Kaine, Pence 'Undermine Tech' in Slamming TPP, Shapiro Says

The Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates “undermine tech” with their recent criticism of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, CTA President Gary Shapiro said in a blog post for The Hill Tuesday. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Republican Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, the GOP vice presidential nominee, were scheduled to debate Tuesday night. Congressional “passage of TPP has the potential to provide significant benefits to the tech sector and the entire U.S. economy,” Shapiro said. “U.S. technology companies alone exported $10 billion in goods and services to TPP markets in 2014. The TPP will open or expand access to these key markets for the products, services and applications made by the companies CTA represents, and facilitate market access for the wide array of industries that rely on these technologies to conduct their own business.” Kaine and Pence “must return to their more welcoming attitude to free trade -- and correct the opinions of the presidential candidates they serve -- if the U.S. is to survive and thrive in this global economy,” Shapiro said. Both presidential nominees have criticized the TPP and congressional leaders said no consideration is likely during the lame duck session, despite the Obama administration lobbying for such a vote.