Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on Thursday, 12 countries will sign a massive trade agreement to change the rules for 40 percent of the world's economy, but the Trans-Pacific Partnership will not go into effect unless Congress approves it. I urge my colleagues to reject the TPP and stop an agreement that will tilt the playing field even more in favor of big multinational corporations and against working families. Much of the debate over this trade agreement has been described as a fight over America's role in setting the rules of international trade, but this is a deliberate diversion. In fact, the United States has free-trade agreements with half of the TPP countries. Most of the TPP's 30 chapters don't even deal with traditional trade issues. No. Most of TPP is about letting multinational corporations rig the rules on everything from patent protection to food safety standards all to benefit themselves. The first clue about whom the TPP helps is who wrote it. Twenty-eight trained advisory committees were formed to whisper in the ear of our trade negotiators to urge them to move this way or that way during negotiations. Who are the special privileged whisperers? Well, 85 percent are corporate executives or industry lobbyists. Many of the committees--including those on chemicals and pharmaceuticals, aerospace equipment, textiles and clothing, and financial services--are 100 percent industry representatives.…”