Progressive groups urge Clinton to lead fight against a TPP vote

A coalition of progressive groups on Thursday sent a letter to Hillary Clinton urging her step up her opposition to holding a vote on a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade agreement this year.

Democracy for America (DFA) along with several labor and environmental groups are doubling down on their calls for the Democratic nominee to make clear she will lead the fight to stop a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the lame-duck session after the November elections.

{mosads}”It is now more important than ever that the country, the Congress, and President Obama hear specifically that you oppose a vote on the job-killing TPP after the election,” the letter posted on Medium says. 

The letter urges Clinton to “make a clear, public, and unequivocal statement opposing any vote on the job-killing TPP in the post-election, lame-duck session of Congress.”

The groups argue that Clinton’s “continued leadership is sadly necessary as President Obama refuses to abandon this unpopular deal.”

The president is urging Congress to pass the deal between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations.  

A majority of Democrats in Congress already oppose the deal and Republicans aren’t offering much encouragement amid toxic anti-trade rhetoric across Ciinton’s and Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns.

The letter is signed by several progressive, labor and environmental groups, including CREDO the Communications Workers of America, 350 Action, Demand Progress, Fight for the Future, Friends of the Earth and Public Citizen, all of which oppose the TPP.

During the past two weeks, more than 100,000 people have signed DFA and CREDO petitions urging Clinton to “make a public statement urging the White House and Democratic congressional leadership to oppose any vote on the TPP, especially during the post-election lame duck session of Congress.”

In a recent economic speech Clinton said on TPP: “I oppose it now, I’ll oppose it after the election, and I’ll oppose it as president.”

“We welcome your past remarks opposing the TPP. In particular, we were greatly encouraged by your words in a recent major economic address,” the groups wrote. 

But progressive groups are pressing her to turn up the heat on the White House to drop its push to pass TPP this year with both candidates opposed to the TPP. 

“We believe such words have the potential to lead other Democrats in opposing this job-killing trade deal,” they wrote. 

The White House has yet to back down from its push though even with the chances that TPP will come up for a vote in the lame-duck diminishing.

“Combined with the opposition of leaders such as Sens. Harry Reid, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, we are all stronger together when we stand up to the big corporations pushing the TPP.”