Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Monday, August 5, 1996 Volume 32—Number 31 Pages 1347–1396

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Addresses and Remarks Communications to Congress—Continued See also Bill Signings Safe drinking water legislation, letter—1378 ‘‘Adelante Con Clinton’’ participants, teleconference—1351 Interviews With the News Media Apparel industry, measures to improve Exchanges with reporters working conditions—1389 Briefing Room—1349, 1379 Children’s Television Conference—1362 Cabinet Room—1365, 1387 Congressional leaders, meeting—1387 Oval Office—1367 Disabled American Veterans convention in Roosevelt Room—1375 New Orleans, LA—1354 Rose Garden—1384, 1389 Economy—1384 News conference with President Mubarak of National Medals of Science and Technology, Egypt, July 30 (No. 128)—1368 presentation ceremony—1347 Radio address—1349 Meetings With Foreign Leaders Terrorism—1365 Egypt, President Mubarak—1367, 1368 Welfare reform—1379 Statements by the President Bill Signings See also Bill Signings Mollie Beattie Wilderness Area Act, Death of Hector Garcia—1349 statement—1366 Health care legislation—1384 Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2, remarks—1375 Railroad contract disputes, settlement—1377 Bill Vetoes Welfare reform—1353 Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act Supplementary Materials of 1995, message—1378 Acts approved by the President—1396 Communications to Congress Checklist of White House press releases— See also Bill Vetoes 1395 Department of Housing and Urban Digest of other White House Development, message transmitting announcements—1393 report—1366 Nominations submitted to the Senate—1394

WEEKLY COMPILATION OF regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10). PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg- The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be ister, National Archives and Records Administration, Washing- furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year ton, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ($137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for ments contains statements, messages, and other Presidential $93.75 per year, payable to the Superintendent of Documents, materials released by the White House during the preceding Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The week. charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing). The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- There are no restrictions on the republication of material lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg- appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under ments.

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Remarks on Presenting the National nounced their support for this document. Medals of Science and Technology Now I call upon other members of the con- July 26, 1996 ference to do the same. I urge them to en- dorse and forward the chairman’s text with- Thank you very much. Thank you. Please out change to the United Nations so that the be seated. We’re honored to be joined today General Assembly can approve the treaty and by Senator Chris Dodd; Chairman Ben Gil- open it for signature in September. What a man; Congressman George Brown; Secretary remarkable thing that would be. Kantor; Secretary O’Leary; Secretary Shalala; This is an exciting time for our entire world Chairman of the Council of Economic Advis- and, of course, for America. Today we are ers, Joe Stiglitz; Dr. Laura Tyson, the head enjoying the Olympic games, and as we ap- of the National Economic Council; Dr. Neal plaud the athletes in Atlanta we have to re- Lane, the National Science Foundation Di- member that the technological advances of rector; and Dr. Harold Varmus, the Director many, many people throughout the world of NIH; Mary Good, the Undersecretary of have made it possible for all of us to enjoy Commerce for Technology; and, of course, it, perhaps more when we aren’t there than the President’s adviser on science and tech- even when we are, although having been nology, Dr. Jack Gibbons, who has done a there I can vouch for the virtue of being wonderful job. I want to thank him for every- there. thing he’s done. We also have to remember that America I am very honored to be here today to is engaged in another kind of competition, present the winners of the National Medals the competition for leadership in the world of Science and Technology. Scientists have in science and technology and for the jobs always been at the center of our national de- and economic growth and social stability that fense and our national conscience. Some- they create. Here at home our economic times they have been one and the same. Thir- strategy is working. Our people have created ty-three years ago today President Kennedy, more than 10 million new jobs in the last with the advice and counsel of his science 4 years. We’ve cut the deficit by more than adviser, Jerome Wiesner, and the scientific half, and we’re the first administration to cut community, called upon our Nation to take it 4 years in a row since John Tyler in the a step back from the shadows of war by sup- 1840’s. Every time I say that and someone’s porting a limited nuclear test ban treaty. In impressed, I have to add that President Tyler that famous speech, President Kennedy envi- was not reelected. [Laughter] But I think it sioned a farther reaching treaty that banned was a good thing, anyway, that he did. all testing everywhere, including under- Real hourly wages are rising again after ground. dropping for a decade. The combined rate Today I am proud to tell you that when of unemployment, inflation, and home mort- the conference on disarmament reconvenes gages are the lowest in three decades, so our in Geneva on Monday, we will be one step country is moving in the right direction. But closer to realizing President Kennedy’s vision to stay on top in the global economy, clearly of a safer world. The United States will sup- we have to do more. I’ve done everything port without change the comprehensive nu- I can to increase our commitment to support clear test ban treaty that the chairman of the scientific research and development at every negotiating committee proposed when the level, especially at our universities. Govern- negotiations adjourned last June. The United ment investment in technology is responsible Kingdom, France, and Russia have also an- for the computer, the jet aircraft, and the

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Internet. Once these inventions were the machine which will go on line in 1998. The stuff of science fiction. Now it is hard to new supercomputer is the result of our in- imagine life without them. No investments vestment in research and development. It we’ve ever made has paid off better in jobs, will help to make sure that America enters in growth, in opportunity. Breakthroughs of the 21st century as the world leader in com- the kind we applaud today do not just happen puting power and that we retain that lead overnight. They represent years and years of for decades to come. investment and hard work. If we want the In a few moments it will be my privilege best science in the world, we must have the to present the National Medals of Science best scientists. and Technology to a number of very distin- Last fall I launched a program to connect guished Americans, to whom we’re all grate- every classroom in America to the Internet ful. When I do I‘ll have the honor to award by the year 2000. I want to make a college a special posthumous National Medal of education available for every American who Technology to the late Secretary of Com- is willing to work for it. I want to make at merce, Ron Brown. Many of you who knew least 2 years of education after high school and worked with Ron know that he was a as much of a standard for everybody as a high tireless advocate of Government leadership school education is now. in research and development, especially in All these things will help us to grow the technology. He understood that it was the economy and to allow America to grow to- key to producing world-class technology to gether into the 21st century. But if we really ensure America’s leadership in the global want the America of our dreams, we must economy. He knew that he could do his job have research and development at univer- better in promoting our economic interests sities and at every level as a funding priority around the world if we were still leading in for America. We must extend the research research and development, in technology, in and development tax credit to encourage the partnerships with the private sector. private sector to do its part as well. This is He knew the American spirit of innovation absolutely critical. is one of our greatest national resources. And Today I’m announcing a research contract for him it was embodied in the Department to build the world’s fastest and largest super- of Commerce’s advanced technology pro- computer at the Department of Energy’s gram. Under his leadership that program Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Califor- prospered and forged remarkable, remark- nia. This new supercomputer will be 300 able partnerships with the private sector, times more powerful than any in the world. with remarkable results. I regret to say that If it were an Olympic pole vaulter, for exam- there are some who disagree with us on this ple, that means it would beat the current in the Congress. I think it is more ideology world record by about 600 stories on a typical than evidence. And I hope, in the spirit of building. [Laughter] This computer will be science, we can look at the evidence and real- able to do in one second what it would take ize that Ron Brown was right. It’s hard not a person with a handheld calculator 30,000 to miss him at an occasion like this which years to accomplish. It will bring us closer would have given him so much pride in our to a comprehensive test ban by helping to Nation and its prospects. maintain the safety and reliability of our own As I present these awards, let us all re- nuclear stockpile without resorting to nuclear member the impact that the work of these testing. people have on our world. Police officers are Unlike other supercomputers developed stronger and safer because their bulletproof for national security purposes, it can quickly vests are stronger. People undergoing organ be switched to important civilian applications transplants have a better chance of complete as well: developing new drugs and medical recovery. Our aviation safety is more secure. devices, improving weather forecasting, de- Like the athletes in Atlanta, these men and signing safer and faster airplanes, exploring women have devoted themselves to being the space. In partnership, the Department of best at what they do. Their vision, their ge- Energy and IBM will help us to build this nius, their constant commitment to do their

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work better have made America a better Recently, Texas A&M University in Cor- place and the world a better place. They de- pus Christi, his hometown, dedicated the serve the highest measure of our respect and Hector P. Garcia Plaza and established the praise, and they also deserve our support in Hector P. Garcia Scholarship Endowment. following policies that will enable them and It is a fitting tribute to a man who fought those who will succeed them to keep alive for the rights of Hispanic-Americans, veter- the burning torch of research, development, ans, and all Americans throughout his life. science, and technology in the United States Hillary and I extend our deepest condolences for as long as we are here. to his family and to all the Latino community. We cannot let them down when they have done so much for us. I ask you to join me NOTE: This item was not received in time for pub- lication in the appropriate issue. in honoring them and, Major, you can begin to read the citations. [At this point, Maj. Michael Mudd, USA, The President’s Radio Address and Army aide to the President, read the cita- an Exchange With Reporters tions, and the President presented the med- July 27, 1996 als.] Centennial Olympic Park Bombing Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to ad- The President. Good morning. The journ. I do want to make one announcement. bombing at Centennial Olympic Park this After my hamhanded attempt, Dr. Samuel- morning was an evil act of terror. It was son succeeded in putting the medal over his aimed at the innocent people who were par- own head. And I don’t know how many of ticipating in the Olympic games and in the you, like me, read his textbooks in college, spirit of the Olympics, an act of cowardice but that is not the first problem that he could that stands in sharp contrast to the courage solve that I couldn’t. [Laughter] So it’s been of the Olympic athletes. another exercise in Presidential humility On behalf of all Americans, let me extend from you, sir. Thank you very much. my condolences to the families of those who It’s been a wonderful afternoon. Thank lost their lives and our prayers to those who you. God bless you all, and good day. Thank were injured. I want to thank the brave secu- you. rity personnel who were on the scene. They saw the package; they alerted the bomb NOTE: The President spoke at 2:50 p.m. in the squad; they cleared the crowd. They pre- East Room at the White House. In his remarks, vented a much greater loss of life. he referred to Paul A. Samuelson, National Medal I also want to compliment the medical per- of Science recipient. This item was not received sonnel at all the hospitals, those who were in time for publication in the appropriate issue. operating the ambulances, they and the vol- unteers who were helping people who were down at the scene. Those of us who watched Statement on the Death of Hector it throughout the night last night could not Garcia have been failed to be impressed by their July 26, 1996 courage, their competence, their real hero- ism under pressure. Hillary and I are deeply saddened to learn Last night I was awakened by Mr. Panetta of the death of Dr. Hector P. Garcia. The shortly after the explosion, and I continued founder of the American GI Forum, Dr. Gar- to receive reports and follow events until the cia fought for half a century for the civil and press conference early this morning. Then educational rights of Mexican-Americans. A this morning the Vice President and I spoke national hero and decorated Army veteran, to the president of the International Olympic Dr. Garcia became the first Hispanic-Amer- Committee, the president of the Atlanta ican to be awarded the Presidential Medal committee for the games, the Governor of of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian Georgia, the Mayor of Atlanta, the Attorney honor. General, and the Director of the FBI.

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I want to make clear our common deter- some place where the general public could mination. We will spare no effort to find out congregate, people who did not have tickets who was responsible for this murderous act. to the games but were there in town, wanted We will track them down. We will bring them to participate, wanted a place where they to justice. We will see that they are punished. could go and swap the pins and do all the In the meanwhile, we are all agreed the things that they can do. And they wanted to games will go on. We will take every nec- make some entertainment available to the essary step to protect the athletes and those public for free. who are attending the games. Now, I would point out that even there, I know that the people who’ve worked so a place that was more open, someone spotted hard to put on these Olympics, the people that suspicious package last night and alerted of Atlanta, the thousands and thousands of the bomb squad and helped to clear the area volunteers, are more determined than ever and dramatically minimized the loss that to see them to a successful conclusion. Al- would otherwise have occurred. So they are ready we see the spirit at work this morning. looking now at what else can be done to se- The Mayor spoke about the significant num- cure that particular area when it can be re- bers of people in the streets in Atlanta. Presi- opened after the investigation has been com- dent Samaranch reported to me on the pleted. events that are already taking place and said Q. Would you support the death penalty there were large crowds of spectators at them for whoever is found to have done this? and that the people were clearly determined The President. Well, I support the death to go forward and attend the games and fol- penalty for terrorism that leads to murder; low them. I always have. And we—if you look at what Let me say finally that an act of vicious we did in the crime bill, you know that. I terror like this is clearly directed at the spirit believe that people who deliberately kill each of our own democracy. It seeks to rip also other—kill other people, excuse me—par- at the spirit of the Olympics. We are doing ticularly under circumstances demonstrating everything in our power to prevent these at- this kind of cowardice and designed to in- tacks. There’s been an enormous effort made timidate and cower large numbers of others, to establish security at the sites of all the deserve capital punishment. I certainly do. events. At the park itself, the investigation Q. Mr. President, can you definitively will continue today and then there will be eliminate the possibility of any type of attack additional security measures taken there. at the Olympic games? But we must not let these attacks stop us The President. I don’t think anyone has from going forward. We cannot let terror ever been in a position to definitively elimi- win; that is not the American way. The Olym- nate an attack anywhere in America, you pics will continue. The games will go on. The know, or anyplace in the world. But I can Olympic spirit will prevail. We must be firm say this—I will say what I have said before: in this; we cannot be intimidated by acts of If you talk to anybody associated with these terror. Olympics they will tell you that the security Thank you very much. effort is the most extensive ever made. And Q. Mr. President, do you think this reflects if you talk to anyone involved in American on the United States in terms of its ability law enforcement where there are many dif- to protect the people? ferent agencies at different levels of govern- The President. Well, actually, I believe, ment, I think they will tell you this is by far first of all, that there’s—everyone says, in- the best coordinated effort that has ever been cluding all the people who have participated made. in Olympics for decades, that this is the best And let me say again, as much as I grieve and most extensive security effort ever un- that this incident occurred at all, I want to dertaken at all the events. I think they would reiterate the fact that people on the spot all say that there was more concern about there were alert enough to see this package, the Olympic park than any other place be- to call the bomb squad, to clear people out, cause it was thought that there had to be and to save a lot of lives. As much as we

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grieve for the injuries that were there, I think In his remarks, he referred to Juan Antonio that is important. Samaranch, president, International Olympic So I would say that they have done a good Committee; William P. Payne, president, Atlanta a job as could be done, particularly at the Committee for the Olympic Games; Gov. Zell events. They were always concerned about Miller of Georgia; and Mayor Bill Campbell of Atlanta, GA. any open area where you have so many peo- ple operating in an open area. And they are examining what can be done, what should Teleconference Remarks to be done there during this period when the ‘‘Adelante Con Clinton’’ Participants criminal investigation is going on. July 27, 1996 Q. Mr. President, Chelsea has been at the Olympics all this past week. Speaking as a The President. Hello. father, what is your own personal reaction Secretary Henry Cisneros. Mr. Presi- to this? Would you not feel some sense of dent, this is Henry, and Federico’s on the anger that more might have been done to line as well and almost 50 other locations prevent this strategy, but what is your first across the country, sir. personal reaction to this? Secretary Federico Pen˜a. Good morn- The President. Well, my first personal re- ing, Mr. President. action was—I thought about it last night, of The President. Good morning. course, because she was in the park quite Secretary Cisneros. Mr. President, we often and visited the pin exchange place appreciate you being able to be with us, given there. And I was—my first personal reaction the circumstances in Atlanta. I admire your was that I hope nobody else’s children get statement of just a few moments ago to the hurt down there. country. And we know your time is very But I would say to you that these people short, but we deeply appreciate your reserv- have done a very good job planning and ing some time to make a short statement to bringing off this Olympics. And I don’t think these communities across America. We have anyone believes that we live in a risk-free over 1,000 people in homes all across the world. And I think it’s important not to jump country ready to roll out their ‘‘Adelante Con to any conclusions about who did or didn’t Clinton ’96’’ effort, and we just appreciate do what here. We’ll look into this, and we your being here. will find who’s responsible. The President. Thank you very much. But on balance, I still would say to you Thank you, Henry. Thank you, Federico. I feel good about the efforts they have made And I want to thank all the others who are there. They had worked very, very hard. And there today, the Members of Congress and we just have to keep working. And they are the other leaders, the call leaders: Jose examining, even as we speak—you know, the Villareal, Don Mares, Peggy Anastos, Ray Vice President’s been heavily involved in this. Sanchez, E.J. Salcinas, and Mayor Joe Serna, And we talked about it last night when he Luis Gutierrez, Freddy Ferrer, everyone and I both were awakened, and then we had else, thank you for doing this. a visit. We talked about it again this morning. All of you know what happened at the They’re examining even as we speak whether Olympics last night. And I was up most of there is some way to increase the security the night getting reports and following it. So at the centennial park and still make it a place I’m sorry I can’t spend as much time as I where a larger number of people who cannot planned to on the call. I want to thank you either obtain or could not afford tickets to for the work you’ve done, and I’m looking the events themselves can come and go. Ev- forward to meeting with you, working with eryone always knew that was the most open you. And as you know, ‘‘Adelante Con Clin- and most vulnerable place. ton’’ is very important to what we’re trying Thank you. to do this year. And every one of you should NOTE: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from know how much I personally appreciate it. the Briefing Room at the White House and the I want to say also a word, if I might, about address was broadcast live on radio and television. how saddened Hillary and I were to hear yes-

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terday about the death of Dr. Hector Garcia. tools they need. That’s what our anticrime We had both known him for more than 20 program was designed to do. years, and he was to us a real American hero. And I think it’s very important that we con- From his service in World War II to his work tinue to focus on that and to bringing our as an ambassador through the American GI people together, not dividing them. And Forum, which he founded, and the U.S. that’s why I have opposed the outright repeal Commission on Civil Rights on which he of bilingual education programs or putting served, he was a clear voice for Hispanic civil in our bill on illegal immigration the denial rights. And I just wanted to say to all of you of education to children of undocumented we should honor him best by committing immigrants. I think that would be a big mis- ourselves to continue the work of his life. take, and things like the excessive cuts to He was a remarkable man. children of legal immigrants in the welfare The other thing I’d like to say, just very reform bill or the CCRI in California. briefly, is that it seems to me that as much These things that tend to divide people I as any group of Americans, Hispanic-Ameri- think weaken our country when what we cans embody the spirit of what I have been ought to be doing is pulling our country to- trying to do as President to bring more op- gether around our shared values to meet the portunity to all Americans; to insist on more challenges of the 21st century. We should responsibility from all Americans for them- be more concerned about how we can hook selves, their families, their communities, and up every classroom in America to the their country; and then to try to build a deep- Internet by the year 2000 than by whether er sense of community that unites us. In this we should be kicking a few kids out of our new world, I think the most important thing classroom who’d be much better off in school we can do is to give people the tools they than on the street. need to build better lives for themselves. And that is sort of in a nutshell what I Secretary Cisneros is trying to empower peo- want this election debate to be about. And ple who are eligible for housing assistance I want our people to be on the side of oppor- to make more decisions on their own. And tunity, responsibility, and community, bring- with our public-private partnership, we’ve ing us together. This terrible incident in At- now cut by $1,000 the average closing costs lanta reminds us once again that the forces for first-time homebuyers. That’s a remark- in the world today that are out to divide us able thing. are the enemies of democracy, the enemies That’s what the Family and Medical Leave of freedom, the enemies of decency. And we Act is designed to do. That’s what the V-chip have to stand against it. and the television rating systems for parents And I just want to thank all of you for is designed to do. That’s what our initiative being there and wish you well. And also, I to keep tobacco from being advertised and want to, as I sign off—as I said, I wanted distributed and sold to young people is de- to thank all the Congress Members who are signed to do. That’s what the EITC, the on the call. And I think Representative earned-income tax credit, which dramatically Gutierrez, Representative Vela´zquez, and lowered taxes for working families with chil- perhaps Representative de la Garza are on dren who are on modest incomes, took the phone. But I wanted to say a special word 850,000 Hispanic-Americans alone out of of appreciation to Kika de la Garza who was poverty, that’s what that’s designed to do. such a distinguished Member of Congress all That’s what our education initiative is de- these years and is a great committee chair- signed to do, making it easier for people to man and a wonderful friend to me. I wanted go to college, give people the tools they need to thank him for that and thank all of you to build their own lives. That’s what our in- for doing this phone call today. vestments in infrastructure and technology, And again, please forgive me. I haven’t had the things that Secretary Pen˜ a and others in a lot of sleep, and I’ve got to go back to the our administration have done to invest in the matters at hand. But I’m profoundly grateful economy—it’s all designed to give people the to you.

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[At this point, Secretary Cisneros thanked zens from the world of work that gives struc- the President for his participation.] ture, meaning, and dignity to our lives. It in- The President. Thank you. Thank you stills the wrong values, sends the wrong sig- very much, all of you. God bless you, and nals, giving children who have children a have a good day. check to set up house on their own, letting millions of fathers walk away from their re- NOTE: The President spoke by telephone at 11:13 sponsibility while taxpayers pick up the tab. a.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. This system does the most harm to the people it was meant to help. Children who are born to a life on welfare are more likely Statement on Welfare Reform to drop out of school, fall afoul of the law, July 27, 1996 become teen mothers or teen fathers, and raise their own children on welfare them- Good morning. Today I want to talk with selves. you about welfare reform, but first I want I just don’t believe that a nation as rich to ask you to join with me in celebrating the in opportunity as ours is willing to leave mil- sixth anniversary of a landmark civil rights lions of people trapped in a permanent under law that is breaking down barriers for mil- class. We can’t leave anyone behind. In fact, lions of our fellow Americans, the Americans what I want for poor families on welfare is With Disabilities Act. I’m joined today by what I want for middle class families and many of the advocates for people with dis- upper income families as well. I want people abilities who made this the law of the land. to be able to succeed at home and at work. Because we have enforced this law vigorously That will make America stronger and their and with common sense, people with disabil- lives richer. ities now have access to places they never When I ran for President 4 years ago, I did before, from classrooms to restaurants. was very clear we must end welfare as we Since 1991, 800,000 people with severe know it. And during my time as President, disabilities have joined the work force. Be- I’ve used all the powers at my disposal to cause of Federal education efforts, tens of achieve that goal. We’ve worked with 41 thousands of children with disabilities have States to launch 69 welfare-to-work experi- better educational opportunities. Because of ments. For fully 75 percent of people on wel- Medicaid, health care for Americans with fare, the rules already have changed. The disabilities can be provided without bank- New York Times called it a quiet revolution rupting their families and in a way that pro- in welfare. motes their independence. I’ve taken executive action to require teen That’s a big reason why I oppose repealing mothers on welfare to stay in school, requir- Medicaid’s guarantee of health care to Amer- ing mothers to identify the fathers of their icans with disabilities. All these efforts are children so we can hold every man account- good for them, but they’re good for all the able for the support he owes his family, or- rest of us, too. So today let us all rededicate dering Federal employees to pay child sup- ourselves to the fight against disability dis- port, putting wanted posters of deadbeat par- crimination. ents in post offices and on the Internet. I This morning I want to focus on the great directed the Attorney General to crack down welfare debate now unfolding in Washington on people who owe child support who cross and all across our country. This debate is State lines. really about our fundamental American val- All these efforts are paying off at the na- ues, about expanding opportunity, demand- tional and local level. Today there are 1.3 ing responsibility, and coming together as a million fewer people on welfare than on the community. For decades our welfare system day I took office. Child support collections has undermined the basic values of work and are up 40 percent, to $11 billion. Paternity responsibility and family, trapping generation identification is up 40 percent, too. We’re after generation of people in poverty and de- mending our social fabric and moving in the pendency, exiling millions of our fellow citi- right direction.

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Now we have an opportunity to finish the conscience for far too long. And if we’ll put job and pass national welfare reform legisla- politics aside and work together, we can once tion. Real welfare reform should impose time again make welfare what it was meant to be: limits and require work and provide child a second chance, not a way of life. care, too, so that people can go to work with- Thanks for listening. out hurting their children. It should strength- en our child support enforcement laws even NOTE: This statement was prepared for use as the President’s radio address on July 27 but was not more and do more to protect children. I’ve broadcast. challenged Congress to send me bipartisan legislation that reflects these principles. For example, if everyone in America who owes Remarks to the Disabled American child support legally and can pay it did so, Veterans Convention in New 800,000 women and children would leave the Orleans, Louisiana welfare rolls tomorrow. July 28, 1996 Now, 6 months ago the Republican major- ity in Congress sent me welfare legislation Thank you very much. Thank you for the it had backwards. It was soft on work and exuberant welcome. I want to thank the la- tough on children, failing to provide child dies of the auxiliary for leading the applause care and health care so that people can move for Hillary; that was a nice thing to do. Thank from welfare to work without hurting their you very much. That was a very nice thing. children, imposing deep and unacceptable I want to thank Commander McMasters cuts in school lunch, child welfare, and help for that introduction. It’s been so long I’d for disabled children. That bill came to me forgotten I’d done some of those things. twice, and I vetoed it twice. [Laughter] And he mentioned that I was a Since then, I’m pleased to report, there saxophone player. I think we have a Navy has been considerable bipartisan progress to- band over there; I want to thank the Navy ward real welfare reform. Many of the worst band. Thank you for being here and for play- proposals I objected to have been taken out. ing. I’ll always laugh any time someone says Many of the improvements I asked for have I’m a saxophone player now because a couple been put in. The legislation has steadily im- of weeks ago, Colonel John Bourgeois, the proved as it’s moved through Congress. Ear- Commander of the United States Marine lier this week, by an overwhelming bipartisan Band, the President’s own, retired as one of majority, the Senate passed a welfare reform the longest serving conductors of the Marine bill that does provide health care and child Band. And he did a television interview on care and took some important strides to pro- national television in which he was asked tect our children. But we still have more about my saxophone playing, and having work to do to promote work and protect chil- sworn an oath to truth, he said that I was dren, though we’ve come a long way in this adequate. [Laughter] And painfully, I admit debate and we mustn’t go back. that that is about all he could say. And that’s To those who have doubts about any wel- why I’m here today in this position rather fare reform, I say we will never lift children than playing for you in your entertainment. out of poverty and dependency by preserving [Laughter] a failed system that keeps them there. And I’m delighted to be here with Commander to those who would undo the progress of re- McMasters; with your senior vice com- cent weeks by sending me another extremist mander, Gregory Reed; Barbara Hicks, your bill like the ones I vetoed, I’d say we can auxiliary national commander; Art Wilson, only transform this broken system if we do your national adjutant; the other officers of right by our children and put people to work your distinguished organization, and with all so they can earn a paycheck, not draw a wel- of you. fare check. That’s the only kind of welfare I’m glad to be joined today by Secretary reform I can sign. Jesse Brown. [Applause] You know, the first We have a chance to make history. Our time I realized that you would cheer like welfare system has nagged at our national that—I love to kid Jesse and I was kidding

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him on the way in, and I said, ‘‘You think ginning of wisdom, because, as the Saudis they give that kind of reaction because they have seen, there is no nation which can hide love you so much or because they’re glad I from terrorism unless we all recognize that took you off of their hands?’’ [Laughter] I the rules of civilized people do not permit think it’s the former, and I think you should. it to be practiced. I’m also delighted to be joined today by The recent meeting of the G–7 nations in a number of State officials from the State France produced a significant increase in of Louisiana and by Congressman Bill Jeffer- international measures to cooperate against son and Congressman Cleo Fields. I thank terrorism. And this week, following up on them for coming. that, we will have a very important con- Ladies and gentleman, as veterans who ference in Paris, France, involving those na- have given so much to defend our country, tions with high-level representatives to deal you know what it is personally to face an with the questions that terrorism presents us. enemy. Today we have an enemy it is difficult Terrorists are often supported by states. to face because the enemy is so often hidden, And states that sponsor or permit terrorism, killing at random, surfacing only to perform including Iraq, Iran, Libya and Sudan, and cowardly acts. Their aim is to demoralize us any others, must face strong sanctions. We as a people and to spread fear into everyday all have to say we cannot live with this; it life. We must not let them do that. As Ameri- is wrong. People must seek to resolve their cans, we can and must join together to defeat differences by ways other than killing inno- terrorism wherever it strikes and whoever cent civilians. practices it. This year I signed into law an antiterrorism We all are outraged by what happened in act which made terrorism a Federal offense, the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. And expanded the role of the FBI in solving these we all admire the athletes, the thousands of crimes, and imposed the death penalty for volunteers, the tens of thousands of fans who terrorism. As strong as the bill was, it did made a strong statement to the world yester- not give our law enforcement officials some day when they showed up and carried on the of the powerful tools I had recommended Olympics, saying that they would not be in- because they wanted and needed them, in- timidated by terrorism and that no terrorist cluding increased wiretap authority for ter- could kill the Olympic spirit. rorists who are moving from place to place— What we saw yesterday was a symbol of where they are flexible, so must we be—and an emerging consensus among all responsible chemical markers, often called taggants, for nations and freedom-loving people every- the most common explosives, black and where that we have to work closely together smokeless powder, so that we can track down to stop the spread of terrorism. We know those who make bombs that kill innocent from the Tokyo subway to the streets of Tel people. Aviv to the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia This morning I was very encouraged to where we lost 19 of our fine Air Force per- hear the Speaker of the House, Mr. Gingrich, sonnel, that terrorism is a problem that express a willingness to consider these tough- knows no boundaries. We have learned here er measures. I have asked the Speaker; ma- so painfully in America, from the World jority leader, Senator Trent Lott; the leaders Trade Center to Oklahoma City, that attacks of the Democratic minority, Senator Daschle from terrorists can be homegrown or can be and Mr. Gephardt; and the FBI Director, generated in other lands. We know that na- Louis Freeh, to come to the White House tions are beginning to understand that there tomorrow to help to agree on a package that is no place that is safe when any place is vul- will provide these additional protections nerable to terrorists. against terrorism and any other measures we Not very long ago after the upsurge of ter- need to take to increase the protection of rorist attacks in Israel, we had a remarkable the American people. meeting of 29 nations at Sharm al-Sheikh in We will continue to do whatever is nec- Egypt, where for the first time 13 Arab States essary to give law enforcement the tools they condemned terrorism in Israel. It was the be- need to find terrorists before they strike and

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to bring them swiftly to justice when they Brown honed his skills while serving as exec- do. This week I announced new measures utive director of the DAV. He and his dep- aimed at increasing airport security, increas- uty, Hershel Gober, who is also here with ing baggage searches and screening, to tight- me today, I believe make up one of the finest en passenger checks, to plan the deployment leadership teams in the entire Federal Gov- of the latest X-ray technologies. I said then, ernment. I can tell you this: Not only in pub- and I will say again, I am well aware that lic but in private, in every meeting on any these new security measures will increase in- subject, they are consistently committed to convenience and may even carry a modest a better life for all veterans. And I thank increased cost to the air-traveling public. But them for their service. this inconvenience is a small price to pay for I’m also honored to join you in celebrating better peace of mind when our loved ones three-quarters of a century of service to your board a plane. These measures went into ef- country. You are the best representatives of fect immediately. what I’d like to talk about today: the duty And so, my fellow Americans, we have we owe to our veterans; the duty we owe opened up three fronts against terrorism. to each other and to our children; the duty We’re increasing international efforts to en- we owe to the rest of the world and to our sure that terrorists will have no place to plan future. We owe a duty to all of you, of course, or hide their operations. We’re making use not only for your bravery and sacrifice but of expanded antiterrorism powers at home, for all you continue to do for each other, your including the death penalty. And we are families, and our country. tightening airport security. We will continue Last year we celebrated the 50th anniver- to expand our efforts on all three fronts sary of World War II. Many of you fought against terrorism. in that great struggle and put your lives on I want to remind you that we have had the line for freedom. Your country owes you some results. We have seen a record number a debt of gratitude we can never repay. And of terrorists captured and convicted. We have I can honestly say one of the most humbling thwarted a number of planned terrorist at- honors of my life was representing the tacks, including a serious one against the United States at those ceremonies in 1994 United Nations and one against the United and 1995. But I want to say again to you, States airlines flying out of the West Coast to every American who served in World War over the Pacific. We are keeping the heat II, including the Republican candidate for on terrorist organizations and those who President, Senator Bob Dole: Thank you for would support them. your service; thank you for your sacrifice; But I would remind you that every death thank you for your courage. We’re still is one death too many. And we have seen around because of you. And to all who have now over many, many years, from the strug- served since, in Korea and Vietnam, in the gles of our allies, as well as from those we Persian Gulf, in Bosnia, in peacetime as well have faced recently, that this is a long, hard as wartime, America thanks you, too, and so fight. But if we work together, this is a chal- do freedom-loving people all around the lenge we can and will meet. It may well be world. the most significant security challenge of the Your tradition of service, of course, ex- 21st century to the people of the United tends beyond the battlefield. This is also the States and to civilized people everywhere. 50th anniversary of the VA Voluntary Service And the veterans of the United States, I Program’s involvement of the DAV. Last year know, will support our country being as you donated more volunteer hours at VA hos- strong and tough and smart and steadfast as pitals around the country than any other or- it takes to get the job done. ganization. I want to congratulate your volun- Now, let me continue by saying to you that teers of the year whom I had the privilege when I ran for President I promised the vet- to meet just a moment ago, Tillman Rutledge erans of America I would appoint a true ad- and Dorothy Marie Waters. They are great vocate as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I examples of what you stand for. Thank you. found that person among your ranks. Jesse Thank you. [Applause]

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You have done your duty to America, and to the spinal cord of laboratory animals have America must do its duty to you. Secretary succeeded in giving laboratory animals some Brown and I recognize a simple truth: When mobility in their limbs again. We can do bet- men and women leave the service we must ter on this, and we have to keep going until not leave them. In keeping our veterans’ we have some real success. commitments, our commitments to our vet- We have also reached out to veterans serv- erans, to help them make the most of their ice organizations, appointing veterans as del- own lives does not only help veterans and egates to the White House Conference on their families, it’s made America a better and Aging and the Presidential delegation to stronger place. From education to employ- Vietnam. We established the first ever inter- ment, from buying a home to getting quality agency veterans policy groups to coordinate medical care, our veterans deserve our Na- and spur progress on issues of concern to tion’s support. And when we give it our Na- veterans and military organizations. One such tion is better off. For the past 31⁄2 years that issue for more than two decades has been is what we have done. the suffering of our Nation’s Vietnam veter- Even as we cut Government spending to ans who were exposed to Agent Orange. In reduce the deficit and move toward a bal- May, I announced that Vietnam veterans anced budget, I have asked for a billion-dol- with prostate cancer and peripheral neurop- lar increase in funding for the VA, more than athy are entitled to disability payments based half for medical care and discretionary pro- on their exposure to Agent Orange. Just this grams, including funds for a new hospital and week I sent to Congress legislation to provide nursing home in Brevard County, Florida, an appropriate remedy for children of Viet- and a replacement hospital at Travis Air nam veterans who suffer from spina bifida. Force Base in California. We have also responded aggressively to We are committed to keeping the VA Persian Gulf illnesses. As the First Lady was health care system strong into the 21st cen- traveling around the country talking about tury, and we know that requires us to carry health care to people all over America, she out a dramatic restructuring that will im- kept coming back to the White House with prove the quality of care and make our hos- stories of people who had served in the Per- pitals more patient-centered and less bureau- sian Gulf conflict who had difficulties that cratic. Last year I sent to Congress legislation were otherwise inexplicable. She got very in- that will allow us to simplify the complex and volved, even emotionally involved, with some arcane eligibility rules and improve access to of the families, and she kept hammering on care at VA hospitals. I am pleased that Con- me that there had to be an explanation for gress is beginning to act on this important this and there was no other conceivable ex- proposal, and I hope they will get a bill to planation for some of these instances of dif- me this year. Very soon we will submit legis- ficulties. She encouraged me to appoint a lation for a pilot project to allow Medicare- Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf eligible veterans to obtain treatment at a VA War Veterans’ Illnesses. I did that and facility and to have the costs reimbursed by charged them to leave no stone unturned in Medicare. finding the cause of the illnesses and improv- I also want to make special mention of the ing care available to Persian Gulf veterans. extraordinary care that is provided by our Meanwhile, we have made available for the veterans facilities to people with spinal cord first time ever compensation to the victims injuries and my commitment to continue the of undiagnosed illnesses who served in the work and research and care in this important Gulf war. I think they did the right thing area. Recently, after a visit with Christopher there. Reeve, I was pleased to announce that we One other area of endeavor is especially are increasing our research commitment $10 important to me, improving the contributions million a year in this year. And I hope all of all of our veterans to the maintenance of of you noticed just a few days ago that we their own lives and their families and our finally are beginning to show some incredible communities. Today as we celebrate the sixth results where nerve transplants from the ribs anniversary of the Americans With Disabil-

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ities Act, I want to reiterate a pledge I made the cold war so that they wouldn’t be left in 1992. Our disability policy should be based out in the cold. We even lowered the average as a nation on three simple principles: inclu- closing cost for first-time homebuyers by sion, independence, and empowerment. $1,000 so young families could start getting I know how hard you fought, along with in homes again instead of just having a distant others in the disability community, for the dream. [Applause] Thank you. passage of this important legislation. We’ve It’s been a remarkable turnaround in these made vigorous laws protecting all people last 31⁄2 years. The deficit was lowered from with disabilities a top priority. We’ll continue $290 billion a year when I became President; to do so until all the barriers come down. it will be $117 billion this year, a 60 percent Consistent with that commitment, my budget reduction. It’s the first time since John Tyler for 1997 proposes an increase in the re- was President in the 1840’s that an adminis- sources available to enforce the Americans tration has reduced the deficit 4 years in a With Disabilities Act. row. And I’m proud of that. I have to tell One of the main objectives of the act is you, by the way, that my staff is pleading to improve employment possibilities for peo- with me to stop using that statistic because ple with disabilities. Unemployment among John Tyler was not reelected, but—[laugh- disabled veterans in particular is still too ter]—still it sounds great because it’s true, high. I am pleased that Ron Drach, DAV’s and it’s important. employment director, is serving as Vice Chair Our economy has produced 10 million new of the President’s Committee on Employ- jobs, 3.7 million new homeowners, 8 million ment of People With Disabilities. I thank him homeowners who have refinanced their for his hard work to turn those employment mortgages at lower interest rates. Home- numbers around. And we should all be grate- ownership is at a 15-year high. Exports are ful that he is on the job. at a record. For 3 years in a row we’ve had Beyond the duty we owe to our veterans, a record number of new small businesses there are certain duties we all owe to each formed in America. And for the first time other and to our country if our children are in a decade, incomes are actually going up to live in a 21st century that is full of peace for average American working people again. and possibility. First, we have to give the This is important. It matters. American dream of opportunity to everyone Veterans employment—veterans unem- who is willing to work for it. That means we ployment has dropped by nearly a third, from have to have an economy that is strong and 7.2 percent to 4.9 percent in January of 1996. growing, that produces good jobs with grow- Six million veterans have received training ing incomes. and job search assistance through the De- When I became President, I was worried partment of Labor in the last 31⁄2 years. Two about the drift in our economy and the in- million now have jobs. We are clearly moving creasing divisions within it. We’ve put in in the right direction. place an aggressive strategy to reduce the We have other responsibilities as well. And deficit, because that would get interest rates I want to just mention a couple. One is heav- down and spur private investment and re- ily on my mind at this moment. We have move a burden from future generations; to a responsibility to make our streets and our increase trade so that we could sell more schools and our neighborhoods safer. The American products and services around the United States cannot tolerate the rates of world in a global economy; and to invest in crime and violence which have come to be our people and their potential so that every- almost commonplace in our country in the one could participate in this global economy last several years. We have to intensify our in a positive way over the long run. efforts to reduce crime. We invested in education, in how to pro- The deaths of two police officers within tect the environment while growing the a 24-hour period right here in New Orleans economy, in transportation, in research and last week painfully drove that point home to technology, in defense conversion to help everyone who knew about them. I had the those communities that had helped us to win opportunity to meet with their families just

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before coming in here. And I want to person- There are more things we can do in this way, ally offer my condolences to the families of and we must all continue to do it. Officers Joey Thomas and Chris McCormick, We have a responsibility to reform the wel- who died while protecting the citizens of this fare system. I’m sure you’ve all seen the big city. They, too, were patriots who paid the debate about welfare in Washington. Let me ultimate price. And I know you join me in just say that we have been working for 31⁄2 praying for their families. years on that through a provision of existing In the past 31⁄2 years we have tried to law which allows the President to say to any change the Nation’s approach to crime from State in the country that presents a plan to rhetoric to action. We’ve had a clear strategy: move people from welfare to work and to Look at what works and make it happen ev- require them to move from welfare to work, erywhere. When I became President, to be you can get around all the Federal rules and perfectly frank, even though we had a high regulations if you’re doing that. crime rate, there were cities all over the But let me ask you as you see this debate country that had already begun to lower their unfold in the next few days to think about crime rate. And I went to those places and your own family and ask yourself, ‘‘Well, asked them how they were doing it. It was what do I really want to change in the welfare obvious to me what was going on. They were system?’’ I think to answer the question you putting more police on the street, out from have to say, ‘‘What do I want for poor people behind the cars, out from behind the desk, in America; how would I like for them to walking the streets, getting to know kids, get- be able to live?’’ And I think what we want ting to know neighbors, working with them, for them is what we want for middle class preventing crime as well as catching crimi- families and, indeed, for upper income fami- lies in America. We want people to have nals more quickly. strong families and successful work lives. We I asked them what they needed, and they want them to succeed when they go to work told me. And that became the crime bill that and when they’re working at raising their we passed in 1994: 100,000 police on the children. And we don’t want them to have street, a ban on assault weapons, tougher to choose. We want them to do both. And punishment for people who are serious that’s exactly what we want other families in criminals, and prevention programs to help America to do as well, success at home and kids stay out of crime in the first place. We success at work. And if we have a system also passed the Brady bill that kept 60,000 that undermines either one, America is weak- felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying er because of it. handguns, and there wasn’t a single hunter So we have worked hard. We’ve got 75 that lost his or her hunting weapons. So we percent of everybody on welfare now under did the right thing, and for 4 years in a row welfare-to-work experiments in a way that crime has been coming down in the United enables them to continue to support their States. We can be proud of that. children when they leave the welfare rolls But it is not enough. We’re now going and go onto the work rolls. And that’s what around the country trying to explain to com- we ought to want for every American. There munities how they can, without the fear of are 1.3 million fewer people on welfare today legal challenge, institute curfew policies, as than there were the day I became President. New Orleans has, for juveniles in a way that This will work. We can move people from has dramatically lowered the juvenile crime welfare to work if we do it in the right way. rate here and in a positive way has helped The other big part of this is that people a lot of juveniles to sort through their own who owe it ought to pay their child support. problems and get back on the right track in When I became President we were collecting life. School uniform policies and tough tru- $8 billion a year in child support. Now we’re ancy policies, like so many California com- collecting 11 billion, a 40 percent increase. munities I’ve seen have implemented in a But you need to know that if every person way that has increased learning in the schools in this country who owes support for their and diminished crime beyond the schoolyard. own children is legally obligated to pay it and

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is financially able to pay it, if they paid it Our funding and support for them must all tomorrow, tomorrow morning there not falter, first for military technology, to would be 800,000 fewer women and children meet any new challenges now or in the future on welfare in the United States. So that’s a and, even more important, to support the big part of this and a big part of why we men and women in uniform. For they are need national legislation to reform the wel- the most precious resource in our military fare law. arsenal, and we have to be there for them. So we’re working hard with the Congress Last year we set aside funds to ensure that to try to get a welfare reform bill out so we military personnel received the highest pay can cover all the States, all the people and raise allowed by law through the end of the have even tougher child support enforce- century. We are committed to maintain and ment, especially for the cases across State improve the quality of life for service mem- lines. But remember when you hear this de- bers and their families around the globe, in- bate and you hear people propose certain cluding better housing, community support, things, ask yourself, ‘‘What do I want for youth programs, and child care. They, too, those families, and don’t I want for them the have a right to know that if they’re succeed- same thing I want for the families in my ing for us at their work, their homes are going neighborhood and the families of America, to be successful and their children and their success at home and success at work?’’ And spouses are going to be taken care of. And I think if we think about it that way we’ll that is a very, very important part of defense make the right decisions. spending in this world. There are a lot of things that we have to Finally, let me say we have a responsibility do for the future. We’re working in Washing- to finish the work of balancing the budget, ton now to raise the minimum wage, to pass but to do it in a way that is consistent with the Kassebaum-Kennedy bill, which will say our values and our long-term interests, which you don’t lose your health insurance if you is, in my view, taking care of the health care change jobs or someone in your family gets needs of seniors, people with disabilities, sick. We’re working hard on welfare reform. poor children; making sure that we continue I hope that we can strengthen the family and to invest in education and protecting the en- medical leave law, which has permitted 12 vironment and other things that are critical million working Americans to take some time to our future; making sure we do not increase off when they’ve had a baby born or a sick the burdens on the hardest pressed working parent without losing their jobs. And I’d like families. But we can do that, and I am com- to see more done so that people could go mitted to it. to regular doctor’s appointments with their And lastly, we have a responsibility to parents or their kids or go to a parent-teacher maintain the national defense and to con- conference at school without losing their tinue to be the world’s strongest force for jobs. We’ve got to make it possible for work- peace and freedom. As we enter the—near ing parents to succeed at work and at home the end of the most successful drawdown in with their children and with their parents. our history, our military readiness has never I want to make a college education avail- been higher. We continue to have the best able to every person in this country who’s equipped, the best trained, the best prepared willing to work for it. I think we ought to— military in the world. And we must always the most important tax cut we could pass in have that. Whether we’re standing down ag- America today is to give people a deduction gression in the Persian Gulf, restoring de- for the cost of college education, their own mocracy in Haiti, safeguarding the peace in or their kids’. I would very much like to see Bosnia, saving lives in Rwanda, working with us make the 2 years of education after high NATO and our new allies from the former school that most Americans now get in com- Communist bloc in the Partnership For munity college, I want that to become just Peace, our service men and women have as universal in the next couple of years as proven their abilities time and time again in a high school education is today. So I propose the last 31⁄2 years. a tax credit for the cost of community college

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for the next 2 years after high school. That look down on, who they can hurt. And it is would be a good thing to do. a cancer of the modern world. We fight it And finally, let me just mention this last on its most flagrant basis when we stand duty. We have a duty to respect our dif- against terrorism. But we have to also recom- ferences and to learn to bridge the gaps be- mit ourselves to purging every vestige of it tween us. If you look around the world today, in the United States. what’s fueling a lot of this terrorism? What The United States military has done a bet- caused all the slaughter in Burundi and ter job than any other organization in our Rwanda? Why did people who live for dec- society, I believe, in opening up opportuni- ades in peace in Bosnia all of a sudden be- ties for people based on merit, 250,000 new come the sort of nagging agony of the entire roles for women in the last 31⁄2 years in the world, slaughtering each other with reckless military. I’m proud of that. We not only have abandon after having lived in peace together in General Powell an African-American who for decades, neighbor against neighbor, kill- became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, we ing each other? Why can’t we fix what’s gone have a record number of officers now reach- wrong in the Middle East? Why did North- ing the general rank who are African-Amer- ern Ireland start violence again after 15 ican, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, months of peace when they’ve got the lowest Arab-American, Jewish-American, coming unemployment rate in 15 years? And when from all kinds of backgrounds, in an organiza- Hillary and I went there, we were mobbed tion that runs strictly on merit and depends by Catholic and Irish young people alike say- upon performance for our very survival. And ing, ‘‘We love peace. We don’t want to go yet even there—the other day at Fort Bragg, back to war.’’ What happened? one of the centers of our patriotism, the Because throughout history there has been home of the Special Forces, African-Amer- an atrocious tendency among human beings ican soldiers had swastikas painted on their to give in to racial, ethnic, religious, and trib- doors. We have to work to purge this. al hatred. And as your generation helped to All of these church burnings—I just ensure victory for us in the cold war so that learned that over the weekend a church in billions of people every day didn’t have to my home State was burned—African-Amer- get up wondering about whether someone ican churches, synagogues defaced, three Is- was going to drop a bomb on them from the lamic centers burned. That is the opposite Communists or the non-communist world, of what America is all about. depending on what side of that cold war they When Hillary and I visited our Olympic lived on, and people were able to relax, too team and I looked at them, I can’t help tell- many have fallen back into the old patterns ing you, first of all, I was just bursting with of racial, religious, ethnic, and tribal hatreds. pride. And I told them, I said, ‘‘You know, Why do people hate other people who are just the fact that you made this team should different from them? Either because they give you great pride and great joy. And you think they won’t permit them to live as they should go out among the people of the world want to live, or more likely, they really need here and relish the spirit of peace and free- somebody to look down on. dom and equality that exists here.’’ You know, I guess nobody has a perfect And it was a magical moment. One of the family, but I’ll go to my grave being grateful young people said that they’d been to lunch for my mother telling me, don’t you ever, the day before and the athletes from South don’t you ever feel better because of some- Korea and North Korea were sitting at tables body else’s misfortune. You should feel bet- next to each other and talking. And I thought, ter because of what you are and what you shoot, I’ve been trying for 31⁄2 years to get do. Don’t ever think you’ve got to put some- them to talk, and I couldn’t do it. It was a body else down because of that. magic moment. I couldn’t do it. But all over the world there are people But what struck me about the American that will get up tomorrow morning and start team was this. If the American team broke out the new week defining themselves in up and was just walking in the Olympic Vil- terms of who they can hate, who they can lage, you could see them and think, well, that

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athlete is from Africa; that athlete’s from evision. As all of you know better than I, it Latin America; that athlete’s from the Carib- is now a major part of our national landscape. bean; that athlete’s from Scandinavia; that A typical child watches 25,000 hours of tele- athlete’s from the Middle East. But they vision before his or her 18th birthday. Pre- could all be Americans, because we are schoolers watch 28 hours of television a bound together not by our race but by our week, and at least during the Olympics, so fidelity to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, do Presidents. and the Declaration of Independence, and We have dedicated ourselves to giving par- our belief that we can all live here in peace ents the power to screen out television they and harmony and mutual respect. believe their children should not see. That’s So I leave you with that thought. If we what the V-chip was all about. I was proud meet our responsibilities to each other and to sign the telecommunications law with the to our children and to our future, our respon- V-chip requirement to give parents the abil- sibilities to the world, and if we meet our ity to stop programming that they think is fundamental responsibility to go forward to- inappropriate for their young children to see. gether in mutual respect, then our days are You in the entertainment industry have going to get better and our best days are still certainly been doing your part. Meeting here to come. You can have an enormous influ- in the White House 5 months ago, you volun- ence wherever you live and whatever you do teered to rate shows for content. You came because of your service to America in uni- together as responsible corporate citizens to form and because of the sacrifice of that serv- give America’s families an early-warning sys- ice, if you will remind your fellow Americans tem. Parents who use the V-chip will now of those fundamental lessons. be able to block objectionable shows before Thank you, and God bless you. it’s too late. Together these initiatives constitute an in- NOTE. The President spoke at 1:52 p.m. at the valuable arsenal for America’s parents. And Riverside Hilton Hotel. In his remarks, he re- I’d also like to point out that this is a chal- ferred to Thomas A. McMasters III, national com- mander, Disabled American Veterans; and actor lenge being met in the appropriate way by Christopher Reeve. people working together and coming to- gether, not fighting and drifting apart. But that is only half the battle. As Ameri- Remarks at the Children’s Television cans we have to define ourselves not simply Conference by what we stand against, but more impor- July 29, 1996 tantly by what we stand for. Now we have the opportunity to use the airwaves for some- The President. Good morning. We’re de- thing positive, educational programming as lighted to see all of you here for this historic great as our kids. Television can be a strong meeting. A lot of you have come a long way, and positive force. It can help children to some of you on the red-eye, and I appreciate learn. It can reinforce rather than undermine the efforts you’ve made to be here. the values we work so hard to teach our chil- We’re here for a clear purpose: to improve dren, showing children every day what it and expand educational television for our means to share, to respect themselves and children. The ability of the United States to others, to take responsibility for their actions, make the 21st century the age of greatest to have sympathy with others who have dif- possibility in our Nation’s history depends in ficulties, even to recognize that ‘‘it’s not easy no small measure on our ability to build being green.’’ strong families today; to help our parents to This morning I would like to hear from succeed not only in the workplace but in you about what we can do to broaden the their most important job, raising good, well- range of quality educational programming for educated, well-balanced, successful children. children. I hope we can focus on three spe- That is why we have worked so hard to cific issues. First, I’d like to talk about the give our families more control over one of new research that shows how kids can learn the most influential forces in our Nation, tel- valuable lessons from TV over the course of

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their young lifetimes. Second, I’d like to find forts, along with Greg Simon, to bring about out more about what good shows look like. this agreement. I thank them very, very Third, I’d like us to talk about how we can much. Today we can work to imagine tele- break down the barriers to the development vision as a force for good, to imagine what and production of quality educational pro- television for children would look like if it gramming for children. resembled what we imagined it was when we Before we begin, I would like to make an were children or when you first got started announcement. For the past year I’ve been in this business. calling upon the Federal Communications In recent days, as families have gathered Commission to require broadcasters to air a to watch the Olympics, we have all been re- minimum of 3 hours of genuine educational minded about the good that television can programming a week—3 hours a week, 180 bring into our homes, how it can bring us minutes a week, about 21⁄2 percent of the together, how it can inspire and educate us. entire schedule. Such a requirement would This should be our standard. I’m anxious now halt a steep and troubling decline. to get to work. As recently as the early eighties, the three And I’d like to invite three people to come major networks aired several hours more up here for some comments of their own than that of children’s educational and infor- about the agreement that has been reached: mational shows. But by 1990, they were Eddie Fritts, the president of the National down to 2 hours a week or less than 2 hours Association of Broadcasters; Les Moonves, a week. The number is inching up now, but the president of CBS Entertainment; Peggy we must do more. The airwaves that broad- Charren, the founder of Action for Children’s casters use, after all, belong to all of us. And Television. in exchange for their use, broadcasters are Peggy, Les, Eddie, would you come up. required to serve the public interest. I cannot imagine anything that serves the public inter- [At this point, Mr. Fritts, Mr. Moonves, and est more than seeing to it that we give our Ms. Charren made brief remarks.] children at least 3 hours of educational tele- vision a week. The President. The first subject we’re That’s why it gives me great pleasure to going to talk about is the influence of tele- announce that the four major networks, the vision on children. We have some good pres- National Association of Broadcasters, and entations here. I would like to call on the some of the leading advocates for educational First Lady to begin. television have come together to join me in supporting a new proposal to require broad- [Hillary Clinton introduced conference par- casters to air 3 hours of quality educational ticipants and moderated a panel discussion programming a week. This proposal fulfills on the influence of television on children.] the promise of the Children’s Television Act, The President. Thank you very much. I that television should serve the educational think, to stay on schedule, we need to move and informational needs of our young people. to the next topic. It’s clear that there’s a con- It gives broadcasters flexibility in how to sensus here and that the evidence supports meet those needs. And it says to America’s the fact that television can be, has been, and parents, you are not alone; we are all commit- is in many cases a positive force in children’s ted to working with you to see that edu- lives. So I think we ought to discuss a little cational programming for your children bit about what makes a successful children’s makes the grade. I urge the FCC to adopt television program. And I’d like to ask Mrs. this proposal to make the 3-hour rule the law Gore to lead the discussion, and I’ll turn it of the land. Television can build up young over to her now. lives rather than tear them down. I’d like to say a particular word of thanks [Tipper Gore introduced additional con- to Congressman Ed Markey for his work on ference participants and moderated a panel this issue and a very special word of apprecia- discussion on how children’s programming tion to the Vice President for his tireless ef- can be developed.]

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Mrs. Gore. Now, Mr. President, we’ve fin- in a row in America—it’s a wonderful thing, ished with this particular part of the program 4 years in a row of a dropping crime rate— and would like your comments. the rate of random violence among people The President. First of all, I love this. I between the ages of 12 and 17 is going up. wish we had all day to listen to you all talk Cocaine use has dropped by a third, but the about this. rate of random drug use among people be- We want to talk now about whether there tween the ages of 12 and 17 has been going are barriers to more and better children’s up since 1991. Fact one. programs and, if so, what they are. And I Second thing. When school starts this fall, guess I would like to begin by welcoming 51.7 million children will enroll in schools. the advertisers that are here and thanking And it’s the first time since I, the oldest of them for their commitment to this announce- the baby boomers—since the baby boomers ment we’ve made today and to this cause were fully in school that there has been a generally. I thought what Ms. Laybourne said class of schoolchildren bigger than the baby about being a worrier—a lot of the things boom generation, which means we have a she said I thought were quite on point. And few years to turn these trends around or reap I think that the role of advertisers in sort a whirlwind from it. of changing the whole look of how we ap- Basically, if you look at all the aggregate proach this issue could be quite critical. So statistics in our country, it seems that most I’m delighted that you’re here. things are moving in the right direction after And we’re now going on to a section about years of being troubled. But there are just how we should define and recognize and so many of these kids out here that are either then deliver quality on these programs and virtually raising themselves or their parents— what barriers there are and how we would almost all of whom, I believe, would like to go about taking them down. And so I’m going to call on the Vice President to take over do a good job—they want to do a good job, the last section. but they’re not sure how they should do it. So one huge barrier here that we have not [Vice President Gore introduced additional discussed because it’s sort of beyond our pur- conference participants and moderated a view, but that a lot you who are brilliant at panel discussion on impediments to develop- marketing things to people and reaching peo- ing children’s programming.] ple, is how do you reach the parents? The President. Let me thank all of you, You know, I had a pretty good education, first of all, for coming. And those of you who but I learned a lot because Chelsea was into participated in this historic agreement, I’m ‘‘Sesame Street’’ and ‘‘Where in the World very grateful to you. You have done a good Is Carmen San Diego?’’ When I met the co- thing for your country today. leaders of San Marino at the Olympics, I I do not want to leave us on a down note, knew where it was because Chelsea got me but I want to put this in the context of what into ‘‘Where in the World Is’’—[laughter]— I think the real stakes are of what we’re dis- not because I had a degree from the foreign cussing here. And I leave you with this service school at Georgetown. I’m just saying, thought, a challenge to think about another how do we reach the parents? This is a seri- barrier that has nothing to do with the pro- ous issue. duction of the programs or even getting ad- And secondly, if you cannot reach the par- vertising, which is how are you going to get ents, is there some way to reach the kids any- these programs to the kids that need to see way? We’re trying to give schools more them the most, the kids that are most at risk funds, for example, to open early and stay in our society, and how are you going to open late. Is there some way to redirect the reach their parents? programs in there so that—and work with And I want to just ask you to think about the schools so that they will show the pro- these two facts. One is, while we are, at least grams to the kids in the after school area. inside our administration we are very happy You really need to think about this because that the crime rate has gone down for 4 years the kids that need what you’re doing the most

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may have barriers that we haven’t even dis- what else we can do through the commission cussed today. that I’ve asked the Vice President to head I want to make one last point. I think it to intensify airport security in the weeks and would be very good for the adults of this months ahead. country, including all of us who work in the Again, let me say, if you look around this White House, if Mr. Rogers’ poem could be room—the Speaker, Senator Lott, Senator read once a week on primetime television. Daschle, Mr. Gephardt, Senators Hatch and Thank you, and God bless you all. Biden, Congressman Hyde and Congress-

NOTE: The President spoke at 10 a.m. in the East man Conyers, the Secretary of State, the At- Room at the White House. In his remarks, he torney General, the representatives of our referred to Geraldine Laybourne, president, Dis- law enforcement and intelligence agencies— ney/ABC Cable Network; and Fred Rogers, host, you can see that when we are attacked, ‘‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.’’ whether it’s from within or without, we come together. And that’s what we’re doing here. Remarks Prior to a Meeting With I hope we’ll be able to discuss some spe- Congressional Leaders and an cific things that we might be able to do to Exchange With Reporters strengthen our hand against terrorism, some things that we proposed before, maybe some July 29, 1996 other new ideas people have, including some Terrorism very specific and limited use of wiretaps, per- The President. Good afternoon. Ladies haps discussion of the taggants issue again and gentlemen, first let me thank the Mem- and some other issues that will come before bers of the congressional leadership who are us. The main thing is we need to get the here to discuss this very important issue. I very best ideas we can, and we need to move think when the bomb went off in the Centen- as quickly as we can to do everything we can nial Olympic Park in Atlanta, that park lit- to try to strengthen this country’s hand erally became our national common ground, against terrorism. a symbol of our common determination to And the Speaker made a point the other stand against terrorism, domestic or foreign, day which I think is very important, which and to do everything we can to combat it. is that the people who do this thing are al- We have followed a three-part strategy ways trying to stay ahead of the curve. What- consistently. First of all, we have worked with ever we do, they’ll try to find some other our friends around the world to try to in- way to get around it. That means that this crease international cooperation against ter- has got to be a long, disciplined, concerted, rorists and to isolate the states that support united effort by the United States. And I terrorism. Just today in Paris, the G–7 con- think we ought to take every tool we can and ference on terrorism is opening, and I believe take every possible advantage we can because after this meeting the Attorney General is this is not going to be easy. But we have going to Paris to represent the United States shown that we can get results when we work there. together and do the right thing and the smart We have intensified our antiterrorism ef- thing. forts here at home. And I want to again thank So I’m glad that the leaders are here. I’m the congressional leadership and the Mem- looking forward to the conversation. And I’d bers of Congress from both parties that like to give the Speaker a chance to say a strongly supported the antiterrorism bill and word and Senator Lott and perhaps the mi- other efforts that we have made to strength- nority leaders. en our hand here at home. And we’ve had some results, preventing terrorism actions, [At this point, Speaker of the House Newt catching people who commit terrorist acts. Gingrich, Senate majority leader Trent Lott, We intend to do more. House minority leader Richard A. Gephardt, The third thing we have done is to increase and Senate minority leader Thomas A. airport security. And we will be looking at Daschle made brief remarks.]

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Q. Mr. President, what more do you need Mollie stands out in my memory as the in the way of wiretaps? What about those person releasing a bald eagle named Hope constitutional bounds? back into the wild to celebrate the improving The President. Well, first of all, we condition of our national symbol. I also re- shouldn’t do anything that violates the Con- member her as one of the people carrying stitution. I think the question is whether— the gray wolf back into the Yellowstone eco- if you have someone that you have a strong system in a vital effort to help restore nature’s suspicion and strong evidence is involved in balance. Yet these two events, unforgettable terrorism who is moving around all the time as they are, represent only symbols of Mol- and the traditional laws governing wiretaps lie’s many achievements as the first female which tie to residence and place of business Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- don’t operate. We’ll discuss that, and we’ll ice. be able to talk more about it later. Although her tenure as director was trag- I think we need to start our meeting now. ically cut short, Mollie left an enduring leg- Thank you very much. acy to the American people. She was deter- mined to conserve the world’s wild creatures NOTE: The President spoke at 2:22 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White House. and their habitat, and to do so effectively. As a direct result of her efforts to make the Endangered Species Act work better, Ameri- Message to the Congress cans everywhere have voluntarily joined in Transmitting the Report of the conserving and restoring the landscapes and Department of Housing and Urban open spaces that surround them. Development Mollie strove throughout her life to help July 29, 1996 people understand the connections that linked the quality of their daily lives to the To the Congress of the United States: health and well-being of America’s wildlife. Pursuant to the requirements of 42 U.S.C. Anyone who ever worked with Mollie recog- 3536, I transmit herewith the 30th Annual nized that her caring, compassion, and wis- Report of the Department of Housing and dom extended to all living creatures. She Urban Development, which covers calendar truly understood the need to actively engage year 1994. people in wildlife conservation efforts. William J. Clinton Under this legislation, Mollie Beattie’s name will be forever associated with one of The White House, the most wild and beautiful places on this July 29, 1996. planet, the Brooks Range of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is entirely appro- Statement on Signing the Mollie priate that we honor Mollie in this way. She was a passionate defender of our 508 Na- Beattie Wilderness Area Act tional Wildlife Refuges, the largest system of July 29, 1996 lands in the world dedicated to wildlife con- I have today signed into law S. 1899, the servation. She saw them as places that must ‘‘Mollie Beattie Wilderness Area Act’’. While be appreciated and honored, as places where not everyone had the pleasure of knowing we could begin to fulfill our sacred trust as and working with Mollie Beattie, her lifelong stewards of God’s creation. Mollie worked dedication to conservation has enriched tirelessly, even as her health was failing, to every American. This legislation names one keep these places wild for the benefit of of Alaska’s most imposing wilderness areas Americans today and for those who will fol- in her honor. It ensures that future genera- low us. tions will recall the lasting contributions Mol- I am deeply grateful to the Alaska delega- lie made to conserving our Nation’s priceless tion for their leadership in introducing this natural heritage. legislation. I appreciate their willingness to

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commemorate this wild and beautiful place come to the children of this country. And forever to the memory of Mollie Beattie. so we’ll just wait and see. William J. Clinton Q. Mr. President, the Democrats really want to know, they want some guidance from The White House, you about whether you’d accept this from July 29, 1996. this conference. President Clinton. Well, we’re talking to NOTE: S. 1899, approved July 29, was assigned Public Law No. 104–167. them all. But I don’t want to make comments about a bill I haven’t seen yet. Let’s see what comes out of the conference. We’re working Exchange With Reporters Prior to with them, and obviously I hope I can sign Discussions With President Hosni a bill. We’re working hard, but it depends Mubarak of Egypt on what that bill does. July 30, 1996 Vice President Gore. Did you get Helen’s [Helen Thomas, United Press International] President Clinton. Good morning. comments down? Did you get those down? Q. Mr. President, what do you think of [Laughter] You’ll have to go with her analy- the Israeli plan now to build new highways sis. She’s going from questions to making and bridges into the occupied territories, the comments now that she’s got a microphone. West Bank and Golan Heights, consolidating Ms. Thomas. It’s my day in the sun. their control? Where’s my crew? [Laughter] Anonymity is President Clinton. The President just better. walked in the door, and we’re going to start The President. Oh, I don’t know. I think talking, and I think that I’d rather wait to you lost your anonymity a long time ago, answer those questions until the press con- Helen. ference. We’re going to have a press con- Ms. Thomas. Hell. [Laughter] ference after lunch, and we’ll—I’ll be glad [At this point, one group of reporters left the to answer your questions. room, and another group entered.] Welfare Reform Middle East Peace Process Q. [Inaudible]—the welfare reform bill Q. Mr. President Clinton, when will see that’s coming out of conference, is it some- the photo number six of a Middle East treaty thing you can sign, Mr. President? signing hang on the wall of the Oval Office, President Clinton. I don’t know. I don’t probably the Syrian track? know what’s going to happen in the con- The President. The next one out there? ference yet. They’re working on the con- I hope it won’t be too long. We are—the ference now, and I’m going to wait and see President just arrived, and we’re looking for- what happens, what comes out. ward to a conversation. And of course, we’re Q. I think you’re going to sign it because going to have a press conference afterward, you have used all the language of the oppo- and we’ll try to answer all your questions. nents: failed system, broken system. President Clinton. We have actually done Meeting With President Mubarak something about it. Keep in mind that 75 Q. What is the agenda of the meeting percent of the people on welfare today are today, Mr. President? under welfare-to-work experiments. There The President. Excuse me? are 1.3 million fewer people on welfare today Q. What is the agenda of the meeting? than there were the day I took office. Child President Clinton. We’re going to discuss support is up 40 percent. There are a lot of a whole range of things, our bilateral relation- things in the bill I’d like to sign. I like the ship, issues in the Middle East. I’ve been child care money. I like the increased child very impressed with the leadership that support enforcement. I like the fact that we President Mubarak has continued to show in get out of the waiver business on a State- the last several months. And I’m looking for- by-State basis. But I don’t want to see harm ward to listening, asking him a lot of ques-

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tions and listening, and then having a chance tion. Nowhere has that been more crucial to share some ideas. And then we’ll have the than in Egypt’s own region. press conference and do our best to answer The peace between Israel and Egypt is the your questions. bedrock upon which all other progress has been made. President Mubarak and I dis- Middle East Peace Process cussed our joint efforts to bring about a just, Q. I have only one question, please, Presi- comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Mid- dent Clinton. Will the United States try to dle East. The United States will continue to convince Prime Minister Netanyahu to re- do all we can with our friends in Israel and spect agreements that the Israel Govern- in the Arab nations to preserve what we have ment—not the Labor Party, but the Israel achieved for peace and to move forward. Government—have signed and redeploy the The President and I agreed on the need Israel troops from Hebron. The second for continued progress on the Palestinian point, also, to negotiate about Jerusalem and track, as we both had discussed in our recent also to try to stop sealing off every time, and and quite productive meetings with Prime every now and then, the Gaza Strip. Minister Netanyahu. We share a determina- President Clinton. Well, let me say, first tion to help find a path to peace between of all, he reaffirmed to me when he was here, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. and he has met with President Mubarak as We also spoke at length about terrorism, well, that he would honor the Oslo accords a threat that both our nations know all too in every way. So I think we have to give him well. As the host of the unprecedented Sum- a chance to do that and work on that assump- mit of the Peacemakers at Sharm al-Sheikh, tion. I believe that the—I think that the gov- President Mubarak helped show the world ernment is bound to honor commitments the deep desire for peace and security that that it has made, and I believe that it will prevails throughout the Middle East. and I certainly believe it should. And so we’ll We know, too, that we have to fight terror- just have to—we’ll see. But we’re going to ism on three fronts: first, through closer co- discuss that today, and again, we’ll be able operation with our friends and allies abroad; to answer more questions at the press con- second, here at home, by giving law enforce- ference, after we have our meeting. ment the tools they need, the most powerful counterterrorism tools available; and third, in our airports and on our airplanes, by increas- NOTE: The exchange began at 11:15 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. In his remarks, ing security. This will be a long, hard strug- the President referred to Prime Minister gle. But when we work together against ter- Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel. A tape was not rorism, abroad, at home, and in all the places available for verification of the content of this ex- that link us, we can obtain results. change. At last month’s G–7 summit in Lyon, I pro- posed a series of concrete measures to inten- sify our fight against terror and ask our allies The President’s News Conference to do more. Today in Paris, Attorney General With President Mubarak Reno and other top officials from the G–7 July 30, 1996 nations and Russia followed through on our call for action. These 8 nations announced President Clinton. I am delighted to wel- 25 specific areas of intensified cooperation, come my friend President Mubarak and his including working together to better protect delegation from Egypt back to the White mass transportation through strict inter- House to reaffirm the close partnership be- national standards for airport bomb detec- tween the United States and Egypt. Under tion, screening, and security; cooperation on the wise and courageous leadership of Presi- vehicle and explosive identifications; and dent Mubarak, Egypt has been a key partner standardization of passenger and cargo mani- with the United States in working to build fests. both regional security and global peace. I We will adopt laws controlling the manu- commend him for his vision and his dedica- facture and export of explosives and firearms

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to keep them from falling into terrorists’ in the future. I thank you for your wise coun- hands. We will work to outlaw personal pos- sel, your strong leadership, and your iron de- session of biological weapons and to make termination. And we’re glad to have you all terrorist bombings an international crime. here. We will collaborate in stopping terrorists President Mubarak. President Clinton, from using coded computer communications once again we meet here in the White House to conceal their plans. in an atmosphere of friendship and cordiality. We also pledged to our allies the help that The warmth of our reception was matched America is uniquely in a position to give. The by the spirit of mutual understanding and FBI will explore the creation of a forensic good will which prevailed during our talks. science database, an international clearing- We dealt with a wide range of issues of house for evidence on terrorist crimes. We common interest. Our views were similar on will share with others our research on explo- many of these issues. We are very pleased sive taggants, the chemical markers that help with the level of cooperation we have us track down bombmakers, as well as reached in the various fields. Our relation- taggant regulations our Nation is now devel- ship has never been more solid and stable. oping. Much of the credit goes to you, Mr. Presi- I want to do everything we can. And I am dent, and your administration. determined to do everything we can to also At the heart of our discussions was our give American law enforcement the tools joint quest for a just and comprehensive they need to fight terrorism. Today, Chief peace in the Middle East, a region so crucial of Staff Panetta is following up on the meet- to countries all over the world, particularly ing I held yesterday with our congressional the United States. As in the past, we were leadership to discuss how we can imme- in agreement on the essential requirements diately strengthen our own antiterrorism for this peace. First and foremost, a just and laws, including the use of taggants, wiretaps, fair peace must be based on a formula which and other means. They had a productive ses- was proposed by the cosponsors of the Ma- sion this morning. They will be meeting again drid peace conference of October 1991 and this evening. accepted by all parties. The core of this for- Finally, the President and I renewed our mula is Security Council Resolution 242, 338, efforts—renewed our commitment, excuse and 425, and the principle of land for peace me—to economic growth in the region and and the joint political rights of the Palestinian in Israel and Egypt in particular in their new people. partnerships, including one that was an- These terms of reference constitute the nounced just last week. We reviewed our ef- solid foundation of the peace process. Hence, forts to the Joint Partnership for Economic all the parties must abide by them. Activities Growth and Development, led on our side which are inconsistent with the requirements by the Vice President. We believe that work- and spirit of peace, such as settlement activi- ing together we can help to bring more pros- ties and the confiscation of lands, should be perity to the Egyptian people and to ensure terminated. that Egypt remains a source of regional What is needed now is to continue the strength, security, and leadership, something strict implementation of the signed agree- that is very important. Later today, President ment. Negotiations should also be resumed Mubarak and Vice President Gore will dis- on the various tracks without delay. All the cuss these issues in more detail as we look Arab leaders meeting in Cairo last month forward to the Cairo economic summit in have reaffirmed their unequivocal support November and work to make it a success. for the cause of peace. Their strategic deci- Mr. President, you were one of the very sion was to uphold and to continue the peace first world leaders to visit me here shortly process. This didn’t happen since 50 years after I took office. In all the meetings since, ago. we have worked to be partners for peace. We know that the question of Jerusalem We are proud to stand with you, and I am is a sensitive and a complicated one that does proud to stand with you as we work together not lend itself to simple solutions. It is

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charged with emotions for all the parties. to the aggrieved families of the victims and However, it is not impossible, in our view, to all Americans. to work out an imaginative solution that will Mr. President, under your vigorous leader- be acceptable to all sides in the course of ship, the United States has steadily continued the negotiations. to support our efforts to achieve progress and As I told President Clinton, I discussed development. We immensely appreciate your these and other questions at length with Is- help. Your steady backing has contributed to raeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu. I hope the success of our economic reform program. that he will move forward during the coming The partnership program, in which Vice crucial months by taking practical steps nec- President Gore plays a major role, is certain essary in order to maintain the momentum to cement the bonds between our two na- for peace. We are all quite aware of the risks tions. Our meeting today gave us a good op- involved if the peace process is terminated portunity to deepen our cooperation even or set back. No party would benefit from this further and solidify our friendship in all prospect. Although we differed during our fields. discussions on certain issues, I felt that we Thank you very much. could continue our dialog in order to pro- Middle East Peace Process mote peace. The continuation of an active American Q. President Clinton, President Mubarak, role is essential to the success of our endeav- a new plan by Israel to build new roads into the occupied areas and new bridges seems ors. President Clinton has assured me of the to signal a return to a hard line by Israel. continuation of that role. He attaches top pri- My question very simply to both of you is, ority to the achievement of a just, com- can there be peace in the Middle East if the prehensive, and lasting peace. He has also new Israeli Prime Minister carries out his assured me that the policy of the United campaign promises to his own people? States with respect to both terms of the ref- President Clinton. Well, first of all, I erence of the negotiations and substantive as- have—like you, I’ve seen the reports of the pect involved remains unchanged. The Unit- proposed road building campaign. I don’t ed States firmly supports the principle of know whether they’re new roads, expansions land for peace. This is central to the corona- of existing roads, nor do we know for sure tion of our efforts and the success of the that the Government of Israel has adopted strategy. that policy. We know that—the report is that In this context, the Middle East economic a member of the government has proposed conference to be held in Cairo takes on a that. So until the Government of Israel special significance. The conference will adopts that as policy, it is—I don’t want to build on the momentum of political and eco- blame them for something they haven’t done nomic transformation taking place in the yet. Middle East. The United States shares with We are concerned about anything that us a keen interest in the maintenance of se- could affect the peace process adversely. And curity and stability in the Middle East. In we expect and believe that Israel will adhere our opinion, the best means to guarantee this to the agreements it has already made, in- is the establishment of a just, lasting peace cluding the Oslo accords, the agreements that meets with the genuine acceptance and that were signed here. And the Prime Min- approval of the peoples concerned. ister assured me that that was so. So until As we achieve this goal, our ability to com- I have evidence that that is not so, I don’t bat violence and the terrorism in the region think I should go further. would be greatly reinforced. This would also I’m concerned about the reports I’ve read, strengthen the world fight against terrorism but I don’t know precisely what the plan is. everywhere. We are together in this fight. And my understanding is it has not yet been We sympathize with the suffering of the adopted by the government. And the govern- American people as a result of terroristic ac- ment’s commitment is to continue the peace tions. We extend our heartfelt condolences process and not to do anything inconsistent

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with the commitments made by the Israeli Antiterrorism Legislation Government before it. So we’ll have to see Q. Mr. President, you said that today’s what happens. meeting on antiterrorism legislation was pro- President Mubarak. Only I could tell ductive. Yet Senator Hatch, the chairman of you, very frankly, I don’t know exactly where the Judiciary Committee, said that the White this road is going to be built, but I hope it House was asking for some very controversial shouldn’t be built in the land where the Pal- provisions and that some of them you’re not estinians are making argument, otherwise it’s going to get. He went on to say that your going to complicate the whole process. This proposed study on chemical markers in ex- is my fear. We would like to maintain stabil- plosives was a phony issue. Have things hit ity. We don’t like to make new things in the a snag behind the scenes? Where do they occupied territory unless it’s agreed upon be- stand? tween the two parties so as to help the proc- President Clinton. Well, it doesn’t sound ess to move forward. like it’s behind the scenes to me. [Laughter] Q. President Mubarak, President Clinton, Let me say, yesterday in our meeting the Re- publican leadership was quite candid. You after negotiation, are you optimistic about know we had the Attorney General there, we progress of peace process in the Middle had the FBI Director there, we had the CIA East? Director there, we had—you saw them all. President Mubarak. Me? [Laughter] We had our whole frontline team there. And President Clinton. You go first. they were—the leadership—the Democrats President Mubarak. Anyway, I would like were willing to put in everything that had to say that since I met Prime Minister been in the previous bill. The Republicans Netanyahu and to continue to have contact were open to including a lot of things that with President Clinton, he assured me that were taken out of the previous bill, but they he’s going to implement all the agreement, said they still had a problem with the taggants all the commitments which had been signed in the black powder. That’s all I know. by the State of Israel with the Palestinians. What I’ve urged them to do—keep in And although they have not yet enough time mind, we’re trying to do something very for that, but I hope that he could continue quickly here; we’re talking about trying to implementing this agreement because it’s pass a bill before the August recess, which very important, at least to give the people is upon us. And they want to go home Friday a good signal that Israel respects and honors or Saturday. And we’re looking for some im- its commitment. mediate help. So what I urge them to do President Clinton. My answer to you, sir, now—I think everyone knows that we had would be that if the meetings that President a difference of opinion on the taggants issue. Mubarak and I had with Prime Minister We still do. We believe the FBI’s right, and Netanyahu are an indication, then I am opti- we’d like to stick with them on this issue. But the most important thing right now mistic because if Israel is able to keep the is that they get the best, strongest bill they commitments that it has already made I think can out, that they give us as much help as that will form the basis of going forward. And they can that would be of assistance particu- I do believe that they have some idea—they larly in tracking terrorists that move from have a different approach to going forward, place to place, that don’t have—we at least but I think they want to go forward. I think ought to be able to do the same thing with that there is a broad understanding in Israel terrorists we can with members of the Mafia. that this is a process that can’t simply be And so we’ve asked for some other things. stopped or reversed. You have to go forward And if I want them to—I presume they may with it. And I believe that that’s what they have a floor vote on the taggants issue and will do. people can decide one way or the other Yes, Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated where they stand. But what I urge them to Press]? do is to be explicit about their disagreement

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here but don’t let it overcome the areas of our positions have changed, and they won’t agreement, because there were far more change. areas of agreement than disagreement yes- Yes, go ahead. terday in our private meeting. Q. A question actually for President Mu- And what we really have got to do now barak. is move as quickly as we can on what we President Clinton. I knew it. That’s why can agree on; then there will be another sev- I called on you. [Laughter] eral weeks of this congressional session after the August recess where more might be Terrorism done. But we need to keep this country to- Q. Your part of the world has had to deal gether right now. We need to focus on this with the fears and the consequences of ter- terrorism issue. The people are together; rorism much longer than—we now in this they’re united on it. And we need to quickly country, of course, are suddenly facing ter- identify the areas we can agree on, move as rorism, whether homegrown or abroad. What quickly as possible, have a vote if there’s an advice would you give to the American peo- area of significant disagreement, accept the ple, and what advice, perhaps, did you give result, and then look forward to the future. to President Clinton today? There will be other opportunities to pass President Mubarak. President Clinton laws. has very little experience in that sense, any- way, but I could tell you very frankly the Middle East Peace Process main problem of terrorism started from the Middle East. I don’t mean that what hap- Q. My question is for President Clinton. pened in the United States is coming from It was reported yesterday that the Israeli the Middle East. But the kind of imitation Government is considering lifting the ban on through the revolution in the media these the settlement activity. So if this happened, days—everything is on the television; even what will be the U.S. position with regard how to make a bomb has been mentioned to this issue? And is this going to change its on the television—so the people everywhere longstanding stand with regard to this issue? in the world are imitating what’s going on President Clinton. Well, first of all, we the televisions. haven’t changed our positions on any issues The Middle East problem is vital and very as a result of the election in Israel. Our posi- important. If we could maintain peace, if we tions are just what they were. So we haven’t could reach a comprehensive settlement in changed. The settlement issue under the this critical part of the world, which affects Oslo accords is a matter for determination Europe and America and everywhere, I think between the parties as we move to the end we could put an end to at least 95 percent of the negotiations. And we have encouraged of the terroristic actions in the world. everyone not to do anything which would weaken the chances of peace. Middle East Peace Process And so, again, we need to know exactly Q. Mr. Clinton, Mr. President, it is taking what it is they’re thinking about doing, be- Israel a really long time to honor its commit- cause in the previous administrations, Prime ments on the peace process. If it weren’t for Minister Rabin and Prime Minister Peres, Egyptian mediation all the time, things could the existing settlements expanded more or have gone out of hand. Any assurances from less with population growth in the State of the United States to guarantee an accelera- Israel. And that was not considered to be a tion of the peace process? serious violation of the understandings that President Clinton. Well, I think that the were existing at that time. record of my administration is clear. I’ve So before we—again, I say before I say worked very hard to hammer out these peace anything I would need to know exactly what agreements and to accelerate the process of it is they intend to do. But my position on peace. I think you have to accept the fact these issues is the same today as it was the that there was an election in Israel; that the day before the election in Israel. None of question of how to pursue peace and main-

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tain security was the central issue in the elec- tent to which we should impose economic tion; that by a narrow margin, but still a clear sanctions to isolate countries we know are one, the voters voted to change government. supporting terrorism. I’ll come back to that. Then the new Prime Minister had to con- But let’s look at what we do agree on. We stitute his own government, had to put to- have agreed today in Paris on a sweeping set gether his own cabinet, and had to then de- of common measures to prevent terrorist ac- velop a certain policy. He’s just been to see tivity from occurring in the first place and President Mubarak, and I think they had a to catch terrorists when they do successfully pretty good meeting. I certainly thought our carry out their schemes. meeting was a good one here in the United Now, this is the most important thing you States. can do. In the United States, since I have And so I know it’s frustrating for the public been here, we have dramatically intensified in Israel, for the people—I mean, excuse me, our efforts. We have succeeded in thwarting for the people in Egypt and for the people, schemes designed to bomb the United Na- indeed, in all Arab States throughout the tions, bomb the Lincoln Tunnel, go after air- Middle East, but a sort of a hiatus, a slow- planes leaving from the west coast, the Ari- down period, was inevitable because of the zona operation which was uncovered just a election. And what I have urged everyone few weeks ago. And then, of course, we had to do and, frankly, what President Mubarak the World Trade Center tragedy, but there did with his Arab summit—I thought it was were people arrested and tried and con- terrific, bringing the people together, getting victed. And we have a trial going on involving a common position from all the Arab States Oklahoma City now. on the peace process and then making that clear and giving a little bit of time to the So there are things that can be done here. Israeli Government to constitute itself and Just because we have a disagreement in some then to make contacts with the other people areas doesn’t mean we don’t have wide areas in the region and decide how to proceed. of agreement. I believe sooner or later other I know it’s frustrating, but we just have countries will come to our understanding to have—let a little of that time elapse. When that you simply cannot continue to do ordi- you change governments like that, you can’t nary business with people who believe that expect people just to go on as if nothing has they have a right to practice commerce with happened. A little of this was inevitable. So you in the daytime and fund terrorists to kill I would ask the people of Egypt to be just your innocent civilians at night. I believe in a little patient here and give us a chance to the end that these countries will come put this back on track. around to our position. But in the mean- while, I think we ought to cooperate with Terrorism them where we can, because no civilized na- Q. Mr. President, how can you effectively tion of any culture or religion or region wish- fight international terrorism when it seems es to see its people exposed to terrorism. that the U.S. and the allies cannot agree on President Mubarak. I could tell you very how to isolate those nations that are consid- frankly we are the first country who have de- ered responsible for state-sponsored terror- clared several times since 1986, warning the ism? whole world that terrorism is going to spread And if I could, to President Mubarak, un- out all over the world. And starting from the derstanding your delicate position as a recog- nineties I have been stressing on that in every nized leader of the Arab world, is it possible speech delivered in my country. But so many for you, sir, to condemn and isolate those countries in the world said, oh, Egypt’s just countries that are identified as being respon- saying this because they had some incidents. sible for state-sponsored terrorism? We had at that time very few incidents. And President Clinton. Let me answer first. these incidents are coming from abroad. First of all, there are some differences be- Nowadays, with the existing situation of ter- tween ourselves and our allies in the G–7, rorism, we condemn the terrorism wherever for example, and other places about the ex- it is, if in a neighboring country or an Arab

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country or a Muslim country, we are against to find out a formula to be convenient to it. both sides. And I think nowadays, the Israelis But I have another thinking concerning say our capital is not divided. I heard the terrorism. We would like to form a commit- representative from the Palestinian Authority tee—and I think the President is doing such saying, we are not asking for dividing Israel, a thing like that—to find out how could we we are not going to put a fence dividing Jeru- punish not the whole people of a country but salem, we are not intending to put up a fence. to punish the group who’s responsible for ter- Then I think in the process, they could, in rorism in any country in the world. Because negotiations, find a formula which would be if we are going to punish the whole country convenient to both sides, to the Israelis and in any place because of terrorism, the people the Palestinians. I cannot foretell what’s the will get upset, get furious. So we’d like to formula. We will leave it to both sides. We select—see who is responsible about that. could help whenever it is needed. This is a new formula; I’m thinking about President Clinton. I can say that what I it because just punishing the whole people have urged to be done is what is being done. creates terrible problems. I have urged the Prime Minister to do what- ever he can to accelerate the pace of the ne- Middle East Peace Process gotiations. I hope the talks will start again Q. President Mubarak, Jerusalem is an im- between Syria and Israel. I hope there will portant issue in the peace process, and with- be a resolution of the issue between Syria out discussing it in the upcoming talks be- and Lebanon and Israel. I feel very strongly tween Israel and the Palestinians, peace will about it. not prevail in the Middle East. What is your So you ask what instructions or advice I opinion, Mr. President, of a solution for Jeru- have given. I have urged them to start these salem, knowing that the Palestinians want talks again and then to find one or two or their God-given share in the holy city of Jeru- three things that can show concrete evidence salem without dividing it but creating a Pal- of progress. The Palestinians need to be able estinian autonomous section of greater Jeru- to work again. We need to be able to see salem? economic opportunity flowing back into Gaza And Mr. President Clinton, Israeli Prime and the West Bank. People need to be able Minister Netanyahu—— to make a living. President Mubarak. Was the first ques- If we can find a way to secure the areas tion for me? from terrorism and Israel from terrorism and Q. Yes, one for you, and if you both want keep the borders open, then we will be able to answer it, it will be very nice. to attract more investment into Gaza and into Mr. Netanyahu announced that he is sit- the West Bank. We will be able to—you ting the teams to discuss the peace process know, we had 600—600—Arab and Jewish, with the Palestinians, which is a good omen American business people here when we this morning. What are your both guidelines signed the first Israel-PLO accord, 600, peo- to Mr. Netanyahu in light of the fact that ple that really want to invest there, that want the peace was put on hold? And when do to give an opportunity to people. But we have you think that the funds will arrive to the to find a way to keep the borders open and Palestinian Authority to supplement the to maintain security. So I’m encouraged by losses that reach about $6 million a day for these talks, and I hope that they’ll have some the Palestinians who have been under siege concrete results. I think it’s likely that they for over 4 months now? Thank you. will. President Mubarak. Look, I have al- ready, in my word, mentioned Jerusalem and Arab Summit and U.S. Aid to Egypt the problem of Jerusalem. I remember since Q. Mr. President, you mentioned the Arab the Camp David accord, since late President summit in Cairo. At that summit was Muam- Sadat started his initiative for peace, the man mar Qadhafi of Libya, Colonel Qadhafi. Did who opened the gate for peace—he was you express your concern to President Muba- speaking about Jerusalem, and he was trying rak about Colonel Qadhafi’s attendance at

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the summit in which he apparently flew in was a limit to how much security we could in violation of U.N. sanctions? And are you provide and the voters had a reaction to the concerned about Egypt’s support for Libya? violence that they experienced. And for President Mubarak I have an un- So what I will continue to do is to do every- related question. Are you worried in these thing I can to push them to take risks for days of budget cutting, in terms of U.S. for- peace and to minimize those risks for peace. eign aid, about the $2 billion of U.S. aid to But I want to do it in a way that recognizes Egypt annually? And are you also consider- what I think is the fundamental truth, which ing, as Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned is that in the end, the United States and when he was here, the idea of eventually Egypt won’t make this agreement; these weaning Egypt from some of that aid? agreements will have to be made between President Clinton. The specific answer to Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, and your question is, we did not discuss it today Lebanon. And the Jordanian agreement, of because my position had previously been course, is in good shape and I think will be made clear. We can’t have any accommoda- maintained. tion with Mr. Qadhafi until we have the peo- So we all have to remember this fun- ple that we believe blew up Pan Am 103 and damental reality. Yes, I will do what I can. they stand trial. So that’s the position of the But I believe the greatest influence the Unit- United States. And yes, I did make it clear. ed States has had in this peace process is You asked President Mubarak a related to be able to bring the concerns of the Arab question; I’ll let him answer that. States to Israel in a forthright way, to be able President Mubarak. Your question con- to bring—the Secretary of State has virtually cerning aid—I didn’t discuss this issue at all. worn himself out going the other way as well, I know very well that the aid is not going bringing the Israeli position to the Arab par- to stay forever. We are arranging ourselves; ties and then to make the people feel secure at any time it may be reduced. So there is that we would stand behind the integrity of no worry about that. There is good coopera- the peace process and try to protect people tion with the United States, so we don’t who take those risks. I still believe that is worry about that. If Mr. Netanyahu wants the best strategy, and that’s what we will con- to reduce it, we are not against that. [Laugh- tinue to do. ter] NOTE: The President’s 128th news conference Middle East Peace Process began at 1:40 p.m. in the East Room at the White House. Q. The question is for President Clinton. Mr. President, the U.S. has declared its firm stand regarding the peace process. But in the Remarks on Signing the Second months ahead, will the U.S. administration Taxpayer Bill of Rights and an be willing to influence Israel to take more Exchange With Reporters tangible steps towards the peace process? July 30, 1996 President Clinton. We’ll do whatever we can to be a positive influence on them. But The President. Thank you very much. Mr. you have—let me say that it’s very important Secretary, Commissioner Richardson, Con- that we do the best we can to exercise influ- gresswoman Johnson, thank you for all your ence, that is, to affect the outcome of events. hard work on this. Senator Baucus, Senator And sometimes what may seem most satisfy- Reid, Congressman Matsui, former Con- ing in a public statement is not what is most gressman Jake Pickle. You look like you’re likely to affect the outcome of events. right where you belong, standing up here I believe that one of the reasons that we with everybody else today, Jake. [Laughter] made as much progress as we did in the last We are glad to see you. 3 years is that the United States was able I would like to say a special word of thanks to make Israel feel secure in taking risks for to Senator Grassley, who was not able to peace. And I believe one of the reasons come at the last moment, for his hard work there’s been a slowdown in it is because there on this, and a special word of thanks to my

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longtime friend David Pryor, who has been new direct deposit of refunds, and their re- on this mission to improve the IRS and make funds went directly to their bank accounts it work better for taxpayers for more than in as little as 10 days. So filing taxes is getting 10 years now. I’m glad to say that we are, simpler, quicker, and clearly that’s better for I hope, nearly finishing the work that he the American people. started out on before he leaves the Senate. We’re trying to inject more common sense And I thank you for all you’ve done, sir. and fairness into the process. As the Sec- I want to applaud the leadership of the retary said, the legislation passed 8 years ago, Republicans and the Democrats in the the first taxpayer bill of rights, set the House and the Senate who worked so hard groundwork. But with this legislation today for this bill. If my memory is right, the bill we take the next step in the right direction. passed unanimously in the House and by The least we can do for consumers is to see voice vote in the Senate. And it happened that they’re treated professionally, fairly, and because we all worked together in a good judiciously. spirit of bipartisanship toward a common As the Secretary said, this bill has 41 rec- goal. ommendations. When the bill was formed, Nobody likes to pay taxes anyway, but it’s we looked at it, and we decided we could also a fact that the taxes pay for our national implement something over a third of them defense, our schools, our roads, our transpor- by administrative order, which we have done. tation systems, our police, and so much more The rest of them do require legislation, and that we depend upon every day. Still, the tax- now every subsequent administration will be payers have a right to feel that every one bound by all of them because it is becoming of their hard-earned dollars they give up ac- the law of the land. tually works for them, and we have to make This taxpayer bill of rights applies to al- sure that the IRS doesn’t tangle the Amer- most every situation in which the IRS and ican people up in redtape, that it is not arbi- taxpayers deal with each other. Here are trary, and that taxpayers are treated with the some examples of what it does: First, it truly respect to which they are entitled. We’re get- empowers the taxpayer advocate office at the ting there. IRS with increased authority to help tax- More than 70 percent of our taxpayers al- payers to resolve disputes, get refunds for ready pay at the 15 percent rate. Many of people facing hardships, and to stop collec- them use a form that finally lives up to its tion actions. Second, the bill requires the IRS name. The 1040EZ form is really now easy to inform divorced or separated spouses to understand and to follow. It’s one page when it attempts to collect joint taxes from long, and you don’t even need to do that. the other spouse. Third, it will make it easier If you’re eligible to file the EZ form, you to appeal tax liens. Fourth, it makes it easier now have the option of filing without any pa- for taxpayers to recover attorney fees if im- perwork at all; all you have to do is pick up proper action has been taken against them. the phone. Of the more than 20 million peo- And fifth, a taxpayer would have a longer ple eligible to file the EZ form, more than grace period to make a tax payment without 2.8 million file by phone in under 10 min- owing any interest. These are just some of utes. Now, that would be the ultimate in tax the things that this good bill does. simplification if we could do it for everyone. The legislation is truly a leap forward. With Many other taxpayers file on-line. This the taxpayer bill of rights we say to America’s year, more than 12 percent of all our filers, taxpayers, when you deal with the IRS, you nearly 15 million Americans, filed their indi- also have privileges, and we respect them. vidual returns electronically and got their re- You have protection, and we will help to pro- funds as soon as 3 weeks. People who file vide it. You have rights, and we will shield the old-fashioned way, on paper and in the them. Your rights as a taxpayer—plain and mail, got their refunds in about 40 days, simple, your rights will be protected; your longer than I would like but just half the time privacy will be honored; you will be treated it took just a few years ago. Eight and a half with courtesy; you are entitled to representa- million electronic filers took advantage of a tion; you pay only what you owe by law, no

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more and no less; you’re entitled to get help you know now about what the committee’s with special problems; you have the right to done on legal immigrants, food stamps, and appeal your case, even to court; and you can vouchers? Is this bill getting more signable, be relieved of penalties if you acted in good or is there still a chance you’ll veto it? faith, even if you made an honest mistake. The President. From what I understand, The IRS Commissioner is putting this dec- they’ve made some good progress today. And laration at the very front of the main publica- I’ve been, you know, meeting with President tion that goes to every taxpayer the IRS con- Mubarak so I haven’t gotten a report in the tacts. last hour or so. But I understand they’re mak- This legislation represents an important ing good progress. And I hope that they step in our ongoing efforts to improve the will—we just need to keep the kids in mind. system from the point of view of the taxpayer. We need to keep the children in mind. The After all, they not only pay the bills, they children need to come out ahead. What we are ultimately the bosses of this country, and want for poor families, I’ll say again, is what they’re entitled to be treated with respect we want for middle class families and for and fairness. Our people work hard for what upper income families. We want people to they have. Our goal is to let them know that be able to succeed at raising their kids and their Government is working hard, too, to at work. It’s the biggest dilemma middle class give them the best service it can and the fair- people have in America today, how can they est tax treatment it can. succeed at work and in raising their kids. And It’s an honor to sign the taxpayer bill of that’s what we want for poor families. rights. And once again, I ask that we all join So whatever system we adopt to reform in giving these Members of Congress a round welfare, the budgetary considerations in the of applause for the work they did. Thank you. nonwelfare items in the bill shouldn’t swamp [Applause] our objective of ultimately uplifting the chil- [At this point, the President signed the bill.] dren of the country. That’s what we’re work- ing for. It’s getting better, and I hope that Q. Mr. President, do you think taxpayers we can work it out. I really do. have not been treated with respect in this country? NOTE: The President spoke at 2:40 p.m. in the The President. I think that we haven’t Roosevelt Room at the White House. In his re- done as good a job as we should have done, marks, he referred to former Representative and I think that this bill will help us to do James Jarrell (Jake) Pickle of Texas. H.R. 2337, approved July 30, was assigned Public Law No. a better job. I think that the taxpayer bill 104–168. of rights 8 years ago was an important step. And I think these 41 or so steps embodied in this bill will say to the American people, Statement on the Settlement of look, you’re legally bound to pay the taxes Railroad Contract Disputes you owe and collecting them is never going July 30, 1996 to be a perfect process, but we’re going to bend over backwards to treat you fairly and These agreements represent a triumph of treat you with respect. And I think that’s a the collective bargaining process. I commend pretty good message. And I do think that the parties for their hard work in reaching there are too many Americans that have these settlements. I also commend our Presi- some example where they think that was not dential Emergency Boards for developing the case at sometime in the past. And we’re recommendations that helped to bring about just trying to get better at what we do, and these resolutions. this will help. In the past 25 years, Congress has had to step in no fewer than 10 times to prevent Welfare Reform national rail stoppages. Such stoppages can Q. Mr. President, we know you’re waiting cost American businesses and consumers bil- to see the final conference report on welfare lions of dollars. The voluntary contract agree- reform, but can you tell us based on what ments achieved this year broke that pattern

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and represent a milestone for labor-manage- I strongly support workplace practices that ment relations. promote cooperative labor-management re- lations. In order for the United States to re- main globally competitive into the next cen- Letter to Members of Congress on tury, employees must recognize their stake Proposed Safe Drinking Water in their employer’s business, employers must Legislation value their employees’ labor, and each must July 30, 1996 work in partnership with the other. Coopera- tive efforts, by promoting mutual trust and Dear lllll: respect, can encourage innovation, improve I urge the Congress to pass strong legisla- productivity, and enhance the efficiency and tion that protects our nation’s drinking water. performance of American workplaces. Although the conferees have made consider- Current law provides for a wide variety of able progress, it is imperative that I sign this cooperative workplace efforts. It permits em- legislation into law by August 1. If the House ployers to work with employees in quality cir- and Senate fail to act, $725 million in federal cles to improve quality, efficiency, and pro- funding will cease to be available for this im- ductivity. Current law also allows employers portant health and safety initiative. to delegate significant managerial respon- All Americans have the right to know that sibilities to employee work teams, sponsor their drinking water is safe. This legislation brainstorming sessions, and solicit employee should solidify that right by strengthening suggestions and criticisms. Today, 30,000 health and safety standards in addition to workplaces across the country have employee protecting the public from significant threats involvement plans. According to one recent to our drinking water. It is critical that the survey, 96 percent of large employers already Congress approve legislation that provides have established such programs. both a reasonable framework to improve our I strongly support further labor-manage- nation’s water supply in addition to the fund- ment cooperation within the broad param- ing and flexibility necessary for communities eters allowed under current law. To the ex- to make these improvements a reality. tent that recent National Labor Relations A compromise bill containing these prior- Board (NLRB) decisions have created uncer- ities is clearly within reach. I hope that we tainty as to the scope of permissible coopera- seize this opportunity and pass this important tion, the NLRB, in the exercise of its inde- piece of legislation. pendent authority, should provide guidance Sincerely, to clarify the broad legal boundaries of labor- Bill management teamwork. The Congress re- jected a more narrowly defined proposal de- NOTE: Identical letters were sent to congressional signed to accomplish that objective. conferees meeting on S. 1316. Instead, this legislation, rather than pro- moting genuine teamwork, would undermine the system of collective bargaining that has Message to the House of served this country so well for many decades. Representatives Returning Without It would do this by allowing employers to Approval the Teamwork for establish company unions where no union Employees and Managers Act of currently exists and permitting company- 1995 dominated unions where employees are in July 30, 1996 the process of determining whether to be represented by a union. Rather than encour- To the House of Representatives: aging true workplace cooperation, this bill I am returning herewith without my ap- would abolish protections that ensure inde- proval, H.R. 743, the ‘‘Teamwork for Em- pendent and democratic representation in ployees and Managers Act of 1995.’’ This act the workplace. would undermine crucial employee protec- True cooperative efforts must be based on tions. true partnerships. A context of mutual trust

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and respect encourages the prospect for related to welfare reform, I believe we have achieving workplace innovation, improved a duty to seize the opportunity it gives us productivity, and enhanced efficiency and to end welfare as we know it. Over the past workplace performance. Any ambiguities in 31⁄2 years, I have done everything in my this situation should be resolved, but without power as President to promote work and re- weakening or eliminating the fundamental sponsibility, working with 41 States to give rights of employees to collective bargaining. them 69 welfare reform experiments. We William J. Clinton have also required teen mothers to stay in school, required Federal employees to pay The White House, their child support, cracked down on people July 30, 1996. who owe child support and crossed State lines. Remarks on Welfare Reform As a result, child support collections are Legislation and an Exchange With up 40 percent, to $11 billion, and there are Reporters 1.3 million fewer people on welfare today July 31, 1996 than there were when I took office. From the outset, however, I have also worked with Good afternoon. When I ran for President Members of both parties in Congress to 4 years ago, I pledged to end welfare as we achieve a national welfare reform bill that know it. I have worked very hard for 4 years will make work and responsibility the law of to do just that. Today the Congress will vote the land. I made my principles for real wel- on legislation that gives us a chance to live fare reform very clear from the beginning. up to that promise: to transform a broken First and foremost, it should be about mov- system that traps too many people in a cycle ing people from welfare to work. It should of dependence to one that emphasizes work impose time limits on welfare. It should give and independence, to give people on welfare people the child care and the health care they a chance to draw a paycheck, not a welfare need to move from welfare to work without check. It gives us a better chance to give hurting their children. It should crack down those on welfare what we want for all families on child support enforcement, and it should in America, the opportunity to succeed at protect our children. home and at work. For those reasons I will This legislation meets these principles. It sign it into law. The legislation is, however, gives us a chance we haven’t had before to far from perfect. There are parts of it that break the cycle of dependency that has ex- are wrong, and I will address those parts in isted for millions and millions of our fellow a moment. citizens, exiling them from the world of work But on balance, this bill is a real step for- that gives structure, meaning, and dignity to ward for our country, our values, and for peo- most of our lives. ple who are on welfare. For 15 years, I have We’ve come a long way in this debate. It’s worked on this problem, as Governor and as important to remember that not so very long a President. I’ve spent time in welfare offices. ago, at the beginning of this very Congress, I have talked to mothers on welfare who des- some wanted to put poor children in orphan- perately want the chance to work and sup- ages and take away all help for mothers sim- port their families independently. A long ply because they were poor, young, and un- time ago I concluded that the current welfare married. Last year the Republican majority system undermines the basic values of work, in Congress sent me legislation that had its responsibility, and family, trapping genera- priorities backward. It was soft on work and tion after generation in dependency and tough on children. It failed to provide child hurting the very people it was designed to care and health care. It imposed deep and help. unacceptable cuts in school lunches, child Today we have an historic opportunity to welfare, and help for disabled children. The make welfare what it was meant to be, a sec- bill came to me twice, and I vetoed it twice. ond chance, not a way of life. And even The bipartisan legislation before the Con- though the bill has serious flaws that are un- gress today is significantly better than the

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bills I vetoed. Many of the worst elements welfare reform provisions of the bill, this is I objected to are out of it. And many of the the best chance we will have for a long, long improvements I asked for are included. First, time to complete the work of ending welfare the new bill is strong on work. It provides as we know it by moving people from welfare $4 billion more for child care so that mothers to work, demanding responsibility, and doing can move from welfare to work and protects better by children. their children by maintaining health and However, I want to be very clear. Some safety standards for day care. These things parts of this bill still go too far, and I am are very important. You cannot ask somebody determined to see that those areas are cor- on welfare to go to work if they’re going to rected. First, I am concerned that although neglect their children in doing it. we have made great strides to maintain the It gives States powerful performance in- national nutritional safety net, this bill still centives to place people in jobs. It requires cuts deeper than it should in nutritional as- States to hold up their end of the bargain sistance, mostly for working families with by maintaining their own spending on wel- children. In the budget talks, we reached a fare. And it gives States the capacity to create tentative agreement on $21 billion in food jobs by taking money now used for welfare stamp savings over the next several years. checks and giving it to employers as income They are included in this bill. subsidies as an incentive to hire people or However, the congressional majority in- being used to create community service jobs. sisted on another cut we did not agree to, Second, this new bill is better for children repealing a reform adopted 4 years ago in than the two I vetoed. It keeps the national Congress which was to go into effect next nutritional safety net intact by eliminating year. It’s called the excess shelter reduction, the food stamp cap and the optional block which helps some of our hardest pressed grant. It drops the deep cuts and devastating changes in school lunch, child welfare, and working families. Finally, we were going to help for disabled children. It allows States treat working families with children the same to use Federal money to provide vouchers way we treat senior citizens who draw food to children whose parents can’t find work stamps today. Now, blocking this change, I after the time limits expire. And it preserves believe—I know—will make it harder for the national guarantee of health care for poor some of our hardest pressed working families children, the disabled, pregnant women, the with children. This provision is a mistake, and elderly, and people on welfare. I will work to correct it. Just as important, this bill continues to in- Second, I am deeply disappointed that the clude the child support enforcement meas- congressional leadership insisted on attach- ures I proposed 2 years ago, the most sweep- ing to this extraordinarily important bill a ing crackdown on deadbeat parents in his- provision that will hurt legal immigrants in tory. If every parent paid the child support America, people who work hard for their they should, we could move 800,000 women families, pay taxes, serve in our military. This and children off welfare immediately. With provision has nothing to do with welfare re- this bill we say to parents, if you don’t pay form. It is simply a budget-saving measure, the child support you owe, we will garnish and it is not right. your wages, take away your driver’s license, These immigrant families with children track you across State lines and, as necessary, who fall on hard times through no fault of make you work off what you owe. It is a very their own—for example, because they face important advance that could only be the same risks the rest of us do from acci- achieved in legislation. I did not have the dents, from criminal assaults, from serious ill- executive authority to do this without a bill. nesses—they should be eligible for medical So I will sign this bill, first and foremost and other help when they need it. The Re- because the current system is broken; sec- publican majority could never have passed ond, because Congress has made many of the such a provision standing alone. You see that changes I sought; and third, because even in the debate in the immigration bill, for ex- though serious problems remain in the non- ample, over the Gallegly amendment, and

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the question of education of undocumented And we here in Washington must continue and illegal immigrant children. to do everything in our power to reward work This provision will cause great stress for and to expand opportunity for all people. The States, for localities, for medical facilities that earned-income tax credit, which we ex- have to serve large numbers of legal immi- panded in 1993 dramatically, is now reward- grants. It is just wrong to say to people, we’ll ing the work of 15 million working families. let you work here, you’re helping our coun- I am pleased that congressional efforts to gut try, you’ll pay taxes, you serve in our military, this tax cut for the hardest pressed working you may get killed defending America, but people have been blocked. This legislation if somebody mugs you on a street corner or preserves the EITC and its benefits for work- you get cancer or you get hit by a car or ing families. Now we must increase the mini- the same thing happens to your children, mum wage, which also will benefit millions we’re not going to give you assistance any- of working people with families and help more. I am convinced this would never have them to offset the impact of some of the nu- passed alone, and I am convinced when we tritional cuts in this bill. send legislation to Congress to correct it, it Through these efforts, we all have to rec- will be corrected. ognize, as I said in 1992, the best antipoverty In the meantime, let me also say that I program is still a job. I want to congratulate intend to take further executive action direct- the Members of Congress in both parties ing the INS to continue to work to remove who worked together on this welfare reform legislation. I want to challenge them to put the bureaucratic roadblocks to citizenship to politics aside and continue to work together all eligible, legal immigrants. I will do every- to meet our other challenges and to correct thing in my power, in other words, to make the problems that are still there with this leg- sure that this bill lifts people up and does islation. I am convinced that it does present not become an excuse for anyone to turn an historic opportunity to finish the work of their backs on this problem or on people who ending welfare as we know it, and that is why are generally in need through no fault of their I have decided to sign it. own. This bill must also not let anyone off Q. Mr. President, some civil rights groups the hook. The States asked for this respon- and children’s advocacy groups still say that sibility; now they have to shoulder it and not they believe that this is going to hurt chil- run away from it. We have to make sure that dren. I wonder what your response is to that. in the coming years reform and change actu- And also, it took you a little while to decide ally result in moving people from welfare to whether you would go along with this bill work. or not. Can you give us some sense of what The business community must provide you and your advisers kind of talked about greater private-sector jobs that people on and the mood in the White House over this? welfare need to build good lives and strong The President. Sure. Well, first of all, the families. I challenge every State to adopt the conference was not completed until late last reforms that Wisconsin, Oregon, Missouri, evening, and there were changes being made and other States are proposing to do, to take in the bill right up to the very end. So when the money that used to be available for wel- I went to bed last night, I didn’t know what fare checks and offer it to the private sector the bill said. And this was supposed to be as wage subsidies to begin to hire these peo- a day off for me, and when I got up and ple, to give them a chance to build their fami- I realized that the conference had completed lies and build their lives. All of us have to its work late last night and that the bill was rise to this challenge and see that—this re- scheduled for a vote late this afternoon, after form not as a chance to demonize or demean I did a little work around the house this anyone but instead as an opportunity to bring morning, I came in and we went to work everyone fully into the mainstream of Amer- I think about 11 o’clock. ican life, to give them a chance to share in And we simply—we got everybody in who the prosperity and the promise that most of had an interest in this, and we went through our people are enjoying today. every provision of the bill, line by line, so

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that I made sure that I understood exactly promised to do and that this will look like what had come out of the conference. And you signing onto a Republican initiative? then I gave everybody in the administration The President. No. First of all, because who was there a chance to voice their opinion I don’t—you know, if we’re doing the right on it and to explore what their views were thing there will be enough credit to go and what our options were. And as soon as around. And if we’re doing the wrong thing we finished the meeting, I went in and had there will be enough blame to go around. a brief talk with the Vice President and with I’m not worried about that. I’ve always want- Mr. Panetta, and I told them that I had de- ed to work with Senator Dole and others. cided that, on balance, I should sign the bill. And before he left the Senate, I asked him And then we called this press conference. not to leave the budget negotiations. So I’m Q. And what about the civil rights not worried about that. groups—— But that’s a pretty hard case to make, since The President. I would say to them that I vetoed their previous bills twice and since there are some groups who basically have while they were talking about it we were never agreed with me on this, who never doing it. It’s now generally accepted by ev- agreed that we should do anything to give erybody who has looked at the evidence that the States much greater flexibility on this if we effected what the New York Times called it meant doing away with the individual enti- a quiet revolution in welfare. There are 1.3 tlement to the welfare check. And that is still, million fewer people on welfare today than I think, the central objection to most of the there were when I took office. groups. My view about that is that for a very long But there are limits to what we can do time it’s hard to say that we’ve had anything with these waivers. We couldn’t get the child that approaches a uniform AFDC system support enforcement. We couldn’t get the when the benefits range from a low of $187 extra child care. Those are two things that a month to a high of $655 a month for a we had to have legislation to do. And the family of 3 or 4. And I think that the system third thing is we needed to put all the States we have is not working. It works for half the in a position where they had to move right people who just use it for a little while and now to try to create more jobs. So far—I get off. It will continue to work for them. know that we had Wisconsin and, earlier, Or- I think the States will continue to provide egon and I believe Missouri. And I think for them. those are the only three States, for example, For the other half of the people who are that had taken up the challenge that I gave trapped on it, it is not working. And I believe to the Governors in Vermont a couple of that the child support provisions here, the years ago to start taking the welfare payments child care provisions here, the protection of and use it for wage subsidies to the private the medical benefits, indeed, the expansion sector to actually create jobs. You can’t tell of the medical guarantee now from 1998 to people to go to work if there is no job out 2002, mean that on balance these families there. will be better off. I think the problems in So now they all have the power, and they this bill are in the nonwelfare reform provi- have financial incentives to create jobs, plus sions, in the nutritional provisions that I men- we’ve got the child care locked in and the tioned, and especially in the legal immigrant medical care locked in and the child support provisions that I mentioned. enforcement locked in. None of this could Q. Mr. President, it seems likely there will have happened without legislation. That’s be a kind of political contest to see who gets why I thought this legislation was important. the credit or the blame on this measure. Sen- Q. Mr. President, some of the critics of ator Dole is out with a statement saying that this bill say that the flaws will be very hard you’ve been brought along to sign his bill. to fix because that will involve adding to the Are you concerned at all that you will be seen budget and in the current political climate as having been kind of dragged into going adding to the expenditures is politically im- along with something that you originally possible. How would you respond to that?

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The President. Well, it just depends on other side. And 100 percent of them, just what your priorities are. For one thing, it will like 100 percent of the Congress, recognized be somewhat easier to balance the budget that we needed to change fundamentally the now in the time period because the deficit framework within which welfare operates in this year is $23 billion less than it was the this country. The only question was whether last time we did our budget calculations. So the problems in the nonwelfare reform provi- we’ve lowered that base $23 billion this year. sions were so great that they would justify Now, in the out years it still comes up, but a veto and giving up what might be what I’m there’s some savings there that we could turn convinced is our last best chance to fun- around and put back into this. damentally change the system. Next, if you look at—my budget corrects Q. Mr. President, even in spite of all the it right now. I had $42 billion in savings; this details of this, you as a Democrat are actually bill has about $57 billion in savings. You helping to dismantle something that was put could correct all these problems that I men- in place by Democrats 60 years ago. Did that tioned with money to spare in the gap there. give you pause, that overarching question? So when we get down to the budget negotia- The President. No. No, because it was tions either at the end of this year or at the put in place 60 years ago when the poverty beginning of next year, I think the American population of America was fundamentally people will say, we can stand marginally different than it is now. As Senator Moy- smaller tax cuts, for example, or cut some- nihan—you know, Senator Moynihan strong- where else to cure this problem of immi- ly disagrees with me on this, but as he has grants and children, to cure the nutritional pointed out repeatedly, when welfare was problems. We’re not talking about vast created the typical welfare recipient was a amounts of money over a 6-year period. It’s miner’s widow with no education, small chil- not a big budget number, and I think it can dren, husband dies in the mine, no expecta- easily be fixed given where we are in the tion that there was a job for the widow to budget negotiations. do or that she ever could do it—very few Q. The last couple days in these meetings out-of-wedlock pregnancies and births. The among your staff and this morning, would whole dynamics were different then. you say there was no disagreement among So I have always thought that the Demo- people in the administration about what you cratic Party should be on the side of creating should do? Some disagreement? A lot of dis- opportunity and promoting empowerment agreement? and responsibility for people, and a system The President. No, I would say that there that was in place 60 years ago that worked was—first of all, I have rarely been as im- for the poverty population then is not the pressed with the people who work in this ad- one we need now. But that’s why I have ministration on any issue as I have been on worked so hard too to veto previous bills. this. There was significant disagreement That does not mean I think we can walk away among my advisers about whether this bill from the guarantee that our party gave on should be signed or vetoed, but 100 percent Medicaid, the guarantee our party gave on of them recognized the power of the argu- nutrition, the guarantee our party gave in ments on the other side. It was a very moving school lunches, because that has not thing. Today the conversation was almost 100 changed. But the nature of the poverty popu- percent about the merits of the bill and not lation is so different now that I am convinced the political implications of it, because I think we have got to be willing to experiment, to those things are very hard to calculate any- try to work to find ways to break the cycle way. I think they’re virtually impossible. of dependency that keeps dragging folks I have tried to thank all of them personally, down. including those who are here in the room And I think the States are going to find and those who are not here, because they out pretty quickly that they’re going to have did have differences of opinion about wheth- to be willing to invest something in these er we should sign or veto, but each side rec- people to make sure that they can go to work ognized the power of the arguments on the in the ways that I suggested.

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Yes, one last question. when we bring those things out into the light Q. Mr. President, you mentioned Senator of day we will be able to do it. And I think Moynihan. Have you spoken to him or other some Republicans will agree with us, and congressional leaders, especially congres- we’ll be able to get what we need to do to sional Democrats? And what was the con- change it. versation and the reaction to your indication? Thank you. The President. Well, I talked to him as recently, I think, as about a week ago. When NOTE: The President spoke at 2:27 p.m. in the we went up to meet with the TWA families, Briefing Room at the White House. we talked about it again. And you know, I have an enormous amount of respect for him. Statement on Proposed Health Care And he has been a powerful and cogent critic Legislation of this whole move. I’ll just have to hope that in this one case I’m right and he’s wrong, July 31, 1996 because I have an enormous regard for him. Today we have apparently achieved a long And I’ve spoken to a number of other Demo- overdue victory for the millions of Americans crats, and some think I’m right and some who live in fear of losing their health insur- don’t. ance when they change or lose their jobs or This is a case where, you know, I have because of preexisting conditions. I hope all been working with this issue for such a long Democrats and Republicans will work to- time, a long time before it became—to go gether to pass this important legislation be- back to Mr. Hume’s [Brit Hume, ABC News] fore the Congress begins its August recess. question, a long time before it became a cause celebre in Washington or anyone tried to make it a partisan political issue. It wasn’t Remarks on the Economy and an much of a political hot potato when I first Exchange With Reporters started working on it. I just was concerned August 1, 1996 that the system didn’t seem to be working. And I was most concerned about those who The President. Good morning. A strong were trapped on it and their children and and growing economy is the best way to offer the prospect that their children would be opportunity to every American who is willing trapped on it. to work for it. Today we received fresh news I think we all have to admit here—we all that our economy grew at a strong 4.2 per- need a certain level of humility today. We cent rate in the last quarter. This robust are trying to continue a process that I’ve been growth, 4.2 percent, is touching the lives of pushing for 31⁄2 years. We’re trying to get all our people with 10 million new jobs, low the legal changes we need in Federal law unemployment, and inflation in check. This that will work to move these folks to a posi- is good news for America and more evidence tion of independence where they can support that our economy continues to surge ahead their children and their lives as workers and and that our economic strategy is working. in families will be stronger. Four years ago today, the economy was But if this were an easy question, we drifting, unemployment was nearly 8 per- wouldn’t have had the 21⁄2-hour discussion cent, job growth was weak, the deficit was with my advisers today and we’d all have a at an all-time high, great American industries lot more answers than we do. But I’m con- were falling behind. For the last 3 years, we vinced that we’re moving in the right direc- have had in place a comprehensive plan to tion. I’m convinced it’s an opportunity we put our economic house in order and to cre- should seize. I’m convinced that we have to ate opportunity for the American people. My change the two problems in this bill that are economic team, which has joined me here not related to welfare reform, that were just today, has worked day and night to put this sort of put under the big shade of the tree strategy in place over stiff partisan opposition here, that are part of this budget strategy who said our plan wouldn’t work and would with which I disagree. And I’m convinced actually make things worse. But today’s good

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news shows that the plan we put in place I must say in passing, I was disappointed that is the right plan to move us forward into the the mental health provision was taken out, 21st century. and I certainly hope we can get it as soon This strong growth is reflected in other as possible in the future. It should remain ways as well. American industry is on the re- a high priority. bound. We have 900,000 new construction These two bills, when they pass, will also jobs. Once again we lead the world in autos make a real difference to millions and mil- and semiconductors, 4.4 million people have lions of Americans. And I call upon Congress become new homeowners, and 10 million to finish the work on both these bills before Americans have refinanced their existing leaving for the August recess. home loans to get lower mortgage rates. We Again, let me say that this economic news now have a record number of women-owned shows that our strategy is working, the econ- businesses; exports are at an all-time high. omy is growing, our Nation is moving in the We learned this week that consumer con- right direction. This is not the time to make fidence is at its highest level in 6 years, and dramatic changes that reverse our discipline real wages, which had fallen for a decade, on the deficit. It is the time to bear down are on the rise again. The deficit has been and improve upon the strategy we have been cut by more than half so that it is now the following for 31⁄2 years that has reversed the smallest since 1981. This plan has been based previous course and brought us such good on investing in our people, developing new results. We cannot turn our backs on that technologies, selling our products overseas, progress. The American people do not want and getting the deficit down to get interest to go back to where we were 4 years ago. rates down—growth without inflation. With- This plan is working, and we have to press out fiscal responsibility, this dramatic move forward. forward could not have been achieved— strong growth, low inflation, new jobs, higher Taxes wages, the strongest American economy in Q. Mr. President, if the Republicans come a generation. forward with an across-the-board tax cut, But even as we celebrate this good eco- what do you think that would do in the light nomic news, we must remember that there of the economic statistics today? is more to do to make sure all Americans The President. Well, if it calls for a big can benefit from this growing economy. Yes- increase in the deficit, I think it would have terday we took a step forward by giving the a very adverse impact on the economy. And American people a welfare reform bill. I think the—I would be surprised if the pri- Though not perfect, it offers the best chance vate sector didn’t have a very adverse reac- we’ve had to move people from dependence tion to it. We know that historically you may to independence, from welfare to work, giv- get a little bump from a tax cut in the short ing them a real opportunity to succeed at run that increases the deficit, but if it’s a huge home and at work. structural problem, in the long run the price I’m pleased that Congress has made is enormous. progress toward the passage of other critical Look what happened in the last 12 years. measures which also will give our people the We had a couple of good years because the capacity to make the most of the growing economy was in a deep recession. When it economy. An increase in the minimum wage came out of the recession, which would have will honor work and family. The small busi- happened anyway, the huge tax cuts pumped ness provisions in that bill will help small more money into the economy in the short businesses, the engine of economic job run, but we wound up quadrupling the debt growth, to invest more in their businesses in 12 years. The crushing burden of the debt and will help small business owners and their kept interest rates high, weakened our econ- employees to take out and maintain retire- omy, weakened our position in the global ment plans over their careers. economy, and had us in a virtual straitjacket The Kassebaum-Kennedy bill will give when I took office. I think it would be a mis- millions of Americans access to health care. take to go back to that strategy.

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No one I know of who has participated tainly never offered to plead guilty to any- in real, stable, sustained long-term growth, thing? Do you believe that? not only in the United States but elsewhere, Q. I just wanted to know if you were going believes this is a very good way to proceed. to keep your word, sir. And I think it would be a mistake. The President. I didn’t—I never gave my Yes, Bill [Bill Plante, CBS News]? word on that. You go back and see what I said when I was asked that question. I asked, White House Travel Office are they going to pay the expenses of anybody Q. Mr. President, will you call on the Sen- else? That’s what I said. Don’t talk to me— ate to resurrect the bill to pay the legal ex- go back and see what I said. What did I say? penses of the people who were fired from What word did I give, sir? the travel office? Democrats seem to have Q. Your spokesman, sir, was asked— blocked it. And will you call on them to pass The President. Well, my spokesman— it? And will you sign it if it gets here? they do a very good job, but I have made The President. Well I told you before, clear to Mr. McCurry what my position is there are a lot of people who were never on this. And if an error was made by my even charged with anything, much less offer- spokesman, I’m sorry. But I have not broken ing to plead guilty to anything, who have my word to anybody. I have been asked about been dragooned and pulled up and had thou- this one time, and I asked whether we were sands and tens of thousands of dollars of legal going to provide for other people’s legal ex- expenses, who were completely innocent but penses who were never accused of anything have been subject to abject harassment. And and who did not offer to plead guilty to any- I said before when you asked me that ques- thing. And I have heard nothing about that. tion, are we going to pay their legal expenses, So the answer to your question is, I do not too? Are we going to pay the legal expenses know what I will do if such a bill comes to of every person in America who is ever ac- my desk, but I have no intention of asking quitted of an offense? Congress to interrupt its work on Kennedy- So, no, I’m not going to call upon them Kassebaum, on the minimum wage, on anti- to bring it up again. If they send it to my terrorism, to get involved in this. No, I do desk, it depends—whether I sign it or not not. depends upon whose legal expenses are in- cluded and whether it’s a fair and balanced Terrorism bill. Q. Mr. President, on the subject of terror- Q. Sir, does that mean you’re going back ism, some critics are saying that the measures on your promise? Your White House said that you’re working on now with lawmakers earlier, in fact this morning, Mr. Toiv said really aren’t going to make that much of a that if it came here, you would sign it. difference. And I know Republicans have The President. Well, he didn’t talk to me been critical of the administration for not before he said that. spending all the funds that it had earmarked Q. So you wouldn’t sign it? for terrorism. The President. I didn’t say that. I said, The President. Well, all I can tell you is, I don’t know what’s going to be in it. But what we’re doing here is what our law en- I don’t believe that we should give special forcement agencies have asked us to do. And preference to one group of people over oth- I would remind you that our law enforce- ers. Do you? Do you? ment agencies succeeded in cracking the Q. You said you would do this earlier, sir. World Trade Center case, that there is a trial The President. Do you think we should— going on in the Oklahoma City case, that they do you think that Congress should pay for thwarted what was apparently and allegedly the legal expenses for all these middle class a big operation in Arizona recently. And we people that they harassed and brought up know they have prevented other incidents there and cost them tens of thousands of dol- from occurring. So all I’m trying to do is to lars in legal expenses when they never even work with the law enforcement agencies of accused them of doing anything and they cer- our country and the people that we have

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brought together to work on this Thank you. antiterrorism initiative. And we followed their recommendations, and we’re doing our NOTE: The President spoke at 10:02 a.m. in the best to get the job done. Rose Garden at the White House.

White House Employee Drug Policy Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Q. Mr. President, would you discuss the Congressional Leaders and an rationale for allowing individuals with a back- Exchange With Reporters ground of more than casual drug use to serve August 2, 1996 on the White House staff? Doesn’t that send a poor signal to parents and children who The President. I’d like to make some brief want to avoid drugs, and one argument for remarks and then ask Senator Daschle and it is that it will return to haunt you later in Congressman Gephardt to speak. And then life? we’ll be glad to answer a few questions. The President. Well, if that were the On this last day before Congress goes whole story it might be. That is not the whole home, I wanted to invite the Democratic story. Compare the difference in the White leadership down to the White House to thank House drug policy and the Congress drug them for their hard work and eventual suc- policy. We are the branch of Government, cesses on behalf of the working families of the White House, that has a zero-tolerance this country. The Congress is going to send policy. A complete—everybody was tested. me two measures that this caucus has worked Then people are subject—everybody who hard on for a long time, the minimum wage works here is subject to random testing. And bill, which also has some important help for people that have any kind of recent drug small businesses, incentives to invest more problem who were hired because they were in the business and to make it easier to take felt to be drug free at the time are subject out retirement plans, and of course, the Ken- to regular drug testing. nedy-Kassebaum health bill, which will help So the truth is we know that the people millions of Americans have access to health here insofar as we can possibly determine it care. are drug free and that we have had a zero- And I’d like to say a special word of thanks tolerance policy. And I think the question is to Senator Kennedy who has worked on both if people have put their lives in order and these issues for years and years and who was are prepared to be tested and are prepared absolutely superb in the debates in the Sen- to be held accountable and are judged as best ate and he would not let these issues die as possible not to present a threat in any way, when—[applause]. shape, or form and are doing a good job and These issues have been very key to our are clearly drug free, should they be denied party, our caucus, and to me and my adminis- the right to work because of some problem tration for a long time now. And I’m very, they have in their past? very happy about it. We’re in a lot better Now, at the time these decisions were shape than we were a year ago. We have basi- made in ’93, the people who made them con- cally, thanks to the American people standing cluded no, as long as we had a system for up and standing with us, we have been able regular testing. And I find it interesting that to do some positive things here, which are we get criticism from the Congress from peo- very, very, important. In addition to that, ple who can’t make that same assertion about we’re going to have two major environmental their own staffs because they don’t have any- legislative victories, the safe drinking water thing like the testing program we do to hold act and one on pesticides, which I think are people accountable. very, very important. So we have done our best to tell you what And I’m very pleased that we’ve been able I think you want to know, which is, do we to move away from some of the extremism have a strict zero-tolerance policy here, and of the last 2 years into a position where we do we have a means for knowing whether can get some things done for the American we’re right or not? people. So I think the American people have

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a lot to be proud of. I think the progressive, issue. Just as much as devising a defense in mainstream achievements of this caucus are the cold war was a national security issue, some things that they can go home and be that we tried to develop a bipartisan position proud of in August. I have to say that this on, dealing with terrorism, dealing with the has been, on balance, a very good week for proliferation of weapons, dealing with the the American people. consequences for freedom-loving people ev- I must say I’m deeply disappointed that erywhere of all the racial and ethnic and reli- the antiterrorism package which had been gious and tribal and political hatred in the agreed to by our caucus and our leadership world today, these are the national security and the leadership of the Republican Party issues of the 21st century. And so I can tell apparently is not going to pass because the you that I think it is legitimate for those of same folks who opposed the crime bill in ’94 us who believe more should be done to con- and the Brady bill are not going to permit tinue to press for more to be done. it to pass in the House. And I am dis- But I am going to do my best to try to appointed about that. I’m disappointed that fashion a bipartisan majority in America for we can’t pass anything on the taggants yet, this. This is national security. We’ve always the explosives, because that’s a big problem in the past been able to hammer out a bipar- in domestic terrorist incidents. But I think tisan posture on national security, and I hope we have to keep working on it because this we can. I know the leadership of the Repub- problem will not go away. lican Party must be disappointed that they But in terms of these economic issues that could not deliver the Members here and that are going to create more opportunity for the their caucus is, I believe, out of step with American people, I think it’s a very, very what the American people want. But I hope happy day. we can make this a bipartisan issue because And I’d like to ask Senator Daschle and it’s a security issue. Mr. Gephardt to say few words, and then As to the verdict, I’m very pleased, close we’ll answer your questions. to home here, that Bruce Lindsey was com- [At this point, Senator Thomas A. Daschle pletely exonerated, as I felt certain he would explained that by being united in their goals, be. And I’m happy for the people involved. Democrats in Congress have been able to And I have nothing to add to what has been pass legislation that is beneficial to many coming out of the stories in Little Rock. Americans.] TWA Flight 800 and Terrorism The President. Mr. Gephardt. Q. [Inaudible]—in East Moriches, New [Representative Richard A. Gephardt con- York, for the past week and a half—I’ve gratulated the President on the economic fig- talked to a lot of FBI agents who work for ures and stated that the legislation passed by you who are convinced that terrorists are re- Congress is a victory for the American peo- sponsible for that. There’s a story in the ple.] paper today that says the United States has proof that there are 11 terrorist training The President. You bet it is. camps in Iran right now and that somebody trained in one of those camps was probably Terrorism Legislation and the responsible for what happened in Saudi Ara- Whitewater Trials bia. What are you able to do without this Q. Mr. President, would a failure to pass terrorism bill to solve problems like that? a terrorism bill now be a Democratic—a le- The President. Well, keep in mind we’ve gitimate Democratic campaign issue? And been doing quite a lot. We just had a meeting would you like to react to the verdict yester- in—let me back up and say—let me remind day in Little Rock? you of what our strategy is. The first strategy The President. Well, I believe that this is to get the other nations of the world to ought to pass. And you know, I have done take as hard a line on terrorism as we have my best not to make this a partisan issue, already taken—and is manifest in this Con- this terrorism issue. This is a national security gress which did pass in a bipartisan way a

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tougher sanctions bill, for example, against growth rate a little higher, but the best thing Iran and Libya—and to get other countries about it is that we have proved that this econ- to work with us. And we agree on 25 separate omy, together, not just our administration, things that we would do together with the the American people have proved, that they G–7 countries in that regard. And last year could create over 10 million jobs and that or earlier this year, several months ago at the wages could actually start rising again after United Nations, the last time I spoke to the a decade without any inflation in the econ- United Nations, I asked them to adopt an omy. I believe it’s because of the productivity international compact against terrorism. So of the American workers and the competition we’re moving on that. of the global market working together. The second thing we’re trying to do is to What I was worried about was that we increase our capacity to deal with terrorist wouldn’t be able to get wages going up again activities here at home. And we have in- even though were being created. Now wages creased our capacity in the last 3 years. And are finally beginning to rise, and at this point, this Congress did pass in a bipartisan way no evidence that there’s an inflationary prob- an antiterrorism bill which helped us to do lem. And that’s a very good thing for the more. The third thing we have to do, because American people in terms of their household they’re targeted, is to dramatically increase budgets and a very good thing for the Amer- airport security. Now, in addition to that, ican economy. If we can keep growing and we’re taking further measures to increase the raise wages and keep inflation in check, then security of our troops overseas, as you know, we will have done something that we’ve not and General Downing is going to make a re- been able to do for 30 years. And that’s a port to me sometime in the next couple of very, very good sign for the American people. weeks about that. And we have had success NOTE: The President spoke at 9:05 a.m. in the in thwarting several planned terrorist activi- Cabinet Room at the White House. ties in the United States against America. So there are things that we can do. As to the TWA flight and the evidence you Remarks Announcing Measures to mentioned, I can tell you this. I will do what Improve Working Conditions in the is appropriate once we know what the evi- Apparel Industry and an Exchange dence is. But there are a lot of people who with Reporters have a lot of opinions now. But as President, August 2, 1996 I have to wait until the FBI investigators and the other team members tell me what they The President. Good morning. To Sec- believe to have happened and until we have retary Reich, Phil Knight of Nike, the other a chain of established proof. You can’t say, business leaders who are here and the labor particularly when the consequences are as leaders, leaders of other organizations who horrible as this, what you think happened in are concerned about this issue, to Kathie Lee the absence of conclusive evidence. So I have Gifford and Congressman George Miller to wait until I get that. who was just here and had to leave. I want to say a special word of thanks to my friend Employment Figures Senator Tom Harkin who is the very first per- Q. Mr. President, what’s your reaction to son who ever discussed the issue we’ll be the jobs figures this morning, and do you see talking about today with me. any inflationary consequences to them? Before I begin, I’d like to say just a brief The President. Well, you know, I can’t word about the new job figures. It was re- comment on the job figures officially until ported this morning that our economy pro- 9:30, so I’ll have something to say about it duced nearly 200,000 more new jobs in July, later. But I can tell you this, there is no— further good news for the American people there is now no substantial evidence of infla- that our economy is growing and creating tion pressures in this economy. The best good jobs. Thanks to the hard work of em- thing about the recovery of the last 3 years, ployees and businesses here in our country, although a lot of us would like to see the we now have the economic equivalent of our

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dream team: strong growth, millions of jobs, our democracy. I want to compliment the low inflation, low unemployment, and grow- companies that are here: Phillips-Van ing incomes. That’s the lineup we want for Heusen, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Nicole Miller, America. Karen Kane, Warnaco, Tweeds, and of I just had a very productive meeting with course, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, Liz representatives of some of our Nation’s larg- Claiborne, and Nike, companies that have est apparel and footwear companies as well pledged to live up to their responsibilities. as representatives of labor, consumer, human And I want to see the results they produce. rights, and religious groups. They all accept- The ultimate test of their commitment will ed my invitation to meet here today to deal be for them to produce tough criteria to with an issue that is rightly on the minds of make sure that sweatshops are not used and millions of American consumers. to make sure consumers know it. And then Just a year ago today, the discovery of what we want to do is to persuade others more than 70 people working in virtual slav- in this country to follow their lead and to ery behind barbed wire in a garment factory find ways to make sure, again, that consum- in El Monte, California, awakened Ameri- ers know it. cans to the fact that some of the clothes and I don’t know what final strategies they will shoes they buy are manufactured by people come up with. I do hope they’ll develop who work under deplorable conditions. The measures that might include labels, clear well-documented episode involving Kathie signs in stores, or other means of getting the Lee Gifford also awakened many people to information directly involved to consumers this problem. so that consumers at the point of sale have We all are outraged by these awful revela- an opportunity themselves to be responsible tions, but as leaders we have a responsibility citizens in their purchases. to do something about them. When Kathie This is a good start. As I said before, we Lee learned that some of the garments with know that the first job of business is to her name on them were being produced produce a profit. That is the foundation of under terrible working conditions, she didn’t our free enterprise system. But for the sys- bury her head in the sand. Instead, she re- tem to succeed, good corporations must also acted quickly, decisively, and responsibly. be good citizens. Our success in the 21st cen- That’s what all the rest of us must do as well. tury depends more than ever on the right Our Nation has always stood for human kind of partnership between all of us to make dignity and the fundamental rights of work- America the place it ought to be and to set ing people. We believe everyone should a standard for the entire world. work, but no one should have to put their We’re already working with the high-tech lives or health in jeopardy to put food on community to put computers in schools, with the table for their families. That’s why I am the media and entertainment industry to rate pleased to announce that the companies television programs. Today, we are embark- gathered here today have agreed to begin ing on a new partnership. I hope that it will working together to put an end to this ter- become a vital part of the battle against rible problem. sweatshops here in the United States and They have agreed to do two things. First, against abusive working conditions and par- they will take additional steps to ensure that ticularly child labor everywhere in the world. the products they make and sell are manufac- Thank you. tured under decent and humane working [At this point, Secretary of Labor Robert conditions. Second, they will develop options Reich; Phil Knight, president and chief execu- to inform consumers that the products they tive officer, Nike Inc.; and television talk buy are not produced under those exploita- show host Kathie Lee Gifford made brief re- tive conditions. They have agreed to report marks.] back to me within a maximum of 6 months about their progress. Health Care Reform Legislation Human and labor rights are not brand Q. Mr. President, now that Kennedy- names. They are the most basic products of Kassebaum appears to about to become the

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law of the land, I wondered if you think that Saudi Arabia? And keep in mind, we cannot is enough for health care or if there are some confirm—I was asked a question by a young goals that you have should you get reelected, man this morning—we cannot confirm yet possibly specific programs that you would try what the cause of the TWA crash was, and to get through—— until we can we shouldn’t speculate. But we The President. Well, first of all, I’m very know that our servicemen in Saudi Arabia gratified that it is law. And I think that it’s were killed by a terrorist attack. Who was going to be the law of the land in no small responsible for that? Who supported them measure because we have had this health in that? And was any nation involved in that? care issue on the agenda now for 31⁄2 years, These are the questions we have to ask and and, frankly, because Senator Kennedy has answer. The speculation or even the exist- been fighting for it for 20 years, ever since ence of actual terrorist training camps do not his own son was taken ill as a young boy. answer those specific questions. And I was talking with Senator Rocke- And so until I’m in a position to tell the feller, who is also one of our long-time lead- American people the answer to those ques- ers, about this this morning. As you know, tions, I think I should tell you what I have I also recommended in my budget that we said all along. Our country has taken a tough take steps to provide for the possibility of line against terrorism. We want our allies to coverage for people who suffer long periods help us. We want to have the tools we need of unemployment and when they’re in be- tween jobs and when the insurance that they here at home to prevent as many attacks as have associated with their previous jobs ex- possible and to punish people who carry pires. And so I think that is the next step. them out. We want to make airline safety And I think what we should do—I still be- as safe as we possibly can. And that’s what lieve the goal that I had to have a system we’re working on. And then when we find that provides everybody with the opportunity people who have done things that are wrong, to have health insurance coverage, that em- we will do our best to bring them to justice, phasizes preventive health, that keeps infla- as you have seen in the successful trials and tion in health care at about the general rate convictions in the World Trade Center of inflation—that these are good and honor- bombing and the trial going on involving the able goals, and I think we’re going to have Oklahoma City bombing. to meet them in a sort of a step-by-step basis. And I think when we get Kennedy-Kasse- Trade with Japan baum in place and see how it works, the new Q. Mr. President, are you concerned that changes may tell us what the next steps are. your Trade Representative was unable to get But I think we should begin to focus on the an agreement on insurance with Japan de- problems of unemployed families. And as I said, I’ve already tried to address this to some spite your Wednesday deadline? extent in my budget. The President. Well, frankly, I’m elated Q. Mr. President, when do you plan to that we got a semiconductor agreement. That sign—— is a very, very big issue, and very important for us because of the enormous comeback Terrorism American industry’s had in that area. I Q. Mr. President, what can you tell us thought we would get an insurance agree- about these reports of terrorist training ment. I still think we can. We’re really not camps in Iran, and what, if anything, do you all that far away, and I think we need to keep plan to do about it? working at it. The President. Well, first of all, there are But I want to congratulate Ambassador terrorist training camps in more than one Barshefsky on getting the semiconductor country in the world, and we are aware of agreement. And I know that the people in many of them in many countries. The ques- that industry in America—there are many, tion here is whether—who was responsible many thousands of good jobs involved in for the killing of the America servicemen in this—are very happy today.

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Terrorism White House, Republicans in the majority, Q. Mr. President—— and Democrats in the minority of Congress? The President. Sarah [Sarah McClendon, The President. Well, first of all, it’s come McClendon News Service]? like pulling teeth right here before the elec- Q. Yes, sir. Aren’t we doing some of this tion. And it’s only come after the American training in the use of bombs in our own people showed that they were bitterly op- Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps? posed to the extremism that was the want And we’re doing it with people who are not of the Congress. So if—the American people, treated or tested for psychiatric conditions? of course, will have to make up their minds, And isn’t some of this coming out from after but basically, what we did with the health they get out of the services and they are un- initiative and the minimum wage were plain- happy about things, then they create bombs? ly Democratic initiatives as well as the major Our research shows that that’s happening. environmental initiatives. In welfare, the two parties essentially came together finally. Oth- The President. Well, for one thing, it is erwise, we would have had a totally unaccept- necessary that people in our military under- able bill. So the American people can make stand fundamentals—the people in the ap- up their minds. propriate units in the military understand the I think what they’ve seen is that all the fundamentals of how bombs are made and things that were said about the Democrats how they can be diffused and the technology aren’t true. The Democrats have turned out of it. And of course, I think the people in to be fiscally responsible, strong on defense, the military do the best they can to make strong on foreign policy, strong on welfare, sure that the rigorous training program that strong on crime, strong on management of people go through would sort out those who the economy, and good for health care and are unsuited. education and working families. It is true that some of the people who have So it seems to me that our party in Con- the knowledge necessary to cause problems gress ought to feel good about going out and for us domestically, in instances of domestic presenting an image of a modern 21st cen- terrorism, have been in the military. But I tury progressive party and then let the Amer- don’t know that we can compellingly say that ican people make up their mind whether there’s any higher percentage of people who they agree with their philosophy or the phi- are mentally unbalanced who have been in losophy of the other party. That’s what the the military than in any other group. And election will be about. I don’t know that there’s any sort of screening Thank you. process that the military could adopt that would protect against that. That is something Healthcare Reform Legislation that—I think that’s one of the ongoing ques- Q. Mr. President, will you sign Kennedy- tions they’re always asking themselves when- Kassebaum before going on vacation? ever we have an incident not just involving Q. Will Republican leaders be invited to a bomb, but if there’s something else that the signing ceremony? a soldier does or a veteran does that may The President. Absolutely. They always seem tied to his or her military service, they are. I don’t have any uni-party signing cere- look at that. But I don’t know that there’s monies where there are bipartisan support. an easy answer to that. Q. Do they not deserve some credit? Mara [Mara Liasson, National Public The President. Absolutely. I’m glad that Radio]? they voted for it. They absolutely do. Any- Q. Senator Moynihan yesterday—— body who supported any of these measures deserves credit for it. I was just answering Congress Mara’s question in the other context. They absolutely do, and I applaud them for doing Q. [Inaudible]—with this Congress—wel- it. I’m tickled pink that they did it. fare reform, minimum wage, Kassebaum- Kennedy—isn’t this an argument to keep NOTE: The President spoke at 11:22 a.m. in the things the way they are, with you in the Rose Garden at the White House.

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Digest of Other Bahamas; and Alhaji Hassan Adamu of Nige- White House Announcements ria. In the evening, the President attended Democratic National Committee dinners at The following list includes the President’s public the Sheraton Carlton Hotel and the Jefferson schedule and other items of general interest an- Hotel. nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and not included elsewhere in this issue. July 30 In the afternoon, the President had a July 27 working lunch with President Hosni Muba- In the morning, the President participated rak of Egypt in the Old Family Dining Room. in a conference call concerning the bombing In the evening, the President attended a in Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA, reception for Arkansas Attorney General with Director Louis J. Freeh and Special Winston Bryant, Democratic senatorial can- Agent in Charge Woody Johnson, Federal didate for the U.S. Senate, at the Hay Adams Bureau of Investigation; Attorney General Hotel. He then attended Democratic Na- Janet Reno; and Deputy Attorney General tional Committee dinners at the Sheraton Jamie S. Gorelick. He then participated in Carlton Hotel and the Jefferson Hotel. a second conference call with Gov. Zell Mil- ler of Georgia; Mayor Bill Campbell of At- July 31 lanta; William P. Payne, president, Atlanta The President announced his intention to Committee for the Olympic Games; and Juan appoint Doris Eggers Huseboe and Ann Antonio Samaranch, president, International McKay Thompson to the Advisory Commit- Olympic Committee. Later, he had tele- tee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Cen- phone conversations on the bombing with ter for the Performing Arts. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate The White House announced that the minority leader Thomas A. Daschle. President invited President Franjo Tudjman In the afternoon, the President and Hillary of Croatia to a working visit in Washington, Clinton went to Camp David, MD. DC, on August 2. July 28 The President authorized an increase in In the morning, the President and Hillary Federal funding to the U.S. Virgin Islands Clinton returned to Andrews Air Force Base, for disaster recovery costs incurred from MD. The President then traveled to New Or- Hurricane Bertha, July 8–9. leans, LA. In the afternoon, the President met with August 1 the families of slain New Orleans police offi- The President announced his intention to cers. Later, he attended a private political nominate Arthur I. Blaustein to the National reception at the New Orleans Riverside Hil- Council on the Humanities. ton Hotel. He then returned to Washington, The President announced his intention to DC, arriving in the evening. nominate Ida L. Castro to be the Director of the Women’s Bureau at the Department July 29 of Labor. In an afternoon ceremony in the Oval Of- The President announced his intention to fice, the President received diplomatic cre- nominate Donna H. Cunninghame to be dentials from Ambassadors Denis Antoine of Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation Grenada; Lionel Alexander Hurst of Antigua for National and Community Service. and Barbuda; Mohammed Aly Thiam of The President announced his intention to Guinea; Marcos Namashulua of Mozam- nominate Regina Keeney to serve on the bique; Ramtane Lamamra of Algeria; Bilal Federal Communications Commission. Ould Werzeg of Mauritania; Chitmansing The President announced his intention to Jesseramsing of Mauritius; Tom Eric nominate Rose M. Ochi to be Director of Vraalsen of Norway; Chan Heng Chee of the Community Relations Service at the De- Singapore; Arlington Griffith Butler of the partment of Justice.

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The President announced his intention to M.R.C. Greenwood, nominate Kevin L. Thurm as Deputy Sec- of California, to be a member of the National retary of the Department of Health and Science Board, National Science Founda- Human Services. tion, for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice In the evening, the President attended Perry L. Adkisson, term expired. Democratic National Committee dinners at the Jefferson Hotel and the Sheraton Carlton Stanley Vincent Jaskolski, Hotel. of Ohio, to be a member of the National Science Board, National Science Founda- August 2 tion, for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice In the morning, the President met with James Johnson Duderstadt, term expired. President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia in the Oval Office. Vera C. Rubin, The President announced his intention to of the District of Columbia, to be a member nominate Ernestine P. Watlington to the of the National Science Board, National Board of Directors of the Legal Services Cor- Science Foundation, for a term expiring May poration. 10, 2002, vice Bernard F. Burke, term ex- The President announced his intention to pired. nominate Mary K. Gaillard, Eamon M. Kelly, and Richard A. Tapia to be members of the Anthony R. Sarmiento, National Science Board. of Maryland, to be a member of the National The President declared a major disaster in Institute for Literacy Advisory Board for a Wisconsin and ordered Federal aid to sup- term expiring September 22, 1998, vice plement State and local recovery efforts in Benita C. Somerfield, term expired. the area struck by tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding July 17–22. Bob H. Suzuki, of California, to be a member of the National Science Board, National Science Founda- tion, for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice Jaime Oaxaca, term expired. Nominations Submitted to the Senate Submitted August 1 Arthur I. Blaustein, The following list does not include promotions of of California, to be a member of the National members of the Uniformed Services, nominations Council on the Humanities for a term expir- to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- ing January 26, 2002, vice Jon N. Moline, eign Service officers. term expired.

Ida L. Castro, Submitted July 29 of New York, to be Director of the Women’s Bureau, Department of Labor, vice Karen John A. Armstrong, Beth Nussbaum, resigned. of Massachusetts, to be a member of the Na- tional Science Board, National Science Donna Holt Cunninghame, Foundation, for a term expiring May 10, of Maryland, to be Chief Financial Officer, 2002, vice Thomas B. Day, term expired. Corporation for National and Community Service (new position). Letitia Chambers, of Oklahoma, to be a member of the Board Regina Markey Keeney, of Trustees of the Institute of American In- of Virginia, to be a member of the Federal dian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts De- Communications Commission for a term of velopment for a term expiring May 19, 2000, 5 years from July 1, 1995, vice Andrew Camp vice Roy M. Huhndorf, resigned. Barrett, resigned.

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Kevin L. Thurm, for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice Marye of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of A. Fox, term expired. Health and Human Services, vice Walter D. Broadnax, resigned. Eamon M. Kelly, of Louisiana, to be a member of the National Brig. Gen. Robert Bernard Flowers, Science Board, National Science Foundation USA, to be a member and President of the for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice How- Mississippi River Commission. ard E. Simmons, term expired. Rose Ochi, Niranjan S. Shah, of California, to be Director, Community Re- of Illinois, to be a member of the Board of lations Service, for a term of 4 years, vice Directors of the National Institute of Build- Grace Flores-Hughes, term expired. ing Sciences for a term expiring September 7, 1998, vice John H. Miller, term expired. Withdrawn August 1 Richard A. Tapia, Joaquin F. Otero, of Texas, to be a member of the National of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Science Board, National Science Foundation Labor, vice Martin John Manley, resigned, for a term expiring May 10, 2002, vice Phillip which was sent to the Senate on February A. Griffiths, term expired. 20, 1996. Ernestine P. Watlington, Submitted August 2 of Pennsylvania, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Cor- Madeleine Korbel Albright, poration for a term expiring July 13, 1999 of the District of Columbia, to be a Rep- (reappointment). resentative of the United States of America to the 51st Session of the General Assembly Robert W. Pratt, of the United Nations. of Iowa, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa, vice Harold D. Edward William Gnehm, Jr., Vietor, retired. of Georgia, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the 51st Session of the General Assembly of the United Na- tions. Checklist Karl Frederick Inderfurth, of White House Press Releases of North Carolina, to be an Alternative Rep- resentative of the United States of America to the 51st Session of the General Assembly The following list contains releases of the Office of the United Nations. of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as items nor covered by entries in the Digest of Victor Marrero, Other White House Announcements. of New York, to be an Alternative Represent- ative of the United States of America to the Released July 27 51st Session of the General Assembly of the Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- United Nations. retary Mike McCurry Susan G. Esserman, Released July 28 of Maryland, to be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce, vice Ginger Ehn Transcript of a press briefing by National Se- Lew. curity Council Senior Director for Press and Public Policy David Johnson on the Presi- Mary K. Gaillard, dent’s meeting with the families of two New of California, to be a member of the National Orleans police officers killed in the line of Science Board, National Science Foundation duty

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Released July 29 Released August 1 Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy Press Secretary Mary Ellen Glynn Press Secretary Barry Toiv Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy Transcript of a press briefing by Secretary Press Secretary Barry Toiv of the Treasury Robert Rubin, National Eco- Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy As- nomic Adviser Laura D’Andrea Tyson, and sistant to the President for National Security Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Jo- Affairs Samuel Berger, Ambassador-at-Large seph Stiglitz on the economy for Counterterrorism Philip Wilcox, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Inter- Released August 2 national Enforcement in the Criminal Divi- Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy sion Mark Richard on terrorism Press Secretary Mary Ellen Glynn Transcript of a press briefing by Chief Do- Transcript of a press briefing by National Se- mestic Policy Adviser for the Vice President curity Council Senior Director for Press and Greg Simon on the children’s television Public Policy David Johnson on the Presi- agreements dent’s meeting with President Franjo Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry Tudjman of Croatia on the underground nuclear test conducted Announcement of nomination for U.S. Dis- by China trict Judge for the Southern District of Iowa Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Mary Ellen Glynn announcing that the President signed traumatic brain injury study legisla- tion with a letter from Secretary of Health Acts Approved and Human Services Donna Shalala sent to Office of Management and Budget Director by the President Jack Lew on the act’s objectives attached Released July 30 Approved July 29 Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry H.R. 248 / Public Law 104–166 on the progress of the Northern Ireland To amend the Public Health Service Act to peace process talks provide for the conduct of expanded studies Released July 31 and the establishment of innovative programs with respect to traumatic brain injury, and Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy for other purposes Press Secretary Mary Ellen Glynn Transcript of a press briefing by Secretary S. 1899 / Public Law 104–167 of Health and Human Services Donna Mollie Beattie Wilderness Area Act Shalala and Assistant to the President for Pol- icy Planning Bruce Reed on welfare reform S. 966 / Private Law 104–2 For the relief of Nathan C. Vance, and for Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry other purposes on the upcoming working visit by President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia on August 2 Approved July 30 Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry on the redeployment of coalition forces to H.R. 2337 / Public Law 104–168 new locations on Saudi facilities Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2

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