Freshmen House Dems: 'Don't give away our authority on trade deals'

[Teamster Jeff]

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Thirty-six freshmen U.S. House Democrats are urging colleagues to speak out on "fast-track" trade authority and the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

They want Congress to carefully vet the TPP to make sure it's in the best interests of American families. And they are skeptical of fast-track negotiations that derail the job Congress is supposed to do.

President Obama is expected to ask for fast-track authority, which would prevent Congress from amending the trade deal that is being negotiated in extreme secrecy. The 36 freshmen sent a letter today to the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Sander Levin. The letter said fast track would make it hard to fix a trade policy that lets big corporations ship jobs overseas:

We cannot afford to have American production and American jobs sent offshore because of unfair trade agreements that undermine our economic growth. When jobs and production factories are offshored, American wages are lost, American-made products decline, and our international interests are compromised.

The signers also said Congress should not forfeit its constitutional authority to review foreign trade agreements.
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The 36 House Democrats said Americans opposed previous trade agreements like NAFTA. The public is also wary of trade rules that trade good American jobs and benefits for lost jobs, lower wages and dangerous products, they said.
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http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/06/freshmen-house-dems-dont-give-away-our.html

[djean111]

1. Here is hoping someone listens. The TPP is heinous.

[Laelth]

2. k&r for labor.

These Democrats are standing up for American jobs and American families. Good for them!

Whether it will work is a different story. Given that they're fighting against the President on this, I suspect they will lose.

-Laelth

[Enthusiast]

3. The American people do not want the TPP.

Why do we have to have something we clearly do not want?