Hillary Clinton proposed during Wednesday’s presidential debate to create a special “trade prosecutor” to enforce the rules of international deals.
The Democratic candidate made the proposal as a way to stress that she would protect domestic industries from competition caused by such issues as illegal dumping of steel, which the U.S. has accused China of doing.
“We’re going to pull the country together and have trade agreement shall be in force. Why, I’m going to have a trade prosecutor for the first time in history. And we’re going to enforce those agreements,” Clinton said.
Clinton did not explain how the trade prosecutor’s office would work, how exactly it would enforce the trade deals or that the departments of State and Commerce already monitor compliance. The proposal came after she was questioned about her previous support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed international trade deal that she now opposes.
Trade has been a tough issue for Clinton since liberal grassroots groups have come out strongly against the issue, while the White House under President Obama has pushed for trade legislation such as TPP. Many liberals also remain opposed to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which President Bill Clinton signed in 1993. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to hit her on those issues, arguing she was being two-faced.
“Now, she can say her husband did well, but boy, did they suffer as NAFTA kicked in because it didn’t really kick in very much. But it did kick in after they left — boy, did they suffer. That was one of the worst things that ever happened in our country. Now she wants to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And she wants it — she lied when she said she didn’t call it the gold standard. Totally lied — she did call it the ‘gold standard.'”
Clinton conceded she changed her mind about the deal but said she had good cause to do so. “When I saw the final agreement for TPP, I said I was against it. It didn’t meet my test … Does it create jobs, raise incomes and further our national security? I’m against it now, I’ll be against it after the election, I’ll be against it when I’m president.”
