UFCW International President Marc Perrone, wrote an Op-Ed in The Hill that challenges every Member of Congress to pledge that they will read the entire Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before they vote on it.
The following are excerpts from the Op-Ed:
“What does it take to bring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump together? One terrible trade deal – the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
“The reasoning behind this diverse opposition is simple – the TPP is a massive giveaway to corporate special interests that will give hardworking Americans two things they can’t afford – lost jobs and lower wages.
“To any Member of Congress who truly believes that this trade pact is good for America, we only have one thing to say – read it.
“Members of Congress who support TPP should have the courage to publicly confirm to the people of this country that they have read every word of this massive 6,000 page trade deal before they vote for it.
“Unaccountable trade representatives negotiated the deal in nearly complete secrecy, and it’s clear that corporate lawyers stuffed it full of complicated, dense, legal language that benefits their special interest clients at the expense of everyone else.
“This deal might be good for corporate donors, but for a vast majority of Americans it spells disaster and must be stopped.
“We hazard to guess that not one supporter of TPP in Congress has ever read the full text, which naturally begs the question, why are they planning to vote for it?
“We urge anyone who believes in building a better America to join us in this effort. Simply asking Congress to read a trade bill before they vote on it shouldn’t be too much to ask for.”