Presidential Candidates Get Specific on Trade
CTC
Contact: Arthur Stamoulis, 503-736-9777
Presidential Candidates Get Specific on Trade
Senators Clinton and Obama Detail Their Views for the Oregon Fair Trade
Campaign
PORTLAND, OR -- Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
detailed their views on trade policy in questionnaire responses released
today by the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. According to their responses, both
believe that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has done more
to hurt than to help the U.S. economy, and that United States needs to
change the way it conducts international trade. The Democratic candidates
both voiced support for renegotiating NAFTA and expressed opinions on the
different provisions of existing trade pacts.
“The unprecedented amount of attention presidential candidates are devoting
to trade policy reflects the broad public perception that existing trade
agreements are not benefiting ordinary Americans,” said Arthur Stamoulis,
director of the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. “The increased focus on trade
in the current election has shifted the political debate from whether past
trade policies were sound to what new policy changes are required.”
In addition to voicing support for new labor and environmental standards in
trade agreements, both Senators Clinton and Obama expressed support for:
-Eliminating corporate tax breaks that act as an incentive for offshoring
U.S. jobs;
-Eliminating trade provisions that grant foreign investors greater rights
than U.S. citizens;
-Insisting that new trade agreements require imported products to meet U.S.
safety standards; and
-Allowing developing countries to protect themselves from agricultural
dumping.
Senator Obama also expressed support for renegotiating existing trade
agreements to allow for “Buy America” and “Buy Local” procurement policies,
while Senator Clinton expressed support for prioritizing American global
warming policies over existing trade agreement obligations.
National polling results released May 1 by the Pew Research Center found,
“There is now broad agreement that free trade negatively affects wages, jobs
and economic growth in America. By greater than six-to-one, the public says
free trade agreements result in job losses rather than in new jobs.” More
so, a greater majority of independent voters had a negative view of the
impact of free trade than registered Democrats.
“The fact that so many independent voters are unhappy with the direction of
U.S. trade policy suggests that trade will continue to be a major election
issue through November,” said Stamoulis.
Senator John McCain refused to respond to the questionnaire. Congressman
Ron Paul failed to answer the specific questions posed in the questionnaire,
but did provide a statement available on the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign’s
website. Dr. Paul’s statement and the full questionnaire responses of
Senators Clinton and Obama are available online at: www.oregonfairtrade.org
The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign is a statewide coalition of more than twenty
labor, environmental and human rights organizations that advocates for trade
policies that prioritize quality jobs in communities across Oregon; create
markets for Oregon products by raising living standards in neighboring
countries; enforce consistent standards for labor and the environment across
borders; and allow local producers to compete on a level playing field.
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Hillary Clinton's Completed Questionnaire (PDF)
http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf2/ClintonResponse.pdf
Barack Obama's Completed Questionnaire (PDF)
http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf2/ObamaResponse.pdf
Ron Paul's Response (PDF)
http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf2/PaulResponse.pdf