THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today, I am pleased to sign an Executive Order creating a Commission on Workers, Communities, and Economic Change in the New Economy. I would like to thank Representative Ken Bentsen for his leadership in helping workers and communities adapt to the new economy and for working with my Administration to form this Commission.

International trade, technology, globalization, and the changing nature of work present extraordinary new opportunities for Americans, but can also create real disruptions for American workers and communities. Vice President Gore and I have worked hard to empower workers and communities to take advantage of the many opportunities in this new economy, but there is still more we can do. This Commission will undertake a careful examination of the effectiveness of existing federal programs to help workers and communities adjust to economic change, and will identify the best practices of employers, communities, and public-private partnerships that have responded successfully to economic dislocations. The commission's report, due next year, will help communities, employers, and workers respond to and benefit from these changes in our economy.

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