Join PDA Opposing Horrible “Trade” Deal Revisions

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) opposes so-called “free trade” deals that sell out our environmental, consumer, and labor protections to soulless multi-national corporations. We especially object to Trump’s plan to make the already onerous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even worse. As our allies from Public Citizen explain:

The revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed by Donald Trump in 2018 would lock in high U.S. medicine prices, while drug prices are already too high. NAFTA 2.0 guarantees pharmaceutical corporations special monopoly protections so they can block competition from generics and charge more in all three NAFTA nations.

The deal would tie Congress’ hands, thwarting the changes needed to lower drug prices. And that is exactly why the pharmaceutical firms celebrate the deal: “The IP standards in the USMCA far exceed those in any other international trade agreement,” crowed PhRMA, while BIO declared, “The USMCA sets important new standards for U.S. trade policy.”

Our coalition has a day of action August 20th
Please contact Mike Fox now to get involved

No “free trade” agreement should lock in protectionist monopolies that contribute to high drug prices. Nor should any trade deal undermine this or future Congresses’ ability to ensure Americans have access to affordable medicine. But that is precisely what the revised NAFTA does.

In 2018, Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives on a unified pledge to lower drug prices. NAFTA 2.0 can only become law if Congress approves it. That means the new Democratic House majority has the leverage to get the Pharma giveaways eliminated.

Pharma is trying to convince Congress that somehow cutting the drug firm monopolies in the deal would doom it. The opposite is true: All four of the last U.S. free trade agreements that ultimately were enacted by Congress had to be altered after they were signed in order to win a majority.

These agreements with Peru, Korea, Colombia and Panama would not have passed unless they were modified to roll back extreme pharma provisions and strengthen labor and environmental terms.

Today’s situation is similar. In 2006, George W. Bush completed four trade deals he thought would be considered by a GOP House and Senate. But the Democrats won the House in the midterm. In 2007, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to hold a vote on the pacts unless and until Bush made improvements.

The Pharma goodies in Trump’s NAFTA deal may have appealed to a GOP Congress. But now the Democrats control the House and the NAFTA 2.0 text must be altered to remove the Pharma giveaways.

Join the coalition day of action August 20th. Please contact Mike Fox now to get involved. PDA helps you make a huge difference with Educate Congress letter drops, action alerts, and coalition efforts with dozens of progressive organizations. Click Here to email Mike Fox. He’ll help you get involved with our letter drops and other direct actions.

We appreciate all you do to help make progress on these and other issues. If you’ve never donated to help PDA help you pressure our elected officials, now is the perfect time. We need your support more than ever. Click Here to support PDA’s issue organizing.

P.S.: Click Here to watch PDA Executive Director Alan Minsky’s interview about PDA’s goals and plans. Join PDA recruiting and electing progressives.