We join unions, environmentalists and more in broad coalition against threat of anti-worker trade bill

April 14, 2015

We are opposing the corporate lobbies, Pres. Obama and Republican congressional leaders who together are trying to pass a Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill that would likely lead to cutting the American people out of future decisions about certain flows of foreign workers.

We have a chance for victory primarily because most Democrats in Congress appear ready to side against Pres. Obama and for American workers. We need to work to hold as many Democrats as possible while creating a majority against the bill by persuading enough Republicans to side against the corporate lobbies and for American workers.

We have sent notices to every Member of Congress that read:

NumbersUSA will score a vote for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) as a vote against American workers.

President Obama has made it abundantly clear that he believes he has virtually unfettered authority to change U.S. immigration law. It should not be surprising, therefore, that his administration is attempting to use the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement to commit America to immigration increases that Congress has neither debated nor approved. Despite a U.S. labor force participation rate that is at its lowest level since 1978, President Obama wants to use the TPP to further reduce the jobs available to U.S. workers and instead reserve certain jobs for foreign workers under the agreement. It is indefensible that Congress would now consider surrendering even more of its authority over immigration to this President in order to fast track a trade agreement that will harm American workers, and the text of which Congress has not even seen. Therefore, NumbersUSA will score a vote for TPA as a vote for continued executive overreach and a vote against American workers.

Vote NO on TPA

Committees in both chambers are set to vote on this any day. A bill could arrive on the floor of the Senate and House soon after.

Why is NumbersUSA, an organization that deals only with immigration issues, involved in a complicated battle over trade policy?

Hundreds of organizations of all kinds of ideologies and interests (unions, environmental, national sovereignty, civil liberties, populist and more) are opposing the trade bill for many different reasons.

OUR REASON: Instead of the officials elected by the American people having control over immigration and foreign-worker policies, international courts basically are given control over the work visas written into trade agreements.

Our Constitution gives Congress authority over how many immigrants and work authorizations to approve each year.

Our Constitution doesn’t give that authority to the President, but fast-track trade legislation essentially does.

Our Constitution doesn’t give foreign powers and entities the authority over U.S. work permits to foreign workers, but fast-track trade authority essentially does.

In 2007, Congress declined to renew the fast-track trade authority for Presidents, allowing it to expire.

In 2003 in reaction to the Bush Administration including immigration in trade agreements,

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