Congresswoman Lee Slams “Fast Track” Bill as a Rubber Stamp for Another Bad Trade Deal
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Lee released the following statement on the newly introduced trade promotion authority bill:
“Congress has a real and meaningful role to play in ensuring that trade deals protect American jobs, our environment and our health. “Fast Track” authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership undermines that critical role.
The American people deserve a fair, open and transparent debate on trade. Instead, Fast Track allows special interests and multinational corporations to dictate secret trade deals that benefit corporate profits while shipping American jobs overseas, especially in communities of color.
When bad trade deals ship American jobs overseas, it’s communities of color that are disproportionally impacted. Nearly one million minority workers lost their jobs under the U.S.-China trade deal and their lost wages totals more than $10 billion each year.
Congress should do the real work of legislating rather than rubber stamping yet another bad trade deal.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.