    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [October 31, 1997]
    [Pages 1461-1463]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Tropical Shipping Company in Palm Beach, Florida
    October 31, 1997

        The President. Thank you. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
    As you can see, we are slightly delayed. [Laughter] When I took off this
    morning at 6:30 from the White House it was clear and beautiful. We had
    our normal 15-minute helicopter ride to Andrews Air Force Base, which
    was shrouded in fog. We flew around for 20 minutes in the airplane. When
    we got on the ground, it was like being in a sci-fi movie. It took us
    another 20 minutes to find Air Force One. [Laughter] You couldn't see
    your hand before you. And then we sat and sat and sat. So thanks for
    waiting. And Happy Halloween. [Laughter]
        Now, your leader here told me about your normal Halloween dress. And
    I feel cheated that you didn't wear your costumes this morning.
    [Laughter] I used to do that, but since I became President they have
    relegated me to a small pin. [Laughter] But I hope you have a good time
    when we get out of here.
        As you can tell, my voice has given out on me, and therefore, most
    of my remarks are going to be delivered by our fine Secretary of
    Commerce, Bill Daley, who is from Chicago, my wife's hometown, where
    they just--[applause]--somebody is from Chicago out there. They had a
    birthday celebration for Hillary's 50th birthday there. And I didn't
    think anything could make that a pleasant occurrence, but it actually
    did, and she was happy with it. [Laughter]
        Secretary Daley just came back from our trip to Latin America with
    me, and he'll have some more to say about fast track. But before I
    introduce him, and before I completely lose my voice, I want to say that
    I have worked very hard so that there'd be more stories like Deborah
    Braziel's in this country. And in the last 5 years, we have vigorously
    pursued an economic strategy that would move us away from big deficits
    and move us away from living day-by-day, to have long-term, stable
    growth that hard-working Americans could participate in and benefit
    from.
        We've had a commitment to reduce the deficit and balance the budget,
    to educate and train people and invest more in that and in technology,
    and to sell more American products and services around the world. That's
    been our strategy, and it's worked.
        And I want to say a special word of thanks to Congressman Foley and
    Congressman Deutsch here, a Republican and a Democrat, for helping us to
    pass the historic balanced budget agreement that passed the Congress
    last summer. We haven't had a balanced budget since 1969, but the
    deficit has gone from $290 billion to $22\1/2\ billion in the last 4
    years, and now we're going to balance the thing. It's going to be good
    for us.
        We just learned today that over the past year our economy has grown
    at 4 percent. That's the fastest rate of growth in a decade, and one big
    reason is $125 billion in new exports. You helped the American economy
    to grow. You helped the American economy to create over 13 million jobs,
    and I thank you for it.
        This strategy is working, and we have to continue to pursue it all.
    Yes, we reduced the deficit by 90 percent, but we needed that bill last
    August to balance the budget because our costs will keep going up if we
    don't continue to cut. We also need to invest more in education, and
    we've done more to open the doors of college than ever before, with tax
    credits and scholarships and better loans and education IRA's. And a lot
    of your children will now be able to take advantage of that, and maybe
    some of you will want to take advantage of that.

    [[Page 1462]]

        But it's a three-legged stool; we have got to have the exports. This
    fast-track debate in Washington is totally, I think, off the radar
    screen for most Americans. I bet, if you ask most people what fast track
    was, they'd say it's a new television series or maybe a new offensive
    football strategy. It's simply the same authority that Presidents have
    had for the last 20-odd years to negotiate agreements, take them back to
    Congress, and have them vote up or down.
        If I go and make an agreement with somebody who lives in a different
    system of government, they don't understand if--they can understand if
    the Congress rejects the agreement, but they don't want to have to
    negotiate it again with 535 people after they negotiate it with my
    representatives. So most countries simply won't enter into agreements
    with us unless I have the authority to make an agreement and say, ``Now,
    the Congress is the ultimate decider here. They've got to vote up or
    down. If it's bad for America, they're not going to vote for it. But at
    least you won't have it rewritten. We'll vote it up or down.'' That's
    all this bill does, and that's why Presidents have had it for the last
    20-something years.
        So I hope you will stick with us. I hope you'll urge the Congressmen
    and Senators to vote for it. And I hope you'll tell them that without
    regard to party, this is an American issue. It's helped to create jobs
    here at Tropical. It will help to take us into the 21st century. And if
    they'll stick with you on this, you will stick with them.
        Thank you very much. Now I'd like to ask Secretary Daley to come up
    and say what I wish I had the strength to say.
        Secretary Daley.
        Thank you, and God bless you.
        Secretary Daley. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, ladies and
    gentlemen, for your patience. Even with an unbelievably bad voice, he is
    better than anyone else who could stand up here, so it is difficult.
        I thank you also for not being cheered out after the great victory
    by the Marlins and being here. I thank you for putting up with this late
    substitution. On Halloween, I know you're all expecting quite a treat,
    but instead you have gotten a trick, and I'm sorry about that.
    [Laughter] But I think we could all sympathize with the President. And,
    Mr. President, I do feel your pain. [Laughter]
        If you'll all bear with me, the President has asked me to read his
    remarks that he would have given. This is a rather awkward situation for
    me to stand here in front of him and read his remarks. There's probably
    only one person in this entire audience who is truly happy that this is
    occurring, and that's the President's speechwriter, because this will be
    the first time his entire text has ever been read. [Laughter] So let me
    begin.
        ``Six years ago, when I announced my candidacy for President, I said
    that America had a vital mission for the 21st century, and that was to
    keep the American dream alive for every person responsible enough to
    work for it; to keep America the world's strongest force for peace,
    freedom, and prosperity; and to bring our people together, across all
    the lines that divide us, into one America.
        ``We started with a new economic policy for the new economy, putting
    in place a bold three-part strategy to shrink the deficit, invest in our
    people, and lower unfair trade barriers to our goods. And this strategy
    has succeeded: strong annual growth and low inflation; more than 13
    million new jobs; the deficit down 90 percent, even before the balanced
    budget law saves a single penny; America is leading the world in auto
    production once again; and unemployment is below 5 percent.
        ``We have made tremendous progress. But we have much more to do to
    prepare America for the 21st century. And Congress faces a decisive
    choice, whether to continue with a strategy that has helped give America
    the strongest economy in a generation. For one week from today, the
    House of Representatives will decide whether or not to keep America's
    exports growing with its vote on fast track. I applaud Speaker Gingrich
    for scheduling this vote and for his commitment to work in a bipartisan
    basis to enact this most important legislation this year.
        ``The arithmetic of the new economy is the following: We have 4
    percent of the world's population and 20 percent of its income; 96
    percent of the world's consumers live outside the United States; and the
    developing countries are growing 3 times as fast as the developed
    countries. So if we want to keep our income with our population base, we
    have to sell even more to the other 96 percent, especially those who are
    growing so rapidly.
        ``The workers here at Tropical Shipping know that more than anyone.
    And so do the workers

    [[Page 1463]]

    throughout this great State of Florida. For the exports from Florida
    have increased over the past 4 years by more than 50 percent, to over
    $30 billion. And that's one reason why this economy in Florida has been
    able to create a million new jobs during that same period. And here in
    West Palm Beach, Boca Raton metropolitan area, exports are up over $200
    million since 1993.
        ``But there is still much, much more to do and many barriers to
    those American products. So we owe it to the working men and women of
    America and around our entire country to level the playing field for
    trade so that when our workers are given a fair chance, they can and
    they do outcompete anyone anyplace in the world.
        ``Congress must take this opportunity--it must not take this
    opportunity away from the American people to compete. For more than 20
    years''--as the President stated--``every President, Democrat or
    Republican, has had this authority. If Congress grants this authority,
    we can use it to open trade where American firms are leading, such as
    computer software, medical equipment, environmental technologies.
    America can use it to open the markets of Chile and other Latin American
    countries to our goods and also our services.
        ``We all know we must do better to raise the living standards and
    environmental standards throughout the world. This trade authority will
    give me the leverage to negotiate agreements that do exactly that.
        ``The bills now waiting for a vote on the floor of the House and
    Senate offer the most detailed and concrete authority to negotiate these
    issues which have ever been included in this sort of legislation. And
    because we know that expanded world trade does not always benefit all
    Americans equally, we're working with Members of Congress to develop new
    initiatives to bring more Americans into this winner's circle. And with
    these initiatives we will increase our investment in communities that
    suffer from dislocation and in those workers who lose their jobs because
    of trade agreements, technology, or any other reason.
        ``So let's all be clear. Walking away from this opportunity will not
    create or save a single American job. It will not help a child in any
    country of the world come out of a sweatshop. It will not clean up a
    single toxic site in any nation. Turning away will not expand our
    economy, it will not enhance our competitiveness, and it will not
    empower our workers. It will give away markets, and it will give away
    jobs. It will jeopardize America's preeminent role and position in this
    world.
        ``Fast track is the key to U.S. leadership in the world economy, and
    now is not the time to raise questions about that leadership. Over the
    past 4\1/2\ years, our three-part strategy for security and growth has
    worked better than anyone had imagined. We have reduced the deficit to
    the lowest levels since the early 1970's. We have invested in our people
    with historic new commitments to education and health for all Americans.
    And we have raised American living standards by opening new markets to
    quality American goods and services. And thanks to this strategy and the
    hard work of American people, we stand poised at the threshold of a new
    century, stronger than ever before.
        ``America must not retreat on the strategy that has brought us to
    this place of promise. America must not return to a mind-set which is
    rooted in the past. Instead, America must move forward on all three
    crucial elements to our strategy. As you are doing here in south
    Florida, America must boldly seize the opportunities that stand before
    us into this next great century.
        ``Thank you very much. God bless you, and God bless America.''

    Note: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. in the warehouse. In his
    remarks, he referred to Deborah Braziel, Tropical Shipping Co. employee,
    who introduced the President.