As you know, the House passed a different "free" trade "fast-track" bill late last week, and now that bill goes to the Senate. This bill doesn't have the "trade adjustment assistance" the last Senate-passed bill did, and "trade adjustment assistance" was presumably the inducement that got Senate Democrats on board in the first place, but these are Democrats we're talking about. Democrats are weak, especially in the face of money from corporations who'd rather have Republicans in their place anyway, and they might just settle for "assurances" that "trade adjustment assistance" will one day happen. So now's the time to lend some more steel for their spine: Both CREDO and Public Citizen tell Senate Democrats to reject "free" trade "fast-tracking." We can get too caught up in the "trade adjustment assistance" game, so let's just be frank with Congress: Congress should never abdicate its responsibility to debate and amend bills for the good of the American people, and "fast-track" requires Congress to do both, and for a bill we know will cost Americans jobs and nullify American laws so that corporations can make even more unearned money. (On a related note, this trade-related website is highly-amusing. It won't take much of your time.)
Meanwhile, ITT Technical Institute faces charges from several government agencies for deceiving their students and forcing them to take on high-cost student loans, and what does ITT's CEO have to say about it? That their "day in court is long overdue." That would be relatively innocuous, if it weren't ITT's habit of forcing its students to resolve disputes with the college via arbitration, instead of giving these students their right to "a day in court." ITT's contracts also prevent students from banding together as a class to resolve disputes. Corporatists suggest it's somehow wrong for good Americans to band together as a class to sue over a grievance they've all got -- because it costs some corporation or other money. But you know what would attract fewer trial lawyers? Doing less evil. Hence Public Citizen helps you tell your Congressfolk to support H.R. 2079/S. 1122, the CLASS Act, and H.R. 2087/S. 1133, the Arbitration Fairness Act, and thus help all Americans get the day in court we deserve.
Finally, Washington, D.C. passed the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act, which would prevent employers from punishing or firing workers who get pregnant, have an abortion, use birth control, or from having a dependent or spouse who has done any of the same -- but House Republicans are trying to block it! Because "freedom" apparently means nothing so much as the "freedom" to run roughshod over other people's rights when you think you're right about something. The House did pass a bill to block the D.C. nondiscrimination law, but the Senate didn't take it up (perhaps sensing a Democrat filibuster, since filibustering over abortion and birth control doesn't particularly offend Wall Street, at least not yet). So the House is trying to block the D.C. bill through the appropriations process, because House Republicans have apparently decided to take the appropriations process hostage so they can get whatever they want. But, again: it doesn't matter what they want, it matters what we want. So People for the American Way helps you tell Congress to keep its hands off the D.C. nondiscrimination bill.
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