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January 9, 2015

Democratic Lawmakers Oppose Obama's Push to Fast-Track Trade Deals 
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A coalition of Democratic lawmakers has joined with labor and
environmental activists to oppose President Obama's plan to fast-track
approval of trade deals. The Obama administration has been quietly
pressing for the authority to secretly negotiate trade pacts and then
rush them through Congress with an up-or-down vote. The new powers could
help Obama push through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a secretive pact
encompassing 40 percent of the global economy. On Thursday, Connecticut
Democratic Rep. Rosa De Lauro said trade deals merit debate and cannot
be rushed.

Rep. Rosa De Lauro: "Trade deals go well beyond trade. They can
compromise the quality of the food we eat. They can raise the prices
that we pay for medicines. They can attack our environmental
regulations, weaken our financial regulations, stop our government from
supporting American businesses, and they do nothing to stop the
injustice of currency manipulation."

 

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