A coalition of public interest groups wants Congress to stop the Trans Pacific Partnership. The groups sent a letter to several ranking members of Congress, asking them to deny President Obama's request to fast-track the T.P.P., and hold on to their Constitutional authority to oversee trade deals. The letter is signed by 14 organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Amnesty International, and the Free Press Action Fund. They argue that the massive trade deal has been negotiated in “near-total secrecy,” and say that public concerns about the agreement have been marginalized.
In addition to a massive increase in free trade, which poses a serious threat to American jobs, the TPP includes several speech-restricting provision that the public has already rejected. And, a leaked version of the trade deal indicated that corporate interests are being put ahead of public concerns. In their letter, the coalition wrote, “Corporations cannot be the only interests represented in this agreement, since they do not advocate for policies that safeguard or even represent the interests of the public at large.”
Many public interest advocates have demanded that the Trans Pacific Partnership be completely blocked. This latest coalition is simply asking that Congress keep negotiations transparent, and ensure Americans have access to the details of the plan. They wrote, “The American public has a right to know the contents of the international agreements its government is crafting.” This trade deal could have a dramatic impact on the American people, yet we're being kept in the dark about what it contains. Thankfully, some groups are standing up for our right to know the details of the TPP.
