There's been a scuttle of Congressional activity surrounding what one paper purported "may be one of the most important stories ever ignored by the media."
But it's not entirely the media's fault. Nearly everyone -- the press, members of Congress, you and I -- are in the dark about the specifics of a massive trade pact that's currently in the works. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal is the most expansive one ever to be negotiated, but as I've expressed before, the negotiations surrounding the TPP are taking place in nearly complete secrecy, with little opportunity for substantive public input.
That's why on Wednesday, over 130 members of Congress have signed and sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk calling for transparency in TPP negotiations. Led by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Congressman George Miller (D-CA), the letter urges U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to include stronger Congressional consultations and a more open and transparent process. As the letter states, "We are troubled that important policy decisions are being made without full input from Congress. Under the trade advisory system, representatives from over 600 business interests have such access to both USTR negotiators and the negotiating text. However, American small business, civil society, and other interests who have a direct and long-term interest in the outcome of these negotiations have little meaningful input."
Also on Wednesday, Ohio's U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown introduced a new bill, the 21st Century Trade and Market Access Act, which is essentially a model of what responsible trade policy should look like. The Sierra Club has always been an advocate for fair and responsible trade which helps lift up standards for environmental protection, workers' rights, and other public interest policy. Senator Brown's bill advances this vision.
Among other provisions, the bill calls for increased consultations with Congress on trade agreements and establishes rules for future trade agreements. For example, the bill stipulates that trade agreements must include legally binding and enforceable environmental provisions that require countries to implement and enforce their own environmental laws in addition to obligations under multilateral environmental agreements.
The bill also ensures that public interest policies, including environmental laws and regulations, would not be subject to attacks by massive foreign corporations. This is particularly important, given that a recently leaked draft of a TPP investment chapter confirms that the agreement would give corporations the right to sue governments for unlimited cash compensation -- based on rulings by private tribunals -- over nearly any law that that they argue is hurting its expected their future profits. It's shocking but not unprecedented -- dozens of environmental laws and regulations have been challenged under past trade pacts with similar rules, like NAFTA.
The TPP is the most significant opportunity to update trade policy for the 21st century and to learn from the mistakes of NAFTA and other trade deals.
The Sierra Club applauds the Members of Congress who signed the letter to USTR calling for increased transparency as well as Senator Brown for his leadership on defining a trade agenda which supports environmental protection, American jobs, and a healthy economy.
As negotiators make their way to San Diego next week for the next round of TPP negotiations, they should keep these Congressional actions in mind. With a blueprint for transparency and responsible trade rules right in front of them, negotiators can ensure that trade is done right and a healthy environment and sustainable development can flourish.
Ilana Solomon: NAFTA on Steroids: What It Could Mean for the Environment
http://www.citizen.org/documents/Leaked-TPP-Investment-Analysis.pdf
The "investment chapter" document: http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tppinvestment.pdf
It is Corporate legislation on steroids.
They are attempting to give even more power to multinationals.
It is amazing that it is hardly being discussed. Amazing but hardly surprising.
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The planet has always had cheap labor call them slaves call them serfs but the industrial revolution had to wait for cheap reliable energy. First was hydro then coal.
China has rediscovered both!
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=4390
China last year burnt over 49% of all the coal consumed on the planet.
Over 2/3's of all the mercury pollution in the U.S. that the EPA is so worried about is blown in from Asia!
http://discovermagazine.com/2011/apr/18-made-in-china-our-toxic-imported-air-pollution/article_view?b_start:int=3&-C=
How can we have transparency in trade with all the pollution blowing in from Asia?
We need environmental Tariffs to stop pollution!
Because, "There is no place called away!"
It's a quote!
Most members of Congress are hypocrites of the highest order.
They want "transparency" in trade negotiations...................great, more power to em.
Then turn around and say that those who donate millions to their campaigns should remain anonymous.
Americans have a right to know what our government is doing in our name.
We also have a right to know who is buying our "representatives" out from under us.
This current trade deal is the last straw. Pres Obama promised to renegotiate/improve our current trade deals (it ain't trade if it ain't workin hoss) but has done NOTHING. Now he wants to do his own version of NAFTA on steroids and he still doesn't understand why the billionaires don't like him.
I'm not sure if he's stupid or not.
He needs to start by bringing back the, at a minimum, one million jobs just by fixing NAFTA. We coul probably add another million by simply enforcing the EXISTING rules with China.
But of course, that isn't going to happen. Obama will continue selling us out in the long term while delighting us with "little things" that can be taken away later (civil rights, gay rights, health care, etc).
Fix the economy and the other things fix themselves!
http://www.mittromney.com/issues/trade
Trade
"...Complete negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership..."