European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. November 19. 1993 j Trade agreement the stars and stripes Page 9 voting yes was a big Deal for some bygaylordshaw1 new Day Washington the White House Wheeling and dealing to win approval of the North american free Trade agreement involved everything from to Matoes and washing machines to the con Striction of Federal facilities and the extradition of an alleged rapist. The Deal making was unprecedented for the Young Clinton administration and reminiscent of president Reagan s Cut Ting his 1981 budget Deal. And it was roundly denounced by Naftal opponents particularly Texas tycoon Ross Perot who said president Clinton was buying the votes with american tax Dol Lars. He s opened up the vaults in the  but As the House s crucial vote neared wednesday night no one in the Naftal High command seemed embarrassed by the fact that some of the Juiciest deals had a distinctly protectionist flavor and backtracked on the Promise of free Trade. And Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen assured reporters there would be no net Cost to the Treasury from the conces Sions to win votes for the agreement which would gradually eliminate tariffs and other Trade restrictions among the United states Mexico and Canada. I regard them the deals As a Nec Essary evil said Gary Hufbauer a pro Naftal Trade expert at the Institute for International economics in Washington. He estimated that the deals will Cost con Sumers tens of millions of dollars in president Clinton on wednesday uses a phone in the Oval office to lobby House Mem Ben for Naftal support As White House congressional Liaison Howard pastor listens. Higher prices but said Naftal s passage what s happening Here is democracy will provide billions of dollars in Over where we have congresspeople concerned All benefits to the Economy. It s Naftal aus time at the White House democratic whip David e. Bonior d-mich., who led the opposition said derisively As wednesday s floor de Bate began. But the White House called the lawmaker s charges exaggerated. It s not like we have this 1-800 num Ber we want people to Call up and we Allcut you a Deal said Deputy White House press Secretary Lorraine Voles. About the treaty and saying listen what about this Industry and if there s some thing we can do that won t Hurt the guts of the treaty and would make it better for american workers we re going to do that the most sweeping deals Cut by administration officials in the Days leading unto wednesday s vote were made with legislators from Texas Oklahoma and especially Florida. With Mexico s consent the for prosecution. White House offered provisions to protect growers of wheat tomatoes peanuts and Citrus by limiting imports that could depress . Prices. Under a True free Trade agreement a Deteo would be Able to ship its Toma toes to the United states to make up for the loss if for example a Frost wiped out Florida s Winter crop Consumers could still buy tomatoes for $1.29 a Pound. But under the Deal made with Florida con Gressional members Tomato imports would be monitored. If the volume gets too High or prices drop below the level of the last five years that will quickly trigger Snapback tariffs that will raise their Price. Deals also included a $10 million Cen Ter for the study of Trade in Austin Texas the Hometown of Veteran demo cratic rep. Ujj. Pickle and a Promise to Iowa congressional members to Speed up Tariff cuts for Home state appliance manufacturers Maytag and Amana. The most unusual Deal appears to have been Cut by rep. E. Clay Shaw jr., a Fla. The 5-year-old Niece of an employee Inshaw s congressional office was raped in California allegedly by a 29-year-old mexican citizen who then escaped across the Border. The White House had the mexican government hand deliver a let Ter from its ambassador to the Congress Man on the Issue then followed up with Bacall from Mexico s attorney general promising that the suspect if caught would be returned to the United states Perot charges Clinton saved Naftal by the los Angeles times Washington Ross Perot the Texas billionaire who became the most prominent opponent of the North american free Trade agreement said wednesday that president Clinton prevailed Only because of the dozens of deals he Cut with wavering. Lawmakers. No votes started changing until the pork started flowing Perot said wednesday evening after con ceding defeat while House members were still de bating the Trade pact. Perot famous for his prediction that Naftal would create a giant sucking sound As . Jobs fled to Mexico warned that wednesday s House vote would set off a Roar from . Factory floors that would Cost the jobs of lawmakers in the 1994 and 1996 elections. In addition he said it would sharply increase membership in his United we stand organization adding that the group is still split on whether Tofield candidates for the 1994 congressional elections. Perot said he would attempt to tie up Naftal in court and trigger a provision of the pact that would cancel the agreement if it threatened the . Econ  he has led 93 anti Naftal rallies in re Ross Perot mulls Over his failed Effort to Block the North american free Trade agreement. Cent months and spent freely of his own funds Perot insisted that his principal concern was for the workers who would lose their jobs. This one tonight is a nuclear hit on our tax base and our Economy he said. Greenpeace protesters disrupt debate Washington a four shouting Greenpeace demonstrators dumped hundreds of fake $50 Bills Over the House gallery rail interrupting the debate on the North american free Trade agreement. Two protesters then two More a few minutes later disrupted the debate when they shouted not this Naftal before sending the fake Money showering Down to the House floor. The bogus $50 Bills said trading pork for poisons on the front and environmental Protection sold for Naftal votes on the Back. The disruption was Short. Capitol Security officers carted the protesters away quickly. They were arrested and charged with disrupting Congress a Misdemeanour a House gallery official said. Later Security officers cleared the entire Side of the visitors gallery where the four had been sitting. Democracy is being sold Clinton is buying votes for Naftal said one of those being led away who identified herself As Katherine Schultz. She was Wear ing a Greenpeace sticker on her shirt the fake Money had a Greenpeace logo on it too. Senate approval of pact appears virtually certain Washington a forty nine senators firmly support the free Trade pact with Mexico and Canada giving it nearly All the votes it needs to Clear the Senate according to an associated press Survey. Leaders of both parties and even opponents of the pact predict far More senators will sign on. It will not be a close vote Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell said wednesday. The outcome is not in doubt in the  the House approved the pact 234-200 late  a count showed that As of wednesday 49 senators one Short of the 50 needed had committed to the North american free Trade agreement. Three others said they Are leaning that  Are 25 senators against the pact six leaning against and 17 undecided. Mitchell said he already had More than 51 senators committed to Naftal and expected the final tally to be Well above  Naftal foes said it would not be close in the Senate. They had always focused on the  Al Cio official said the labor federation con ceded the Senate weeks ago when a informal demo cratic Survey showed Naftal forces winning a lopsided Victory with perhaps As Many As 65 senators voting for  Only question in the Senate is if any of the opponents try to use parliamentary procedures to delay a vote for a few Days. Mitchell a Naftal supporter said he won t let the chamber break for the year As it Hopes to do by thanksgiving until there s a  re going to stay in session until it s passed so there s no Benefit in delay Mitchell said. Naftal now needs the Quick approval of several Senate committees but that could be done in a matter of minutes thursday morning setting up a debate , anyone wanting to Block a vote might be Abler to use a Rule that could Force a 48-hour waiting period. It s still up in the air whether the Senate would use the full 20 hours of debate allowed on the Issue. Mitchell predicted the Senate would act by tuesday. The arguments and dynamics in the Senate should be similar to the Way the Naftal debate played out in the House