Protecting Democracy [1]

American democracy is in jeopardy, from the disastrous Citizens United ruling that flooded our politics with corporate cash to the immoral assault on voting rights. We work every day to defend against these threats and advance bold reforms.

Tell Congress: Pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act

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Generative Artificial Intelligence and Threats to Democracy

Protecting Elected Officials from Threats
Making Government Work [2]

The U.S. government should work for the public, not corporations or industry. It should safeguard consumers, workers and the environment, and be funded well enough to do so. The budget process must not be obstructed by partisanship.

Get Corporate Money Out of Politics

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It’s Time to Cut the Bloated Pentagon Budget to Fund People, Not Military Contractors

Ensuring Public Money Does Not Go To Private Equity
Consumer & Worker Safeguards [3]

Every day, Big Banks, Big Polluters, and Big Tech companies are threatening our economy, our environment, and our democracy – sacrificing Main Street Americans and our families on the altar of corporate profits. Public Citizen advocates for ordinary people by taking on corporate interests and their cronies in government.

Don’t Let Big Tech Write Our Digital Privacy Laws

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Public Citizen Calls on Presidential Candidates, Parties to Pledge Not to Use Dangerous, Manipulative Deepfakes

Within Reach: Banker Pay Reform
Safe & Affordable Drugs & Devices [4]

Prescription drugs are unaffordable and new drugs and devices often are approved without being proven safe and effective. Public Citizen challenges Big Pharma, device manufacturers and federal regulators to make drugs and medical devices safe, effective and accessible to all.

Tell President Biden: Make Meds Affordable

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Health Care [5]

Health care in the U.S. leaves too many people out, costs too much and doesn’t meet acceptable standards of quality. Much of the care that we get is unaffordable, unnecessary or harmful. Public Citizen advocates Medicare for All, stronger oversight of dangerous doctors and safe clinical trials.

Win Medicare for All

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Report: Ranking of the Rate of State Medical Boards’ Serious Disciplinary Actions, 2017-2019

Statement: FDA Must Reject Tanezumab as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis Due to Unacceptable Dangers, Little to No Benefit
Globalization & Trade [6]

Our Mission

Global Trade Watch’s mission is to ensure that in this era of globalization, a majority have the opportunity to enjoy economic security, a healthy environment, safe food, medicines and products, access to quality affordable services such as health care and the exercise of democratic decision-making about the matters that affect our lives. Global Trade Watch has led the fight against corporate-rigged “trade” agreements that provide special powers for Big Pharma to raise medicine prices, promote the outsourcing of jobs to low-wage countries and undermine the food safety and other safeguards on which our families rely. For decades, we have fought for progressive alternatives that benefit people and the planet.

President Biden: No Secrecy in Indo-Pacific Trade Talks

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Climate Peace Clause Needed to Stop Trade Attacks on Climate Policies

Big Tech’s “Digital Trade” Power-Grab
Climate & Energy [7]

The climate crisis is the challenge of our time. We can fix it with solutions that will make us healthier and more economically secure. We must act quickly to make our economy run on renewable power — and ensure that disadvantaged families and displaced workers share equitably in the new economy. We also must fight the corrupting power of fossil fuel companies and ensure that energy regulators are effective and publicly accountable.

Tell Toyota: Go all-in on EVs

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Climate Roadmap for U.S. Financial Regulation

Toyota’s Troubling Electric Vehicle Track Record
Justice & the Courts [8]

Litigation can remedy or deter wrongdoing, impact policy and meaningfully slow abuses of power. Whether suing on behalf of our members to ensure the honest functioning of government, or representing individual consumers seeking redress in court, our litigation draws on our expertise in administrative law, constitutional law, and government transparency.

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Ending the corporate power grab of Investor-State Dispute Settlement

Today’s "trade" agreements grant new rights to multinational corporations to sue governments before a panel of three corporate lawyers. These lawyers can award the corporations unlimited sums to be paid by taxpayers, including for the loss of expected future profits, on claims that a nation’s policy violates their rights. Their decisions cannot be appealed.

Learn More

Our Work

Here are some resources that advocates and researchers are using to fight to eliminate the ISDS corporate power grab.

Table of Investor-State Claims

See all corporate investor-state cases and claims launched under U.S. ‘free trade’ deals.

Prospera v. Honduras: US Company Seeks $11 Billion From Honduras After Repeal of Unpopular Law Allowing Semi-Private Cities

The company is seeking nearly $11 billion from Honduran taxpayers, which is nearly two-thirds of the country’s entire national budget.

Egregious Corporate Attacks on Public Interest Policies

ISDS: The Secret Court System Corporations Use to Undermine Democracy

External Voices

Warren, Whitehouse, Cohen, Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Eliminate Investor-State Dispute Settlement from Existing U.S. Trade and Investment Agreements

November 2, 2023

Letters, Testimony & Filings

200+ Organizations Urge US to Exit ISDS

November 2, 2023

Press Releases

It’s Time to Exit ISDS: 200+ Labor, Environment, and Other Civil Society Groups Urge Biden to Eliminate Extreme Corporate Powers From Existing Trade Pacts

November 2, 2023

External Voices

UN Report: Paying Polluters: the catastrophic consequences of investor-State dispute settlement for climate and environment action and human rights

July 13, 2023

Commentary

It Didn’t Stop with the Osage: Examining the Impact of Global Trade on Indigenous Communities in the Wake of Killers of the Flower Moon

July 10, 2023

Fact Sheets & Backgrounders

Prospera v. Honduras: US Company Seeks $11 Billion From Honduras After Repeal of Unpopular Law Allowing Semi-Private Cities

In the News

Stay Updated on Corporate Power Expanded: ISDS

Join the Trade Justice Movement

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Follow Global Trade Watch

Support Our Work

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Menu

Tell Congress: Pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act

Generative Artificial Intelligence and Threats to Democracy

Protecting Elected Officials from Threats

Get Corporate Money Out of Politics

It’s Time to Cut the Bloated Pentagon Budget to Fund People, Not Military Contractors

Ensuring Public Money Does Not Go To Private Equity

Don’t Let Big Tech Write Our Digital Privacy Laws

Public Citizen Calls on Presidential Candidates, Parties to Pledge Not to Use Dangerous, Manipulative Deepfakes

Within Reach: Banker Pay Reform

Tell President Biden: Make Meds Affordable

Win Medicare for All

Report: Ranking of the Rate of State Medical Boards’ Serious Disciplinary Actions, 2017-2019

Statement: FDA Must Reject Tanezumab as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis Due to Unacceptable Dangers, Little to No Benefit

Our Mission

President Biden: No Secrecy in Indo-Pacific Trade Talks

Climate Peace Clause Needed to Stop Trade Attacks on Climate Policies

Big Tech’s “Digital Trade” Power-Grab

Tell Toyota: Go all-in on EVs

Climate Roadmap for U.S. Financial Regulation

Toyota’s Troubling Electric Vehicle Track Record

Subscribe to the Supreme Court Conference Preview

Ending the corporate power grab of Investor-State Dispute Settlement

Our Work

Table of Investor-State Claims

Prospera v. Honduras: US Company Seeks $11 Billion From Honduras After Repeal of Unpopular Law Allowing Semi-Private Cities

Egregious Corporate Attacks on Public Interest Policies

Warren, Whitehouse, Cohen, Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Eliminate Investor-State Dispute Settlement from Existing U.S. Trade and Investment Agreements

200+ Organizations Urge US to Exit ISDS

It’s Time to Exit ISDS: 200+ Labor, Environment, and Other Civil Society Groups Urge Biden to Eliminate Extreme Corporate Powers From Existing Trade Pacts

UN Report: Paying Polluters: the catastrophic consequences of investor-State dispute settlement for climate and environment action and human rights

It Didn’t Stop with the Osage: Examining the Impact of Global Trade on Indigenous Communities in the Wake of Killers of the Flower Moon

Prospera v. Honduras: US Company Seeks $11 Billion From Honduras After Repeal of Unpopular Law Allowing Semi-Private Cities

DemocracyNow!: Hondurans Fight Private Cities Run by U.S. Companies

Sen. Warren and 30+ Members of Congress Call for Elimination of ISDS, Action on Behalf of Honduran Government

Warren Leads Call to End Dispute System ‘Weaponized’ by Corporations Amid Honduras Case

Stay Updated on Corporate Power Expanded: ISDS

Join the Trade Justice Movement

Follow Global Trade Watch

Support Our Work