Bangor – Citing the grave public health and safety dangers the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement would pose for American patients, consumers, and workers, registered nurses spokeout at a Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission hearing against the global trade pact and called on the Maine Legislature to oppose the deal.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, has been negotiated largely in secret among the 12 countries involved, including the United States, and major multinational corporations that stand to profit in billions off the agreement.   

“Nurses are here to sound the alert on the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” said Cokie Giles, an RN who is president of the Maine State Nurses Association and a vice president of National Nurses United, the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States. “Maine nurses urge Congress to reject this fatally flawed agreement and strongly encourage the Maine Legislature to speak out in the public interest against the TPP.”

The TPP contains many objectionable provisions, but nurses are particularly appalled at monopoly pricing protections for giant pharmaceutical firms “that could be a death sentence for countless patients in need of affordable medications around the world,” said Giles, and the expansion of the ability of corporate giants to use corporate tribunals to seek to overturn public health and safety laws.

Patent exclusivity rules, that affect when cheaper, generic versions of high priced name brand drugs, can go on the market, can produce long delays in access to affordable medicines, under the TPP.

Nurses are also appalled by the provisions regarding the so-called Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) process that allow global corporations to sue to overturn laws and regulations, including public safety and environmental protections. 

As has already occurred with prior trade deals, the ISDS process allows corporations to challenge domestic laws through extrajudicial tribunals, staffed by corporate attorneys, that can demand taxpayers reimburse corporations for lost “expected” profits. In prior trade pacts, this provision has forced some countries to drop health, safety, or environmental rules rather than face bankruptcy from billion dollar ISDS rulings.

“Nurses have a duty to advocate for their patients and the public’s health and well-being,” says Giles. “We will not be silent and will never give up in working to stop and overturn this dangerous agreement.”