Remarks to a Joint Session of the Arkansas State Legislature in Little Rock, Arkansas January 17, 2001

158 Jan. 17 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 years, which addresses any further specific where I spent so many happy days. [Ap- actions necessary to protect the objects iden- plause] Thank you. tified in this proclamation. There are a lot of people in this body who The establishment of this monument is got their start in politics, working with me, subject to valid existing rights. a few who got their start in politics working Nothing in this proclamation shall be against meÐ[laughter]Ðand some who got deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, their start doing bothÐ[laughter]Ðdepend- reservation, or appropriation; however, the ing on the issue and the time. national monument shall be the dominant I brought with me a large number of peo- reservation. ple from Arkansas today. And I would like Warning is hereby given to all unauthor- to mention them and a few others because ized persons not to appropriate, injure, de- I would like to begin by telling you that in stroy, or remove any feature of this monu- these last 8 years, over 460 people from our ment and not to locate or settle upon any home State worked in this administration and of the lands thereof. helped to make America a stronger country, In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set and I am very grateful to all of them. my hand this seventeenth day of January, in Mack McLarty, my first Chief of Staff, my the year of our Lord two thousand one, and first Envoy to the Americas, is here today. of the Independence of the United States of When he led the White House, we made four America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. of the most important decisions we made William J. Clinton during the entire 8 years: The historic bal- anced budget agreement where Senator [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, Pryor cast the tie-breaking voteÐso did ev- 8:45 a.m., January 19, 2001] erybody else; it passed by one vote in both NOTE: This proclamation was published in the HousesÐthe NAFTA agreement, which Federal Register on January 22. joined us with Mexico and Canada; the family and medical leave bill, the Brady law, and many others. He did a superb job. Remarks to a Joint Session of the I want to thank the three Arkansans who Arkansas State Legislature in Little have served in my Cabinet: Rodney Slater, Rock, Arkansas who is here today, our Secretary of Transpor- January 17, 2001 tation; Hershel Gober, who is Secretary of Veterans Affairs and started out helping me Thank you very, very much, and good with veterans in Arkansas and in New Hamp- afternoon. This is the first time in over 20 shire and has been absolutely superb; and years I've been here when I don't have to James Lee Witt, who could not be here today get asked for a racing pass. [Laughter] And because disasters don't only occur in Arkan- I heard somebody utter that hated phrase, sas, there are other places as well, although and I understand that, for a variety of rea- I know you've been through a doozy lately. sons, you've all gotten rid of that burden. So I want to thank Buddy Young, who worked progress continues. [Laughter] with him as our regional official in Texas, Governor Huckabee, Lieutenant Gov- who is here today. ernor Rockefeller, Senator Beebe, Speaker Two other former legislators, in addition Broadway, General Pryor, Secretary Priest, to Mack, have been part of this administra- Jimmie Lou, Charlie, Gus, my friends. I'm tion: Gloria Cabe, who served with many if delighted to be joined by Senator Pryor, not most of you here; her daughter also works about whom I would like to say more in a in the White House, in the White House moment; Congressman Snyder, Congress- Counsel's Office, and she's here today; and man Ross, and a large number of people who Carl Whillock, who, after he was a legislator, came here with me from Washington. became the president of Arkansas State Uni- I want to say that I am honored that the versity, head of the Co-ops. But he's most last trip of my Presidency is to come home important to me because the first trip I took to Arkansas and home to the legislature out of Fayetteville, in the first race I ever Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 17 159 made in 1974, was across the hills of north my good friend Phil Jamison, who was the Arkansas with Carl Whillock, when only my president of our class in high school, who mother thought I had any business in that retired from the Navy and stayed on to work race. And I thank them for being here. in the Pentagon on nuclear weapons issues I'd also like to just acknowledge a few peo- and did a lot of the pivotal work we have ple. As I said, some of them are here and done with Russia over the last 8 years, which some of them aren't. Bob Nash, who's been gave me an enormous amount of pride to with me for 21 years, and his wonderful wife, know that a guy from my home town knew Janis Kearney, my diarist, who's here. Nancy all about that and made me look like I knew Hernreich, who's not here, who's been with what I was talking about from time to time. me since I first ran for attorney general and I remember the first time I spoke here. has worked for me for 15 years, just got mar- It was in 1974, when I was permitted to come ried to the brother of Montine McNulty, in here and ask for House members to help from Pine Bluff, and is about to move with me in my very first race. I lost the election. him to Hong Kong; Stephanie Streett, my If I hadn't, I probably never would have be- wonderful scheduler, who's going to be work- come President. Every time I see Congress- ing with me here in Arkansas; Craig Smith, man Hammerschmidt, I thank him for beat- who did a great job in handling appointments ing me. here and was my political director, came I didn't lose my passion for public service, home to actually work this trip, to go out and it's been with me ever since. In the last at the grassroots where he began. I want to 25 years I have stood in the well of this cham- thank Mike Gaines, who ran the Parole Com- ber many times. I have lobbied in the halls mission, still is; Ken Smith; Mike Gauldin; and the committee room back there as attor- Jana Prewitt; Jim Bob Baker, who's done a ney general, when David Pryor was my Gov- great job in the Agriculture Department; ernor. I stood here five times to take the oath Maria Haley; Robyn Dickey; young Debra of office as Governor of my State. Two Wood, who's been with me the whole 8 years, months out of every 2 years, with the help just working like a beaver in the White of a number of my legislative aides who are House; Mel French, our protocol chief and, here today, Bill Clark and Hal Honeycutt and for many years, her deputy, David Pryor, Jr.; Bill Bowen, who was briefly my chief of staff, and Marsha Scott, who has kept in touch with when even I was intimidated, we would so many of you for me over these last 8 years. argue and argue and work and work until I want to thank Wilbur Peer and Harold we hammered into law our dreams for the Gist. I want to thank Caroll Willis, who's future of this State. been at the Democratic Committee this I'd like to thank some people who aren't whole time, who's been wonderful beyond here, some of whom are no longer living. The my words to say; and Lottie Shackelford, late Judge Frank Holt, who gave me my first thank you. Debbie Willhite and Ada Hol- chance to work in a campaign in 1966. My lingsworth came home, and they helped us great friend Senator Bill Fulbright, who lived in a lot of ways, even though they weren't long enough to see me become President and strictly on the payroll. to receive the Medal of Freedom, who gave There are also tons of young people who me a job when I was flat broke, just so I have come to Washington and worked, just could finish college, and I'll never forget it. out of college or just out of law school. And I would like to thank the Members of the I used to see them around and be so grateful congressional delegation, present and past, that they could have an opportunity to have who stood with me in these last 8 years, in this experience, and I thank all of them for the tough times and the good times, espe- their work. cially David Pryor and Dale Bumpers, with- Three of my high school classmates are out whom I can't imagine how this last 8 here today, who live in the Washington area years would have been possible. I thank you, and flew home with me: Dr. Jim French, who my friends. is a surgeon in Washington; Carolyn Staley, I'd like to thank Hillary. If she hadn't who runs the Adult Literacy Foundation; and moved to Arkansas and married me, I doubt 160 Jan.

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