Hillary Clinton weighed in on the trade debate Sunday during a campaign stop in Iowa. Or maybe she didn't. Or she did, but not in the way people thought she did. Confused or frustrated yet? You're not alone. Between TPP, TPA, TAA, TTIP, and any other number of letter t-laden acronyms, it has become difficult to pinpoint what, specifically, lawmakers are actually talking about as this process moves forward. That's a problem.
Trade policy is complicated. Congressional procedure is complicated. Politics are often deliberately made complicated by lawmakers or candidates who see limited benefit in weighing in on thorny or increasingly complex issues. The ongoing fight on Capitol Hill over trade combines them all—a mix of policy, procedure, and 2016 politics. That means it's probably worth breaking down a few top-line points on all three.
