Trey Pollard, trey.pollard@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he plans to appoint Robert Lighthizer as the next U.S. Trade Representative.
Lighthizer joins a proposed cabinet that includes 13 people that have supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and/or a broader corporate trade agenda. Trump's team has also made clear that TPP-supporter Wilbur Ross, Trump's pick for Commerce Secretary, will have a heavy hand in directing the administration's trade policy.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s appointment of Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative is eclipsed by the hypocrisy of selecting a cabinet stocked with TPP supporters. Why is Trump packing his cabinet with backers of the TPP and corporate trade after spending his campaign bashing the same deals? The answer is simple: Trump has no intention of overhauling our trade policies to support workers, communities, and our environment. This makes clear what should have already been obvious: Trump saw an opportunity to exploit widespread opposition to disastrous trade deals on the campaign trail, and no one should expect him to keep his word. In fact, about two-thirds of Trump’s cabinet picks have supported the TPP or a corporate trade agenda.
“Don’t be fooled: the corporate cabinet Trump has put forward cements the fact that Trump represents a real threat to working families, healthy communities and a stable climate.”
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