McCaskill Takes Aim at China

            When it comes to foreign policy, McCaskill is firm in ensuring that no country can exploit America. China’s trade practices and monetary policies in the recent years have arisen as a concern for the U.S., especially considering their trade imbalance and the threat of high growth rates. It comes as a breath of fresh air to see the topic of debate move from her opponent, Akin, to her stance on foreign relations. This time her opponent is China’s currency manipulation. Many American manufacturers and their employees are happy to see McCaskill’s policy agenda address the trade deficit with China, which caused the loss of 2.8 million jobs in the last decade (Lambrecht, 2011). This campaign move has won the support of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, despite their strong ties to Republican candidates (Donia, L., 2012). This support could prove helpful for McCaskill campaign, as she is vying for the votes despite the tough Republican opposition. The Republican Party, who see a defeat as necessary to recapturing chamber, have already spent $15.2 million on an “anti-McCaskill” activism (Steinhauer, J., 2012). The Democrats have returned this sentiment with a slew of attack ads and comments about the offside remarks of her opponent, Todd Akin. He has gotten a break from the Democrat’s scrutiny as McCaskill’s latest advertisement, named “China”, focuses on her legislation that is committed to stopping Chinese companies from evading U.S. trade laws.

            McCaskill has been tough on China since 2011, when she introduced legislation that would penalize foreign companies and shippers using unfair trading advantages such as evading duties (Lambrecht, 2011). This is a smart move for McCaskill since job creation is a top priority for many voters, many of whom believe America is losing jobs to China. In 2011 she began creating a bill to curb duty evasion from foreign companies. On her website she states, “When Missouri businesses compete on a level playing field, they win—and that means more jobs for Missourians,” showing that she views foreign policy in the same way as most citizens.

            Getting tough on China is not only a tactic to win votes; it is also a matter of funding. Berry, Goldman, Hula & Janda found that trade associations donated around 100 million dollars in the 2008 Election, second only to corporations. It is large donation that will gain attention from members of Congress making it difficult for them to ignore a lobbyist’s requests (p. 249, 2010). The same sort of funding and support from groups like the Alliance for American Manufacturing means that voting against China obligatory for their continued backing.

            McCaskill’s commitment to stopping unfair trading practices from foreign traders shows how international relations can directly influence domestic issues. Formal and fair business is a matter of pride for Americans. It is also a problem area that necessitates government support. She states on her website that her foreign policy role targets constructively dealing with external threats. Her tactic for foreign relations is ensuring America is a safe and stable environment with “expanded trade opportunities, safe borders and a healthier population” (2012). Emphasis on unfair trade practices from the Chinese is a way to justify and explain high rates of unemployment to undecided voters. Since the U.S. economy and unemployment are key issues in this election it is a smart move from the Democrats to blame the Chinese in part.

Works Cited 

           Berry, J., Goldman, J., Hula, K. & Janda, K. (2012). The Challenge of Democracy in American Government in Global Politics. Boston: Wadsworth.

          McCaskill, C. (2012). Foreign Policy. Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill, Issues, National Security. Retrieved from: http://mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=319

          McCaskill, C. (2012). McCaskill cracks down on unfair trade practices, boosts jobs. Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill. Retrieved from: http://mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1337

           McCaskill, C. (2012). China [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlpIuI0vDbA

           Donia, L. (2012). McCaskill’s tough on China’s stance with odds with her voting record. The Blog for the Alliance for American Manufacturing.  Retrieved from: http://americanmanufacturing.org/blog/mccaskills-tough-china-stance-odds-her-voting-record

           Lambrecht, B. (2011). McCaskill will introduce bill to tackle tariff scofflaws as Congress ponders trade policies, she targets foreign firms, shippers that evade customs duties. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=11810&sr=HLEAD(McCaskill+will+introduce+bill+to+tackle+tariff+scofflaws)+and+date+is+September+20%2C+2011

           Steinhauer, J. (2012). Missouri Congressman to Take On McCaskill in Senate Race. The New York Times. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic: http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=6742&sr=HLEAD(Missouri+Congressman+to+Take+On+McCaskill+in+Senate+Race)+and+date+is+August+8%2C+2012

          Denesha, J. [Photographer] (2012). Sen. Claire McCaskill speaks to constituents during a roundtable discussion [Photograph], Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-claire-mccaskill-takes-fight-to-super-pacs-as-missouri-swings-farther-right/2012/04/22/gIQAqoAmaT_story.html