Bobby Jindal Skeptical of Huge Trans-Pacific Trade Deal

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — GOP presidential candidate Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) doubled down on his skepticism towards President Barack Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal negotiated by the Obama Administration.

“Look, this trade deal is 6,000 pages long. Unlike Obamacare, I think we should read it before we decide whether we’re going to vote for it or not vote for it,” Jindal said during the fourth GOP debate on Tuesday night, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The TPP is more than 5,500 pages long, which is longer than both Obamacare and GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) failed Gang of Eight immigration bill combined.

Jindal was questioned at the debate hosted by Fox Business about whether he would support the TPP because of some alleged benefits regarding tariff cuts on goods made in his home state of Louisiana. The moderator asked:

 There’s a new trade deal the Obama administration has completed with 11 other Pacific nations. The U.S. Trade Representative office says that deal will cut 18,000 different tariffs on American goods sent to the Pacific. It will [cut tariffs on] goods made in your state of Louisiana by as much as 40 percent. You’ve been a skeptic about this deal. Now that the details are public, are you going to be for it?

“I was absolutely a skeptic of giving this president more power,” Jindal replied.

“He negotiated a bad deal with Iran…I don’t know why Congress wanted to concede more authority to him. Look, this trade deal is 6,000 pages long. Unlike Obamacare, I think we should read it before we decide whether we’re going to vote for it or not vote for it. I’m for trade deals, but I want to make sure they’re fair trade deals.”