Cantwell, Murray now ‘critical moral votes’ on Fast Track

(June 18, 2015) — The following statement was released this morning by Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, following passage of standalone “Fast Track” Trade Promotion Authority by the U.S. House of Representatives:

This morning 28 Democrats joined 190 Republicans in the House of Representatives to pass Fast Track legislation severed from the Trade Adjustment Assistance bill.

Representatives Larsen, DelBene, and Kilmer voted with Speaker Boehner. All three voted “yes” in spite of repeated requests to vote “no” from the labor, environmental, and social justice communities in Washington state, and despite the fact that the majority of constituents in their districts believe that Fast Track is the wrong track.

Now only the U.S. Senate can prevent further attacks on American workers and the middle class by voting down Fast Track. For us, Senators Murray and Cantwell carry the critical moral votes.

Senator Cantwell has said publicly and privately that she will vote against this TPA bill passed over from the House. This is the courageous vote and this is the correct vote. It is our hope that Senator Murray will stand tall with us as well.

A huge “thank you” to Representatives McDermott, Smith and Heck for twice voting against Fast Track in the House. They share the same values we do in the labor movement that we fight inequality when we pass policies that aim at broadly shared prosperity for all.