Mickey Kantor
| Mickey Kantor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 31st United States Secretary of Commerce | |
|
In office April 12, 1996 – January 21, 1997 |
|
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Ron Brown |
| Succeeded by | Bill Daley |
| 11th United States Trade Representative | |
|
In office January 22, 1993 – April 12, 1996 |
|
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Carla Hills |
| Succeeded by | Charlene Barshefsky |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 7, 1939 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Valerie Woods (Deceased 1978) Heidi Schulman (1982–present) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education |
Vanderbilt University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Michael "Mickey" Kantor (born August 7, 1939) is an American politician and lawyer. After serving as the Clinton-Gore campaign chair in 1992, Kantor was appointed United States Trade Representative, holding that office from 1993 to 1996. He was, in 1996 and 1997, United States Secretary of Commerce.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, of Jewish parents, he holds a B.A. in business and economics from Vanderbilt University, earned in 1961. He then served four years as an officer in the United States Navy, and subsequently earned a J.D. from Georgetown University in 1968. Initially, Kantor worked for the Legal Services Corporation, providing legal assistance to migrant farm workers. It was during this time that he first met Hillary Clinton. From 1976-1993, he practiced law with the Los Angeles law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Phillips & Kantor (now Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP), and was active in Democratic politics and fundraising. He also co-founded the Los Angeles Conservation Corps.
An advocate of free trade, Kantor, as Trade Representative, led U.S. negotiations that created the World Trade Organization (WTO), such as the Uruguay Round, and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). His efforts were broadly criticized by organized labor and environmentalists alike, for refusing to consider fundamental worker and environmental health issues in the core agreements. President Clinton later acknowledged the errors of his administration in relegating these key economic concerns to legally weak side agreements, while favoring large business interests in the NAFTA treaty document. "I think it was a mistake. I think it was part of a global trend that was wrong-headed." Kantor also engaged in organizating the Miami Summit of the Americas and three meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, including the U.S.-hosted First Leaders' Meeting. With the European Commission of the newly formed European Union, he expanded the trans-Atlantic market.
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