June 17, 2015
By Neal Tepel, LaborPress Editorial
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is bad for jobs, food safety, financial regulation, labor rights and environment. Labor, community and environmental organizations must continue to defeat this bill.
Last Friday June 12th, the House of Representatives separated the Fast Track TPP bill passed by the Senate into two parts. First was a vote on the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program for displaced workers. Second was a vote on the Fast Track process itself. Both parts had to pass in order for the Fast Track TPP bill to pass.
TAA failed to pass (126 Y and 302 N), since many Democrats joined the Republicans to vote down TAA. The second vote on Fast Track process actually passed (219 Y and 211 N), since 28 Democrats joined the Republicans to pass the Fast Track process. Since TAA did not pass, the Fast Track TPP bill was blocked.
After the vote, Speaker Boehner called for a re-vote on TAA that needs to be defeated again. Legislators must again be contacted and supported for voting against the bill. Those representatives that voted yes on TAA must also be called with an ask for them to vote no on TAA this time around. Legislators need to vote no on Fast Track whenever its introduced again.
Big business lobbyists and the White House will try again to pass Fast Track TPP.
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi needs to be recognized for her courage in working with the Democrats in the House to block this bill. Union support for Leader Pelosi is essential in this fight. Her efforts to stop Fast Track TPP will again be critical to its defeat.
