Citizens Trade Campaign Letter to President Obama on the TPP
By Citizens Trade Campaign
Dear President Obama:
working together for social and environmental justice in trade policy
The faith, labor, family farm, consumer, environmental, human rights and social justice organizations within Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC) look forward to working with you to bring about the promise of trade reform. Altering the current model of U.S. trade agreements is a critical aspect of rebuilding our economy to create good jobs for Americans now and in the future, and to promote prosperity here and abroad. The administration’s decision to enter into negotiations for a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP) provides the opportunity to lay out your framework for a new and more balanced American trade agreement model that can expand trade under terms that deliver benefits to more people and thus can gain the support of a majority of Democrats in Congress.
We are all eager to support trade agreements that benefit a majority of U.S. workers, farmers, small businesses and consumers. We all want American trade and globalization policies that promote the larger societal goals of economic justice, poverty alleviation, healthy communities, human rights and a sound environment.
We understand that during your administration’s first year in office, priority had to be given to trying to remedy the economic mess that the previous administration left. However, as 2010 begins, we respectfully urge your administration to initiate the inclusive review of U.S. trade policies that your USTR announced in 2009 and the related formulation of a new American trade agreement model.