Subject: TPP Statement
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Christina Reynolds <[email-masked]>, Brian Fallon <[email-masked]>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2015 14:37:35 -0400

STATEMENT

I’m continuing to learn about the details of the new Trans-Pacific
Partnership, including looking hard at what’s in there to crack down on
currency manipulation, which kills American jobs, and to make sure we’re
not putting the interests of drug companies ahead of patients and
consumers.  But based on what I know so far, I can’t support this agreement.

As I have said many times, we need to be sure that new trade deals meet
clear tests:  They have to create good American jobs, raise wages, and
advance our national security.  The bar has to be set very high for two
reasons.

First, too often over the years we haven’t gotten the balance right on
trade.  We’ve seen that even a strong deal, like our agreement with South
Korea, which President Bush negotiated and President Obama improved, can
fall short on delivering the promised benefits.  So I don’t believe we can
afford to keep giving new agreements the benefit of the doubt.  The risks
are too high that, despite our best efforts, they will end up doing more
harm than good for hard-working American families whose paychecks have
barely budged in years.

Second, we can’t look at this in a vacuum.  Years of Republican obstruction
at home have weakened U.S. competitiveness and made it harder for Americans
who lose jobs and pay because of trade to get back on their
feet.  Republicans have blocked the investments that we need and that
President Obama has proposed in infrastructure, education, clean energy,
and innovation.  They’ve refused to raise the minimum wage or defend
workers’ rights or adequately fund job training.  As a result, America is
less competitive than we should be, workers have fewer protections, and the
negative effects of trade are exacerbated.  That means even a generally
strong trade agreement may put us at a disadvantage.  We’re going into this
with one arm tied behind our backs.

I still believe a strong and fair trans-Pacific trade agreement is both
possible and necessary, just as I did when I was Secretary of State.  And I
applaud the hard work that President Obama and his team have put into this
process.  But the bar here is very high and so far I don’t believe TPP has
met it.