[Ip-health] FW: Seattle Activists Occupy Cantwell's Office!

[Paul Davis]

300 cheers for the Seattle activists!

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Jeremy" <jeremy@riseup.net>
Subject: Seattle Activists Occupy Cantwell's Office!

NEWS RELEASE 

ACTIVISTS OCCUPY CANTWELL OFFICE PROTESTING FAST TRACK VOTE

For Immediate Release              Contact: Jeremy Simer (206) 714-3095

May 23, 2002

Thursday in Seattle, about 30 citizens peacefully occupied the office of
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell for over an hour, denouncing her vote today in
favor of Fast Track.  Singing, chanting, and holding signs reading "STOP
FA$T TRACK," the demonstrators disrupted business in the office and demanded
to speak with Senator Cantwell.

"Senator Cantwell claims that human rights and environmental standards
should be protected.  It's too bad she voted for a bill that guts them.  The
Baucus-Grassley bill fails even the most minimal critieria of respect for
workers, the environment and democracy," said activist Heather Day.

Protesters charge that the Baucus-Grassley Fast Track bill will give George
Bush the power to negotiate additional free trade agreements similar to
NAFTA and the WTO, which they claim have increased economic inequality
within the U.S. and around the world.

Senator Cantwell's State Director, Kurt Beckett, eventually emerged from his
office and spoke with the protesters, who expressed strong displeasure about
Cantwell's vote. Beckett told the fair trade advocates he will ensure that
Senator Cantwell meets with them and other fair trade organizations during
the upcoming Memorial Day recess, to discuss their concerns in person.

A large coalition of civil society groups oppose free-trade agreements due
to their negative impact on workers, the environment, and democracy
world-wide.  The national coalition opposing the Baucus-Grassley Fast Track
bill includes the Sierra Club, the National Organization of Women (NOW), the
AFL-CIO, Defenders of Wildlife, the International Labor Rights Fund, Jobs
with Justice, the League of Women Voters, US Public Interest Research Group,
United Students Against Sweatshops and many other groups.  Local coalition
members opposing the Baucus-Grassley Fast Track bill include the King County
Labor Council, the NW Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Seattle Audubon
Society, the Church Council of Greater Seattle and the Washington
Association of Churches.

"By voting for Fast Track today, Senator Cantwell chose big business over
everything else, selling out workers, the environment and democracy. She's
really crossed the line here, and people are going to remember this for a
long time," said local Fair Trade activist Jeremy Simer.

Protestors said they were particularly "blown away" by Cantwell's vote this
week against the Kerry Amendment to the Baucus-Grassley Fast-Track bill.
The Kerry Amendment would have prohibited inclusion of "Chapter 11"
provisions in trade agreements negotiated under Fast Track.  Chapter 11 is a
provision of NAFTA that has enabled corporations to challenge environmental,
public health and labor laws that negatively impact profits.
Environmentalists fear that if unrestrained, President Bush will include the
Chapter 11 provision in future trade agreements.

"By voting against the Kerry amendment, the Senate has paved the way for
more backdoor corporate assaults on laws that protect our air, water and
land," said David Waskow, Friends of the Earth's Trade Policy Coordinator in
a press release Tuesday May 21. "The Senate should be protecting the health
and safety of Americans, not watching the backs of wealthy polluters who
make big campaign contributions."

Under the U.S. Constitution, the authority to negotiate trade agreements
rests with Congress.  Fast Track trade authority legislation would hand that
discretion to President Bush, authorizing him to negotiate trade agreements
behind closed doors.  Fast track also limits Congressional debate to 20
hours, and forces Congress to vote up or down with no amendments on
agreements the President presents to Congress.  Many citizens believe that
Fast Track railroads democracy, cutting the public out of the process.

Fast Track, an unpopular measure that lapsed in 1994, passed the House of
Representatives by just one vote last December after a highly contentious
fight.  Speedy passage by the pro-free trade Senate seemed certain, but the
bill has moved more slowly than expected due to broad opposition from a
broad range of public interest groups.  The bill passed the Senate today.

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