    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [August 19, 1993]
    [Pages 1391-1392]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Naming William M. Daley as NAFTA Task Force Chairman
    August 19, 1993

        I am pleased to announce that William Daley has agreed to serve as
    Chairman of the administration's Task Force on the North American Free
    Trade Agreement. His willingness to serve--on behalf of expanded
    exports, expanded jobs, and expanded trade--is a further measure of his
    commitment to public service.
        For the next several months, the Congress of the United States will
    debate and determine the fate of NAFTA. With the leadership of the
    United States Trade Representative, Mickey Kantor, and the help of
    others in our administration, new supplemental agreements have been
    completed that will transform NAFTA into a force for job creation,
    environmental cleanup, greater American competitiveness, and higher
    labor standards.
        The case for NAFTA is strong, and in Bill Daley I have found the
    strongest possible advocate to make that case. Bill will work
    effectively and closely with Ambassador Kantor, Treasury Secretary
    Bentsen, Commerce Secretary Brown, Labor Secretary Reich, EPA
    Administrator Carol Browner, and other members of the Cabinet to conduct
    a positive, bipartisan campaign to explain the benefits of the NAFTA to
    the coun-

    [[Page 1392]]

    try and to the Congress.
        NAFTA is a pathbreaking trade agreement because its implementation
    will bring a better deal for American workers, companies, and consumers,
    while acting as a spur for a cleaner environment and a better climate
    for workers on all sides of the border. Passage of the NAFTA is a high
    priority of our administration, and the appointment of Bill Daley to
    coordinate our efforts for its adoption should be viewed as a signal of
    my personal commitment. I am grateful to him for accepting this
    appointment and this challenge.

    Note: A biography was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary.