    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [September 16, 1997]
    [Pages 1171-1172]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Proposed Fast-Track Trade Authority Legislation and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    September 16, 1997

        The President. Good afternoon. Today I am taking the next step in
    our strategy to extend our prosperity into the next century. I have
    submitted legislation to the Congress that will renew the traditional
    authority granted to Presidents of both parties since 1974 to negotiate
    new trade agreements to open foreign markets to goods and services made
    by American workers.
        We are at a moment of hard-earned optimism and great hope for our
    future, with 13 million new jobs, unemployment below 5 percent. Our 1993
    economic plan, which cut the deficit by 80 percent, created the base
    conditions for this growth. The bipartisan balanced budget I have just
    signed, with its unprecedented investment in education, sets the stage
    for further prosperity into the next century.
        But we must also recognize that a critical element of America's
    success has been our leadership in the global economy. More than a third
    of our growth in the past 4 years has come from expanded trade. Today,
    12 million American jobs are supported by exports. Today, at the
    pinnacle of that strength, America must choose whether to advance or to
    retreat. I believe the only way we can continue to grow and create good
    jobs in the future is to embrace global growth and expand American
    exports.
        The legislation I submitted today extends for 4 years the authority
    every American President has had for decades, to negotiate new
    agreements that tear down foreign barriers to our goods and our
    services, everything from computer equipment to chemicals. It will
    enable the United States to sell in the world's fastest growing markets,
    regions where our competitors

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    will step in if we retreat. It will help to create the high-wage jobs
    that come from exports, and it will do this while allowing us to advance
    protections for workers' rights and the environment, critical goals for
    us at home and for America abroad.
        The Vice President and I are now going to Capitol Hill to meet with
    the Democratic Members of Congress to spell out why this legislation is
    in the national interest. The legislation reflects the values of both
    parties and reflects the abiding partnership between the President and
    Congress. It is a bipartisan partnership that has helped to produce
    strong prosperity and a partnership that must continue in the interest
    of the American people and our future.

    Landmines

        Q. Mr. President, are you changing your policy on landmines?
        The President. No, I'm not changing my policy on landmines. I have
    been working very hard to try to reach agreement with the parties in
    Oslo.
        But I would like to remind everybody here of a few facts. I believe
    that I was the first world leader to call for an end to the landmines
    that are killing so many innocent people around the world. The United
    States does not produce, sell, or deploy these mines, and we are
    destroying them. With the single exception of Korea--everyone in the
    world recognizes that Korea is a special problem because of the number
    of North Korean troops that are very close to Seoul. And we have been
    working with the people in Oslo to try to get an extended period of time
    to deal with that.
        Now, there is another issue that relates to our antitank mines,
    which are slightly different from other countries, which also involve
    destruction devices that automatically go dead within a matter of hours
    or days. We're trying to work through these things.
        But the United States has done more than any other country to bring
    an end to landmines. We have spent $150 million in the last 4 years in
    demining work. We are missing an airplane off the coast of Africa that
    deposited a demining team in Africa to continue this work. So we have
    not taken a back seat to anyone. But we have to make sure that our
    fundamental responsibilities through the United Nations for Korea, and
    to our own troops in terms of antitank mines, which are legal under this
    treaty, can be maintained.
        And we're working on it. I don't want to discuss the state of play
    because I'm not quite sure what it is. But we have another day or so to
    try to work through this. The United States would like to be a signatory
    to this agreement, but I have to be sure that we can fulfill our
    responsibilities and protect our troops.
        Q. Sir, how much of a fast track----

    Proposed Tobacco Legislation

        Q. Do you support an increase in the price of cigarettes of $1.50?
    Is that one of the proposals tomorrow on tobacco?
        The President. I will announce tomorrow what I think we should do on
    tobacco. And we're going to come out for some clear principles that will
    further this debate, which we started a long time ago now it seems, with
    the action proposed by the FDA. Again, I will say I want to do what is
    necessary to protect children's health, particularly, and the public
    health in general. And I will be, I think, quite vigorous and clear
    tomorrow when I make that announcement.
        Q. Sir, is the tobacco agreement dead? How much of a fast track is
    it going to be on after tomorrow?
        The President. No, I don't think it's dead. You know, Members of
    Congress have made comments about whether it could be done or not this
    year. We ought do this as--we ought to get this legislation through
    Congress as quickly as we can. I would hope that we can get all the
    parties to the lawsuit involved to agree to it. But we have to do it
    right. So I will do it as quickly as possible, working with the
    leadership in Congress, but I want to do it right.
        Q. Will you offer legislation on your own, sir?
        The President. What did you say?
        Q. Will you offer your own legislation?
        The President. Well, tomorrow--let me just say this--tomorrow we're
    going to talk about general principles, and then we'll do some
    consulting to see what the most productive way to get legislation in the
    hopper is.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:55 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, prior to departing for meeting with the House Democratic Caucus
    on Capitol Hill.