While running for Congress, Representative Ami Bera made a lot of promises to the people of his district. He made it clear that protecting jobs in the Sacramento region would be one of his top priorities. Yet, to the frustration of working people in his district, Rep. Bera has fallen back on that promise by committing to voting yes on Fast Track legislation that would steamroll a job-killing trade bill through Congress.
In response, the AFL-CIO launched a TV ad today to call on Rep. Bera to reverse his stance and stand with the very people who believed in his campaign promises enough to vote him into office. Furthermore, recent Polling found that voters in CA-7 oppose the Fast Track bill by a 19% margin and they believe free trade agreements lead to job loss rather than job creation.
The “No on Fast Track,” ad charges Congressman Bera with being willing “to do anything to keep his job, including shipping your job overseas” through his support of Fast Track. The ad urges voters to “call Congressman Ami Bera to tell him to vote no on fast track.”
The ad follows a series of grassroots events in Rep. Bera’s district that have been organized by a coalition of labor, environmental, consumer advocate and progressive organizations. This week, constituents held a rally outside of Rep. Bera’s office with giant Q-tips, asking him to “clean out his ears and listen to the voters in his district.”
Communication Workers of America Local 9421 represents workers in Sacramento who could be dramatically affected by Fast Track legislation and has been working for months to persuade Rep. Bera to stand with workers in his district. Robert Longer, the Legislative-Political Director for CWA Local 9421 said:
“For over 20 years, we’ve seen fast-tracked trade deals displace jobs from our communities and create real hardships for working families. We want Congressman Bera to fully understand the human consequences of this enormous trade policy and truly act in the best interest of the people he was elected to represent.”
Regarding the decision to launch this ad, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:
“This ad is a message to Ami Bera and every other politician that the trade debate is enormously important to working families. Working people have seen how bad trade deals have devastated our communities. We expect our representatives in Congress to vote against rubber stamping a corporate-driven trade policy that delivers extra profits for global corporations at the expense of good-paying jobs for working people.”
Are you opposed to this job-killing legislation? If you live in his district, give Rep. Bera a call today and urge him to change his stance and vote NO when it comes to a vote in the House of Representatives! Call (855) 712-8441 and we’ll connect you.
