Mike Huckabee: Americans ‘Punched in the Gut’ by Obama’s Trade Deal

Gov. Mike Huckabee slammed President Barack Obama’s new campaign to win Hill approval for a Pacific-wide free-trade treaty with 11 other countries.

“Once again, American workers are getting punched in the gut by Washington because this deal is a handout to insiders, interest groups, Obama’s allies and Asia,” said Huckabee, a GOP presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor, shortly after the president announced the completed deal Oct. 5.

The trade deal, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), would affect roughly 40 percent of the world economy and has been completed after many years of negotiations. Congress is expected to take up the TPP early next year.

“When it comes to negotiating with foreign countries, the Obama Administration gets rolled like sushi, and this TPP deal is more of the same,” Huckabee warned. “I can’t understand why American workers would trust Obama on a trade deal that affects 40 percent of the world’s economy.”

“President Obama can’t be trusted to negotiate a camper off Craigslist, let alone a trade deal with eleven other Asian countries,” Huckabee continued.

Huckabee made his statement Monday afternoon, following a White House statement that the administration finalized its trade agreement with 11 Pacific nations.

Congress passed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in June. The authority granted  Obama ‘fast-track trade authority,’ so no amendments can be offered to the deal, and it must be voted straight up or down by legislators.