Hillary Clinton a 'no' on trade fast-track, for now

Las Vegas (CNN)Hillary Clinton said during an interview on Thursday that she would "probably" vote against a bill that would grant President Barack Obama fast-track authority on a pending trade deal, unless there was a guarantee affected workers would have access to government aid.

In an interview with Jon Ralston on "Ralston Live," Clinton said that if she were still in the Senate, she would not OK fast-track authority for Obama on the mammoth Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal as things stand now.
"If you were in the Senate still ... would you vote for (fast-track authority)?" Ralston asked, according to a transcript provided to CNN.
      "A this point, probably not because it's a process vote and I don't want to say it's the same as TPP," Clinton said. "Right now, I'm focused on making sure we get trade adjustment assistance and I certainly would not vote for it unless I were absolutely confident we would get trade adjustment assistance."
      Ralston's full interview with Clinton is set to air on KNPB at 8:30 p.m. ET.
      The House passed legislation on Thursday that gave Obama fast-track authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive 12-nation trade deal that is a staple of the administration's foreign policy. The bill passed the House by a 10-vote margin and the Senate is expected to vote on the legislation next week.
      The measure, however, did not include trade adjustment assistance, a measure that would help retrain and provide aid to workers displaced by globalization.
      A Clinton campaign aide confirmed the former secretary of state's comments to Ralston, and further added that the presidential candidate's answer did not mean she outright opposed fast-track authority, but opposed the current legislation because it did not include aid to workers.
      "Consistent with her strong support for worker protections, Hillary Clinton said she of course couldn't consider voting for any (fast-track) without confidence that (worker aid) would be extended. That said, her focus remains on the substance of the TPP agreement," a Clinton aide said Thursday night.
      The aide added that Clinton is more focused on the contents of the final trade deal.
      Trade has been a nagging issue for Clinton since she announced her campaign in April. It has become a litmus test for many liberals -- namely unions -- who feel trade deals such as the TPP hurt American workers.
      Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley have both been outspoken against the trade deal --comparing it to NAFTA in the 1990s -- and have hit Clinton repeatedly on the issue.
      Clinton cast doubt on the trade deal earlier this week in New Hampshire and stood with Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, whose opposition to the trade bill last week helped sink it the proposal in the House.
      The Democratic split has opened up a rift between Obama and Clinton.
        "There is always room to maneuver, and I think this is one of those times," Clinton told reporters, arguing that Obama should use his leverage make the deal better.
        Clinton was in Nevada on Thursday for a speech to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials in Las Vegas and a veterans forum in Reno, Nevada. After her day in Nevada, Clinton heads to California for a round of fundraisers on Friday.