Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Monday, March 8, 1993 Volume 29—Number 9 Pages 331–365

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Addresses to the Nation Interviews With the News Media—Continued Economic plan—331 North Foyer—353 Old Executive Office Building, Room 450— Addresses and Remarks 357 See also Bill Signings Oval Office—347, 349, 352, 362 Initiative to streamline Government—350 Roosevelt Room—353 New Brunswick, NJ Adult Learning Center—332 Letters and Messages Rutgers University—340 See also Communications to Federal Agencies Rotary International—352 Disaster assistance for Washington, letter— Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys—362 356 U.S. Mayors—357 Meetings With Foreign Leaders Appointments and Nominations See Statements Other Than Presidential See also Statements Other Than Presidential Statements by the President Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Associate Judge—357 See Bill Signings Bill Signings Statements Other Than Presidential Emergency Unemployment Compensation Meeting with NATO Secretary General Amendments of 1993 Woerner—347 Remarks—353 Nominations for sub-Cabinet posts—349, 363, Statement—355 364 Situation in Haiti—348 Communications to Federal Agencies Supplementary Materials Disaster assistance for Washington, letter— 356 Acts approved by the President—365 Checklist of White House press releases—365 Interviews With the News Media Digest of other White House Exchanges with reporters announcements—364 Cabinet Room—346 Nominations submitted to the Senate—365

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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Radio Address to the Nation on the I also want to take this opportunity this Economic Plan morning to talk about another crucial aspect February 27, 1993 of our security, our economic security. Ten days ago I asked for your help to bring bold Good morning. Before I talk with you changes to our economy. I said it would be about our economic program this morning, a challenge and that our plan would require I want to say a word to the good people of every one of us to contribute and that the New York City and to all Americans who price of doing nothing is far, far higher for have been so deeply affected by the tragedy all of us than the price of change. Most of that struck Manhattan yesterday. A number all, our work together will bring us important of innocent people lost their lives, hundreds returns: more jobs, more growth, better in- were injured, and thousands were struck with comes, and a better future for our children. fear in their hearts when an explosion rocked Your response to this plan has been over- the basement of the World Trade Center. whelming to me. Business and labor leaders To their families, you are in the thoughts have made a rare alliance on behalf of a pro- and prayers of my family. And in the syna- gram that offers lower interest rates and in- gogues and churches last night, today, and vestment incentives for private enterprise tomorrow you will be remembered and and modern skills and opportunities for thought of again and again. My thoughts are working people. Citizens from cities all also with the police, the firefighters, the across the country have looked at our plan emergency response teams, and the citizens and concluded that the changes we ask are whose countless acts of bravery averted even right in the short term and for the long-term more bloodshed. Their reaction and their health of the economy. I think you know that valor reminds us of how often Americans are we can no longer deny that our huge national at their best when we face the worst. I thank deficit drains our economic health and that all the people who reached out to the injured our investment deficit will smother our hopes and the frightened amid the tumult that for economic growth. shook lower Manhattan. There is an alternative: our plan for a new Following the explosion I spoke with New direction. It provides retraining to Americans York’s Governor Mario Cuomo and New for better jobs, incentives for small busi- York City Mayor David Dinkins to assure nesses to invest, and a head start, better nu- them that the full measure of Federal law trition and superior schools for our children. enforcement resources will be brought to Our plan will cut the deficit as a percentage bear on this investigation. Just this morning of our national income in half between now I spoke with FBI Director Sessions, who as- and 1997, so we can put our resources to sured me that the FBI and the Treasury De- work for all of us. What is happening in this partment are working closely with the New Nation is historic. After many years of drift York City police and fire departments. Work- and division and gridlock, the American peo- ing together we’ll find out who was involved ple are uniting behind this call for a new di- and why this happened. Americans should rection. In recent days the White House has know we’ll do everything in our power to been flooded with letters. You’ve sent along keep them safe in their streets, their offices, moving stories about how you’ve been af- and their homes. Feeling safe is an essential fected by the hard economic times, and part of being secure, and that’s important to we’ve received several contributions to re- all of us. duce the debt. 331

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Many of you who have written are single will have the opportunity and will meet social parents. You’re worried about paying your needs that for too long have gone own bills today, but you’re also worried about unaddressed. National service will be a great the lives of your children tomorrow. Your gift for the next generation of Americans. support is a symbol of selflessness, of the In closing today, let me share with you an- foresight and determination now catching other letter I received that arrived with an fire across our Nation. extraordinary gift. They come from George I received one letter from Rachel L. Baker of Sherwood, Arkansas, a retired Nunamaker of San Jose, California. She’s 83 Air Force major. After serving his country years old, and she wrote, ‘‘Stick to your guns, under extreme danger, Major Baker was you’re on the right track.’’ Well, I think Mrs. awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Nunamaker is right; we are on the right track. heroism. It is a recognition that George Already mortgage rates have fallen to their Baker should have kept for the rest of his lowest level in 20 years, 20 years. With falling life. But Major Baker sent that medal to me interest rates more people can afford loans as a sign of his support for our economic pro- to build their businesses, buy cars, or pur- gram and to encourage me in this ‘‘quest for chase houses. This is good news for everyone sanity in our national direction.’’ And he but especially for the young adults and mid- closed his letter, ‘‘Godspeed, Mr. President.’’ dle class families who thought they would From the bottom of my heart, Major Baker, never be able to afford their own homes. thank you for this most inspirational gift. That’s an essential part of the American With your help and with the help of Ameri- dream we’re working hard to restore. And cans just like you all across this country, we it can be restored. will restore the vitality of the American econ- Our plan will work. It cuts waste and ines- omy and enjoy a nation united by the dreams sential Government spending, and it in- we all share. creases public and private investments to cre- Thanks for listening. ate more jobs and rising incomes and to edu- cate and train people better. It spreads the NOTE: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from burden as fairly as possible, and the oppor- the Oval Office at the White House. tunity it promises will pay us back many times over. If we get America moving again, I don’t care who gets the credit. Ultimately Remarks and a Question-and-Answer the credit will go to you, the American peo- ple. As a patriot once said to the citizens of Session at the Adult Learning Center our democracy, You are the beginning and in New Brunswick, New Jersey the end. This is an exciting time to be an March 1, 1993 American, and we must not let this historic moment pass. We are rebuilding the Amer- Judy Kesin. Welcome, Mr. President. We ican community and the American economy are so thrilled and pleased and honored to together. have you with us today. And we also would On March the first we’ll mark an anniver- like to welcome Governor Florio, the attor- sary that is especially significant to my gen- ney general Del Tufo, Eli Segal from your eration. Thirty-two years ago President Ken- office who works with national community nedy inspired Americans to serve in the service. This is just such a treat. My name Peace Corps. On Monday I will discuss my is Judy Kesin, and I am the principal of the proposal for a new form of voluntary national Adult Learning Center of the New Bruns- service. It’s a plan to invest in our country’s wick Public Schools. We are so thrilled you future, a call to action and to responsibility could visit our program. that will involve one of our most precious [At this point, Ms. Kesin described the cen- national resources, our young people. With ter’s various educational and community national service, hundreds of thousands of service programs and the involvement of Rut- students will have a chance to pursue higher gers University students, and then presented education. Everyone with the desire to serve the President with a gift. Several participants

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then explained how furthering their edu- Now, in addition to all that, we’re going cation and becoming involved in community to change the way young people pay their service has changed their lives.] college loans back. We’re going to make it The President. Well, first of all, I want possible for people who get out of college to pay their loans back as a percentage, a to thank everyone who spoke. And maybe limited percentage, of their income. Because in a minute I could give some of you who what happens now is a lot of young people haven’t spoken a chance to say something, get out of college, they have big college loans. if you want to say something. Because they have to pay the loans back, they Let me tell you why I came here today. might want to get out, let’s say, and do com- First of all, I’ve been very impressed by a munity service work which doesn’t pay very lot of the efforts that the State of New Jersey much, but instead they may take a job paying has already made to serve people who need a higher salary just to make their loan repay- an education and need a second chance and ment. So we’re going to try to restructure to give people a chance to serve their com- the college loan program so that if people munities. want to serve over a long period of time, they Secondly, this center reflects two very im- won’t be discouraged from taking community portant things that I’m trying to do in my service type jobs just because they pay less. national economic program that I’m asking They’ll be able to pay their loans back as a the Congress to pass. The first is what I came percentage of their income. here to talk about, and I’m going over to Rut- Now, the other thing I want to emphasize gers to talk to the students about in a few is there’s also an investment in this education moments, and that is the idea of giving peo- program that helps centers like this: more ple a chance to serve their country in their money for adult education for people who community, and in return, giving them the come back after dropping out of school, more opportunity to further their education. money to help welfare mothers move from I’ve got the gentleman who was introduced dependence to independence, more money here a minute ago with me to my right. Eli to help young people who drop out of school Segal and I have been friends since we were and come back. When I was Governor of my about your age, since we were very young. State over the period of about 1983 to 1992, And I’ve asked him to head up our national we increased by about 6 times the amount and community service program. What we of investment in remaking education pro- want to do is to provide young people the grams like this. It just exploded the number opportunity to do the following things. of people in it. Number one, if you go to college and you Now, why is that an important economic have loans outstanding, we want to give peo- investment? Because this lady with her three ple the opportunity to go out in the commu- children—it wasn’t her fault that her hus- nity and do community service work, work band, first of all, is out of the service and as teachers or police officers or work with then gets hurt, right? She can either draw the homeless or work in hospitals or work taxpayer dollars by taking public assistance, on immunizing children who need it, and or get an education and pay taxes to educate doing that for a lower rate of pay for a couple other people’s children. One of the things of years and then pay off their college loans we have to realize in this country is that an by doing the same. Number two, we want economic investment is not just building an to give people some credit for community airport or a road or investing in new tech- service they do while they’re in college. And nology. It’s also investing in people who are number three, we want to give people like prepared to help themselves, to make sure you the opportunity to earn some credits to that all of you can contribute in a world that get college or job training by doing commu- is dominated by knowledge, in a world in nity service before you go. So the idea is to which the living you make depends on what make higher education available to more you know and what you can learn. people, in return for the service they give And if every person, if every single mother to the community. in the United States could stand up and give

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the speech you just gave with the determina- I’m originally from Minnesota. I have a ques- tion you just gave, it would not only help tion as during our program with the children people like you but you’d be helping people and teaching them about art and through art, like me. Right? I mean, we’re all better off, eliminating the prejudices and educating right? We are. And if you look at our country, them on something that they find kind of for- if you look at all the different racial and eth- eign to them. I was wondering what you were nic groups in our country, all the different going to do, if you have any plans for the levels of education, if you look at all the dif- arts, funding the arts? ferent levels of income, if you look at all the The President. Programs like the one problems we’ve got, you just think about it— you’re in will be funded basically based on if everybody in our country had a chance to the initiative of people at the local level. So get a really good high school diploma or a if there’s a program like this one at the local GED and then get at least 2 years of edu- level which you’re participating in, then it cation and training beyond that in some way will be eligible to get community service or another, and if all the while they were funding. doing it they were doing community service So the answer is maybe yes, maybe no. work, we’d have about half as many problems And let me tell you why that’s important. We than we’ve got, wouldn’t we? So that’s why I wanted to come here today, don’t want to set up a big new national bu- to emphasize that this economic program reaucracy to tell every State and every com- that I’m trying to persuade the Congress to munity what they should teach and what they pass will help people to do what you’ve been should do. What we want to do is to build doing in service, will help people who do it on the strengths of existing community pro- to pile up education credits, and will invest grams like the one you’re involved in. In more money in programs like those here at other words, why should we come into New this center. Jersey and create some big bureaucracy and Developing the capacity of the American waste a lot of money hiring people to admin- people to be all they can be is perhaps the ister programs when you’ve got a perfectly most important job that I have as President. good program here who can access the And people now all across America will see money and use it all to put people to work you today, and you may have no idea how teaching art or whatever else you’re doing. many people you will inspire today because So the answer is that the people who are you had the courage to do what you did; you, interested in arts education throughout or you, or you, or all of you for being here. America, once this national program is And I really—I thank you very much. You passed, should make sure that that is an im- were great. portant part of the community service efforts Would anybody else like to say anything in every State and every community. Because or ask a question? I can’t believe you have they will be certainly eligible for it, but we’re 9 children. You’re a beautiful mother to have not going to tell people what to do. nine children. Were one of you going to talk? As a matter of fact, we’ll have relatively Yes, go ahead. Tell us your name and how few mandates in this program. The two you happen to be here. things we are going to do is to require every [At this point, a Rutgers student presented State to try to provide opportunities for col- the President with a sweatshirt.] lege graduates to be either teachers or police The President. I wish I had this this officers, because we know we’ve got a short- morning in Washington. [Laughter] The age of both of them in every State. But other- wind chill factor was 13 when I was on my wise, particularly with the college students jog this morning. Thank you very much. It’s themselves or with young people who are like beautiful. you, who are in school and may be earning credit toward going to college or getting job Funding for Arts Programs training, we’re going to let that be highly de- Q. My name is Shantel Ehrenberg. I’m a centralized so that you can meet the needs dance major at the School of the Arts, and in each community and State.

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National and Community Service enced with their handicapped child many dif- Program ferent problems. And one of the things was Q. I’m a Rutgers College graduating senior the Reagan administration; they always had in May. And I was wondering when you think been cutting down on those programs, espe- that law you’re trying to instate or whatever cially for the handicapped. And they had to is going to come into effect. I’m worrying, have been placed in different schools, which like, when I graduate in May, whether I’m is not appropriate for handicapped people. going to go pursue chiropractic college, or And they have, you know, have many prob- because I may not have the money for it, lems because it’s not where they should be. I may have to get a job or get in more debt Do you plan to do anything for them? to try to get into chiropractic school. And The President. Yes, I’m glad you brought I think it’s a good program that you’re trying that up. Let’s talk about two or three things. to instate, but how soon would it come that Let me say, first of all, a lot of people with we would have a chance to excel? disabilities have problems that aren’t easy to The President. It’s up to the Congress. solve, as you know. But they also have enor- We’ll present the law, the bill, soon. And I’m mous potential to contribute to this country. hoping it will pass this year and become im- I can make the same argument for people mediately effective. with disabilities I made for all of you: that it is in our interest to see that everyone devel- [At this point, a participant explained how ops to the maximum of his or her capacity improving her education will enable her to and serves to the maximum of his or her ca- pass the citizenship test. Another participant pacity. explained how happy she was to meet the Let me just mention two or three things: President.] Number one, last year before I became The President. Anybody else want to say President, the Congress passed and Presi- anything? dent Bush signed a bill called the Americans with Disabilities Act. It has not been fully [At this point, a participant presented the implemented. One of the commitments I President with a gift from the New Jersey made in this campaign is to try to bring that Youth Corps.] law to life for Americans with disabilities. It Q. It’s my pleasure to have you here, not provides all kinds of extra effort to make only because you’re the President but be- America accessible and to invest in the po- cause you’re a President we all like. [Laugh- tential of people with disabilities. ter] And I just wanted to ask you one ques- The second thing is, I hope that a lot of tion. As a minority student in the United these service programs will involve special States I have experience of some kind of prej- services to people with disabilities working udice in the country, and how we have to toward independence, not dependence. struggle a little bit harder than everyone else. There are a lot of Government programs now And I just wanted to tell you that all this which if you know someone with disabilities, that you’re doing is great, especially for His- you know it’s basically—it favors funding that panics, Latinos, blacks. We all recognize how is designed almost to keep disabled people you’re trying to make it seem that this is not dependent instead of independent. And only a white country anymore but all a mix- more and more disabled people want to and ture of all different cultures. And one of the are able to, given technological supports, to groups that I’ve seen that has not been seen live on their own, to work on their own, to and they are a minority group, and there has live in at least assisted-living environments. not been putting any attention toward the And this is a very big deal for me and for handicapped people. I think that I wanted my administration. My Domestic Policy Ad- to ask you are you thinking of doing anything viser has a child, whom I’ve known since he for them, because I think that they’re there, was a little boy, who had cerebral palsy and and we should put some kind of value to is now living out on his own in an assisted- them and some kind importance. I’m very living environment. And he will soon get his close to one family that they have experi- high school diploma. So I believe in that.

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The third thing I would say is we’re going to the naked eye, not near as different as to do a lot of work through the Department the cultural differences represented just in of Education to try to make sure that chil- this room—for all of the problems we have dren get appropriate placements and at least in this country, we are moving forward on have the chance that they need to get a pub- that. And I really believe that a great test lic education. of whether we will go into the next century I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but, not and maintain our position as the greatest and this Saturday, the Saturday before last, I did strongest nation in the world may well be a little town meeting like this with children. whether we can learn to live together across And there was a 9-year-old child with cere- racial and ethnic lines, and not just put up bral palsy who was very eloquent on the with one another but absolutely enjoy the show. And she said she had a twin sister who fact and make the most of it. was also in a wheelchair, but her twin sister One of our counties, Los Angeles County couldn’t speak except with the use of a com- in California, has 150 different racial and eth- puter, which is not uncommon. And she said nic groups within one county. I once spoke because she could speak, she was in a regular at a university there that had students from classroom; because her sister had to use the 122 different countries. You know what that computer to speak, she was in a special ed meant. This can be an enormous strength of classroom. And she felt that they had the us in a world that is getting smaller and small- same mental capacity. So she said, ‘‘Can you er and smaller. If you look around this room, help get my sister in my classroom?’’ And the fact that some of you can come from such I asked—it was an interesting thing to ques- different cultures is a very big positive in a tion—I asked her, I said, ‘‘Would you, if your world that’s getting smaller. The fact that we sister couldn’t do the work, would you then have a huge Hispanic population, for exam- favor her getting special assistance?’’ And she ple, will be an enormous asset to us as more said, ‘‘Yes.’’ And I said, ‘‘What you really want and more of our trade goes to Mexico, Cen- is for your sister just to have a chance to tral America, and South America to try to do what you do?’’ And she said, ‘‘That’s what build up their economy. That’s just one ex- I want. I just want her to have a chance.’’ ample. If you look at the fact that we have It was very moving. a substantial Asian population, it can be an But a lot of schools and school districts enormous strength to us with the fastest are just now learning what they can do. And growing economies in the world being in we’re always learning more and more about Asia. There are lots of examples. The fact proper placements of these children. So any- that we have a big African-American popu- way, those are some of the things that I will lation will be an enormous strength to us work on for persons with disabilities. when 20 years from now we might find out I appreciate the other comment you made, that Africa then has the fastest growing econ- because I am trying to demonstrate to the omy in the world, if they can solve some of American people that we are all one country. their political problems. So America is in an We have to live together not only with toler- incredible position to have another great cen- ance for one another but with absolute ap- tury as a nation if we can learn to really build preciation for one another’s differences. We on the strength of our diversity. shouldn’t just put up with one another; we Oh, yes. I want you all to be—you’ve been should actually enjoy the fact that this is a invited to ride a bus over to the speech. And country of people of different racial and eth- I’m going to go with you. Do you want to nic backgrounds. go? Ready? When you look at what’s going on today in the former Yugoslavia with the ethnic ha- World Trade Center Bombing tred—the Serbs and the Croatians and the Q. Mr. President, I have a question before Bosnian Muslims shooting and killing each you go, if you don’t mind. It’s not directly other and starving each other, with dif- related to this event. But if you could, I know ferences, cultural and historic differences the American public is really interested in that are deep and long-lasting but, at least knowing what is going on with the World

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Trade Center explosion. Was it a terrorist in- sible to know how many people will choose cident? the service option. So the funding we asked The President. I’m not in a position to for is based on our best available effort to say that now, and I don’t mean because I estimate how many people will choose the know something that I’m not telling you. I service option. All the students will be able think you know that there was severe struc- to choose to pay their loans back as a percent- tural damage done to the World Trade Cen- age of their income immediately. And we ter. And as I think Governor Cuomo has al- think we’ll be able to accommodate over the ready announced, you know the Federal and next 4 years, everybody who chooses the State and local people have been working to- service option. We think we will. gether ever since the incident occurred. It But we have to build it up a little in the took a substantial amount of time just to get first year or two so we learn how to do it. people down in the crater that the bomb There has been a pilot project going, as you made to begin the analysis. I can tell you probably know, under legislation that was this: that we have put the full, full resources, sponsored in the previous Congress by, I the Federal law enforcement agencies, all think, Senator Nunn, Senator Wofford, and kinds of agencies, all kinds of access to infor- others. And we’re going to expand it just as mation at the service of those who are work- quickly as we can, and we’re going to do our ing to figure out who did this and why and level-best, once we get the system worked what the facts are. But I cannot answer your out over the next year or so, to make service question yet. available to everybody who wants it. We think their numbers are about right. We National and Community Service think we have funded it about the level of Program maximum participation for college graduates. Q. Mr. President, on national service, you But we’re adding on pre-college students, campaigned on the promise that anybody which we think is a good thing. This is some- who wanted to go to school could go and thing I had not planned to do basically until then repay their loans in national service. I I kept seeing programs like the L.A. Con- think in your economic plan, under invest- servation Corps, City Year, programs like the ment, there’s $3 billion allotted for national ones the young people are involved in here. service. Q. Are you concerned, sir, that it may be- The President. More now. come a kind of a new entitlement, that it Q. Which would not be enough to provide will grow beyond the ability to fund and out this to everyone. How long would it take to of control? phase it in? And do you think that you’re The President. No, if we can’t fund it, not really fulfilling your campaign promise? the entitlement will be access to a loan you The President. No. As a matter of fact, can pay back based on a percentage of your in the campaign, we only talked about mak- income, which will be a huge—we’re going ing it available as an option. We talked about to strengthen collection procedures, cut de- making it available for everybody to pay off faults, cut the cost of administering the pro- their loans as a percentage of their income, gram until we can fund a lot of that. and then the funding of national service slots The service issue cannot become an enti- will be college graduates. That’s all we talked tlement. If all of a sudden in one year a mil- about in the campaign. Now, we’re actually lion people want to convert from a loan to going to start funding slots for people before service, we won’t be able to afford that. But they go to high school. And we think we’ll based on the experiences we have seen in start—we think we’ll have 35,000 of them, the past, we think that this will be, by far, which is twice as many people as were ever the biggest service program in the history of in the Peace Corps in any given year, in addi- America. And we think we’ll be able to take tion to those coming out of college. everybody who will choose the service op- What we don’t know, and we may have tion. We’re just going on historical prece- to modify the funding I asked for from Con- dents now. We think we can more than fund gress over the next 4 years, but it is impos- the people who will choose the service option

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in the first 4 years. If they don’t, I would of police and teaching, because we know as consider going back. But we can’t let that a practical matter we need more community become an absolute entitlement. policing in high-crime areas where we can reduce crime and work with kids and not just World Trade Center Bombing be there after it happens. And we know we Q. ——economic aid, sir, to New York, need more teachers in a lot of core areas and are you prepared to do that? Governor to reduce the student-teacher ratio and in- Cuomo has asked for it. crease learning. So we’ve done that. But oth- The President. This morning I got a re- erwise, this program is not going to have a port on that, and it’s my understanding that huge set of national requirements or bu- we are going through the regular agencies reaucracy. and that the request will be processed promptly. I don’t think that there is any prob- Neighborhood Corps Bill lem with the request that he made as far as Q. Mr. President, how closely, if at all, did I understand it. And we’re giving that a high you work with Senator Bradley’s neighbor- priority. hood corps bill? The President. We reviewed it very close- Rutgers University and Community ly. I think he’s going to meet us over at Rut- Service gers today. I was very impressed by it. And Q. Mr. President, why did you choose Rut- as a matter of fact, I had a personal conversa- gers for this announcement? And what im- tion with him about it. That’s one of the rea- pressed you about their community service sons we wanted to come up here, too. And program here? I invited him to come today, and I think he’s The President. I chose Rutgers because, going to be over there. first of all, the university was involved with this facility and because I want to keep high- Terrorism in the U.S. lighting adult education, education of welfare Q. Mr. President, do you fear that a fear recipients, education of kids that drop out of terrorism in America might change the of school, and because I like this New Jersey way of life that most Americans have, if this Youth Program here. Under Governor bombing proves to be terrorism? Florio’s administration, they started, I think, The President. I certainly hope not. 9, 10, 11 of these, something like that. Again, We’ve been very blessed in this country to I do not want this to be a bureaucratic pro- have been free of the kind of terrorist activity gram. I want to encourage kind of an entre- that has gripped other countries. Even a preneurial spirit out there at the State and country like Great Britain, that has a much local level. I want States to be encouraged lower general crime rate, has more of that to set up Youth Corps. I want comprehensive sort of activity because of the political prob- community service centers like this to be able lems that it has been involved in. to get people doing national service. I don’t want the American people to over- So I wanted to come here to say I really react to this at this time. I can tell you, I appreciate what these folks are doing, but have put the—I will reiterate—I have put also to give the rest of America an idea of the full resources of the Federal Govern- what we mean by community service, what ment, every conceivable law enforcement in- we mean by national service, and how it can formation resource we could put to work on embrace people of different ages and dif- this, we have. I’m very concerned about it. ferent backgrounds with different needs; be- But I think it’s also important that we not cause it’s very important that to make this overreact to it. After all, sometimes when an work, we’re going to have to rely on the cre- incident like this happens, people try to claim ativity of people at the grassroots level. And credit for it who didn’t do it. Sometimes if the last thing I want is another centralized folks like that can get you to stop doing what bureaucracy telling people how to serve. you’re doing, they’ve won half the battle. If As I said, right now, the only decisions we they get you ruffled, if they get us to change have made for categories of service that have the way we live and what we do, that’s half to be approved in every State are in the area the battle.

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I would discourage the American people to doing what it did when I was a boy and from overreacting to this. It’s a very serious which made me want to be a lifetime mem- thing. And I’m heartbroken for the people ber because they put out valuable informa- who were killed and their families and those tion about hunting and marksmanship and who were injured. There was some signifi- safe use of guns. But just to know of the con- cant business disruptions, too, as you prob- ditions we face today in a lot of our cities ably know and as I’m afraid we’ll find out and other places in this country and the enor- more about in the next day or two, just by mous threat to public safety is amazing. shutting down the World Trade Center and I’ve got young Americans now in Somalia all the activities that go on there. But I would trying to create conditions of peaceful exist- plead with the American people and the good ence there in a country where it is difficult. people of New York to right now keep your But there are a lot of young Americans who courage up, go on about your lives. And we’re are living in neighborhoods today that are working as hard as we can to get to the bot- about as dangerous or worse than what kids tom of this. are facing in Somalia in terms of shots, not [At this point, a student expressed apprecia- in terms of hunger and access to medicine tion and support for community service and shelter, that’s different. ideals.] But I have to tell you I think that Governor Florio did a gusty thing here. I think Gov- ernor Wilder did a brave thing. I had my Handgun Legislation own encounters back home in Arkansas, and Q. The National Rifle Association right I just hope to be able to pass the Brady bill now, in New Jersey, is actively seeking to and do some other sensible things that do overturn the assault weapons ban that Gov- not unduly infringe on the right of the law- ernor Florio put on the books in 1990. They abiding citizen to keep and bear arms, but say if they’re successful, then no other State will help make these children’s future safer. will be able to enact rigid gun control and And I think we ought to do that. that you’ll have a very tough time getting the Q. Do you think that the NRA’s contribut- Brady bill through Congress. Are you con- ing to that threat that you just talked about cerned about that? because it is opposing these gun control The President. I think Governor Florio measures? is right. And I’m going to sure try to pass The President. Well, I don’t want to get the Brady bill. I think Americans who want into character. I think that it is an error for safer streets and still want people to be able them to oppose every attempt to bring some to hunt and fish and pursue their sporting safety and some rationality into the way we activities should take a lot of heart in the handle some of the most serious criminal success that Governor Wilder had in Virginia problems we have. And these things do not recently. And Virginia, it has become a unduly affect the right to keep and bear source, as you know, of weapons for a lot arms. It’s not going to kill anybody to wait of illegal activity all up and down the Atlantic a couple of days to get a handgun while we seaboard. And they’ve gone to that once-a- do a background check on somebody that month limitation on the purchase of guns. wants to buy a gun. You know, we can’t be so fixated on our I have personal experience with this. I live desire to preserve the rights of ordinary in a State where half the people have a hunt- Americans to legitimately own handguns and ing or a fishing license. I know somebody rifles—it’s something I strongly support—we who once sold a weapon to a person who can’t be so fixated on that that we are unable went out and killed a bunch of people be- to think about the reality of life that millions cause he was an escapee from a mental hos- of Americans face on streets that are unsafe, pital. And the guy liked to never got over under conditions that no other nation—no it. And if he had just had a law where he other nations—has permitted to exist. And was supposed to wait 2 or 3 days to check, at some point, I still hope that the leadership they would have found that out. I know that of the National Rifle Association will go back happens. I don’t believe that everybody in

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America needs to be able to buy a semiauto- to introduce them, too, because they have matic or an automatic weapon, built only for taken a lot of trouble to come to Rutgers the purpose of killing people, in order to pro- and because without them and without the tect the right of Americans to hunt and to people who represent you, the proposal I practice marksmanship and to be secure in make today has no hope of passage. Many their own homes and own a weapon to be Members of the Congress for years have be- secure. I just don’t believe that. lieved we ought to do more in national serv- So I hope that this is a debate that will ice, and some of them are here today. continue. And I think, as I said, what Gov- I’d like to begin by introducing your Sen- ernor Florio did and what Governor Wilder ator, Bill Bradley, who’s behind me. I must did, I think will contribute to Americans fac- say, when I walked into this arena, I turned ing this and trying to reconcile our absolute obligation under the Constitution to give around and asked Bill Bradley if he’d ever people the right to handle a firearm respon- shot any baskets in here. I’d be intimidated sibly and our obligation to try to preserve to be the opposing team in here. Senator peace and keep these kids alive in our cities. Bradley sponsored legislation to establish neighborhood corps and self-reliance schol- NOTE: The President spoke at 11:20 a.m. at the arships, things that are forebears of the pro- center. posal I came to make. I’d like to recognize the presence on the Remarks on National Service at platform of Senator Ted Kennedy from Mas- Rutgers University in New sachusetts who chairs the Senate Committee Brunswick on Human Resources and Education, which shepherded the pilot national and commu- March 1, 1993 nity service bill through the Congress in the Thank you, Nakia Tomlinson, for that fine last session, along with his counterpart who introduction. I wish I could take you with is out here in the audience somewhere. I’d me everywhere. We’d make a great duo like to ask him to stand up, the chairman there. Let’s give her another hand. I thought of the House committee, Congressman Bill she was great. [Applause] Ford, who came all the way from Michigan I’d like to thank President Frank Law- to be with us. Congressman, would you stand rence—Francis Lawrence—for his fine up. speech. Does anybody call him Frank? I I’d like to recognize in the audience the should have asked. [Laughter] I want to com- presence of Senator Chris Dodd from Con- pliment Professor Benjamin Barber for his necticut, who was one of the first Peace leadership and service here. And I want to Corps volunteers in the United States. thank all of you here in the Rutgers commu- The Member of Congress who introduced nity for coming out for what I hope will be many, many years ago the first piece of na- a truly historic moment in our Nation’s his- tional service legislation ever introduced, the tory. chairman of the Foreign Relations Commit- In addition to the people who have been introduced here, there are a host of mayors tee, Senator Claiborne Pell from Rhode Is- and members of the assembly and county of- land is here. ficials here from your State. We have two I’d also like to introduce the only person former Governors, both of whom I served in this audience, at least of our crowd, who with, Brendan Byrne and Tom Kean, who doesn’t have to look up to Senator Bradley, are out there. I’m glad to see them, my Senator Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia, friends. We have a distinguished array of an early VISTA volunteer in the United Members of the House from New Jersey, States. Herb Klein, Bob Menendez, Frank Pallone, And finally, I would like to recognize two Donald Payne. other people, one a Member of the United But you have some Members of the Con- States Senate and one a distinguished Amer- gress from all over America here, and I want ican citizen, the first boss of the Peace Corps,

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Sargent Shriver, who’s up here with me, and honor your service with new opportunities his deputy, Senator Harris Wofford, from for education. National service will be Amer- Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Wofford, I’m glad to ica at its best, building community, offering see you. opportunity, and rewarding responsibility. Now, I was involved before I became National service is a challenge for Americans President in a group called the Democratic from every background and walk of life, and Leadership Council, and we made one of the it values something far more than money. central parts of our platform to reclaim a new National service is nothing less than the majority of Americans for our party the es- American way to change America. tablishment of a system of national service It is rooted in the concept of community: to help people to finance education. And one the simple idea that none of us on our own of our founding members and guiding lights will ever have as much to cherish about our is here, Representative Dave McCurdy from own lives if we are out here all alone as we Oklahoma. I’d like for him to stand up. will if we work together; that somehow a soci- Let me make this last point, if I might, ety really is an organism in which the whole by way of beginning. None of these things can be greater than the sum of its parts, and happen at the national level. We empower every one of us, no matter how many privi- them to happen, and then people have to leges with which we are born, can still be do things here at the grassroots. And I want enriched by the contributions of the least of to say a special word of thanks to your Gov- us; and that we will never fulfill our individ- ernor for supporting the New Jersey Youth ual capacities until, as Americans, we can all Corps and several other projects like it be what God meant for us to be. around the State, because if nobody’s here If that is so, if that is true, my fellow Amer- to believe in this, it can’t happen. And I thank icans, and if you believe it, it must therefore Governor Florio for his support for these follow that each of us has an obligation to things. serve. For it is perfectly clear that all of us I came here to ask all of you to join me cannot be what we ought to be until those in a great national adventure, for in the next of us who can help others, and that is nearly few weeks I will ask the United States Con- all of us, are doing something to help others gress to join me in creating a new system live up to their potential. of voluntary national service, something that The concept of community and the idea I believe in the next few years will change of service are as old as our history. They America forever and for the better. began the moment America was literally in- My parents’ generation won new dignity vented. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Dec- working their way out of the Great Depres- laration of Independence, ‘‘With a firm reli- sion through programs that provided them ance on the protection of Divine Providence, the opportunity to serve and to survive. Brave we mutually pledge to each other our lives, men and women in my own generation our fortune, and our sacred honor.’’ waged and won peaceful revolutions here at In the midst of the Civil War, President home for civil rights and human rights and Lincoln signed into law two visionary pro- began service around the world in the Peace grams that helped our people come together Corps and here at home in VISTA. again and build America up. The Morrill Act Now, Americans of every generation face helped States create new land grant colleges. profound challenges in meeting the needs This is a land grant university. The university that have been neglected for too long in this in my home State was the first land grant country, from city streets plagued by crime college west of the Mississippi River. In these and drugs, to classrooms where girls and boys places, young people learn to make American must learn the skills they need for tomorrow, agriculture and industry the best in the to hospital wards where patients need more world. The legacy of the Morrill Act is not care. All across America we have problems only our great colleges and universities like that demand our common attention. Rutgers but the American tradition that For those who answer the call and meet merit and not money should give people a these challenges, I propose that our country chance for a higher education.

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Mr. Lincoln also signed the Homestead of the new frontier, helping people all over Act that offered 100 acres of land for families the world to become what they ought to be, who had the courage to settle the frontier and bringing them the message by their very and farm the wilderness. Its legacy is a nation lives that America was a great country that that stretches from coast to coast. Now we stood for good values and human progress. must create a new legacy that gives a new At its height, the Peace Corps enrolled generation of Americans the right and the 16,000 young men and women. Its legacy is power to explore the frontiers of science and not simply good will and good works in coun- technology and space. The frontiers of the tries all across the globe but a profound and limitations of our knowledge must be pushed lasting change in the way Americans think back so that we can do what we need to do. about their own country and the world. And education is the way to do it, just as Shortly after the Peace Corps, Congress, surely as it was more than 100 years ago. under President Johnson, created the Volun- Seven decades after the Civil War, in the teers In Service To America. Senator Jay midst of the Great Depression, President Rockefeller, whom I introduced a moment Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation ago, and many thousands of other Americans 1 Corps, which gave 2 ⁄2 million young people went to the hills and hollows of poor places, the opportunity to support themselves while like West Virginia and Arkansas and Mis- working in disaster relief and maintaining sissippi, to lift up Americans through their forests, beaches, rivers, and parks. Its legacy service. is not only the restoration of our natural envi- The lesson of our whole history is that hon- ronment but the restoration of our national oring service and rewarding responsibility is spirit. Along with the Works Products Ad- the best investment America can make. And ministration, the WPA, the Civilian Con- I have seen it today. Across this great land, servation Corps symbolized Government’s effort to provide a nation in depression with through the Los Angeles Conservation the opportunity to work, to build the Amer- Corps, which took the children who lived in ican community through service. And all over the neighborhoods where the riots occurred America today you can see projects, even and gave them a chance to get out into nature today in the 1990’s, built by your parents or and to clean up their own neighborhoods and your grandparents with the WPA plaque on to lift themselves and their friends in the ef- it, the CCC plaque on it, the idea that people fort; in Boston with the City Year program; should be asked to serve and rewarded for with all these programs represented here in doing it. this room today, the spirit of service is sweep- In the midst of World War II, President ing this country and giving us a chance to Roosevelt proposed the GI bill of rights, put the quilt of America together in a way which offered returning veterans the oppor- that makes a strength out of diversity, that tunity for education in respect to their serv- lifts us up out of our problems, and that ice to our country in the war. Thanks to the keeps our people looking toward a better and GI bill, which became a living reality in Presi- brighter future. dent Truman’s time, more than 8 million vet- National service recognizes a simple but erans got advanced education. And half a powerful truth, that we make progress not century later, the enduring legacy of the GI by governmental action alone, but we do best bill is the strongest economy in the world when the people and their Government work and the broadest, biggest middle class that at the grassroots in genuine partnership. The any nation has ever enjoyed. idea of national service permeates many For many in my own generation, the sum- other aspects of the programs I have sought mons to citizenship and service came on this to bring to America. The economic plan that day 32 years ago, when President Kennedy I announced to Congress, for example, will created the Peace Corps. With Sargent Shriv- offer every child the chance for a healthy er and Harris Wofford and other dedicated start through immunization and basic health Americans, he enabled thousands of young care and a head start. But still it depends men and women to serve on the leading edge on parents doing the best they can as parents

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and children making the most of their oppor- health care, making a major contribution to tunities. one of the more disturbing statistics in Amer- The plan can help to rebuild our cities and ica today, which is that the college dropout our small communities through physical in- rate in this country is now 21⁄2 times the high vestments that will put people to work. But school dropout rate. We can do better than Americans still must work to restore the so- that through national service and adequate cial fabric that has been torn in too many financing. communities. Unless people know we can The present system is unacceptable, not work together in our schools, in our offices, only for students but for the taxpayers as in our factories, unless they believe we can well. It’s complicated, and it’s expensive. It walk the streets safely together, and unless costs the taxpayers of our country about $4 we do that together, governmental action billion every year to finance the student loan alone is doomed to fail. program because of loan defaults and the The national service plan I propose will cost of administering the program. And I be- be built on the same principles as the old lieve we can do better. GI bill. When people give something of in- Beyond reforming this system for financ- valuable merit to their country, they ought ing higher education, the national service to be rewarded with the opportunity to fur- program more importantly will create new ther their education. National service will opportunities for Americans to work off out- challenge our people to do the work that standing loans or to build up credits for fu- should and indeed must be done and cannot ture education and training opportunities. be done unless the American people volun- We’ll ask young people all across this coun- tarily give themselves up to that work. It will try, and some who aren’t so young who want invest in the future of every person who to further their college education, to serve serves. in our schools as teachers or tutors in reading As we rekindle the spirit of national serv- and mathematics. We’ll ask you to help our ice, I know it won’t disappoint many of the police forces across the Nation, training students here to know that we also have to members for a new police corps that will walk reform the whole system of student loans. beats and work with neighborhoods and We should begin by making it easier for build the kind of community ties that will young people to pay back their student loans prevent crime from happening in the first and enabling them to hold jobs that may ac- place so that our police officers won’t have complish much but pay little. to spend all their time chasing criminals. Today, when students borrow money for We’ll ask young people to work, to help an education, the repayment plan they make control pollution and recycle waste, to paint is based largely on how much they have to darkened buildings and clean up neighbor- repay, without regard to what the jobs they hoods, to work with senior citizens and com- take themselves pay. It is a powerful incen- bat homelessness and help children in trou- tive, therefore, for young college graduates ble get out of it and build a better life. to do just the reverse of what we might want And these are just a few of the things that them to do, to take a job that pays more even you will be able to do, for most of the deci- if it is less rewarding because that is the job sions about what you can do will be made that will make the repayment of the loans by people like those in this room, people who possible. It is also, unfortunately, a powerful run the programs represented by all of those incentive for some not to make the payments wearing these different kinds of tee-shirts. at all, which is unforgivable. We don’t seek a national bureaucracy. I have So what we seek to do is to enable the spoken often about how we need to reinvent American students to borrow the money they the Government to make it more efficient need for college and pay it back as a small and less bureaucratic, to make it more re- percentage of their own income over time. sponsive to people at the grassroots level, and This is especially important after a decade I want national service to do just that. I want in which the cost of a college education has it to empower young people and their com- gone up even more rapidly than the cost of munities, not to empower yet another Gov-

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ernment bureaucracy in Washington. This is with a ‘‘lend-a-hand’’ program which runs a going to be your programs at your levels with thrift shop to provide hungry and homeless your people. people with food and clothing. And in return, And as you well know, that’s what’s hap- the Delta Corps is going to help her attend pening all across America today. People are college so that she can make an even greater already serving their neighbors in their contribution. neighborhoods. Just this morning, I was in- The spirit of service also moves a young spired to see and to speak with students from man I met about a year ago named Stephen Rutgers serving their community, from men- Spalos, who works with the City Year pro- toring young people as Big Sisters to helping gram in Boston. At age 23, he’s had some older people learn new skills. I met a lady hard times in his life. But as he puts it, City today who has 13 grandchildren and 5 great- Year gave him a place and the tools to be grandchildren who dropped out of school the able to start over. He works as a team leader, year before I was born, who’s about to be- a mentor, a tutor, a project manager for a come a high school graduate shortly because bunch of young people who restore senior of the efforts of this program. You back citizens’ homes. Last year when I visited his there? Stand up. project, he literally took his sweatshirt off his I’m impressed by the spirit behind the back and gave it to me so that I would never Rutgers Civic Education and Community forget the kids at City Year. And I still wear Service Program, the understanding that it when I go jogging, always remembering community service enriches education, that what they’re doing in Boston to help those students should not only take the lessons they kids. learn in class out into the community but The spirit of service moves Orah Fireman, bring the lessons they learn in the commu- a graduate of Wesleyan College. As a sopho- nity back into the classroom. In that spirit, during this academic year alone, more than more in high school, she worked with dis- 800 students from Rutgers are contributing advantaged children in upstate New York. more than 60,000 hours of community serv- That experience changed her life. And during ice in New Brunswick, in Camden, in New- her high school and college years, she contin- ark, throughout this State. ued to work with children. And now that she This morning I also met with members of is out of college, she has begun what will the New Jersey Youth Corps—here they are; probably be a lifetime of service by working see them? Stand up—young people who are at a school for emotionally disturbed children looking for a second chance at school and in Boston. She wants other people to have who, when coming back to finish their high the opportunity to serve, and she wrote this: school degrees, also serve in their commu- ‘‘Service work teaches responsibility and nities. Through this program, more than compassion. It fights alienation by proving 6,500 young adults have contributed over to young people that they can make a dif- 900,000 hours of service to the State of New ference. There is no lesson more important Jersey. They’ve done everything from paint than that.’’ senior citizens’ homes to tutor and mentor Well, there are stories like this in this room children in after-school programs. For the fu- and all across America. And we’re going to ture of our State and Nation, we need more create thousands of more of them through young people like those in the New Jersey national service. We’ll work with groups with Youth Corps who exemplify the spirit of serv- proven track records to serve their commu- ice. nity, giving them the support they need. And That spirit also moves people all across the if you have more good ideas, if you’re entre- Nation. In my State, there’s a young woman preneurs of national service, we’ll let you named Antoinette Jackson, who’s a senior in compete for our form of venture capital, to a small community called Gould, Arkansas. develop new programs to serve your neigh- She’s a member of the Delta Service Corps. bors. That’s how we want the national service The rural Mississippi Delta is still the poorest program to grow every year, rewarding re- place in America. And in that area, she works sults, building on success, and bubbling up

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from the grassroots energy and compassion speech by radio or television or reads about and intellect of America. it would like to be one of those 1,000, drop I don’t want service to wait while this po- me a card at the White House and just mark tential is wasted. That’s why I want to make it ‘‘national service.’’ We’re going to pick this summer a summer of service when them, and I can’t promise you’ll be selected, young people can not only serve their com- but I promise you’ll be considered. I want munities but build a foundation for a new to engage the energies of America in this ef- national effort. I’ve asked Congress to invest fort. in and I’m asking young people to participate in a special effort in national service and lead- I also want to say that you shouldn’t wait ership training just this summer. We are for the summer or for a new program. We going to recruit about 1,000 young people need to begin now. We are going to be look- from every background, from high school ing for the kinds of ideas that we ought to dropouts to college graduates, to send to an be funding. This is Monday. I ask you by intensive leadership training program for na- Friday, every one of you, to think about what tional service at the beginning of the sum- you think you can do and what we should mer. do to be agents of renewal; to talk with your Then we’ll ask them to work on one of parents, your clergy, your friends, your teach- our country’s most urgent problems, helping ers; to join the effort to renew our commu- our children who are in danger of losing their nity and to rebuild our country; and to write God-given potential. Some of them will tutor. to me about what you are doing. It’s time Some will work on programs to immunize for millions of us to change our country block young children from preventible childhood by block, neighborhood by neighborhood; diseases. Some will help to develop and run time to return to our roots an excitement, recreational centers or reclaim urban parks an idealism, and an energy. from dealers and debris. Some will counsel I have to tell you that there are some people a few years younger than themselves among us who do not believe that young to help keep them out of gangs and into good Americans will answer a call to action, who activities. And everyone will learn about serv- believe that our people now measure their ing our country and helping our commu- success merely in the accumulation of mate- nities. rial things. They believe this call to service At the end of this summer, we’ll bring all will go unanswered. But I believe they are these people together for several days of de- dead wrong. briefing and training, and then they’ll all join in a youth service summit. I will attend the And so, especially to the young Americans meeting, and I expect to listen a lot more here, I ask you to prove that those who doubt than I talk. I’ll ask leaders from Congress, you are wrong about your generation. And from business, labor, religious, and commu- today I ask all of you who are young in spirit, nity groups to attend the youth service sum- whether you are a 10-year-old in a service mit too. We’ll give those who serve the honor program in our schools who reads to still they deserve, and we’ll learn a lot more about younger children or a 72-year-old who has how to build this national service program. become a foster grandparent, I ask you all And from the thousand pioneers of this sum- to believe that you can contribute to your mer, I want the national service to grow 100- community and your country. And in so fold in the next 4 years. doing, you will find the best in yourself. But even when hundreds of thousands are serving, I want to maintain the pioneer spirit You will learn the lessons about your life of this first few months, because national that you might not ever learn any other way. service can make America new again. It can You will learn again that each of us has the help solve our problems, educate our people, spark of potential to accomplish something and build our communities back together. So truly and enduringly unique. You will experi- if anybody here would like to be one of those ence the satisfaction of making a connection 1,000 or if anybody who is listening to this in a way with another person that you could

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do in no other way. You will learn that the and Benjamin Barber, founder of the Rutgers joy of mastering a new skill or discovering Civic Education and Community Service Pro- a new insight is exceeded only by the joy of gram. helping someone else do the same thing. You will know the satisfaction of being valued not for what you own or what you earn or what position you hold but just because of what Exchange With Reporters Prior to a you have given to someone else. You will un- Meeting With the Democratic derstand in personal ways the wisdom of the Congressional Leadership words spoken years ago by Martin Luther March 2, 1993 King, who said, ‘‘Everybody can be great be- cause everybody can serve.’’ Spending Cuts I ask you all, my fellow Americans, to sup- port our proposal for national service and to Q. Mr. President, we hear you’re not going live a proposal for national service, to learn to ask for any more spending cuts. Is that the meaning of America at its best, and to right? recreate for others America at its best. We The President. Where did you hear that? are not just another country. We have always Q. Well, there’s a little piece in the paper been a special kind of community, linked by that says somebody on your staff admitted a web of rights and responsibilities and that, well, they didn’t really think you’d be bound together not by bloodlines but by be- able to find any more spending cuts. liefs. At an age in time when people all across The President. Well, I expect there will the world are being literally torn apart by be a lot more as we go along. I just don’t racial hatreds, by ethnic hatreds, by religious think we should shut the Congress down divisions, we are a nation, with all of our while we all look for them. Keep in mind problems, where people can come together that we’ve got more than they’ve had in a across racial and religious lines and hold long time, and we need to go forward with hands and work together not just to endure this program. But I think you’ll see a continu- our differences but to celebrate them. I ask ous stream of them coming out as we go you to make America celebrate that again. along. Q. From you? I ask you, in closing, to commit yourselves The President. From me and from others. to this season of service because America needs it. We need every one of you to live Bosnia up to the fullest of your potential, and we need you to reach those who are not here Q. Mr. President, are you satisfied with and who will never hear this talk and who the airdrops in Bosnia, the success of the air- will never have the future they could other- drops? wise have if not for something that you could The President. Well, the last report I got do. The great challenge of your generation this morning was pretty good, based on the is to prove that every person here in this last information I had. And I haven’t talked great land can live up to the fullest of their directly to General Powell today, but he God-given capacity. If we do it, the 21st cen- thinks they’ve gone pretty well, and I have tury will be the American century. The to rely partly on—largely on his judgment. American dream will be kept alive if you will Q. How long do you think they need to today answer the call to service. go on there? The President. I don’t have an answer to Thank you, and God bless you all. that now.

NOTE: The President spoke at 1:15 p.m. at Rut- gers University. In his remarks, he referred to NOTE: The exchange began at 10:19 a.m. in the Nakia Tomlinson, a student at Rutgers University, Cabinet Room at the White House.

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Exchange With Reporters Prior to a We have now cut from 2 months down Meeting With Secretary General to 1 week the amount of time it takes to proc- Manfred Woerner of the North ess people who want to be considered to be Atlantic Treaty Organization refugees in Haiti. When we bring people March 2, 1993 back, we meet them there now. We don’t just let them get dispersed into the country. We’re going out into the country and doing Branch Davidian Religious Sect Standoff the refugee handling. So it’s a very different Q. Mr. President, the incident in Waco set of circumstances than it was. appears to be ending. Do you have any mis- givings at all about how that was executed? The President. I don’t think now is the time to discuss that. I’m pleased that it’s end- NOTE: The exchange began at 4:25 p.m. in the ing. I think it’s ending in a way that’s very Oval Office at the White House. A tape was not consistent with a similar incident that oc- available for verification of the content of this ex- curred in my State, very similar, when I was change. Governor there many years ago. Q. Are you satisfied that the appropriate action was taken in the first place? Statement by the Press Secretary on The President. I don’t think this is the the President’s Meeting With time for me to comment on that. It’s not ap- Secretary General Woerner propriate at this time for me to comment on March 2, 1993 it. The President welcomed NATO Secretary Haiti General Manfred Woerner to the White Q. Are you having any second thoughts House today. The President reaffirmed the about your criticism of George Bush’s Haiti fundamental importance of NATO and the policy during the campaign, given that today transatlantic relationship and his commit- you went to court to essentially support his ment to maintaining a significant American position? military presence in Europe to defend the The President. But our position is dif- interests of the United States and its allies ferent. Our position now is that there’s a dif- and friends. ference if there are extreme circumstances, The President and Secretary General and I think there are. You know, maybe I Woerner discussed the crisis in the former was too harsh in my criticism of him, but Yugoslavia and what actions NATO could I still think there’s a big difference between take to support the efforts of the inter- what we’re doing in Haiti and what they were national community to bring that tragedy to doing in Haiti. And there’s a big difference a peaceful conclusion. between the kinds of problems that are cre- In addition, the President and Secretary ated by the Haitian circumstance. I mean, General Woerner discussed the ongoing something that was never brought up before work in NATO to develop the alliance’s but is now painfully apparent is that if we peacekeeping capabilities in support of the did what the plaintiffs in the court case want, United Nations and the CSCE and with the we would be consigning a very large number involvement of NATO’s partners in the of Haitians, in all probability, to some sort North Atlantic Cooperation Council. of death warrant. I mean, if you look at how many people have been lost at sea, look at The President thanked Secretary General the number of people who died not even try- Woerner for his continued stewardship of the ing to come to the United States in a much Atlantic alliance, and looks forward to work- shorter trip recently, given the means they ing closely with him in continuing to adapt had to get here, the kinds of boats they have the alliance to meet the common challenges and all of that. of the future.

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Statement by the Director of Second, the President is committed to en- Communications on the Situation in hancing the safety and well-being of those Haiti in Haiti who have reason to fear reprisal for March 2, 1993 their political activities and affiliations, and has taken a number of actions to improve Today the Supreme Court heard argu- in-country processing of Haitian refugees, ments concerning the current repatriation the procedures by which Haitians may apply policy regarding Haitian asylum-seekers. At in Haiti for refugee status and resettlement that time, the Justice Department supported in the United States. the President’s legal authority to carry out Shortly after January 20, the President di- the practice of direct return. The President rected that U.S. officials double our capacity believes it is essential that he retain the abil- for the interviewing of refugee applicants in ity to implement such measures when excep- Haiti by officials of the Immigration and Nat- tional circumstances demand. uralization Service. The President also di- The current practice of direct returns is rected the State Department to send a tech- based on the President’s conviction that it nical mission to Haiti to develop detailed pro- is necessary to avert a humanitarian tragedy posals for: that could result from a large boat exodus. —more rapid refugee processing; Hundreds, if not thousands, could lose their —making it easier for Haitians outside of lives in overloaded, unseaworthy vessels if Port-au-Prince to apply for refugee sta- the United States reversed the practice of tus and U.S. resettlement; and direct return precipitously. —enhancing the safety of the repatriation At the same time, the President regards process for returnees. the current practice of direct return as a pol- icy for exceptional circumstances. It is con- Since return of the technical team, we tinually under review and will be adjusted have streamlined procedures and added staff when conditions permit. in Port-au-Prince and have reduced consid- In addition, the President is taking a series erably the processing time for refugee appli- of initiatives to promote human rights and cations in Haiti. We have already developed democratization in Haiti and to enhance the the capacity to reduce processing time for safety and well-being of those who have rea- high priority cases from 2 months or more son to fear persecution. to about 7 working days. First, the Clinton administration strongly The technical team, which also included has supported the negotiating process under- congressional staff and representatives from taken by the United Nations and the Organi- the INS, made a series of additional rec- zation of American States (U.N./OAS) and ommendations for improvements in proce- has urged other nations, both within and out- dures, including the addition of personnel at side the hemisphere, to provide diplomatic the U.S. Refugee Processing Center in Haiti and financial support to the U.N./OAS effort. to serve as liaison with human rights groups A U.N./OAS civilian monitoring team now and as a resource for INS adjudicators; pro- is being deployed in Haiti. We hope and ex- cedures for identifying those who may be es- pect that their presence will create an atmos- pecially at risk; and the establishment of phere conducive to respect for human rights processing centers outside of Port-au-Prince and political dialog, including progress on a to enhance access to the program for Hai- settlement to this crisis. tians throughout Haiti. The President will continue efforts to Based on these and other recommenda- move the negotiating process forward as ex- tions made by the team, the President has peditiously as possible, leading to the restora- directed that U.S. officials implement further tion of constitutional government and the re- improvements in the process. To accomplish turn of President Aristide. President Clinton these goals, the President is authorizing ex- will meet with President Aristide on March penditure of up to $5 million from the Emer- 16 to review the progress that has been gency Refugee and Migration Assistance achieved and the challenges that lie ahead. Fund (ERMA).

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The United States has been in the fore- which were attached to this announcement are front of refugee protection around the world. listed in the Digest. We will continue to play this important role in the years to come. Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Announcement of Nomination for 11 Meeting With Democratic Sub-Cabinet Posts Congressional Leaders March 2, 1993 March 3, 1993 The President announced today his inten- tion to nominate a total of 11 officials for Texas Senatorial Campaign senior sub-Cabinet jobs at the Department Q. When are you going to Texas to cam- of State, the Environmental Protection Agen- paign for Mr. Krueger? cy, and the Department of Education. The President. I don’t know. I want to ‘‘This group of nominations continues the go. I haven’t been invited yet. I imagine I’ll process of filling our Government with top- get—— flight public servants,’’ said the President. ‘‘I The Vice President. I’m going next week, am proud that they have agreed to join my aren’t I? administration.’’ The President. You’re going—— The individuals named today are: The Vice President. I’ll be there next State Department week, Carl [Carl Leubsdorf, Dallas Morning News]. You didn’t ask, but that’s the answer. Patrick Kennedy, Assistant Secretary for Senator Krueger. Don’t insult the Vice Administration President, Carl. Elinor Constable, Assistant Secretary for Q. International Environmental and Sci- Will you? entific Affairs The Vice President. Next week. Alexander Watson, Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs Bosnia John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary for Q. [Inaudible]—situation on the Bosnian Human Rights and Humanitarian Af- airlift? Is it on or off? fairs The President. No, it’s—— Mary Ryan, Assistant Secretary for Con- Q. [Inaudible]—Aspin off the reservation? sular Affairs The President. No, we’re continuing the Wendy Sherman, Assistant Secretary for airlift plan. This phase of it’s going forward Legislative Affairs just as planned. And it’s under continuous Environmental Protection Agency review, but we’re going forward with the phase just as—— Robert Sussman, Deputy Administrator Q. There’s no pause at all in relief efforts, Bailus Walker, Jr., Assistant Administrator in flying it in? for the Office of Research and Develop- The President. We’re going forward with ment the phase as we had planned. As you know, Steve Herman, Assistant Administrator for for obvious reasons we don’t want to discuss Enforcement specifically when we’re doing what. But the David Gardiner, Assistant Administrator initial phase of the airlift is going forward for Policy Planning and Evaluation just as—— Education Department Q. Why did Secretary Aspin indicate Kay Casstevens, Assistant Secretary for that—— Legislation and Congressional Affairs The President. I don’t know exactly what he said. I haven’t had a chance to talk to NOTE: Biographies of the nominees were attached him about it. to the press release. Departmental appointments Q. He said it was symbolic.

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Q. Was there ever a time when it was and to change the culture of our national bu- going to be off? reaucracy away from complacency and enti- The Vice President. No, no. What he tlement toward initiative and empowerment. meant by that was that it accomplished not We intend to redesign, to reinvent, to rein- only the result of getting the relief but also vigorate the entire National Government. getting the convoys a little freer access. Working under the direction of the Vice That’s what he meant by—— President for the next 6 months, we’ll con- Q. And has it done that? duct an intensive national review of every sin- The Vice President. Yes, it has. gle Government agency and service. We’ll NOTE: The exchange began at 9:45 a.m. in the enlist citizens and Government workers and Oval Office at the White House. A tape was not leaders from the private sector in a search available for verification of the content of these not only for ways to cut wasteful spending remarks. but also for ways to improve services to our citizens and to make our Government work Remarks Announcing the Initiative better. To Streamline Government I’ll ask every member of our Cabinet to assign their best people to this project, man- March 3, 1993 agers, auditors, and frontline workers as well. Ladies and gentlemen, I think you all know And to put the ‘‘M’’ back in the OMB, I’ve we are here to announce a terribly important asked Phil Lader, who is to my far left, the initiative in this administration to bring about new Deputy Director for Management at greater efficiency and lower cost of Govern- OMB and a person who has spent his life ment. solving difficult and challenging management I want to begin by saying that we intend and people problems, to take the lead in for this to be a bipartisan and a citizen Gov- making our Government work better, not ernment effort. And I’m delighted by the only during this 6-month period but perma- concerned Members of Congress who are nently for as long as I am President. here today with the Vice President and me, We will turn first to Federal employees people who have already worked on this for help. They know better than anyone else issue. I’d like to begin just by acknowledging how to do their jobs if someone will simply the presence here of Senators Glenn and ask them and reward them for wanting to Levin, Senator Cohen, Senator Dorgan, Sen- do it better. We’ll ask the public to help us ator Lieberman, Senator Roth, and Senator improve services and cut waste by calling an Krueger; and in the House, Congressman 800 number or by writing to the Vice Presi- Conyers, Congressman Clinger, Congress- dent, because no one deserves a bigger say man Gordon, Congressman Laughlin, and in the services Government provides than Congresswoman Pryce and Congresswoman Government’s customers, the American peo- Slaughter. All of them have manifested an ple. We’ll look for ways to streamline our own interest in the issues we are here to discuss organizations to reduce unnecessary layers today. and to improve services to the better uses I also want to especially thank the distin- guished comptroller of the State of Texas, of technology by giving managers more flexi- John Sharp, who’s to my right here, for the bility and by giving frontline workers more work that he did with us to put this project decisionmaking power. Just as we’re trying together and for coming all the way from to do that in the White House, we will try Texas to be with us and with his Senator. to do that throughout the National Govern- Today I am taking what I hope and believe ment. will be a historic step in reforming the Fed- When I was the Governor of Arkansas, our eral Government by announcing the forma- State became the first in the Nation to insti- tion of a national performance review. Our tute a governmentwide total quality manage- goal is to make the entire Federal Govern- ment program. And I can tell you, it works. ment both less expensive and more efficient, It isn’t easy. It isn’t quick. It can make a huge

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difference, not only to the people but also Two years ago, when the State of Texas to the people who work for the Government faced an enormous budget shortfall, they as well. launched a performance review under the We’ll look at the good work that has al- leadership of John Sharp that saved the tax- ready been done, including many thoughtful payers billions of dollars over the ensuing reforms proposed by Members of the Con- years, made government work better at the gress, including the work last year by the same time. House Task Force on Government Waste, Last month, Senator Bob Krueger took out chaired by then Congressman and now Sen- an ad in the Washington Post just inviting ator Byron Dorgan. They discovered, among the public to call a waste hotline to help make other things, that the Pentagon had stock- Government work and to help make it 100 piled 1.2 million bottles of nasal spray. Even percent fat-free. He got 200 calls the first with my allergies, I only need half that many. day. [Laughter] As we locate such waste and wipe Vice President Gore and I think a national it out, it will be a breath of fresh air to the performance review is an absolutely nec- American taxpayers. essary beginning, because we have too much Cutting spending will be a priority. But so to do that a wasteful and mismanaged Gov- is making the system work better for the peo- ernment will not be able to do. We have to ple who work in Government and the people cut and invest at the same time, something who pay the bills and are served by it. The that’s never been done before. We have to reduce the cost of health care and meet the truth is we can’t achieve the savings we want challenges of an intensely competitive global simply by cutting funds. We must also use economy. And we have to do those things the remaining funds in a much wiser way. with less money than we’re spending in many We’ll challenge the basic assumptions of areas today. We have to reduce the largest every program, asking does it work; does it deficit in our history, as we do in our eco- provide quality service; does it encourage in- nomic program, or it will literally rob us of novation and reward hard work? If the an- our ability to solve problems, invest in the swer is no or if there’s a better way to do future, or thrive economically. it or if there’s something that the Federal And most important, the American people Government is doing it should simply stop deserve a Government that is both honest doing, we’ll try to make the changes needed. and efficient, and for too long they haven’t Many good programs began for a good rea- gotten it. For most Americans, a college loan son: to serve a national purpose or to give or a Social Security check represents a com- the States time to develop an institutional ca- mon border with the best ideals and goals pacity to administer them. But times change, of our country. We all count to some extent and in many cases State and local govern- on our Government to protect the environ- ments are now better suited to handle these ment, to provide education and health care programs. The Federal Government simply and other basic needs. But democracy can can’t do everything, and there are many become quickly an empty phrase, if those things the States or the private sector could who are elected to serve cannot meet the do better. needs of the people except with Government This performance review will not produce that costs too much or is too slow or too arro- another report just to gather dust in some gant or too unresponsive. warehouse. We have enough of them already. Finally, let me stress that this performance That’s why I am asking for a list of very spe- review, as I said at the beginning, is not about cific actions we can take now, agency by politics. Programs passed by both Demo- agency, program by program. This is hard cratic Presidents and Republican Presidents, work. We’ve been a long time getting to this voted on by Members of Congress of both spot, and we can’t change the Government parties, and supported by the American peo- overnight. But we can continuously improve ple at the time are being undermined by an our operations in ways that reap dramatic re- inefficient and outdated bureaucracy and by sults for the people of this country. our huge debt. For too long the basic func-

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tioning of the Government has gone Remarks on Receiving the Rotary unexamined. We want to make improving the International Award of Honor and an way Government does business a permanent Exchange With Reporters part of how Government works, regardless March 4, 1993 of which party is in power. It isn’t written anywhere that government can’t be thrifty or flexible or entrepreneurial. Award of Honor Increasingly, most government is, and it is Mr. Dochterman. Mr. President, as the time the Federal Government follows the ex- former president of Rotary International, I ample set by the most innovative State and have the occasion on several occasions to local leaders and by the many huge private present an award called the Rotary Inter- sector companies that have had to go through national Award of Honor presented to se- the same sort of searching reexamination lected heads of state. We’ve only presented over the last decade, companies that have this on about 12 occasions. This award is downsized and streamlined and become given for humanitarian service. And the serv- more customer friendly and, as a result, have ice that you’re giving for Rotary Internation- had much, much more success. al’s programs of support for immunization of In short, it’s time our Government ad- children in the world, as well as our programs justed to the real world, tightened its belt, of humanitarian aid in Bosnia and Croatia, managed its affairs in the context of an econ- gives me the opportunity—if you would ac- omy that is information based, rapidly chang- cept this award on behalf of 1,100,000 Rotar- ing, and puts a premium on speed and func- ians of the world in 187 countries—it would tion and service, not rules and regulations. be a great pleasure—to accept this award. Americans voted for a change last Novem- The President. Thank you for your good ber. They want better schools and health care work, and thank you for the award. I appre- and better roads and more jobs, but they ciate that. want us to do it all with a Government that Mr. Dochterman. It has a ribbon there, works better on less money and is more re- but I’ll not be so presumptuous to put it over sponsive. The American people may not your—— The President. know specifically how to do it, although many Isn’t it beautiful? Thank you. of them have good particular ideas, but I’m Mr. Dochterman. This award has been confident our people are willing to try new presented on selected occasions on behalf of ways and they want us to experiment. They those who support humanitarian efforts want us to do things that have worked in throughout the world. other contexts now in the National Govern- The President. I’m deeply honored. ment, and that’s what we are here to do today. World Trade Center Bombing I thank the Vice President for his willing- ness to lead this effort. I thank the Members Q. Excuse me, Mr. President, can you tell of Congress who are here and those who are us anything about the arrest and whether the not who are supporting us. And I earnestly American people can now believe that they enlist the support of the American people are secure in that someone has been ar- rested? and especially the employees of the United The President. I can tell you that I was States Government in this important effort. informed this morning about it. And the au- I’d like now to introduce the Vice Presi- thorities are still working on a statement that dent, who will be in charge of this effort of I think will be issued to you later this after- performance review for the next 6 months, noon. I think they’ll be able to give you some for his statement. more information later this afternoon. Q. Now the suspect though is linked to NOTE: The President spoke at 10:07 a.m. in Room terrorism, should Americans feel less secure 450 of the Old Executive Office Building. about their safety?

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The President. I think you should wait The President. It’s just like any other— until the—I think, first of all, the American how do you know that about anything we do people should be very proud of the work here at the White House? done by the law enforcement authorities. They worked hard together. They worked ag- World Trade Center Bombing gressively. They worked without stopping until they made, I think, a very quick arrest. Q. Can you be any more reassuring on the But I’d like for you to wait until the proper whole terrorism question, sir? This is obvi- authorities have a chance to make their state- ously what people are going to be most wor- ment to you later this afternoon. And then ried about. tomorrow I will have a chance to make some The President. I think people should be more comments on it. very reassured by the incredibly rapid work Q. Can we assume that it’s terrorism? done by the law enforcement officials in- The President. I don’t think you should volved. It is very impressive. All resources assume anything until you hear the statement were put into this from the moment the ex- today. I know that an arrest was made. I plosion occurred, and I think they did a re- know who was arrested. I think that at the markable job. I don’t think I should say more time I was informed this morning there were than I know now. And I think you should a lot of other questions we did not know the wait until the statement is made tonight by answers to. And they’re trying to get as much the appropriate officials, and I’ll be glad to information together as possible to give you give you further comments. But I think the later this afternoon. American people should be very much reas- NOTE: The presentation began at 3:07 p.m. in the sured by the speed with which the law en- Oval Office at the White House. forcement folks responded in this cir- cumstance. Exchange With Reporters During a Meeting With Students From Tilden NOTE: The exchange began at 3:25 p.m. in the Middle School North Foyer at the White House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this ex- March 4, 1993 change.

Health Care Task Force Q. Mr. President, can you explain to us Remarks on Signing the Emergency why your health care task force won’t be Unemployment Compensation open to the public? Amendments of 1993 and an The President. No working group of the Exchange With Reporters Government before they have a proposal— that would be like opening the White House March 4, 1993 at every staff meeting we have. We can’t do The President. I want to, first of all, ac- that. I mean, they’ve got 400 people over knowledge the presence here of Senators there, working continuously on thousands of Mitchell, Moynihan, Riegle, Sarbanes, Sas- different issues. Nobody ever does that. We would never—we can’t get anything done. ser, Hatfield, and Durenberger; the Speaker Also, what we’ve done has been publicly and Congressman Matsui and Congressman reported. Most of the papers have been re- Fish. I would also like to acknowledge the leased or leaked. But they have to be able Labor Secretary and two of his employees, to work. It’s an ongoing project. It’s like any whom I will recognize formally in just a mo- other staffer at the White House does. ment. Q. But how do we know that there is no Today I am signing important legislation conflict of interest since we don’t know who to extend unemployment benefits long term. is working on it and we can’t attend any of I want to thank the Congress for passing this the meetings, the public meetings? bill, which is the first provision in the eco-

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nomic package I recommended to them in And the people who made it happen have my joint address. joined us here for this important moment. The bill reforms existing law. It symbolizes With this bill becoming law, 11⁄2 million un- the success of a new management style we employed Americans who need help making are bringing to the Government. And it re- the rent and buying groceries and paying for minds us of how critical it is to adopt the school clothes will receive it. I hope they will rest of our economic plan, to increase invest- also recognize the efforts of the two gentle- ment, reduce the deficit, create private-sec- men to my left with the Secretary of Labor, tor jobs, and increase the incomes of working Steve Wandner and Steve Marler, the Labor Americans. Department employees who brought the We have extended unemployment bene- profiling reform to the Secretary’s attention. fits. Now it’s time to extend jobs. It’s been Thank you very much. less than a month since I asked the Secretary Some of the indicators are that we are of Labor to prepare the emergency legisla- coming out of a long and deep recession. But, tion. I want to commend the leadership of as all of you know, this has been a slow, ane- the Congress, of those who are here and mic recovery when it comes to job growth those who are not, who made rapid action especially. It is time now to get on to the possible. Thanks to them, the benefits of mil- important work of stimulating our economy lions of Americans will proceed without and putting the American people back to interruption. More important, this legislation work, to creating the conditions that will takes an existing pilot program and applies allow the private sector to create jobs, and it nationally in ways that I am convinced will to create jobs at good wages. I hope that this help tens of thousands of workers imme- is a good first step. diately. There are those who say we don’t need This reform was brought to the attention to do anything else to our economy, but I of Secretary Reich by line workers at the De- would remind you all that we are 3 million partment of Labor, and it reflects the kind jobs behind where we would be at this point of innovation and imagination we must bring in an ordinary American recovery. Claims for to the entire Federal Government. It is at unemployment benefits are up again this the core of the national performance review week, and there are still deep structural initiative that the Vice President and I an- changes going on in this economy as well as nounced yesterday. a recession in Europe and a very difficult The Department of Labor funds a dem- economic problem in Japan, all of these onstration project in New Jersey that things affecting our future prospects. I think matches up workers who are permanently we can grow our economy, and we can create displaced with training and reemployment jobs. But we have to be committed, as I said, services. They use existing data to provide to a long-term program to create jobs and services to people in need. Once they’re raise incomes. That is what our economic identified, the workers receive the kind of plan seeks to do. counseling, training, and retraining that gets As I said, we’re now extending unemploy- them back to work faster and often at higher ment benefits, and that’s a good thing to do. wages than would have otherwise been the We are recognizing the fact that more and case. more Americans who lose their jobs now Secretary of Labor Reich held a town don’t expect to go back to those old jobs. meeting in his Department of Labor to break There’s been a stunning increase in the num- down the walls that too often have existed ber of people who say when they lose their between senior management and Federal jobs today, I don’t expect to get this job back. employees. Because two dedicated public And the reform brought to our attention by employees brought this successful innovation these two fine gentlemen will help us to help to his attention, today it is becoming the law those people. But in the end, what we have of the land everywhere, thanks to the Con- to do is to extend jobs and not unemploy- gress. It’s a great example of what we can ment. That is our next great test, and I think and must do throughout the Government. we’re off to a good beginning today.

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[At this point, the President signed the bill.] approved March 4, was assigned Public Law No. 103–6. Bosnia Q. Mr. President, do you have any re- sponse to Mr. Karadzic, who had an implied Statement on Signing the Emergency threat of violence against the United States Unemployment Compensation because of its policy of airdrops? Amendments of 1993 The President. Well, if that’s what he March 4, 1993 meant to do, he made a terrible mistake, and it was something that I viewed with grave Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. concern and real disapproval. 920, the ‘‘Emergency Unemployment Com- pensation Amendments of 1993.’’ This legis- World Trade Center Bombing lation will provide critical assistance to the Q. Do you think that the incident in New unemployed and their families by extending York and the arrest today should make Amer- the Emergency Unemployment Compensa- icans afraid about foreign policy decisions tion (EUC) program—which is scheduled to that might affect us domestically through ter- expire March 6—through October 2, 1993. rorism? In addition, the legislation includes an inno- The President. No, I don’t think the vative worker profiling program to encourage American people can afford to be afraid. I States to use the Unemployment Insurance think we all have to be concerned about any system to link permanently displaced workers risks to our people’s safety. But I would say to reemployment services early in their pe- again what I said to you earlier: My feeling riod of unemployment and facilitate their now is one of real gratitude to the law en- transition to new jobs. forcement officials at every level who worked With the EUC program due to expire this together and moved quickly to try to resolve Saturday, I commend the Congress for its this matter and who did make an arrest. swift action to ensure that there will be con- I think we should wait until the formal tinued help for millions of jobless Americans statement is issued, until we know more facts who want to work to support their families before we can draw any conclusions about but cannot find jobs. I believe that, as a Na- anything other than the fact that an arrest tion, we have a moral obligation, as well as was undertaken. When I know more facts I’ll an economic interest, to help these families be glad to answer more questions and say stay afloat while they attempt to find jobs. more. But I think that today we ought to While there have been recent signs of im- be very impressed that the law enforcement provement in the economy, this improve- authorities in this country moved so quickly ment has regrettably not extended to the area to make an arrest. And I’m grateful to them. Q. Why would it be a grave mistake for of employment. The unemployment rate has him to make implications? been over 7 percent for 14 consecutive Q. Based on what you know, sir, do you months and the current rate is higher than think they’ll be able to crack the bombing the rate that existed when the EUC program case? was originally enacted. Moreover, the cur- rent labor market is, in many respects, weak- The Deficit er than it was at what was considered the Q. What does this say about your commit- worst point of the recession. For example, ment to cutting the deficit? the rates at which the unemployed are now The President. It says I’ve done more exhausting their regular State benefits and about it than anybody in recent history. And the average length of time the unemployed I intend to keep on. are now receiving benefits are significantly Thank you. higher than they were at the bottom of the recession. NOTE: The President spoke at 4:33 p.m. in the H.R. 920 combines compassion with a Roosevelt Room at the White House. H.R. 920, healthy dose of common sense. It not only

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provides extended income support to help assistance efforts and designate specific areas the unemployed with grocery bills, mort- eligible for such assistance. The Federal Co- gages, car and tuition payments, and other ordinating Officer will be Mr. John Kainrad expenses, but also offers a means to help tar- of FEMA. He will consult with you and assist get reemployment services to the structurally in the execution of the FEMA-State Disaster unemployed so they can get back to work. Assistance Agreement governing the expend- Enactment of this bill is an important first iture of Federal Funds. step. While there are funds available to pay Sincerely, EUC benefits for a few more weeks, the funds for the balance of the extension are Bill Clinton included as part of my economic stimulus package. The EUC extension will help sus- NOTE: This letter was made available by the Of- tain the unemployed until we are successful fice of the Press Secretary but was not issued as in creating more jobs. It is therefore also im- a White House press release. perative that we now work together to enact quickly the stimulus package, as well as the long-term public investment and deficit re- Letter to the Acting Director of the duction proposals I have presented. These Federal Emergency Management actions will ensure strong, sustained eco- Agency on Disaster Assistance for nomic growth and significantly increase the Washington job opportunities available to the American people. March 4, 1993 William J. Clinton Dear Mr. Tidball: The White House, I have determined that the damage in cer- March 4, 1993. tain areas of the State of Washington, result- ing from severe storms and high winds on NOTE: H.R. 920, approved March 4, was assigned January 20–21, 1993, is of sufficient severity Public Law No. 103–6. and magnitude to warrant a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Dis- Letter to Governor Mike Lowry on aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act Disaster Assistance for Washington (‘‘the Stafford Act’’). I, therefore, declare that March 4, 1993 such a major disaster exists in the State of Washington. In order to provide Federal assistance, you Dear Governor Lowry: are hereby authorized to allocate from funds As requested, I have declared a major dis- available for these purposes, such amounts aster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster as you find necessary for Federal disaster as- Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the sistance and administrative expenses. Stafford Act) for the State of Washington due You are authorized to provide Public As- to damage resulting from severe storms and sistance in the designated areas. Consistent high winds on January 20–21, 1993. I have with the requirement that Federal assistance authorized Federal relief and recovery assist- be supplemental, any Federal funds provided ance in the affected area. under the Stafford Act for Public Assistance Public Assistance will be provided. Con- will be limited to 75 percent of the total eligi- sistent with the requirement that Federal as- ble costs. sistance be supplemental, any Federal funds Sincerely, provided under the Stafford Act for Public Assistance will be limited to 75 percent of Bill Clinton the total eligible costs in the designated areas. NOTE: This letter was made available by the Of- The Federal Emergency Management fice of the Press Secretary but was not issued as Agency (‘‘FEMA’’) will coordinate Federal a White House press release.

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Nomination of Russell F. Canan To Remarks on Mayoral Support for the Be an Associate Judge of the Economic Plan and an Exchange Superior Court of the District of With Reporters Columbia March 5, 1993 March 4, 1993 The President. I want to thank all of the The President has nominated Russell F. Mayors who spoke and all the ones who are Canan to be an Associate Judge of the Supe- here who have not spoken for their strong rior Court of the District of Columbia. In support without regard to party or region or doing so, the President discharged his re- the size of the communities from which they come. As a matter of fact, when I heard the sponsibility under local law to select a nomi- Mayor of York, Pennsylvania, speak, I was nee from a list of candidates originally sub- trying to decide whether his tie was a Repub- mitted last year by the District of Columbia lican or a Democratic tie. [Laughter] I think Judicial Nominating Commission. it is really an all-American tie. It’s a bold tie, ‘‘I was impressed with all of the can- the Vice President said. [Laughter] didates,’’ said the President, ‘‘but Russ Canan I want to say a special word of thanks, too, stood out because of his broad support within to the Secretary of the Department of Hous- the District of Columbia legal community, ing and Urban Development, Henry including Mayor Kelly’s personal rec- Cisneros, who is with us, who has worked ommendation, and because of the impressive very closely with the Mayors. track record he has accumulated in 16 years I have just a few things I want to say about of law practice in Washington. Above all, we this. First of all, any Mayor who has served heard nothing but the highest praise for Mr. for any length of time has been compelled Canan’s professional skills and talents from to make the kinds of choices that are em- those who know his work the best: the many bodied in this economic program. If you look judges on the Superior Court before whom at the budgets of the cities of this country he has practiced.’’ or the budgets of the States of this country Mr. Canan is a partner in the firm of over the last decade you will see the choices Canan, Keirsh & Lobo, specializing in crimi- that have been imposed in order to balance nal law. He was previously a partner in the books and keep the functions of our cities firms of Milliken, Van Susteren & Canan; running, in order to deal with relative reduc- and Canan, Burns & O’Toole. Mr. Canan has tions in Federal assistance and all the eco- also served as an adjunct professor of law at nomic crises that have ripped our commu- Georgetown University Law Center, and the nities. Mayors have learned to cut budgets Washington College of Law at American and to shift funds away from inessential University. In 1983, he worked as a staff at- things toward investments in our futures. I know that that is one reason that Mayors torney for the Southern Prisoners’ Defense intuitively and without regard to party have Committee. responded to my efforts to increase invest- He received his J.D. from Antioch School ment and reduce the deficit at the same time. of Law in 1976, and his B.A. from Syracuse We have to do both. Today there was a report University in 1972. He worked as law clerk that the unemployment rate in February to the Hon. John D. Fauntleroy in 1975–76, dropped to 7 percent, one-tenth of 1 percent, and for the legal assistance branch of D.C. and that 365,000 jobs were created, an esti- Superior Court after graduation from law mated 365,000 jobs. That is good news. But school in 1976. if you look behind the numbers, it also re- Mr. Canan’s law practice has also included veals the stark challenges before us, for most many complex civil litigation matters and ex- of those jobs were part-time jobs, and we tensive pro bono representations in both civil are still about 3 million jobs behind where and criminal cases. we would ordinarily be in a recovery.

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Indeed, we are, according to the aggregate Will it in the beginning provide enough economic statistics, in a recovery in which, funds for everybody to do in every city what ironically, the unemployment rate is still Mayor Lanier and Mayor Friedman and oth- higher than it was at the very bottom of the ers have done in parts of their communities recession. That shows you that there is a fun- with community policing? Of course not, but damental restructuring going on in the it will provide a beginning, and it will send American economy which requires an ex- a signal that we are moving in the right direc- traordinary approach to the creation of jobs tion. And it will actually have an economic in the short and in the long term. impact that is positive. These things are very That’s why these investments in repairing important. our streets and bridges, renovating our hous- I also don’t want to forget the fact that ing, rebuilding our water and sewer lines, im- a significant percentage, almost half, of this proving mass transit, retooling our industrial stimulus package is as incentives to the pri- parks, and protecting our environment are vate sector for private investment in these important parts of the larger plan also to in- same communities. Small businesses have vest in our people and their economic, edu- created virtually all of the new jobs in our cational, and technological futures. country in the last 10 years. Their inability Through $3 billion in additional funding to create more jobs than larger employers for highways, airports, and mass transit, $2.5 have been shedding is the central cause of billion in community development block stagnant employment in America. So the grants, which can be used to create new jobs small-business tax credit that we offer, the and improve the quality of life, communities new business long-term capital gains tax, and will be able to complete projects they’ve the other incentives for businesses, both needed for years but haven’t been able to small and large, to create new jobs is very finance. They will create new jobs today, but important. they will also build the foundations for broad- This plan is based on the idea that we all er economic growth in the private sector to- have to work together to build our future; morrow. the idea that we have to look at the long- This plan also will create almost 700,000 run needs for the 365,000 or so kids that will new jobs this summer for unemployed young be in Head Start, for the millions of young people, something that will be profoundly people who we want to provide for education important again in sending the right signals. and training, for all the people who have lost We all know, for example, that the financial their jobs because of defense cutbacks or markets, as Mayor Dinkins said, respond to other industrial relocations; that they need the right signals, interest rates are down al- intense efforts to reinvest in their community most one full point now. And if we can keep as well as to retraining opportunities; that we them down for several months, we may well need to couple those long-term efforts with put another $100 billion in refinancing back the short-term stimulus that will send the into this economy for investment and growth. right signal, spark this economy, and get Why? Because the markets have responded some job growth back into this recovery. to a signal. This is not, as so many have said, a partisan Well, people respond to signals, too. Peo- issue. It is not a small town or a large city ple in San Diego, where the unemployment issue. It is something that we all have to face has been so high, will respond to a signal. to get the job done. And I’m very grateful Will this stimulus program give a job to every for the support that’s been given. person in San Diego? Of course not, but it will send a signal that America is on the move Meeting With Russian President Yeltsin again. Will this stimulus program provide a Now, before I answer questions, I’d like summer job for every young person in south to make just a very brief announcement that central Los Angeles that Mayor Bradley is I think the press here already knows about. so concerned about? Of course not, but it But I want to formally announce that in Van- will sure send a signal that America is on couver, Canada, on April 3d and 4th, I will the move again and coming together again. meet with President Yeltsin of Russia to ex-

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plore what the United States can do to sup- political environment that you face in getting port his efforts to strengthen democracy and this through as quickly as you need to? to create a vibrant market economy, and to The President. That in part depends on support our common interests in solving cri- whether the Members of the Congress listen ses around the world in maintaining a general to economists who have good jobs—[laugh- march toward peace and freedom and de- ter]—and who have not had declining in- mocracy. comes, by and large, for the last 12 years, I will try to be rather specific at that time or whether they listen to people like the folks in terms of what the United States will be who are up here with me, without regard to prepared to do, and we will try to offer some party, who know what’s happening on the innovative solutions to the difficulties faced streets out there. by the President and by the Russian people. The assumption is—look, nothing would I hope that this will be a very productive make me happier than to know that just the thing. I look forward to it. I’ll be glad to an- efforts to bring interest rates down and the swer a few questions about that, but I hope, extraordinary efforts by American business- too, that you recognize that the significance people in the private sector to increase pro- of this action today is that if we can have ductivity would generate 365,000 jobs a enough bipartisan support to pass an eco- month for 2 or 3 years. That would be a won- nomic program in the Congress that will derful thing. strengthen America. America, in turn, will be But I would say again, the unemployment better able to deal with the problems that rate in this country is 7 percent. That is very we face beyond our borders. Unless we’re high in our economy because it’s an open strong here, it’s going to be very difficult for economy without the sort of huge support us to meet our responsibilities around the you have in some of the European economies world. that are built for higher unemployment rates Q. Mr. President, the Soviets or the Rus- in a way. And a lot of those jobs were part- sians have made it clear that what they need time jobs. That, again, speaks to the need most at this point is U.S. financial aid. Are to address the health care issue because one you planning to bring anything like that to of the reasons so many of these jobs are part- the Vancouver summit? time jobs is that employers can’t afford to The President. There will be—obviously, hire full-time employees because they can’t money will be discussed, but it is not just pay the health care bill. a question of money, and it’s certainly not But I just simply don’t agree. I mean, there money alone. I don’t want to put a figure are people who see one month of—the em- on it yet. We’ve made no decisions. But I ployment rate dropped one-tenth of a point. can tell you we’ve discussed some rather in- That is not an enormous drop. These jobs novative things that have not yet been on the were not all, or even most, full-time jobs. I table in these discussions in the past. This am very grateful for it, but it seems to me will not be a meet-and-greet meeting with that, if anything, the continued persistence President Yeltsin. We have met before, and of relatively high unemployment is a good we have talked several times since I have argument for the stimulus package. been in office. I am going there to try to Q. Politically, you are trying to buck a have a very businesslike meeting. And as we trend here, right? I mean, the political indi- get closer to the meeting, we’ll be able to cators are going the other way. discuss more specifics. The President. The economic indicators are not. I think the political indicators are going the other way because I have chal- The Stimulus Package lenged the Congress to cut spending. And Q. Several economists already this morn- so since there hasn’t been a response in terms ing were jumping on the unemployment fig- of ‘‘Here’s our list,’’ the easiest thing to do ures to say that, no, in fact, the stimulus pack- is to say, ‘‘Well, let’s just don’t hire any kids age isn’t needed, despite your interpretation this summer in Los Angeles or New York of these numbers. What does this do to the or Cincinnati or Cleveland or whatever.’’

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You know, this is about jobs. This eco- The President. Well, I disagree with that. nomic recovery is about jobs. How anybody It is not nearly as much money as most of could go to any State in this country, and them believe we should need. And not all particularly to some of those in real duress, of them here are big-city Mayors. and say that we’re in the midst of a strong The fundamental issue is really here recovery is a mystery to me. whether you believe there is a distinction be- tween investing in infrastructure and tech- Aid to Russia nology, in people, and just continuing Q. One of the things that’s plagued the present Government spending patterns and U.S.-Russia relationship when it comes to whether you really believe that 7 percent un- this aid question for the last couple of years employment and another decade of stagnant has been this kind of chicken and egg situa- wages is an acceptable economic course for tion: We want Yeltsin to make the reforms, America. I just think that this notion that— and we’ll give him the aid. He says, ‘‘I need let me tell you what I really think is going the aid first. Then I’ll make the reforms.’’ on. [Laughter] Let me tell you what I really How can we get out of that situation? And think is going on, and I say this to com- is it time for the West to maybe consider pliment the Congress to some extent on this lowering the goalpost a little bit in terms of issue. the prior conditions he has to implement be- I think the American people liked it when fore we come through with our aid? I offered 150 specific spending cuts, and they The President. Let me try to answer the said they wanted more. But if you do a poll, question in this way: I believe that he is a the people are still trying to come to grips man of real courage and real commitment with the reality of the budget. They’ll also to democracy. I believe, indeed, even his par- say, do you want us to spend more on jobs, liamentary opponents, who often say things education, and health care? Eighty percent with which I disagree, are engaged in the will say yes. Do you want Congress to find messy process of democracy which many more budget cuts? Eighty percent will say other countries trying to move to a market yes. economy, for example, have decided to post- So the issue is not whether there should pone until they get the market reforms un- be more budget cuts. Indeed, the process derway. that I announced, the 6-month process that So I believe that they’ve made enough ef- I announced for the national performance re- fort for us to try to engage them in specific view that the Vice President is overseeing, actions that will produce economic results. will produce more reductions in spending. Now, I don’t want to make any sweeping There is no question about it. The issue is commitments that would indicate that I whether under the general shield of saying would disregard a move toward reform or we need to reduce spending, we’ll step away disregard issues that have been at play be- from investment. Just because a Mayor wants fore, proliferation issues and others. But I’m to do it doesn’t make it wrong, doesn’t make going there to this meeting with the intention it pork, and doesn’t make it useless. I mean, of trying to more aggressively engage the we have tried ignoring the cities for 12 years, United States in the economic and political and it has not been a very successful eco- revitalization of Russia. I agree, frankly, with nomic strategy for the country. the general thrust of President Nixon’s article in the New York Times today. Bosnia Mayoral Support Q. Are you concerned, sir, at all by indica- Q. Mr. President, why would you expect tions that your mercy flights to Bosnia are Members of Congress to be swayed by this actually increasing the violence there, in- event here today when big-city Mayors would creasing the ethnic cleansing? And if so, what obviously support your package? It’s a verita- could you do about it, sir? Any thought ble goody basket for them. of—— The President. A veritable what? The President. Well, first of all, let me Q. Goody basket. say, both at the national security meeting and

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again that morning at our morning briefing did. And those forces have been superintend- I asked and pressed this question that’s being ing the delivery of humanitarian aid, and asserted in the press. And it is true—I mean, most people there believe that their presence we knew when we dropped food into a con- has saved more lives than their absence and tested area in eastern Bosnia where there tougher action would have saved. had been a buildup of fighting over time that The other is, of course, the not insignifi- we were dropping food to people who were cant difficulties that further confrontation at risk. That’s precisely one of the reasons might depose to the cooperation we have en- that that’s an area we were asked to look at joyed so far in that region with the Russians, for airlift because the cars couldn’t get in given the internal political conflicts in Russia there. I mean the trucks couldn’t get in there. based on their historic ties to Serbia. But all I can tell you is the people I have Now, notwithstanding those two things, we asked in the privacy of the Oval Office and want to find ways to tighten the embargo, the privacy of the national security meetings, and we are moving on that right now. Even frankly, just dispute that assertion. They do as we speak we are moving on that. And not believe that the airlift has exposed the we’re moving on some other options that Bosnians to any more danger than they oth- might be available to us that I wouldn’t rule erwise would have been exposed to. And the out. But I do need to proceed here. The surveillance we’ve done indicates that there United States cannot proceed here unilater- has been actually slightly more accuracy in ally. We need the support of the Europeans, the drops from the altitude we chose for safe- who are much closer to the situation and who ty for our pilots than we thought there would will be much more immediately impacted by be. any further adverse instability in the Balkans So would I reexamine it if I thought they than we would. were doing more harm than good? Of course, Q. But does this 24-hour incidence indi- I would. But I can tell you that I have pressed cate to you that the ethnic cleansing is suc- that point very hard in our meetings, and our ceeding, that the policy of the Serbs—— people simply dispute the proposition. Q. Mr. President, following up on that, The President. I don’t think there’s any what more can be done to tighten the embar- question that when the Serbs take an area go on oil and other supplies? The leakage and then run all the Bosnian Muslims out, to the Danube is quite clear. Is a naval block- then that means that they are succeeding. ade the way to go? They have succeeded in running some peo- The President. Let me say we are explor- ple out of communities. ing and, indeed, are in the process of imple- Now, the people on the ground, the menting ways to tighten the embargo, which United Nations, I think still have to be de- we will announce very shortly. And I think fended for trying to facilitate their escape, there are other things we can do. There are not for supporting ethnic cleansing but be- two constraints on our field of action that cause it is below freezing, it is in the snow, I would ask all of you to remember. Apart those people are at risk, and the United Na- from my concern that we not commit the tions operation there is now simply trying to United States to a quagmire where our ef- save their lives. forts would be frustrated but where I could There is some indication that there may put a lot of Americans at risk, but apart from be some break in the negotiations and some that, apart from the whole issue of ground willingness on the part of some of the parties forces which is not on the table at all, there to compromise in the Vance-Owen process. are two other constraints on our action which And I think it will be very interesting for the I ask you all to consider. world to look and see if the Serbians are will- One is the need to proceed with the co- ing to negotiate in good faith in a process operation of our European allies, who have that they have embraced when it suited their been reluctant to do certain things because short-term strategic interests. I hope that the French and the British actually have they will support it over a longer term. We’ll forces on the ground who would be at risk see. if there were a reaction to whatever else we Press Secretary Myers. Last question.

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World Trade Center Bombing NOTE: The President spoke at 10:46 a.m. in Room Q. Mr. President, I’m wondering if you 450 of the Old Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to Bill Althaus, Mayor of and perhaps Mayor Dinkins could update us York, PA. on the investigation in New York of the World Trade Center bombing. Yesterday you indicated you’d have more to say after the arraignment of this one suspect. Exchange With Reporters Prior to a The President. Anything else I can say Meeting With Catholic Bishops is something I’ve already read in the morning March 5, 1993 press. You now know more about the profile of the person who was arrested, and you’ve seen the speculation about it. I do not want Bosnia to feed that speculation. I will say again I Q. Mr. President, can you tell us any more am very impressed with the work done by about the Bosnian sanctions that you’re put- the law enforcement officials. They got on ting on today? this. They did it in a hurry. They would admit The President. No, we’ll have more to there was a break or two in their inquiry, say. but they also, I think, did a very commend- Q. Are these going to be unilateral or able job. through the United Nations? I think it is very important not to rush the The President. We’ll put it out—I’m judgment here, not to reach ahead of the not—everything we’ve done on the sanctions facts which are known to reach broad conclu- so far is, and all of the things I’ve explored sions about who was behind this or what hap- with our allies has pretty well been supported pened. When I know who was behind this by everyone. and what happened, I will then determine Q. Are the Russians sending arms to Ser- what the appropriate course for the United bia, sir? States is, and I will say it. But I think it is The President. I’m in a photo op. [Laugh- very, very important, and this is a delicate ter] matter, that we reassure the American peo- ple in terms of what law enforcement did in response to the incident. NOTE: The exchange began at 11:21 a.m. in the But we ask them not to jump to conclu- Oval Office at the White House. A tape was not sions. We have massive resources at work on available for verification of the content of this ex- this case, massive. And we are doing every- change. thing we can to get as many facts as quickly as we can. When we know the facts and when I can state them to you with real confidence Remarks Welcoming the Super Bowl so that it’s not conjecture or opinion, I will Champion Dallas Cowboys be glad to make a very forthright statement March 5, 1993 about it. Thank you. The President. It’s about time we had Dave, do you want to say anything else? somebody with real popularity in here. Mayor David Dinkins. The President has [Laughter] I want to say it is a great pleasure said it all. As a matter of fact, the Depart- and honor for all of us to have the Dallas ment of Justice has requested that the New Cowboys in the East Room. Four years ago York City Police Department and all others they were about 1 and 15, and 4 years later involved in this effort stay within the confines they won the Super Bowl. In the parlance of the complaint. And while it is easy to go of Washington we call that deficit reduction. a little beyond that because you think it won’t [Laughter] be harmful, you really get to a slippery slope I want to say a special word of appreciation situation, and some unfortunate comment to Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones. I watched can impede an otherwise very successful in- them win a national championship for Arkan- vestigation. sas 30 years ago before most of the players

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were born. And I’ve been cheering them on The President. Thank you. I’m just going ever since. Most of the people in our State to sit around now and wait for my number were Cowboy fans even before Arkansas got to be called. [Laughter] I’m going to start its hands on the Cowboys. practicing this afternoon. You know, it’s I also want to say something very serious. never too late. I watched this team over the last year win Thank you very much. the way I think Americans win best. They hung in there. They were strong. They were NOTE: The President spoke at 3:20 p.m. in the dedicated. They started a lot of games slow, East Room at the White House. and they always finished fast. And that’s what we have to do as a country. We have to en- dure. We have to never quit, and we have Announcement of Nomination for to finish fast. And I think that the country Two Sub-Cabinet Posts was very thrilled just to watch the renaissance March 5, 1993 of the Cowboys over the last couple of years. Let me also say I had a very great political The President today announced his inten- dilemma because the Super Bowl occurred tion to nominate Bruce Vladek to be Admin- the night I hosted the state dinner for the istrator of the Health Care Financing Admin- Governors. So, I had the Governor of New istration at the Department of Health and York and the Governor of Texas sitting on Human Services and Norma Cantu to be As- either side of me in the beginning of the sistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the De- game before it was obvious what the outcome partment of Education. would be. I was tested as never before in ‘‘I am very pleased to make these nomina- trying to maintain a poker face about the tions today to two extremely important posi- game. [Laughter] But you made it easy for tions,’’ said the President. ‘‘Bruce Vladek and us after a couple of quarters. Norma Cantu are highly talented individuals Let me say, again, on behalf of the Vice with unique qualifications for the leadership President and myself to you, Jerry, and to roles that I have asked them to take.’’ you, Jimmy, and to all the Cowboys, we’re Vladek has been president of the United grateful to have you here. Hospital Fund of New York since 1983. Prior And I understand that this is Michael to that, he was assistant vice president of the Irving’s birthday, is that right? Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. From Jimmy Johnson. He probably just made 1979 to 1982, he was the State of New Jer- that up. [Laughter] sey’s assistant commissioner of health plan- The President. Is that right? Is that right? ning and resources development. He has also Is it your birthday? Come up here. How old been an associate professor of political are you? I said, ‘‘How old are you?’’ He said, science at Columbia University and an asso- ‘‘27, but tell them 24.’’ [Laughter] Have you ciate social scientist with the New York City- ever considered running for office? [Laugh- Rand Institute. He earned his B.A. from Har- ter] Can you imagine that, 27 years old and vard University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from wealthy enough to retire the national debt. the University of Michigan. [Laughter] Well, happy birthday. I hope Norma Cantu is the southwestern regional you’ll have many more. You may not be able counsel for the Mexican American Legal De- to have any years better than this one, but fense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a I hope you have many more at least as good. position she has held since 1985. She has also served MALDEF as the national director of [At this point, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry a Carnegie endowment-funded education, Jones made a statement.] litigation, and advocacy project and as a staff attorney on the Chicana Rights Project. In Mr. Johnson. Mr. President, it is a tre- addition, she has also worked with the nurs- mendous thrill and tremendous honor for all ing home task force of the Texas attorney of us to make you an official member of the general’s office and has been an English Dallas Cowboys as a reserve quarterback. teacher in San Antonio and Brownsville, TX.

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Both of these nominations are subject to served on the board of the New York Public Senate confirmation. Library for over a decade, and was formerly one of two cochairmen of the Lawyers’ Com- Announcement of Nomination for mittee for Civil Rights Under Law. From Three Sub-Cabinet Posts at the State 1987 to 1992, he was chancellor of the Epis- Department copal Diocese of New York. Mr. Harper is March 5, 1993 a graduate of Howard University and Har- vard Law School. The President today expressed his inten- Eric James Boswell is a career Foreign tion to nominate Douglas Bennet, the presi- Service Officer with more than two decades dent and CEO of National Public Radio, to of experience who is currently serving as Ex- be the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter- ecutive Assistant to the Under Secretary of national Organization Affairs; Eric James State for Management. He has served in a Boswell to be the Director of the Office of variety of challenging administrative posi- Foreign Missions; and Conrad Harper to be tions, including Executive Director of the the State Department’s Legal Adviser. Bureau for Near Eastern and South Asian ‘‘These three positions are essential to the Affairs from 1987 to 1990. He has been the smooth workings of State Department oper- Administrative Counselor in Ottawa and in ations,’’ said the President. ‘‘Douglas Bennet, Jordan and has served at posts in Quebec Eric James Boswell, and Conrad Harper will and Senegal as well. Mr. Boswell is a grad- fill them with talent, dedication, and the uate of Stanford University. steady hands that are needed to get the job done.’’ Douglas J. Bennet, Jr., has been with NPR as its president and CEO since 1983. Prior to that he was president of the Roosevelt Digest of Other Center for American Policy. From 1979 to White House Announcements 1981, he was the Administrator of the Agency for International Development. Prior to that he served for 2 years as the Assistant Sec- The following list includes the President’s public schedule and other items of general interest an- retary of State for Congressional Relations. nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and Prior to his State Department service, he not included elsewhere in this issue. worked as the first staff director of the Senate Budget Committee, as administrative assist- ant to Senators Abraham Ribicoff and Thom- March 1 as Eagleton, and as an assistant to Vice Presi- In the morning, the President traveled to dent Hubert Humphrey. He was also a spe- New Brunswick, NJ, and returned to Wash- cial assistant to U.S. Ambassador Chester ington, DC, in the afternoon. Bowles in India. He holds a B.A. from Wes- leyan University, an M.A. from the University March 2 of California, and a Ph.D. from Harvard Uni- In the morning, the President went to the versity. Capitol where he met with Republican Conrad Harper is a partner in the New House leaders, and in the afternoon attended York law firm of Simpson Thatcher & Bart- a lunch with Senate Republican leaders. lett. For many years, he has been active in Later in the afternoon, the President met a variety of civic affairs. In 1977, he was a with the National Association of State Treas- consultant to the Department of Health, urers and with the National Association of Education, and Welfare and served as the Counties. Government’s chief negotiator in the cre- The White House announced the follow- ation of a faculty desegregation and bilingual ing Departmental appointments: Loretta education plan for the Chicago public Ucelli to be Associate Administrator for schools. From 1977 to 1981 he was a visiting Communications, Education and Public Af- lecturer in law at Yale Law School. He has fairs and Robert Hickmott to be Associate

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Administrator for Congressional and Legisla- Released March 4 tive Affairs, Environmental Protection Agen- Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- cy. retary Dee Dee Myers Transcript of a press briefing by Director of March 4 Communications George Stephanopoulos In the afternoon, the President met at the White House with: Transcript of a press briefing by former —the Vice President, for lunch; President Jimmy Carter on the inner city cri- —former President Jimmy Carter; sis —DC public school students; —finalists of the Westinghouse Science Released March 5 Talent Search. Transcripts of two press briefings by Press The President declared a major disaster Secretary Dee Dee Myers exists in the State of Washington and ordered Transcript of a press briefing by Director of Federal aid to supplement State and local Communications George Stephanopoulos recovery efforts in areas struck by severe storms and high winds on January 20–21. The President declared a major disaster exists in the State of Georgia and ordered Nominations Federal aid to supplement State and local Submitted to the Senate recovery efforts in areas struck by tornadoes, high winds, and heavy rain on February 21– 22. The following list does not include promotions of members of the Uniformed Services, nominations March 5 to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- The President transmitted to the Congress eign Service officers. the 1993 Trade Policy Agenda and the 1992 Annual Report on the Trade Agreements Submitted March 4 Program. Russell F. Canan, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associ- ate Judge of the Superior Court of the Dis- Checklist trict of Columbia for the term of 15 years, of White House Press Releases vice Ronald P. Wertheim, retired.

Submitted March 5 The following list contains releases of the Office of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as Terrence R. Duvernay, Sr., items nor covered by entries in the Digest of of Georgia, to be Deputy Secretary of Hous- Other White House Announcements. ing and Urban Development, vice Alfred A. DelliBovi, resigned. Released March 2 Transcripts of two press briefings by Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers Transcript of a press briefing by Director of Acts Approved Communications George Stephanopoulos by the President

Released March 3 Approved March 4 Transcripts of two press briefings by Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers H.R. 920 / Public Law 103–6 Transcript of a press briefing by Director of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Communications George Stephanopoulos Amendments of 1993

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