Carly Fiorina ‘uncomfortable’ granting trade authority to Obama

May 7, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising presidential candidate Carly Fiorina for stating she is “uncomfortable with this deal and giving him trade authority” to Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on the Laura Ingraham Show:

“Carly Fiorina’s questioning the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is a big deal. Joining Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee, and Donald Trump in opposition to granting trade promotion authority to President Obama to negotiate the deal now nationalizes the debate. Fiorina’s experience as a multinational corporation CEO who has dealt with countries who cheat on trade makes her voice particularly important as Congress considers fast track.

“More broadly, moving the discussion out of the beltway and into the heartland makes it increasingly unlikely that fast track will be granted on a secret trade deal that everything we know about it screams vote no. Giving President Obama this enormous grant of power now requires a great deal of faith and trust that the final treaty will be in America’s interests. When the details of the treaty become public, those who now vote to fast track it better be darned certain that they are not embarrassed by what it contains, including its characterization as a living agreement.”

Attachments:

Laura Ingraham Show, May 7, 2015, transcript at http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/07/fiorina-comes-out-against-tpp-i-am-very-uncomfortable-with-this-deal-video/

INGRAHAM: I gotta ask you about fast track trade, because you know for me, I believe a populist approach is the way to win and build the Republican Party both among minorities and grassroot supporters. And for me, this fast track deal, the way its being negotiated, the way congressional authority is being eroded, is a terrible idea, especially with Obama doing the negotiations.

What’s your take on giving President Obama trade promotion authority?

FIORINA: Well, I believe that free and fair trade advantages the U.S.. But I am very uncomfortable with this deal, and I’m uncomfortable with this deal and giving him trade authority.

Because first of all, I know from personal experience that the Chinese have not lived up to their agreements when they entered the WTO. In other words, partners can cheat on these deals, and we have evidence of partners cheating on these deals.

Secondly to your point, this is an extremely complicated deal, a multilateral deal with a lot of details that we don’t know about. And Obama and his administration has demonstrated their inability to negotiate a good deal. And so look, I think the devil’s in the details, and we better understand what these details are before we just assume it’s a good deal. I don’t assume it’s a good deal and I do think we need the details.

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Rick Manning.

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