Congress is back from Memorial Day recess—and will vote very shortly on whether to pass fast-track legislation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other trade deals. Speaker Boehner & Paul Ryan
are whipping House Republicans to get behind it, while the White House is hoping to lure just enough Democratic votes to eke it through. But railroading a corporate trade deal that we aren’t allowed to read is bad politics and terrible policy, and Daily Kos is determined to help defeat it.
With Congress back in town—and the GOP leadership prepared to bring it to the floor once they have the votes—it is on us to make sure enough members hold the line and oppose it. On June 3, Daily Kos is teaming up with CREDO, MoveOn, Democracy for America, PCCC, SumOfUs and Fight for the Future to generate a wave of constituent phone calls—regardless of party.
What’s really exciting is how many more House Democrats are coming out against Fast Track as the day progresses. Less than two hours after we sent initial versions of our e-mails, The Hill reported that six more Democrats had come out against it. We hope to keep this going.
Please check here to see if your House member has taken a position on Fast Track. Then, call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and leave a message with their office.
If your House Democrat is a confirmed “no,” please keep in mind that they are under a lot of pressure right now from the White House to buckle and could use some positive vibes:
As one of your constituents, thank you for your opposition to fast-track legislation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I am counting on you to vote “no” when it gets to the floor.
If your House Democrat is planning to vote for Fast Track, is openly undecided or we simply lack information, we really need you to call them and leave them the following message:
As a constituent, I expect you to represent me—and as a Democrat, I am counting on you to to do the right thing. Please vote “no” on fast track as it comes to the House floor. It is wrong to ram through a secret corporate trade deal that will undermine basic worker protections.
And if your member of Congress is a Republican, we can really use our help too. Please call them, remind them that you vote in their district, and leave a message like this:
I live in your district, and expect you to do the right thing and vote “no” on fast track. I will remember how you vote on this come election time.
It’s been fun keeping track of how many House members are moving into the “no” column, and it’s because of concerted efforts from people like you. So, please keep the calls coming!