NAFTA SPLITS PARTIES

Congress remains divided over the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement being pushed by President Clinton.

"I'd say the majority of Republicans are disposed favorably toward NAFTA," U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson said Wednesday.

Emerson said he remains undecided. Philosophically, he said that he likes the idea of reducing trade barriers between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"I am anxious to assure myself, based on hard evidence, that it is going to produce better trade opportunities for the United States and increased employment."

But he said, "If the thing doesn't work out right, it could cause us to lose an awful lot of jobs."

The Cape Girardeau Republican said the issue doesn't really break down along party lines.

"There are liberal Democrats who are for it and conservative Democrats who are against it," he said.

The Democratic leadership in the House is divided, said Emerson. Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, for one, has come out against the agreement.

"The general speculation is that Gephardt carries somewhere between 15 and 40 votes with him," said Emerson. That could be a big factor on an issue where the vote likely will be close, he said.

Emerson said he expects the issue to come to a vote before the end of the year.

He said NAFTA is one of the president's top priorities. Administration officials, including Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, pitched the agreement to Emerson and other members of the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday.

Emerson maintained the Clinton administration will have to do a better job of selling NAFTA to get congressional approval. "The administration is going to have to carry the educational effort much more vigorously than they have to date on NAFTA."

The congressman said he's concerned that there will be an unfair playing field between the U.S. and Mexico regarding agriculture.

With the "low state of environmental protection" in Mexico and increasingly restrictive environmental regulations in this country, Emerson said it may be difficult for American farmers to compete.

NAFTA's impact on farmers is a key consideration for Emerson, who represents the largely rural 8th District in Southeast Missouri.

But, he said: "This is a very comprehensive trade agreement. While agriculture is a very weighty factor with me, it is not the entire ball game."

He said there's less of a concern with any trade agreement with Canada. "I just think that generally the economy in Canada is much more similar to the economy of the United States. Mexico is far behind both economies."