Click here to go directly to sign on: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/gx/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=599.
Remember NAFTA—the trade deal that consolidated the power of corporations and took the bottom out of the U.S. and Mexican economies? Four more bilateral trade agreements—between the United States and Colombia, Peru, Panama, and South Korea—modeled on NAFTA, are pending in Congress. Congress will also be considering whether to reauthorize Fast Track, a move that would give the president the power to continue imposing this disastrous trade policy with no discussion, no studies, and no congressional or citizen input.
Join a new initiative to call for an IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM ON NEW FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS by signing on to the following petition, already endorsed by the Alliance for Responsible Trade, which is a coalition of over 35 trade, labor, and faith-based organizations. Instead of further supporting a failing trade policy, let's join together to examine who really benefits from these agreements and to generate informed discussion on positive alternatives.
Toward a Trade Policy that Works for the People
U.S. trade policy is not working for the majority of Americans.
Free trade agreements forged in the NAFTA mold have not brought about a general increase in standards of living at home or within partner countries, and have contributed to the loss of U.S. jobs, eroding labor standards, a burgeoning trade deficit, and worsened inequality.
Despite mounting evidence of negative impacts and a call from the U.S. public to rethink trade policy, the Bush administration has refused to modify the NAFTA model of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). It has now submitted four new FTAs to Congress and is asking for renewal of "fast track," or trade promotion authority, to continue to push ahead with this seriously flawed policy.
It's time to change course in our trade policy. We are joining together to call for a fundamental first step: Congress should declare an immediate moratorium on new free trade agreements.
The moratorium should apply to the four FTAs that the administration rushed into the current session: South Korea, Panama, Colombia, and Peru.
By declaring a moratorium on passage of these FTAs and not renewing fast track authority for approving new ones, Congress can heed the message of the majority of the people and take a deep look at the way these agreements are restructuring our economy, our communities, and our foreign policy. A moratorium on FTAs will give Congress, the executive branch, and the public an opportunity to deepen democratic debate on trade, and develop a new long-term trade policy as part of a coherent economic and foreign policy.
The U.S. public and policymakers deserve comprehensive studies on the results of Free Trade Agreements before pushing blindly forward. Studies should measure the impact of the free-trade model to date not merely by gauging growth in international trade and investment, but by its success or failure in broader goals of job creation, broadly shared development, and sustainability. At present there is no public consensus regarding benefits to society and considerable evidence to the contrary.
This long-term view toward sustainable trade policy must take into account its overall impact in U.S. society and in other parts of the world. Elements of a new trade policy should include:
- Enforceable international labor, human rights, and environmental standards
- Mechanisms to guarantee affordable access to life-saving medicines for poor people
- Measures to provide for the special needs and goals of developing countries
- Recognition of the right to food sovereignty and the social value of preserving family farms, in the United States and other countries
- Transparency and democratic decision-making in the design, implementation, and monitoring of trade policy
- Job retraining and community economic restructuring programs
We do not need four more free trade agreements modeled after a failing policy. The time has come for Congress and the U.S. public to assume responsibility for adopting a trade policy that works in the interests of the majority and fosters fair and peaceful international relations.
This is the time to make a difference. Endorse the call for a moratorium on Free Trade Agreements by signing on here.
The Americas Program is found at www.americaspolicy.org.
