CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman and candidate for Iowa 1st congressional district Monica Vernon delivered a strong message to President Barack Obama today, opposing the pending Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal as well as the “fast track” authority that prevents American workers from having a voice in the process.
“The voices of hard-working Americans in Iowa and across the country must be heard,” said Vernon. “I have always believed we have to put what is best for Iowa workers — over politics. That is why I am so proud to have the endorsement of Teamsters Local 238, the largest local union in the state of Iowa, and why it is important that we put as much grassroots pressure as we can on the President to do the right thing.”
The text of Vernon’s letter to the president follows below:
April 29, 2015
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
America is at a critical moment. Our economic recovery is fragile and for too many families, getting into the middle class and staying there is a struggle they face every day. That’s why job-killing free trade agreements are the last thing we need.
The lessons of the past are clear, particularly for Iowa families. You can see NAFTA’s impact in the shuttered factories that still stand, and the communities torn apart. Iowans know too well that in order for trade to work, it has to be fair. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is anything but fair, giving too much away to corporations and putting American jobs at risk. If we really want to build a strong middle class in this country, TPP will make it harder.
Not only should America reject this agreement, but we should reject the way it is being forced upon us. Trade Promotion Authority is a dangerously closed process. In order for our trade policy to reflect the needs of those it affects most, the voices of hard-working Americans in Iowa and across the country have to be heard. “Fast tracking” shuts those voices out.
Middle class families are counting on us to focus on what helps, and now is not the time to put the American dream in even more jeopardy. Unfair trade is not the answer, supporting American workers is.
Respectfully,
Monica Vernon
Democratic candidate, 1st Congressional District of Iowa
