[wordup] Fast Track Passes Senate, Opponents Look To House For Hope

[Adam Shand]

From: http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=182884&group=webcast

USA: FREE TRADE VS. FAIR TRADE (english)
features team volunteer 4:48pm Mon May 27 '02 
(Modified on 12:44am Wed May 29 '02)
www-features at indymedia.org article#182884

Fast Track Passes Senate, Opponents Look To House For Hope

The Senate has passed Fast Track, a bill that would eliminate Congress's
right to amend trade treaties, effectively transferring public
negotiating power to secretive presidential trade negotiators and
unaccountable business interests. While local activists in Seattle and
Vermont seek to hold their senators accountable by occupying their
offices, others are gearing up for the vote in the House of
Representatives. Fast Track passed in the House of Representatives in
December by just one vote, but will be reconsidered after the Memorial
Day recess.

Previous presidents have had Fast Track, also known as Presidential
Trade Promotion Authority. President Clinton used it to gain passage of
NAFTA, which led to the loss of 750,000 American jobs, and 8 million
previously middle-class Mexicans being driven into poverty. Now Bush
wants to reinstate the authority in order to push through the Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement, extending NAFTA "reforms"
throughout the hemisphere. Senators seeking to place restrictions on
Fast Track to prevent its worst abuses failed to attach the Kerry
Amendment.

Americans wishing to pressure their representatives can reach them at
the AFL-CIO's toll-free number 877-611-0063 or take these action steps.
Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, has
issued a statement. And you can hear audio reports from the Seattle
IMC/KBCS and Between the Lines.