[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.