NAFTA NOTES 

Tuesday, September 21, 1993

Caucus Vice Chair & DCCC Chair Fazio, Freshman Rep. Endorse NAFTA

	* In a House press conference this afternoon, House Speaker
Thomas Foley was joined by members Vic Fazio (D-CA), Vice Chair
of the House Democratic Caucus and Chair of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, and Freshman Rep. Jay Inslee
(D-WA) to publicly endorse NAFTA.  In voicing his support Fazio
said, "California stands to gain 30,000 to 40,000 jobs over the
next two years, and the country gains 200,000 jobs after the
enactment of NAFTA."  Arguing that NAFTA was a "unique"
opportunity for the U.S., Fazio said, "if we don't take it, if
we allow others like the Japanese and Europeans to take it, they
will not only have been able to cement their own trading blocks,
but destroy the chance we have to put America's trading blocks
together, giving ourselves an opportunity for the long haul, for
the future."

	Freshman Rep. Inslee stated that he was "optimistic [NAFTA] is
going to pass because it is my experience that when the truth is
told about NAFTA and the truth reaches the American people, the
American people will support it."

	* Other members attending were Robert Matsui (D-CA), the
Majority Whip at Large who is rallying NAFTA votes in the House,
Chairman Sam Gibbons of the House Ways & Means Trade
Subcommittee and Reps. David McCurdy (D-OK), James Moran (D-VA),
and David Skaggs (D-CO), as well as Democratic National
Committee Chair David Wilhelm.

	* In a long-expected move, Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO)
announced that he will oppose NAFTA.  While he was critical of
aspects of the agreement, Gephardt praised the administration's
"important progress" in certain areas such as having minimum
wages, child labor, and health and safety covered under the
dispute settlement system, as well as Mexico's unilateral pledge
to tie minimum wages to productivity.  When asked about
Gephardt's opposition, White House Spokesperson Dee Dee Myers
said "we knew this fight wouldn't be easy.  When we began we
knew that even some in our own party would oppose us.  But it's
the right thing to do; it's good for jobs, and good for
America."  Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said that he
would make a statement in support of NAFTA, "so we have one
majority leader for it and one against it today."

NAFTA Fact

	* With the implementation of NAFTA, the Commerce Department
estimates that the Big Three automakers could see $1 Billion in
new sales to Mexico in the first year of the agreement.  This
translates into 15,000 jobs in the auto and supplier industries
in the first year alone.