 Of his career in the Senate , Ford said " I wasn 't interested in national issues . I was interested in Kentucky issues . " Nevertheless , he influenced several important pieces of federal legislation . He sponsored an amendment to the Family Medical Leave Act exempting businesses with fewer than fifty employees . He was a key player in securing passage of the motor voter law in 1993 . He supported increases to the federal minimum wage and a 1996 welfare reform bill . A supporter of research into clean coal technology , he also worked with West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller to secure better retirement benefits for coal miners . Never known as a major player on international issues , Ford favored continued economic sanctions against Iraq as an alternative to the Gulf War . He voted against the Panama Canal Treaty , which he perceived to be unpopular with Kentucky voters . Despite having chaired Bill Clinton 's inaugural committee in 1993 , Ford broke with the administration by voting against the North American Free Trade Agreement . 
