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Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Monday, May 8, 1995 Volume 31ÐNumber 18 Pages 735±776 1 VerDate 28-OCT-97 13:24 Jan 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P18MY4.000 p18my4 Contents Addresses and Remarks Interviews with the News Media American Jewish CommitteeÐ768 Interview with Laurie Montgomery of the Commander in Chief trophyÐ751 Detroit Free Press and Angie Cannon of ``I Have A Future'' program participantsÐ750 Knight RidderÐ762 Michigan, commencement at Michigan State Joint Statements University in East LansingÐ769 New York City Cuba, normalization of migrationÐ752 Jewish Holocaust survivorsÐ737 Letters and Messages World Jewish Congress, dinnerÐ739 Radio addressÐ735 Cinco de Mayo, messageÐ752 White House Conference on AgingÐ753 50th Anniversary of the Allies' Victory in White House Correspondents Association, Europe: V±E Day, 1995, messageÐ767 dinnerÐ736 Proclamations Women voters project, luncheonÐ744 Asian/Pacific American Heritage MonthÐ761 Appointments and Nominations Loyalty DayÐ743 Older Americans MonthÐ759 National Archives and Records Administration, Archivist of the United Statements by the President StatesÐ774 Proposed legal reform legislationÐ767 Communications to Congress Supplementary Materials ``Antiterrorism Amendments Act of 1995,'' Acts approved by the PresidentÐ776 message transmittingÐ760 Checklist of White House press releasesÐ775 Budget rescissions, message transmittingÐ753 Digest of other White House ``Immigration Enforcement Improvements Act announcementsÐ774 of 1995,'' message transmittingÐ759 Nominations submitted to the SenateÐ775 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. 2 VerDate 28-OCT-97 13:24 Jan 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P18MY4.000 p18my4 Week Ending Friday, May 5, 1995 The President's Radio Address The Supreme Court has now ruled we can't directly ban guns around the school. April 29, 1995 Therefore, today, I am directing the Attorney Good morning. America has been through General to come back to me within a week with what action I can take to keep guns away a lot in the last week. But if anything good from schools. I want the action to be con- can come out of something as horrible as the stitutional, but I am determined to keep guns Oklahoma City tragedy, it is that the Amer- away from schools. ican people have reaffirmed our commitment For example, Congress could encourage to putting our children, their well-being and States to ban guns from school zones by link- their future, first in our lives. ing Federal funds to enactment of school In that light, I was terribly disappointed zone gun bans. At least we could tie the that this week the Supreme Court struck money we have for safe schools to such a down a law passed by Congress under Presi- ban. At any rate, I am confident that the At- dent Bush and sponsored by Senator Herb torney General will give me advice about Kohl of Wisconsin, to keep guns away from what action I can take. We must reverse the schools. The law was a bipartisan approach practical impact of the Court's decision. If to school safety based on common sense. young people can't learn in safety, they can't Simply said, it was illegal to have a gun within learn at all. 1,000 feet of a school. Now, according to the Center for Disease We all know that guns simply don't belong Control in Atlanta, violence threatens schools in school. So Members of Congress of both in communities of all shapes and sizes. parties passed the law. Unfortunately, the They've identified 105 violent school-related Supreme Court struck down the specific law. deaths in just the last 2 years. And we know They said the Federal Government couldn't there are common elements to violent deaths regulate that activity because it didn't have among young people. Usually, the victim and enough to do with interstate commerce. the assailant know each other, the incident Well, this Supreme Court decision could starts as an argument, and usually there is condemn more of our children to going to a firearm present. schools where there are guns. And our job Schoolyard fights have been around as is to help our children learn everything they long as schoolyards. But it used to be that need to get ahead, in safety, not to send them when kids got in fights, they fought with their to school and put them in harm's way. I am fists, adults broke them up, and the kids got determined to keep guns out of our schools. punished. Today, there are guns on the play- That's what the American people want, and ground, guns in the classrooms, guns on the it's the right thing to do. bus. Last year, I persuaded Congress to require In 1990, the CDC found that 1 in 24 stu- States to pass a law that any student who dents carried a gun in a 30-day period. By brought a gun to school would be expelled 1993, it was down to 1 in 12. The number for a yearÐno excuses, zero tolerance for of high school students carrying a gun dou- guns in schools. But after Congress passed bled in only 3 years. This is certainly a na- the law, I was worried that it would be hard tional crisis, and we must have a national ef- to enforce. So I directed the Secretary of fort to fight it. We need a seamless web of Education, Dick Riley, to withhold Federal safety that keeps guns out of the hands of aid from any State that did not comply with our children and out of our schools. That's the law. why we fought for the provision in last year's 735 VerDate 28-OCT-97 13:53 Jan 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 736 Apr. 29 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 crime bill which now makes it a Federal complishments, 250 million Americans never crime for a young person to carry a handgun, get to see him in prime time. [Laughter] except when supervised by an adult. And I feel your pain. [Laughter] that's why we must make sure that anyone Speaking of young people, it was an- who does bring a gun to school is severely nounced tonight, you know, that my Press disciplined. And that's why we're going to Secretary, Mike McCurry, and his wife, find a way to ban guns inside or near our Debra, just had their third child, Chris- schools. topher. I want to make another announce- I'm committed to doing everything in my ment: Before my term is over, Christopher power to make schools places where young will become the youngest member of the people can be safe, where they can learn, White House Press OfficeÐ[laughter]Ðjust where parents can be confident that dis- barely younger than the rest who work there. cipline is enforced. [Laughter] We all know that we have to work together You know, I practiced for this night. I had to get this done. Principals and teachers must all this humor and everything, butÐand I take the lead for safe schools and teaching really believe that you could tell IÐI really good citizenship and good values. And par- liked thatÐwhoever that awful person is that ents have to recognize that discipline begins played me. [Laughter] I thought it was won- at home. The responsibility to raise children derful. and to make them good citizens rests first The Book of Proverbs says, ``A happy heart on the shoulders of their parents, who must doeth good like medicine, and a broken spirit teach the children right from wrong and drieth the bones.'' And I believe that. But must get involved and stay involved in their I think you will all understand thatÐand I children's education. hope my wonderful comedy writers will un- I pledge that we'll do our part to help derstandÐif I take a few moments tonight make our schools safe and the neighborhoods not to be too funny here at the end because around them safe. But in the end, we'll only of the tragedy in Oklahoma City, which has succeed if we all work together. captured us all and which still is the focus Thanks for listening. of our efforts, for understandable reasons to- night, as the rescue workers are still laboring NOTE: The address was recorded at 2:48 p.m. on and as the law enforcement officers are still April 28 in the Roosevelt Room at the White working.