TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP: $24 million given to
Congress by companies with access to working documents
By DONNY SHAW
The United States is currently en-
gaged in secret negotiations on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a
multinational trade agreement with the
goal of liberalizing trade among a
dozen or so countries that border on the
Pacific Ocean. A draft of the TPP chap-
ter on intellectual property that was
published by WikiLeaks shows that the
U.S. has been pushing the other coun-
tries involved in the negotiations to
make their laws on copyright, patents
and trademarks more agreeable to U.S.
companies in the film, telecommunica-
tions, and pharmaceuticals industries,
among others.
Aside from select members of the
Obama Administration, the only people
with full access to the working docu-
ments on the TPP negotiations are the
members of the United States Trade
Representative’s (USTR) trade advisory
system, including the 18-member In-
dustry Trade Advisory Committee on
Intellectual Property Rights (ITAC-15).
Members of ITAC-15 include represen-
tatives from businesses and industry
groups like the Recording Industry As-
sociation of America, Verizon, and
Pharmaceutical Research and Manu-
facturers of America. No public-inter-
est groups, academics, or other non-in-
dustry experts serve on the committee.
The industry trade advisory system
was created by Congress, and member-
ship is partly based on recommenda-
tions made from senators and represen-
tatives. The organizations represented
on ITAC-15 include several top politi-
cal spenders, who combined have
given millions of dollars to members of
Congress in recent years.
A MapLight analysis of data pro-
vided by the Center for Responsive Pol-
itics (OpenSecrets.org) reveals 18 or-
ganizations represented by ITAC-15
gave nearly $24 million to current
members of Congress from Jan. 1, 2003
to Dec. 31, 2012. The contributions are
from employees and political action
committees (PACs). Excluded are con-
tributions to party committees such as
the Republican National Committee or
the Democratic National Committee.
MapLight is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
research organization that reveals
money’s influence on politics.
AT&T has given more than $8 mil-
lion to current members of Congress,
more than any other organization rep-
resented by ITAC-15.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-
Ohio), has received $433,350 from or-
ganizations represented by ITAC-15,
more than any other member of Con-
gress.
Democrats in Congress have re-
ceived $11.4 million from organiza-
tions represented by ITAC-15, while
Republicans in Congress have received
$12.6 million.
The members of Congress sponsor-
ing fast-track legislation, which would
allow President Obama to block Con-
gress from submitting amendments to
the TPP, have received a combined
$758,295 from organizations repre-
ORGANIZATIONS
REPRESENTED
BY ITAC-15
sented by ITAC-15. They include Sen-
ate Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus ($140,601), Senate Finance
Committee Ranking Member Orrin
Hatch ($178,850), House Ways and
Means Committee Chairman David
Camp ($216,250), House Ways and
Means Subcommittee on Trade Chair-
man Devin Nunes ($86,000), and
House Rules Committee Chairman
Pete Sessions ($136,594).
(Editor’s Note: This article was sub-
mitted to MapLight by reporter Donny
Shaw. MapLight is a nonpartisan re-
search organization that reveals
money’s influence on politics in the U.S.
Congress.)
CONTRIBUTIONS TO
CONGRESS
SINCE JAN. 1, 2003
AT&T
General Electric
(excludes contributions from GE Financial Assurance)
Verizon
Johnson & Johnson
Cisco
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America
Recording Industry Association
of America
Mylan Inc.
Gilead Sciences
Entertainment Software Association
Zippo
Accessory Network Group
Infectious Disease Research Institute
Copyright Clearance Center
U.S.-China Business Council
MDB Capital Group
Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights
TOTAL
$8,056,939
$5,261,753
$5,021,681
$1,803,170
$1,413,448
$551,792
$548,155
$493,986
$473,050
$196,150
$114,650
$25,250
$4,100
$1,500
$860
$0
$0
$0
$23,966,484
LERC to hold Portland Metro Leadership School
University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) will
hold its Metro Leadership School Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at
the Sheet Metal Training Center, 2379 NE 178th Ave., Portland.
The school is a chance for union officers and activists to develop skills and
connect with fellow unionists from around the metro region. Participants take
one of two classes:
In Advanced Grievance Handling, instructor David Alexander will focus on
effective strategies for investigating, analyzing and presenting grievances in
emerging arenas like hostile work environment and bullying, use of electronic
technology in the workplace, and disability accommodation. The class will
also look at alternative approaches to filing grievances and their impact on
worker morale and union solidarity.
In Tools for Effective Union Leadership, instructors Raahi Reddy and Bob
Bussel will present different approaches to leadership, and discuss techniques
of motivating members to become more active trade unionists.
The class fee is $65 per person, and the registration deadline is Feb. 14.
For more details and registration information visit lerc.uoregon.edu or contact
Barbara Byrd at bbyrd@uoregon.edu.
FEBRUARY 7, 2014
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 9