Noontime Rally Today Opposes "Fast Track" Renewal
Friday, September 20, 2013(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Activists are urging Congress not to renew "fast track" trade agreement authority, with a noontime rally today at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and an online petition. Fast track would allow trade agreements like the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership to leapfrog customary legislative protocol and be put to a rapid "up or down" vote without a public hearing, floor debate, or amendments. Opponents say that forcing Congress to vote on complex agreements without adequate time for open hearings, review, and public scrutiny, sets a dangerous precedent.