Bill Clinton: “Good afternoon. I just wanted to test our stamina in the cold this afternoon. [Laughter] I am very pleased that the…”

“Good afternoon. I just wanted to test our stamina in the cold this afternoon. [Laughter] I am very pleased that the Senate has voted with a very strong bipartisan majority to clear the key procedural hurdle to pass trade negotiating authority to expand American exports, create American jobs, and strengthen American leadership in the world. Let me begin by thanking Senator Lott and Senator Daschle for their strong leadership and for the powerful arguments they made on behalf of fast track and our national interests. Today's vote shows that a bipartisan coalition for American leadership which has sustained us throughout this century can help us meet the challenges of the next century. The case for extending fast track is plain. Our economy is the strongest in a generation, growing over 4 percent the last year with $125 billion of that coming from exports. The only way to continue to increase incomes and create jobs is to tear down more foreign barriers to American products and services. Foreign nations already enjoy open access to our markets. This legislation will give us the authority to increase access to foreign markets, especially in the fastest growing regions of the world. The world economy is clearly on a fast track. If we don't seize these opportunities, our competitors surely will. An ``America last'' strategy is unacceptable. We have a unique obligation to lead. If we fail to lead on trade, our influence will suffer in other areas important to our security, undermining the trend toward free markets and democracy in other nations, weakening especially our relationships in Latin America, damaging cooperation on issues from drug trafficking to immigration. Now, in addition to this, of course, we should seek to raise labor and environmental standards in developing countries and to stop abuses like child labor. But this legislation will give us more leverage in pressing those goals. We should seek to do much more in helping American workers and their families when their jobs are lost because of trade or because of technological change, and I will have more to say about that tomorrow. But we cannot raise our own living standards or improve labor and environmental conditions in other parts of the world by withdrawing. What we have to do is to continue to reach out to open more opportunities for Americans and to work with other countries to improve standards there. In the coming days, I look forward to working with Speaker Gingrich and Representative Fazio. And I look forward to the same sort of determined congressional leadership that has borne fruit today. I call upon all the Members of the House, without regard to party, to make the choice they know is the right one for America when they vote on Friday. Thank you. Iraq”