Unable to pass the Fast Track bill that just barely squeaked through the Senate in May, the House resorted to sending back a different version of the legislation on Thursday, June 19.
The overall trade package sent back by the House is considerably worse than the already-bad package previously approved by the Senate. We obviously want the Senate to reject this new package.
As short-sighted and inappropriate as the original Ryan-Hatch Fast Track bill was, the House package would also weaken human trafficking measures; eliminate simple currency measures and other enforcement provisions; and even prohibit the consideration of climate solutions in future trade negotiations.
For those Senators concerned about job retraining programs for displaced workers or the future of the Export-Import Bank, this package also relies on Democrats to simply trust the goodwill of House Republicans to pass those later, even though they are openly hostile to both.
The fact that the House could not find the votes to pass the Senate-approved Fast Track bill is a testament to the strong public opposition to the legislation. The current merry-go-round of bills signals just how unpopular job-killing trade policy is across the country, with Congress members desperate to cover themselves from the constituent fury they’ll face back home if Fast Track ever passes for real.
The Senate is expected to hold a “cloture” vote on Fast Track as soon as Tuesday, June 23 — which would require the support of 60 Senators for the bill to proceed. Please urge your Senators to vote NO on cloture for Fast Track.
Here’s an initial list of actions taking place prior to the vote…
CALIFORNIA
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Feinstein)
Monday, June 22 * 1:00pm
Senator Feinstein’s Fresno Office
2500 Tulare St, Ste 4290
Fresno, CA
Contact: Stan Santos, ssantos@cwa9408.org
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Feinstein)
Monday, June 22 * 12:00 noon
Senator Feinstein’s Los Angeles Office
11111 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 915
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Adrian Acosta, aacosta@cwa-union.org
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Feinstein)
Monday, June 22 * 12:00 noon
Senator Feinstein’s San Diego Office
880 Front Street, Suite 3296
San Diego, CA 92101
Contact: Nicole “Kali” Gochmanosky, kali@citizenstrade.org
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Feinstein)
Monday, June 22 * 12:00 noon
Senator Feinstein’s San Francisco Office
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA
Contact: Xiomara Castro, xiomara@citizenstrade.org
COLORADO
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Bennet)
Monday, June 22 * 12:00 noon
Senator Bennet’s Denver Office
1127 Sherman St
Denver, CO
Contact: Brenda Roberts, broberts@cwa-union.org
DELAWARE
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Carper)
Monday, June 22 * 3:00pm
Senator Carper’s Wilmington Office
310 North Walnut Street
Wilmington, DE
Contact: Scott Reynolds, sreynold@aflcio.org
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Coons)
Monday, June 22nd * 2:00pm
Senator Coons’ Wilmington Office
American International Building
1105 N. Market Street
Wilmington, DE
Contact: Sam Bernhardt, sbernhardt@fwwatch.org
FLORIDA
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Nelson)
Monday, June 22 * 12:00 noon
Senator Nelson’s Miami-Dade Office
2555 Ponce De Leon Blvd
Coral Gables, Florida
Contact: Deborah Dion, dion.deborah@gmail.com
ILLINOIS
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Kirk)
Tuesday, June 23 * 9:30am
Dirksen Federal Building
219 S Dearborn St
Chicago, IL
Contact: Mara Cohen, marajai51@gmail.com
MARYLAND
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Cardin)
Monday, June 22 * 5:00pm
Senator Cardin’s Baltimore Office
100 S. Charles St
Baltimore, MD
Contact: Mackenzie McDonald Wilkins, Mackenzie@PopularResistance.org
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Cardin)
Tuesday, June 23 * 10:00am
Senator Cardin’s Bowie Office
10201 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy, Ste 210
Bowie, MD
Contact: Maya Goines, Mgoines@aflcio.org
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Shaheen)
Monday, June 22 * 11:30am
Senator Shaheen’s Manchester Office
1589 Elm Street, Ste 3
Machester, NH
Contact: Daniel Justice, Djustice@aflcio.org
OREGON
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sen. Wyden)
Monday, June 22 * 5:45pm
Senator Wyden’s Portland Office
911 NE 11th Ave
Portland, OR
Contact: Elizabeth Swager, elizabeth@citizenstrade.org
WASHINGTON
Rally to Stop Fast Track (Sens. Murray & Cantwell)
Monday, June 22 * 5:30pm
Henry M Jackson Federal Building
915 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA
Contact: Gillian Locascio, gillian@washingtonfairtrade.org