TPP Toast After Heated Election

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is dead, according to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle. The trade deal, which could have empowered corporations—including the alcohol industry—to sue sovereign governments and skirt regulations, will not be brought to a vote before the end of the current congressional session.

According to CNN, NY Sen. Chuck Schumer has already informed labor leaders there would be no deal, and this was confirmed publicly by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The outgoing Obama administration has expressed the desire to continue working to pass the agreement, but with public opposition from both President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, success seems unlikely.

“Taking TPP off the table removes a grave threat to alcohol-related public health legislation throughout the Pacific Rim,” Alcohol Justice Executive Director/CEO Bruce Lee Livingston said. “This electoral season succeeded in shining a light on the troubling flaws in this agreement. Any future agreements of this kind must be transparent, and must respect governments’ duties to protect the health of their citizens.”

"We want to thank the hundreds of Alcohol Justice members who responded to our action alerts over the past two years, sending letters of opposition to this really bad deal to the President, and congressional leaders," said Michael Scippa, Public Affairs Director at Alcohol Justice. "Citizen activitism works!"