10 Reasons Why America Cannot Fast Track
By Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch
10 Reasons Why America Cannot Fast Track
1. Polls show that three out of every five voters oppose Fast Tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). A plurality of voters say they are less likely to support a candidate who votes in favor of Fast Track.
2. Fast Track eliminated “checks and balances” instituted by the Founding Fathers that are essential to our democracy. While the U.S. Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to “regulate commerce with foreign nations,” Fast Track delegated away to the executive branch Congress’ constitutional authority to choose U.S. trade partners or set the content of U.S. trade agreements.
3. During two decades of Fast-Tracked deals, polls have consistently shown that Americans – Democrats, Republicans and independents alike – oppose the trade status quo. A 2014 Pew Research Center poll revealed that just 20 percent of Americans believe that trade has created U.S. jobs and just 17 percent believe it has raised wages, while half of Americans say trade has cost U.S. jobs and a plurality say it has depressed U.S. wages.