Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993 / Dec. 8

Statement on Appointment of Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff December 7, 1993

I’ve known Phil for a long time and believe NOTE: This statement was included in a White that his integrity, personal qualities, and record House announcement naming Office of Manage- of management success will be a genuine asset ment and Budget Deputy Director for Manage- to the White House. ment as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.

Appointment for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts December 7, 1993

The President announced today that he in- truly remarkable,’’ said the President. ‘‘Just as tends to appoint Lew R. Wasserman to the impressive is his commitment to public service. Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Cen- The Kennedy Center, one of our country’s ter for the Performing Arts, Smithsonian Institu- greatest artistic institutions, will benefit from his tion. The Kennedy Center’s 30-member Board trusteeship.’’ of Trustees is responsible for the Center’s main- tenance and administration, including oversight of its $75 million annual budget. ‘‘Lew Wasserman’s long and distinguished ca- NOTE: A biography of the appointee was made reer in the entertainment industry has been available by the Office of the Press Secretary.

Remarks on Signing the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act December 8, 1993

Thank you very much. I’m delighted to see when we decided to come out for NAFTA, he all of you here. I thank Speaker Foley and the was a strong supporter of that position in our Republican leader, Bob Michel, for joining us personal meetings, long before we knew wheth- today. There are so many people to thank, and er we would even be here or not. the Vice President did a marvelous job. I do I also would be remiss if I did not personally want to mention, if I might, just three others: thank both and Mack McLarty , the Chair of the Council of Eco- for the work they did, especially in the closing nomic Advisers; Bob Rubin, head of my national days with the Mexican trade representatives and economic team; and one Republican Member the Mexican Government. I’d also like to wel- of the House that wasn’t mentioned, Congress- come here the representatives from Mexico and man David Dreier, who went with me on a Canada and tell them they are, in fact, welcome rainy day to Louisiana to campaign for NAFTA. here. They are our partners in the future that There are many others that I might mention, we are trying to make together. but I thank all of you for what you have done. I want to say a special word of thanks to I also can’t help but note that in spite of the Cabinet because we have tried to do some- all the rest of our efforts, there was that magic thing that I have not always seen in the past. moment on Larry King, which made a lot of And we try to get all of our Departments and difference. And I thank the Vice President for all of our Cabinet leaders to work together on that and for so much else. In the campaign,

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all the things that we all care about. And a of the terms of NAFTA, which basically is a lot of them, therefore, had to take a lot of trade agreement between the United States, personal time and business time away from their Mexico, and Canada, but because it became a very busy schedules to do this. I thank the symbolic struggle for the spirit of our country former leaders of our Government that were and for how we would approach this very dif- mentioned and our military. I can’t help but ficult and rapidly changing world dealing with noting, since General Powell is here, that every our own considerable challenges here at home. senior military officer with whom I spoke about I believe we have made a decision now that NAFTA was perhaps—they were as a group per- will permit us to create an economic order in haps the most intensely supportive of any group the world that will promote more growth, more I spoke with. And I think it is because they equality, better preservation of the environment, have in their bones the experience of the world and a greater possibility of world peace. We of the last several decades. And they knew we are on the verge of a global economic expansion could not afford to turn away from our leader- that is sparked by the fact that the United States ship responsibilities and our constructive in- at this critical moment decided that we would volvement in the world. And many of them, compete, not retreat. of course, still in uniform, were not permitted In a few moments, I will sign the North to say that in public and should not have been. American free trade act into law. NAFTA will But I think I can say that today I was profoundly tear down trade barriers between our three na- personally moved by the remarks that they tions. It will create the world’s largest trade made. zone and create 200,000 jobs in this country I do want to say, also, a special word of thanks by 1995 alone. The environmental and labor side to all the citizens who helped us, the business agreements negotiated by our administration will leaders, the labor folks, the environmental peo- make this agreement a force for social progress ple who came out and worked through this— as well as economic growth. Already the con- many of them at great criticism, particularly in fidence we’ve displayed by ratifying NAFTA has the environmental movement—and some of the begun to bear fruit. We are now making real working people who helped it. And a group progress toward a worldwide trade agreement that was quite pivotal to our success that I want so significant that it could make the material to acknowledge specifically are the small busi- gains of NAFTA for our country look small by ness people, many of whom got themselves orga- comparison. nized and came forward and tried to help us. Today we have the chance to do what our They made a real difference. parents did before us. We have the opportunity And they’ve been mentioned, but I couldn’t to remake the world. For this new era, our let this moment go by without thanking my good national security we now know will be deter- friend Bill Daley and Congressman Bill Frenzel mined as much by our ability to pull down for- for their work in helping to mobilize this effort. eign trade barriers as by our ability to breach Congressman Frenzel wrote me a great letter distant ramparts. Once again, we are leading. the other day and sent me one of his famous And in so doing, we are rediscovering a funda- doodles that he doodled around the NAFTA mental truth about ourselves: When we lead, legislation, which I am now having framed. But we build security, we build prosperity for our they sort of represented the bipartisan spirit that own people. encaptured the Congress, encaptured the coun- We’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Twice try in the cause to change. I hope that we before in this century, we have been forced can have more than that in the days and months to define our role in the world. After World and years ahead. It was a very fine thing. War I we turned inward, building walls of pro- This whole issue turned out to be a defining tectionism around our Nation. The result was moment for our Nation. I spoke with one of a Great Depression and ultimately another hor- the folks who was in the reception just a few rible World War. After the Second World War, moments ago who told me that he was in China we took a different course: We reached outward. watching the vote on international television Gifted leaders of both political parties built a when it was taken. And he said you would have new order based on collective security and ex- had to be there to understand how important panded trade. They created a foundation of sta- this was to the rest of the world, not because bility and created in the process the conditions

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which led to the explosion of the great American nomic policies that permit productivity to find middle class, one of the true economic miracles expression not simply in higher incomes for our in the whole history of civilization. Their businesses but in more jobs and higher incomes statecraft stands to this day: the IMF and the for our people. That means more customers. World Bank, GATT, and NATO. There is no other way, not for the United States In this very auditorium in 1949, President or for Europe or for Japan or for any other Harry Truman signed one of the charter docu- wealthy nation in the world. ments of this golden era of American leadership, That is why I am gratified that we had such the North Atlantic Treaty that created NATO. a good meeting after the NAFTA vote in the ‘‘In this pact we hope to create a shield against House with the Asian-Pacific leaders in Wash- aggression and the fear of aggression,’’ Truman ington. I am gratified that, as Vice President told his audience, ‘‘a bulwark which will permit Gore and Chief of Staff Mack McLarty an- us to get on with the real business of Govern- nounced 2 weeks ago when they met with Presi- ment and society, the business of achieving a dent Salinas, next year the nations of this hemi- fuller and happier life for our citizens.’’ sphere will gather in an economic summit that Now, the institutions built by Truman and will plan how to extend the benefits of trade Acheson, by Marshall and Vandenberg, have ac- to the emerging market democracies of all the complished their task. The cold war is over. Americas. The grim certitude of the contest with com- And now I am pleased that we have the op- munism has been replaced by the exuberant un- portunity to secure the biggest breakthrough of certainty of international economic competition. all. Negotiators from 112 nations are seeking And the great question of this day is how to to conclude negotiations on a new round of the ensure security for our people at a time when General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; a his- change is the only constant. toric worldwide trade pact, one that would spur Make no mistake, the global economy with a global economic boon, is now within our grasp. all of its promise and perils is now the central Let me be clear. We cannot, nor should we, fact of life for hard-working Americans. It has settle for a bad GATT agreement. But we will enriched the lives of millions of Americans. But not flag in our efforts to secure a good one for too many those same winds of change have in these closing days. We are prepared to make worn away at the basis of their security. For our contributions to the success of this negotia- two decades, most people have worked harder tion, but we insist that other nations do their for less. Seemingly secure jobs have been lost. part as well. We must not squander this oppor- And while America once again is the most pro- tunity. I call on all the nations of the world ductive nation on Earth, this productivity itself to seize this moment and close the deal on holds the seeds of further insecurity. After all, a strong GATT agreement within the next week. productivity means the same people can produce I say to everyone, even to our negotiators: more or, very often, that fewer people can Don’t rest. Don’t sleep. Close the deal. I told produce more. This is the world we face. Mickey Kantor the other day that we rewarded We cannot stop global change. We cannot his laborious effort on NAFTA with a vacation repeal the international economic competition at the GATT talks. [Laughter] that is everywhere. We can only harness the My fellow Americans, bit by bit all these energy to our benefit. Now we must recognize things are creating the conditions of a sustained that the only way for a wealthy nation to grow global expansion. As significant as they are, our richer is to export, to simply find new customers goals must be more ambitious. The United for the products and services it makes. That, States must seek nothing less than a new trading my fellow Americans, is the decision the Con- system that benefits all nations through robust gress made when they voted to ratify NAFTA. commerce but that protects our middle class I am gratified with the work that Congress and gives other nations a chance to grow one, has done this year, bringing the deficit down that lifts workers and the environment up with- and keeping interest rates down, getting housing out dragging people down, that seeks to ensure starts and new jobs going upward. But we know that our policies reflect our values. that over the long run, our ability to have our Our agenda must, therefore, be far reaching. internal economic policies work for the benefit We are determining that dynamic trade cannot of our people requires us to have external eco- lead to environmental despoliation. We will seek

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new institutional arrangements to ensure that mate fears—the gains from this agreement will trade leaves the world cleaner than before. We be your gains, too. will press for workers in all countries to secure I ask those who opposed NAFTA to work rights that we now take for granted, to organize with us to guarantee that the labor and side and earn a decent living. We will insist that agreements are enforced, and I call on all of expanded trade be fair to our businesses and us who believe in NAFTA to join with me to to our regions. No country should use cartels, urge the Congress to create the world’s best subsidies, or rules of entry to keep our products worker training and retraining system. We owe off its shelves. And we must see to it that our it to the business community as well as to the citizens have the personal security to confidently working men and women of this country. It participate in this new era. Every worker must means greater productivity, lower unemploy- receive the education and training he or she ment, greater worker efficiency, and higher needs to reap the rewards of international com- wages and greater security for our people. We petition rather than to bear its burdens. have to do that. Next year, our administration will propose We seek a new and more open global trading comprehensive legislation to transform our un- system not for its own sake but for our own employment system into a reemployment and sake. Good jobs, rewarding careers, broadened job retraining system for the 21st century. And horizons for the middle class Americans can only above all, I say to you we must seek to recon- be secured by expanding exports and global struct the broad-based political coalition for ex- growth. For too long our step has been unsteady panded trade. For decades, working men and as the ground has shifted beneath our feet. women and their representatives supported poli- Today, as I sign the North American Free Trade cies that brought us prosperity and security. Agreement into law and call for further progress That was because we recognized that expanded on GATT, I believe we have found our footing. trade benefited all of us but that we have an And I ask all of you to be steady, to recognize obligation to protect those workers who do bear that there is no turning back from the world the brunt of competition by giving them a of today and tomorrow. We must face the chal- chance to be retrained and to go on to a new lenges, embrace them with confidence, deal with and different and, ultimately, more secure and the problems honestly and openly, and make more rewarding way of work. In recent years, this world work for all of us. America is where this social contract has been sundered. It cannot it should be, in the lead, setting the pace, show- continue. ing the confidence that all of us need to face When I affix my signature to the NAFTA tomorrow. We are ready to compete, and we legislation a few moments from now, I do so can win. with this pledge: To the men and women of Thank you very much. our country who were afraid of these changes and found in their opposition to NAFTA an expression of that fear—what I thought was a NOTE: The President spoke at 10:37 a.m. in the wrong expression and what I know was a wrong Mellon Auditorium. H.R. 3450, approved Decem- expression but nonetheless represented legiti- ber 8, was assigned Public Law No. 103–182.

Exchange With Reporters December 8, 1993

Violent Crime I will say, I think we have to note that the Q. Give us your reaction, sir, to the shootings gun that was used contained, apparently, two on Long Island—[inaudible]—in the shootings. 15-round clips that were expended while this The President. First of all, it’s a terrible man in a manic state was walking down the human tragedy, and my sympathies go out to subway aisle. And one of the reasons we ought all the families involved. to pass the crime bill is that Senator Feinstein’s

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