Sanders Campaign Press Release - Clinton to Indian Audience: 'Outsourcing has Benefited Many Parts of Our Country'

BURLINGTON, Vt. – In a video from the Indian TV state NDTV from May 7, 2012, then-Secretary Hillary Clinton told an Indian audience that outsourcing benefited many parts of the United States: "Well, you know, it's been going on for many years now and it's part of our economic relationship with India, and I think that there are advantages with it that have certainly benefited many parts of our country and there are disadvantages that go to the need to, you know, improve the job skills of our own people and create a better economic environment, so it's, like anything it's, you know, got pluses and minuses."

Following a question from the host about a political ad by President Obama about outsourcing, Secretary Clinton laughingly responds, "Well, you know, it's an election year . . . ."

Her remarks to the Indian audience stand in stark contrast to her comments here in the United States denouncing outsourcing.

For instance, in February 2004, Secretary Clinton said, "I do not think outsourcing American jobs is a new kind of trade . . . and I certainly do not believe it is a good thing."

Congressional Record 2/10/04 Page S769

"This new video shows Secretary Clinton says different things to different audiences about outsourcing," Jeff Weaver, Bernie 2016 campaign manager, said. "In the United States she condemns it but when she's in India she says it has benefitted many parts of our country. Secretary Clinton should explain to the people of Michigan how they have benefited from the outsourcing of their manufacturing jobs.

"Given the Secretary's long history of supporting job-crushing trade deals it's not a surprise she thinks there are 'pluses' to outsourcing. But to go abroad and just describe it 'as part of our economic relationship with India' is disturbing when so many communities like Detroit and Flint that have been hurt so badly by outsourcing. America workers need a president they can trust to protect their jobs."

Weaver also said the video shows why voters should be allowed to see the transcripts of Secretary Clinton secret paid speeches. "If she's willing to say positive things about outsourcing when she knows she's on film in India, we can only imagine what she told Goldman Sachs, foreign banking interests, drug companies and other corporate interests in those closed-door speeches she was paid millions to give. Voters deserve to see them."

Full Text of Clinton's remarks on outsourcing is below:

The entire video can be found here.

The relevant section begins at approximately 51:30.

A clip of the relevant section can be found here.

Transcript below:

Audience: good morning ma'am, I'm also a part of the youth advisory council of the US government. so I have [inaudible] questions the first one is: with the possible cut down on outsourcing, [inaudible] protectionism, and [inaudible, will you do anything] about the jobs? And uhh

Host: okay let's take one question at a time so we can get other people to respond.

Clinton: So you're talking about outsourcing from the United States to India? Outsourcing from the United States to India? Well you know it's been going on for many years now, and it's part of our economic relationship with India, and I think that there are advantages with it that have certainly benefited many parts of our country and there are disadvantages that go to the need to, you know improve the job skills of our own people and create a better economic environment, so it's, like anything it's, you know, got pluses and minuses.

Host: There's a new advertisement in the election campaign of President Obama, that causing a lot of [inaudible hot word?] about outsourcing.

Clinton: Well, you know it's an election campaign, and there is an obligation in any election campaign

Host: to overstate a little bit?

Clinton: Well I'm not overstating I wouldn't go that far, but to talk about what's on people's minds, and you know it's more directed toward the fear that a lot of Americans who were in manufacturing, who don't feel like they have any other job possibilities because they weren't trained for any other job possibilities, so it's a legitimate issue, it needs to be aired, but i think the President has been very clear that he wants to improve our own exports. You know when we're on our way to doubling our exports, he wants to improve education, skills training so that people can have the jobs of the 21st century. So it's fair to talk about but you also have to have a solution that looks at what's really going to work.