Activists to Crash Michelle Obama Fundraiser to Tell her to Stop Fast Track on the TPP

LOS ANGELES - Jan. 28, 2014 - PRLog -- On Wednesday, January 29, activists will rally outside the gated community where Michelle Obama will be raising money for Democrats to ask her to tell her husband to stop legislation to fast track the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Legislation was introduced into Congress without a Democratic co-sponsor in the House. In fact,153 Democratic Congress members have pledged to vote no on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) also known as Fast Track as have 23 Republicans. Activists say that the TPP, dubbed “NAFTA on steroids,” will be bad for workers, consumers, the environment and national sovereignty.

“The TPP will impact nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives,” said Lauren Steiner of Expose the TPP - California. “If passed, this NAFTA on steroids will undermine state, local and federal laws, including those governing food safety, environmental protection, internet freedom, worker rights, democratic sovereignty, healthcare and drug prices, and banking and finance regulation. If passed, it will represent a global corporate coup. Members of Congress need to vote no on Fast Track and not abrogate their Constitutional responsibility to make trade deals.”

WHEN: Wednesday, January 29, 4 p.m – 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Wilshire Blvd. at Fremont Place  (east of Rossmore in Hancock Park)

WHO/WHAT: Rally/Demonstration - Grassroots activists and members of Occupy Venice, Food and Water Watch – California, Progressive Democrats of America, MoveOn and Expose the TPP - California

BACKGROUND: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a secret trade deal being negotiated between the US and 11 other countries representing 40% of the world's economy. While 600 corporate advisors have seen the text, it has not been released to the US public, press or even by members of Congress until recently. It is being called "NAFTA on Steroids." While it is being marketed as free trade, only 5 of the 29 chapters are about trade. The rest just lock in protections for corporations essentially making them more powerful than governments. If any country's regulations for GMOs, food safety, environmental protections, low cost drug availability, free and open internet, buy local provisions, financial derivatives, etc. affect a corporation's "expected future profits," the corporation can sue the government in a trade tribunal. The judges are corporate attorneys who alternate between judging and representing the corporations. In addition, the TPP will cause the outsourcing of even more American jobs and reduce the wages of 90% of Americans. Even though Congress has the Constitutional responsibility to make trade deals, Obama is trying to speed this through Congress via a Nixon-era procedure called Fast Track. This will mean the Congress can only vote the TPP up or down and not call witnesses or add amendments.

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GREAT VISUALS: Signs and protesters dressed up like movers with moving boxes to outsource FLOTUS’s office to Vietnam.