U.S. Senate Candidate Eldridge Reaffirms Opposition To Trans Pacific Partnership
LITTLE ROCK – Former prosecutor and U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge, who is running for the U.S. Senate, today reaffirmed his opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership – a trade agreement between the United States and eleven other Pacific Rim countries. Eldridge said he is concerned about the trade deal’s impact on Arkansas’s workers, especially the state’s rice farmers.
Statement from Conner Eldridge, candidate for U.S. Senate:
“I support fair trade that helps all Arkansans, including our rice farmers, which is why I oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership in its current form. We need a trade deal that expands export markets for all commodities and strengthens Arkansas's entire agricultural and manufacturing communities - this deal does not meet that test. As someone who grew up on a rice farm in east Arkansas, I understand the concerns voiced by everyday farmers and workers, which is why I know Arkansas loses with bad trade deals like this. We want free trade agreements that are fair and enforced on all countries.
“Senator Boozman is once again trying to lead from behind on this issue. The full text of the Trans Pacific Partnership has now been publicly available for 160 days, and Senator John Boozman still will not say whether he supports or opposes this trade deal. I call on Senator Boozman to unequivocally oppose the TPP and join me in demanding a fairer trade deal for all Arkansans. We need a strong leader representing Arkansas in the U.S. Senate, and that’s why I’m running to be Arkansas's next senator.”