Anti-TPP Amendment Fails at Heated Dem Platform Meeting

[think]

62. The unions, environmental, indigenous, human rights groups and many top Democrats are opposed

And yet the party chooses not to listen. There is a HUGE disconnect.

Unfortunately it seems that corporate profits and influence are out weighing the complaints of all these different groups who are united in their opposition.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/02/18/top-house-democrat-on-trade-opposes-trans-pacific-partnership/

http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Trade/Trans-Pacific-Partnership-Free-Trade-Agreement-TPP/Ten-Critical-Problems-with-the-Trans-Pacific-Partnership

http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2016/03/major-environmental-landowner-indigenous-groups-congress-learn-keystone-xl

http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/10/more-dozen-environmental-organizations-warn-trans-pacific-partnership-risks

https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/12/trans-pacific-partnership-serious-rights-concerns


Elizabeth Warren just made a very well reasoned plea to try and stop the passage of this corporate rigged process:

And everyone knows that the corporations basically wrote the TPP for their own benefit:

Revealed Emails Show How Industry Lobbyists Basically Wrote The TPP

by Mike Masnick - Mon, Jun 8th 2015 9:29am

Back in 2013, we wrote about a FOIA lawsuit that was filed by William New at IP Watch. After trying to find out more information on the TPP by filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and being told that they were classified as "national security information" (no, seriously), New teamed up with Yale's Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic to sue. As part of that lawsuit, the USTR has now released a bunch of internal emails concerning TPP negotiations, and IP Watch has a full writeup showing how industry lobbyists influenced the TPP agreement, to the point that one is even openly celebrating that the USTR version copied his own text word for word.

What is striking in the emails is not that government negotiators seek expertise and advice from leading industry figures. But the emails reveal a close-knit relationship between negotiators and the industry advisors that is likely unmatched by any other stakeholders.

The article highlights numerous examples of what appear to be very chummy relationships between the USTR and the "cleared advisors" from places like the RIAA, the MPAA and the ESA. They regularly share text and have very informal discussions, scheduling phone calls and get togethers to further discuss. This really isn't that surprising, given that the USTR is somewhat infamous for its revolving door with lobbyists who work on these issues. In fact, one of the main USTR officials in the emails that IP Watch got is Stan McCoy, who was the long term lead negotiator on "intellectual property" issues. But he's no longer at the USTR -- he now works for the MPAA.

You can read through the emails, embedded below, which show a very, very chummy relationship, which is quite different from how the USTR seems to act with people who are actually more concerned about what's in the TPP (and I can use personal experience on that...). Of course, you'll notice that the USTR still went heavy on the black ink budget, so most of the useful stuff is redacted. Often entire emails other than the salutation and signature line are redacted.

Read more:
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150605/11483831239/revealed-emails-show-how-industry-lobbyists-basically-wrote-tpp.shtml

When the TPP was "fast tracked" only 28 House Dems vote for it. Around 190 members of the GOP voted to fast track the TPP. The overwhelming majority of Democrats in congress voted against fast tracking the TPP


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/6/18/1394407/-These-are-the-28-Democrats-who-voted-for-fast-track-twice

https://www.thenation.com/article/why-so-many-democrats-rejected-obamas-lobbying-trans-pacific-trade-deal/