More than 1,500 environmental, labor, faith, consumer, LGBT, health, peace, business, social justice and other public interest organizations representing trade and democracy "stakeholders" sent a joint letter to Congress urging them to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The letter begins:

"Dear Representative/Senator:

"We urge you to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a binding pact that poses significant threats to American jobs and wages, the environment, food safety and public health, and that falls far short of establishing the high standards the United States should require in a 21st Century trade agreement."

The Hill has the story in "Labor, environmental groups call on Congress to oppose TPP":

"The groups, which include faith and advocacy organizations, argued in a letter sent to Capitol Hill on Monday that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would kill U.S. jobs, hurt the environment and endanger food safety.

"'The TPP would make it even easier to ship American jobs overseas to wherever labor is the most exploited and environmental regulations are the weakest, so it's little surprise that certain corporations support this pact,' said Arthur Stamoulis, executive director of Citizens Trade Campaign, which organized the letter.

"'Civil society is unprecedentedly united against the TPP, however, due to the pact's significant threats to jobs and wages, food safety, public health and the environment,' Stamoulis said."

The letter breaks out several areas of concern, including,

• Offshoring U.S. jobs and driving down wages
  
  
• Undermining environmental protection
  
  
• Jeopardizing the safety of the food we feed our families
  
  
• Rolling back access to life-saving medications
  
  
• Elevating investor rights over human rights and democracy