John Edwards, Hillary Clinton Campaigns Clash Over Peru Free Trade Agreement

The House of Representatives passed a new trade deal with Peru yesterday. The agreement, known as the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, passed the House with 215 votes in favor and 132 votes against. Debate over the agreement re-ignited the conflict over trade policy that has raged between proponents and opponents of free trade agreements since the passage of NAFTA in the 1990's. The debate spilled over into the presidential election with Democratic candidate John Edwards criticizing rival Hillary Clinton's support for the agreement.

Early in the afternoon John Edwards' campaign issued a statement condemning the House vote. "I'm disappointed by today's vote to approve the Peru trade deal and expand the failed NAFTA model that has cost us more than a million jobs," Edwards was quoted as saying. He called for trade agreements that protect American workers and contain strong protections for labor rights, waged, and the environment. Edwards called upon Clinton to take a position on the issued, saying that voters deserved to know the truth.

Hillary responded by praising passage of the agreement by the House in a statement issued on her campaign website. "I have long said that we need smart trade policies that advance labor rights, the environment, and our economic standing in the world," she was quoted as saying. According to Clinton the new Peru trade agreement, which still needs to pass the Senate, contains strong protections for the environment and labor rights. She said that the agreement would allow American goods to enter the Peruvian market free of tariffs. The agreement would benefit American workers as well, Clinton claimed. As president Clinton said that she would seek to vigorously enforce trade agreements. "I will also expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance program so that workers negatively affected by the global economy get the help they need," Clinton added.

The Edwards campaign fired back in a statement issued late in the evening hours. Edwards was quoted as saying, "I am terribly disappointed by Senator Clinton's support for the Peru trade deal." He accused Clinton of supporting the interests of corporations, lobbyists, and President Bush and ignoring the needs of millions of American workers.

The Peru trade agreement was signed back in April of 2006 and has been subject of criticism from environmentalists and labor rights advocates. For example, a joint statement issued by the Friends of the Earth and Sierra Club criticized the agreement for not doing enough to put into place a set of trade policies that would achieve progress towards environmental sustainability. The statement did praise aspects of the agreement though, such as a measure aimed at stemming the trade of illegal lumber and thereby reducing rates of deforestation in Peru.