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Oct. 3, 2001 Dear Representative: This fall is not the time to debate controversial legislation. Instead, Congress must unite behind a bi-partisan agenda to fight terrorism and quickly turn around our economy. "Fast track" trade legislation proposed today by Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) will only distract Congress from our most urgent priorities. The Thomas fast-track bill is bad for America's environment. It would expand investor rules that can undercut our environmental laws, deprive Congress of an effective role in trade policymaking, and raise false hopes of environmental progress. The Thomas fast-track bill would expand controversial "investor" rules that empower foreign corporations to sue over our environmental laws. Investor provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement are already being used to discourage countries from adopting badly needed protections for the environment. An expansion of similar investor rules, which Thomas proposes, would vastly increase lawsuits against our environmental laws at a potential cost to taxpayers in the billions of dollars. Thomas's fast-track bill denies Congress an effective decision-making role in shaping future trade agreements. His bill retains the outdated fast-track procedure in which Congress' only real leverage point over negotiations is an up or down vote on a finished trade agreement. But by the time a trade agreement is finished, so much political momentum has usually built up behind it that some members feel compelled to support even agreements that undermine our environmental protections and democratic institutions. Finally, there is no guarantee that future trade agreements will require "effective enforcement" of environmental and labor laws, even if Congress establishes this goal as a negotiating objective. Under fast-track procedures, Congress simply lacks the leverage to ensure that this or any future administration will deliver on the environmental or labor negotiating objectives that it might establish. Now is not the time to take up complicated policy issues that will affect our quality of life and democratic institutions for years to come. Congress should postpone action on fast track until we can have the thoughtful, deliberate debate on trade that the American people deserve. Sincerely, Carl Pope Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
