One of Hillary Clinton’s top vice-presidential prospects supports the controversial Obamatrade agreement, even though Clinton recently flip-flopped to come out against it.
Obama administration Housing and Development Secretary Julian Castro said Sunday that he stands by Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal with East Asian countries. The deal has been a lightning rod in Democratic circles. Union opposition to the deal is believed to have caused Hillary Clinton to come out against it, despite the fact that she long supported it.
“Now, I will say, you know—in full disclosure—that I support the president,” Castro said in a panel at the Texas Tribune Festival.
Clinton reportedly backed TPP in public at least 45 times, but Castro nevertheless went to bat for her, saying that she did not flip-flop because she only supported the deal before the actual final draft of the deal was written.
AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka threatened to withhold support for Hillary Clinton if she did not end up opposing the TPP deal, which unions believe will outsource more American jobs.
Bernie Sanders is a favorite of left-wing TPP opponents. Potential Democratic candidate Joe Biden is also close to major unions, but it would be harder for him to repudiate his own administration with respect to the deal.
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