There are times when you get hit with something and it just makes you say "Holy Shit". This happened to me on Saturday, Septerber 21, 2013 when I attended the 350.org
No KXL Draw the Line event in Seattle, WA. While there I attended a workshop on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Although I was vaguely aware of this free trade agreement negotiation I was not anywhere fully up to speed with its implications. I'm trying to change that fast.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership
A "free trade" agreement that would set rules on non-trade matters such as food safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the environment.
2. A binding international governance system that would require the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and any other country that signs on to conform their domestic policies to its rules.
3. A secret trade negotiation that has included over 600 official corporate "trade advisors" while hiding the text from Members of Congress, governors, state legislators, the press, civil society, and the public.
From 350Seattle:
This agreement is very bad news for anyone who cares about the environment. This agreement consists of 29 chapters and most have nothing to do with trade but instead impose limits on domistic food safety, health, environmental and other policies. The texts of these chapters have not been released to the public but 600 U.S. corporate "trade advisors" have full access. In essence the TPP privileges "investor rights over national sovereignty. Investor rights basically give corporations the same rights as sovereign nations and veto power over national laws.
Read below the fold for more detail and action steps.
Governments have set a deadline for TPP negotiations to conclude in October, 2013. Since the negotiations have been conducted in such secrecy public awareness and engagement has been extremely limited to this point. The Sierra Club is deeply concerned about the possible environmental impacts this agreement could have. For example, the TPP may:
1. Allow corporation to sue governments in private tribunals over environmental and other laws and policies (that) may reduce a corporation's profits;
2. Pave the way for increased fracking across the United States; and
3. Reduce the ability of governments to put in place policies to protect the climate.
President Obama is pushing for fast track authority in connection with this trade agreement.
From Politico:
9/19/13: President Barack Obama on Thursday said he hoped to work with Republicans in Congress on a bipartisan bill supporting White House efforts to wrap up huge trade deals with 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the 28 nations of the European Union.
“We’re going to need Trade Promotion Authority,” Obama said in remarks to the President’s Export Council, which brings together top corporate leaders, Cabinet officials and members of Congress to discuss ways to expand trade.
The remarks came as the White House is trying to finish talks on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership with Japan, Vietnam and other Asia-Pacific countries by the end of the year.
“We are very far along in trying to get that deal done,” Obama said.
...“This is an area where so far at least [Senate Republican leader] Mitch McConnell says he is for it and that’s good. And so we may be able to get some good bipartisan support,” Obama said.
The best guess is the vote to authorize Trade Promotion Authority, also known as Fast Track could happen as early as this October.
"Fast Track" enables bad public policy.
In concrete terms, Fast Track delegates five major elements of Congress' constitutional authority to the executive branch:
1. the power to select trading partners;
2. the power to set the terms of trade agreements and to actually sign the agreements before Congress votes on them;
3. the power to write implementing legislation, circumvent Congressional committee review and submit the legislation directly for a vote;
4. the power to override Congressional leaders' control of House and Senate floor schedules;
5. and the power to override normal voting procedures, including a ban on all amendments and limits on debate.
Under Fast Track, Congress does provide a list of "negotiating objectives" that the U.S. Trade Representative is supposed to try to meet, but these objectives are not enforceable.
The last time Fast Track Authority was granted it expired on June 30, 2007.
The Sierra Club has assembled a tool kit to help guide you through the ways to engage and influence the outcome of the TPP. They suggest you
1. Educated yourself
2. Engage Policy Makers Call your Senators and Representatives and urge them to vote no on granting fast track authority. Ask them for a copy of the documents.
3. Educate your Community
4. Engage the Media
While all the political oxygen is being sucked up by such stories as the continuing resolution and the possibility of a government shut down; the never-ending maneuvers by the Republicans to defund the Affordable Care Act and the possibility of armed conflict in Syria, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement continues to progress under the radar.
That needs to change!