AARP staying out of fast-track debate

The AARP has serious concerns about a pending trade pact sought by the Obama administration, but the political heavyweight is not joining the liberal effort to kill “fast-track” legislation that many believe will play a decisive role in the deal’s fate.

With the House heading toward an intensely competitive vote on trade legislation, the AARP, which represents millions of retired Americans — and is one of the nation’s most potent voting blocs — is not looking to pick a fight over legislation granting President Obama trade promotion authority (TPA), seen by many as critical to the final agreement.

{mosads}The group has been vocal about its worries that the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could lead to higher prescription drug prices, a major concern for its members.

The AARP says it has been airing its qualms about the deal since 2013, and has signed on to letters and participated in press conferences on the matter. But by focusing the bulk of its efforts on the actual trade terms, as opposed to the legislation necessary to get that deal finalized, the group is steering clear of one of the most contentious fights of this Congress.

“We have focused on educating members on these issues from the consumer perspective instead of engaging in the overall fast-track debate,” said Greg Phillips, an AARP spokesman. “While we have some concerns with the trade objective provisions related to IP [intellectual property] standards and prescription drug reimbursement in the TPA, AARP has been focused on prescription drug access issues with the TPP.”

The hands-off approach runs counter to that of many other groups that have gripes about the trade pact. Labor unions are throwing everything they have against the deal, launching ad campaigns in the home districts of Democratic lawmakers who support the fast-track legislation, as well as openly discussing primary challenges to Democrats who vote in favor of the legislation.

Over the weekend, the AFL-CIO posted a Craigslist ad in the Sacramento home district of Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), a TPA supporter. The wanted ad was seeking a “Congressman w/Backbone” with a start date of January 2017.

“This is as important to us as the issues surrounding Social Security and Medicare,” said Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, which represents retired union members and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. “We are dedicating a lot of resources.”

Fiesta said his organization has been working with state and local chapters to bring pressure to members in their home districts, with a goal of “especially keeping Democratic numbers low” in favor of the bill. While most House Republicans are expected to back the fast-track bill, the GOP will likely need some Democratic votes.

That’s led to a situation where the White House is trying to win over fellow Democrats on the bill, as labor unions and other trade skeptics work to push as many Democrats as possible away from the measure.

But those groups working against the trade bill say they have not been collaborating with the AARP on fighting fast-track. Instead, the senior citizen juggernaut is training its attention on the TPP, even though many argue that the deal hinges on TPA.

The AARP was among the signers of a letter sent to Obama in December detailing “deep concerns” about the TPP, including terms on preventing generic drugs and the use of an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) that would allow pharmaceutical companies to challenge government policies regarding prescription drug costs. In addition to the AARP, the AFL-CIO, Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam America all signed the letter.

Another letter sent to lawmakers earlier this year urged opposition to the fast-track bill, and was signed by several labor and senior groups. It highlighted many of the concerns aired separately elsewhere by the AARP. But while similarly thinking groups like the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Medicare Rights Center and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare signed on to that message, the AARP did not.

Among the grievances aired by the AARP and other seniors groups are TPP terms that would grant exclusive market access for 12 years to makers of biologic drugs, which can often be costly and are used to treat ailments including multiple sclerosis and various forms of cancer. The Obama administration’s budget had called for a seven-year window before generic drugs could be created.

Another central concern is language regarding the ISDS, which allows companies to challenge government actions via independent arbitration. The seniors groups warn that pharmaceutical companies could use this process to challenge efforts to bring drug costs in check, such as a government’s preferred drug list.

With the margin exceedingly slim, it’s an open question what will happen to the trade bill in the House. But seniors groups that are working against fast-track say they are gaining traction.

“A lot of members and staff aren’t fully familiar with the effect on prescription drug prices,” said Fiesta. “We’re getting a lot of ‘Gee, I didn’t know that.’ ”