Obama will push US labor unions to back free trade agreements
By: Reuters | Dec 03 2014 at 04:51 PM | International Trade
U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged differences within his own Democratic Party on free trade agreements that he supports and vowed to make a strong case for trade to Congress.
Obama said free trade is “tough politics” among some lawmakers because many Americans feel their wages and income have stagnated as a result of foreign trade.
He said his argument to U.S. labor unions and environmental groups concerned about the impact of free-trade agreements is that they are accepting a status quo that is damaging to American workers.
“Part of my argument to Democrats is: don’t fight the last war,” Obama told the Business Roundtable, referring to past battles over free trade. (Reuters)