TRADE Act - Let's get Washington State on board!
June 4, 2008 was a significant day in trade policy. This was the day that the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act was introduced in Congress. This bill (HR 6180) was introduced by Rep. Mike Michaud and Senator Sherrod Brown, and it represents a truly balanced and fair way forward for trade policy - something that we can finally all support!
The TRADE Act addresses the content of trade agreements, stipulating what must and must not be included in fair trade policy. This includes issues like enforcement of ILO conventions on core labor standards, adherence to international environmental treaties, and reduced powers for foreign investors. The bill also addresses certain process issues, and would require a full review of all previous trade agreements to assess their true impact, as well as advocating for increased Congressional input into writing any new agreements.
The bill currently has over 60 Congressional co-sponsors, and is supported by a vast array of important organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, and the Sierra Club. However, we haven't yet had any Washington State members of Congress co-sponsor this bill. We hope to change that, and soon. The Washington Fair Trade Coalition is reaching out and garnering support for the TRADE Act in four ways:
- Calls to Congress. We encourage you to call your member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the TRADE Act. A sample script can be found at the end of this newsletter. Please call today and ask your elected representatives to support this important bill!
- Meetings with Congress members. We are organizing meetings with members of Congress to discuss the bill and ask for co-sponsorship. Please contact me at stephanie@washingtonfairtrade.org if you are interested in joining us for some of these meetings.
- Postcards. We have printed many "Support the TRADE Act" postcards and are gathering signed ones, for delivery to our members of Congress. If you would like me to email you a document with the postcards to print and get signed by your members, please email me!
- Outreach to our members. We also want to talk with our member organizations to explain more about this bill, answer questions, and strategize about how to rally behind it. If you are interested in having us bring our Fair Trade Road Show (TRADE Act edition!) to your next board or relevant member meeting, please let me know!
Need more information? See www.washingtonfairtrade.org (includes the WFTC press release) and www.citizenstrade.org (includes links to the bill itself, plus endorsement letters and media).
