Signed into law on August 6 by President Bush, the law grants him total control to negotiate international trade law, restricting the House and Congress input to only voting 'yeah' or 'nay' on the future of US trade policy. Essentially, on the issue of trade elected representatives have relinquished the ability to represent the people who elected them.

Upon signing, Bush said that he immediately planned to move trade negotiations out of 'park' and would begin negotiations with Chile and Central America right away. Fast Track also ensures that the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations will continue with little to no citizen input and with only cursory nods towards labor and environmental standards and human rights. The FTAA agreement is the proposed trade agreement that will expand NAFTA to the entire western hemisphere (33 countries excluding Cuba). If the many failures of NAFTA are indicators of our future, we are in big trouble.

However, the news is not all doom and gloom. Hundreds and hundred of groups across the US came together to oppose Fast Track. President Bush pushed hard to have the bill go through Congress before the recess because he realized representatives were to face tough constituent questions and pressure in their home states during the August recess. This was a sign that the government is responding to our pressure -- although they are not responding in the right way!

These networks and individuals now see defeating the FTAA as the next challenge. While not everyone opposes international trade in theory, it is clear that the United States is on is the WRONG TRACK. Official FTAA negotiations do not involve citizen input, one has to be a powerful business leader to be invited to attend and contribute in the multi day summit in Ecuador this October. For more information about the FTAA and the Ministerial Summits click here.