Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323154671
label
Fast Track Briefing 3/5/91 [OA 4424]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323154671
contentType
document
title
Fast Track Briefing 3/5/91 [OA 4424]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13880-008
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Mary Kate Grant Subject Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323154671
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
512bbf8d09e67499
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Grant, Mary Kate, Files
Subseries:
Subject File, 1988-1991
OA/ID Number:
13880
Folder ID Number:
13880-008
Folder Title:
Fast Track Briefing, 3/5/91
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
19
2
7
5
Grant/Dooley
March 4, 1991
5 p.m. A: TRADE
PRESIDENTIAL TALKING POINTS: FAST TRACK EXTENSION
ROOM 450 BRIEFING
MARCH 5, 1991
10:30 A.M.
I'd like to welcome all of you to the White House. Although
attention lately has focused on the Persian Gulf, I wanted
to drop by to discuss our economic growth. I am optimistic
about the economy -- and I am optimistic that we can expand
exports and economic growth through open world markets.
As Carla Hills, Michael Boskin and Fred McClure have told
you, our economic growth depends on free markets throughout
the world. Our trade agreements must open markets and
provide rules for fair and free trade
For
For
the last sixty
Since
years, fast track has allowed us to negotiate many important
many
successful trade agreements -- reducing barriers to trade
years
and contributing to growth both here and abroad.
This Administration is committed to America's leadership
role in the global economy -- and to the extension of fast
track. We want to continue our active partnership with
Congress and the private sector in expanding our trade. As
business and association leaders, you have been tremendously
helpful so far, and I want to keep this partnership strong.
Fast track will do this.
It will also give us the same bargaining power our
counterparts already enjoy: the ability to ensure that the
agreement reached at the table is the same one voted on at
home.
Supporting fast track will allow our important initiatives
for economic growth to go forward. If a disapproval
resolution is passed by either House, the fast track is gone
for all purposes -- as is our ability to negotiate in the
Uruguay Round, the North America Free Trade Agreement, and
the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative. A vote against
fast track is a vote against trade.
We are the world's largest trader -- and our exports have
become a vital source of strength to the U.S. economy. I
know we're facing a tough fight on this in the Congress, but
we have before us the opportunity to expand growth and
prosperity for all Americans. We need your support in this
important work. Thank you very much.
# # #
Grant/Dooley
March 4, 1991
3 p.m. A:TRADE
PRESIDENTIAL TALKING POINTS: FAST TRACK EXTENSION
ROOM 450 BRIEFING
MARCH 5, 1991
10:30 A.M.
I'd like to welcome all of you to the White House. It's a
pleasure to have so many key association leaders and
business groups here today to discuss the importance of our
fast track authority in trade negotiations. What is at
stake is this: American leadership in the global economy.
As Carla Hills, Michael Boskin and Fred McClure have told
you, this Administration's trade policy is to open markets
worldwide for American goods and services. Our economic
growth depends on free markets throughout the world; in
fact, over the last three years, export expansion accounted
for 57 percent of our GNP growth. Everyone here knows that
the United States has much to gain from trade agreements
which open markets and provide rules for fair and free
trade.
For most of this century, Congress and the Executive branch
have recognized that trade negotiation requires special
cooperation. We are committed to continuing our active
partnership with Congress and the private sector at each
step of the negotiation, approval and implementation of
trade agreements. Fast track procedures guarantee this
partnership.
Through the fast track, Congress has historically given the
Executive the same bargaining power our counterparts already
enjoy -- the ability to ensure that the agreement reached at
the table would be the same one voted on at home. Without
that assurance, trading partners become reluctant to
negotiate with us, and they don't make the tough concessions
necessary to reach agreements we'd be willing to sign. No
trading partner will give its bottom line to our negotiators
knowing that the bargain could be reopened.
Fast track has allowed us to negotiate many successful trade
agreements in the past, reducing barriers to trade and
contributed to growth both here and abroad. As you know, we
are today engaged in bilateral and multilateral trade
initiatives that hold unprecedented promise for economic
growth in this country -- the Uruguay Round, the North
America Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, and the
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative.
Supporting fast track will allow these important initiatives
to go forward without in any way detracting from Congress'
ability to assess each agreement on its merits when
presented for approval. If a disapproval resolution is
passed by either House, the fast track is gone for all
purposes -- as is our ability to negotiate all three of
these agreements.
Simply put, a vote against fast track is a vote against
trade.
Our goal is to expand exports and economic growth -- and to
do it, we must continue our efforts to open world markets.
I am committed to America's active leadership role in the
global economy -- without the extension of fast track, those
efforts our futile. Maintaining the partnership between the
Congress and the Executive -- which fast track represents
-- will ensure that our joint efforts to open world markets
will stay on course. No country has more to gain from this
than the United States.
I've said before that we stand on the verge of a New
American Century. We are the world's largest trader -- and
our exports have become a vital source of strength to the
U.S. economy. I know we're facing a tough fight on this in
the Congress, but we have before us the opportunity to
expand growth and prosperity for all Americans. For their
sake, I urge the Congress to continue to support fast track
by maintaining the partnership between our two branches that
has endured for over sixty years on this issue. Thank you.
# # #