Despite the secret back-room negotiations, we know the Trans Pacific Partnership takes money and power away from the American people and gives it to cronies and entrenched special interests. That’s why we need to demand that U.S. negotiator Michael Froman does his job and represents us, the people. Not cronies and their lobbyists.
He said it in his very own words:
“My job is to make sure that Americans get the greatest benefit possible out of the opportunities around the world. Our #1 goal is to create jobs, promote growth and strengthen the middle class.”(1) (You can watch the video for yourself right here.)
But the Trans Pacific Partnership will mean a pay cut for just about every American who makes less than $87,000 per year. And on top of that, it’s estimated that it will only increase U.S. GDP by 0.13% — that’s less than half the bump we got from the launch of Apple’s iPhone 5.(2)
Wherever you turn these days, from conservative newsblogs to progressive watchdogs — you’ll find people up in arms about the TPP. That’s because it’s the latest example of a system that represents special interests, lobbyists and political cronies at the expense of everyday Americans. So whether you come from the political right or left doesn’t matter anymore. Americans from every political stripe are about to get ripped off by a massive international trade deal while cronies walk away with the spoils.
There’s barely any time left, as negotiations are set to close any day. Michael Froman’s job is to represent us — so raise your voice, add your name, and help demand that he simply do the job we the people are paying him to do.
Conservative newsblog Breitbart.com said it best: The Trans Pacific Partnership was “written by and for the top 700 special interest lobbyists.”(3) The deal was secretly designed to take more from us and give it away to entrenched cronies — but we can change that. Please take a moment to add your name.
Some political insiders will try to tell you that the TPP has bipartisan support in government, and that the negotiators are making compromises with a wide array of interested parties to make it work. But while they’re so busy negotiating on behalf of their special interest cronies, no one is looking out for the American people. That’s why it’s so important that we let U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman hear straight from us, his boss, that he needs to fight for us.
SOURCES:
(1) USTR.gov
(2) Public Citizen
(3) Breitbart.com
(additional info) Washington Post