June, 09 2015, 12:00am EDT
Protesters Demand Pelosi's Opposition to Fast Track Deal Outside Her Office
Hundreds participated in lunchtime rally outside Pelosi’s San Francisco office
WASHINGTON
200 activists participated in a rally today against Fast Track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership today outside of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco office.
At the rally, representatives from progressive organizations - including CREDO, Daily Kos, Fight for the Future, Friends of the Earth and 350 Bay Area - urged Leader Pelosi to get off the sidelines and publicly oppose Fast Tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The rally was organized by CREDO Action, with help from MoveOn.org Civic Action, Democracy for America, Daily Kos, Fight for the Future, 350.org, SumOfUs, Public Citizen, Other 98, Friends of the Earth, Citizens Trade Campaign, Global Exchange, Corporate Accountability International, Sierra Club Bay Area Chapter, 350 Bay Area and the Sunflower Alliance.
Photos from the event are available here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/133775485@N07/60V9f1
"Leader Pelosi has been conspicuously absent from the fight to stop Fast Track and the TPP," said Murshed Zaheed, Deputy Political Director at CREDO Action. "While President Obama, congressional Republicans and corporate lobbyists are working together to jam Fast Track through Congress, Leader Pelosi is one of the few members of Congress that hasn't yet stated how she'll vote," Zaheed added, continuing, "It's time for Leader Pelosi to rally her progressive base to block Fast Track and kill this terrible, pro-corporate trade deal once and for all.
"Rep. Pelosi, the only thing Congress should be thinking of fast tracking is an open, just and ambitious international climate agreement at the United Nations' Summit in Paris," said Kathy Dervin, Board, 350 Bay Area. "Working people here and across the Pacific region need an agreement that ensures a just transition to a clean energy future and protects our health and wellbeing. The TPP would only make things worse; we need your leadership to stop its undemocratic and dangerous provisions".
"Right now, Leader Pelosi has the opportunity to protect public health, workers' rights and the environment by taking a public stand against fast track and the TPP," said Cloe Franko, senior international organizer at Corporate Accountability International. "People in the United States and around the world need her to protect our interests, not those of transnational corporations."
"The majority of Americans, House Democrats, and her own constituents want Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to stand up, speak out and lead the fight against Fast Track for the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership," said Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America. "With a vote set to happen as soon as this week, the American people need Leader Pelosi's powerful, progressive voice leading the charge against Fast Track legislation that would lead to the destruction of thousands of jobs and give corporations the power to undermine our laws."
"Voting for Fast Track means voting to give a small group of unelected people the power to negotiate secretive deals on behalf of the United States for 6 years. We only elect Representatives for 2, and our President for 4. There's no world where this makes sense as part of a democratic process," said Charlie Furman, Campaign Manager at Fight for the Future. "Supporting Fast Track would be especially undemocratic for Leader Pelosi, whose own constituents and caucus have overwhelmingly spoken out against Fast Track and secret deals like the TPP that would undermine free speech and the Internet economy."
"We need Leader Pelosi to take a strong and public stand against a bill that would give away Congress's right to vet toxic trade deals," said Michelle Chan, Economic Program Director of Friends of the Earth. "The TPP would have massive impacts on public health and the environment, and deserves to be debated in the open, not bulldozed through Congress."
"Nancy Pelosi's own constituents have echoed the same message as the vast majority of her caucus: calling for her leadership in rejecting this Fast Track bill," said Justin Krebs, Campaign Manager at MoveOn.org Civic Action. "It's up to Democrats to say no to more massive, secretive corporate give-aways--which means it's up to Leader Pelosi to hold Democrats firmly on the side of working Americans."
"Mega-corporations are doing their best to lobby for the TPP," said Kaytee Ray-Riek, SumOfUs Campaign Director. "If Leader Pelosi bows to the special interests behind this trade deal, she will be putting corporate profits above our democracy."
CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.
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