Clinton to Seek ‘Fast Track’ in September

President Clinton will send a bill to Congress in September asking for authority to negotiate trade deals, the White House said. The announcement, made by White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, ends speculation on how quickly Clinton will push for the “fast-track” authority, which he hopes to have in place before he goes to Chile next spring for the second Summit of the Americas and its negotiations of a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement. The authority would allow the president to negotiate trade agreements that Congress, acting under expedited procedures, would have to accept or reject without amendments.