June 13, 2019
OUR TWO REPUBLICAN PARTIES:
As Democratic voters warm to free trade, White House candidates struggle for positions (Ginger Gibson, 6/13/19, Reuters)
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in early June found that many Democrats were strongly opposed to the sweeping tariffs Trump proposed - and then canceled - on goods imported from Mexico as a way to stem illegal immigration.The poll found seven out of 10 Republicans supported the tariffs, compared with seven out of 10 Democrats opposing them. [...]"Democrats have done a poor job making the liberal case for trade," said Christina Davis, a professor at Harvard who specializes in trade and foreign relations.The decline of organized labor's influence could open opportunities for Democrats to develop new positions, she added. [...]Business groups in Washington are watching what Democratic presidential candidates say on the campaign trail.Ahead of a vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) - which would replace NAFTA - candidates serving in Congress like Warren may be forced to take a more definitive stance. So far, Democrats have been blocking a vote because of opposition to labor provisions, a nod to their union base."That very much is going to be a test," said a Washington business lobbyist who asked not to be identified. "It's very difficult for a member of Congress to say they're pro-business and then vote against USMCA. In fact, I don't think you could do it."
Posted by Orrin Judd at June 13, 2019 3:55 AM