Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, is hitting back at the Obama administration over a proposed free trade deal with Pacific-rim countries, calling for the government to release more details on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“The administration says I’m wrong - that there’s nothing to worry about,” Ms. Warren wrote in a blog post Wednesday. “They say the deal is nearly done, and they are making a lot of promises about how the deal will affect workers, the environment, and human rights. Promises – but people like you can’t see the actual deal.”
Mr. Obama said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Hardball” that he “loves” Ms. Warren and that they’re allies on a host of issues.
“But she’s wrong on this,” he said.
The administration is trying to rally support from Capitol Hill Democrats to grant Mr. Obama “fast track” authority on the deal, which would give Congress an up-or-down vote on the proposed deal with no amendments. But some Democrats, such as Ms. Warren and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, are opposing the president’s plan and do not want to give him trade promotion authority on the deal.
Ms Warren said that the American people should get to see more about the deal.
“If most of the trade deal is good for the American economy, but there’s a provision hidden in the fine print that could help multinational corporations ship American jobs overseas or allow for watering down of environmental or labor rules, fast track would mean that Congress couldn’t write an amendment to fix it. It’s all or nothing,” she wrote. “Before we sign on to rush through a deal like that – no amendments, no delays, no ability to block a bad bill – the American people should get to see what’s in it.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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