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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release September 16, 1998

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

As Members of Congress prepare to adjourn for the year, the President urges them to move quickly to approve the Africa trade bill. This legislation would establish a new U.S. trade policy toward sub-Saharan Africa, spurring growth in a region that is embarking on the arduous, yet promising, path of economic and political reform. For America, this bill allows us to seize an historic opportunity to support the people of Africa, while increasing trade and investment with the region's emerging markets. It helps American business and workers by enhancing trade opportunities in Africa and ensuring that we do not cede important markets in Africa to others.

A broad bipartisan and diverse community of Americans has voiced support for the Africa trade bill. The bill has also raised the hopes of Africans who genuinely want and merit a priority position on our nation's trade policy agenda. We remain committed to passage of the Africa trade bill in this legislative session, and we urge Congress to finish its work on this important legislation before it adjourns.

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