Senate Tries Again on Fast Track

This afternoon, the Senate resumed debate on advancing Fast Track Authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade deals to the Senate floor. Earlier this week, 44 Senators rejected a motion that would send Fast Track to the Senate floor for discussion. Today, however, there were 60 votes to end debate and move Fast Track forward.

Following the first vote, CWA commended Senators who voted No and spotlighted concerns about trade adjustment assistance (TAA), currency manipulation and other issues that are likely to be left behind by Majority Leader McConnell's push to pass Fast Track authority.

Today's cloture vote followed intense pressure from the administration. But the earlier vote was a big victory for our coalition, with all but one Democrat voting No. It demonstrated that the strong opposition to this deal isn't going away.

Our coalition will continue to call out Senators who support Fast Track for giving away their right to amend this trade deal – that has been negotiated in secrecy – and any other trade deal negotiated through 2021. We'll step up our work focusing on House members who are the real key to winning this battle, and make sure that they hear us loud and clear: No Fast Track for the TPP!!

At a news conference on Capitol Hill with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, CWA President Cohen said, "Our cities cannot survive or thrive just with headquarters, skyscraper jobs for the fortunate few, while the rest of us clean up for the 1 percent or drive them around. Fair trade for the 21st Century ties together much of what unites us. The $11 trillion trade deficit of the last 20 years not only transfers $20 trillion of wealth to foreign governments, corporations and billionaires. But it also impoverishes our cities." (See related story on Mayor de Blasio's progressive agenda.)