    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [August 30, 1993]
    [Pages 1405-1407]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting on Flood
    Relief and Hurricane Emily
    August 30, 1993

        The President. Let me say, I asked that James Lee Witt to come in
    this morning to provide to me and to the Vice President and to our
    senior staff a briefing on Hurricane Emily and what provisions we're
    making to be ready for that and as well as to give me an update the--how
    we're handling the aftermath of the flood damage in the Midwest. And as
    you know, there was more flooding in Iowa yesterday.
        So those are the two things we're going to be talking about, and I
    thought I would maybe just let Mr. Witt say a word or two and then you
    may have a couple of questions.

    [At this point, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Witt made
    brief remarks.]

    Middle East Peace Talks

        Q. Mr. President, changing the subject for a second. The
    Palestinians and the Israelis appear to have some historic breakthrough
    involving perhaps mutual Israeli-PLO recognition. If the Israelis and
    the PLO recognize each other, will that result in the U.S. resuming its
    dialog with the PLO?

    [[Page 1406]]

        The President. Well, first, let me say I am very much encouraged by
    what is happening there and very hopeful. The administration has worked
    hard to facilitate it. But ultimately, whatever happens will have to be
    done by the parties themselves. If there is a new and different
    landscape in the Middle East, then I might be willing to entertain some
    questions. But I can't say now. I can't answer your question now. It's
    hypothetical, and it would only interfere with the discussions now going
    on. I don't think it's appropriate for the United States even to
    consider its own position here until the parties have a chance to work
    out a resolution of this.
        Q. But the U.S. did have intervention in this, didn't it? I mean----
        The President. Oh, absolutely. I don't know if I would call it an
    intervention, but we've certainly worked hard to be a handmaiden or
    whatever the appropriate term is----
        Q. So you are involved?
        The President. We are involved, but our position has not been at
    issue here and should not be discussed until the parties themselves
    worked out their differences.

    NAFTA

        Q. Mr. President, Senator Dole suggested the prospects for NAFTA
    would be better were you to take it up to the Senate first. Do you
    agree?
        The President. Yes, I think I do. At least my preliminary--I haven't
    talked to Mr. Daley about this or to the congressional leadership. But
    if you mean by that there's a far greater likelihood that today that
    NAFTA would pass in the Senate than the House, that's clearly correct.
        Q. What's going to be your strategy for winning over the House
    Democrats? David Bonior says that 75 percent of them right now are
    against NAFTA.
        The President. Well, not all of them have reached a position on it.
    And I want to do two or three things. First of all, as I told the
    Governors when I met with them in Tulsa, I'd like for all the Governors
    who support this to ask their Members of Congress to take no position
    until they actually read the agreement and see the implementing
    legislation itself.
        Remember, my position, going back to 1992, was that I was not for
    the NAFTA agreement as originally concluded but that I would support it
    if certain conditions were met. Those conditions have been met as far as
    our agreements with the Mexicans. We still have to have a training
    program, but we're going to have the first trade agreement in history
    that's got strong environmental requirements and that has Mexico
    committing to raise its minimum wage as its economy grows.
        So these are very encouraging and very different things. So my
    strategy for Democrats and Republicans who have not declared for but
    have not adamantly planted their feet in cement against, would be to ask
    them to read the agreement and wait until they see the implementing
    legislation, because that will tell them where we're going with the job
    training, and then make a judgment. And I think if that happens, we can
    prevail because, again I will say, Latin America is the second fastest
    growing part of the world. Mexico is just the beginning of this process.
    And I think it means more jobs for Americans. And I think I'll be able
    to persuade----
        Q. Should Bonior remove his hat as your whip, and----
        The President. No. I think that's a decision that the leadership in
    the House has to make. You know, Presidents and their Members of
    Congress are going to differ on some things. I heard the other day--I
    don't know that this is true--but I heard that so far, the Democrats in
    the Congress have voted for me more consistently than the last two or
    three Democratic Presidents. I have not checked that. That's just what I
    heard.
        Q. You don't believe that, do you?
        The President. I think yes, I think they have with remarkable
    consistency and very high percentages. But I think that we have an
    honest disagreement here. He has worked his heart out for me. This is
    the first issue on which we have disagreed. I think he's wrong; he
    thinks I'm wrong. I think in the end that my position will prevail.

    Hurricane Emily

        Q. I want to get this question--the people in the Carolinas are
    remembering still in their mind not only the devastation, of course, but
    the response of the Federal Government after--that they consider that
    largely a nightmare as well. What do you say to them to let them know
    that you're prepared, well prepared, in case it does, of course, hit
    them?
        The President. I would say two things. First of all, we're here
    looking at this map today

    [[Page 1407]]

    trying to get ready. That's what we're doing here. And secondly, if you
    look at the way FEMA and the Agriculture Department and the other
    Departments handled the flooding in the Middle West, it's obvious that
    while we don't control what Mother Nature does, we're going to be on top
    of it with all the resources and effort that we can possibly marshal as
    quickly as possible.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:13 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to William M. Daley, Chairman,
    NAFTA Task Force. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of these remarks.