Remarks on the 25Th Anniversary of Deadline
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1530 July 20 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 some agreement together to bring these two he referred to Raoul CeÂdras, leader of the Haitian objectives into fruition. military. A tape was not available for verification Q. What about the October deadline that of the content of these remarks. Mr. Gray was talking about? Mr. Gray seemed to be indicating that there was a Remarks on the 25th Anniversary of deadline. Is there aÐÐ the Apollo 11 Moon Landing President Clinton. We don't have a spe- cific deadline. What he said was that he ex- July 20, 1994 pected that democracy would be returned to Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President, Haiti before the end of the year but that our Members of Congress, veterans of the Apollo policy has no specific deadline. program, the friends of the space program [At this point, one group of reporters left the in America, and most of all, to those whom room, and another group entered.] we honor here today. Just a day before he died, President Ken- Panama nedy compared our space program to a boy President Clinton. Let me say to all of who comes upon a wall in an orchard. The you, I want to welcome the President-elect wall is tall. It looks insurmountable, but the of Panama here and congratulate Mr. Perez boy is curious about what lies on the other Balladares on his election victory and on the side. So he throws his cap over the wall, and successful transition to democracy and to ex- then he has no choice but to go after it. press my appreciation for his interest in exer- Twenty-five years ago today, our Nation, cising a leadership role at the Summit of the represented by these three brave men, made Americas, which will be held at the end of that climb. And so, today we are gathered this year in Miami, and particularly his inter- to celebrate their voyage and, I honestly est in the whole question of doing more in hope, to recommit ourselves to their spirit a cooperative way on the problems of money of discovery. Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, laundering and drug trafficking. I think that Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were our there are many things we can do together. guides for the wondrous, the unimaginable I am very encouraged about the possibility at that time, the true handiwork of God. They of a genuine partnership, and I'm looking for- realized the dreams of a nation. They fulfilled ward to our first meeting. an American destiny. They taught us that nothing is impossible if we set our sights high Haiti enough. Q. Mr. President, the situation in Panama, Today we're honored to have them and people are concerned about the Haiti situa- all the other Apollo astronauts who are here tion, which Panama later on may be getting with us. For every American who followed involved in that. What is the position of the your journey, especially for those of us who Government in terms of that? were young on that fateful day 25 years ago, President Clinton. Well, we are, as you and for the young Americans who still dream know, determined to see that the people who dreams of a future in space, we thank you have illegally taken power in Haiti leave all. there. They agreed to leave last year. They Looking back on that mission, one thing broke their agreement, and we are pushing is clear that we ought to remember today. forward at the United Nations and in con- It wasn't easy. The ship to the heavens meas- sultation with our allies and the friends of ured just 13 feet in diameter. The destination democracy throughout the Caribbean and was 3 days and a world away. On the third Central America and South America to fur- day as the tiny module descended to the ther that goal. And we'll do what we can to Moon, it came dangerously close to a crash keep pushing it. We have strong sanctions landingÐthat happens around here all the in effect now, and we're going forward. timeÐ[laughter]Ðbut Neil Armstrong took over the controls from the computer and NOTE: The President spoke at 12:09 p.m. in the landed safely. Man had not been rendered Oval Office at the White House. In his remarks, obsolete by the mechanical, and that hasn't VerDate 14-MAY-98 10:23 May 26, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00001 Frm 00046 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 C:\TERRI\P29JY4.021 INET03 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 / July 20 1531 happened yet. Not long after that when he the Vice President and Dan Goldin and a stepped on the Moon, Mr. Armstrong lot of other people burned up the phone lines marked the outer limit of the human experi- before the House vote. ment with those simple words, ``One small Let me say that we've fought a lot of bat- step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' tles for the future around here in the last These men and the other astronauts who 18 months, and sometimes it seems that the came before and after have helped us to step most important ones are decided by the nar- into another world right here on Earth. rowest of margins. The economic plan passed They've shown us that we can harness the by a vote. The assault weapons ban passed technology of space in areas from the econ- by two votes. Last year the space station sur- omy to the environment, to education, to in- vived by the vote of a single Member of the formation and technology. The products and House of Representatives who changed his knowledge that grew out of our space mis- mind on the way down the aisle. But this sions has changed our way of life forever and year, thanks to the common endeavors of all for the better. And in our quest we have re- of us and thanks to the promise of coopera- learned a sense of confidence that has always tion with Russia and with other nations, the been an essential ingredient of our American House of Representatives voted to fund the dream. Today, that journey continues. Our space station by 122 votes, a bipartisan com- commitment to the space program is strong mitment to America's future. and unwavering. The best way to honor these I thank the Members of the Senate who men and all the others who have helped it are here today who are pushing for passage. so much is to continue that quest. I know they won't miss this great opportunity Many have risked their lives and some which is coming on them very soon. I thank have given their lives so that we could go you, Senator Mikulski, and all the other forward. Today I ask that we remember, es- Members of the Senate who are here, for pecially, the crews of Apollo 1 and the Chal- the work that will be done in the Senate. lenger. On this day of celebration we must As we work toward building a better world, never forget the deep debt we owe to those we also have to preserve the one we've got brave Americans. And our thoughts should here. William Anders of the Apollo 8 was the also be with their families and their loved first to see the entire Earth at a glance. He ones, for the sacrifice they have given helped said it looked like a fragile ``little Christmas to bring us all to new horizons. tree ornament against an infinite backdrop Our space explorations today are impor- of space, the only color in the whole universe tant models for cooperation in the new post- we could see. It seemed so very finite.'' Well, cold-war world. The Vice President de- because we are so very finite, our responsibil- scribed that eloquently a moment ago. ity to our planet must not be limited. That's Sergei's mission was an important first step why NASA's Mission to Planet Earth is also toward full Russian partnership in what must a very important part of our future in space. be our next great mission, the international We have to continue to monitor the global space station. This permanent orbiting space environment from space and to act on what laboratory, to be built with help from 14 na- we learn. tions, will hasten discoveries in fields from Above all, let us never forget that all this the environment to medicine, to computers. work is about renewing our hopes and the We should also remember that the space sta- hopes of generations to come, about the abil- tion holds great promise for us here at home, ity of Americans and the ability of human as it strengthens our largest export sector, beings everywhere to conquer the seemingly aerospace technology. impossible. I don't think anybody can look All these reasons explain why the House at the faces of these young people here with has fully funded already the space station. us today, and we ought to take a little while I want to thank many people who are respon- and look at them and welcome them here, sible for that bipartisan victory, but let me without seeing again in their eyes dreams mention especially George Brown, Lou that those of us who are older could not have Stokes, Bob Walker, and Jerry Lewis. I know dreamed. The explorations we continue in VerDate 14-MAY-98 10:23 May 26, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00001 Frm 00047 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 C:\TERRI\P29JY4.021 INET03 1532 July 20 / Administration of William J.