Congress is about to introduce a bill that will let the US Trade Representative lock America into the provisions of the secretly negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership, without substantial debate or scrutiny — including criminal sanctions — jail! — for downloading TV shows.
EFF wants you to tweet key lawmakers and sign up to a petition to get Congress to fully debate TPP before considering it. The stunning victory in the Net Neutrality fight shows that your voices matter, and now’s the time to press for victory on top of victory!
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks are stalling while the White House assures its trading partners that this secret trade agreement won’t be amended when it comes back to Congress for ratification after the President signs the deal. That’s why the Executive is scrambling to get its allies in Congress to pass Fast Track. If they succeed, the U.S. Trade Representative can block remaining opportunities for the examination of the TPP’s provisions by lawmakers who could ensure that this secret deal does not contain expansive copyright rules that would lock the U.S. into broken copyright rules that are already in bad need of reform.
The Fast Track bill is likely going to be introduced as early as next week—so it’s time to speak out now. Congress needs to hear from their constituents that we expect them to hold the White House accountable for the TPP’s restrictive digital policies. Unless this opaque, undemocratic process is fixed, and state officials uphold the interests of users rather than trampling our rights, we have no choice but to fight trade deals like the TPP.
You can get in touch with your elected representatives and call on them to oppose Fast Track trade authority for the TPP and other secretive, anti-user trade deals. We have also created a new tool for Twitter users to ask three key congressional leaders to come out against Fast Track. They are Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Steny Hoyer. Here’s why we are targeting these three Congress members in particular.
Congress Is Poised to Introduce a Bill to Fast Track TPP so It’s Time to Act Now
[Maira Sutton/EFF]