For Immediate Release
December 28, 2007

For More Info: James Ploeser: (515) 494-4315
Lori Wallach: (202) 441-7369

*** Check Here to View Complied Candidate Statements. To receive the full candidate statements by email, contact iowafairtrade@gmail.com

Iowa Fair Trade Campaign Releases First-Ever Compilation of Candidates’ In-Depth Trade Positions Provided in Response to Campaign’s Letter of Principles

As Candidates Jack up Trade Rhetoric in Final Caucus Sprint, Coalition of Labor, Faith, Family Farm, other Iowa Groups Reveal Substance of Candidates’ Positions

Des Moines- As candidates increasingly sharpen their rhetoric on trade and offshoring in the final Caucus sprint, the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign released statements from all six Democratic candidates competing in the Iowa Democratic Caucus detailing their trade and globalization positions. These new statements, providing the most comprehensive view of the policy differences and similarities among the candidates, were provided by the campaigns in response to a letter sent by the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign and the Iowa AFL-CIO. The letter is signed by numerous Regional Labor Councils, the Iowa Farmers Union, and scores of faith, environmental, consumer and other labor and family farm groups.

“Because what the next president does on trade and globalization issues will greatly shape our nation’s future and the prospects for our families now, we thought it was critical to get past the rhetoric and generalities that had characterized most candidate’s approach to these issues,” said James Ploeser, organizer for the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign. “The detailed trade policies unveiled in these statements and in our compilation of responses by category allow prospective caucus goers to make educated decisions about the candidates based on what Iowa organizations laid out as important components for a new model for trade agreements and what constitutes ‘fair trade.’”

The 2008 Iowa Fair Trade Statement was sent to candidates with a cover letter requesting their views on the principles for an acceptable trade and globalization policy set forth by the major Iowa labor, family farm, faith and other signatory groups. The Iowa Fair Trade statement laid out principles on 5 key elements of trade and globalization policy:

• Replacing the Fast Track trade negotiating process;
• What must and must not be included in all future agreements;
• Reviewing and, as necessary, renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other existing trade agreements;
• Changing course on the current Doha Round World Trade Organization (WTO) expansion negotiations;
• Combating the trade deficit/offshoring crisis, including by addressing currency manipulation, enforcing U.S. trade laws and taking other measures.

“As well as helping voters analyze candidates actual policy positions vs. the sometimes heated rhetoric, the candidates’ responses also provide the starting point for the policy changes each has committed to implementing if he or she is elected president,” said Ploeser.

The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign statement notes that “Current corporate-dominated trade policies have failed Iowa and the nation.” It describes briefly some of the damage now being wrought on jobs, wages, family farm incomes and product and food safety by current policies.

“After 13 years, we have seen that the NAFTA model doesn’t mean more jobs, higher wages, or a cleaner environment - in Iowa, Mexico, or anywhere elsewhere,” the statement continues. “To improve the lives of workers and the poor, not just the wealthy and the powerful - here and around the world - we need an entirely new set of rules and institutions.”

The negative effects of current trade and globalization policies has proved an election priority to Iowans and recent polling shows that economic concerns have now risen above Iraq as priority. During the 2006 election, 26 congressional NAFTA-CAFTA-supporting incumbents were defeated by fair trade challengers nationwide (See http://www.citizen.org/hot_issues/issue.cfm?ID=1471). In Iowa, two GOP House seats were taken by Democratic challengers who focused their campaigns on their opponents’ support for more-of-the-same trade policies and called for a new trade model. In Iowa’s First District open seat race following the retirement of Jim Nussle, Rep. Bruce Braley beat a GOP candidate whose support for NAFTA was so vocal that the GOP labeled the race a NAFTA rematch. In Iowa District 2, Rep. Dave Loebsack beat Rep. Jim Leach a long time consistent pro NAFTA-CAFTA-WTO supporter. A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of Iowa Democrats conducted in September found that by 42% to 33% they favored a candidate who believes trade pacts hurt the U.S. economy over one who believes they benefit the economy.

“Too often global trade policy is reduced into vague soundbites about protecting American jobs and enforcing U.S. laws,” said State Senator Joe Bolkcom, (D-Iowa City), who is also staff with Working Families Win-Iowa, one of the Fair Trade Statement signatories. “These candidate responses move beyond soundbites and hopefully allow citizens to understand whether candidates are serious about changing the NAFTA model that has done so much damage to Iowa.”

*** Check Here to View Complied Candidate Statements. To receive the full candidate statements by email, contact iowafairtrade@gmail.com

Visit www.iowafairtrade.org to see the candidates’ detailed positions and read the full text of the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign statement.

This is from Iowa Public TV:

Republican candidates:

Democratic candidates:

Date: November 6th, 2007

Situation: Public Question - Energy Policy Speech at Renewable Energy Group’s Bio-Diesel Plant - Newton, IA

Question: Unfair trade agreements give multinational corporations power to challenge US public interest policies. I’d like to know if you’ll commit to review and change past, present and future trade agreements that contain extraordinary corporate rights provisions that render the US helpless when it comes to enacting policies that support creation of good new jobs and keep other factories from closing?

Answer: “What you’re talking about is very real, but very, very complex. I think we’d agree trade has been a benefit to the economy overall and that we have to keep trading…” She said she wanted to pursue not free trade, but “smart trade”. She said that we need to close the loopholes that provide tax incentives for companies to take production offshore, and that she’s proposed a Trade Prosecutor and that we need to be tough on violators of current trade rules.

She said that her plan for new green jobs would take care of the middle class and bring them back to working for good wages again, and that she, as President would make trade work for the middle class and the American worker…

Follow-Up: But because of these corporate protections and privileges, these trade agreements are in and of themselves incentives to offshore, and they allow for multinational corporations to challenge US laws meant to support local or domestic industry. They all but ban Buy America or Buy Local initiatives and could jeopardize the sorts of supports you’re discussing for local green collar jobs, and I’d like to know how…

Answer: Senator Clinton stated she is in favor of rebuilding the American economy in the ways she had just outlined and that there could be a market-based solution to this. “I’ve long been a supporter of Country of Origin Labeling, and think consumers agree with me. Now, family farmers in New York sell a lot of apples, and they benefit from exporting their apples. When I’m at the grocery store I look at that apple before I buy and I want to be able to know I’m buying a New York apple. I don’t want an apple from China.” She went on regarding consumers’ potential role in buying American or local.

She did not state whether she would review or change corporate righs provisions in trade deals.

Date: October 27th, 2007

Situation: Presidential Candidates Forum via Video Chat - Rural Youth Summit - Ames, IA

Question: Senator Clinton was asked what she would do to help reinvigorate the country’s rural areas.

Answer (in part): Senator Clinton said America’s rural areas would benefit from new trade deals that include “good standards for labor and environmental protection.” She also mentioned we’d need to ensure “strong enforcement mechanisms and to close loopholes that give tax breaks to companies that go overseas.”