Bill Clinton: “Well, I don't think we can pass it before Chile, so it's not important. We know we have the votes to pass it in the…”

“Well, I don't think we can pass it before Chile, so it's not important. We know we have the votes to pass it in the Senate, and we know we don't yet have the votes to pass it in the House. So I'm just going to keep working on it until I think we've got the votes to pass it in the House. It should pass. But I don't think that that should deter us from passing the Africa trade and investment bill. It's passed in the House now. We certainly have the votes in the Senate to pass it, so it's really a question of getting it up on the Senate calendar. They're not meeting many days this year, and they seem to be, for reasons I don't quite understand, bringing up a lot of issues that are highly contentious and don't have a big impact on the future. So I'm hoping I can cut through the Senate agenda and get--persuade Senator Lott and others to bring it up, because I think the Africa trade bill should pass this year, and I think it will if we can just bring it up. Ms. Bates. Mr. President, will there be any consideration by your administration similar to the Gray amendment concept, in an effort to mobilize the entire American business community? And are there any concrete plans that we can begin to talk about?”