A longtime advocate for free trade, Clinton conducted an about face on the Trans-Pacific Partnership past year amid progressive pressure from Vermont Sen. This deal doesn’t work for her.
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership, known in some countries as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), was negotiated by 12 nations representing 40 percent of the world’s economy – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Vietnam.
“When people like Donald Trump, like Bernie Sanders are telling you that the TPP is a disaster, that’s not what the evidence says”, said Scissors.
It has become a key fault line within the party at this convention. That the only reason she made the concession was to win over Mr. Sanders’ supporters? Late last month, Trump escalated the rhetoric against the TPP, proclaiming it a “rape of our country” and challenging Hillary Clinton to void the agreement in its entirety.
John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, said she is opposed to TPP before and after the election. He said if Clinton shows full commitment to stopping TPP, it could help rally reluctant Sanders supporters.
On Monday, at the Democratic National Convention, a sea of anti-TPP signs were held by delegates on the floor, and some chanted “no TPP!”. With Bernie Sanders and Trump both opposing the trade deal, Clinton has since switched positions to oppose the deal after it was finalized a year ago. It would expand free-trade rules to agriculture and services, encompass the digital economy and offer stronger protections for intellectual property.
The president is urging Congress to ratify the TPP before he leaves office, in part, because of the man who could assume his role. There is vicious opposition within the Democratic Party over this free trade agreement.
Matthew LaRonge is a Sanders delegate from Stevens Point who said he has worked on behalf of Buchholz.
“We can sit down if you want, we can talk about this. give me a call”, said Kind.
The first speaker of the Democratic Convention on Tuesday night was Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, who was once described by the Washington Post as “close as family” to the Clintons.
The trade deal is one of the main economic planks of Obama’s effort to increase engagement with the Asia-Pacific and counter China’s rising clout in the region. Additionally, fair trade is very good for millions of poor people around the globe. Sure, Terry isn’t on the same page as I am but I’m sick and exhausted of China and other countries manipulating their currencies.
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The 12-country trade deal was signed by President Barack Obama in February and now awaits congressional approval; but it has already met with disapproval from political candidates in both parties and many of their supporters.
