June 10 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999

referred to the Military Technical Agreement Be- and the Governments of the Federal Republic of tween the International Security Force (KFOR) Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia.

Remarks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Dinner June 10, 1999

The President. Thank you very much. Charlie, to this community and wonderful people, and wait a minute. Before Chairman Rangel sits I’m glad to have them. down—you know, got up there I want to say a few things rather briefly to- and said, ‘‘You know, the Chairman of the Ways night. First of all, Congressman Rangel, my wife and Means Committee is as powerful as the said to tell you hello, and once again, thank President.’’ [Laughter] Bob Johnson said, ‘‘That’s you for your friendship. [Laughter] Secondly, a scary thought.’’ [Laughter] And I said, ‘‘No, I want you to know when we had the New no, he’s more powerful than the President.’’ York Yankees at the White House today to cele- [Laughter] brate their championship last year, I called them You should know that among all the things Bombers, and I emphasized ‘‘Bronx,’’ we have to be grateful for tonight and to cele- and I said I was doing it at your behest. [Laugh- brate, tomorrow is Charlie Rangel’s birthday. So ter] I think we should sing ‘‘Happy Birthday’’ to Finally, let me say I was looking at Dick him. Gephardt standing up here, and I have known him for many years, and I thought he was a [At this point, the participants sang ‘‘Happy good man and an able man when I first met Birthday.’’] him. But I have watched him grow in his re- Representative . My only re- sponsibility, in the depth of his understanding sponse is, save Social Security now! [Laughter] and his spirit. He should be the Speaker of The President. That’s just like we rehearsed the House. He should be the Speaker of the it. [Laughter] House. Let me say to Congressman Rangel and, in The last thing I want to say by way of intro- his absence, Chairman Clyburn, Eleanor Holmes duction is, I’m delighted to see Lionel Hampton Norton, all the members of the caucus who again. We had—John Conyers and I had a 90th are still here, and those who have come and birthday party for him at the White House last gone, to the members of the Cabinet that are year, almost a year ago, and they actually let here—I saw Secretary Slater and Secretary me play with the band. And I hadn’t played Riley, there may be others here—and my former in months, and it was really one of the nicest Cabinet member Jesse Brown, former Secretary nights I’ve had in the White House, and I’m of Veterans Affairs back there, I’m glad to see very grateful for that. And I’m grateful for him. you. My wonderful friend from Chicago and fel- If I look half as good at 60 as he does at low Arkansan John Stroger and all the others 90—[laughter]—if I can hear to play my horn who did so much to make this night a possibility. as well as he can hear to play his vibe, I will I thank the chairman of the DNC, Joe Andrew, be a happy fellow. for being here; and Lottie Shackelford, others I apologize for being late here tonight. I think from the DNC who are here. all of you know why. I addressed the people I want to say—I have so many friends here, of the tonight about the end of but there’s one young couple here that I’m par- the conflict in . I want to say a couple ticularly pleased about being here because of things about that and what it has to do with they’re new Washingtonians, the newly acquired all of the things that have already been men- new quarterback for the Washington Redskins, tioned and all the issues we don’t have time Rodney Peete, and his wonderful wife, Holly to mention tonight. Robinson Peete. You all stand up there and The unimaginable horrors that were inflicted say hello. [Applause] They are a big addition on those people, which led to an unprecedented

916

VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:57 Mar 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00916 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\99PUBPAP\99PUBPAP.TXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / June 10

indictment of a head of state, Mr. Milosevic, I say that because I am grateful for what for war crimes and crimes against humanity, they have achieved with our Allies. But I know, came to them solely because of their ethnicity as I look toward the future, when I am long and their religious faith. And it is indeed ironic gone from this job, and the world grows closer that here we are on the edge of a new century and closer—but we will still have struggles be- and a new millennium, with the world growing tween those who are left out and those who closer together, with technology literally explod- are included in the bounty of the world. We ing opportunities for all of us, with America will still have to deal with terrorism and weap- becoming more and more diverse by the day, ons of mass destruction and international crimi- that the world is most bedeviled by the oldest nal gangs and all, and people will always be problem of human society: people are scared trying to feed on the differences, to switch the of people who don’t look like them and who balance from hope to fear. And it will be very worship God in a different way than they do important that the United States of our children and who basically come from a different tribe. and grandchildren be a force for bringing people We have learned, in ways good and bad, that together, not tearing them apart. And we will our differences make us stronger; they make not be able to do that, over the long run, to life more interesting; they make life more fun. do good around the world, unless we first are But if that curious balance that exists inside good at home. all of us gets out of whack and our fears over- That is why—that’s why I’ve worked as hard come our hopes, we can go quickly from fearing as I can on all the issues involving race; why people to hating them, to dehumanizing them, I know we’ve got to get rid of this racial to justifying all manner of repression and abuse profiling; why I know we’ve got to do more of them. to deal with the threat of violence to our chil- What the conflict in Kosovo was about at bot- dren; why I have asked everybody from the en- tom is whether or not, after all we have learned tertainment community to the gun community, from what happened in World War II to the to the schools, the people that provide coun- Jewish people and others in Nazi repression and seling and mental health services, to the parents, all we have seen since, would or would not to do something—all of us to do something to provoke the world, especially after the agonizing give our children their childhood back. experience we had in Bosnia and the awful ex- That is why I have asked the Congress to perience we had in Rwanda, when everyone was invest more in education, to adopt this new mar- caught flat-footed, with no mechanism to deal ket initiative. I like the fact that we will give with it—whether we would say, ‘‘Okay, from you tax breaks, tax credits, and loan guarantees now on we don’t expect everybody to get along. to invest in poor countries around the world. We don’t think we can abolish all war. But if I don’t want to take them away. I just want innocent civilians are going to be slaughtered you to have exactly the same incentives to invest and uprooted and have their lives destroyed and in poor neighborhoods in inner-city America and their families wrecked only because of their ra- Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta and Native cial or ethnic background or their religious American reservations and all those other places. faith—if we can stop it, we intend to stop it.’’ So I ask you to think about this. This is a The United States did not go there for any night you can be proud of your country. This territorial gain or economic gain. We went there is a night you can be grateful for the economic because we want there to be peace and har- prosperity that we have enjoyed, that we have mony, first in Europe and, wherever possible, the lowest African-American and Hispanic un- in the rest of the world. We went there with employment rates we have ever recorded, that an Army that looks like America, an Air Force wages are rising for people in all income groups. that looks like America. We landed a Marine We can be grateful for that. And you have ex- expeditionary unit in Greece today, going into pressed your gratitude by coming here and giv- Kosovo to help those folks come home, that ing these funds, for which I am grateful. looks like America. There are people from every But I want you to support our party not just conceivable racial and ethnic group and all dif- so that Dick Gephardt can be Speaker and ferent religious backgrounds, bound together by Charlie Rangel can be chairman, we can have what they have in common being more impor- 3 or 4 chairmen and 19 subcommittee chairs, tant than the interesting things that divide them. but for what Mr. Gephardt said: because if we

917

VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:57 Mar 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00917 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\99PUBPAP\99PUBPAP.TXT txed01 PsN: txed01 June 10 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999

are in these positions of responsibility, we will thing about that, and we can. It’s why we’ve show up for work every day. And we will not tried to make college affordable for everybody be interested simply in accumulating power but and put a computer in every child’s schoolroom. in using the fleeting power we have been given Our kids—we don’t need that; our kids can have by the American people to advance the cause, their computers. the future, and the hopes of ordinary citizens I say that not to make you feel better than from all walks of life. our political adversaries, either. I say that to I believe—it’s not fashionable to say, I guess, make this simple point. The same thing that but politics and public service are noble endeav- makes us believe that people are better off get- ors if they are informed by a high purpose. ting along than they are fighting over their racial I have never thought that I was going to be or religious differences makes us believe that President for life, and I have never thought one we ought to have universal excellence in edu- bit of power I exercised really belonged to me. cation, universal quality in health care, a strong It was something that was loaned to me for economy that includes everyone. But because a little while by the American people, thanks we know down deep inside that that’s being to the remarkable Constitution under which we smart selfish, we know that we’ll be better off live. and our children will be better off and our And so if you give us this kind of responsi- country will be stronger if we’re not just sailing bility, we will ask the American people to search along alone. their consciousness—and to serve their—search If you ask me what the single most significant their consciences, to think and to feel what we difference between the two parties is today and still must do to deepen the meaning of freedom why it is so important that you’re here and why and widen the circle of opportunity and we had the historic victory we had in 1998, strengthen the bonds of community. That’s what even though we were outspent by $100 million, a lot of our fights are about. That’s what the it is because we believe, truly, that we are all Patients’ Bill of Rights is about. If I get sick God’s children, that none of us inherently is tonight, I’m going to be fine. Unless God gets better than any other, and that we don’t believe, ready to take me home, I’ll have the best health even if we are in the elite, in just the elite care in the world. I don’t need it, and neither and their welfare. And this is not about class do most of you. warfare, either. This is about whether you be- That’s why we’re trying to have America join lieve that individuals and families and businesses the mainstream and stop being the only country are better off when they’re part of a fabric of in the world that doesn’t even have sensible, a strong community, where everybody’s trying commonsense regulation of these handguns, to to give everybody else a hand up. And if we keep them out of the hands of criminals and ever do it right, there will be no more handouts. kids, and to keep the assault weapons away from If we had enough hand-ups, there would be the children. The Secret Service is taking care no more handouts. of me; I don’t need that. And if anything hap- So I want you to leave here being proud pened to me, besides, I’ve already had more of what you did tonight, but I don’t want you life than 99 percent of the people who ever to quit. It’s a long road between now and 2000. lived. [Laughter] I don’t have any gripe. And we’re not getting much encouragement But all those kids—Dick Gephardt reminded from most of our friends on the other side of us, 13 kids get killed every day, get shot and the aisle in campaign finance reform, because die and don’t have the life that I have had they figured if they outdid us by $100 million or the life that you have had that has brought in ’98, maybe they can have a $200 million you to this point. And I have been so moved advantage in 2000. by the people at Littleton and how they have But one thing we showed them in 1998, partly responded, and the courage and dignity with thanks to a record African-American turnout, which they have borne their awful fate, and one thing we showed them: It doesn’t matter the way they have asked us not to let their if they have more money than you do if you children die in vain. have enough to be heard. If you have enough But every day, for years, 13 kids die in ones to be heard, if you have enough to make those and twos, on the mean streets and the tough telephone calls and to get those doors knocked alleys in which they live. We want to do some- on and to send those letters out and to put

918

VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:57 Mar 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00918 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\99PUBPAP\99PUBPAP.TXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / June 11

those ads on and to be heard if you stand for Thank you, and God bless you. something, if the power is not an end in itself but to be used as a gift, given for a limited NOTE: The President spoke at 9:12 p.m. at the period of time by the people to strengthen the National Museum for Women in the Arts. In his common life of our country, we’ve proved that remarks, he referred to Robert L. Johnson, chair- great things can happen. man and chief executive officer, BET Holdings, You have done a good thing tonight for your Inc.; musician Lionel Hampton; John Stroger, country. I want you to think about it and con- president, Cook County Board of Commissioners, tinue to speak for it. And when people ask you Chicago, IL; Joseph J. Andrew, national chair, and why you were here tonight, I hope some of Lottie Shackelford, vice chair, Democratic Na- the words that we have said will give you an tional Committee; and President Slobodan answer: because you want us to go forward to- Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia gether. (Serbia and Montenegro).

Remarks at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, June 11, 1999

Thank you very, very much. General Lyles, cuting our efforts in Kosovo and others who thank you for your introduction and your serv- have come here with me today. ice. I’d like to thank General Barnidge for mak- There are a large number of Congressmen ing me feel right at home. You can tell he’s here, and I want to acknowledge all of them, pretty proud of you, and he makes a good because I think it’s important that you know speech, doesn’t he? I didn’t know whether he you have broad support. We have four Members was a politician or a general the first time I from Missouri here: in addition to Congressman met him. [Laughter] I’ve got the coin, General. Skelton, Congresswoman , Congress- [Laughter] I think I know the rules. You got woman Karen McCarthy, and Congressman yours? [Laughter] from Missouri. They are all here. Actually, ladies and gentlemen, when I discov- I’d like to ask them to stand and be recognized. ered these coins, I decided one way I could [Applause] always remember the men and women of our We have Congressman Norm Dicks from military is to keep every coin I receive visible. Washington and Congressman Steny Hoyer from And for as long as I have been President, I Maryland, as you heard, two big supporters of have done that. And if you saw the speech I the B–2 program. We have Congressman Leon- gave last night on Kosovo, when the camera ard Boswell from Iowa and Congressman Den- zooms in I have three racks of these coins be- nis Moore from Kansas, two of your neighbors hind me. I now have nearly 300 of these, from here. And we have two Congressmen who came every unit, every enlisted person, every officer, all the way from State, Congressman every commander that has given me one of Eliot Engel and Congressman Peter King. I’d these, I still have the coins. And everyone who like to ask the rest of the members of the con- comes into the Oval Office sees them all, to gressional delegation to stand. I thank them for remember you and what you do for our country. being here. [Applause] And this will be on that desk tonight when I We all came down from Washington today get home, and I thank you for it very much. on behalf of your fellow Americans to salute I want to thank my good friend Congressman the men and women of Whiteman Air Force for representing you so well and Base, to thank you for a job well done, to honor representing all of America’s military families you for the way you honor America. and military interests so well. I’d like to thank Over the past few months, our Nation has my Adviser, Sandy Berger, faced an extraordinary challenge. A decade of who did a lot of working in planning and exe- brutal policies in the former Yugoslavia, and in

919

VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:57 Mar 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00919 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\99PUBPAP\99PUBPAP.TXT txed01 PsN: txed01