DeLauro, Doggett, Kildee, and Slaughter Statement on EU Parliament Gaining Access to TTIP Documents

WASHINGTON, DC (December 8, 2015) — Today, U.S. RepresentativesRosa DeLauro (CT-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Dan Kildee (MI-05), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25), released the following statement regarding news that the European Commission offered European Parliament members access to all confidential documents related to trade talks with the United States.

“The decision by the European Commission to release confidential documents related to trade talks should be commended for its transparency. In contrast, USTR discloses nothing. It continues to thrive on secrecy, hiding the details of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. And the same can be said for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Rather than make the trade documents readily available to Members of Congress for review, the Administration entered into secret negotiations with foreign countries, including many with long histories of human rights abuses, child labor violations, sex-trafficking, environmental destruction, currency manipulation, and lax food safety standards. When the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership was finally made available to Members of Congress for review, it was far too late to have any meaningful effect on the outcome of a deal that will cost Americans jobs.”

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