House Democrats Seek Access to TPP Negotiations

Eight Democrats in the House of Representatives wrote U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Aug. 28 to allow them to observe negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, set to happen in Leesburg, Va., Sept. 6-15. “Last month, we were among the 134 House members that wrote to urge you and your staff to engage in broader and deeper consultations with members of the full range of congressional committees whose jurisdiction is implicated by the TPP’s expansive scope,” the members wrote. “We also requested that you continue past U.S. practice and release the draft TPP text, as a past administration did with respect to Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) draft text in 2001. We have had neither a response to that letter nor offers of enhanced consultations and access to draft text. Thus, so as to ensure that there is ample opportunity for Congress to have a clear understanding of and input on critical policies that will have broad ramifications for years to come, we are requesting that you facilitate our ability to observe the TPP negotiations directly.”