In addition to lowering tariffs, the proposed treaty would affect patents, copyrights, and trademarks.[192] In 1991, Bush sought fast track authority, which grants the president the power to submit an international trade agreement to Congress without the possibility of amendment. Despite congressional opposition led by House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, both houses of Congress voted to grant Bush fast track authority. NAFTA was signed in December 1992, after Bush lost re-election,[193] but President Clinton won ratification of NAFTA in 1993.[194] NAFTA remains controversial for its impact on wages, jobs, and overall economic growth.[195]

Domestic affairs
Economy and fiscal issues
The U.S. economy had generally performed well since emerging from recession in late 1982, but it slipped into a mild recession in 1990. The unemployment rate rose from 5.9 percent in 1989 to a high of 7.8 percent in mid-1991.[196][197] Large federal deficits, spawned during the Reagan years, rose from $152.1 billion in 1989[198] to $220 billion for 1990;[199] the $220 billion deficit represented a threefold increase since 1980.[200] As the public became increasingly concerned about the economy and other domestic affairs, Bush's well-received handling of foreign affairs became less of an issue for most voters.