    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 9, 1991]
    [Pages 490-491]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 490]]

    Remarks to the Hispanic Alliance for Free Trade
    May 9, 1991

        Thank you very much. And some of that has to do, I think, with my
    fibrillating heart--[laughter]--but it's all right. I just came back
    from Bethesda and really got a wonderful report. I won't go into the
    clinical assessment, but it's great. I just take something to do with
    the thyroid, and the heart is perfect. So, I'm very lucky, very, very
    lucky.
        I came over to talk to you today about an issue that is really of
    vital concern to me and, I think, of our country. And I have some
    talking points here, but let me just put them away and speak from the
    heart. I see my friend the Ambassador here, and I have great respect for
    him. And I might say I have enormous respect for President Salinas of
    Mexico.
        And he is taking that country that we all love and moving it in a
    direction that we can all admire. And it would be a terrible tragedy if
    we took this Fast Track authority from Mexico and pulled it away and
    turned it down. I think it would send an outrageously bad symbol, not
    only to Mexico but to the countries to the south. We've got a real
    opportunity while I'm President to build stronger relations with South
    America.
        I've been down there; I've talked endlessly to the Presidents of the
    various countries. Just the other day, Gus, Carlos Andres Perez of
    Venezuela was in. He doesn't benefit from a free trade agreement with
    Mexico, but he said: You cannot let this fail. The signal that this
    would send through our part of the world would just be unconscionable.
        And so, I am committed to this. And I'm committed to it not just
    because it's good for Mexico. I'm the President of the United States,
    and all of us are citizens of the United States--Gus, that leaves you
    out--[laughter]--but we've got to do what's in the best interest of the
    United States. And this is in the best interest of the United States.
        And I can understand the concerns about the environment, but as
    Ambassador Hills tells you, we have good answers for that. Mexico is
    moving on their own. Carlos closed down PEMEX refinery, an enormously
    difficult political move for him. And yet, he did it. And many other
    businesses that were polluting have closed down. And the way to help
    with pollution on the border is to raise the standard of living down
    there so people can have more money to put into these things that we
    hold near and dear to our hearts.
        And so, I approach this on a foreign policy basis as thinking that
    it's essential. And I approach it in terms of our own economy as
    thinking it's essential. We think it will create jobs. I am offended,
    frankly, by some of the advertising I've seen that I honestly find
    discriminatory. And I don't like it, and I'm troubled by it. I can
    understand a labor union person wondering whether it's going to cause
    drops, but I think we have good answers for it. And I think the answer
    is it will add to American jobs. And I'm going to keep working with
    Carla Hills to get that message out to the United States Congress.
        But I really wanted to come over to exhort you all to sally forth to
    the Hill up there--you've got many friends up there--and use your best
    influence in the best tradition of persuasion of the Congress to make
    them understand that the Fast Track authority will create jobs, it will
    open up more trade between countries, it will raise the standards of
    living along the border on both sides, in my view, and it's going to be
    a wonderful thing. And I want our administration, indeed, to be firmly
    committed in terms of free trade, because history shows it results in
    prosperity.
        And so, this is where we stand. And I thank you all very, very much
    for your interest in it. And do exactly what Carla Hills tells you to
    do. Thank you all very much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 10:19 a.m. in the Old
                            Indian Treaty Room of the Old Executive Office
                            Building. In his remarks, he referred to Gustavo
                            Petricioli Iturbide,

    [[Page 491]]

                            Mexican Ambassador to the United States;
                            President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico;
                            President Carlos Andres Perez of Venezuela; and
                            U.S. Trade Representative Carla A. Hills.