the claim with the arbitration court.
Public Health Groups Call for Congress to Reject TPP More than 50 public health groups on Tuesday called on Congress to reject a trade agreement between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations because it will block access to affordable medicines.
Letter to Congress: Environmental Organizations Urge Opposition to Trans-Pacific Partnership. Critical look at the ISDS clauses of corporate trade agreements.
New York Lawmakers Opposing Pacific Trade Deal 3/23/16A bipartisan group of New York lawmakers on Wednesday told President Obama they are opposing a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade agreement.
The lawmakers — 13 Democrats and six Republicans of the 27-member delegation — sent a letter to the White House expressing “firm opposition” to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as negotiated because it will lead to more job losses for U.S. workers
The Choice Is Not Between TPP and No Trade by Lori Wallach, Public Citizen
Supporting Women Includes Opposing TPP by Rep. Louise Slaughter, "Our pledge to support women across the world should include the promise to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)."
The WTO Just Ruled Against India’s Booming Solar Program, "on Wednesday, the WTO released its ruling against India’s National Solar Mission, deciding that India’s efforts to boost local production of solar cells violated WTO rules. "
Oil Corporations v Climate, How Investors Use Trade Agreements to Undermine Climate Action. Report from Greenpeace USA, Sierra Club and other.
A Gold Standard for Workers? The State of Labor Rights in Trans-Pacific Partnership Counties. Report by the AFL-CIO
Look to Honduras for Reasons the TPP Will Fail From the AFL-CIO, drawing connection between provisions in CAFTA and the TPP regarding protecting rights of labor.
Weak Privacy Provisions in TTP Fail to Provide Bare Minimum Protections "...Rather than setting the TPP privacy bar at having a national privacy law based on the OECD principles, the agreement weakens the shift toward a minimum standard of privacy protection."
Trans-Pacific Partnership will barely benefit Australia, says World Bank report. Report notes that the US will have the smallest economic benefit from the TPP with economic growth of just .4% by 2030. The actual report is here.
TransCanada Demands $15 Billion in NAFTA Investor-State Tribunal for XL Pipeline Rejection Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. Additional new stories here. And the statement from the Sierra Club is here.
June 2016 update: TransCanada files their lawsuit against the US for $15 billion.
Hundreds of advocacy groups ask Congress to block Obama’s Pacific Rim trade pact
A coalition of more than 1,500 interest groups is sending a letter to Congress on Thursday demanding that lawmakers block the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the 12-nation Pacific Rim trade pact championed by the Obama administration. Read the letter here.
Dr Joshua Freeman, Dr Hayley Bennet: TPP could trump climate accord According to these two New Zealand doctors, the TPP trade deal gives polluters power to sue governments who try to implement the Paris agreement.
US Trade Representative's Labor Advisory Committee (LAC)Report to Congress. From the report "The LAC strongly opposes the TPP, negotiated between the United States (U.S.), Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. We believe that the Agreement fails to advance the economic interests of the U.S. and does not fulfill all of the negotiating objectives identified by Congress in the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. The threat to future economic gains here in the U.S. and the standard of living of our people will be put in jeopardy by the Agreement. These threats will grow over time based on the potential for open-ended expansion of the TPP to countries ranging from Indonesia to China. The LAC believes the agreement should not be submitted to Congress or, if it is, it should be quickly rejected. The interests of U.S. manufacturers, businesses, workers and consumers would be severely undermined by the entry into force of the TPP. "
Obamatrade's Fine Print Reveals Security Threat Provisions including in past "free" trade agreements preventing multinational corporations from suing the US before Private Trade Tribunals for lost profits as result of decisions to not allow a corporation to do something because of security risk have not been included in the TPP.
Pacific Trade Bill Would Bind Congress - TPP infringes on U. S. sovereignty, forcing America to live by its rules or face lawsuits As detrimental as the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership may be for American workers, what many might not realize is that it could get worse over time. The 12-nation trade pact gives unelected international bureaucrats the ability to make changes to the trade rules.
USW ( US Steelworkers) Leadership Statement Urges Rejection of TPP The International Executive Board of the United Steelworkers (USW) today adopted a formal resolution urging rejection of the proposed 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal by both the U.S. Congress and the Canadian federal government.
Read the Report here.
Two New Reports Show Trans-Pacific Partnership has Major Agricultural, Labor and Environmental Deficiencies From the National Farmers Union
How the TPP Will Affect You and Your Digital Rights From the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Drug prices expected to rise as result of TPP deal According to Doctors Without Borders, the TPP is result in increased drug prices, especially in those developing countries.
Will the Trans Pacific Partnership Hinder Access to Medicine, Part 1 By the Stanford Law School, Law and BioSciences Blog.
3 Ways the Trans Pacific Partnership Will Hurt the Climate - If We Let It Pass The next big trade deal is poised for a congressional vote in 2016. Here's what that means for the planet
How the TPP Will Create A Medical Privacy Hellscape A recent EU court decisions has reaffirmed the authority of individual EU nations the ability to require the localization of data, causing difficulties for Facebook, Google and others. The TPP would prevent localization requirements in the TPP nations.
Initial Analyses of Key TPP Chapters Chapters analyzed include ACCESSION OF NEW COUNTRIES ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – PATENTS, PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS/MEDICAL DEVICES ANNEX, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – COPYRIGHT, INVESTMENT, LABOR, MARKET ACCESS, PROCUREMENT, RULES OF ORIGIN , SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY STANDARDS, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES, ENTRY INTO FORCE, TOBACCO
The TPP's Children's Table: Labor Rights and Currency There are two classes of issues addressed by the TPP - those which are "serious adult issues" like protections of patents and investments, and those which are children's issues "like labor rights and currency manipulation." And the TPP treats them quite differently
How May 10 Agreement interacts with TPP In order to gain approval of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement, President Bush negotiated the May 10 agreement setting certain environmental and other standards with certain Democrats, giving the Democrats cover to vote Yes. But environmental organizations like Sierra Club and NRDC are saying that even those standards are undermined by TPP.
Controversial trade deal lacks specific LGBT-specific provisions While the trade agreement has provisions to expand bargaining rightsfor workers and other provisions to protect the rights based on race,sex,color,religion, political opinion, sexual orientation or gender identity is not included.
As US Promotes TPP As A Way To Improve Labor Standards, Guatemala Shows Failed Promises of Previous Trade Deals CAFTA proponents claimed that the labor standards contained in the agreement were the strongest in any such agreement negotiatied by the United States. In spite of the promises, Guatemala was named the most dangerous nation in the world for trade unionists.
Jeff Sessions: Kill the 'Anti-Democratic" Trans-Pacific Partnership in the Crib, Repeal Fast-Track Authority Now Sen. Jeff Sessions, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest discusses, among other things, the meaning of the formation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership's TPP Commission.
TPP Text Reveals Risk for Consumer Privacy Reform Rules in the E-Commerce chapter could subject laws/regulations which protect consumer and internet user privacy to suit under the Investor-State-Protection-Clause. Read the Public Citizen report here.
TPP Is A Bad Deal For America The U. S. Business & Industry Council says TPP is "full of special deals for various U.S. trading partners, foreign corporations, and multinational U.S. businesses with little to promote domestic job growth in the United States."
Nurses: Final TPP Text Even Worse Than Advertised The release of the TPP text has confirmed the fears of "broad threats to public health and safety in the U.S. and other nations,"
TPP Caves to the Tobacco Industry, Threatens Public health The TPP allows tobacco companies to protect their interests to "defeat popular initiatives to prevent or end addictionto lethal tobacco products."
Farm Groups Against the TPP April 27, 2016
This week, more than 160 farm, food, and faith groups sent a letter to congress asking it to reject the TPP and to stand up for independent farmers and ranchers. The National Farmers Union is one of the groups claiming the main beneficiaries of the agreement are the companies that buy, process and ship raw ag commodities -- not the farmers who face real risks from rising import competition.
Keep the US Mining Company Out of Colombia's Amazon A U.S. mining company has launched a $16.5 billion lawsuit against Colombia. Read the NOTICE OF DEMAND AND DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION AND STATEMENT OF CLAIM, the official filing of the claim with the arbitration court.
Public Health Groups Call for Congress to Reject TPP More than 50 public health groups on Tuesday called on Congress to reject a trade agreement between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations because it will block access to affordable medicines.
Letter to Congress: Environmental Organizations Urge Opposition to Trans-Pacific Partnership. Critical look at the ISDS clauses of corporate trade agreements.
New York Lawmakers Opposing Pacific Trade Deal 3/23/16A bipartisan group of New York lawmakers on Wednesday told President Obama they are opposing a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade agreement.
The lawmakers — 13 Democrats and six Republicans of the 27-member delegation — sent a letter to the White House expressing “firm opposition” to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as negotiated because it will lead to more job losses for U.S. workers
The Choice Is Not Between TPP and No Trade by Lori Wallach, Public Citizen
Supporting Women Includes Opposing TPP by Rep. Louise Slaughter, "Our pledge to support women across the world should include the promise to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)."
The WTO Just Ruled Against India’s Booming Solar Program, "on Wednesday, the WTO released its ruling against India’s National Solar Mission, deciding that India’s efforts to boost local production of solar cells violated WTO rules. "
Oil Corporations v Climate, How Investors Use Trade Agreements to Undermine Climate Action. Report from Greenpeace USA, Sierra Club and other.
A Gold Standard for Workers? The State of Labor Rights in Trans-Pacific Partnership Counties. Report by the AFL-CIO
Look to Honduras for Reasons the TPP Will Fail From the AFL-CIO, drawing connection between provisions in CAFTA and the TPP regarding protecting rights of labor.
Weak Privacy Provisions in TTP Fail to Provide Bare Minimum Protections "...Rather than setting the TPP privacy bar at having a national privacy law based on the OECD principles, the agreement weakens the shift toward a minimum standard of privacy protection."
Trans-Pacific Partnership will barely benefit Australia, says World Bank report. Report notes that the US will have the smallest economic benefit from the TPP with economic growth of just .4% by 2030. The actual report is here.
TransCanada Demands $15 Billion in NAFTA Investor-State Tribunal for XL Pipeline Rejection Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. Additional new stories here. And the statement from the Sierra Club is here.
June 2016 update: TransCanada files their lawsuit against the US for $15 billion.
Hundreds of advocacy groups ask Congress to block Obama’s Pacific Rim trade pact
A coalition of more than 1,500 interest groups is sending a letter to Congress on Thursday demanding that lawmakers block the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the 12-nation Pacific Rim trade pact championed by the Obama administration. Read the letter here.
Dr Joshua Freeman, Dr Hayley Bennet: TPP could trump climate accord According to these two New Zealand doctors, the TPP trade deal gives polluters power to sue governments who try to implement the Paris agreement.
US Trade Representative's Labor Advisory Committee (LAC)Report to Congress. From the report "The LAC strongly opposes the TPP, negotiated between the United States (U.S.), Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. We believe that the Agreement fails to advance the economic interests of the U.S. and does not fulfill all of the negotiating objectives identified by Congress in the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. The threat to future economic gains here in the U.S. and the standard of living of our people will be put in jeopardy by the Agreement. These threats will grow over time based on the potential for open-ended expansion of the TPP to countries ranging from Indonesia to China. The LAC believes the agreement should not be submitted to Congress or, if it is, it should be quickly rejected. The interests of U.S. manufacturers, businesses, workers and consumers would be severely undermined by the entry into force of the TPP. "
Obamatrade's Fine Print Reveals Security Threat Provisions including in past "free" trade agreements preventing multinational corporations from suing the US before Private Trade Tribunals for lost profits as result of decisions to not allow a corporation to do something because of security risk have not been included in the TPP.
Pacific Trade Bill Would Bind Congress - TPP infringes on U. S. sovereignty, forcing America to live by its rules or face lawsuits As detrimental as the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership may be for American workers, what many might not realize is that it could get worse over time. The 12-nation trade pact gives unelected international bureaucrats the ability to make changes to the trade rules.
USW ( US Steelworkers) Leadership Statement Urges Rejection of TPP The International Executive Board of the United Steelworkers (USW) today adopted a formal resolution urging rejection of the proposed 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal by both the U.S. Congress and the Canadian federal government.
Read the Report here.
Two New Reports Show Trans-Pacific Partnership has Major Agricultural, Labor and Environmental Deficiencies From the National Farmers Union
How the TPP Will Affect You and Your Digital Rights From the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Drug prices expected to rise as result of TPP deal According to Doctors Without Borders, the TPP is result in increased drug prices, especially in those developing countries.
Will the Trans Pacific Partnership Hinder Access to Medicine, Part 1 By the Stanford Law School, Law and BioSciences Blog.
3 Ways the Trans Pacific Partnership Will Hurt the Climate - If We Let It Pass The next big trade deal is poised for a congressional vote in 2016. Here's what that means for the planet
How the TPP Will Create A Medical Privacy Hellscape A recent EU court decisions has reaffirmed the authority of individual EU nations the ability to require the localization of data, causing difficulties for Facebook, Google and others. The TPP would prevent localization requirements in the TPP nations.
Initial Analyses of Key TPP Chapters Chapters analyzed include ACCESSION OF NEW COUNTRIES ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – PATENTS, PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS/MEDICAL DEVICES ANNEX, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – COPYRIGHT, INVESTMENT, LABOR, MARKET ACCESS, PROCUREMENT, RULES OF ORIGIN , SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY STANDARDS, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES, ENTRY INTO FORCE, TOBACCO
The TPP's Children's Table: Labor Rights and Currency There are two classes of issues addressed by the TPP - those which are "serious adult issues" like protections of patents and investments, and those which are children's issues "like labor rights and currency manipulation." And the TPP treats them quite differently
How May 10 Agreement interacts with TPP In order to gain approval of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement, President Bush negotiated the May 10 agreement setting certain environmental and other standards with certain Democrats, giving the Democrats cover to vote Yes. But environmental organizations like Sierra Club and NRDC are saying that even those standards are undermined by TPP.
Controversial trade deal lacks specific LGBT-specific provisions While the trade agreement has provisions to expand bargaining rightsfor workers and other provisions to protect the rights based on race,sex,color,religion, political opinion, sexual orientation or gender identity is not included.
As US Promotes TPP As A Way To Improve Labor Standards, Guatemala Shows Failed Promises of Previous Trade Deals CAFTA proponents claimed that the labor standards contained in the agreement were the strongest in any such agreement negotiatied by the United States. In spite of the promises, Guatemala was named the most dangerous nation in the world for trade unionists.
Jeff Sessions: Kill the 'Anti-Democratic" Trans-Pacific Partnership in the Crib, Repeal Fast-Track Authority Now Sen. Jeff Sessions, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest discusses, among other things, the meaning of the formation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership's TPP Commission.
TPP Text Reveals Risk for Consumer Privacy Reform Rules in the E-Commerce chapter could subject laws/regulations which protect consumer and internet user privacy to suit under the Investor-State-Protection-Clause. Read the Public Citizen report here.
TPP Is A Bad Deal For America The U. S. Business & Industry Council says TPP is "full of special deals for various U.S. trading partners, foreign corporations, and multinational U.S. businesses with little to promote domestic job growth in the United States."
Nurses: Final TPP Text Even Worse Than Advertised The release of the TPP text has confirmed the fears of "broad threats to public health and safety in the U.S. and other nations,"
TPP Caves to the Tobacco Industry, Threatens Public health The TPP allows tobacco companies to protect their interests to "defeat popular initiatives to prevent or end addictionto lethal tobacco products."
Negotiations finished; text still not released
John Kerry, US Sec. of State, announced on October 5, 2015 that the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, which had started 7 years ago, had been "successfully concluded." He said that this agreement " will spur economic growth and prosperity, enhance competitiveness, and bring jobs to American shores. It will provide new and meaningful access for American companies, large and small. And by setting high standards on labor, the environment, intellectual property, and a free and open Internet, this agreement will level the playing field for American businesses and workers"
However, even with the talks now being concluded, the agreement's text is still being kept secret. In fact, we will not be able to read the text until after President Obama notifies Congress of his intent to sign the agreement. Within 30 days, the text must be posted to a public site for 60 days. That will be the soonest that the public can see what has be negotiated in our name.
In spite of the secrecy, we do know much of what the agreement will do and it is not pretty. We know this because it is built on the US Korea Free Trade Agreement, signed three years ago. We also have copies of leaked text from WikiLeaks, the most recent on Oct. 9, 2015 of the Intellectual Property chapter. Additionally, statements by President Obama, and his Trade Representatives have revealed more details.
At minimum, we know that
In spite of the secrecy, we do know much of what the agreement will do and it is not pretty. We know this because it is built on the US Korea Free Trade Agreement, signed three years ago. We also have copies of leaked text from WikiLeaks, the most recent on Oct. 9, 2015 of the Intellectual Property chapter. Additionally, statements by President Obama, and his Trade Representatives have revealed more details.
At minimum, we know that
- tens of thousands of American jobs will be offshored
- wages will go down because American workers will now have to compete with Vietnamese workers making .65/hour
- unsafe food will flow into the United States
- medical and drugs prices will go up
- banks will be freed from oversight
- a free and open Internet will be undermined
- public procurement contracts will be open to all companies in the TPP
- Buy American clauses will be eliminated
- and most important, because of the Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement clause, our laws and regulations will be subject to challenge in unaccountable corporate trade tribunals
President Obama negotiates NAFTA on Steroids
For the past five years the Obama administration has been negotiating a new "free trade" agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is a massive trade and investment pact being negotiated between the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam Canada, and Mexico. This will truly be NAFTA ON STEROIDS.
As the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign as noted, "if implemented, the TPP threatens to:
Secrecy v right to know
This agreement has been called the most secretive and least transparent of all trade agreements to date. While 600 corporate lobbyists have access to the text and are able to comment on it and influence its writing, US representatives and senators have been barred either from seeing the text or, if they are able to see it, then they cannot comment on it
Sen Ron Wyden and other senators have called for transparency in the negotiating process. And in June 2012, 132 members of Congress ( 1/3 of Congress) signed a letter, written and circulated by House Democratic Leaders Rosa DeLauro (CT) and George Miller (CA) calling for transparency. Read the Miller/DeLauro letter here. They noted in the letter: "If Congress and the public are not informed of the exact terms of the agreement until the conclusion of the process, then any opportunity for meaningful input is lost. A trade agreement that cannot stand up to public scrutiny should not be negotiated in the name of U.S. citizen."
One of the big wins for anti-corporate globalization forces was the defeat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). With negotiations started in 1995 right after the approval of NAFTA, FTAA was supposed to expanse NAFTA to cover almost all of the western hemisphere. But the proposed agreements contents were made known. Opposition throughout the hemisphere was organized and the negotiations were abandoned in 2004 before the expected complete date in 2005. One key for that defeat was that the text was known. More on this at Global Exchange.
This agreement and Fast Track Authority
Almost all past "free trade" agreements have be negotiated, presented to Congress and approved using the Fast Track Authority (FTA) process. Read more on Fast Track Authority here. President Obama has not had this authority; however, he recently asked and received (June 2015) Fast Track Authority from Congress to expedite these corporate trade agreements through Congress, allowing limited time to debate and no amendments. Democracy is turned upside-down with Fast Track Authority.
For the past five years the Obama administration has been negotiating a new "free trade" agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is a massive trade and investment pact being negotiated between the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam Canada, and Mexico. This will truly be NAFTA ON STEROIDS.
As the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign as noted, "if implemented, the TPP threatens to:
- offshore jobs, reduce tax bases and increase austerity, while undercutting worker rights globally
- promote fossil fuel exports and hand corporations new tools for attaching environmental rules
- further deregulate Wall Street financial institutions
- prioritize corporate profits over indigenous rights
- destroy family farmers, force emigration and concentrate global food supplies into fewer hands
- block access to generic medications and limit freedom and innovation on the Internet."
Secrecy v right to know
This agreement has been called the most secretive and least transparent of all trade agreements to date. While 600 corporate lobbyists have access to the text and are able to comment on it and influence its writing, US representatives and senators have been barred either from seeing the text or, if they are able to see it, then they cannot comment on it
Sen Ron Wyden and other senators have called for transparency in the negotiating process. And in June 2012, 132 members of Congress ( 1/3 of Congress) signed a letter, written and circulated by House Democratic Leaders Rosa DeLauro (CT) and George Miller (CA) calling for transparency. Read the Miller/DeLauro letter here. They noted in the letter: "If Congress and the public are not informed of the exact terms of the agreement until the conclusion of the process, then any opportunity for meaningful input is lost. A trade agreement that cannot stand up to public scrutiny should not be negotiated in the name of U.S. citizen."
One of the big wins for anti-corporate globalization forces was the defeat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). With negotiations started in 1995 right after the approval of NAFTA, FTAA was supposed to expanse NAFTA to cover almost all of the western hemisphere. But the proposed agreements contents were made known. Opposition throughout the hemisphere was organized and the negotiations were abandoned in 2004 before the expected complete date in 2005. One key for that defeat was that the text was known. More on this at Global Exchange.
This agreement and Fast Track Authority
Almost all past "free trade" agreements have be negotiated, presented to Congress and approved using the Fast Track Authority (FTA) process. Read more on Fast Track Authority here. President Obama has not had this authority; however, he recently asked and received (June 2015) Fast Track Authority from Congress to expedite these corporate trade agreements through Congress, allowing limited time to debate and no amendments. Democracy is turned upside-down with Fast Track Authority.
Oregon US Representative Peter DeFazio talks about the Transpacific Partnership and how 600 corporate lobbyists have access to the text while our elected representatives and senators do not.
Timeline for TTP passage
The earliest vote on the TPP, under the Fast Track Authorization enacted by Congress which sets vote requirements for "free" trade agreements for the next 6 years, is that the President must notify Congress of his intent to sign 90 days prior to his signing. That notification happened on Nov 5th, so the signing will not happen before February 3, 2016. Fast Track Authorization allows the President to sign prior to action by the Congress, which turns the usual democratic process on its head. Then the President must submit implementing legislation to Congress, which is the changes to American law required by the "free" trade agreement. Assuming that he is ready to do that on the 91st day, Congress is then given a total of 90 days to approve (or not) the agreement. That is divided with the House of Representatives having up to 60 days to vote, and if they approve, then the Senate which must vote Yes or No within 30 days.
More on the time line here.
The earliest vote on the TPP, under the Fast Track Authorization enacted by Congress which sets vote requirements for "free" trade agreements for the next 6 years, is that the President must notify Congress of his intent to sign 90 days prior to his signing. That notification happened on Nov 5th, so the signing will not happen before February 3, 2016. Fast Track Authorization allows the President to sign prior to action by the Congress, which turns the usual democratic process on its head. Then the President must submit implementing legislation to Congress, which is the changes to American law required by the "free" trade agreement. Assuming that he is ready to do that on the 91st day, Congress is then given a total of 90 days to approve (or not) the agreement. That is divided with the House of Representatives having up to 60 days to vote, and if they approve, then the Senate which must vote Yes or No within 30 days.
More on the time line here.
More Information
List of corporate lobbyists here.
Websites:
Coalition for Better Trade
Expose the TPP
Green Cabinet Project
Public Citizens - Eyes on Trade
Public Citizen - TPP
Sierra Club
Stop TPP
For effects on
Copyright law -
Public Knowledge
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Public Health -
Hepatitis C drug & generic treatments
TPP & Single Payer Health Care
General -
Public Citizen TPP2012
Websites:
Coalition for Better Trade
Expose the TPP
Green Cabinet Project
Public Citizens - Eyes on Trade
Public Citizen - TPP
Sierra Club
Stop TPP
For effects on
Copyright law -
Public Knowledge
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Public Health -
Hepatitis C drug & generic treatments
TPP & Single Payer Health Care
General -
Public Citizen TPP2012
