Our good friend, expert researcher Vicky Davis has sent out the following note to her list:
This weekend, Lori Wallach was on Booktv to talk about her new book, The Rise and Fall of Fast Track Trade Authority, and to give a status update on Obama's request for Fast Track Authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Under the Constitution, Congress is given the authority to negotiate trade agreements. Since 1975, the Congress has been authorizing the Executive Branch to negotiate trade agreements. They've basically sold our country out from under us. It is CRITICALLY important that Obama NOT be given Fast Track Authority. According to what Lori said, there are about 26 chapters in the TPP Agreement. Only 5 of chapters have to do with trade. The rest of the chapters have to do with issues such as land use, imported food (non) safety, - essentially harmonization of our domestic laws with the United Nations System. It will be the end of U.S. sovereignty if Obama gets the authority to complete the deal and if it passes the Senate. This is most definitely a Tea Party Issue - but you won't hear much at all about it on the mainstream media.
Please watch this program. Lori Wallach is probably the foremost expert on U.S. Trade Policy who is also on the side of our country. Rare these days.
Book Discussion on the Rise and Fall of Fast Track Trade Authority
April 16, 2013
Public Affairs
Program ID 312201-1
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/312201-1
She also mentions their website: TradeWatch where you can see an analysis of TPP - the Multilateral Investment Agreement.
http://www.citizen.org/tradewatch
On March 1, 2013, there was an article about Obama requesting "trade promotion authority" which is Fast Track.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/01/us-obama-trade-idUSBRE9200PK20130301