Massive Public Outcry Against "Fast Track" for Controversial Trade Pacts Like TTIP

Massive Public Outcry Against “Fast Track” for Controversial Trade Pacts Like TTIP

– April 18, 2015Posted in: Breaking Issues

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2015

Massive Public Outcry Against “Fast Track” for Controversial Trade Pacts Like TTIP

More that 65 Actions Oppose Long-Shot Trade Legislation Within Days of Its Introduction

Portland, ME

Washington, DC — Less than 48 hours after legislation was introduced to allow controversial trade pacts such as the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to be rushed through Congress, labor, environmental and community activists held more than 65 rallies and other actions in cities across the United States opposing it. Without approval of so-called “fast track” for TTIP, Congress members would be able to amend any trade agreement agreed to by U.S. and European negotiators — potentially scuttling it altogether.

“Fast track is dead on arrival in the U.S. Congress,” said Arthur Stamoulis, executive director of Citizens Trade Campaign. “The recent legislation is the same as last year’s failed fast track bill, which failed to garner enough support to pass the House of Representatives. If anything, public opposition to fast track is even louder and better organized this time around. Most Members of Congress want nothing to do with it.”

The fast track legislation introduced on Thursday by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) would allow TTIP and other pending trade deals to circumvent ordinary Congressional review, amendment and debate procedures. Similar legislation introduced last year died in Congress for lack of support.

Before the legislation was even introduced, more than 1,200 trade union, environmental, consumer and faith activists and more than a dozen Members of Congress rallied outside the U.S. Capitol on April 15 to voice their opposition to fast track.

On Saturday and thereabouts, thousands of Americans turned out for other rallies, block walks, educational events and other actions throughout the country opposing the new fast track bill. Their actions coincided with a global day of action against corporate trade deals that featured hundreds of actions in dozens of countries across six continents.

On Monday, April 20, on the first day of the ninth round of TTIP negotiations, hundreds more activists plan to march to the doors of the U.S. Trade Representative to demand an end to secretive, corporate-driven trade policies.

“Often times it’s U.S. negotiators pushing the worst trade proposals, but they’re representing corporate elites, not the American majority. The American people are dead-set opposed to these corporate power grabs and are working hard to defeat them,” said Stamoulis. “There were over 65 actions in the U.S. as part of the Global Day of Action, and millions of Americans have been speaking out against fast tracking back-room trade proposals like the TPP and TTIP.”

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