“NETWORK uses the same measure to evaluate all legislation: whether or not it will improve the lives of people at the margins of society. The plight of small farmers and fishers in the developing nations participating in this accord do not appear to be adequately addressed. The document, however, is extremely complex, and we will study these complexities in the coming days. We continue to be concerned that Congress will not take adequate time to do the same.

The people of the United States look to policymakers to provide for the common good in an open and honest process. Today’s release of a secretive document reveals the worst part of politics, that a large-scale trade deal was crafted without input from the communities that would be most harmed by the policies.”

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, which educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation, has a more than 40-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good.

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