[CTC] Environmental Groups Unite to Denounce Fast Track Trade Bill

Thu Jun 11 07:21:07 PDT 2015

Please retweet the Sierra Club <https://twitter.com/sierraclub/status/608996991083900928> or tweet:

Ahead of vote on fast-track trade bill, 40+ enviros unite to denounce the toxic bill. http://sc.org/2pPJX <http://sc.org/2pPJX> #NoFastTrack #TPP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Contact: Dan Byrnes (202) 495-3039 <tel:%28202%29%20495-3039> or daniel.byrnes at sierraclub.org <mailto:daniel.byrnes at sierraclub.org>
View as webpage <https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/06/environmental-groups-unite-denounce-fast-track-trade-bill>

Environmental Groups Unite to Denounce Fast Track Trade Bill
Letter to Congress Outlines Key Threats to Health, Climate, and Clean Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a letter <http://sc.org/n6Cym> sent to Congress today, more than 40 environmental organizations joined together to urge Congress to oppose the Hatch-Wyden-Ryan “fast-track” trade legislation which could come to a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday. The fast-track bill, which the Sierra Club has called <http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/04/sierra-club-fast-track-bill-toxic> “toxic,” would let the president rush flawed trade deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress at the expense of the environment, health, and communities. Opposition to fast track from environmental organizations continues to mount despite the U.S. Trade Representative’s efforts to tout the supposed environmental benefits of the TPP.
"A vote for fast track is a vote against clean air, clean water, and climate protection,” said Michael Brune, the Sierra Club’s executive director. “Congress must reject fast track to avoid backtracking on decades of environmental progress."

In the letter <http://sc.org/n6Cym>, the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, and other leading environmental groups proposed an alternative model of trade authority that removes the secrecy surrounding current trade deals like the TPP, and includes greater congressional and public oversight and input into trade negotiations to help protect Americans from runaway pollution, the health effects associated with expanded fossil fuel use, and climate disruption.

House Republicans are pushing to vote on this toxic trade bill this week. If passed, the bill would empower the President to send already-signed trade agreements to Congress for straight up-or-down votes with limited floor debate and no amendments, severely limiting Congressional influence over the world’s largest-ever international trade deals including the TPP.
Thousands of national, regional, and local groups oppose fast track, and the momentum keeps building. The Hill recently named <http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/244420-twelve-groups-to-watch-in-trade-fight> the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council as two of the 12 groups to watch in the fast-track trade fight.

Click here to view the letter: sc.org/n6Cym <http://sc.org/n6Cym>

Signers of this letter include:
350.org <http://350.org/> * 350 PDX * 350 Salem * Berks Gas Truth * Center for Biological Diversity * Center for International Environmental Law * Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists * Chesapeake Climate Action Network * Citizens for Global Solutions * Clean Water Action * Climate Solutions * Defenders of Wildlife * The Delaware Riverkeeper * Earthjustice * Earthworks * Endangered Species Coalition * Energy Action Coalition * Environmental Health Coalition * Environmental Investigation Agency * Food and Water Watch * Friends of the Earth * Green America * Greenpeace USA * Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy * Institute for Policy Studies, Climate Policy Program * KyotoUSA * League of Conservation Voters * Natural Resources Defense Council * New Energy Economy * Oil Change International * Olympic Climate Action * Partnership for Policy Integrity * Physicians for Social Responsibility * Rachel Carson Council * Rainforest Action Network * RE Sources for Sustainable Communities * Safe Climate Campaign * Sierra Club * Sierra Student Coalition * SustainUS * US Climate Plan* Washington Environmental Council * Wild Earth Guardians
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