An Introduction to Fast TrackAn Introduction to Fast Track
The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign
OR-OR-FTCFTC
Three major questions:Three major questions:
What is Fast Track?Why should I care?Why does this matter now?
What is Fast Track?What is Fast Track?
The process the federal government currently uses to negotiate and approve international trade agreements.
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
More NAFTA, More WTOMore NAFTA, More WTO
NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, preferred trade relations with China all passed under Fast Track
U.S. trade negotiators are actively trying to expand NAFTA to South America and Asia
U.S. trade negotiators are trying to massively expand the scope of the WTO to cover public services and building trades
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
The Export of U.S. JobsThe Export of U.S. Jobs Oregon has already lost
68,000 jobs due to outsourcing and foreign competition
Job losses have hit a wide range of sectors
The millions of jobs lost across the U.S. are just a drop in the bucket if NAFTA and the WTO expand as planned
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Forced PrivatizationForced Privatization Plans to expand the WTO
would require massive privatization of government services–Education, health care, transportation, public works and more–Almost any service a private company was willing to do would be at risk
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Threats to Prevailing WagesThreats to Prevailing Wages
Plans to expand the WTO would make prevailing wage requirements, project labor agreements and “Best Value” ordinances WTO-illegal
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Environmental RollbacksEnvironmental Rollbacks NAFTA and the WTO have
already been used to challenge environmental protections
Plans to expand NAFTA to South America and Asia would increase “rip & ship” exploitation of the world’s most biodiverse areas
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Attacks on Local DemocracyAttacks on Local Democracy
NAFTA and the WTO have already been used to force deregulation in a wide range of sectors
Under plans to expand the WTO, taxpayer subsidies for a wide range of public services could become WTO-illegal
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Decreased Food SecurityDecreased Food Security
This August, the United States became a net importer of food
Since the early 1990s, more than 72,000 family farms have disappeared
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Increased Poverty AbroadIncreased Poverty Abroad Millions of farmers have lost
their livelihoods due to imports from the U.S. under NAFTA and CAFTA
Patent rules under the WTO have reduced people’s access to medicines and enabled companies to claim patents on indigenous knowledge
How is this connected How is this connected to Fast Track?to Fast Track?
“Our ability to … continue to advance the trade agenda that we’ve had in the past is going to depend upon getting [Fast Track] extended.”
-- Vice President Dick Cheney, 2/14/07
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
A Lack of TransparencyA Lack of Transparency
Fast Track eliminates normal Congressional committee review and mark-up of trade policy proposals
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Undue Corporate InfluenceUndue Corporate Influence Approximately 500
corporate lobbyists are given official “Trade Advisor” status
They have access to negotiators and can even propose policy language
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Positive “Objectives” Get IgnoredPositive “Objectives” Get Ignored
Instead of mandatory requirements, Fast Track includes weak “negotiating objectives” that trade negotiators are free to ignore
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
No Improvements AllowedNo Improvements Allowed
Under Fast Track, there is no way for Congress to fix the most obvious problems with trade agreements
The Fast Track process meansThe Fast Track process means
Debate Is Strictly LimitedDebate Is Strictly Limited
Under Fast Track, trade policies come to the floor for a vote automatically – so the Speaker of the House cannot block them
The time for floor debate is strictly limited – making filibusters impossible in the Senate
The Fast Track ProcessThe Fast Track Process
Fast Track creates trade agreements that are:
–Shrouded in secrecy–Accountable only to corporate lobbyists–Impossible to amend and very difficult to block
Without Fast Track the free Without Fast Track the free trade agenda would not be trade agenda would not be possiblepossibleA transparent process would draw more
attention to the labor, environmental and human rights issues in trade agreements
Fair Trade champions in Congress could offer amendments to bad trade proposals
Champions could filibuster bad bills when necessary
When we talk about Fast Track, When we talk about Fast Track, we’re not just talking about we’re not just talking about process.process.
We’re talking about jobs, the We’re talking about jobs, the environment, human rights and environment, human rights and democracy.democracy.
Why discuss Fast Track now?Why discuss Fast Track now?
Fast Track expires in July– Congress is currently
debating whether to extend Fast Track or to seek out a better process
This issue is being decided fast
Oregon Plays a Major RoleOregon Plays a Major Role
Oregon’s elected officials will play a major role in the Fast Track debate
Sens. Wyden and Smith on key committee–Only state with two Senators on it
Rep. Blumenauer just joined key House committee and subcommitteeMost of Oregon’s delegation seen as “swing votes” on Fast Track
We’re at a CrossroadsWe’re at a Crossroads
What happens in 2007 will impact the country’s trade policies for years to come
For more information:For more information:
Arthur StamoulisOregon Fair Trade Campaign
(503) [email protected]
Ask to sign up for our e-newsletter and how your organization can join our statewide campaign.
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