Hillary Supported NAFTA, a DISASTER for US Jobs, the American Economy

Hillary Clinton, who is said to have never spoken up (watch that video) in support of labor unions while on the board of Wal-Mart, supported NAFTA when it passed and for years afterward. In 1996, she said “I think everybody is in favor of free and fair trade. I think NAFTA is proving its worth” and in 2004 said, “I think on balance NAFTA has been good for New York and America.”

But NAFTA has been a disaster for working people in the U.S. and Mexico, costing a million or more American jobs, increasing income inequality, and failing live up to the promises made about it.

Hillary now claims to oppose NAFTA, just as she’s suddenly reversed position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership after promoting it (“This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade”) forty-five times around the world as Secretary of State. 

Unfortunately, we have little basis for believing her on TPP (the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for one,  doesn’t believe her), which is another disaster in the making. As Ian Fletcher writes, “She has, in fact, a long record of verbally criticizing free-trade agreements, but then supporting them when in office.”