<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">PDF attached<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column"><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">January 31, 2019
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Dear Members of Congress,
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">As faith-based organizations and religious bodies with constituencies in the U.S. and around the
world, we believe the </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">goal of U.S. trade policy should be to promote healthy communities, a
flourishing environment, and an economy that benefits all.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Based on our experience and witness globally, we have seen how current trade agreements, such
as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), have made it difficult for communities
to access good jobs and essential services, such as clean water, adequate housing, nutritious food,
and basic healthcare. Since the original NAFTA, we have witnessed how it contributed to
significant job losses in key sectors for workers in the U.S., the displacement of Mexican farmers
leading to forced migration, and poor working conditions for workers in industries that operate in
Mexico.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">We are encouraged by the changes to the agreement that seek to redress flaws in the original
NAFTA and that are in line with our principles, but we believe more progress </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">must </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">be made in
order for this agreement to truly reflect our vision for just and faithful trade policy. The revised
NAFTA must:
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">Ensure access to affordable medicines.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Recognizing the inherent dignity of the human person, our faith traditions call us to care for the
sick and respond to the needs of those living in poverty. Trade agreements have an enormous
impact on the ability of the sick and poor to access the medicines they need.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The revised NAFTA dangerously expands intellectual property protections for pharmaceuticals,
including extending market exclusivity for medicine, and adds language benefiting the
pharmaceutical industry regarding price reimbursement decisions for Medicare and other
government-run health programs. Not only will these provisions have devastating impacts on the
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">health of patients in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, they would undermine Congress’ ability to
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">implement necessary reforms that would expand access to life-saving medicines.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">We call on you to ensure that no terms of a renegotiated NAFTA go beyond the Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement mandates. We ask that a renegotiated
NAFTA reaffirm the TRIPS public health protections that enable the three countries to promote
the human right to health.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">Faithfully steward God’s earth & uphold environmental protections.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">We are united in our commitment to care for and be stewards of God’s creation. We can no
longer afford for U.S. trade policy to harm God’s creatio</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">n and the right to a healthy environment
for future generations. Any trade agreement must incorporate such commitments as protecting
the environment and curbing climate change.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column"><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The revised NAFTA falls short of these commitments. While the changes to the Investor-State
Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision are welcome, the three-year phase in period and the carve-
in for oil and gas contracts with Mexico leave environmental protection measures open to
challenge by corporations. The current text also includes only one out of seven multilateral
environmental agreement (MEA) from recent U.S. trade agreements that are critical for
environmental protection. The environmental and conservation provisions included are not
required for adoption nor subject to enforcement.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The time is now to integrate our trade policy with the urgent need to protect our environment. As
faith communities, we see the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on the
most vulnerable. The revised NAFTA must include the enforcement mechanisms necessary to
ensure meaningful protections.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">Ensure just labor practices.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Our faith traditions uphold the critical importance of the dignity of work. Trade rules should
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">enhance workers’ rights by supporting stable jobs with decent wages, protecting workers’
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">freedom to organize, and promoting health & safety.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The revised NAFTA includes some positive labor provisions, including requirements for
legislation strengthening protection for workers in Mexico, including measures that allow for
more transparent unions and negotiation of contracts, and addressing the abuses perpetrated by
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">‘protection contracts’. Other language on labor rights can and should be strengthened, however.
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The only way to ensure the adoption and ongoing maintenance of labor and wage protections is
to include necessary monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">To ensure the human rights and dignity of working people in all three countries, we call on you
to strengthen the current text by including critical enforcement mechanisms that allow for swift
and certain compliance with the agreement.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">As faith communities, we believe all trade agreements must be evaluated by their impact on the
common good and the most vulnerable. </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-weight: 700" class="">We urge Congress to make the necessary changes to
the revised NAFTA to ensure its impacts do not undermine those values.
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Sincerely,<br class="">
American Muslim Health Professionals<br class="">
Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative<br class="">
Benedictine Sisters<br class="">
Church World Service<br class="">
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach<br class="">
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 3">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column"><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<br class="">
Faith in Healthcare<br class="">
Franciscan Action Network<br class="">
Holy Cross International Justice Office<br class="">
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns<br class="">
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">Pax Christi International<br class="">
Pax Christi USA<br class="">
Presbyterian Church (USA)<br class="">
Presentation Sisters Social Justice Team<br class="">
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas' Institute Justice Team
St. Thomas University Center for Ethics
</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'" class="">The United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries </span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; " class=""><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis</div><div class="">Citizens Trade Campaign</div><div class="">(202) 494-8826</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
</div>
</div></body></html>