Martin O'Malley weighs in further on opposition to the TPP

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Al Weaver @alweaver22
Governor O'Malley expands on TPP opposition




Excerpt: NPR Interview With Martin O'Malley

npr.org -- April 20, 2015

[... Q: ] You have said in recent days that you oppose the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that would tie a dozen nations, including the United States into free trade. What's wrong with that?

O’Malley: "Yeah, I do oppose it. What's wrong with it is first and foremost that we're not allowed to read it before representatives vote on it. What's wrong with it is that right now what we should be doing are things that make our economy stronger here at home. And that's my concern, that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, this deal, is a race to the bottom, a chasing of lower wages abroad. And I believe that that does nothing to help us build a stronger economy here at home."
[...]

[Q: ] Your understanding is that it is a completely secret deal even at the time that it's for an up or down vote?

O’Malley: "Yeah, I mean, I think they're doing some briefings of some members of Congress. But the notion that all of us get to read it as Americans is not accurate. I mean, that's the purpose of fast track. I mean it's almost like the notion that they've got to pass it before somebody actually reads it and sees what's involved in it. And I'm opposed to it. I think we kid ourselves when we think that somehow by chasing, I mean look, we have the ability, let me say this another way. We have the ability right now in the world to market our commodities, to market our products, to market our services abroad. I have led trade delegations as a governor all around the world. But what this deal does with its strange tribunals that allow corporations, U.S. corporations to sue the United States to avoid regulations and protections of the environment or work standards and other things. I think is bizarre."
[...]

O’Malley: "I'm not opposed to free trade if it's fair trade. But I am opposed to bad trade deals. I have supported some trade deals in the past myself. I've supported the Korean trade deal. And that one had protections for workers, protections for wages, protections for the environment and it was entered into with the people of South Korea who are our friends and are very much a stable democracy in this world that understands a stronger middle class is a universal cause. But I'm opposed to this one. And I don't believe that it's in the best interest of our country and the very fact that they're not willing to share this openly with all of us would indicate that there's something fishy here in Denmark."

read full interview: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/20/400849480/transcript-nprs-full-interview-with-martin-omalley

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