Fast Track is a procedural trick created by Nixon in 1974, to by-pass the Constitutional provision in Article 1-8, which states that “Congress shall have the power to regulate Commerce with foreign nations.” Fast track erases the representative power vested in Congress to debate bills on their merits, or amend, and instead, cedes this power to the president. Both so-called free trade agreements, TPP, and TTIP, undermine United States sovereignty by creating binding agreements set by some 600 trans-national corporate advisors, and would nullify many of our laws that protect citizens, consumers, and the environment, if these very laws stand in the way of projected corporate profits. Corporations are suing today in anticipation of setting precedents on cases ranging from drug patent extensions, which would eliminate affordable generics, suing over countries banning a pesticide that kills bees, to suing over product labeling of GMOs. Every area where a corporation will earn less, will be on the chopping block, among them, labor rights, and minimum wage requirements, patent and copyright issues, food safety, product safety standards, clean air and water, buy American procurement policies, healthcare, energy, internet freedoms, and service sector regulations. TPP and TTIP, sweeping Free Trade Agreements, while having been negotiated in secret for three years, will, if passed into trade law, do extreme damage to the citizens of this country. We already know from experience, the damage free trade agreements like NAFTA have caused: mass shutdowns of U.S. manufacturing, soaring unemployment, deep decreases in wages, huge budget deficits, enormous trade deficits, and increased immigration rates, among many other negative impacts. With so very much at stake for the citizens of this country, shouldn’t we openly debate the bill on its merits, and amend, instead of limiting floor debate to 20 hours and only an up or down vote? Fast Track is outdated, and there is no reason to subject the citizens of this country, and your district to such an onerous procedure that severely limits representative government, handing it instead to “foreign and corporate advisors.” Representative Castor, please vote against fast track, and in favor of government of, by, and for the people.

The Administration has claimed that its drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen are legal under U.S. law, but it has never shared with Congress or the American people all of its legal memos purportedly giving legal justification for the policy. The Administration has also not told Congress or the American people who we are at war with - which groups the Administration claims it has the authority to target with drone strikes under U.S. law. By introducing legislation to compel the Administration to share this information with Congress and the public, Senator Wyden will give Americans concerned about the drone strike policy a way to engage Members of Congress on the issue.

Iranian leaders are currently seeking relief from the lawfully imposed U.S. sanctions. Hundreds of survivors, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters of those killed or maimed in the Oct. 23, 1983 Marine Barracks bombing seek relief from their pain and suffering every day. 30 years is too long to wait for justice. President Obama can hold Iran accountable for their actions. Remember the peacekeepers, Mr. President. The first duty is to remember.

Started in 2008 under President Bush, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) has excluded everyone but corporations in developing this “trade agreement” in which only 5 chapters of 29 are about trade. The other 24 detail new corporate “rights” that will lower US food safety standards, eliminate US control of natural gas exports, encourage US companies to outsource jobs, extend monopoly drug pricing and ban US government drug price negotiations for Medicaid, prohibit imposition by Congress of certain financial taxes and Wall Street reforms, turn the internet over to private interests, limit US government regulation of utilities, education, transportation, and sets up an international tribunal where corporations can sue government for jeopardizing “expected future profits.” The “agreement has no expiration date and can’t be changed without 100% participants’ agreement.

Free Trade agreements have already lost jobs, shuttered plants and hollowed out Maine's communities. The last thing we need is another trade deal that limits ability to safeguard the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. We don't need any free trade agreements; we need fair trade agreements.

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: I could not use the bathroom at an interstate rest stop. And it pains me to see friends not getting paid.

Republican Congressman Devin Nunes hit the nail on the head when he said, "It's moronic to shut down government over this." That was after his fellow House Republicans refused to back down from their efforts to overturn Obamacare, forcing a government shutdown. Fair Share organizers are turning up the heat on key congressional members in response to the shutdown, and we need a groundswell of grassroots opposition to the shutdown to break the gridlock in Washington, D.C.

We need a comprehensive approach to Syria that can serve as a peacemaking, prosperity-building model for the region. We need to break the endless cycle and horror of sectarian violence and dictators holding power through terror and genocide. The German Marshall plan offers a model that can be followed in Syria. Join me in proposing that our national and global leaders adopt and enact a visionary solution.

Historically, any peacemaking process is easy to disrupt.. One incident involving a small group or individual could bring the chemical weapons removal process to a halt as accusations fly and participants retreat, especially if the incident were to involve the use of chemical weapons, Successful removal of chemical weapons from Syria is important for the well-being of the Syrian people, the region and the world.

Join us to call on the US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power to do the following: take a strong role in pushing for a ceasefire and a negotiated solution for Syria during the Geneva II Convention, push for an increase in US aid to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, and urge the United Nations to ban the use of killer drones.

In the wake of Congress' rejection of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Syria, the Administration has announced that the CIA is increasing its efforts to supply weapons and training to armed rebels in Syria. Since it is widely acknowledged that Al Qaeda types are the most important faction among the armed rebels in Syria, it is very likely that weapons supplied by the United States to Syrian rebels will fall into the hands of people who could use them to kill Americans. The most dangerous weapons that could plausibly be supplied to Syrian rebels are anti-aircraft weapons, because these could be used to shoot down civilian aircraft. Congress can make sure this doesn't happen by prohibiting the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies from supplying - or facilitating the supply of - anti-aircraft weapons to armed rebels in Syria. One opportunity to do this may come when Congress considers the intelligence authorization that establishes funding levels for U.S. intelligence agencies. Such a Congressional restriction on the paramilitary activities of the CIA would be unprecedented in recent history, and is only likely to succeed if it has very broad political support, so it is strategic to focus Congressional attention on blocking the most dangerous possible arms transfer to Syrian rebels.

Please stand up against human rights violations by China and ask that San Leandro not condone them by raising the flag of the undemocratic People's Republic of China. For more information on how you can stand up against this visit: http://sanleandrotalk.voxpublica.org/2013/09/12/council-to-vote-to-raise-peoples-republic-of-china-flag-in-san-leandro/