"Environmentalists Reject Obama's Call For Expanded Trade Powers"

"WASHINGTON -- Nearly 50 environmentalist organizations sent a letter Wednesday to every member of Congress, urging them to oppose granting President Barack Obama 'fast-track' authority to pass new free trade deals.

The letter, signed by the Sierra Club, the National Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice and dozens of other groups, comes the morning after Obama pressed for that power in his State of the Union address.

'Today’s trade agreements … are about much more than tariffs and quotas and have significant implications for our environment, public health, and global climate,' the letter reads, drawing attention to 'rules that would grant foreign corporations the right to sue governments, in private tribunals, over environmental, public health, and other laws and policies that corporations allege reduce the value of their investment.'

Environmental groups are particularly concerned about the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- the most significant trade pact since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. The Obama administration has insisted that the deal will include strong labor and environmental protections, but leaked drafts of the pact have only deepened opposition to the deal among traditionally liberal organizations. In a private meeting with congressional Democrats last year, Ambassador Michael Froman, the top White House trade official, backtracked from prior public vows to ensure strong environmental safeguards."

Zach Carter reports for the Huffington Post January 21, 2015.