Elizabeth Warren possible presidential campaign, 2016/International trade
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 Elizabeth Warren |
U.S. Senator (Assumed office: 2013) |
 Democratic candidates: |
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This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Elizabeth Warren was one of 31 Democrats to vote against the bill.[1]
- On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Warren voted with 30 other Democratic senators against the bill.[2][3]
- On May 18, 2015, Warren released the report, "Broken Promises: Decades of Failure to Enforce Labor Standards in Free Trade Agreements," which highlights the failures of past trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Warren argued, "The facts show that, despite all the promises, these trade deals were just another tool to tilt the playing field in further of multinational corporations and against working families."[4]
- The report may have been a response to President Barack Obama's criticism of Warren's stance on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. During an interview with Yahoo Obama said, "She’s (Warren's) absolutely wrong. The truth of the matter is that Elizabeth is, you know, a politician like everybody else. And you know, she’s got a voice that she wants to get out there. And I understand that. And on most issues, she and I deeply agree. On this one, though, her arguments don’t stand the test of fact and scrutiny."[5]
| "Senator Warren on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement," March 11, 2015. |
- On May 11, 2015, Warren, with the help of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), argued against Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in an op-ed in The Boston Globe. They wrote, "Investor-State Dispute Settlement where big companies get the right to challenge laws they don’t like in front of industry-friendly arbitration panels that sit outside of any court system. Those panels can force taxpayers to write huge checks to big corporations — with no appeals. Workers, environmentalists, and human rights advocates don’t get that special right." They also argued against trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation, also known as fast-track authority. "By definition, massive trade deals like the TPP override domestic laws written, debated, and passed by Congress. If fast-track passes, Congress will have given up its power to strip out any backroom arrangements and special favors like ISDS without tanking the whole deal that contains those giveaways," Warren and DeLauro wrote.[6]
- In a February 2015 op-ed, Warren argued against the TPP agreement because it includes ISDS, which would unfairly favor multinational corporations and hurt American workers. She wrote, "ISDS would allow foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws — and potentially to pick up huge payouts from taxpayers — without ever stepping foot in a U.S. court." Warren also argued that Americans should oppose the TPP agreement, regardless of political ideology. She wrote, "This isn’t a partisan issue. Conservatives who believe in U.S. sovereignty should be outraged that ISDS would shift power from American courts, whose authority is derived from our Constitution, to unaccountable international tribunals. Libertarians should be offended that ISDS effectively would offer a free taxpayer subsidy to countries with weak legal systems. And progressives should oppose ISDS because it would allow big multinationals to weaken labor and environmental rules."[7]
- Elizabeth Warren's website states: "To grow our economy, we need to sell our products to the rest of the world. But we have to have a level playing field - strong trade laws and strong enforcement. That means labor and environmental standards. It means protecting our intellectual property rights by getting tough on the knock offs that undercut our ability to compete and, in the long run, cost us money and jobs. And it means putting pressure on foreign currency manipulation that artificially makes our goods less competitive."[8]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2146)," accessed September 7, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314," accessed May 25, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1314 (Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act)," accessed May 25, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Elizabeth Warren fires new shot in trade battle with President Obama," accessed May 18, 2015
- ↑ Yahoo, "Why Obama is happy to fight Elizabeth Warren on the trade deal," accessed May 12, 2015
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Who is writing the TPP?" accessed May 13, 2015
- ↑ Washington Post, "The Trans-Pacific Partnership clause everyone should oppose," accessed May 13, 2015
- ↑ Elizabeth Warren, "Jobs and the Economy," accessed January 19, 2015
