Hillary Clinton
In response to CWA's questionnaire, Hillary Rodham Clinton said the following about jobs and trade:
I believe in smart, pro-American trade. When we open our markets, our counterpart has to open theirs too. I’m opposing the South Korea trade deal precisely because it does not do enough to open the Korean auto market to American car makers. Smart trade also means strong labor and environmental standards, so that there isn’t a race to the bottom and so that American workers -- the most productive in the world -- can compete on a level playing field. I voted against CAFTA because I thought it would hurt American workers.
It’s important that we enforce the agreements we have. That’s why I’ve called for a trade prosecutor who will do exactly that. I’ve also introduced legislation to require that we periodically assess every trade deal to make sure it’s working the way it’s supposed to. The Bush Administration has a different approach. There were more trade violations in 1 year of the Bush Administration than in five years of the Clinton administration.
The President’s fast track authority has expired, and not a minute too soon. We’ve got to have a better approach to what we’re going to do when it comes to trade around the world. And it’s important that we have an idea of how to maximize the benefits from the global economy, while minimizing negative effects on American workers. That means having real trade adjustment assistance, good job training and quality, affordable health care.
Also, as you know, our trade deficit is a serious issue that must be addressed. Last year, we ran a $760 billion trade deficit, and a new study by the Economic Policy Institute reported that our trade deficit with China has displaced 1.8 million American jobs since China joined the WTO in 2001. Right now, the playing field with China simply isn’t fair. Their misaligned currency policy makes their goods look cheap and ours artificially expensive. That’s a great deal for China, but a pretty raw deal for American workers. That has to change.
Finally we’ve got to have a source of new higher-wage jobs. Part of a new strategy for jobs means universal, high-speed broadband access has to be as big a priority today as the interstate highways, and our canal systems, and rural electrification, and the railroads were in generations past. It is just that important. The Internet is one of the greatest catalysts we have to foster educational and economic opportunity – and to open up new worlds for all Americans.
Unfortunately, under the Bush administration, the country that invented the Internet has fallen to 25th in the global rankings for broadband deployment. We should not be satisfied with our standings slipping year by year. We’re reaching old age on the Internet, but the broadband infrastructure is stuck at adolescence. I look forward to working with you so that we can build our capacity to deliver broadband to underserved areas, create those new jobs, and prepare our economy to meet the needs of the 21st Century.