> GOP Leaders Boycott Clinton Event > > By Martin Crutsinger > AP Economics Writer > Thursday, September 11, 1997; 6:27 a.m. EDT > > WASHINGTON (AP) -- Facing an open rebellion in his own > party, President Clinton has kicked off his>campaign to win > congressional authority to expand free trade>throughout the > Western Hemisphere and Asia. > > ``This is about more than economics,'' Clinton told>a >gathering > of business executives in the White House East Room>on > Wednesday. ``It's about whether other countries>will continue > to look to the United States to lead to a future of>peace and > prosperity.'' > > But Clinton's campaign got off to less than a>rousing >send-off > as top Republican leaders boycotted the White House>event to > signal their displeasure that Clinton has yet to>put forward >the > specific legislative language. > > This year's fight is shaping up to be every bit as>ferocious >as the > fight four years ago to win approval for the North>American > Free Trade Agreement linking the United States,>Canada and > Mexico. > > Clinton prevailed in that struggle, but the>administration >tacitly > acknowledged in a three-year assessment in July>that it had > oversold NAFTA's benefits. But it maintained that>the trade > deal had still had an overall positive, although>modest, >impact > on the U.S. economy. > > The House Ways and Means Committee today was>scheduled > to review the administration's report as well as>hear from >critics > of the deal as Congress turns its attention to>Clinton's >request > for negotiating authority to reach other deals. > > Fast-track authority allows a president to>negotiate >agreements > that must be considered by Congress quickly without > amendments. This take-it-or-leave-it approach is>necessary, > supporters argue, because no country would make > commitments during a negotiation if it feared the>entire deal > could unravel once Congress began reviewing it. > > Clinton has been without this authority since 1994>as he and > Republicans in Congress have been at an impasse>over how to > insure that free trade agreements do not lead >to>exploitation of > workers or the environment. > > Clinton wanted specific authority to negotiate>worker and > environmental safeguards in any future free-trade>deals but > Republicans have balked, arguing that the focus of>such deals > should be removing trade barriers. > > While administration officials have held a number>of meetings > with both parties on the hill, the White House>missed its > self-imposed deadline of coming up with specific>language in > time for Wednesday's ceremony. > > Gene Sperling, director of the president's National>Economic > Council, said it was more important to craft>language that > would achieve the broadest spectrum of Democratic>and > Republican support rather than meet an arbitrary>deadline. He > said the legislation was likely to be completed by>next week. > > However, Republican leaders stayed away from the>White > House ceremony to underscore their unhappiness that>the > actual legislation has been delayed once again. And>several > expressed concerns that further delay could doom>passage for > this year. > > ``At this late date, every day's delay complicates>the >prospects > for passing legislation,'' said House Ways and>Means Chairman > Bill Archer. > > Administration officials hinted at the outlines of>a possible > compromise that would restrict fast-track authority>to labor > and environmental issues ``directly related to>trade'' while > allowing the administration to use its executive>authority to > reach other deals that don't require congressional>approval. > > Another option, officials suggested the>administration could > negotiate some labor and environmental agreements>that would > be considered by Congress as normal legislation>with the > possibility of amendments. > > However, the two top Democrats in the House, Rep.>Dick > Gephardt, D-Mo., and David Bonior, D-Mich.,>repeated their > strong opposition to fast track as long as it does>not >contain > adequate labor and environmental protections in the>body of > the bill. > > ``It is time to build a trade policy that benefits>everyone, >not > just the fortunate few,'' Gephardt said. > > Unions, environmental and consumer groups staged>their own > rally outside the White House Wednesday to>underscore their > opposition to expanding free trade under current>rules. > > In addition to workers who had lost jobs because>their plants > had closed, the rally heard from Sue Doneth, a>Michigan > mother, who said she worried about free trade's>impact on > health safety after her daughter got hepatitis>earlier this >year > from eating tainted Mexican strawberries. > > At the White House ceremony, Clinton insisted that>the United > States has no choice but to continue lowering trade>barriers, > particularly in fast-growing developing countries>of Asia and > Latin America. > > ``In order for us to continue to create jobs >and>opportunities > for our own people, we have to continue to expand>exports,'' > Clinton said. > > c Copyright 1997 The Associated Press
