Obama Q+A at the 2010 House Republican retreat: on Free Trade


Barack Obama: Enforce trade being reciprocal; not just a one-way street

Rep. ROSKAM: On job creation, you mentioned Colombia, you mentioned Panama, you mentioned South Korea. Are you willing to work with us [House Republicans] to make sure those FTAs get called, that's no-cost job creation? And ultimately, as you're interacting with world leaders, that's got to put more arrows in your quiver, and that's a very powerful tool for us. But the obstacle is, frankly, the politics within the Democratic caucus?

Pres. OBAMA: You're right, there are conflicts within the Democratic Party. I suspect some Republican constituencies may be pretty suspicious about new trade agreements, because the suspicion is somehow they're all one way. Part of what we've been trying to do is to make sure that we're getting the enforcement side, that if we've got a trade agreement with China or other countries, that they are abiding with it--they're not stealing our intellectual property. And my hope is, that trade is going to be reciprocal; that it's not just going to be a one-way street.

Source: Obama Q&A at 2010 House Republican retreat in Baltimore Jan 29, 2010

Peter Roskam: Free Trade Agreements are no-cost job creation

Rep. ROSKAM: On job creation, you mentioned Colombia, you mentioned Panama, you mentioned South Korea. Are you willing to work with us [House Republicans] to make sure those FTAs get called, that's no-cost job creation? And ultimately, as you're interacting with world leaders, that's got to put more arrows in your quiver, and that's a very powerful tool for us. But the obstacle is, frankly, the politics within the Democratic caucus?

Pres. OBAMA: You're right, there are conflicts within the Democratic Party. I suspect some Republican constituencies may be pretty suspicious about new trade agreements, because the suspicion is somehow they're all one way. Part of what we've been trying to do is to make sure that we're getting the enforcement side, that if we've got a trade agreement with China or other countries, that they are abiding with it--they're not stealing our intellectual property. And my hope is, that trade is going to be reciprocal; that it's not just going to be a one-way street.

Source: Obama Q&A at 2010 House Republican retreat in Baltimore Jan 29, 2010

  • The above quotations are from Obama Q+A at the 2010 House Republican retreat.
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2016 Presidential contenders on Free Trade:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Dec 03, 2018