Statement on Naming William M. Daley as NAFTA Task Force Chairman

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 country 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.