Urgent: stop Monsanto's secret trade deal

[Cassandra Lista]

Don't let Monsanto corrupt our democracy and our food supply! - Take Action Today!

This is our last chance to stop Fast Track, take action today to make sure your Senators vote NO to Monsanto’s Secret Trade Deal .

Dear Friends,

Last week, in a surprise vote, the House narrowly passed the Fast Track and now it must be approved by the U.S. Senate before it heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The Senate will hold a vote on Fast Track approval tomorrow morning (Tues., June 23^rd) and we need your help to stop it!

While no complete version of the trade agreement (TPP) has been released to the public, language in the recently passed Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, which authorizes the Fast Track declares that GMO labeling is an “unjustified trade restriction”. This means that local and state governments, as well as other countries can be sued by corporations should their regulations or law interfere with corporate profits.

Even worse, corporate lobbyists that used to work for Monsanto, DuPont and Big Tobacco are currently writing the language for the secret trade deal on behalf of the Obama administration. We need you to take 2 actions immediately to make sure we can stop this outrageous trade deal.

1. Demand an end to secret trade deals: Stand with Food Democracy Now! to stop Monsanto’s secret trade deal before it’s too late! Every voice counts!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY-R) is boasting that he has the votes to pass Fast Track. But not if we can help it!

2. Then, (more important) Please ,Cassandra, take 30 seconds to call your Senators today and Tell them to Vote NO on Monsanto's Secret Trade Deal, which will make GMO labeling illegal.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/call/tell_Senate_2_stop_Fast_Track_Monsantos_Secret_Trade_Deal/?t=7&akid=1590.86903.WNAHIs

If the Fast Track is approved, it gives the President alone the full authority to negotiate the final details of the trade agreement. The trade agreement is so secret that no drafts have been published anywhere, and even Senators and their staffers who read the bill are not allowed to take notes on the trade agreement out of the room. Why the secrecy?

The real point of these “free trade” agreements is to allow for a free flow of commodities, drugs, pesticides and GMOs around the world, not protect the American people.

The Monsanto Clause - Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Provision – Monsanto’s Get out of Jail Free Card

Under deceptive rules like the “investor-state dispute settlement” provision, corporations like Monsanto would be allowed to sue governments over laws that may negatively impact their “expected future profits”. Under past trade agreements corporations have used the ISDS provisions to sue over environmental regulations, public-health measures and even minimum-wage laws.

Unfortunately, multinational corporations like Monsanto and their biotech allies are pressuring your Senators to approve Fast Track Authority so that secret global trade deals can be decided behind closed doors without public input. We need your help to stop this today!

If Congress actually grants Fast Track authority to the White House, we’ll never know what’s in the agreement until after it passes. Unbelievably, Congress won't even be allowed to amend the agreement, but will simply have to rubber stamp this corporate power grab. Does this sound like democracy?

TAKE ACTION: Tell your Senators to Vote NO on the Fast Track for the TPP! Send your letter now!

Also, if you have a moment, please take a few minutes to call these Senators and ask them to Vote NO as well!

These are the 14 Democrats We Need to Target

Michael Bennet (D-CO)          202-224-5852
Ben Cardin (D-MD)                202-224-4524
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)          202-224-3441
Tom Carper (D-DE)                202-224-2441
Chris Coons (D-DE)               202-224-5042
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)        202-224-3841
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)          202-224-2043
Tim Kaine (D-VA)                   202-224-4024
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)        202-224-6154
Patty Murray (D-WA)             202-224-2621
Bill Nelson (D-FL)                  202-224-5274
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)       202-224-2841
Mark Warner (D-VA)              202-224-2023
Ron Wyden (D-OR)               202-224-5244

If the TPP passes a final Senate vote, this secret trade deal will destroy our basic democratic rights, allow corporations to sue local and state governments and absolutely block reasonable and common sense laws to protect America’s citizens from Monsanto and their toxic products.

Click here if you believe in GMO labeling and think that secret trade deals to kill common sense laws on genetically engineered crops should be stopped! Every voice counts!

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/FINAL_VOTE_2_stop_tpp_fast_track_Monsantos_secret_trade_deal2015/?t=11&akid=1590.86903.WNAHIs

Remember, democracy is like a muscle, either you use it or you lose it!

Thanks for participating in food democracy,

Dave Murphy
Founder / Executive Director
Food Democracy Now!