Rangel On NAFTA Expansion: "If You're Hurting, Then It's A Bad Deal"

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), the chief architect of the the Peru Free Trade Agreement that expands NAFTA, he appeared on CNN Thursday night. In the midst of congratulating himself for passing the NAFTA expansion through the House this week, he acknowledged that the pact will crush American workers, saying:

"We haven't protected those people that have lost jobs as a result of trade or those people who just don't find industry in their communities...And so if you're hurting, then [the Peru agreement] is a bad deal."

This is stunning, even for Washington. The chief proponent of a bill earlier today was selling this bill on the House floor as a great achievement for the middle class that has been crushed by lobbyist-written trade policies. Then hours later after the votes are already cast, he goes on national television to admit that, actually it is true - the bill "is a bad deal" for workers who are hurting.

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