Democratic and Republican National Committees Take Tough Stances on Trade
The Democratic National Committee on July 9 added an amendment to its party platform that says trade negotiations must be transparent and inclusive, and that U.S. free trade agreements must not subvert democracy through special interests such as “private courts for corporations,” apparently referring to investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms. The Democratic Platform Committee met over the weekend in Orlando, Florida, where it voted 117-64 to adopt the amendment, introduced by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Lee Saunders, which also said Democrats would work, through FTAs, to hold countries accountable on currency manipulation, and which struck language identifying “a diversity of views” surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership within the party. The adopted amendment ostensibly puts more pressure on Congress to pass TPP by the end of this year, as both parties are looking to include tough trade stances in their finalized platforms.
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s senior policy adviser, Maya Harris, reiterated that Clinton remains opposed to TPP, “before or after the election,” and in a statement (here) said Clinton backs the adopted amendment. “With the amendment, the platform lays out a clear, high test for judging trade agreements, including whether they raise wages, create good-paying jobs, and enhance our national security,” Harris said. “She believes that the TPP fails the test that is now laid out in the platform as a result of this amendment.” Meanwhile, the GOP is reportedly expected to also adopt a tough trade stance, but will omit pointed anti-TPP language previously expected for inclusion in its party platform to be unveiled during its convention July 18-21, according to The Washington Post (here). The RNC did not immediately comment.