[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.