Public Citizen Endorses Landmark Resolution on Progressive Trade
By Mia El-Yafi
It’s no secret that for the last four decades, bad trade policy, written by billionaires and executives at the richest corporations, has devastated American workers. But what does progressive trade policy look like? Public Citizen and its allies in Congress have an answer.
In May of this year, Public Citizen, along with 12 other labor, environmental, and civil society groups, endorsed the Fair Trade for Working Families Resolution. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn), sets clear standards for a progressive trade agenda.
For too long, representatives from both parties have supported “free trade” deals that have led to a race to the bottom for working people. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1994, corporations have sent millions of good-paying jobs overseas, destroying communities that depend on manufacturing for their livelihoods.
When jobs leave, towns lose tax revenue for schools and infrastructure, cities are hollowed out, and working people are left behind. Meanwhile, workers, family farms, and small businesses suffer, while multinational corporations, especially the executives at the very top, see unprecedented profits.
Donald Trump promised that his successor to NAFTA, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), would rectify these past wrongs. Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t done much. Companies still take advantage of sweatshop wages and lax environmental regulations abroad at the expense of American workers.
Trump once again claimed in his second term that he would fix these problems, but it is clear he has never prioritized working people. His chaotic tariff regime and corrupt foreign policy have alienated U.S. allies, created economic uncertainty, and increased the cost of living for American families — all while securing giveaways for his billionaire buddies.
The United States needs a bold, alternative vision for trade that doesn’t repeat the pitfalls of the corporate past or the Trumpian chaos of the present. That’s where the resolution comes into play.
It presents key points, including:
- Enforceable labor, wage, and environmental standards to raise the bar globally and prevent a race to the bottom
- Strong Made in America requirements to ensure public investment supports U.S. workers
- Protections for affordable medicine at home and abroad
- Provisions against AI-driven offshoring
- Tariff policies that defend domestic industry and do not bully our allies
- Support for independent farmers and rural communities
- Policymaking that prioritizes working people over corporations
Public Citizen endorsed the resolution along with the United Steelworkers (USW), United Auto Workers (UAW), AFL-CIO, International Association of Machinists (IAM), Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC), Rethink Trade, Sierra Club, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, National Family Farm Coalition, BlueGreen Alliance, and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).
Public Citizen is a key coalition builder for the resolution, actively campaigning for constituents to write to their representatives and encourage them to sign on. At the press conference launching the resolution, Global Trade Watch Director Melinda St. Louis delivered remarks alongside congressional champions and labor union allies.
“We know that we’re at a crossroads between a future where billionaires squeeze working people into oblivion, or a future where workers are respected, and where people who work for a living can actually earn a living,” St. Louis said.
Rep. DeLauro led the event along with four other members of Congress, including Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Becca Balint (D-Vt.), who discussed the necessity of a new trade vision in this moment.
“We are in a cost of living crisis today. The American people need relief — not just from high prices, but from decades of failed trade policy that have helped bring us to this point,” DeLauro said.
As this issue of Public Citizen News goes to print, the resolution has 52 cosponsors and counting, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), top Democrat on the powerful China Select Committee; and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Members of Congress are realizing it is both important and possible to think about trade differently. Trade deals shouldn’t cater to top executives — they can, and should, prioritize the people on the ground.
“It’s working people at the center of our economy. It’s working people that brought us the middle class, and it’s working people that have to be at the center of the work that we do,” Balint demanded.
The Trump administration has broken its promise to American workers. However, we can’t return to the trade deals of the past, which themselves betrayed American workers.
Trade must no longer undermine a broader progressive agenda — it has to be an integral part of it. With a new vision for trade, we can ensure American workers have the protections they need to compete in the global marketplace. We can ensure family farms and small businesses are as valued as their conglomerate counterparts. We can ensure our trade policy allows us to hold Big Tech accountable as AI shapes the world we live in.
This resolution provides a clear path forward where the dignity of workers is valued above all else. We can, and will, govern trade better.