Over 50 organizations issued a joint call on Wednesday: Stop "Fast Track" legislation of the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
With the launch of StopFastTrack.com, the organizations highlight how renewal of Fast Track legislation, also known as Trade Legislation Authority, would take away Congress' democratic power in deliberating and amending the TPP, which thus far has been negotiated behind closed doors, with the only information about it being provided through leaks.
The site states that the TPP "threatens everything you care about: democracy, jobs, the environment, and the Internet."
The diverse coalition of groups that have united in this mission include environmental group Rainforest Action Network, digital rights defenders Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union, the Organic Consumers Association and open Internet defenders Open Media International.
The new site gives a platform to each of the organizations' perspectives on why people should call their representatives to tell them to put the brakes on Fast Track, and why they should oppose the trade deal dubbed "NAFTA on steroids."
"We oppose Fast Track because TPP was constructed in secret, and undermines the open Internet, and labor and environmental standards," reads the statement from progressive organizing group Demand Progress.
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Climate campaign group 350.org adds: "We oppose Fast Track because the TPP would give corporations incentive to dig up and burn more fossil fuels, making climate change much worse."
In addition to the site launch, members of the "unlikely coalition" used the first of 10 days of action to stop Fast Track to participate in an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session on reddit, one of the organizations that also joins the coalition.
During the AMA, Evan Greer of Fight for the Future pointed out that "the TPP would put corporations on equal footing to governments, and allow them to sue governments for any potential future loss of profit."
Twitter users used the platform on Wednesday to highlight the problems with Fast Track and the TPP as well:
Tweets about "stopfasttrack.com OR #stoptpp OR #fasttrack"
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