[asia-apec 1806] Time To Act On fast Track

[Anuradha Mittal]

Urgent Action From Public Citizen Forwarded by Food Rights Watch 

You may have heard in the media that the republicans are
trying to exploit this moment of national tragedy to promote
some of their long-time agenda items, including Fast Track
trade negotiatin authority.  Here is a clear and helpful
comunication we have received from Global Trade watch, as
well as a useful "dear Colleague" letter. Please call your
member of Congress right away. If you are represented by
Brown, Tubbs-Jones or Kucinich in this area, please thank
them for their support and urge them to be steadfast in
resisting Fast Track. But whoever your representative is,
please call now.

Here's the mail from Public Citizen:

Fast Track mark-up on October the 5th !
Possible floor-vote next week !

Call Congress toll-free 1-800-393-1082 and tell your Member
to vote No on Fast Track

Despite the incredible inappropriateness of pushing such a
controversial issue after the tragic events of September 11th, Rep 
Thomas (R-CA) has decided that he wants to try to push Fast Track 
through Congress no matter what.

Today at a press conference,  Thomas unveiled his Fast Track
bill, tried to label it as a bi-partisan measure, and scheduled it for a 
mark-up in the Ways and Means committee on this coming Friday, October 
the 5th (a "mark up"is when a bill gets voted on in the relevant 
committee clearing the way for a floor vote).

This is no bi-partisan bill - instead it is a lite-version
of the truly offensive GOP Crane Fast Track bill. There are a few
Democratic co-sponsors - but these are Members who would have supported
the original Crane bill and not some moderate Democrats. In fact, the
vast majority of Democrats are disgusted with Thomas for his crass 
political profiteering and lack of bi-partisanship (see attached Dear 
Colleague letter from some leading Democrats in the House).

Thanks to the great work done by people like yourself around
the country - we have been able to stall of Fast Track. Now Thomas is
playing a game of chicken. The Fast Track bill can only get momentum if 
there is a perception that there is no cost for moving forward. We need 
to do a sudden pile on to any and all swing members and also to Speaker 
Hastert. Thomas is going to have a hard time pushing his bill through - 
especially if we all join forces and start calling our Members of 
Congress NOW to tell them to oppose Fast Track. 

The AFL-CIO has put up a toll-free number to the Capitol: 1-800-393-1
082 (you just have to enter your zip-code to get connected to your 
Member), and we need your help in making the call and giving that
number out to friends/family/co-workers/neighbors and having them make 
the calls as well.

Rep. Thomas is talking about a possible floor-vote next week
and we will keep you updated with the latest information.

Some talking points:

1. This is no time to bring up a controversial and divisive
issue like Fast Track. Congress needs to focus on issues that unites it, 
as well as the responses to the terrorist attacks.

2. Fast Track will set the terms of U.S. trade and investment policies 
for the next 5-10 years and needs a thoughtful and thorough debate.

3. There is nothing bi-partisan about Thomas' proposal, and
does not address in any meaningful way the real negative impacts that 
trade agreements like NAFTA and the WTO have had on jobs, the 
environment and our family farmers.

After you have called your own Member, call Speaker of the
House Hastert and tell him how much you appreciate how he has been
working to create a bi-partisan spirit in the House and that you
hope that he will oppose this crass attempt by Thomas to break it. You 
can reach his office in DC at 202-225-2976 (or call the toll-free number 
and enter the zip-code for
Hastert's district: 60510.

If you have any questions about how a particular Member is
leaning on Fast Track, please give us a call at 202-546-4996 (ask for 
any member of the Global Trade Watch field team) or e-mail
mstrand at citizen.org. For more information about Fast Track, please visit 
www.tradewatch.org. If you want to read the Thomas Fast Track bill go 
to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/fullcomm/107cong/tpa/tpa.pdf

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

National Journal's CongressDaily

Thomas Unveils Trade Negotiating Authority Proposal
Wednesday, October 3, 2001

Ways and Means Chairman Thomas this afternoon formally
unveiled a proposal to renew presidential trade negotiating authority,
and announced his committee will mark up the legislation Friday. Thomas
said he had received no assurances from House Speaker Hastert that the
bill would be debated, but said he believes that if the committee 
approves a bill it will be brought up. Ways and Means ranking member 
Charles Rangel of New York and other Democrats on the panel have 
cautioned against bringing up the contentious issue at this time. 
However, Thomas and Majority Leader Armey have said they believe support 
for restoring what they call trade promotion authority has grown 
considerably.
      
On hand this afternoon for the announcement were Democratic Reps.
Calvin Dooley of California, John Tanner of Tennessee and James Moran of 
Virginia, and Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman
Philip Crane, R-Ill., even though he has opposed the linkage of
environmental and labor standards to trade. Rep. William Jefferson, 
D-La., who has also worked with Thomas on the bill, was not present. The 
Business Roundtable has already praised the bill as a "fair and 
bipartisan compromise." - by Stephen Norton

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

THOMAS: A BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE IS NEITHER

Dear Democratic Colleague:

Yesterday, Chairman Thomas released a summary of a proposal for renewed 
fast track/trade promotion authority (TPA). The proposal is entitled A
Bipartisan Compromise.  In addition, you may have seen repeated press
reports that Chairman Thomas may schedule a mark up of this legislation
as early as next week.

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a brief update and
our perspective, since the House is not scheduled to be in session until 
late Tuesday.  We expect to get more detailed information to
you next week, including our comprehensive proposal.

First, we urge you not to reach a conclusion with respect to the 
purported bipartisan compromise until we have had the opportunity to 
discuss with you our proposal, which, we believe, holds the prospect for 
broad and true bipartisan support.

Second, Committee Democrats have been discussing the key issues of fast
track/TPA.  Those conversations will continue next Tuesday, upon our
return. Bringing up a fast track bill at this time would disrupt the 
current bipartisan approach to legislation, particularly when the
Democratic leadership on the Committee has not been consulted in the
development of Chairman Thomas proposal.  Further, we are concerned over 
the prospect of a mark up when we have yet to see an actual legislative 
proposal.

Third, based just on the summary released by Chairman Thomas, we have
significant concerns with the so-called compromise in each of three key
areas:

In terms of labor standards, the proposal would provide only that a
country enforce its own law  there is no requirement that a country's 
law include any of the five core ILO standards.  The proposal treats 
achievement of ILO core standards as essentially a rhetorical objective, 
addressed in the lower tier of negotiating goals.

In terms of environmental protection, the proposal does not
address key problems in the area of investment (while ensuring effective 
investor protections) or provide that concrete steps be taken to 
reconcile Multilateral Environmental Agreements with trade agreements.

With regard to the role of Congress, the proposal calls only
for more consultations; there is no attempt actually to provide a
meaningful opportunity for Congress to be involved at key junctures
during the negotiating process  more essential than ever in light of
the increasing importance of trade and the growing number of 
traditionally domestic issues implicated.

These points are illustrative.  Many other important issues, including
agriculture, services, electronic commerce and trade remedies need to
be addressed.  A number of these areas are not even covered by the
summary. These and other points and concerns will be among
those under discussion when we meet on the Committee next Tuesday and
with all of you thereafter.

We look forward to working with you at that time.

Sincerely,

Charles B. Rangel  Ranking Democrat
Sander M. Levin Member of Congress
Robert T. Matsui Member of Congress

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