$25 Million Corporate Lobbying Blitz Drives NAFTA Passage Despite Labor Opposition

U.S. businesses and the Mexican government launch a $25 million coordinated lobbying and public relations campaign to secure Congressional approval of NAFTA, overcoming fierce opposition from labor unions and environmental groups. The Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National Association of Manufacturers lead the corporate coalition, with Business Roundtable members tasked by American Express CEO to personally contact at least three members of Congress each day.

The campaign represents an unprecedented level of corporate coordination on trade policy. Business Roundtable members sponsor the creation of the National Foreign Trade Council, bringing together 500 companies and trade associations specifically to lobby for NAFTA. Major and regional media outlets provide supportive coverage, while the Clinton administration conducts an “all-out battle” for the agreement’s passage. By summer 1993, a “full-scale public-relations campaign” is underway across the country.

The corporate lobbying effort proves decisive. Despite passionate opposition from organized labor and environmentalists warning of job losses and environmental degradation, the House approves NAFTA on November 17, 1993 by a vote of 234-200. The vote demonstrates how concentrated corporate power can overcome popular opposition when business elites coordinate resources and messaging. The NAFTA campaign becomes a blueprint for future corporate lobbying on trade agreements, showing that well-funded PR campaigns backed by major corporations and compliant media can manufacture consent for policies that primarily benefit capital at the expense of workers and communities.