Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) fired back at President Obama Wednesday over remarks he made a day earlier about her position trade, further underscoring the increasingly bitter divide among Democrats on the issue.
Appearing Tuesday on MSNBC's "Hardball," the president said Warren and other liberal critics of the administration’s position on a sweeping international trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) were on the wrong side of the debate.
Warren — spurred on by labor unions and outside progressive groups — argues that Obama's policies would benefit big businesses and hurt U.S. workers.
"I love Elizabeth. We’re allies on a whole host of issues. But she’s wrong on this," Obama said.
On Wednesday, Warren responded via Twitter.
"The Obama Admin says I'm wrong — we shouldn't worry about TPP. So why can’t the American people read the deal?" she questioned.
It was a direct attack against the administration's handling of the negotiations, which liberals say have lacked transparency.
The administration argues that it hasn't made the deal public to protect the status of the sensitive, ongoing negotiations.
Obama is attempting to build a bipartisan Congressional coalition to support the 12-nation pact that he says would help economic growth and provide fair guidelines for workers.
He's asking Congress to grant him trade promotion authority (TPA) — or "fast-track" power — that'd allow him to negotiate trade deals without them being amended in Congress.
The Obama Admin says I'm wrong - we shouldn't worry about TPP. So why can’t the American people read the deal? http://t.co/PoavXNJlRS
— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) April 22, 2015
12 hours notice for hearing, secret meetings, staff not able to view #TPP. How is this democracy? #StopFastTrack https://t.co/DWhiSSahg5
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) April 16, 2015
