GMO LABELING UNDER ATTACK IN FAST TRACK!

>

>HR 3005 aka the Thomas bill was introduced by Rep. Bill Thomas ( R - CA),

>Chair of Ways and Means. It is an evil Fast Track bill that is a

>greenwashed/bluewashed version of an earlier even more retrograde bill. It

>cleared committee Oct 10 in an ugly partisan battle (all Dems

>except one against, all GOP for) and a vote is expected possibly by next

>week. I should note that the Dem "alternative" of this bill, though better

>in some aspects, has the EXACT SAME LANGUAGE in terms of GMOs. We have our

>grassroots out in force calling people telling them to vote against Thomas

>on the floor or else.

>

>The particularly nasty provision in terms of GMOs is that in the section

>about e-commerce (!!), they have sneakily put in language that would make

>GMO labeling ILLEGAL as well as throwing the precautionary principle for GMO

>regulation out the window.

>

>People can:

>

>1) Call Speaker of the House REp. Hastert and tell him that he CANNOT bring

>this bill to the floor unless he wants a partisan bloodbath.

>

>2) Call Trade Watch folk and we can give people specific swing votes/targets

>for their state:

>

>Timi Gerson: ALK, CO, IN, MI, MD, NJ, OH, OR, PA, UT, WV

>contact: tgerson@citizen.org / 202 454-5103

>

>Mike Dolan: FL, CA, WA, MT, ND, SD

>contact: mdolan@citizen.org / 510-663-0888 ext. 104

>

>Margrete Strand: TN, TX, KS, MO, KY, OK, AZ, NM

>contact: mstrand@citizen.org / 202 454-5106

>

>Jessica Roach: LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, AR

>contact: jroach@citizen.org / 202 454-5111

>

>These are where we have target Reps.

>

>The AFL has a toll free number people can use to call and be connected to

>their Reps and we have alerts for every state listing targets, number, and

>zip code. We will have post markup new alerts going out today.

>

>Please pass on to GMO networks - they should definitely know that Fast Track

>will mean that their efforts to label GMOs will become illegal barriers to

>trade under this plan!

>

>Thanks,

>Timi

>

>

>Timi Gerson

>Organizer/FTAA Coordinator

>Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch

>215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington DC, 20003 USA

>tgerson@citizen.org & www.tradewatch.org

>Ph: + 202-454-5103, Fax: + 202-547 7392

How do we fight Fast Track now?

>

>We must intensify what we have been doing all along: continue to mobilize

>pressure against specific Members of Congress to get then to come out

>against Fast Track and to organize in opposition to Fast Track in every

>Congressional District around the country. The business lobby is mighty in

>its wealth, but there is certainly no real coalition of people behind it.

>We have been building for this moment since the spring, and now we must

>lock down our victory! The steps are simple but effective:

>

>-> CALLS to your Member of Congress + to all undecided Members in your

>state (call me for the latest update on who the are: 510-663-0888 or the

>organizers back at the mother-ship, 202-546-4996 - ask for any member of

>the GTW field team) by using AFL-CIO's toll-free number: 1-800-393-1082.

>Right now, this is the most effective way to fight Fast Track. When

>calling, make sure you ask to speak with the person who handles trade

>issues, and ask for a written response to your call. In many cases you

>will end up leaving messages, if you have not heard back from the staffer

>within a day call back. Get everyone you know to make these calls as well.

>

>-> LETTERS (via fax, snail mail or e-mail) to the undecided Members. On

>several web-pages you can find convenient sample letters that you can send

>directly from the page. Here are a few that we like: Our very own:

>http://action.citizen.org/pc/issues/alert/?alertid=57813&type=CO&azip=

>and from the

>AFL-CIO: http://cw2k.capweb.net/aflcio/letterstate.cfm?letter_id=1760 all

>you have to do is enter your zip-code to be able to e-mail your

Representative.

>