The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an international treaty being negotiated in almost total secrecy by the United States and eleven other nations. This week, Wikileaks published one of the twenty-nine chapters, the chapter on Intellectual Property. In this episode, we highlight the details of the patent and copyright laws contained in the leaked TPP chapter and then we quickly look at the bills that passed the House of Representatives this week.
Music in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) The English and Japanese versions of “Lets Stop the TPP” produced by Consumers International. I Don’t Need a Doctor by David Pannozzo (found on Music Alley by mevio) Links to Information in This Episode The leaked chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, released on November 13, 2013 by Wikileaks .
- PDF and web version available
CD052: The Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Congressional Dish episode that presented an overview of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Genetically modified corn has pesticides in the corn itself
- Information sheet from the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.
Aereo gives you access to basic cable stations for about $8/month (if available in your city). S. 252: PREEMIE Reauthorization Act
- Funds research into premature births and funds the care of chimpanzees at the National Institutes of Health.
- Funds these things at a lower rate than they were funded from 2007-2011.
S. 330: “HIV Organ Policy Equity Act”
- Allows organs taken from people with HIV to be transplanted into people with HIV.
S. 893: “Veteran’s Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013”
- Gives a cost of living increase to disabled veterans.
H.R. 2922: Supreme Court Security
- Allows the Supreme Court to have personal Security outside of the Supreme Court
H.R. 982: “Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2013”
- Requires public publication of the names and diseases of any person who makes a claim from the asbestos trust fund.
H.R. 2655: Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2013
- Imposes mandatory financial penalties for filing “frivolous” lawsuits.
- Eliminates the 21-day grace period to withdraw a lawsuit without financial penalty.
H.R. 3350: Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013
- Allows insurance companies to sell insurance plans that don’t meet the minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act during 2014.
Presidential Message to Congress: Continuation of the National Emergency in Respect to Iran
Jennifer Briney started paying attention to world events while studying in Germany in the spring of 2003 when the United States overthrew the government of Iraq. After experiencing the war from outside the United States, she started asking questions about her government. Every answer led to fifty more questions. This led to a thirst for information that she is still unable to quench.
Over the years, the feeling like she was the only person paying attention to this information was making Jen insane so in late 2012, she launched Congressional Dish in order to share the information, to have an emotional outlet for dealing with the discoveries, and to create a community of people who were interested in Congress’s effect on our lives. Congressional Dish is now her full-time career, thanks entirely to the support from our growing community of producers from all over the world.
