"There were winners and losers in NAFTA. And that's the reality of what it was," Tom Perez said. | AP Photo Potential Clinton VP Perez still supports trade deal

Labor Secretary Tom Perez, a potential Democratic vice presidential pick, isn't backing down from his support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade deal opposed by Hillary Clinton.

The debate over trade has roiled the Democratic Party, with President Barack Obama and many congressional leaders supporting the agreement and both Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders opposing it. The position is a reversal of sorts for Clinton, who has traditionally supported trade deals and spoke favorably of the TPP when she was secretary of state.


Perez said the trade deal does more to protect American workers and the middle class than any prior deal.

"Absolutely," Perez said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday when asked whether he supports the trade deal. "Absolutely what we have done in the negotiations with Mexico and with Vietnam are I think some of the most far-reaching protections that we've seen in a labor agreement. And that's the work that I have done and I'm proud of that work we've done."

He also said Clinton would do more to crack down on bad actors in trade agreements than presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

"Secretary Clinton has been very clear that she opposes TPP," he said. "And Secretary Clinton has been very clear that she has a real plan to bring jobs back to America. She has a real plan on trade, which starts with making sure that we're tough on trade. So if China is — dumping steel or dumping aluminum, she's called for a trade prosecutor reporting directly to her."

At the same time, he was also critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was negotiated under President Bill Clinton.

"There were winners and losers in NAFTA. And that's the reality of what it was," Perez said. "And the biggest challenge that we have to learn from from NAFTA was that the provision of NAFTA said that all the other countries had to do was comply with their own laws. And if their own laws are Swiss cheese, and that was the case in Mexico, well then you're not asking them to do much."