Progressives worried that President Obama will try to sneak through his controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade scheme after the fall election are demanding that Hillary Rodham Clinton double down and promise to fight him during any lame duck effort.

Two key groups responsible for helping Sen. Bernie Sanders in the primaries issued petitions Wednesday morning that call on their millions of backers to press Clinton on the issue, confident she will be president-elect during the November-December lame duck congressional session.

CREDO Action, home to 4 million progressives, said, "The last hope for the supporters of the disastrous trade deal may well be a vote in the lame-duck session of Congress after the November elections. Thanks to hundreds of thousands of CREDO members, the tide is turning against the TPP. Both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders opposed the trade deal during the Democratic presidential primary. Many Republicans now oppose it as well. But despite the pressure, President Obama is stubbornly continuing to push for a vote this year."

The group added, "to stop the overwhelming corporate pressure to ram through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through this Congress deal, we need help from Sec. Clinton herself." They previously targeted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi with a similar lame duck anti-TPP petition.

The influential group Democracy for America said in a statement shared with Secrets, "As the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton is in a unique position to help us stop the TPP. Her campaign chair, John Podesta, said 'Hillary opposes TPP BEFORE and AFTER the election.' Now we need her to act — and help stop Congress from passing the destructive, job-killing TPP."

Progressives are growing concerned that Obama will use a post-election lame duck session with Congress to push through many of his agenda items, including TPP which Donald Trump also opposes. Clinton has promised to reject TPP, but some are skeptical because she helped to write it.

Democrats fear the deal will give away too many American jobs. Conservatives believe it gives away too many American rights and will give foreign authorities control over U.S. trade.

Emails pushing the petitions to millions of progressives are also going out this morning. Democracy for America shared theirs with Secrets. It is here:

Bernie Sanders opposes the TPP. Elizabeth Warren opposes the TPP. And Hillary Clinton opposes the TPP.

Stopping the Trans-Pacific Partnership — a deal negotiated in secret that gives corporations unprecedented power — is one of the most important tasks we face in 2016.

But despite opposition from leading Democrats and progressives, the White House is pressing ahead. They are reportedly planning to hold a vote on the TPP in the "lame duck" session after the November election, when Congress doesn't have to face the consequences of their actions.

As the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton is in a unique position to help us stop the TPP. Donald Trump is going around the Midwest attacking Hillary Clinton over trade deals. By drawing a firm, public line in the sand against any vote on the TPP, she can help stop this bad deal while also stopping Trump.

In reaction to pressure from progressives, Hillary Clinton's campaign chair, John Podesta, said "Hillary opposes TPP BEFORE and AFTER the election." (The capitalized words are in Podesta's original tweet.) Sec. Clinton's top campaign official has signaled that she opposes a vote. But if she makes her own public statement, it will send an urgently needed and powerful message to wavering Democrats.

As Hillary Clinton gears up to talk about her economic vision to workers in the Detroit area this week, DFA and CREDO are joining forces to urge her to act — and help stop Congress from passing the destructive, job-killing TPP.

Sign our petition and ask Hillary Clinton to publicly urge the White House to not hold a vote on the TPP — before or after the November election.

The TPP allows foreign corporations to sue the U.S. government before a panel of 3 corporate lawyers so they can undermine our laws that protect workers and the environment. Modeled after past trade agreements that have already cost us millions of American jobs, it would make it even easier for corporations to ship jobs overseas.

Bernie Sanders said the TPP would "protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy."

Elizabeth Warren said the TPP "would tilt the playing field even more in favor of big multinational corporations and against working families."

Hillary Clinton has spoken out against the TPP as well. Now we need her to take a bold step forward and help us prevent a vote on the TPP, especially during the "lame duck" session. If she speaks out, the White House will have a very hard time saying no to her. Hillary Clinton has a great opportunity to do so when she speaks to workers in the Detroit area this week. Will you join DFA and CREDO at this important moment?

Sign the petition and ask Hillary Clinton: Publicly urge the White House to not hold a vote on the TPP — before or after the November election.

Thanks for helping stop a terrible corporate power grab.

- Robert

Robert Cruickshank, Senior Campaign Manager

Democracy for America

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com