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Defense Secretary Supports Trade Deal With Asia U.S. Defense Secretary Supports Trade Deal With Asia
(about 1 hour later)
TEMPE, Ariz. — Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday threw the weight of the Pentagon behind President Obama’s fight to push a trade deal with Asia through Congress, warning that Asian markets are being gobbled up by global competitors.TEMPE, Ariz. — Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday threw the weight of the Pentagon behind President Obama’s fight to push a trade deal with Asia through Congress, warning that Asian markets are being gobbled up by global competitors.
Mr. Carter linked the military strength of the United States to its economic progress, using the start of his first trip as defense secretary to America’s Pacific allies to help the Obama administration in its efforts to push through the trade deal, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.Mr. Carter linked the military strength of the United States to its economic progress, using the start of his first trip as defense secretary to America’s Pacific allies to help the Obama administration in its efforts to push through the trade deal, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
If the United States does not go through with the pact, a 12-nation accord that administration officials view as a linchpin for the Obama administration’s strategic pivot to Asia, “we are going to take ourselves out of the game,” Mr. Carter said during a speech at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.If the United States does not go through with the pact, a 12-nation accord that administration officials view as a linchpin for the Obama administration’s strategic pivot to Asia, “we are going to take ourselves out of the game,” Mr. Carter said during a speech at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.
“Time is running out,” he said of the accord, which is still under negotiation but nearing completion. “We already see countries in the region trying to carve up these markets.”“Time is running out,” he said of the accord, which is still under negotiation but nearing completion. “We already see countries in the region trying to carve up these markets.”
For the Defense Department, it was an odd foray into the world of trade politics, which involve shifting alliances of high tech industries and big businesses in California and the Northeast versus the more traditional skeptics of wide-ranging trade agreements, including some labor unions and manufacturing states. But Mr. Carter appeared to relish it, claiming that “passing TPP is as important to me as another aircraft carrier.”For the Defense Department, it was an odd foray into the world of trade politics, which involve shifting alliances of high tech industries and big businesses in California and the Northeast versus the more traditional skeptics of wide-ranging trade agreements, including some labor unions and manufacturing states. But Mr. Carter appeared to relish it, claiming that “passing TPP is as important to me as another aircraft carrier.”
President Obama, representing a Democratic Party that has typically been wary of trade accords, has walked a fine line trying to satisfy enough members of his own base while also relying on Republicans, who tend to support the accords.President Obama, representing a Democratic Party that has typically been wary of trade accords, has walked a fine line trying to satisfy enough members of his own base while also relying on Republicans, who tend to support the accords.
He is battling a rare alliance of liberal Democrats and Tea Party Republicans, while counting on more traditional opponents of his agenda like Representative Paul D. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, and Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, to try to secure “fast track” trade promotion authority that would allow Congress to approve or reject the trade pact, but not to amend it.He is battling a rare alliance of liberal Democrats and Tea Party Republicans, while counting on more traditional opponents of his agenda like Representative Paul D. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, and Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, to try to secure “fast track” trade promotion authority that would allow Congress to approve or reject the trade pact, but not to amend it.
Those are not the type of issues that people at the Pentagon talk about routinely. “As secretary of defense, I see our military personnel demonstrate every day that American men and women, American innovation and American hard work do not just compete, but outpace every other country in the world,” Mr. Carter said. “By passing trade promotion authority and finalizing a strong TPP, we will allow American workers to do the same.”Those are not the type of issues that people at the Pentagon talk about routinely. “As secretary of defense, I see our military personnel demonstrate every day that American men and women, American innovation and American hard work do not just compete, but outpace every other country in the world,” Mr. Carter said. “By passing trade promotion authority and finalizing a strong TPP, we will allow American workers to do the same.”
For Mr. Carter, the speech also had another benefit: He could throw his weight behind a cause supported by the man who may have almost as much influence as President Obama over his tenure as defense secretary — Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.For Mr. Carter, the speech also had another benefit: He could throw his weight behind a cause supported by the man who may have almost as much influence as President Obama over his tenure as defense secretary — Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In his speech, Mr. Carter praised the Arizona senator’s support of improved ties to Asia.In his speech, Mr. Carter praised the Arizona senator’s support of improved ties to Asia.
“Twenty years ago, President Clinton was looking for congressional partners to help normalize relations with Vietnam,” Mr. Carter said. “Senator McCain had plenty of personal reasons to say no — especially after all he had endured there as a prisoner of war. But he realized that normalization would help our country move beyond a polarizing conflict and develop new ties with an important country in an increasingly important region.”“Twenty years ago, President Clinton was looking for congressional partners to help normalize relations with Vietnam,” Mr. Carter said. “Senator McCain had plenty of personal reasons to say no — especially after all he had endured there as a prisoner of war. But he realized that normalization would help our country move beyond a polarizing conflict and develop new ties with an important country in an increasingly important region.”
Mr. McCain did not attend the speech — he met briefly with Mr. Carter at the airport in Phoenix beforehand, but had other business to attend to, defense officials said. “Senator John McCain, who I just met with here in Phoenix, is an American hero,” Mr. Carter said after the meeting.Mr. McCain did not attend the speech — he met briefly with Mr. Carter at the airport in Phoenix beforehand, but had other business to attend to, defense officials said. “Senator John McCain, who I just met with here in Phoenix, is an American hero,” Mr. Carter said after the meeting.
Whether Monday’s outreach to Mr. McCain will translate into an easier road for the Defense Department before the Armed Services Committee remains to be seen. Mr. McCain, as the ranking Republican on the Senate committee, was a frequent critic of Chuck Hagel, Mr. Carter’s predecessor at the Pentagon. Now, with the Republican takeover of the Senate, Mr. McCain has assumed the leadership of the committee and he has shown little willingness to make it easier for either the president or his defense secretary on matters of the American military.Whether Monday’s outreach to Mr. McCain will translate into an easier road for the Defense Department before the Armed Services Committee remains to be seen. Mr. McCain, as the ranking Republican on the Senate committee, was a frequent critic of Chuck Hagel, Mr. Carter’s predecessor at the Pentagon. Now, with the Republican takeover of the Senate, Mr. McCain has assumed the leadership of the committee and he has shown little willingness to make it easier for either the president or his defense secretary on matters of the American military.
The senator has challenged the administration on its strategy to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and more surprisingly, has lately thrown his weight behind Republican efforts to slow the pace of the transfers of detainees from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, backing proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on the release of most of the remaining prisoners.The senator has challenged the administration on its strategy to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and more surprisingly, has lately thrown his weight behind Republican efforts to slow the pace of the transfers of detainees from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, backing proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on the release of most of the remaining prisoners.