Russ Feingold Sides With Sen. Warren, Against Obama On Trade Deal

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 26: Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., U.S. special envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Di... UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 26: Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., U.S. special envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "Prospects for Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Great Lakes Region." (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who just announced his candidacy for his old Senate seat, is joining Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in opposing the trade agreement President Barack Obama has been pushing Congress to approve.

“The economy has definitely been improving, and things like the stock market are doing better,” Feingold said in an interview with Wisconsin’s WISC-TV . “But the economy has to be good for working-class and middle-class families who work every day, send their kids to a school like is in front of my house, and they have to be able to enjoy their lives. That’s why you don’t pass a trade agreement that ships even more jobs overseas.”

The deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been in the crosshairs of Warren and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, Senate leaders came to an agreement on moving the deal along, only a few days after Democrats blocked Obama on the trade pact. Critics of the agreement have said it undermines Dodd-Frank financial regulations.

Warren over the past few days has strongly voiced her support for Feingold’s chances. She’s sent out fundraising emails to supporters on the former Wisconsin senator’s behalf.

“Just the idea of having Russ by my side in the Senate makes me happy. But I don’t kid myself: We’ve got a really, really big fight in front of us for that to happen,” Warren wrote in one such email on Saturday.

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