In an ongoing fight over the deal the U.S. is negotiating with 11 Pacific countries, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) again accused President Obama of hiding the Trans-Pacific Partnership from the American public in an interview with the Washington Post published on Monday.
“The president said in his Nike speech that he’s confident that when people read the agreement for themselves, that they’ll see it’s a great deal. But the president won’t actually let people read the agreement for themselves. It’s classified,” Warren said.
Warren was responding to Obama’s interview with Yahoo News published on Saturday, in which he said Warren was “absolutely wrong” to claim that the trade deal could undermine U.S. financial regulations.
As Obama has pushed for Congress to fast track the TPP, which would allow Congress an up or down vote on the trade agreement, Warren has adamantly pushed back against the deal. She has argued that the deal could hurt the U.S. economy and undermine the regulations put in place by the Dodd Frank bill.
In her interview with the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent, Warren called on Obama to let the public see the deal before Congress votes on fast-track authority.
“The president has committed only to letting the public see this deal after Congress votes to authorize fast track. At that point, it will be impossible for us to amend the agreement or to block any part of it without tanking the whole TPP. The TPP is basically done,” she said. “If the president is so confident it’s a good deal, he should declassify the text and let people see it before asking Congress to tie its hands on fixing it.”
Sargent asked Warren if she would support a trade deal under any circumstances.
“I am worried about key parts of this trade agreement. I would like to see changes. I believe in trade,” she responded. “I understand that we want to be a nation that trades, that trade creates many benefits for us. But only if done on terms that strengthen the American economy and American worker. I should say the American family, because that’s what this is really about.”
