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GREENS WARN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS: DON'T PASS FAST TRACK |
Current rating: 0 |
by Starlene Rankin, Illinois GP Media Coord
Email: starlene (nospam) greens.org (unverified!)
Phone: 773-907-9845 |
19 Oct 2001
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Greens promise to use the Fast Track vote in the 2002
elections: "Don't rush HR 3500 to a floor vote without
public debate!" |
THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release:
Thursday, October 18, 2001
National Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator
207-326-4576, nallen (at) acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator
202-518-5624, scottmclarty (at) yahoo.com
Illinois Contact:
Starlene Rankin, Illinois GP Media Coordinator
773-907-9845, starlene (at) greens.org
GREENS WARN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS: DON'T PASS FAST
TRACK
Greens promise to use the Fast Track vote in the 2002
elections: "Don't rush HR 3500 to a floor vote without
public debate!"
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As 'Fast Track' legislation moves
towards a floor vote in the House of Representatives,
activists and organizers in the Green Party of the
United States have urged Congress to defeat the bill.
"We encourage Americans who care about democracy and
about labor and environmental protections to call
their representatives in Congress, and tell them to
say no to HR 3500," said J. Roy Cannon of the Delaware
Green Party. "Fast Track can and will be used to
nullify labor and environmental protections and to
bypass Congress and public scrutiny in deference to
powerful corporate interests."
"Fast Track would also damage our constitutional
balance of power, because it would sweep away the
Senate's 'advise and consent' role in the negotiation
of treaties with foreign powers."
"Working Americans have repeatedly told their
representatives, year after year, not to approve Fast
Track legislation," said Ben Manski, member of the
national Green Party's steering committee and a
Wisconsin Green. "Each and every member of Congress
must know that if they betray their constituents by
voting for Fast Track now, the Green Party will use
those votes in the 2002 elections."
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas
(Republican - CA) and U.S. Trade Representative Robert
Zoellick, who call Fast Track a bipartisan effort to
jumpstart the economy and claim that support for Fast
Track is a test of patriotism, are pushing for a fast
vote in order to avoid public debate on a bill that
will determine trade policy for the next decade. Fast
Track gives the president 'Trade Promotion Authority'
-- the extraordinary power to negotiate and accelerate
trade deals without amendment by Congress.
Greens stand with the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club,
Friends of the Earth, and other unions and
environmental groups in opposing the bill.
"Free trade agreements like NAFTA have exported
hundreds of thousands of jobs, and Fast Track will
make free trade pacts and authorities even more
secretive and anti-democratic," noted Manski. "We
find it shameful that supporters of Fast Track are
exploiting the September 11 tragedy to ram HR 3500
through Congress. Such behavior is contrary to the
interests of the American people and unpatriotic."
"Family farms and food safety will be among the first
casualties," added Anita Rios, national steering
committee member and Ohio Green. "The U.S. has
already allowed pesticide residues on produce in
amounts that violate current standards -- because we
fear trade challenges under current free trade pacts.
Fast Track will give the President even more power to
nullify such protections."
==> PLEASE NOTE: The Green Party of the United States
is the only Green political organization organized
nationally as a party, in which at least 31 states are
represented (and other states' memberships pending).
It organized the Green National Convention in Denver
in June, 2000, at which Ralph Nader was nominated to
run for President, and is recognized among Green
Parties around the world. The Green Party of the
United States is now in the process of filing papers
with the FEC for recognition as a national party.
Media inquiries about national policies and activities
of the Green Party should be directed solely to the
Green Party of the United States, through its media
representatives as listed in the heading above. To
contact state Green Parties, visit the Green Party of
the United States web site <http://gpus.org> and
follow the links to the state parties and their
contacts and web sites.
MORE INFORMATION
The Green Party of the United States http://gpus.org
END
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See also:
http://gpus.org
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