Above photo: Protest in front of the Office of the US Trade Representative, Washington, DC, November, 2015.
Off to a strong start with 13 cities, let’s make it 100!
Flush the TPP – On February 4, 2016, President Obama will be permitted by Fast Track law to sign the TransPacific Partnership (TPP). During the recent APEC meeting in Manila, Philippines, leaders of TPP countries discussed holding a signing ceremony that day in New Zealand.
Following the signing, Congress will still have to pass implementing legislation before the TPP can be put into place. The Obama administration is currently writing that legislation and is expected to send it to Congress as soon as it anticipates having enough votes to pass it. That can happen any time after Obama signs the TPP.
The TPP implementing legislation could be sent to Congress as early as February 5 and as late as after the elections in the fall. It all depends on when Obama and leadership believe they have the votes.
Our job is to make sure that never happens. And that is why we are mobilizing local actions across the country in February. We hope that our allies in TPP countries are making similar plans, but as the most aggressive promoter of the TPP, the US is where it must be stopped!
In other words, it is up to us to stop it!
The good news: Already organizers in 13 cities have volunteered to organize actions. You are invited to do so too. Let’s try to have actions in 100 cities East to West and North to South. Let’s show the President and Congress that if they make the TPP law, they will betray everything we care about and we will not obey!
Here are the current cities:
Boston, MA; Hartford, CT; New York, NY, Northwest, NJ, Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Tampa, FL; Elgin, IL; Denver, CO; Fort Worth, TX; Sebastopol, CA; Los Angeles, CA
Here are the plans:
February 4 – Whether or not the TPP is signed that day, actions are being organized in highly visible areas to raise awareness about the TPP and to let people know about actions during the President’s Week recess. The theme for the month is “TPP = Betrayal.” Choose the location that is best for your community. Highlight issues that concern people in your community and find creative ways to get attention. See the “Tools for Action” page for ideas.
February 14 to 21 – President’s Week recess – Members of Congress will be in their home districts that week. This is a great time to press your members to take a public stand against the TPP. We suggest focusing on Representatives. It is most likely we will stop this in the House and all Representatives are up for re-election. If your member is not publicly against the TPP, you will have to assume that they either haven’t read it or they support it. Get them to read it and respond to you with their position. Bring your friends.
You can find creative ways to make sure your member knows what is in the TPP: take a paper copy to their office (this will take six reams of paper printed double sided) or take a copy on a flash drive (to save some trees); organize a ‘drop in and hang out’ in their office by taking shifts and read the TPP text out loud all week; deliver a quiz on the TPP to them and ask them to answer the questions. You get the idea.
Make sure that you take photos of your actions and share them widely (including with us). Written reports are also great.
Here’s what Flush the TPP can do to help you:
- Talk with you about your ideas to help you to be effective.
- Connect you with other TPP Resisters in your community.
- Post your action on the Action Map.
- Answer your questions.
Contact us through the contact page. Click here.
Join the weekly TPP Resistance calls:
The weekly TPP Resistance calls restart on January 6, 2016 and will be every Wednesday night at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific. You can register for the calls and hear past calls byclicking here. On the calls you will meet other TPP Resisters, get updates, be able to ask questions and share your ideas.
Agreements like the TPP have been stopped before, but only through a people-powered movement of movements. Get involved. Whatever issue concerns you the most, our sovereignty, health care, food safety, wages, the environment, the internet, climate change and more, the TPP will harm it. We can’t let that happen. Organize now!
Take the TPP Action pledge. Let’s Flush the TPP!
And remember to join the Buycott for Trade Justice. Spread the word.
