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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>#FightFastTrack Protests Across The Country<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><img width=580 height=361 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D04DA1.E6007F10" alt="Description: People gather at Peace Arch Park in 2012 to oppose the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). (Photo: Caelie_Frampton/flickr/cc)"></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/category/resist/" title="View all posts in Resist!"><span style='color:blue'>Resist!</span></a> <a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/corporatism/"><span style='color:blue'>Corporatism</span></a>, <a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/free-trade/"><span style='color:blue'>Free Trade</span></a>, <a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/tpp/"><span style='color:blue'>TPP</span></a> <br>By Sarah Lazare, <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/19/fightfasttrack-coalition-takes-aim-lawmakers-over-corporate-friendly-trade-agreement" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.commondreams.org</span></a><br>February 20th, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Powered by <a href="https://translate.google.com" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=116 height=41 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01D04DA1.E6007F10" alt="Description: https://www.google.com/images/logos/google_logo_41.png"></span><span style='color:blue'>Translate</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/fightfasttrack-protests-across-the-country/" target="_blank" title="View more services"><span style='color:blue'>3</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.printfriendly.com/print?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popularresistance.org%2Ffightfasttrack-protests-across-the-country%2F"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=23 height=25 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.gif@01D04DA1.E6007F10" alt="Description: Print Friendly"></span><span style='color:blue'>Print Friendly</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Note: Environmental, labor, and community groups are organizing rallies, public forums, and creative direct actions this week urging their congressional representatives to say “no” to a renewed bid to rush through the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership “trade” deal by passing “fast track” legislation.</span></b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Photo: People gather at Peace Arch Park in 2012 to oppose the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). (Photo: Caelie_Frampton/flickr/cc)</span></i><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>“Senate Finance Committe Chair Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is saying he wants to reintroduce Fast Track legislation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) this month — right after Members of Congress return from the Presidents Day recess,”<a href="http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2015/02/10/time-take-action-fast-track/"><span style='color:#336699'>explains</span></a> Citizens Trade Campaign, referring to legislation that would allow the Obama administration to avoid transparency and full congressional review of the deal. “Now’s the time to tell Congress: no Fast Track for the TPP!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>“Fast track legislation could be introduced as early as next week,” Arthur Stamoulis, executive direct of Citizens Trade Campaign, told <i>Common Dreams</i>. “Fast track would allow harmful trade deals like the TPP be rushed through Congress. We need everyone to be telling their Congress members to put the breaks on.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>From California to Illinois to Connecticut, over 22 events are slated for the President’s Day recess (February 14 to 23), during which lawmakers are at home, in their districts. Organizers hail from labor, workers’ rights, environmental, and community organizations, and actions span from an overpass light brigade in San Diego to a public forum in New York.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>While some events have <a href="http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-02-18/social-justice/critics-to-colorado-congressman-no-fast-track-for-trade-deal/a44625-1"><span style='color:#336699'>already taken place</span></a>, additional actions are scheduled for the coming days. Updates and commentary are being posted to Twitter:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Screen-Shot-2015-02-20-at-10.17.14-AM.png"><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=576 height=666 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image004.png@01D04DA1.E6007F10" alt="Description: Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 10.17.14 AM"></span></a><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Critics are blasting the highly-secretive Pacific “trade” deal under negotiation, which has been called “<a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/168627/nafta-steroids#axzz2fHNC7YZN"><span style='color:#336699'>NAFTA on steroids,</span></a>” as a tool for advancing U.S. and corporate power at the expense of environmental and public health.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In fact, many <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/02/17/how-trade-deals-boost-top-1-and-bust-rest"><span style='color:#336699'>argue</span></a> that it’s inaccurate to refer to the TPP as a “trade” deal at all, since the real prerogative is to protect corporate profits and protections.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The TPP negotiations between the U.S. and 11 other nations (Canada, Mexico, Japan, Vietnam, Chile, Peru, Brunei, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia) are so secretive that even many members of Congress have not seen the text. This is despite the fact that the pact, if passed, would impact 40 percent of the world’s economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The information that is available to the public was leaked. Documents show that negotiators are pushing for inclusion of NAFTA’s infamous <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/business/nafta-s-powerful-little-secret-obscure-tribunals-settle-disputes-but-go-too-far.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm"><span style='color:#336699'>corporate tribunals</span></a>, in which corporations “settle disputes” with governments in secrecy and trample domestic protections including public health and environmental regulations, completely circumventing their own national legal systems.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Furthermore, leaks <a href="http://www.citizen.org/more-about-TPPA"><span style='color:#336699'>show</span></a> that the U.S. is pushing to expand the power of pharmaceutical companies to establish monopolies on life-saving drugs, and even laws regulating tobacco companies <a href="http://callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com/news/2013/09/13/7408205.htm"><span style='color:#336699'>could be slashed.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The TPP would affect wages, climate protections, internet freedom, access to medicine, indigenous rights, food safety, financial regulations, and a whole lot more,” said Stamoulis. “It’s really a corporate power grab with the status of a trade agreement.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>