Remarks at ''In Performance at the White House'' June 3, 1998

Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998 / June 3 1035 a long time between now and the election. NOTE: The President spoke at 4:45 p.m. at the And you need to go out and talk to people Cleveland Playhouse. In his remarks, he referred about this. I know Lee Fisher well. And too to Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney Steph- often, elections get decided based on slogans. anie Tubbs Jones; Mary Boyle, candidate for U.S. Senate; Michael Coleman, candidate for lieuten- Well, if somebody wants to talk about being ant governor, and his wife, Frankie; and Lee Fish- tough on crime, he should win that argu- er's wife, Peggy. ment. But the thing that I like about him is he's also smart about crime. That is, sure, you have to punish people who are doing Remarks at `Ìn Performance at the dumb things and bad things and evil things White House'' and who deliberately hurt other people, but June 3, 1998 even better is to work with police officers and community leaders and concerned par- First, welcome to the White House and ents to keep our children out of trouble in to another year of celebrating the beauty, the the first place. power, the diversity of American music. All So you want somebody that understands our music is an important part of our national these things, that has character, depth, expe- heritage. We must and we're going to do rience. And I thinkÐI would just like to ask more to celebrate it as we move forward to- youÐI thank you for contributing to this ward the millennium. campaign; it makes a big difference. But I We've had in this White House, since I've think there's something going on today in our been privileged to be here, jazz music and politics which are very important. Yesterday, classical music, country music and rock music, rhythm and blues. We've had just we had a raft of elections in America, and about everything you can imagine. But to- there were any number of campaigns where night we celebrate music that is truly an the person who won did not, as it happens, American gift. Wedded to the powerful mes- spend the most money. They had to have sage of faith and conviction, gospel lifts our enough money, and that's why I'm glad hearts and minds and soothes our souls, Laughter you're here. [ ] You have to have calms our spirits. enough to be heard. But there were many Gospel grew out of the musical traditions places where the person with the most of Africa. Its roots were nourished by the money didn't win yesterday because the peo- blood, the sweat, the tears of millions of people who won were thought to be more closely ple who were held captive in slavery. connected, more deeply rooted to the com- Throughout this century, particularly during munities, more in tune with what people the civil rights era, the amazing grace of gos- wanted and the better future that we're all pel music has been a sustaining force for trying to build. countless Americans. It's a voice of hardship And I make no judgment about the out- and hope, of pain and triumph. come of any of those primaries. I just think And as we'll see tonight, gospel music's ap- that's an interesting thing for me to tell you peal now embraces Americans of very many because what that means is that voters are different backgrounds and religious affili- taking their responsibility seriously in this ations. Tonight we have with us people with election. I think that is a good thing for Lee great voices and great hearts: the Morgan Fisher. State University Choir; Phil Driscoll; Mickey But you have to go about and talk about Mangun and the Messiah Singers from Lou- these things I shared with you. And remem- isiana; and our terrific mistress of cere- ber, it will have a lot to do with what 21st monies, CeCe Winans. century Ohio looks like, what your children CeCe has an extraordinary ability to blend and your grandchildren have to look forward the wide range of popular styles into tradi- to. And I believe that if you work hard, you're tional gospels. She and her brother B.B. did going to win, and when you do, you can be a wonderful job at my Inaugural church serv- very, very proud. ice. She's had a terrific career. She's got a Thank you. God bless you all. great gift. And I am honored to welcome her VerDate 08-JUN-98 08:13 Jun 10, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P23JN4.004 INET01 PsN: INET01 1036 June 3 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998 here tonight to begin this wonderful per- I would like to make one point that has been formance. alluded to, but I want to try to drive it home. CeCe, come on out. We're living in a time where we have the lowest unemployment rate in 28 years, the NOTE: The President spoke at 8:50 p.m. on the lowest welfare roles in 27 years, the lowest South Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to musicians Phil Driscoll and Mickey crime rates in 25 years, the lowest inflation Mangun. rate in 32 years, the smallest Government in 35 years, and the highest homeownership in history. And we're about to have a bal- Remarks to the SAVER Summit anced budget and a surplus for the first time June 4, 1998 in 29 years. This has given this country enor- mous self-confidence. We know that when First let me say a special word of thanks we work together, we do get things done. to the Members of Congress who are here We do not know when we'll have a time like and especially those who sponsored the legis- this again. lation which created this summit. I thank All of our reading of human history teaches Governor Allen and Secretary Herman for us that nothing ever stays the same forever. doing their sort of bipartisan introduction If we can't deal with this issue now, when thing. I couldn't help wondering what all of will we ever deal with it? We have an obliga- us look like up here to all of you. [Laughter] tion to deal with this challenge and deal with I bet we look like a bunch of school boys it now. And we have an opportunity to do in the spelling bee dying for the recess bell. so. [Laughter] But this has actually been bet- terÐit's been enlightening for me. The balanced budget has freed up capital. The most encouraging thing of all that was It's led to an increase inÐthe efforts at fiscal said to me, from a purely selfish point of view responsibility have led to a significant in- was when the Speaker said, `Ìf I got to be crease in our national savings rate, even as 50, I could look forward to living another 30 individual savings has gone down. And that's years.'' Yesterday I was in Cleveland, and I been very good to this point because it's en- went to an elementary school to see some abled us to have lower interest rates, higher work that some of the AmeriCorps volun- investment, and higher growth. And you see teers are doing, and I was shaking hands with here the relationship between savings and in- all these little kids. And it really is true that vestment and growth, which has already been they say the darndest things. And this young alluded to. So we've had an increase in net boy was 6 or 7 years old, maybe, a little bitty national savings and a decline in the budget boy, and he said, `Àre you the real Presi- rate, and it's led to more growth. dent?'' And I said, ``Yes.'' And he said, `Ànd But the problem is that we have to have you're not dead yet?'' [Laughter] And I real- more personal savings as well. And we have izedÐI didn't know what he meant. First I to deal with the problems presented espe- thought he'd been reading the local news- cially by Social Security and by the fact that paper here. [Laughter] And then I realized there are 50 million Americans without pri- that to him the President was George Wash- vate pensions and by the fact that very few ington or Abraham Lincoln, and he actually people are doing any savings above Social Se- thought it was a qualification of the job that curity in whatever pension they have or don't you had to be deceased to hold it. [Laughter] have for their own retirement. So this is a It was an amazing encounter. [Laughter] But deeply personal issue that Senator Lott, I now, I've been reminded of the actuarial ta- thought, grippingly discussed, and it's also a bles, and I'm ready to go back to work. big issue for our country. [Laughter] We have the opportunity and the obliga- Let me say just a couple of words by way tion, I believe, to deal with a lot of our other of introduction. Most of what should be said long-term challenges, but a lot of our other has already been said and very eloquently. long-term challenges affect our children and And I thank all the previous speakers.

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