Big news out of the House last week: Fast Track narrowly passed, and now it's up to the Senate to stop this deal. If we can stop Fast Track, then the corporate power grab known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be on ice -- potentially forever.
There's real hope that we can stop Fast Track for good. Last time Fast Track was voted on in the Senate, it barely passed -- and only because leadership included funding for a program that would provide aid to workers whose jobs are lost due to trade deals. This new version of Fast Track strips away the aid to workers.
Senators Reid, Schumer, Murray and Durbin -- the Democratic Leadership in the Senate -- need to hold firm and encourage other Democrats to not accept Fast Track, especially this version that doesn't even do the minimal amount to help workers. This is our best shot at stopping this deal. The vote is happening tomorrow, so we only have today to show them they have the country behind them.
Please send an urgent message to Senate Democratic leadership today asking them to hold firm in opposing Fast Track.
Fast Track is an agreement to speed passage (or 'fast track') the TPP and other trade deals through Congress if it comes for a vote. Our elected officials will have no opportunity to change or fix the deal. It's the ultimate anti-democratic move, and something our representatives should want no part in.
If you've been following the news for the past month, you've been on a bit of a roller coaster. One moment, Fast Track has been defeated. Then it passes. Then it's defeated. Then it passes. Last time it came up for a vote in the Senate, thirteen democrats voted for it. We only need to convince four of them to change their votes, and Fast Track could be stopped once and for all.
Can you take two minutes to send an urgent message to make sure Fast Track doesn't pass the Senate?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a deal between 14 Pacific Rim countries that's being negotiated entirely in secret -- except for the hundreds of corporate lobbyists who are involved. Based on chapters leaked through Wikileaks, we've seen that this deal would undermine our democracy, destabilize the economy, threaten the free internet, limit access to life-saving medication… in short, this deal would pad corporate profits at our expense.
Across the globe, from Australia to Canada, from New Zealand to New York, we've been mobilizing to stop this deal. We've shown up at negotiations, crashing their party and reminding them that everyday people are absolutely not on board with this deal. We've run ads in major newspapers and on radio stations to make sure that negotiators and elected officials are hearing directly from us.
One of the few sure-fire ways we have to stop the TPP is to stop Fast Track, which means we have to win the vote in the Senate tomorrow. With so little time left before the votes start being cast, we need you to email these Senators now, and let them know where you stand.
Send a message to Senate Democratic leadership telling them to hold firm and stop Fast Track and the TPP for good.