Washington: White House hopeful Hillary Clinton urged President Barack Obama on Sunday to listen to fellow Democrats in Congress and change the terms of a trans-Pacific trade deal.
The Republican-run House of Representatives refused on Friday to give Obama fast-track authority to negotiate it freely -- joined by many Democrats, including longtime Obama ally Nancy Pelosi, over concerns it could result in US jobs being lost.
Obama wants to finalize terms with 11 other Pacific Rim countries on what would be the largest trade agreement ever, a massive pact with Japan, Australia, Canada, Chile, Vietnam and others encompassing some 40 percent of global commerce.
But if he is to have any chance of moving forward with the deal, he will have to win over his own Democrats, Clinton -- the Democratic frontrunner for the 2016 presidential race -- said.
"The president should listen to and work with his allies in Congress, starting with Nancy Pelosi, who have expressed their concerns about the impact that a weak agreement would have on our workers to make sure we get the best, strongest deal possible," Clinton said at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa.
"And if we don`t get it, there should be no deal," she said, according to The New York Times.
Some of her critics have slammed Clinton for not saying more sooner about the controversial deal.
"I am willing to try now to see whether you can push to get rid of the objectionable parts, to drive a harder bargain on some of the other parts," Clinton reportedly said at the rally.
On Saturday, Clinton held the first major rally of her campaign to become the first woman president of the United States, promising a "better deal" for struggling middle-class Americans.
