[House Document 105-133]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress, 1st Session  - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-133


 
           AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 1998 APPROPRIATIONS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

  AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 1998 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS FOR THE 
    OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE (USTR) AND THE 
        DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, PURSUANT TO 31 U.S.C. 1107





 September 18, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed


                                           The White House,
                                    Washington, September 16, 1997.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: I ask Congress to consider the enclosed amendments to 
the FY 1998 appropriations requests for the Office of the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of 
Transportation. This proposal would provide $1,700,000 to the 
USTR for additional staffing to address the increased workload 
related to settlement of trade dispute cases and trade 
negotiations, as well as funding an Assistant Secretary for 
Africa. I believe that these resources are essential to 
carrying out USTR's statutory responsibility to enforce and 
monitor existing trade agreements, to implement the Uruguay 
Round, and to negotiate further with the Free Trade Agreement 
of the Americas (FTAA) and the Asia Pacific Economic 
Cooperation (APEC). The requested increase for the USTR is 
offset fully by a reduction to the request for the Department 
of Transportation's Maritime Administration.
    The details of these actions are set forth in the enclosed 
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. I concur with his comments and observations.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.
    Enclosure.





                                
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