Nancy Pelosi: Take a Stand Against the TPP

The supporters of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are gearing up for one last push to ram an unprecedented corporate power grab through Congress before President Obama leaves the White House. They are looking to pass the “NAFTA on steroids” after the November election this year during a lame-duck session when members are least accountable to their constituents.

Thanks to the work of hundreds of thousands of CREDO activists, whether TPP has enough support to pass is still an open question. But, our work is not done. We need to speak out now demanding House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi publicly and forcefully oppose any lame-duck vote on the TPP.

TPP

If Leader Pelosi uses her power and influence to encourage other Democrats to take a stand against a lame-duck vote on the TPP, that alone could strike a serious blow against the best chance our opponents have of passing the TPP.

Tell Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi: Speak out against a lame-duck consideration of the TPP.

Negotiated for years behind closed-doors with the aid of hundreds of corporate advisors, while the public and press were shut out, the TPP would offshore good-paying U.S. jobs – and drive down wages in the jobs that are left – by pitting American workers against highly-exploited workers making less than 65 cents an hour in Asian countries.

The TPP would also raise medicine prices by giving big pharmaceutical companies new monopoly rights to keep lower-cost generic drugs off the market.

If that weren’t enough, the TPP would also provide oil, gas and mining corporations new tools to challenge policies designed to tackle climate change, both at home and abroad.

While President Obama has been using his bully pulpit to wage an all-out campaign to pressure the Congress to pass the TPP this year, both Democratic presidential candidates – Secretary Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders – have announced their opposition to a lame duck vote on the TPP, which they have denounced as dangerous to our economy, public health and the environment.¹

But Democratic Leader Pelosi has been surprisingly quiet on this issue. And what she says will have enormous influence on whether Democrats in the House of Representatives band together to ensure there are not enough votes to attempt a lame-duck TPP vote.

Tell Democratic Leader Pelosi: Speak out against lame-duck consideration of the TPP.

We can’t afford this back-room deal that puts corporate interests ahead of human needs on jobs and wages, human rights, access to medicine, climate change and more.

While Congress cannot amend or filibuster the TPP, they do still have to vote yes or no on it. Already, some Republicans have come out against this awful deal, so if we are able to confront the big money interests behind this treaty with an onslaught of grassroots opposition, convincing the Democrats in the House to build a firewall, we can win.

Leader Pelosi has expressed opposition to ramming trade deals through Congress before. Just one year ago, she vocally opposed giving Fast Track authority to President Obama to pass the TPP. ² She must voice her public opposition to any consideration for a lame-duck vote on the TPP loudly and clearly, but in order for that to happen, we need to speak out now.

Tell Democratic Leader Pelosi: Speak out against lame-duck consideration of the TPP.

Thank you for speaking out. Your activism makes a difference.

References

“Clinton and Sanders Oppose ‘Lame Duck’ Vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, May 6, 2016.
Lauren French, “Pelosi bucks Obama on Trade,” Politico, June 12, 2015.

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