Bill Clinton

Amendment November 5, 1993 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Leader:) I write to express my firm opposition to the proposed balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States (S.J. Res. 41 and H.J. Res. 103). While I am deeply…

Fishery Agreement November 5, 1993 To the Congress of the United States: In accordance with the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-256; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), I transmit herewith an Agreement Between…

You know, you all get into that name-calling character. I'm not going to do that. I think he's trying to negotiate the best possible position for himself. But it wouldn't be a credible debate for us to show up at his rally.

No, what Ross Perot wants, as always, is a show, not a debate. I mean, he basically wants Al Gore to show up at a rally that he's paid for with a crowd full of people that don't like NAFTA in the first place so they can shout at Al Gore…

Thank you for your hard work. Thanks, appreciate it, fellas. [At this point, the teleconference ended, and the President took questions from reporters.] Interest Rates

I thought I elevated the debate by allowing the Vice President to debate with him. I don't consider Ross--first of all, in the Congress Ross Perot is not the primary problem we've got. The primary problem we've got in the Congress is the…

San Angelo, Texas? [Mr. Peeples expressed his concern that the President has turned over the NAFTA debate with Ross Perot to the Vice President.]

Yes, and let me say since you're in Wichita, I might just mention we talked a lot about wheat and grains and how the markets will grow there as the tariffs go down. But I also think, given where you are and the people that listen in…

You sure are. I've been to Billings, too. It's the third biggest State, isn't it? [Mr. Brown asked about planned action on the issue of Canadian grain imports.]

Yes. Absolutely. And I might say a related thing, since you're calling me from Chicago and we've got a lot of teamsters in the upper Middle West and a lot of trucking enterprises: If a Mexican truck driver under this agreement stays with a…

How you doing? [Mr. Armstrong asked if Mexican producers would be held to the same standard as American producers in areas such as pesticides and food safety requirements.]

It will be tough on him. Right after the NAFTA vote, I'm going out to Washington State to meet with the leaders of many of the Pacific countries, trying to convince them to buy more of our products and trying to work out a new trade…

Where is that? [Mr. Corriher briefly described economic conditions working against farmers and asked if NAFTA would increase prices enough to allow them to stay in business.]

But to go back to your question, if we can pass it now, it will go into effect starting the first of 1994, at the beginning of the next year. But there are some provisions that are phased in. We will get the lion's share of the benefits…

The answer is, it'll go into effect everywhere at the same time. But the different provisions are phased in over several years. Mike, were you going to say something? [Secretary Espy acknowledged several weak points in the Canada-United…

Thank you. [Mr. Wheeler described the regional impact on grain producers of Canadian grains crossing the border under the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and asked if NAFTA would rectify that situation.]

Sure. [Secretary Espy stated that Mexico is interested in expanding the trade relationship with the United States but would quickly look elsewhere should NAFTA fail.]

One of the few companies that's been able to really triumph in the Japanese market. And the more per capita income goes up in Mexico, the better that company will do, too. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Right now they've aggressively sought it with us. But they've made it clear, and they've been very much willing to let us put some things in this trade agreement, I might add, that have never been in any other trade agreement. I mean…

----and there is nothing in the NAFTA agreement which changes that, so that the rules of origin that apply to Australian beef coming here directly would apply to them with equal force after NAFTA passes if they pass through Mexico. In…

That's a good question. And believe it or not, it's a question that applies not only to agriculture but to some of our manufacturing. We have strict rules of origin that apply to our agriculture as you know already----

My second grade teacher was there. I hadn't seen her since she left Arkansas. She was my second and third grade teacher. I really enjoyed that. [At this point, Mr. Hardecke asked if other cattle-producing countries could import cattle…

The President today approved seven men and women for Senior Executive Service posts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, and the Agency for International Development, U.S. International Development…

You've got to go back to work? [Laughter] Mr. Mann. Our laser printers are so hot in the marketplace that people want more of them than we can build. And so these people are going to be mad at me. They're going to be upset at me if I don't…

I don't think it will. What will it require the money for? What's the money going to be spent on? They keep throwing these dollars around. What money will be required?