White House Unconcerned Over Presidential Candidates’ Opposition to TPP

The opposition by US Democratic presidential front-runners to President Barack Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal is not likely to prevent the United States from ratifying the agreement, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Democratic front-runners Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have both staked their opposition to the TPP free trade agreement, setting them apart from the current Obama administration.

“We are not particularly concerned about the impact it will have on the congressional debate,” Earnest said of the upcoming Democratic presidential debate scheduled to take place on Tuesday evening.

Asked if the front-runners’ anti-TPP position may sway the opinion of members of the US Congress, Earnest noted that prior opposition to the TPP agreement did not impact the passage of legislation in July authorizing President Obama to conclude the deal.

The US Congress will have until the beginning of 2016 to cast a final vote on approving or disapproving the 12-nation trade agreement. The vote will intersect the final months before the 2016 US presidential election.