Sunday, June 21, 2015

The Democrats Wall of Shame (fast track, TPP, trade)

Key to acronyms mentioned in the trade debate:

  • TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) A huge secret trade deal with Asia (like TTIP for Europe and TiSA globally).
  • TPA (Trade Promotion Authority) Fast track authority for presidents to negotiate these horrific trade deals without any Congressional changes.
  • TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance) A program to re-train workers who are displaced by bad trade deals when their jobs are offshored.

* Tweet: Obama really wants #TPP but he needs #TPA — but TPA requires #TAA. Dems like TAA but will kill it to block TPA to kill TPP.

This is why, when it comes to mid-term elections (just like all elections), it's important to vote — and to vote for "progressive" Democrats, not "Third Way" or pro-corporate Democrats, who claim they are "pro-trade" — while implying that those opposed to them are "anti-trade".

Progressive Democrats (and even some Tea Party Republicans) are not against trade per se, just very bad trade deals that harm U.S. workers — trade deals that just enriches a few in large multi-national corporations. Progressive Democrats (and even some Tea Party Republicans) oppose trade deals that gives fast-track to the president, which gives him/her the authority to make trade deals without our representatives in Congress even knowing what's in these secret trade agreements.

Now a new bill for fast-tracking these horrible trades agreements (such as TPP, TTIP, and TiSA) is soon going to the Senate for another vote.

Here are the 14 Democrats in the Senate who voted for fast-tracking TPP the last time (with phone numbers and twitter handles):

  1. Michael Bennet (CO) 202 224 5852 @senbennetco
  2. Maria Cantwell (WA) 202 224 3441 @cantwellpress
  3. Ben Cardin (MD) 202 224 4524 @senatorcardin
  4. Tom Carper (DE) 202 224 2441 @senatorcarper
  5. Chris Coons (DE) 202 224 5042 @sencoonsoffice
  6. Dianne Feinstein (CA) 202 224 3841 @senfeinstein
  7. Heidi Heitkamp (ND) 202 224 2043 @senatorheitkamp
  8. Tim Kaine (VA) 202 224 4024 @senkaineoffice
  9. Claire McCaskill (MO) 202 224 6154 @mccaskilloffice
  10. Patty Murray (WA) 202 224 2621 @pattymurray
  11. Bill Nelson (FL) 202 225 5274 @senbillnelson
  12. Jeanne Shaheen (NH) 202 224 2841 @senatorshaheen
  13. Mark Warner (VA) 202 224 2023 @markwarner
  14. Ron Wyden (OR) 202 224 5244 @ronwyden

Here are the 28 Democrats in the House who last voted for fast-tracking TPP, sending the current bill to the Senate:

  1. Debbie Wasserman Schultz FL (DNC Chairperson)
  2. Earl Blumenauer OR
  3. Gerry Connolly VA
  4. Jim Cooper TN
  5. Henry Cuellar TX
  6. John Delaney MD
  7. Eddie Bernice Johnson TX
  8. Ron Kind WI
  9. Rick Larsen WA
  10. Susan Day CA
  11. Sam Farr CA
  12. R Hinojosa TX
  13. Gregory Meeks NY
  14. Scott Peters CA
  15. Jim Costa CA
  16. James Heinz CT
  17. Jared Polis CO
  18. Kurt Schrader OR
  19. Mike Quigley IL
  20. Terri Sewell AL
  21. Suzanne Bonamici OR
  22. Suzan DelBene WA
  23. Ami Bera CA
  24. Beto O'Rourke TX
  25. Derek Kilmer WA
  26. Brad Ashford NE
  27. Kathleen Rice NY
  28. Donald Beyer VA

ALL these Democrats are anti-worker / pro-corporations who will pass more trade deals to offshore what's left of our best jobs for cheaper labor in Asia. If you want to understand why it's critical to oppose fast-tracking these bad trade deals, here are some articles from Popular Resistance:

Fast Track Hands Money Monopoly To Private Banks, Permanently
https://www.popularresistance.org/fast-track-hands-money-monopoly-to-private-banks-permanently/

Fast Track To The Corporate Wish List
https://www.popularresistance.org/fast-track-to-the-corporate-wish-list/

The President’s Trade Deal Struggles Because It’s Bad Policy
https://www.popularresistance.org/the-presidents-trade-deal-struggles-because-its-bad-policy/

ISDS Provisions In TPP Violate Article III Of The U.S. Constitution
https://www.popularresistance.org/isds-provisions-in-tpp-violate-article-iii-of-the-u-s-constitution/

Even members of the European Parliament urged Congress to oppose Fast Track. Like the U.S. Congress, EU Parliamentarians have also been shut out of the negotiating process for rigged corporate trade deals like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).
http://www.flushthetpp.org/today-eu-parliamentarians-deliver-letter-to-congress-to-stop-fast-track/

More here:
http://www.flushthetpp.org/tools/

2 comments:

  1. Is the Pacific trade deal meant to lift the living standards of the poorest Asians, especially the 90 million people of Vietnam? How many American jobs do we need to offshore to these Asian countries for that to happen? What about all the talk about re-shoring jobs from China back to America - isn't that going to happen any more? In a few years time, will the American middle class exist after all these trade pacts?

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/meet-asia-s-new-manufacturing-powerhouse-vietnam
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-29/china-is-set-to-lose-manufacturing-crown

    ReplyDelete
  2. The whole scoop is at Naked Capitalism: "TPP: 13 Democratic Senators Invite Republicans to Make Them Laughing Stocks — and More Serious Matters"

    * Editors' Note: 13 Democrats, Obama, and all (but 5) Republicans in the Senate wanted fast-track for trade deals. That makes 13 Democrats in the Senate "free traitors" to working Americans and makes Obama a Republican president.

    http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/06/tpp-13-democratic-senators-invite-republicans-to-make-them-laughing-stocks-and-more-serious-matters.html

    ReplyDelete