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John McCain on Trade and Economics
"I don't believe in walls. I believe in freedom. If I were President, I would negotiate a free trade agreement with almost any country willing to negotiate fairly with us. Only risks to the security of our vital interests or egregious offenses to our most cherished political values should disqualify a nation from entering into a free trade agreement with us."
Speech to National Press Club, 5/20/99 May 20, 1999
"Yes, many American families will suffer from the inevitable dislocations caused by the imperatives of a global economy. But the answer to their suffering cannot be the adoption of policies that will sustain one industry by tariff or subsidy. Embracing protectionism here to retaliate for it elsewhere is akin to a murder-suicide pact."
Speech to National Press Club, 5/20/99 May 20, 1999
"While the effects of NAFTA are being closely monitored by supporters and critics of that pact alike, it has become clear that NAFTA represents an important component of our international economic policy, contributing to the creation of 300,000 new American jobs since its passage. It will likely be several more years before its full impact can be determined."
Senate Statement, Drug Free Borders, March 18, 1999
Voted YES on free trade agreement with Oman.
Bill S. 3569 ; vote number 2006-190 on Jun 29, 2006
Voted YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade
Bill HR 3045 ; vote number 2005-209 on Jul 28, 2005
Voted YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore
Bill S.1417/HR 2739 ; vote number 2003-318 on Jul 31, 2003
Voted YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile
Bill S.1416/HR 2738 ; vote number 2003-319 on Jul 31, 2003
Voted YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam
Bill HJRES51 ; vote number 2001-291 on Oct 3, 2001
Voted YES on expanding trade to the third world
Bill HR.434 ; vote number 2000-98 on May 11, 2000
His pro-free-trade record dates all the way back to 1993, when he supported NAFTA. McCain also supported Trade Promotion Authority in 1997 and 2002, during both the Clinton and Bush administrations. During his time in the Senate, the Arizona Republican has supported every major piece of trade legislation, including controversial measures like CAFTA and Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.
Trading Free National Review, August 9, 2007 Thursday
He supports the WTO, GATT, NAFTA, the trade embargo with Cuba but he believes that such agreements should not include environmental rights and workers' rights.
National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) Nov 7, 2004
"Free trade is a powerful tool for opening up closed societies, if leaders in the greater Middle East are willing to make necessary and overdue political and economic reforms. It's past time for nations of the Middle East to join the global economy, and for rulers to lead increasingly restive populations in the direction of democracy and free markets."
In 2006, voted against increasing the federal minimum wage.
In 2007, voted to give states the right to decide the minimum wage in their own states.
In 2007, voted against raising the minimum wage.
In 1999, he did not vote on an amendment that would increase the federal minimum wage.
McCain is worried about the effects that an increase in the minimum wage will have for small businesses.
Q: Oneof the first things the Democrats are going to do is pass a bill to increase the minimum wage. Do you support that? A: If there are some protections for small business. It's a fact that small business has to be able to sustain an increase in payroll and we should be able to sit down and work that out.
Voted No on restricting employer interference in union organizing
Employee Free Choice Act; Bill H R 800 ; vote number 2007-227 on Jun 26, 2007
"The American farmer is the most productive and efficient farmer in the world. He or she can compete anywhere in the world as long as we open the markets to those products. Isolationism and protectionism doesn't work. We should not subsidize ethanol or sugar or any other crop, because then that hurts the American consumer. But I will lower the barriers to products coming into the US in return for any nation that will lower their barriers to US products."
Republican debate in West Columbia, South Carolina
In 2000, McCain voted for the U.S.-China Trade Relations Act
"The old debate about whether to engage China or contain it seems to me a bit stale. Yes, we should engage China. But we should not only engage; we also need to hedge."
"The U.S. shares common interests with China that can form the basis of a strong partnership on issues of global concern, including climate change, trade and proliferation. But China's rapid military modernization, mercantilist economic practices, lack of political freedom and close relations with regimes like Sudan and Burma undermine the very international system on which its rise depends. The next American president must build on the areas of overlapping interest to forge a more durable U.S.-China relationship."