Presidential Documents

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Monday, May 24, 1993 Volume 29—Number 20 Pages 871–927

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Addresses and Remarks Bill Signings See also Bill Signings National Voter Registration Act of 1993, Angola—908 remarks—911 Cuban Independence Day—916 Los Alamos, NM, community—875 Communications to Congress Radio address—872 Corporation for Public Broadcasting report, San Diego, CA Arrival—879 message transmitting—919 Town meeting—881 Iraq’s compliance with United Nations Van Nuys, CA Security Council resolutions report, letter— Endorsement in Los Angeles mayoral 922 race—903 Mexico-U.S. tax convention—918 Los Angeles Valley College—895 Communications to Federal Agencies Administrative Orders Assistance to refugees and victims in Bosnia Permit Authorizing Canadian Interests To and Croatia, memorandum—913 Construct a Replacement Railway Tunnel— 905 Executive Orders Appointments and Nominations Federal Plan To Break the Cycle of General Services Administration, Homelessness—909 Administrator—914 Issuance of permits for facilities on U.S. Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife borders—905 Service, Director and Deputy Director— 905 Interviews With the News Media Labor Department, Assistant Secretaries— Exchanges with reporters 894, 895 Cabinet Room—921 National Transportation Safety Board, Oval Office—871, 908 member—920 President’s Commission on White House Residence—907 Fellowships, Chair and members—919 South Lawn—916 State Department, Under Secretary—894 Meetings With Foreign Leaders Transportation Department Assistant Secretary—894 Ireland, President Robinson—871 Federal Transit Administration, Kyrgyzstan, President Akayev—920 Administrator—894 South Africa, Archbishop Tutu—908

(Continued on the inside of the back cover.)

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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Proclamations Statements by the President—Continued

National Defense Transportation Day and Human rights situation in Burma—913 National Transportation Week—910 Statements Other Than Presidential National Maritime Day—921 World Trade Week—911 President’s meeting with President Akayev of Kyrgyzstan Statements by the President Supplementary Materials See also Appointments and Nominations Acts approved by the President—927 Death of John Wilson—913 Checklist of White House press releases—927 Deaths of marines in helicopter crash—919 Digest of other White House Endorsement in Los Angeles mayoral race— announcements—925 874 Nominations submitted to the Senate—925

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Exchange With Reporters Prior to don’t, and I think the record is pretty clear. Discussions With President Mary This administration has come out for a lot Robinson of Ireland of bold and comprehensive change and is fighting for it. And if I don’t say that, who May 14, 1993 will? Q. That may be the question. [Laughter] Ireland President Clinton. We haven’t lost a ma- Q. Madam President, do you support a jority vote yet. We may before it’s over, but peace envoy from the United States to Ire- we haven’t yet. land? President Robinson. I think it has been Ireland very much appreciated, as indeed the Q. President Clinton, can I ask you a ques- Taoiseach said when he met with the Presi- tion? Are you going to visit Ireland? You’re dent on March the 17th, on St. Patrick’s Day, meeting the President today. Would you that President Clinton has shown such an in- like—— terest in and concern for Ireland. That is very President Clinton. I hope so. I told the well recognized in Ireland itself and that, as President I went to Ireland once when I was President, you have indicated a genuine, a a young man. real concern. And I know that when you were Q. 1969? discussing with the Taoiseach the idea of a President Clinton. It was a great trip. peace envoy that you left open this issue, be- Q. Do you think you’re going to be able cause it expresses concern, and that you are to do it? aware that there are the prospects of re- President Clinton. Did you check my sumed talks in Northern Ireland. And I think passport files? Is that how you—[laughter]. in those circumstances—and it is appropriate Q. Would you like to visit Ireland? to let those talks take their course. President Clinton. I would very much. But the sounding of the concern, the genu- The First 100 Days ine interest, and the fact that you said you were a friend not just on St. Patrick’s Day Q. Can I ask you about your first 100 days but throughout the year in an interested way, in office? Have you enjoyed that? that has struck a very real chord throughout President Clinton. Very much. Even the the island of Ireland and an important one. difficult times have been good. You know, And I think that’s very much appreciated, it’s an exhilarating thing trying to sort of turn now. So I think that the reality of that con- things around, not easy but exhilarating. cern has created its own very helpful and Jerry Adams constructive vibrations. President Clinton. Thank you. Q. Mr. President, you’ve gotten some heat over your Irish problems recently. Do you Perception of the Administration think looking back on what you said during Q. Mr. President, you sounded a little bit the campaign and knowing what you know frustrated at the end of your news conference now about, for example, the Jerry Adams sta- there with the perception of your administra- tus, that you might have rephrased what you tion and your Presidency. were saying? President Clinton. I just did what I could President Clinton. Well, what I said to set the record straight. You know, in the was—and I did do that—I asked the State end you’re measured by whether you act or Department to review the case and I gave not and what you stand for and what you the—and other Agencies did so as well. He 871

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is no longer a member of Parliament, which President Robinson. Well, it is certainly is what I take my statement on. And they a very special occasion to come here as Presi- unanimously recommended that the visa not dent of Ireland and to be welcomed by Presi- be granted. I have no grounds to overrule dent Clinton. And I want to reiterate the invi- them. tation that has already been extended to him Lani Guinier by the Taoiseach to renew his acquaintance- ship with Dublin and to come to Ireland on Q. Mr. President, at your press conference an appropriate occasion. And I want to ex- today on the Lani Guinier question, you press appreciation of the fact that President seem to suggest—please correct me if I’m Clinton has clearly signaled an interest in and wrong—but that it’s simply a matter of Con- an active concern for Ireland, for the modern gress confirming her and her doing—or, ex- Ireland, the Ireland which I have the honor cuse me, the Senate confirming her and her to represent and that you and your adminis- doing Congress’ will as it relates to the Civil tration are keeping in very close contact, that Rights Division. But her writings suggest a there is a very open communication and a very interesting interpretation of things like sense of that, and that has been very con- the Voting Rights Act, which she would ex- sciously realized in Ireland itself and tend to the executive branch, numerical goals throughout the island of Ireland. And I think for judicial appointments, which I believe it is a very significant and helpful factor in you opposed in your campaign. So what is our relations. the Senate, then, to make of the fact that you’ve sent somebody up there that favors things that you oppose? NOTE: The exchange began at 4:25 p.m. in the President Clinton. Well listen, I would Oval Office at the White House. In her remarks, never have appointed anybody to public of- President Robinson referred to Albert Reynolds, Prime Minister of Ireland. Jerry Adams is the fice if they had to agree with everything I leader of Sinn Fein. A tape was not available for believe in. We wouldn’t have a Cabinet. I verification of the content of this exchange. This mean, I take it, based on my personal experi- item was not received in time for publication in ence, you will believe me when I say I am the appropriate issue. confident that she’ll follow the Constitution and the laws of the United States. You have to swear an oath of office to that. She may The President’s Radio Address wish the law were different in some areas. But I’ve had personal experience with her May 15, 1993 accomplishments as a civil rights lawyer, and Good morning. As we all rejoice in this I thought we ought to have a distinguished magnificent spring and the promise of re- civil rights lawyer as head of the Civil Rights newal that it brings, we should also feel re- Division. And I say again, the Congress newed as citizens, renewed by the progress passes the laws and the executive branch en- forces them, and when there is a question that is being made in Washington, the of policy, that will be resolved by the Attor- progress we are making in strengthening the ney General. American economy to help us be more com- Q. Are you disassociating yourself from petitive, to grow, to work for the middle class her writings, sir? again. Gridlock is on the way out, and our President Clinton. I never have associ- plan to rebuild the economy and restore op- ated myself with all of her writings or all of portunity for all Americans is moving through anybody else’s. I even found a word or two Congress. in the Vice President’s book I didn’t agree Look at the progress. Just 3 months ago, with. [Laughter] I submitted to Congress a balanced economic plan that asked everyone to work to- Ireland gether to invest a little more in deficit reduc- Q. President Robinson, what is your mes- tion today, so that we can all enjoy better sage to President Clinton? What is your mes- jobs and higher incomes tomorrow. It says sage to President Clinton today? we can do what no generation has ever been

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called upon to do before, that we can reduce small business community; a new venture our deficit sharply and still increase invest- capital gains tax; big investment incentives ment wisely in jobs and education and new for larger corporations to invest in new plant technology, because we must do both to be and equipment to create new jobs. These and a competitive America, to create more jobs other initiatives to ease the credit crunch and and economic growth. to keep these interest rates at historic lows We began by forcing real discipline on the will mean billions of dollars of new invest- big spenders by making deep and enforcement into our economy in the near future. able cuts in the Federal Government in over Our economic plan includes also a pro- 200 specific programs. And believe me, these posal to create empowerment zones in our cuts are real. We’ve taken on spending most depressed urban and rural commu- groups and interest groups that have never nities. We offer significant incentives to those been taken on. We’ve made tough decisions, who will go into those neighborhoods and and now Congress is working with me to build a business because they will be giving make them stick. It wasn’t easy. people a chance who haven’t had one in a We’d made major reductions in the so- long time. There’s not enough Government called entitlement programs like medical money in a country to rebuild our cities or care, agriculture, Federal retirement pro- our distressed rural areas, but we can do it grams. Virtually no area of domestic spend- through free enterprise if we have enough ing was left untouched. And we’re now on incentive. The Government in the em- our way to the largest deficit reduction pack- powerment zones will be the best partner the age in American history. And we will not free enterprise system could have. raise taxes without knowing that these spend- This plan also deals with another impor- ing cuts are part of the project. tant problem. No one in America should These cuts are real, and our plan is fair. work hard at a full-time job with children The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Of- in the home and still live in poverty. But mil- fice has concluded that 75 percent of all the lions of Americans do. Because our economy taxes in this plan fall on the top 6 percent and our tax system hasn’t been working, mil- of Americans, those earning $100,000 a year lions and millions of responsible people are or more. It asked those who got a tax break among the working poor who still live below in the 1980’s to pay their fair share in the the poverty line. That’s the wrong signal to 1990’s. These proposals which reduce the send. That’s an incentive to get on welfare, deficit and increase tax fairness were adopted not to get off welfare. by all the important House of Representa- Our plan includes an earned income tax tives committees last week. credit that puts into law this basic principle: But I’m asking the Congress to go further. If you work 40 hours a week and you have This week I proposed that when we cut pro- a child at home, you will not be in poverty. grams, we lock the savings up in a deficit This important proposal also is proceeding reduction trust fund so that you can trust that quickly to congressional approval. The Tax the money can only be used to reduce the Code was also changed to protect those with Federal deficit. That’s right. No taxes without incomes of under $30,000 from the impact spending cuts and the spending cuts and the of the proposed BTU or energy tax, and to taxes put into a deficit reduction trust fund phase that tax in so that the average family so that the money must be used to reduce will pay about a dollar a month next year the deficit. and about $5 a month the year after, with In addition to cutting the spending deficit, the full impact of the tax for people with in- the other essential goal of our plan is to cre- comes of $40,000 a year or above triggering ate opportunity in our society where hard in at about $16 to $17 a month in 1996. work is supported and initiative is rewarded. Just days after we offered our new ap- That’s why there were important tax incen- proach to make college loans available to tives added to this plan: increasing the small every qualified American student, regardless business expensing provision to $25,000 a of income, this plan was also approved by year, a goal long sought by the American the House Education and Labor Committee.

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This is a very important thing. It will save celebrate when we’ve passed the budget, an lots of money to taxpayers and make college economic plan, and gotten this country loans available at lower interest rates and bet- turned around. ter repayment terms with mandatory repay- Even as we celebrate these changes, let’s ment to all students in the United States. also remember why we’re free enough to This is a change that we’re working on, cut- make them. May the 15th is Armed Forces ting wasteful spending, increasing taxes fair- Day. And I would like to conclude by honor- ly, driving down the deficit while increasing ing those who serve, whose bravery and sac- the investment we make through private sec- rifice and devotion to country has preserved tor incentives and in education training and our liberties and made America the custodian technology. of freedom’s dream for the entire world. These are the ideas which will make our I speak for all in my administration in ex- economy strong and competitive. For every pressing gratitude and profound respect for new dollar of investment in America and the each member of our Armed Forces, for their American people, there are $3 in spending supportive families and for their mission. cuts. This is the right way to go. All told, From my first months in office, I can assure we’ve come a long, long distance in the last you that America has the strongest, best 3 months, to restoring our economy and retrained, and most faithful Armed Forces in affirming the values of the middle class and the world, men and women so worthy of the to opening up our democracy again. great responsibilities borne by them in our I’m especially gratified that just this week Nation. May God protect them and guide the we’ve passed the motor voter bill which will United States. make it easier for people to register and vote. And I fervently hope it will bring more young people into the democratic process. It was NOTE: The address was recorded at 8 a.m. on May 14 in the Map Room at the White House the young Americans all across this country for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 15. who convinced me to redouble my efforts to work hard to pass this bill. The United States Senate has just passed a lobbying reform bill which will require all Statement Endorsing Michael Woo of our lobbyists to register for a change and To Be Mayor of Los Angeles require them to report any gifts beyond a May 15, 1993 very small amount that they give to any Member of Congress. And I’ve introduced On June 8, Los Angeles voters will select the toughest campaign finance reform law the first new mayor in two decades, a mayor ever, to lower the cost of campaigns, reduce who must reinvigorate the economy and en- the influence of political action committees, sure the safety of all communities. I endorse and open the airwaves to honest debate, all Michael Woo because I believe he is the best paid for by lobbyists, by repealing the lobby- person to meet these challenges. ist tax deduction. As a councilman, Mike Woo has put peo- This is a bright and a hopeful day. We’ve ple first, consistently fighting for the middle come together not to better one group or class against the special interests, appealing one cause but to work together in the com- to our hopes not our fears. He created inno- mon cause of a reinvigorated America. We’ve vative programs to finance small business, re- been able to bring deep discipline to our formed the city’s ethics laws, and developed budget, positive purpose to our spending, a model community service program. He has and created the sea change the American fought to get criminals and their guns off the people voted for in November, or at least streets. the beginning of that sea change. Now we’ve Early last year, Mike Woo stood with me got to see through it all the way to the end. to support an agenda of change to help work- The rest of the road won’t be easy, just as ing families, rebuild our cities, and bring peo- the last 3 months have not been. But we can ple together. Mike Woo has dedicated his do it, and then we’ll have something to really life to creating jobs in southern California

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and making government work for all people. to speak, which may make him the most pop- The people of Los Angeles can trust Mike ular person here today. You can’t tell. Woo to work long and hard to get the job Bruce King told you the truth. We were done for them. Governors in the seventies, the eighties, and As mayor, Mike Woo will be my partner the nineties. Made an old man of me, but to reinvigorate the southern California econ- he still looks pretty good. [Laughter] He was omy, put more police on the streets, and in- the first Governor to endorse my campaign, spire the many different communities that and New Mexico was the next to the last stop comprise Los Angeles to pull together again. I made on election day when I stayed up I look forward to working with him for all night long. change. I want to say I’ve come back here today in the light of day, and a beautiful day it is, to celebrate with the Los Alamos Lab the Remarks to the Community in Los 50th anniversary of a genuine, remarkable Alamos, New Mexico American success story. For the first half May 17, 1993 century of Los Alamos’ service, it was the leading edge of our Nation’s security. And The President. Thank you very much. now as we go into the next half century, Los Governor King, Senator Bingaman, Senator Alamos will be, as Senator Bingaman said, Domenici, Congressman Richardson, Con- the leading edge of our prosperity, develop- gressman Schiff, Dr. Hecker, and the other ing and nurturing the technology that will directors of the other wonderful labs here put all these young Americans who are here present, Dr. Narath and Dr. Ruckolls; and in this great crowd today at the front of a my distinguished Secretary of Energy, Hazel new race, the race to compete and to cooper- O’Leary, who is celebrating her birthday with all of you here in Los Alamos today. ate in a world that is getting smaller, richer, I want to say a special word of thanks to more diverse, but very, very rigorous in its the students from Los Alamos High School challenges. here behind us. I love the T-shirts, and I New Mexico should be very proud to be was so gratified to be invited to come to the the home of Los Alamos and Sandia. Amer- high school commencement. I didn’t make ica, indeed the entire democratic world, owes it, but this is almost as good, don’t you think? an enormous debt of gratitude to Los Ala- I’m really glad to be here. mos, to Sandia, and to the Lawrence Liver- I want to say, too, a special word of appre- more Laboratory in California. When we ciation to all those who spoke here before needed the military muscle to end a global me today for what they said. I thought Sen- war, the answer was the Manhattan Project. ator Domenici did a pretty good job of glid- When we needed the muscle to win the cold ing over our differences and getting right in war, the long and costly effort to contain and there. I want to tell you how grateful I am then to triumph over communism, the ideas for the national leadership that Congressman that made that possible came out of these Richardson has given not only to the Con- laboratories. That struggle gave us a focus gress but to the efforts I made to become not just in how we spend our defense dollars your President. And I can’t say enough about but how we invested in everything from our the work that Senator Bingaman has done children’s education to the Interstate High- on the issue I came here to talk about today, way System. These labs were at the core of which is giving us a good high-wage, high- that effort, providing our nuclear deterrent. growth future through the wise and sensible From the Berlin crisis in 1948 to the Berlin investment in technology. You should be very celebration in 1989 when the Wall came proud of these people, all of whom represent down, the work of this laboratory helped to you in the United States Congress. I want ensure America’s might, America’s security, to say a special word of thanks to Congress- and in the end, a total triumph for democracy man Schiff. Since he’s not here in his home and freedom and free-market economics in district, he actually gave up the opportunity the cold war. You should all be very proud

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of that. That’s a good 50 years of work if And we have to keep working until we do I ever heard it. that. We owe that to the young people here. Now we are in the post-cold-war effort. But we also owe you something more. We Most of the young people here present will have to think about the challenges that are live more of their lives in the 21st century here before us. And when they require us than they have in the 20th. And we need to invest in education and technology and a new focus for our efforts. Our job today new jobs, we have to do that as well, for we is to preserve the American dream and have to remember that the thing which en- America’s leadership in the world that Amer- ables us to bring our debt down is the eco- ica has done so much to make. We have to nomic strength which reduces working peo- prove that we can compete and win in this ple and incomes from people who then can highly complex and rigorous world. We have pay taxes, who can then deal with less Gov- to do it so that all the young people here ernment supports, who don’t need the Gov- will not be the first generation of Americans ernment spending as much money if they all to grow up to do worse than their parents. have jobs and incomes in a strong free enter- We have to do it so that we can continue prise system. That is our obligation to you to be a beacon of hope, so that we can prove and to your future. that freedom and free enterprise and democ- So the question I came here to discuss racy work. today for all of you, and hopefully it will re- We have to begin by putting our own verberate throughout the United States to people who have never been to New Mexico house in order, by bringing down our enor- and may not have even known of the exist- mous deficit, dealing with our health care cri- ence of Los Alamos, is what is the oppor- sis which has produced a system that costs tunity we have right here to revolutionize the way too much and covers too few and leaves economy, not just for those thousands of you too many in the insecurity of daily living, who are here but for every American family, knowing that any moment they might lose for every American young person? Can you the insurance they have. We have to follow affect the future of America as you have the policies that enable us to educate and train past? I think the answer is a resounding our people for a lifetime and then promote ‘‘yes.’’ If we are going to march confidently economic growth so that they will have jobs into the 21st century, we will have to do it that they’re educated for. These are the on the minds and with the creativity and with things we have to do in this time to be wor- the investment represented here in this lab- thy, worthy successors to the American leg- oratory and in others like it around the coun- acy we have inherited. try and with the spirit of partnership between I’ve asked the Congress to reduce the defi- Government and the private sector that per- cit by $500 billion over the next 5 years, with vades so many of the efforts now underway a combination of spending cuts and tax in- here. creases, none of which are popular, espe- At Los Alamos alone, there are 100 part- cially, in particular. Everybody’s for deficit nerships with industry. Technology has led reduction in general. It’s the details that to the creation of 30 new companies. Before swallow us alive. I have asked that all this coming here today I took a look at some of money be put into a trust fund by law so the projects underway at a plant facility that that nothing can be done with it but to re- handles—listen to this—plasma ion implan- duce the debt, so that the children of our tation. Now, that sounds like something a country eventually will be able to get out plastic surgeon would do, but it has nothing from under the burden their parents and to do with the human body. Instead, it in- grandparents have left for them. I have com- volves a steel vacuum chamber containing mitted to all the Members of Congress and high-energy ion which can be pumped into to the American people without regard to metal surfaces or plastic surfaces and used party that this is just a down payment, that to harden them so that they will last longer reducing the deficit doesn’t begin to bring and do better work. This could revolutionize the debt down until you get it down to zero. America’s ability to manufacture automobiles

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and other machines to keep going and to have dreamed of just a few years ago. I met have higher productivity longer and lower some of those bright students earlier today. costs, so we can once again begin to grow They were actually developing programs for high-wage manufacturing jobs. And if it hap- energy conservation, using the world’s largest pens, it will happen because of the ideas that supercomputer, having won a contest in the started here in the kind of partnerships we use of computers sponsored statewide in need for America’s tomorrows. And this tech- New Mexico and held here at Los Alamos. nology was a direct outgrowth of the research You could be very proud that you have stu- done on the strategic defense initiative, the dents like that who can use a facility like this. so-called star wars initiative, which means We are counting on our Nation’s labs to that no matter whatever happens there and make real contributions in these and other whatever happens to the final shape of that areas of needs that arise out of our energy project, something good came out of it be- and national security missions. In these tasks, cause people were looking to break down the laboratories will be helping not only frontiers in the human minds and to explore Americans but our fellow citizens around the unexplored territory. world. If we can find ways to make the Amer- This defense technology is now being used ican people healthier and lower health care as part of a 4-year partnership with General costs, it will benefit us enormously economi- Motors. Another project involves GM in cally, it will provide personal security to mil- helping to build a clean car. Think of it: What lions of American families. But we will not if we could build a car that operated on en- keep those things as secrets here in our own ergy sources provided here in this country, borders. They will spread around the world that reduced our dependence on foreign oil, and make the world a better and safer and reduced air pollution, increased energy effi- healthier place. ciency, and helped us to become a partner Let me also say that there is still a national in the effort to save the global environment, defense mission for these labs. We have to at the same time exploding American jobs continue to maintain the safety and reliability and economic opportunities? If that happens, of our nuclear deterrent until all the nuclear it will be because of what began here. I saw weapons in the world are gone. We have to biomedical technology, analyzing and sorting make sure that we can focus on new tech- single biological cells using lasers, with valu- nologies to counter proliferation of nuclear, able applications for AIDS and leukemia di- biological, and chemical weapons by other ir- agnosis, a technology that has already led to responsible countries around the world. an $800-million-a-year business for three There are still too many nations who have new companies. There are projects underway not learned the lesson of the cold war and for efficient oil recovery, environmental how much money was diverted by the United cleanup, the analysis of air pollution. With States and the Soviet Union from other im- these partnerships and others like them, we portant efforts. There are still too many na- can find the technology-based answers for tions who seem determined to define the the jobs of tomorrow. quality of their lives based on whether they In this economic chain reaction, the result can develop a nuclear weapon or biological will be high-paying jobs here in New Mexico. or chemical weapons that can have no other I saw one project today which is projected purpose than to destroy other human beings. to produce 2,000 jobs in New Mexico within It is a mistake, and we should try to contain the next 3 or 4 years. But there will be jobs it and to stop it. all across this Nation, in wide-ranging fields, And so my fellow Americans, there is a ever more critical to our future. Super- peacetime commercial mission for these labs. computers developed to design nuclear And there is a national defense mission for weapons are now being used to improve the these labs. And the line between those two fuel efficiency of engines, to help the oil in- missions is coming down fast. And there is dustry find more oil in less time here in the a partnership with the private sector which United States at lower cost. They’re used to will spread and grow and strengthen Ameri- educate youngsters in ways we could never ca’s support for and understanding of what

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is done here. These labs are our great na- laboratories, to the defense plants, to the tional minds’ treasure, the world’s finest sci- wonderful men and women who have served entists and engineers, more Ph.D.’s per cap- our Nation in uniform. We owe all of them ita here in Los Alamos than any other place the opportunity to convert to success in the on the planet. It’s pretty humbling when commercial private enterprise world of you’re a President and you walk into a room America. We have earmarked, this year and you realize you’re lowering the average alone, over $1.7 billion for defense conver- IQ of the room just by going in the door. sion, and I propose to invest about $20 billion [Laughter] You have the world’s most power- in it over the next 5 years. It is a good begin- ful computers and lasers and accelerators, ning. It is a good beginning. some of the world’s best materials facilities, I ask you today, as I close, to consider the the most sophisticated diagnostics. You are alternative. If we refuse to bring our deficit our crown jewels in technology and science. down and we still continue to squeeze these Under the technology policy I have pro- areas critical to our investment future, the posed, this lab at Los Angeles—Los Ala- alternative will be a rising deficit, a declining mos—— rate of investment, more unemployment and Audience members: Boo-o-o! more stagnant incomes, longer work weeks The President. I’m going there tomorrow, for less funds, and continued insecurity for and if I say Los Alamos, will you cheer when America’s working families. We must change I’m in Los Angeles? I owe you one. This lab our priorities no matter how difficult it is. will work with the Departments of Energy That is the challenge of this day, and we must and Defense and Commerce to sustain con- meet it. As has already been said, President stant innovation. We’re going to have to reor- Kennedy stood in this very spot just over 30 ganize a lot of things to get that done. We years ago and saluted the great patriots of can’t just have the money coming in for spe- Los Alamos. He said in part, and I quote, cific projects from—some from defense and ‘‘We want to express our thanks to you. It some from the Energy Department. We’ll is not merely what was done in the days of have all kinds of dislocations. And we had some great conversations today about how the Second War but what has been done we can make a flexible and always available since then, not only in developing weapons pool of funds there for the kinds of projects of destruction which, by irony of fate, helped that need to be done. And our administration maintain peace and freedom, but also in has pledged to do that. medicine and in space, and all the other re- So I say to you again, we must change the lated fields which can mean so much to man- whole notion we have of the Federal Govern- kind if we can maintain the peace and protect ment. We’re going to have to cut a lot of our freedom.’’ spending. We’re going to have to change a Well today, maintaining the peace and lot of things we have taken for granted. But protecting the freedom seem more secure we will still have to find a way to invest in than they did when President Kennedy ut- our future. Our competitors are investing in tered those words. And so, today I come here their futures. There is a race to tomorrow, to thank Los Alamos, not merely for what which is partly cooperation, but make no mis- was done in the cold war and what has been take about it, largely competition. And if we done since but for what you can and will do want all of these young people to have the to secure a stronger, brighter future for all chance to go as far as their efforts and their the American people. If we do our job, then God-given abilities will take them, we have perhaps 30 years from now another Amer- to do both: We’ve got to bring this deficit ican President will be able to come to this down and sharply invest in things like these very site, and some of you who are now chil- laboratories so we can grow the economy for dren will be here with your children. And tomorrow. you can say, again, thank you, thank you to The reductions in the defense budget, the labs, thank you to the men and women made possible by the end of the cold war, who used their minds to advance the cause have presented some great challenges to the of learning. Thank you for the contributions

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you have made to the progress of the Amer- let me just repeat: for years and years and ican dream. May it never stop. years we just saw the Congress and the Presi- God bless you, and thank you very much. dent fighting against one another, decisions seemed not to be made, the veto pen was NOTE: The President spoke at 1:05 p.m. at Los used more often, and people worked to- Alamos High School. gether. Seventeen days after I took office, I signed the Family and Medical Leave Act Remarks on Arrival in San Diego, to guarantee that working people could have California some time off when there’s a sick parent or May 17, 1993 a sick child, without losing their job. For the first time in 17 years, the Congress Thank you so much. Let me begin by passed a resolution on time to set the frame- thanking Lynn Schenk for that vigorous in- work of the budget that we’re now working troduction and Bob Filner for what he said. on. And what that means is that we cannot I can tell you, if we had a whole Congress raise your taxes unless we also cut spending, full of people like Lynn Schenk and Bob Fil- no tax increases without spending cuts to ner, we could turn this country around a lot bring the deficit down. quicker. They have done a wonderful job up And to all the young people in the audi- there. ence, we managed to win one for you, too, I’d also like to thank all the people who after years and years of trying. Just a few days came out to see me today and to see my first ago, the United States Congress passed, and visit in this county since the election. I want to thank the Mayor of Coronado, the Mayor I am about to sign, the motor voter bill, to of San Diego, the State officials who are here, open up the voting rolls to millions of young the Lieutenant Governor, the secretary of people and make it easier for people to reg- State, the State comptroller. But mostly, I ister and vote. just want to thank all of you. It is wonderful But now we must focus on the hard part: to be back here again. And I’m happy. How can we do the things that we have to What did you say? do to turn this country around? How can we open the economy up and give people who [At this point, the students from Patrick are working hard and playing by the rules Henry High School greeted the President.] the chance to have a good future? How can You know, I spent a lot of time here during we do these things? Here is what I think we the campaign. I watched people build ships. have to do. The first thing we have to do I listened to people who had lost their jobs. is to pass a budget which does the right I listened to people who were starting new things with your money. We have seen the companies. I listened to people who were debt of this country go from $1 trillion to prepared to change but who did not under- $4 trillion in 12 years. And what did you get stand why the National Government would out of it? We saw a decline in investment. turn its back on southern California, and on We saw working people work harder for this State which carries with it so much of lower wages. We saw taxes on the middle the hopes and dreams of all of America and so much of the economic future of our entire class go up and taxes on the wealthy go down. country. Everything was turned around in opposite di- When I went to Washington, I was deter- rections from where we ought to be going. mined never to forget the faces that I saw We are beginning to change that. This and the stories that I heard and the lessons budget contains over $250 billion of hard that I learned. I want you to know that in budget cuts. This budget raises most of the the last 31⁄2 months we have made a real be- money we raise in taxes from people with ginning toward turning this country around. incomes above $100,000, over 74 percent of And we are going to stay until the job is done. it. This budget give a tax break to working You heard Lynn talk about a little of it; families with incomes of under $30,000, to you heard Bob talk about a little of it. But protect them from the impact of the deci-

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sions we have to make. And we have pro- But let me tell you what else we are trying posed to put all the taxes and all the spending to do. It is not just enough to deal with the cuts into a legally separate trust fund so the budget. We have to do things that will create money cannot be spent to do anything but jobs. This county knows, as well as any in bring the debt down. It is time we stopped America, that it was wrong to cut defense talking about this and started doing some- spending as much as we did with no plan thing about it. to reinvest in a domestic economy. We have And you know, when you hear people say in this budget over $1.7 billion this year and ‘‘no, no, no,’’ ask them where they were the $20 billion in the next 4 years to convert from last 12 years. Most of the people who say a defense to a domestic economy, to help that we don’t have a good plan are the very it go—civilian jobs, commercial jobs, to re- people that drove this country in the ditch train people, to rebuild communities, to get in the first place. They took that debt from this country going again. And we must do $1 trillion to $4 trillion. Where were they? that. But let me tell you some things you may I also recognize, and I’m sure many of you not know about this bill. When I came here, do, that the financial health of this country I said that we had not only to reduce the will never be assured until finally we join all deficit, we had to provide more incentives the other advanced countries with which for people to invest to create jobs. So this we’re competing and provide health care se- tax bill also gives real incentives to get the curity with a basic health care for all Ameri- real estate markets going here again. It gives cans at affordable cost. And we are coming small business people a $25,000-a-year ex- with a health care plan to do just that. And pensing provision, 21⁄2 times greater than the I hope the American people will support it. present law, so that there will be incentives Finally, let me say that California needs for small business people to reinvest in their an economic strategy that will be built from businesses, and put people to work. It gives the grassroots up but that will have a partner a big incentive to larger companies located in the White House. I have delegated to Sec- here and throughout the United States to in- retary of Commerce Ron Brown, the respon- crease in more plants and equipment, to sibility of representing this administration in modernize and create jobs, because they can this State and developing a coordinated eco- write it off more rapidly. This bill is pro-in- nomic policy for the long-term health and vestment, not consumption. This is a bill de- welfare of the California economy. And we signed to create jobs, not take them away. will not stop until we have turned this State I hope we can pass it in the United States around and moved this State forward. Congress. We have made a beginning in this budget. And let me say this again: This bill provides With all the budget cuts we’ve got, there is for tax relief for the working poor, so that more money in this budget for California and when this bill passes, every American will be the other States that are hit unfairly by the able to say with some pride, we’re rewarding burdens of large immigration problems and work and not welfare in this country. Now all the costs that go into it. The Federal Gov- if you work 40 hours a week and you’ve got ernment’s going to pay more of our fair share a child in the house, you won’t be in poverty in California now and ask you to pay less. anymore. I think that’s something that’s We’re going to invest more in environmental worth doing. It protects families with in- cleanup, in the kind of water problems that comes of under $30,000 from the energy tax. you have here. We’re going to do our part, And for families over $40,000 up to about and we’re going to do it right. And most im- $100,000, it minimizes the burdens of about portantly of all, we’re going to continue to $10 to $15 a month. And I think it’s worth work on building an economic base that will that to get our country back and get this defi- replace the prosperity you enjoyed in times cit down and reclaim our financial future. of high defense spending when the cold war We’ve got to put our house in order, folks. was at its height. It is wrong to let the people And if we don’t do it, we’re going to be pay- who won the cold war lose the peace after- ing for it from now on. ward. It is wrong to turn our backs on the

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State that moved this country so much in the Remarks at a Town Meeting in San 1980’s. It is wrong not to have a strategy that Diego will not work miracles but that will make May 17, 1993 progress day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out. And I want Moderator. Mr. President, these are the you to know that we are going to work our people of San Diego. We’ve got a lot of peo- hearts out in Washington together in order ple out there watching right now that want to move this State forward, and move this to hear what you’re talking about, and we country forward. And I want you to help us have a lot of folks here in the studios who do it. Will you do it? want to ask you questions directly. Lynn Schenk said it better than I could, The President. May I say one word before but I want to reiterate it: The country went we start? First I want to thank all of you for in one direction for 12 years, and it was a being here and to say I think this is probably popular direction. The most popular thing in the second town meeting I’ve done like this the world to do, if you’re in public life, is since I have been President, but I want to to cut people’s taxes and spend more money. start scheduling them on a more regular basis But sooner or later, your string runs out. now. I’d like just to take a couple of minutes Sooner or later, people look around and they by way of opening statements. say, ‘‘How did we have a $4 trillion debt? Since I became your President, I have How can we be spending over $300 million spent most of my time working on two things, a year over and above what we’re taking in? the economy and the health care issue. We How can we be working harder for lower have worked very hard to present a budget wages? Why are these other countries able to the Congress and the American people to invest and create jobs and grow, and we that would do two things, that would de- don’t have the money?’’ The reason is be- crease the Government’s deficit, which is cause we stopped thinking about the future. very large as all of you know, and that would We did what was popular in the short run. provide some targeted money for increases We took the easy way and the shortcut, and in areas that are very much needed here in we are paying for it. But I’m telling you, this southern California, in education and train- country is still the strongest country in the ing and new technology, primarily. We also world economically, militarily, politically. have developed a new policy on defense con- The fabric of our people, the strength of our version to try to help provide jobs in areas families, the will of individuals to succeed is hit by defense cutbacks, on making the most as strong as it has ever been. All we have of our technology in America, and trying to to do now is to have the courage to face these get more jobs from technology. I presented problems forthrightly. Let’s pass a budget a bill to the Congress, as I pledged in the that puts our house in order. Let’s invest in campaign, to provide for a national service the education of our people and the new program to open the doors of college edu- technologies of the future. Let’s provide cation to all Americans. And we will soon health care to our people. Together we can present our health care plan to control the do it. We need your help. We need your sup- cost of health care and provide basic health port for people like Lynn and Bob who care care to all Americans. about the future and are willing to make the That has been the basic agenda. There are tough decisions. Stay with us and we can turn lots of controversies in all these things, and the country around and California around to- I know you’ll ask the questions, but I hope gether. we’ll get a chance to talk about what’s in the budget and how I proposed a deficit trust Thank you, and God bless you all. fund so that we can’t raise any taxes unless we also cut spending. I think that’s very important. But I want to answer your questions NOTE: The President spoke at 4:55 p.m. at the and spend most of the time talking about North Island Naval Air Station. what you want to talk about. I just wanted

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you to know what I’ve been doing for the not in good conscience give anybody an last 4 months. across-the-board tax cut in the first year of my Presidency. I still think there should be Middle Class Tax Cut an evening-up of the tax burden. Q. First, President Clinton, let me thank Secondly, it became clear to me that the you for giving the opportunity for common best thing I could do for the middle class folks like us to ask the President of the was to bring interest rates down and to try United States a question in person. It’s an to get control of our budget. So I proposed honor and a privilege, thank you. a plan of budget cuts first and tax increases President Clinton, I believe that you were that are highly progressive. And let me just elected largely on the basis of your promise mention a couple of things that you may not of a middle class tax cut. But for the last know, having heard the press about the tax 90 days or so, we’ve seen both you and the program I presented to the Congress. While Congress transforming that promised middle it does raise about $250 billion over a 5-year class tax cut into an unprecedented round period, it also provides significant relief to of more taxes and new spending. Our country small business. Expensing provisions in the has been in a deepening recession for the Tax Code, for example, are raised from last 3 years. There’s no end in sight, and a $10,000 to $25,000 a year. That will lower malaise is beginning to set in our country, a lot of people’s tax bills. For people with like the Carter era. Please understand, Mr. incomes under $30,000, we increased the President, San Diegans just don’t have any earned-income tax credit so much that they more money to contribute to the coffers of will not be affected by this tax increase in Government. My question is, can you name any way. And over 70 percent of the money one country that has ever taxed and spent that will be raised in this program will come itself back into prosperity? Thank you. from people with incomes net above The President. The answer to your ques- $100,000. tion is, I can’t. But you can’t fairly character- So it’s a progressive program; the burden ize my program as that. I have cut more is broadly spread. If we can bring the deficit spending than my predecessor did. My budg- down, we’ll keep interest rates down. I’d just et calls for $250 billion-plus in spending cuts remind you folks that just since the election, net. The first thing I did was cut the White when we announced our intention to seri- House staff by 25 percent, even though I’ve ously reduce the deficit, interest rates already received more mail in 31⁄2 months dropped dramatically. This year, 74 percent than came to the White House in all of 1992. of people under 35 in a bipartisan poll said If any of you have written, and I haven’t an- they thought they had a pretty good chance swered, that’s why. [Laughter] I cut the ad- to buy their own home. Last year, the figure ministrative expenses of the Federal Govern- was 47 percent. That’s because the interest ment 14 percent across-the-board. I froze rates are down. That will put another $100 Federal employee pay in the first year and billion back in the economy. cut back their raises for 4 years. There have Now, I’ve got 4 years. Give me 4 years been massive spending cuts in this budget. to try to deliver on the middle class tax cut. So that’s just a big myth that there hasn’t But the first thing we need to do is drive been. I also worked hard to pass a budget the deficit down with cuts and some prudent resolution that would make it clear that we revenue increases. Most of the people paying couldn’t raise any taxes unless we cut spend- the taxes are people whose taxes were low- ing. ered while their incomes increased in the Now, let me address the middle class tax 1980’s. And I think it’s very important to get cut specifically. Number one, after the elec- the budget back in balance. tion, after the election, the previous adminis- I will also tell you that all of our major tration announced that the Government defi- competitors imposed tax levies at higher rates cit was going to be $50 billion a year bigger than we do, and they manage to grow rather in 3 of the next 4 years, a year, after the briskly. I don’t like taxes. The State I ran, election. Therefore, I concluded that I could Arkansas, in all the years I was Governor,

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kept taxes in the bottom 5 percent of all of to put our young people back to work and the States in the country as a percentage of to educate them at the same time, not make- income. I was very proud of that. I don’t like work jobs but really building opportunities. this, but we’ve got to get a hold of this deficit. Number three, the empowerment proposal It’s going to kill us if we don’t. that I have recommended will dramatically increase the incentives that people in the mi- Justice System nority and majority communities have to in- Q. Mr. President, it’s been more than a vest in these communities so that they can year since the first King verdict out of Simi be brought back into the mainstream. All Valley and the riots that followed. Yet the these things will change the way justice oper- perception lingers that justice is still not ates at the grassroots level, I believe. being administered even handedly in this Q. What about more judges? country. I think that perception is especially The President. Well, I’m going to do that. strong where the victim or the accused of I mean, I think that you’ve got to appoint a crime is a member of a minority group. judges and U.S. Attorneys that fairly reflect And this is true in the administration of jus- the diversity of America and meet a very high tice from the streets to the courts. Sir, what standard of excellence. And I don’t think you specific steps is your administration taking have to sacrifice one to get the other. to correct this terrible perception and this dismal reality? And I’d appreciate it if you Immigration would include the importance of greater Af- Q. I’m a taxpayer. My question is, why are rican-American Federal judges and more ap- my taxes going to subsidize the health care pointments there, but not limit your response and the education of illegal immigrants while to that issue, sir. our own citizens are doing without? The President. I wouldn’t limit it to that. The President. That’s a good question. I I think, first of all, you can look at the ap- think there are two answers to that. One, pointment decisions I made. The woman I frankly, is a practical one, and that is that appointed Attorney General, Janet Reno, was the United States does not have the means the prosecutor in Dade County, Miami, one at the present time to enforce its own immi- of the most ethnically diverse and difficult gration laws. And one of the things that I’ve counties to deal with in the United States. asked the Attorney General to do is to con- I appointed her because I thought she would duct a nationwide search for the best person understand the importance of having all the to head the Immigration and Naturalization communities in this country, including the Service, who can really make some changes minority communities, believe in the justice there and then try to get more border patrol of the justice system. She and the other peo- and more ability to enforce the immigration ple we’ve appointed at the Justice Depart- laws. One of the things that was in the jobs ment I think will change the whole feeling package that I proposed—the emergency about justice in this country. I think they will jobs package that was voted down by the fili- vigorously enforce the civil rights laws; I buster in the Senate—was money for several think they will move aggressively against hundred more border patrol officers here in abuse of power. California. So we have to deal with that. The second thing we’re trying to do is to The second reason is that the United change the dynamics on the streets in a lot States Government sets immigration policy of these communities with about three initia- but for as long as I can remember has left tives. Number one, we are determined to try it up to the States to bear the burden of the to put as close as we can to 100,000 more immigration costs of the localities, so that police officers on the street in the next 4 California, Texas, and Florida and, to a slight- years, sensitive to the community, working ly lesser extent, New York pay huge bills for in the communities in community policing national decisions. So in spite of all the budg- settings. That leads to less police abuse and etary problems we have in this budget, we stronger relationships. Number two, we in- have recommended several hundred million tend to spend more money in targeted ways more dollars to come into the State of Cali-

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fornia so that your local tax dollars will be is not the check, you give up the child care, freed up for education and for the other because you’ve got to pay for that, and you needs of the people in California. give up the health insurance you get out of It is not fair the way you’ve been done the Medicaid program. So what I propose by the National Government. And given our to do is the following: I want to change the financial difficulties, we’re doing as much as welfare system so that in any State in Amer- we can to change that. I’ve got to give a plug ica, anybody who is on welfare has to go to a Californian, Leon Panetta, who’s now through an education and training program, the head of the Office of Management and then has to take a job, if offered, but gets Budget. He helped us to redraw the laws so child care and medical coverage when they that more of this money for medical care and do it. And furthermore, I want to make sure other health-related and welfare-related work always pays. costs of immigrants could be borne by the So to go back to your question, one of the National Government, because it’s the na- things we propose to do in this tax bill is tional policy. And so your tax dollars here to say, for everybody, families with an income can be freed up for urgent California needs of under $30,000, that you get an increase for your own folks. in what’s called the earned-income tax credit. And if you’re a working poor person, if you Welfare Reform work 40 hours a week and you’ve got children Q. I’m really frustrated with the welfare in your house, you would be lifted above the system. Right now, I’m a single parent, and poverty line, so there would never be an in- I just moved into an apartment. Since I centive not to work. moved into the apartment, my benefits have Now, the flipside of that is if after 2 years been cut, and I figured I’d try to make a on welfare and going through the education better life for my child and myself, so I start- program you don’t have a job, then every- ed to go to school. Since I’ve been going to body under my plan would be required to school, I can’t get any child care benefits. go to work, either in a private sector job or And the question that I want to ask you: a public sector job, in order to continue to What changes are you willing to make within draw the check. So we would end it, welfare that welfare system so that people such as as we know it, but we would give you the myself can make a better life for their child tools to succeed in the private sector. The and themselves? tax system would support it, the child care The President. First of all, I’m glad you system would support it, the health care sys- want to do that. And secondly, I’m glad tem would support it. If we did that, you’d you’re here so that other people who may see a dramatic drop in the number of people never have met anybody drawing a welfare on welfare and on food stamps. One in 10 check understand that most people on wel- Americans is on food stamps today. That is fare would like to get off. awful. And a lot of them are working people. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time So what we need to do is stop penalizing in the last 6 or 7 years working on this, and work. We need to reward work, and we need I’ll bet I have had more personal conversa- to reward responsible parenting. And I think tions with people on welfare than any other that these changes will do that. public official in America. Here’s what I That bill will be coming up. I’ll be intro- think should be done. And you may not agree ducing that into the Congress sometime in with all of it, but let me say to you and to the next few months as we try to work everyone here, you just said something that’s through all the details. But changing the wel- very important. Most people on welfare do fare system could do more to strengthen fam- not stay because of the welfare check. They ily and work values in this country than just stay because the cost of child care or the cost about anything else we could do. of medical coverage for their children makes taking a job prohibitive. Because if you don’t Defense Cutbacks have a lot of education and you take a low- Moderator. This is a retired Marine Corps wage job and no benefits, what you give up general.

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Q. Nice to see you. shouldn’t have. But we don’t need to reduce The President. You should have been the uniformed forces, I don’t believe, any with me last week, I was out at the Marine faster or any lower than this 5-year budget Barracks for the parade. plan, that the Congress is voting on, proposes Q. My son told me. to do. The President. It was wonderful. A lot of people don’t understand this, but Q. Sir, we’re pretty much a service area the defense budget, which exploded in the here, and we’re mindful that the United eighties, has been going down for about 5 States is famous for building up its military years now. And the reason the deficit keeps in time of crisis and then dismantling it as getting bigger is that even though defense soon as the crisis is over, with the result that is going down and we’re not spending much the next crisis brings a lot of terrible white new money on other things, you’ve had an crosses. And it looks like we’re doing that explosion in health care costs, in costs associ- now. I hope that’s not true, but it looks like ated with the bottom dropping out of the we’re doing it. My question is, how do your economy, I mentioned food stamps and in- professional military, your Joints Chiefs of terest on the debt. But there is a limit to Staff, feel in the light of the crisis that we how much you can cut defense responsibly. face and the build-down that we’re going This country’s still the world’s only super- through now? power. There are a lot of things only the The President. Well, let me tell you that United States can do. Even our allies in Eu- I have spent a lot of time with the Joint rope, even the wealthier countries simply Chiefs of Staff since becoming President. I’ve cannot do a lot of the things that we might had to, because of the work we’ve done not be called upon as a free world to do, not only with the defense budget but the crisis the United States on its own. So I’m glad in Bosnia, the moving out of our commitment you asked the question. And we’re watching in Somalia—which was a real success—and it closely, and I promise you I will watch it a lot of other issues. I think it’s fair to say every year when I’m there. that most of them have mixed feelings. They know that we have to reduce defense. They Jobs and Training for Youth know that we don’t need a 2-million or a 3- Moderator. Mr. President, of course, in million-person Armed Forces, but they know all the major cities, San Diego being no ex- there’s a limit beyond which we should not ception, crime probably ranks second to the go. And I can tell you that in my own mind, economy right now, and the gang problem I’m very apprehensive about going below specifically. We have with us right now Ariel where these plans take us. I don’t think we Zuniga who in San Diego is a gang member. should go below about a 1.4-million-person Q. Mr. President, I live in a gang commu- armed services. That will still enable us to nity, and a lot of gang members want to get have a vibrant and diverse service in all of out of the gangs, but there’s nowhere to go, the service branches to keep them going. there’s nothing we can do. One big thing that I think there are some weapon systems could change a lot of gang members’ minds that we still need to continue to develop. We is jobs. If you give us jobs, that will open need more air and sealift capacity, for exam- our minds to live better. Now, that’s one way. ple, and we will have to do that. And I am Do you have any other suggestions for gang very concerned, frankly, that we keep up a intervention or to help gang members go vibrant Reserve and Guard component so somewhere when they want to get out of the that if we have to bring people back in in lifestyle? a hurry, we can. But the general feeling is The President. I’m just glad to hear you that we’re right on the brink of what we can say a lot of people want to get out. My own do, and we shouldn’t go any further than this belief is that we do need more jobs and that budget takes us. And in the foreseeable fu- we do need jobs tied to continuing education ture, we should really be very reluctant to and training. And if possible, we need jobs go much further, unless it is in dropping a like a lot of the work done by the Los Angeles particular weapon system that we think we Conservation Corps, just to mention one ex-

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ample, where people, particularly people a return on their investment. And we’ll keep who are street-smart, who have been in working on it. gangs, can work in community projects with I also think, frankly, it’s not popular to say, others so that they become accepted by their but every country in the world now with an community, and they become a part of a dif- advanced economy, except Japan, which is ferent kind of gang, if you will. You know, more closed than we are—but if you look all of us want to be in gangs. We just need at Germany, if you look at Great Britain, if to be in positive gangs, good gangs. We want you look at France, you look at all the wealthy to be part of something bigger than our- countries, they all have high unemployment selves. rates. They’re all higher than America’s ex- One of the things that I asked for in this cept for West Germany. And we have so emergency jobs package, which was stopped many young people that we’re going to have by the minority in the Senate, was enough to use a Government-private partnership to money for another 900,000 summer jobs, put people back to work. tied for the first time ever, tied to real train- You just think about it. I mean, I’m glad ing programs so that there would be edu- you came here. If everybody in this State who cation along with the jobs and tied to an ef- wanted a job had one, you’d have about half fort to get the private sector into the program the problems you have, wouldn’t you? But so they could match the jobs one for one I do think it’s important not that you just so that when the summer was over, all the be given jobs when you’re young, but also young people in the gangs, let’s say, who had that we do an honest assessment of every- summer jobs would have relationships with one’s skill level and give them the education people in the private sector who could help and training they need, because the average to continue to work with them. young person’s going to have to change jobs I still think these are the best things to seven or eight times in a lifetime. So it’s not do. And I’m going to come back and try to just important that you have work but that get some more funds for summer jobs, cou- you be able to get other work, like all these— pled with education. And then we’re going we’re going to have to retrain a lot of these to keep working with people all across the defense workers. A lot of them are 50, 55 country to try to figure out how to create years old. So that’s important, too. It’s not more jobs. I have presented to the Congress just work, but it’s education and training. a program which doesn’t spend a lot of Gov- Q. But summer jobs aren’t good ernment money, but which gives real, mean- enough—— ingful incentives to people like the business- The President. Because they’re over, man, who was the first person who spoke, right? and others, whether big or small, to invest Q. You have a more permanent—is that in areas to create jobs and then hire people what you’re saying? like you and your colleagues. We’ll give them Q. Yes. big jobs tax credits for hiring you. We’ll give The President. Absolutely, that’s what I’m them other tax incentives for trying to create saying. But what we’ve tried to do with this economic opportunity. summer jobs program, let me explain again, A lot of these places would not have as is to try to make sure we brought the business many gangs if there were more people who community into the program more, so it could get up every day and go make a living. wasn’t just a bunch of Government jobs, and And this is a great resource. There are a lot try to make sure we had a good educational of people out there who have money in these component. distressed communities, but people wonder And the other thing I want to say to you whether the streets are safe enough or is that if the national service plan I propose whether you can really make a return on your to Congress passes, then all the young people investment. So this empowerment zone con- in your neighborhood will be able to earn cept is designed to make sure that there’s credit to go to college or a 2-year training enough tax incentive in there to give people program by working in your community. And at least the nudge they need to try to get if you choose, you can borrow all the money

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you need to go to college and then not have gram so that you wouldn’t have to wander to pay it back until you actually go to work around for 2 or 3 years out of work with no and then at a small percentage of your in- real strategy. So there is a catchup here to come, something that we’ve never done in be done. So I’m having to play catchup be- this country before. So I’ll also be able to cause we’re starting in 1993 something that go in those neighborhoods and say, look, should have been started in 1987. even if you can’t get a job in this neighbor- Now having said that, defense conversion hood, you can go to college. You can borrow normally means three things, and I’ll tell you the money to live on and to pay your ex- what we’re doing and what I hope to get out penses, and you don’t have to pay it back of it. Number one, in some cases industries until you go to work. And here’s a system themselves can convert. That is, the employ- that you’ll always be able to afford to pay ers can find new things to do to keep either it back. That has also never been the case. all or part of their work force working. The A lot of people in this country think they’ll second thing it means is communities con- never go to college. And even if they go, the verting. That is, communities can figure out dropout rate’s more than twice the dropout how they’re going to recruit or start or fi- rate from high school because of the cost. nance new economic activities which will But I don’t think there are any easy answers. hire the people who were laid off at the old I think it’s work and education. I don’t think place. Number three, it means total retrain- there’s any simple shortcut. ing for workers. Sometimes we’ve had workers—I know in my State where an air base Defense Conversion closed and we lost tons of jobs, sometimes Moderator. Mr. President, you men- people retrained and went to work in the tioned laid-off defense workers. Well, coinci- local steel mill or started their own small dentally, we just happen to have a couple, businesses or started something entirely dif- both of whom are laid-off defense workers. ferent. Q. Before I ask my question, I would like So when you hear defense conversion, it to say, it’s a pleasure to be in the same room means three things, not one thing. It means: with the President. Can the company do something different and The President. Thank you. I work for you. keep you working? If they can’t, can the com- It’s a pleasure for me to be in the room with munity find a way to start new businesses? you. And regardless, is there some retraining pro- Q. We’ve heard of the conversion plan. gram that would put you back into the work What is the conversion plan, and how is it force fairly quickly at more or less the same supposed to help those of us who are em- income you were making before? Those are ployed? And what is it supposed to convert the three things. us into except jobless, homeless, and hungry? We have released this year alone $500 mil- The President. That’s a good question. lion in a technology initiative to try to really First of all, let me make one thing clear right focus on creating jobs for people on the the- away, because I owe it to the people of Cali- ory that if the jobs are there, people figure fornia who had been harder hit by the de- out how to get trained. That’s what our focus fense cuts than anyone else—the marine is. This year we’re going to try to spend about general, the retired general that was talking $1.7 billion in all three kinds of activities. But about cutbacks. California’s been hit hard in California should benefit primarily from the two ways: first, by base closing but even hard- technology focus. There’s been a lag time; er by cutbacks in contracts so that people I admit it. We waited 6 years too late as a who work for defense companies lost their Nation to do this. But I think you’re going jobs, a lot of our high-wage base manufactur- to see an enormous number of jobs created ing, and that’s you guys. in this State in the next 4 or 5 years in new One of the problems that we have in Cali- uses of technology. I mean, right here in San fornia is that when we started cutting defense Diego, there is a consortium trying to figure as a nation back in ’87, there should have out, for example, how to use old defense been in place, right then, a conversion pro- technology to build bridges that won’t break

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in an earthquake. If they could do that, you around, we can turn the country around. could go through and rebuild or support California has 12 percent of the country’s bridges, create tens of thousands of jobs, not population, 21 percent of the defense spend- just people working on the bridges but in ing. That will tell you why you boomed in all the plants making all the materials and the eighties and why you’re getting the shaft designing everything. That’s just one tiny ex- in the nineties. Okay, so we’re working on ample. There are an unlimited number of things just like that. And if you’ve got any things like that, if we will get at it. So that’s specific ideas about what we ought to do, what we’re trying to do. maybe you can give them to me after the show. But my thought is that that has to be Economic Redevelopment Strategies handled community by community. And Q. My question is a little bit different. what we’re going to try to do is make sure What is available as help for those of us that every community has a committee that could have been forced into the processes of bank- work with people like you as long as we’re ruptcy and foreclosures to stop these pro- moving forward. ceedings against us and to help us maintain our credibility until we are able to obtain Shipbuilding Subsidies gainful employment? Q. My question kind of relates to the de- The President. Well, it’s interesting be- fense cutbacks from a different angle. During cause the bankruptcy laws were, in a way, that past 10 years, 50 percent of American reformed to make it easier for people to file shipyards have gone away, basically dis- bankruptcy so they wouldn’t lose everything. appeared because of the foreign countries But the practical matter is if you were basi- that subsidize their shipyards with billions of cally a wage earner in a factory, it doesn’t dollars. Do you plan in the next 10 years or work that way, as you know. So I’m afraid during your term to allow the remaining ship- the answer is right now there isn’t anything yards to completely disappear? Are we going available. But those are the kind of things to start—— we’re trying to put in place. That is, we be- The President. The answer to your ques- lieve that local community groups—and I tion is, I’m going to do what I can to avoid know you’ve got somebody working in San that. It’s difficult, with a big Government Diego on this—that every community that’s deficit like we have, to start a subsidy pro- had a significant displacement because of de- gram. But there’s no question—if you go fense cutbacks should have a community back and look at the history of what hap- strategy for redevelopment. And among that pened in the eighties—and this is the same should be that if you’re getting job training thing to me with farmers or anything else— and if there’s a real effort to create new eco- we unilaterally, that is, all by ourselves with- nomic opportunities, then we think at the out asking anybody else to do anything, cut local level people should be working on our shipbuilding subsidy. Our major com- creditors to exercise forbearance to try to petitors either kept them the same or in- keep from having people losing their homes creased them. So what do you think the re- and things of that kind. And I believe a lot sult was? I mean, predictably, if the govern- of that could be negotiated at the local level ment by artificial means in another country if people think things are happening. lowers the cost of production and people are One of the reasons a lot of people like you going to buy the least expensive ship, Amer- are suffering so badly is that people don’t ica got the shaft. sense that they’re part of the big plan to turn One of the things that we are doing at the this whole thing around. So they just treat present time is, by the way, reviewing our case by case. And let me say, in an attempt whole posture on all these shipping issues to accelerate that, I’ve asked the Secretary and especially in connection with California. of Commerce, Ron Brown, basically to head As you probably know, I was out at the up a team with five or six other Cabinet De- NASSCO yard during the campaign. They partments just to focus on California, be- turned the whole place out for me—it was cause I think if we can turn California wonderful—just because of some specific is-

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sues they were interested in that I had taken look like they’d be good risks. And we’re try- a position on. ing to make sure every bank in America un- On the question of the subsidies, I think derstands that there are new rules that they there are two issues here, two possibilities: can follow to exercise good sense in doing We can either have some sort of tax incentive that. for those companies, or in the alternative, we Number two, I appointed, the first time can put the subsidies for shippers on the in a good while, a person to head the Small table when we negotiate with the Japanese, Business Administration whose job in life be- with the other shipbuilders in the other fore he became head of the Small Business countries. It can be a big issue. You know, Administration was to start small businesses. I’ve been criticized for saying I wanted to That’s what he did, he went out and raised bargain more toughly with some of our trad- money for people who wanted to start small ing partners, but a lot of these folks are doing businesses. It was not a political appoint- as well or better than we are now in some ment; he was a serious business person. And of these areas, and I think we have to be we are trying now to make the Small Busi- pretty firm. We don’t have to fall out with ness Administration a real job creator. We the Japanese in the whole range of areas have slashed the rules and regulations; it’s where we share the same values, we have going to be a lot simpler to apply for loans. security interests. I admire them and care It’s going to be very different. a lot about them. But I think we have to The third thing we have to do, and this have tough bargaining on the trade issues will affect minority business people espe- with all these countries. So we are trying to cially, I think is to create a national network decide what the best way to go is. But the of community development banks, either answer to your question is, I’ll be sick 10 within existing banks or separate institutions, years from now if we’re not making any ships where the people that are set up to make in America. loans to people who traditionally have not gotten them but are good risks, modeled on Small Business Loans a bank in Chicago called the South Shore Q. Mr. President, availability of funds for Development Bank, and I set up in rural Ar- minority small businesses through SBA loans kansas, too. And they made loans to minori- and commercial banks is generally agonizing, ties, to women, to low-income people, people then followed by defeat. My question is, is who had a good reputation, who had a good what can you do to change this or to correct product or service, who seemed like a good this so that we can acquire loans in the fu- risk. And they had been quite successful in ture? bringing free enterprise to places where they The President. I can tell you what we’re haven’t been. trying to do. And first, let me say this is a So, community development banks, a dif- big issue for small business, generally. There ferent Small Business Administration, ending has been a credit crunch in California and the credit crunch, those are the things we’re in New England and in Florida and a lot of trying to do. I hope it works. Write me in other places in the country, but heavily con- a year and tell me if it is. centrated, which means that small business people, especially people who aren’t tradi- POW–MIA’s tionally good sources of credit or haven’t got- Q. Mr. President, this is my brother, Colo- ten a lot of credit in the past, had real trou- nel Charles Sharpe. He was captured in ble, and that’s a nationwide thing. North Vietnam October 1st, 1965, and I have So we try to basically do three things. very good reason he is still alive today. Mr. Number one, we’ve got all the financial President, you promised a clean sweep when Agencies, the Treasury Department, Comp- you became President. The POW families troller of the Currency, all those folks to- have been stonewalled for more than 20 gether, and we came up with a plan to reduce years by the same people in power. The grid- the credit crunch, to simplify the ability of lock continues. And at the same time, the banks to make character loans to people that Vietnamese Government, the policy of the

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Vietnamese Government, ‘‘we can keep you begun to open some files to us that have forever,’’ continues. But it could end with the never before been opened. removal of the old guard and replacement Q. Because the right questions have not of a new guard. My question, Mr. President, been asked in the past. will you extend this same clean sweep as The President. You tell me what ques- promised to our POW’s, change in the grid- tions you want asked, and I’ll get them asked. lock? And why haven’t you signed an Execu- Q. If you would give the opportunity and tive order releasing information to the fami- promise to go into detail—I’ve been in this lies so the truth can finally be told and to for 27 years with my brother, worked with pave the way for the return of our alive pris- both Governments and the families and the oners? American Legion and all the friends—if you The President. Well, I think we have would take some of our suggestions. Thank made public a lot of information. And I will you. go back and check and see what the status Moderator. Mr. President, we’ve got a of that is. Let me say, first of all, if you have very bright young San Diegan who has a any information about your brother you want question for you. to give me, I will do my best to run it down. The President. You’ve got a nice tie, too. Q. I would be happy to, sir. Moderator. Yes. I think that it rivals the President’s tie tonight, don’t you think so? The President. Secondly, let me say that He’s a sixth grader here in San Diego. I have sent or supported a number of Viet- nam veterans going over to Vietnam in the Prospects for the Future last several weeks to try to get more and more Q. Hello, President Clinton. My question information. For the first time, when General is, my birthday is tomorrow and I’m 12 years Vessey was over there the last time, just a old tomorrow, and my question is, what kind few weeks ago, we actually got a list. They of future am I going to have in store for me gave us their list, which appears to be a very and the country? authentic list of every POW and MIA that The President. That’s a neat question, they knew and what happened to them, with isn’t it? I think you’ve got a very bright fu- a lot of information that they had never even ture. The world you will live in will be freer revealed that they had before. So I think they of the threat of total destruction than any are moving forward. Our big stick now is they world we’ve ever known. It will be smaller, want to make money, they want to do busi- in the sense it will be in closer touch more ness with us. And the United States, unlike quickly with people around the world of all a lot of other countries—France, which colo- different races and ethnic groups and eco- nized Vietnam and in a way got us into it, nomic systems. The volume of knowledge is over there doing business with them. The will double more quickly. And you will know United States has no intention of doing that, more and do more with technology than any at least I don’t, until we have a full account- group of Americans or any group of people ing of the POW’s and MIA’s. ever have. So if you get a good education, So I do believe we’re making progress. We by the time you’re grown, we will have have more information by far, just in the last worked through a lot of the terrible problems few months, than we’ve ever had before. We we’re facing now. And I think you will be are trying to run down all these cases. All part of a new burst of American prosperity, I can tell you is, I’m going to do the very if we fix the problems the country has now. best I can to run down every case and to But our job, my generation’s job, is not make sure that no family is denied access to leave you saddled with a huge debt, no to reasonable information. And I’ll follow up investment in your future, and an economy on that last question you made. But if you’ll that doesn’t work and a society that’s coming give me whatever information you have, I’ll apart, where there’s too much crime, too have it run down. We have people going over much division, too much violence. If we can there all the time now and digging around. simply face our problems today and deal with And we’re doing our best. And they’ve finally them like grownups, be honest about them—

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it’s okay to differ, it’s okay if we differ about lates to economic impact, jobs, and Native how we should do things, but if we just work American sovereignty? on our problems, I think you’re going to have The President. Oh yes, I would do that. a great future. I believe that by the time you I have a little different approach to this, and get out of high school, that America will real- I don’t want to take a lot of the program ly be on the move again and things will be on it because I intended to do that, but I looking great and you’ll feel great about your have a little different approach and a little future. That’s why I ran for President, to bit of perspective, I think, than either the make sure that happens. I’m going to be real- Indian tribes or the Governors. The Gov- ly disappointed if it doesn’t. ernors are worried—you all probably don’t Moderator. What kind of a tax rate might know what we’re talking about. Basically, the he expect to see when he grows older? Indians who live on Indian lands have been The President. I think about what it is able for many years to have some kind of now, maybe even a little less, depending. You gambling, like bingo parlors. A Federal mag- know, one of the things that we don’t know, istrate ruled several months ago that if any that we’re looking at now, and I meant to kind of gaming could occur on Indian lands, go back to the first question you asked, we’ve then all kinds of gaming could, basically, got a second round of budgetary changes that right? So that means that, essentially, if they I think could come along about September so chose, that any Indian land could become when the Vice President finishes this review Las Vegas, to do any kind of gambling. So I’ve asked him to undertake about the way the Governors are all real nervous about that, Government operates and whether we partly because they think that they’ll have to should just stop doing some of the things turn their States into Nevada because the we’re doing and change the whole way the pressure to give the gambling rights to every- Government operates. I think that it is con- body else will get so great, and that the whole ceivable by the time he becomes a taxpayer thing will get out of hand. So they argue for that technology will render a lot of govern- restrictions which would enable the States to mental functions totally irrelevant. And I restrict the range of gaming. The Native think that the cost of Government might ac- American tribes don’t want that; they want tually go down. to have this maximum amount of flexibility. Now, the cost of health care will be there, I have a different perspective. I’ll just give the cost of Social Security will be there, and it to you, but I intend to meet with tribal the need to continue to invest in new tech- leaders; I welcome that. I grew up in a town nologies will be even greater, and the need with the largest illegal gambling operation in to educate people will be greater. But a lot America when I was a kid. Hot Springs, Ar- of the things that we think of as Government kansas, had the biggest gambling operation bureaucracy, if this thing is properly man- except for Las Vegas anywhere in the coun- aged, could be handled with computers and try. A young man, the age of that fellow that cards and a lot of the hassle that you think just asked the question, could walk in any of as Government, everything from waiting restaurant and put a nickel in a slot machine. for your driver’s license to applying for a There were open casinos. What my belief is, loan, to dealing with the farm programs, is that it is a lousy basis for an economy past could just be obliterated, if we manage the a certain point. The Indian reservations have thing right and get the technology right. been kept dependent for too long, have suf- fered from the patronizing attitude of the Indian Gambling Rights Federal Government, have never been em- Q. Mr. President, the Governor’s opposi- powered to seize control of their own destiny. tion to the Indian gaming act is full of misin- And I do not blame the tribes for wanting formation. As a former Governor, Mr. Presi- the maximum possible flexibility on gam- dent, we know you’ve heard their side of the bling. But what I’d like to see is a whole issue. Would you be willing, in the next 60 range of different initiatives so we can have days, to meet with a select group of tribal real long-term economic prosperity, because leaders for a briefing on the matter as it re- there is a limit to how much gambling the

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country can absorb. There’s a limit to how you’ve had somebody in your family sick and many Las Vegases can be successful. So we you’ve got a preexisting condition and you need to talk about it, and I would be happy have to change jobs. I think that employers to see some tribal leaders about it. should bear some responsibility for their employees, but I think employees should pay Health Care Reform some of their own health care costs, too, be- Q. The finest medicine in the world is cause if they don’t, there’s a tendency to practiced in the United States. Eighty-five overuse the system, which I’m sure you’ve percent of our population has access to this seen. It’s very important to point out that medical care, either through private insur- everybody gets this—I’m sure you would ac- ance, Medicare, or Medicaid. And most of knowledge—everybody gets health care in these are very happy with their physician, this country, but it’s too late, too expensive, with the way he works up their problem, and and often at the emergency room. And if the with the outcome of their situation. Fifteen employers who don’t do anything for their percent of our population, of course, is out- employees say, well, they shouldn’t have to, side this mainstream. My question to you is, the truth is that those who do are paying the really, how do you want to get that 15 percent bill, as you know. Employers who provide into the mainstream, how do you plan to fi- health insurance are paying for not only their nance it, and what’s the way it could be done employees but everybody else, too. And their with minimal—in our current system? cost goes up. So what I want to do is to see The President. Well, let me first of all a system where we phase in the requirements say what you already know, which is that the on employers who don’t cover their employ- Health Care Task Force that my wife is ees in very reasonable way, where the Gov- chairing is, at the moment, trying to finalize ernment basically provides for the non- their recommendations so they can then take employed uninsured and where we have in- it to the doctors, to the hospitals, the nurses, surance reforms that will simplify billing and to the business community, to the labor com- regulation and dramatically reduce your pa- munity, everybody, and try to let them evalu- perwork burden. The average doctor—let me ate it and then bring it back to me so I can just say another thing—a lot of people com- introduce it in the Congress. plain to me and say, ‘‘Well, these doctor fees I would like to just reshape what you said are going up so fast.’’ You need to know that just a little bit. I agree we have the finest in 1980—let me just say this, this is real im- medicine in the world for people who can portant—in 1980, the average doctor took access it. I agree that we ought to keep a home 75 percent of all the income that he system where people can have some real or she generated into a clinic. In 1992, that choice of their doctors, particularly their pri- figure is down to 52 percent. Twenty-three mary providers whom they know. I agree that cents on the dollar gone, mostly to bureauc- we need to keep medical care in private racy and paperwork and regulation and insur- hands. I think that’s all very important. It’s ance costs, right? a little more complicated than that just 15 Q. Right. percent have no health insurance. About The President. So, what I think we have 100,000 Americans a month lose their health to do is to reorganize the system so it’s much insurance and either fall into the category of more simple from an administrative point of uncompensated care or onto the Govern- view and so we all take some responsibility ment’s Medicare and Medicaid rolls. We also for our own health care, including all the em- have medical inflation rates at far higher than ployers. But we have to be very sensitive to the world average, and we spend a third the small business sector and phase that in. more of our income on health care than any That’s basically where we’re going with it. other country, even though we don’t insure some of our people. Multilingual Education So what I think we need to do is to find Q. Hello. I’m a teacher of English to stu- ways to reorganize the insurance market so dents who speak another language, and I that you can’t lose your health insurance if have observed that those students that do

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well are those students that feel good about construction to go forward there. And so their native language, about being bilingual. what I think we have to do—I’m glad you I therefore believe that teachers as profes- told me this because I didn’t realize there sionals, as role models, need to be required were any issues continuing down here about to have at least a conversational ability in a that. One of the reasons I asked Bruce Bab- second language. I’d like you to respond to bitt to be Secretary of the Interior is that that. he’d been a Governor, he had practical sense, The President. I think it would be a good he’d been in the business his family had thing if all teachers did, but it would take been, and he believed in the environment. a good deal of time to get that done with But he had common sense about it. And I the present American teacher corps. And my thought the deal that he hammered out on own view is that that decision should be the gnatcatcher up north—but north of made at the State level, not nationally. I think here—would have general application and the National Government should facilitate would stop this kind of problem. So I will— and support the development of I didn’t know about it. All I can tell you is multilingualism among our teachers. But I’ll get on it. since over 90 percent of the money is raised Q. Thank you very much for education at the State and local level, I The President. I think a lot of these prob- think if there’s going to be a regulation about lems—let me say one other thing. I think it, it ought to be done at the State or local as long as we have a big and complex society, level. I think the United States should sup- you can’t make all of the problems go away port more language instruction, and I have on the front end. But one of the things that vigorously done that in my State. We tripled I’m trying to do at the White House and one the number of kids in foreign language of the reasons I asked perhaps my oldest courses in my State because of the standards friend to be my Chief of Staff, a man who we adopted. And I agree it would help if made his whole career in business building more teachers did it. But I have to tell you, new businesses and starting things, is to try I don’t think the National Government to make sure that the White House could should mandate it. maybe be a place that could break some of Q. I like your diverse tie. these bureaucratic logjams and change The President. Thanks. This is the ‘‘Save things. And I tried to appoint a Cabinet full the Children’’ tie. I just got it last week. A of really practical people who could solve 12-year-old student designed it. these kind of problems. You’ve told me something I didn’t know. I’ll go to work on Endangered Species and the Economy it. And if you’ll give me a card or something Q. Mr. President, the economy of San before you leave tonight, we’ll get back in Diego is probably the hardest hit in the coun- touch with you next week. try. Our construction industry has an unemployment of about 40 percent to 50 percent, Immigration yet the Federal Endangered Species Act has Moderator. Mr. President, we’ve only got put about 200,000 acres on hold. That could about 3 minutes left. I’d ask you one quick impact about 150,000 jobs, billions of dollars question on my behalf here, something that to the economy. And within the last month, hasn’t been touched on this evening. Our three projects were stopped because some- border here with Mexico has become someone saw or thought they saw a bird, a what of a sieve lately—we have Chinese im- gnatcatcher, fly through the project area. migrants trying to get across our border. To That eliminated about 200 jobs on the spot what extent do you favor closing off that bor- and millions of dollars to the economy here der, or do you favor it? in San Diego. What will you do to give us The President. I think that the immigra- a better balance? tion laws, we have to try to enforce them. The President. Well, you know, just north And let me say, to go back to this lady’s ques- of here, I thought the Secretary of the Inte- tion—and if you’re going to have laws that rior had made an agreement that allowed you don’t even try to enforce, you don’t have

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the resources to enforce, then you shouldn’t The President. I don’t think I could do expect the State to pick up the tab. So even that, but what I think I can do is to identify though we’re broke and in trouble, I did, as areas which are likely to be hurt and do more I said earlier, try to get the Federal Govern- to direct Government investment there and ment to pick up more of the tab for Califor- other incentives to hire people back. And I nia this coming year than we did before. would certainly do that. But I have to tell But my own view is that there have to be you, I think California will gain a lot more some limitations on immigration and that jobs than you’ll lose if we have the right kind once those limitations are concluded, once of trade agreement. Mexico is now our sec- we agree as a society on whatever they are, ond biggest purchaser of manufactured prod- then we ought to try to enforce the law, ucts. California wins big on that. I think we knowing that it’s hard to do. And I say that will win more than we lose. But some will as a person who basically believes America lose, and we need to have offsetting invest- has been greatly strengthened by its immi- ments. I agree with that. grants. Almost everybody in this room, ex- Thank you. cept for the Native Americans, were once im- Moderator. Thank you very much, Mr. migrants. And even most of them had fore- President. The people of San Diego thank bears tens of thousands of years ago that you. came from someplace else, when the land The President. Thank you. was connected to someplace else. So I am basically in favor of a vibrant, diverse immi- NOTE: The town meeting began at 8 p.m. at the grant population, but there are limits to what KGTV studio. In his remarks, the President re- we can afford to do. And once we accept ferred to Erskine Bowles, Administrator of the that, then I think we ought to try to enforce Small Business Administration; General John the law. Vessey, Special Emissary for POW/MIA Affairs; I thought you were going to ask me about and Thomas F. McLarty, Chief of Staff at the the problems with the sewage treatment in White House. A tape was not available for verifica- Tijuana. I’m also going to try to deal with tion of the content of this town meeting. that. San Diego got the shaft on that in the Congress last year. I’ll try to see if I can’t fix that this year. Nominations for Posts at the Departments of State, Tijuana Sewage Treatment Transportation, and Labor Moderator. Real quickly, any suggestions? May 17, 1993 The President. On what? Moderator. On how to fix that. The President named four new members The President. I just think—it’s not that of his administration today, announcing his much money, it’s about $3 million a year. intention to nominate Richard Moose to be And we’ll just see if we can’t, when that par- Under Secretary of State for Management, ticular appropriation comes up, we’ll see if Gordon Linton to be Administrator of the we can help on that. I think we should do Federal Transit Administration, Louise Stoll that. Again, that’s something that’s not your to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation fault. for Budget and Programs, and Anne Lewis Moderator. Mr. President, we’re down to to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Public one minute, unfortunately. Affairs. ‘‘This is a first-rate group of people,’’ said NAFTA the President. ‘‘Richard Moose brings signifi- Q. The question is, with the NAFTA cant experience in both foreign affairs and agreement, will you mandate that when a corporate management to the task of making person loses their job as a result of this agree- the State Department work more efficiently. ment which our Government entered into, Gordon Linton is a distinguished public serv- that they would be guaranteed any new job ant with an unquestionable knowledge of that is created? transportation matters. Louise Stoll has been

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a leader in both the private and public sectors options back there. Will the Members of in managing large endeavors. Anne Lewis has Congress stand up? Walter and Xavier and a tremendous sense of the concerns of work- Tony Beilenson, Congressmen, it’s good to ing Americans. I am honored that all four see you all. of them will be joining my administration.’’ I see several State officials back there— the secretary of state, the State comptroller, NOTE: Biographies of the nominees were made available by the Office of the Press Secretary. the insurance commissioner, Michael Woo, Councilman Michael Woo, my friend, a candidate for mayor. Good for you. Good luck. Nomination for an Assistant That ‘‘woo’’ is interesting, isn’t it? Makes Secretary of Labor a good cheer. I like it. May 17, 1993 I want to say to all of you, first of all, I am delighted to be back in California; glad The President announced his intention to to be back in Los Angeles and to Van Nuys nominate John Donahue to be Assistant Sec- and—[applause]. Yesterday I was in New retary of Labor for Policy. Donahue is an as- Mexico, and I was at Los Alamos, and I said sociate professor at Harvard’s Kennedy Los Angeles. They all hooted. So I promised School of Government and an economic and them when I got here I’d say I was glad to strategy consultant. be in Los Alamos. So there, I did it. [Laugh- ‘‘John Donahue is a leading expert on the ter] relationship between business and Govern- I came here for a very specific purpose ment,’’ said the President. ‘‘He and Secretary today, and that is to try to illustrate what the Reich have worked together productively in economic efforts that our administration is the past, and I am confident that they will making will do for you and how your ef- work together now to create policies aimed at giving our country the most productive, forts—can we fix this—— best trained work force in the world.’’ [At this point the microphone malfunc- tioned.] NOTE: A biography of the nominee was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary. ——in the work we’re doing to try to turn the California economy around. And I thought that there was really no better place Remarks and a Question-and-Answer to come than to a college like this where all Session at Los Angeles Valley College the people here have already, by definition, in Van Nuys, California taken responsibility for your own future and May 18, 1993 made a real commitment to do what it takes to be competitive, to develop the skills you The President. Thank you very much. I’m need to get a good job, to keep good jobs, delighted to see all of you here, and I’m glad and to learn new skills continuously. to have the chance to come. I’ve had a great I met a very impressive man inside who time touring some of the facilities and seeing has got a full-time job, as many of you do, some of the programs that are offered here who has been coming back here on his own at this college and meeting some of your fel- just to continue to hone his skills, because low students. Everybody here is a student, he says, ‘‘What I do requires me to change right? over and over and over again. So I will always Audience members. Yes! be able to have a good job.’’ And, this is The President. Everybody back there? I’m glad to see your president, your chan- funny, when I was talking to Dan Palmer, cellor who are here, and Mayor Bradley I who introduced me, he told me that before see back there. Thank you for coming. And he was married and began to have children, I see we have a number of Members of Con- he was a musician. And he realized that that’s gress back there. If you’ve got anything to not a very solid basis for having job security. ask your Congressman, we’ve got four or five

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I thought about being a musician, too, and from people with incomes above $100,000. I wasn’t as good as he was. And I knew I And we tried to give a tax cut to people with had no job security. So I got into another families with incomes under $30,000 so they line of work where I have no job security. wouldn’t have to pay a tax increase. [Laughter] But, anyway, I understand very But while doing that, there are some things much that sort of motivation which I imagine which we should spend some more money got a lot of you in here. on, and I want to talk about them. We ought What I wanted to do was to basically just to spend some more money on having more talk a little bit about our national economic programs like this. Why? Because you can efforts and how it affects California and how have the best economic policies in the world, what you’re doing here is essential if we’re and if the people don’t have the training they ever going to turn the economy of the State need to do the jobs in a global economy, good and Nation around. economic policies don’t put people to work. First, when I took office, I found, as you I’ll give you another example: There are know, a Government with an enormous also, in this tax bill that I have asked the Con- budget deficit. That is, we were running in gress to pass, there are also big incentives the red every year, over $300 billion. Our for small businesses and big businesses to re- debt had gone as a nation from $1 trillion invest their money to put Americans to work to $4 trillion. It’s hard to even imagine that and special programs to induce people to in- kind of money in just 12 years. We were a vest in communities that are particularly de- country for 200 years, we ran up $1 trillion pressed, more sweeping than anything any- worth of debt. Then in 12, we ran up $3 body’s ever offered. trillion more. Why? Because the Government can’t put Why? Because we cut taxes and increased everybody to work. Most people work in the spending. And it was fun for a while. It private sector, and that’s as it should be. So helped California a lot: cut taxes, people had we have to find ways to give people special more money in their pocket; increased incentives to reinvest their money. spending, mostly in defense; put a lot of peo- Let’s take, for example, a business. If a ple to work in plants out here; put a lot of business goes out and refinances its business people to work on and around the bases out loan and gets a lower interest rate, what do here. you want them to do with the money? Open In the end, it all catches up to you, and another business, right? Or expand the busi- you’ve seen the last few years what hap- ness they’re doing and hire more people so pened: the cold war was over; we began to we can get unemployment down. reduce defense; we had no real plan for deal- So those are the kinds of things we’re trying with it. And what’s happened to your tax ing to do. The budget I’ve asked the Con- money is, the deficit keeps going up even gress to pass has over 200 specific budget though defense has gone down because of cuts. It’s got some really tough things in it. the cost of health care, something that won’t We freezed Federal employee pay. We re- surprise any of you. duced the size of the Federal work force by So what I have tried to do is to come up 150,000 over the next 5 years by attrition, with a plan that would bring our deficit just by not hiring people as vacancies occur. down, give us control of our budget and your We cut everything from agriculture subsidies future, get interest rates down so people can to Medicare. We cut a lot of things, starting refinance their homes and their businesses— with the White House staff and the adminis- and I bet you there are people in this audi- trative cost of the Federal Government. ence today who have refinanced their home We raised the money that I talked about. loans since last November and saved a lot But we have some targeted increases in in- of money doing it, because we’re determined vestment. So while we’re going to bring the to bring interest rates down—and at the deficit down dramatically, we’re going to try same time, while cutting a lot of spending to get some money for more funds for dis- and raising some taxes, almost all of which— located workers, more funds for communities well at least well over 70 percent of it comes that are hurt by base closings or plants being

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closed because of defense cutbacks, more to ask wealthy people to pay their fair share, funds for things like the Red Line Transit to give people incentives for new jobs, and System here, where our administration an- to invest more in education, training, and nounced over $1 billion in funding to put technology. people back to work and also to have some I also want to tell you before I open the more stops in the community. floor to questions, I want to introduce one And the thing I want to say to you is that, more person. When I was running for Presi- if we’re going to compete, if you’re going to dent out here—— be able to have a good job and we’re going Audience members. No new taxes! to turn this community and this area around, The President. We tried it their way for we have to have the discipline to cut the 12 years. Look what it got us. You know what things out we don’t need to spend money the ‘‘no new taxes’’ crowd did for 12 years? on, to raise some money in order to bring They cut taxes on the rich, raised taxes on the deficit down, because that means low in- the middle class, ran the country in a ditch. terest rates, and that’s good for the economy. They had it their way for 12 years. It sounds But we also have to invest in people and tech- great, all this talk. They had their chance. nology and jobs. We’ve got to do that. Audience members. You broke your You know, I got amused when I was on promise! the way in here, people holding up signs, The President. They had their chance. I standing together. One of them said, ‘‘Don’t broke my promise—you know what else they spend any more money.’’ And another one don’t say? Their crowd, what did they do said, ‘‘Close the border to illegal aliens.’’ In after the election? Oh, after the election they the jobs program I presented to Congress, said, ‘‘Oh, by the way,’’—the previous admin- one of the things we had was enough money istration—‘‘Oh, by the way, the deficit is to hire a lot more border patrol people. You going to be $50 billion a year bigger every can’t have it both ways. If you’re going to year than we told you. But go ahead and do hire people, you’ve got to have the money everything you said you were going to do be- to hire them. And we’re going to have to fore. Sorry we didn’t tell you that.’’ make these kinds of tough decisions. Audience members. You broke your So I wanted to come here because all of promise! you know this. If you didn’t know this, you The President. What did they say, guys? wouldn’t be here. You have this figured out. So the free lunch crowd has had their chance. I mean, maybe not just like I said it, but And I’m telling you there is no free lunch you’ve figured it out. The average 18-year- crowd. And so we’ll just have to decide old going into the work force now is going whether we’re going to take a different to change work eight times in a lifetime. course. I want you to have a chance to do Eight times. And whether you can get and that. keep a job now depends as much on what The other thing I want to tell you is, we you can learn tomorrow as it does on what can’t turn this country’s economy around un- you know today. And that’s not going to less we lift California up. And so I asked the change. The world will get smaller and small- Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown to head er and smaller, more and more of our econ- a team in my administration to develop a spe- omy will depend upon our ability to compete cific strategy to try to make sure we were with people around the world. We’ll have to doing everything we could do to help to turn trade more. We’ll have to sell more to other this economy around. He has now made, just countries. We’ll have to be able to change since I’ve been President, in 4 months, seven constantly over and over and over again. And trips to California, meeting with people, you really are on the cutting edge of that working with people, trying to develop a change. strategy for what our partnership should be. So I wanted to come here to try to illus- And he came with me today, so I want to trate that and to ask you as citizens to support introduce him. Ron, stand up, please. He’s my economic program, to support our efforts spending more time here than in Washing- to bring the deficit down, to cut spending, ton.

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We’re going to work hard, but you’ve got And also, I think that the local registrar to do your part, too. And one of the messages of voters would probably be happy to do it. that I hope will come out of this event today And if they’re reluctant, then you ought to is that thousands of people in southern Cali- pursue trying to get a State law passed. fornia will see you. They will see you and they will think, ‘‘I’ve got to do my part, too. Home Ownership I’ve got to do something. I have to do some- Q. Mr. President, I still believe in having thing to change what I’m doing. I have to the American dream. And one of those do something to lift up my circumstances.’’ dreams is to have an education. Another one Because I’m telling you, there is nothing the is to own a home. And I want to know, what President, nothing the mayor, nothing the do you have in your economic policy that Governor, nothing anybody can do for you would help me buy a home? that you’re not prepared to do for yourself. The President. The most important thing This has got to be a partnership and a two- that I could do to help you buy a home is way street. to keep the cost of buying a home low. And Thank you very much. the best way to do that is to keep interest Who’s got a question or a comment? rates down. Home mortgage rates have been Q. Hi. First off, I thought you look mighty at 20-year lows, 20-year lows. And I want you handsome in that. to understand why. I hope we can keep them The President. I don’t know about that, down there. but it’s a handsome cap. Thank you. First, interest rates dropped for a long time because of the recession, but they still Voter Registration were pretty high. Then, after the election, Q. I’m a 29-year-old returning student. I said we were going to bring this deficit And I didn’t know if you knew, but we are down, and I gave a specific outline of how the number one voter registration campus in I was going to do it. The rates started drop- southern California, LAVC is. I wanted to ping rather dramatically. know, will you support an amendment to Last year, a poll was done which said that your motor voter bill which will allow stu- only 47 percent of the American people dents to register to vote at the same time under the age of 35 thought they had a real they register for classes when they come here good chance to own their own home. This to school? year, a poll was done that said 74 percent The President. The answer to that is, I of the people thought they had a chance to support that concept, but it’s too late to own their own home. The only thing that’s amend that bill, because we had to fight like changed is that the cost of financing a home crazy just to get it through. You know, it was has gone way down. So the central premise filibustered once by the minority in the Sen- of what we’re trying to do in bringing this ate. And finally, we got an agreement and deficit down is to lower interest rates, lower passed the bill, the motor voter bill, after it home mortgage rates, lower credit card rates, was passed last year and then vetoed. So it’s lower business rates, lower the car payment a great improvement over the present law, rates so that we can help make these things the motor voter bill, and so I think that it’s more affordable to average citizens. In other unrealistic to think we can amend it. words, doing the right thing for all Americans Now, what I think—as a matter of fact, will help individual Americans more than any I want to get it up and sign it before anybody specific program I could have on home-buy- decides to do anything else with it. But what ing. I think you should do, since California has Now, let me say one other thing. I have such an incredible array of community col- also supported having the Federal Govern- leges and other institutions of higher edu- ment give States the right to issue tax-exempt cation, is to try to get a State bill through bonds to provide for lower interest financing requiring that to be done here. I mean, that’s for middle class families and for working what I think you should do. I’ll bet you could families with modest means. And again, one get a lot of help. of the things that I have tried to do in my

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program, if it passes, is to make sure that portant; I’ve wanted to do it for a long time. we make that permanent so that every State It increases the earned-income tax credit, in America will be able to continue to do which is already in the Tax Code, to the point what I did vigorously in my State, which is that we’ll be able to say to anybody who to make available more low-income, low-in- works 40 hours a week and has a child in terest financing to people to buy homes. the house, if you do this, you will not be in poverty. In other words, even if we have to Taxes give you a tax credit, we’re going to lift you Q. Mr. President, there are many different out of poverty. We’re going to reward work claims on how much your economic plan will instead of welfare. We’re going to say that actually increase middle-income taxes. Can you’ll be out of poverty. you tell us in very simple, nonpolitical lan- Now again, I want to be very specific. The guage how much more money middle-in- higher you go toward $30,000, the more like- come people, those making less than ly you are to pay a little bit. But if you have $60,000, will pay in new taxes? children, you can make maximum use of the The President. Yes, I’ll be glad to. First earned-income tax credit so that if you’ve got, of all, there is one tax in this program that let’s say, a family of four with an income of falls on middle-income people. And that’s the $29,000, you will pay nothing or next to noth- so-called BTU tax. It’s an energy tax based ing on the energy tax, because while you pay on, basically, the heat content of various it, you’ll get an offset on your income tax. sources of energy. So the lion’s share of this, what I told you, The purpose of the tax, aside from raising $1 a month, $6, $7 a month, up to a maxi- money, is to encourage utilities and indus- mum of $14 to $17 a month, 3 years, 4 years, tries to shift to the most fuel-efficient and 5 years from now, will be paid by people with environmentally sensitive forms of energy so incomes between $30,000 and really all the that we can do more energy conservation and way up to about $100,000 a year. Then, it’s do more fuel shifting. And we’ve made some at that point, when you get to the upper 6 changes in it to try to make sure it works percent of income earners, that the income in a more practical way. tax increases trigger in. But because you consume energy, eventu- So that’s what it does. ally those things will find their way down to you. That is, some of it will be in the fuel Illegal Immigration you buy; some of it will be in products you Q. Mr. President, as Republican filibusters buy that themselves use fuel; a little bit of torpedoed your original jobs bill, thereby it would be in anything that’s brought to a leaving countless of unemployed and under- store by a truck. In other words, ultimately, employed Americans less hopeful than they all people pay these things. were in January, and as the dichotomy be- Now, here’s how the pricing works. The tween costs and quality in health care and average family of four, next year will pay vir- the education system widens, I would like tually nothing. I mean, literally virtually noth- to know what this administration will do to ing, $1 a month or less. The next year after stem the unconscionable flood of illegal that, it will be probably about $6 a month. aliens that pours virtually unchecked into this This is $60,000 a year and less. The next year country, and that erodes the quality of life it will be, and the year after that and from for those Americans in the lower economic then on, it will be someplace between $14 brackets and must eventually threaten the and $17 per month, maximum for a family American middle class? of four. If you’re single, it’s much less. The President. I’d like to answer the Now, if your income is under $60,000, but question you asked, and also then make a is also under $30,000, and especially if you reference to the other issues you raised on have children, there is a good chance that the jobs and the health care issue. The first you will not pay any more money, net, be- thing I want to do is to hire a strong, sensible, cause another provision of this tax bill does practical person to be head of the Immigra- something that I personally think is very im- tion and Naturalization Service. I have asked

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the Attorney General, Janet Reno, whom I deal with the cost of immigration, thereby think has really done a good job, to put a freeing up other funds in California to be very high priority on selecting a nominee who spent on education or jobs or whatever else will be compassionate but also hard-headed. you all want to do here. I think we need to I mean, I think you want somebody who is do more of that. compassionate, but hard-headed, who is real- Now, I don’t want to mislead you. There istic about what we’re up against and what is not as much money here in the budget we’re facing. I think she will make a rec- as a lot of people asked for from California. ommendation to me this week, and we’ll re- But there’s a whole lot more; I mean, several solve that. That’s the first thing. hundred million dollars more than was pre- The second thing I think we have to do viously given. And I just think it is imperative is to make a better effort to enforce the law that we have to provide—if the Federal Gov- that we have. If we’ve got a law on the books, ernment is going to have a policy, or lack we ought to try to enforce it, even if it’s dif- of it, then the Federal Government ought ficult to enforce. One of the things that was to pay for the policy, or lack of it, so that in the jobs program that you referred to that the States can be free to spend their money was killed by the filibuster was funds for on educating and training and finding jobs more border guards to enforce the law. A for the people who live within the State. lot of people don’t know that, but that was That’s what I think. So we’re going to move in there. toward that. So I think we have to find ways to get the If I might just make one other comment resources necessary to do as much as we can on what you said earlier. I’m going to try to to enforce the law that exists. There is a limit come back with various pieces of this jobs to how much any economy can have. You’ve initiative. I hope we can still get some more got the California economy very depressed money for summer jobs, because we’ve got now. This is a State made by immigrants. It’s the best summer jobs program this country very important to recognize that. Los Angeles has ever organized. We’ve worked in partner- County has people from 150 different racial ship with the private sector. We’re going to and ethnic groups. We also will continue to require 90 hours of educational work for peo- have people who are exiles really from politi- ple who have summer jobs, hoping that we cal oppression, and under our law they get can actually help people to get full-time con- a different set of treatment. But I think we tinuing jobs and to continue their education, have to really roll our sleeves up and do this. something that’s never been done with a In the meantime, there’s something else Federal summer jobs program before. So I think we ought to say. Whatever we do on we’re going to try to get some more. immigration is a national decision that has I also believe very strongly that we need uneven impacts. You would admit that, right? to make a down payment now on the efforts It hurts California and Texas and Florida and that I’m making to put 100,000 more police New York and, to a lesser extent, a handful officers on the streets so we can have more of other States more financially than it does community-based policing, which means the the rest of the country. But it’s a national best of both worlds if you’ve got the right policy. Or if there’s a lack of a policy, it’s kind of community policing. It means less a national policy. One of the things that has crime, tougher law enforcement, and less really bothered me, especially as we’ve seen abuse of authority because you have people all these educational cutbacks in California working the neighborhoods, knowing their with your economy down after the defense friends and neighbors, and less pressure. cuts and the other problems, is that the Fed- So we’re going to start with that and then eral Government has essentially been willing try to move back toward these other issues. to let you in California eat the cost of the Federal policy. So another thing we have Initiatives to Assist Students done in spite of all the budget cutting we’ve Q. Mr. President, I transferred to a State done, there are funds in this budget to sub- university from here at Valley. I had to drop stantially increase funding to California to out of school this semester because I can’t

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afford to go, and I don’t qualify for financial What I recommend is that we shift to a aid. And there are other students that are system of direct loans by a protected financial in my situation. We really want to go back entity to be created by the Government to to school. We can’t afford the fees. What are give you lower interest loans, to give you the you going to do to help us, please tell us. money you need, and to give it to you on [Applause] terms that won’t frighten you. And here’s The President. I have introduced into the what I mean—and people would be eligible Congress a bill that I do believe will pass without regard to their income, and here’s with both Republican and Democratic sup- how it would work: port—two bills—designed to deal with your If you borrowed the money, you would not problem. And let me just talk a little bit about have to pay it back until you actually go to it because you could tell by the clapping that work. Then, you would be able to decide how you’re not the only person in your fix. you want to pay it back among two choices: The college dropout rate is 21⁄2 times the You could pay it back on a regular loan repay- high school dropout rate. And an awful lot ment schedule, based on how much you bor- of people quit because they can’t afford to rowed, or if that was too tough and that stay. Now, in California this previously was scares a lot of people, you could pay it back not as big a problem because so many of the as a percentage of your income so that you institutions were free. But you’ve got all would never be required to pay more than these economic problems now; that can’t be a modest percentage of your income. So the case anymore. And even if you don’t have there would never be an incentive not to take big tuition you have expensive other—other the loan out, because it would always be an expenses are significant. affordable percentage of your income. So here are the things we’re trying to do. The catch is that we can’t afford to lose First of all, I’ve asked the Congress to adopt $3 billion a year. So you’d have to pay it back a national service program which would per- at tax time. So you couldn’t beat the bill, but mit young people to earn up to $5,000 a year you would always be able to afford to pay in credit either before, during, or after col- it back, and no one would expect you to pay lege to pay off loans for college expenses by it back unless you were actually working. This doing important work in the community. It will dramatically change the economics of can be done before, during, or after college. college financing. Like after college, if someone agreed to be Q. Hi, Mr. President. How are you doing? a teacher, for example, or a police officer in The President. I’m fine. an underserved community, they could get $5,000 a year credit for that to pay off their loans. So that’s, in effect, a scholarship pro- Initiatives To Assist the Private Sector gram in return for national service. Q. Okay. My question to you, sir, we have In addition to that, I’ve asked the Congress a plant in Van Nuys, the GM plant. I notice to totally reform the present student loan a lot of businesses such as that went out of program. The present student loan program State. What can the Government do to moti- costs $4 billion a year: $3 billion in unpaid vate big business to invest in the community debts and $1 billion in fees to banks and to college as well as State college and major uni- other people who handle the money for the versities? student loan program. It is amazing the The President. That’s good. Well, I think money that’s in the student loan program. first of all, most big businesses will invest And there is also no incentive for them to more in the education of their employees collect on people who won’t repay, because than ever before because it’s in their interest the Government guarantees 90 percent of it. to do so. And I think what I should be doing So if you borrow $20,000 from a bank and is trying to figure out ways to give businesses you don’t repay it, the Government will give incentives to reinvest in America and in put- them $18,000, and it will cost them $2,000 ting Americans to work, and also, if possible, to go to court and get it, right? So it’s not to try to make sure that every State has a a good system. chance to keep the manufacturing base.

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Now, that affects California in two ways; ing, the on-campus crime is increasing, and let me just mention them. In the program the education budget is decreasing. The per- that I have asked Congress to adopt, in addi- centage of Government expenditure used for tion to the tax increases, which you were education in the United States is 3 to 4 per- good enough to ask about—and I’m really cent. In Japan, it’s 7 percent. The California glad you gave me a chance just to lay it out education budget is 85 percent of U.S. aver- because it’s not near as bad as everybody age, and it’s one-third of New Jersey. So I thinks it is, is it—there is also a lot of incen- would like to know what actions are you tives for businesses to reinvest. Small busi- going to take to solve these kinds of prob- nesses today can expense or write off $10,000 lems. of expenditures every year on their taxes. The President. Well, let me try to reframe We’ve proposed to take that to $25,000. a little of what I’ve said before because I That’s a good incentive for the small busi- think you’ve hit it. It would surprise most nesses to hire maybe one more employee. people to know that while the Government’s And most new jobs are created by small busi- deficit was going up and the debt was going nesses. So this is a good thing to do. up in the last 12 years, we were actually re- Another thing we do is to let larger busi- ducing the effort the National Government nesses who make investments in new equip- is making to support education and a lot of ment and modernize write that off more other initiatives, because all the money was quickly in this Tax Code, which is an incen- going first to defense and then to health care tive to invest more. costs. The third thing that’s real important to What I am attempting to do with my budg- California is, at least I have read—you know, et and will continue to work on it every year you had an economic summit out here not I’m President, is to, every year, to slowly very long ago, and I read that a lot of business move our spending priorities back toward people believe that it’s harder to keep manu- education, training, and technology. facturing jobs in California because of the In this budget, for example, we give more costs of the workmen’s compensation system. funds to institutions like this for worker train- More than half of that—and I’ll say a plug ing programs. We give much more money for your insurance commissioner, Mr. for Head Start for preschool kids. We do a Garamendi is the first person who ever talked lot of things to try to, in other words, let to me about this—more than half the cost the Federal Government play a bigger role. of workers’ comp comes from health care But another real problem you’ve got, let me costs. And in the work that my wife, the First say, in the United States as opposed to Japan Lady, is doing with the health care commis- where you’ve got three levels of government sion, one of the things we’re trying to come that often operate more or less independ- up with is a national system to take the health ently, the lion’s share of the budget for edu- care portion of workers’ comp cost and fold cation always comes at the State and local it into a national health system so you lift level. that burden off of the businesses separately So then, the other thing I can do is to help and so no State ever has an advantage over alleviate the burdens of the State govern- any other State just because of the health ment. Why is State government spending less care cost of workers’ comp. That will also on education in California, more on uncom- be a huge boost to California and the manu- pensated care for undocumented people facturing economy of California if we can get coming into the country, more on exploding it done. health care costs, often mandated by the Na- I’ll take one more. tional Government? Yes, ma’am? I wish I could stay here all So if I can persuade the Congress, and if day, but I’ve got to go shake hands with them we can be wise and good enough to work because they feel deprived. And you. Thanks. out a health care program that’s good for Education America, that brings costs in line with infla- Q. Mr. President, I would like to ask about tion, and then if we can compensate the education. The level of education is declin- States better for their costs that aren’t their

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fault, like dealing with the immigration we talked abut the kinds of things it would issues, then that will free up in California take to start businesses, to attract investment, millions and millions and millions of dollars to change the framework of people’s lives; which the State could then turn around and the kinds of incentives that are embodied in put back into education. So we can help di- the empowerment zone legislation that I rectly some, and we can help indirectly a lot. have presented to Congress, which will pro- And I’m trying to do both those things. vide much more dramatic and comprehen- Thank you. You were great. I wish I could sive incentives to invest in businesses and stay longer. jobs and education and anticrime initiatives in our cities than has ever happened before; NOTE: The President spoke at 12:10 p.m. in the the kinds of initiatives that are embodied in courtyard. In his remarks, he referred to Con- the national service program that I have pre- gressman Walter R. Tucker III; Congressman Xa- sented, that will be embodied in the welfare vier Becerra; Donald G. Phelps, chancellor, and Mary E. Lee, president, Los Angeles Valley Col- reform program that is coming forward. I lege; and Daniel A. Palmer, former student who want to do something to help Los Angeles, has successfully retrained for a new career. southern California, and this State revive and come back. I’ve assigned the Secretary of Commerce Remarks Endorsing Michael Woo for to come out here. He’s been here seven Mayor of Los Angeles in Van Nuys times. And I want the best possible partner- May 18, 1993 ship to get that done. That’s why I endorse Mike Woo. It is 100 percent positive feeling. The President. Good afternoon everyone. I have nothing against his opponent. I just As you know, a couple of days ago I issued care a lot about this community. I care a lot a statement endorsing the candidacy of Mike about this State. I want to do everything I Woo for Mayor of Los Angeles. I wanted to can to make it work. I think this will help. just amplify a little on that today, make a And I think the decision was an appropriate couple of comments, give Mr. Woo a chance one and one I feel very comfortable with. to say something, and then answer a few of [At this point, Mr. Woo expressed his appre- your questions. ciation to the President.] Let me say that I know it is somewhat un- usual for all these national figures to be in- volved in a mayors race in Los Angeles. But Los Angeles Mayoral Election that’s because what happens in Los Angeles Q. Mr. President, have you ever met Mr. matters to America and because we can’t Riordan, and what do you know about him? really turn America around until we can lift The President. I know quite a bit about the economy of California up. him. I have met him, and I know a lot of I endorsed Mike Woo not because I have people who are working in his campaign, as something against his opponent; I don’t. I you know. And my wife has spent some good just like him, and I like him for some very time with him. I have nothing against him. good substantive reasons. I feel a personal I’m for Woo. There’s nothing negative here affinity for him because he supported me in my feelings about Dick Riordan. early in the race for President before the Q. Mr. President, if Dick Riordan does New Hampshire primary. And that’s a part win the election, can Los Angeles count on of it. But I also have been terribly impressed as close a relationship with the White House by what he has said to me in private about as it will have if Mr. Woo—— this city, about the need to bring people to- The President. It won’t affect my attitude gether across racial and ethnic lines, about about Los Angeles in any way. I will work the need to try some new ideas to get the as hard as I can to help the people here, economy going again. whatever the voters of this city decide to do. After the riots last year and long before But let me try to reinforce that and put I was President, I came here and walked the it in what I consider to be the proper frame- streets of Los Angeles with Mike Woo. And work. Just like I told those students out there

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today at this college, whatever I do as Presi- So what I would say to the people of Los dent, whether this economy works or not de- Angeles is, you need to vote based on what pends on their willingness to prepare them- you think is best for you. The reason I think selves to compete and win. In other words, Mike Woo is the better candidate is because they have to do certain things. I’m going to I know him, I know how he thinks, and I do everything I can. My Secretary of Trans- know he can figure out how to make this portation was out here just a few days ago stuff work. And in the end, the test of our announcing a $1.4 billion commitment to the endeavors is not how well we speak or what Red Line Mass Transit System. We’re here we say as much as whether we can change for the duration. Ron Brown is going to be the lives of people. That’s the way we ought here supervising this economic program and to ultimately keep score. So that’s why I took our coordinated efforts. But I think it will this position. work better if there’s a mayor who has a lot Press Secretary Myers. Last question. of good ideas about how to start businesses, Q.——of your administration be coming how to rebuild communities, how to pull to Los Angeles and campaign on Mr. Woo’s people together. I think Mike Woo’s ideas behalf? are good. That’s my point. It’s not anything Q. [Inaudible]. negative. The President. Well, let me tell you Q. Mr. President, is your prestige on the something. When Michael Woo endorsed line at all because of this? You know can- me, there was not much in it for him. I mean, didates have coattails—sometimes they use, Michael Woo endorsed me before the New sometimes they don’t Hampshire primary, and I was still running The President. Frankly, I don’t know if third in California in June. So there was noth- they ever do. If I have any coattails, it would ing in it for him. There was never any antici- only be because of the ideas that I share in pation that there would be some political common with Mike and the things that I payback. He did it because he thought I had hope that we can do together. I was only too good ideas and he thought I’d be a good happy to do this. Ultimately, in the end, the President. people of Los Angeles will vote the way peo- There is very little—do I feel a personal ple do everywhere. They’ll vote on the merits sense of loyalty to him? You bet I do, and of the issue before them. I’m not ashamed of that. But would I do it The one thing that I hope will happen is if I thought he wouldn’t be a good mayor? that you will have a very good turnout. I hope Never in a thousand years. I believe he’d be the citizens of this city realize that this has a very good mayor. a lot to do with how things work out in the Q. Mr. President, will members of your future. A lot of the things that I want to do— administration be coming to Los Angeles to for instance, you take this empowerment campaign on Mr. Woo’s behalf? zone issue, for example. If we pass this bill The President. I’m embarrassed to tell through Congress, look what it will do. It will you I don’t know. I’ve never even discussed say—say, Los Angeles, a big section of Los that with them or with him. But I’m strongly Angeles, is selected as an empowerment in favor of him, and I know Ron Brown feels zone, there will be new jobs credits and other very positively toward him because we talked new tax incentives for private sector people about him on the way in here today. This to invest in these communities and to hire is something I want to do because I believe people. There will be all kinds of new initia- it’s good for the people of Los Angeles. If tives to facilitate investments in housing and I didn’t think it was, I wouldn’t do it. in anticrime initiatives, and in education and Thank you. training initiatives. That’s good. But whether it works or not depends on how it’s put to- NOTE: The President spoke at 1:40 p.m. in the gether once the Federal Government makes courtyard at Los Angeles Valley College. A tape the selection. That has to happen from the was not available for verification of the content grassroots up. of these remarks.

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Nominations for Posts at the of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, min- Department of the Interior erals, or other products to or from a foreign May 18, 1993 country; (ii) facilities for the exportation or importation of water or sewage to or from The President announced today his inten- a foreign country; (iii) facilities for the trans- tion to nominate Molly H. Beattie, the direc- portation of persons or things, or both, to tor of a Vermont public policy center and or from a foreign country; (iv) bridges, to the former State natural resources official, to be extent that congressional authorization is not Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- required; and (v) similar facilities above or ice. In addition, the President announced below ground.’’ that his longtime environmental aide Ken- Sec. 2. Section 1(b) of Executive Order neth Smith has been appointed the Fish and No. 11423 of August 16, 1968, is amended Wildlife Service’s Deputy Director. by deleting the text ‘‘subsection (a)(iii) or ‘‘Secretary Babbitt and I have placed a (iv)’’ and by inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(iii), (iv) high priority on finding new ways to protect or (v)’’ in lieu thereof. biological diversity without endangering eco- Sec. 3. All permits heretofore issued with nomic growth,’’ said the President. ‘‘The Fish respect to matters described in section 1 of and Wildlife Service will play a big role in Executive Order No. 11423, and in force at that process. I have full confidence in the the time of issuance of this order, and all ability of Molly Beattie and Ken Smith to permits issued hereunder, shall remain in ef- do the hard work and the fresh thinking that fect in accordance with their terms unless needs to be done.’’ and until modified, amended, suspended, or revoked by the appropriate authority.

NOTE: Biographies of the nominees were made available by the Office of the Press Secretary. William J. Clinton The White House, May 17, 1993. Executive Order 12847—Amending Executive Order 11423 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, May 17, 1993 11:48 a.m., May 19, 1993]

By the authority vested in me as President NOTE: This Executive order was released by the by the Constitution and the laws of the Office of the Press Secretary on May 19, and it United States of America, including section was published in the Federal Register on May 20. 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in order to amend Executive Order No. 11423 of August 16, 1968, to provide for the Permit Authorizing Canadian issuance of permits for the full range of facili- Interests To Construct a ties that may be constructed and maintained Replacement Railway Tunnel on the borders of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: May 17, 1993 Section 1. Section 1(a) of Executive Order By the authority vested in me as President No. 11423 is amended to read: ‘‘Except with by the Constitution and laws of the United respect to facilities covered by Executive States of America, I hereby grant permission Order Nos. 10485 and 10530, the Secretary to Permittees, the Canadian National Rail- of State is hereby designated and empowered way Company, a Canadian Corporation with to receive all applications for permits for the its principal offices in Montreal, Quebec, and construction, connection, operation, or main- its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, the Grand tenance, at the borders of the United States, Trunk Corporation, a Delaware corporation of: (i) pipelines, conveyor belts, and similar with its principal offices in Detroit, Michi- facilities for the exportation or importation gan, and any jointly owned subsidiaries, to

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construct, operate, and maintain an inter- the difference in tunnel centerlines to national railway tunnel across the inter- 55 feet at the exit of the Sarnia, Ontario, national boundary between the United States portal. The vertical alignment is based and Canada, between Port Huron, Michigan, on a maximum grade of 2.1 percent. The and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, under the St. tunnel will have a downgrade of 1.8 per- Clair River. cent from the Sarnia portal and 2.1 per- I have reviewed the application of the Per- cent from the Port Huron portal with mittees and find that the issuance of a Permit 0.35 percent grade under the river. The would serve the national interest. The De- tunnel will have a minimum of 15 feet partment of State, Department of Defense, of cover over the crown under the river Department of Interior, Department of Jus- portion of the project. The interior di- tice, Department of Transportation, Depart- ameter of the finished tunnel will be ap- ment of the Treasury, and the Federal Emer- proximately 27 feet, 6 inches. gency Management Agency have raised no —The tunnel will be used for rail transport objection to issuance of the Permit. Pursuant of freight and passengers. to the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act This permit is subject to the following con- of 1899, 33 U.S.C. § 403, the Corps of Engi- ditions: neers has also determined that the issuance Article 1. The United States facilities and of a Permit is appropriate and consistent with operations herein described shall be subject the public interest. to all the conditions, provisions, and require- The term ‘‘facilities’’ as used in this permit ments of this permit or any amendment means the rail tunnel and any land, struc- thereof. This permit may be terminated at tures, installations or equipment appurtenant the will of the President of the United States thereto. of America, the Secretary of State of the The term ‘‘United States facilities’’ as used United States of America or the Secretary’s in this permit means that part of the facilities delegate or may be amended by the Presi- in the United States. dent, the Secretary of State or the Secretary’s As stated in Permittees’ application of May delegate at will or upon proper application 8, 1992, for a permit, including their accom- therefor. Permittees shall make no substan- panying submission of a feasibility study enti- tial change in the location of the United tled ‘‘St. Clair, Initial Environmental Evalua- States facilities or in the operation authorized tion/Environmental Study Report,’’ dated by this permit until such changes shall have February 1992, and subsequent exchange of been approved by the President of the information, the United States facilities of United States of America, or the Secretary the rail tunnel will consist of the following of State of the United States of America or major components: the Secretary’s delegate. —A new tunnel bored beneath the St. Article 2. The construction, operation, Clair River, and deepening the existing and maintenance of the facilities shall be in open cuts on the Port Huron, Michigan, all material respects as described in Permit- approach to develop portals for con- tees’ application of May 8, 1992, and docu- struction of the tunnel. mentation submitted in support thereof. —The summit-to-international boundary Article 3. The construction, operation, length of the project within the United and maintenance of the United States facili- States is 5,853 feet (of a total summit- ties shall be subject to inspection and ap- summit length of 12,726 feet). The proval by the representatives of any Federal length of the new tunnel, U.S. portal to or State agency concerned. The Permittees international boundary, is approximately shall allow duly authorized officers and em- 2,749 feet (of a total portal-portal length ployees of such agencies free and unre- of 6,136 feet). stricted access to said facilities as is necessary —The new tunnel is located approximately for the performance of their official duties. on a tangent with an 89 foot offset north Article 4. Permittees shall comply with all of the existing tunnel. A horizontal curve applicable Federal and State laws and regula- in the Sarnia, Ontario, portal narrows tions regarding the construction, operation,

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and maintenance of the United States facili- provements that may have been made by the ties. United States. Article 5. Upon termination, revocation, Article 8. Any transfer of ownership or or surrender of this permit, and unless other- control of the United States facilities or any wise agreed by the President of the United part thereof shall be immediately notified to States of America or the Secretary of State the Department of State in writing. This per- of the United States of America or the Sec- mit shall remain in force, subject to all the retary’s delegate, the United States facilities conditions, provisions, and requirements of in the immediate vicinity of the international this permit or any amendments thereof. boundary line shall be filled in by and at the Article 9. (1) The Permittees shall main- expense of the Permittees within such time tain the United States facilities and every part as the President or the Secretary of State or thereof in a condition of good repair for their the Secretary’s delegate may specify, and safe operations. upon failure of the Permittees to remove this (2) The Permittees shall save harmless the portion of the United States facilities as or- United States from any claimed or adjudged dered, the President or Secretary of State or liability arising out of the construction, oper- the Secretary’s delegate may direct that pos- ation, or maintenance of the facilities. session of such facilities be taken and that Article 10. The Permittees shall acquire they be removed at the expense of the Per- such right-of-way grants, easements, permits mittees; and the Permittees shall have no and other authorizations as may become nec- claim for damages by reason of such posses- essary and appropriate. sion or removal. Article 11. The Permittees shall file with Article 6. This permit is subject to the the appropriate agencies of the United States limitations, terms, and conditions contained Government such statements or reports in any order issued by any competent agency under oath with respect to the United States of the United States Government or of the facilities, and/or Permittees’ activities and op- State of Michigan with respect to the United erations in connection therewith, as are now, States facilities. This permit shall continue or as may hereafter be required under any in force and effect so long as the Permittees laws or regulations of the Government of the shall continue the operations hereby author- United States or its agencies. ized in accordance with such limitations, In Witness Whereof, I, William J. Clin- terms, and conditions. ton, President of the United States of Amer- Article 7. When, in the opinion of the ica, have hereunto set my hand this seven- President of the United States of America, teenth day of May, 1993 in the City of Wash- the national security of the United States de- ington, District of Columbia. mands it, due notice being given by the Sec- William J. Clinton retary of State of the United States of Amer- ica or the Secretary’s delegate, the United [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, States shall have the right to enter upon and 12:02 p.m., May 19, 1993] take possession of any of the United States facilities or parts thereof; to retain posses- NOTE: This permit was released by the Office of sion, management, and control thereof for the Press Secretary on May 19, and it was pub- such length of time as may appear to the lished in the Federal Register on May 20. President to be necessary to accomplish said purposes; and thereafter to restore possession and control to the Permittees. In the Exchange With Reporters During a event that the United States shall exercise Luncheon With Business Leaders such right, it shall pay to the Permittees just May 19, 1993 and fair compensation for the use of such United States facilities upon the basis of reasonable profit in normal conditions as existed Energy Tax at the time of entering and taking over the Q. Mr. President, do you think you can same, less the reasonable value of any im- persuade these business leaders that your en-

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ergy tax is a good tax and that you have Remarks and an Exchange With enough spending cuts in the budget? Reporters Prior to Discussions With The President. Well, I hope so. Several Archbishop Desmond Tutu of them endorsed this program yesterday. May 19, 1993 Mr. Chee on behalf of the realtors did, and Mr. Armstrong, he’s aircraft. Mr. Wolf did. Angola So I think we’re making a real good dent. I think the main reason is that the business The President. It’s an honor for me to leaders who are familiar with what is actually welcome Bishop Tutu here. As every Amer- in the program know that there’s $100 billion ican knows he has been a real leader in the in entitlement cuts there, know that the en- fight for democracy and for an end to apart- ergy tax is going to work as an important part heid in South Africa. Almost a decade ago of getting the interest rates down and having he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. credibility in the markets. So I think we’ve And I want to assure him here today that got a real shot at it. the United States remains committed to the creation of a nonracial democracy in South Africa. Health Care Reform I also want to discuss a decision that I Q. What about an entitlement cap, as know has been very important to Bishop some people on the Hill want? Wouldn’t that Tutu and to other leaders for democracy and help? human rights in Africa. Today I am pleased to announce the United States recognition The President. Well, it has to be done of the Government of Angola. This decision in the right way. My view is—and this is a reflects the high priority that our administra- good place to discuss this—the United States tion places on democracy. Government has already contributed to the In 1992, after years of bitter civil war, the rising costs of health care for employers by people of Angola held a multiparty election squeezing Medicare and Medicaid and forc- that the United States, the United Nations, ing those costs off onto private employers. and others monitored and considered free So if we have a cap on health care spending, and fair. Since taking office on January 20th, which I’m not opposed to, and it should be I have tried to use the possibility of United done in a right way, it should be done in States recognition as a leverage towards pro- connection with the health care plan so that moting an end to the civil war and hostilities we’re helping everybody. If we did it without and hopefully the participation of all relevant doing it on the health care, if we did it now, political groups in the Government of An- it would run the risk of 2 or 3 years from gola. now having another big increase in their costs, undermining their ability to hire Amer- Sadly, the party that lost the election, ican workers and to keep America competi- UNITA, resumed the fighting before the tive. So if we’re going to do a health care electoral process could even be completed. cap, let’s do it with health care. That’s the And UNITA has now refused to sign the way it should be done. peace agreement currently on the table. The Angolan Government, by contrast, has agreed to sign that peace agreement, has NOTE: The exchange began at 12:23 p.m. in the sworn in a democratically elected national as- Residence at the White House. In his remarks, sembly, and has offered participation by he referred to William Chee, chief executive offi- UNITA at all levels of government. cer, RESCO; Michael Armstrong, chief executive officer, Hughes Aircraft; and Steven Wolf, chief Today we recognize those achievements by executive officer, United Airlines. A tape was not recognizing the Government of the Republic available for verification of the content of this ex- of Angola. It is my hope that UNITA will change. accept a negotiated settlement and that it will

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be part of this government. I intend to con- White House Travel Office tinue working closely with the Government Q. Mr. President, can we ask you if you of Angola and with UNITA to achieve a last- feel you were fair in summarily dismissing ing peace settlement and a vibrant democ- some employees of this Government of long- racy there. I hope the efforts of the United standing without a hearing and leaving the States have been helpful. I am confident that impression perhaps that they may have com- the Government of Angola has more than mitted criminal acts? earned the recognition that the United States extends today. The President. I don’t know. I’ll have to refer to the Chief of Staff about that. Q. Mr. President, human rights sources are—how do you plan to approach the occu- Q. We’re speaking about the Travel Office, pation of East Timor by Indonesia, sir? sir. Could you elaborate on that—how do you The President. I know. All I know about plan to approach the problem of the East it is that I was told that the people who were Timor? in charge of administering in the White House found serious problems there and The President. I don’t want to talk about thought there was no alternative. I’ll have to it today. We have discussed it, and we may refer to them for any other questions. That have more to say about it later. is literally all I know about it. I know nothing The Vice President. I think just before else about it. your question Bishop Tutu was about to say something. Archbishop Tutu. Well, I just want to say NOTE: The President spoke at 3:37 p.m. in the how deeply thrilled I am at the President’s Oval Office at the White House. Archbishop Tutu announcement, because I have been speak- referred to George Moose, Assistant Secretary of ing with the Assistant Secretary of State and State for Africa. A tape was not available for ver- Assistant Secretary for Africa yesterday and ification of the content of this exchange. said, I couldn’t understand how the United States could not recognize a government that was democratically elected. And they were very cagey in their responses. And I am really Executive Order 12848—Federal over the moon in a sense because I was going Plan To Break the Cycle of to raise this issue with the President in my Homelessness capacity as President of the All Africa Con- May 19, 1993 ference of Churches in our appeal to the administration to reward democracy. And this By the authority vested in me as President is happening, and I am certain it will help by the Constitution and the laws of the the process in our continent where not all United States of America, including title II countries have had a good record on human of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless As- rights. And I am very, very thrilled. If my sistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 11311– complexion was different you would probably 11320), and section 301 of title 3, United see better. [Laughter] States Code, and in order to provide for the Q. ——what message are you going to— streamlining and strengthening of the Na- the President about South Africa—the situation’s efforts to break the cycle of homeless- tion in South Africa today? ness, it is hereby ordered as follows: Archbishop Tutu. Well, I haven’t yet spo- Section 1. Federal member agencies act- ken. I would have hoped we would do that ing through the Interagency Council on the and talk with you afterwards because, I Homeless, established under title II of the mean, I don’t think it is fair to say, I am Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance going to say to the President—and I haven’t Act, shall develop a single coordinated Fed- said it yet. eral plan for breaking the cycle of existing

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homelessness and for preventing future Proclamation 6562—National homelessness. Defense Transportation Day and Sec. 2. The plan shall recommend Federal National Transportation Week, 1993 administrative and legislative initiatives necessary to carry out the plan and shall include May 19, 1993 a proposed schedule for implementing administrative initiatives and transmitting any By the President of the United States necessary legislative proposals to the Con- of America gress. These initiatives and legislative proposals shall identify ways to streamline and con- A Proclamation solidate, when appropriate, existing programs designed to assist homeless individuals and As Americans, we take great pride in our families. fine transportation system. This system links Sec. 3. The plan shall make recommenda- our vast Nation in an intricate network of tions on how current funding programs can highways, waterways, bridges, and mass tran- be redirected, if necessary, to provide links sit systems. Our transportation infrastructure between housing, support, and education strengthens America by bringing people and services and to promote coordination and co- communities closer together, spurring trade operation among grantees, local housing and and commerce, and strengthening our manu- support service providers, school districts, facturing and military power. and advocates for homeless individuals and Our Nation’s transportation system plays families. The plan shall also provide rec- a vital role in our national defense, both in ommendations on ways to encourage and times of crisis and in peace. It has carried support creative approaches and cost-effec- U.S. Armed Forces to many regions of the tive, local efforts to break the cycle of existing world; it has quickly and safely moved the homelessness and prevent future homeless- materiels needed to protect our interests; ness, including tying current homeless assist- and it has accelerated the delivery of supplies ance programs to permanent housing assist- and personnel to thousands of hurricane vic- ance, local housing affordability strategies, or tims in Florida and Louisiana. employment opportunities. The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Sec. 4. To the extent practicable, the Interstate and Defense Highways, begun in Council shall consult with representatives of the 1950’s, has served America’s defense, State and local governments (including edu- business, and social needs extremely well in cation agencies), nonprofit providers of serv- the last 50 years. As we enter the 21st cen- ices and housing for homeless individuals and tury, we must find new, more cost-effective families, advocates for homeless individuals and efficient ways to travel and to transport and families, currently and formerly home- goods in order to compete in the global econ- less individuals and families, and other inter- omy. Our Nation must continue its commit- ested parties. ment to technological and engineering excel- Sec. 5. The Council shall submit the plan lence in order to ensure long-term military to the President no later than 9 months after and industrial strength. At the same time, we the date of this order. recognize that a key challenge of our era is to harness technology to protect the health William J. Clinton of our environment and our people. Techno- logical breakthroughs can improve our qual- The White House, ity of life, for example, by limiting airplane May 19, 1993. noise, increasing the speed of mass transit systems, or improving the reliability of tank- [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, ers for oil transport. Transportation safety 12:22 p.m., May 19, 1993] can improve dramatically with new technology and with concerted education efforts. NOTE: This Executive order was published in the American transportation, from airplanes to Federal Register on May 20. boats to school buses, already has a fine safe-

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ty record, and we are making great progress. 14, 1962 (36 U.S.C. 166), that the week in In 1992 the rate of alcohol involvement in which that Friday falls be proclaimed ‘‘Na- fatal crashes declined to an all-time low, and tional Transportation Week.’’ safety belt use reached a high of 62 percent. Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, As we survey our infrastructure in the President of the United States of America, 1990’s, it is clear that we face another crucial do hereby designate Friday, May 21, as Na- challenge: we must shift from the construc- tional Defense Transportation Day and the tion of basic transportation systems to the ad- week of May 16 through May 22, 1993, as aptation and modernization of existing ones. National Transportation Week. I urge all Rebuilding America’s infrastructure is not Americans to observe these occasions with just necessary for the health of our transpor- appropriate ceremonies and activities that tation system, it is also essential to the long- will give due recognition to the individuals term vitality of our economy. The condition and organizations that build, operate, safe- of our infrastructure directly affects the guard, and maintain this country’s modern speed of our commerce, the exuberance of transportation system. our cities, and the mobility of our rural citi- In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set zens and industries. Rebuilding our infra- my hand this nineteenth day of May, in the structure can create jobs, improve our quality year of our Lord nineteen hundred and nine- of life, spur technological development, and ty-three, and of the Independence of the fuel long-term economic growth. A strong United States of America the two hundred partnership between the public and private and seventeenth. sector and the continued support of our re- William J. Clinton search institutions are vital in this effort. This week we honor the men and women [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, who build, maintain, and ensure the safety 12:23 p.m., May 19, 1993] of our transportation system—from the person who designs the high-speed train to the NOTE: This proclamation was published in the one who drives it. We salute all American Federal Register on May 20. workers in the transportation industry for their contributions to our Nation. We also Proclamation 6563—World Trade pause to thank Americans who are working Week, 1993 to increase transportation safety through educational programs, through efforts to pro- May 19, 1993 mote the use of safety belts and child safety seats, and through endeavors to stop the trag- By the President of the United States edy of drunk driving accidents. of America We must provide future generations with a transportation system that is safer, more A Proclamation environmentally sound, and more efficient. Each year, World Trade Week allows us We must apply America’s tremendous re- to highlight the importance of international serves of energy and ingenuity to this impor- trade, which links the United States with tant task in order to ensure that America’s other nations in partnership for economic transportation system will continue to serve prosperity. It is also a time to recognize the our country’s goals and enhance the quality importance of our efforts to stimulate domes- of life of our people in the years to come. tic economic growth through the sale of In recognition of the importance of trans- American products and services abroad. portation and the millions of Americans who For Americans, trade has buttressed our work to meet our transportation needs, the Nation’s standing as the world’s largest and Congress, by joint resolution approved May most productive economy. Exports support 16, 1957 (36 U.S.C. 160), has requested that millions of American jobs and account for the third Friday in May of each year be des- nearly one-sixth of the employment in the ignated as ‘‘National Defense Transportation U.S. manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Day’’ and, by joint resolution approved May In fact, each $1 billion of American merchan-

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dise exports supports nearly 19,000 domestic In addition to our focus on the NAFTA jobs. As a result, companies have been negotiations, this Administration is deter- formed, factories built, and new industries mined to complete the General Agreement created. And these export-related jobs are on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Uruguay good ones, paying on average 17 percent Round agreement. GATT is an agreement more than the overall average wage. binding more than 100 nations to a mutual Indeed, it is our ability to modernize and interest in strengthening the global environ- expand our industrial production that serves ment for trade. As part of these negotiations, as the foundation for export growth, allowing this Administration is seeking provisions that us to develop and produce quality products ensure free and fair trade for American in- while identifying marketing opportunities at dustry, as well as effective bilateral dispute home and abroad. Our ingenuity and our de- settlement mechanisms. A successful Uru- termination to be the best make America’s guay Round would lower tariff and nontariff products and services among the world’s barriers to manufactured products and other most competitive. commodities, thereby increasing cumulative For U.S. products and services to succeed world output by more than $5 trillion and in an increasingly competitive global market- cumulative U.S. output by more than $1 tril- place, however, we must be equally competi- lion over the next 10 years. tive at home and abroad. Recently, this Ad- While advancing our Nation’s interests ministration announced a broad new eco- through the GATT negotiations, the United nomic strategy to enhance government/in- States and other countries must provide fi- dustry cooperation in creating new tech- nancial assistance to ensure key political and nologies. Through commercialization, these economic reforms in Russia and the former technologies will be made available to small- Soviet republics. By carefully targeting this er companies. Small and medium-size busi- assistance, our Nation will not only encour- nesses create half the new jobs in this country age progress toward global stability, arms and two-fifths of our Gross National Product, control, and nonproliferation, but also help and many of these firms will seek to increase create an environment in which trade with exports of their products. The high-tech- that region can flourish. nology sector, which employed about 10 mil- Creating a secure and prosperous global lion people and accounted for more than environment for trade also hinges on contin- $100 billion worth of U.S. exports in 1992, ued U.S. efforts to benefit from the great is crucial to advancing the industrial competi- opportunities that are available in the high- tiveness of the United States and assuring growth East Asian and Latin American mar- us of an edge in world markets. kets, two of the fastest growing regions for Creating a climate for American exports American exports. requires not only a strong domestic economy, Although thousands of U.S. companies but also free and fair access for U.S. products continue to boost their profit margins to markets abroad. This Administration, through exports, thousands of other Amer- therefore, is building a trade agenda that will ican firms have yet to market their goods allow U.S. exports to compete on a level play- abroad. In fact, just 15 percent of American ing field with our trading partners. companies account for 85 percent of our Na- A top trade-related priority is the North tion’s exports. With U.S. merchandise ex- American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ports totaling more than $448 billion in 1992, which will link the United States, Canada, ‘‘World Trade Week’’ reminds us of the mer- and Mexico into a single market of 360 mil- its of international commerce and the vast lion consumers currently spending $6 trillion export opportunities yet to be explored by annually. Mexico, once economically isolated American business. from the United States, has emerged as our Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, Nation’s third largest trading partner. With President of the United States of America, supplemental agreements to address envi- by virtue of the authority vested in me by ronmental and labor issues, NAFTA will be the Constitution and the laws of the United a positive force for creating American jobs. States, do hereby proclaim the week begin-

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ning May 16, 1993, as World Trade Week. Statement on the Human Rights I invite the people of the United States to Situation in Burma join in appropriate observances to reaffirm the potential of international trade for creat- May 19, 1993 ing prosperity for all. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set I was moved by the stories of individual my hand this nineteenth day of May, in the suffering I heard this afternoon and am deep- year of our Lord nineteen hundred and nine- ly concerned by the tragic human rights situ- ty-three, and of the Independence of the ation in Burma, as well as by the continued United States of America the two hundred detention of Burmese pro-democracy leader and seventeenth. Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since 1989. I strongly urge the William J. Clinton Burmese government to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, to respect [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, the results of the May 1990 elections, and 10:58 a.m., May 20, 1993] to commit itself to genuine democratic reforms. NOTE: This proclamation was published in the The Burmese people should know that Federal Register on May 21. America stands with them and with others in the international community in the struggle for freedom in Burma. Memorandum on Assistance to Refugees and Victims in Bosnia and Croatia NOTE: The President issued this statement following a meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White May 19, 1993 House with a group of Nobel Peace Prize laure- ates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Betty Presidential Determination No. 93–22 Williams, and Kara Newell, who had traveled to Thailand earlier this year to focus international Memorandum for the Secretary of State attention on the human rights situation in Burma. Subject: Determination Pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as Amended Pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Migra- Statement on the Death of John tion and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as Wilson amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1), I hereby de- May 19, 1993 termine that it is important to the national interest that up to $30,000,000 be made available from the U.S. Emergency Refugee As residents of the District of Columbia, and Migration Assistance Fund to meet the Hillary and I mourn the sudden and tragic urgent and unexpected needs of refugees and loss of DC City Council Chairman John Wil- conflict victims in Bosnia and Croatia. These son. John was a tremendous individual who funds may be contributed on a multilateral devoted his life’s work to the empowerment or bilateral basis, as appropriate, to inter- and benefit of the District’s citizens. national and nongovernmental organizations. We know the love that John had for the You are authorized and directed to inform District of Columbia will be remembered the appropriate committees of the Congress and cherished by all the city’s residents as of this determination and the obligation of his service and achievements are profoundly funds under this authority and to publish this appreciated. memorandum in the Federal Register. Hillary and I will keep his wife, Bonnie, William J. Clinton in our prayers.

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Nomination for Deputy eventually gave way to an overdue season of Administrator of the General reconciliation and renewal, and gave our re- Services Administration gion and our country a second chance to ful- May 19, 1993 fill our promise. The victory we celebrate today is but the The President today named nationally rec- most recent chapter in the overlapping strug- ognized Chicago businesswoman Julia Stasch gles of our Nation’s history to enfranchise Deputy Administrator of the General Serv- women and minorities, the disabled, and the ices Administration. Ms. Stasch joins Admin- young with the power to affect their own des- istrator-designee and former Western Digital tiny and our common destiny by participating CEO Roger Johnson at the head of GSA. fully in our democracy. When blacks and ‘‘Julia Stasch is exactly the type of aggres- women won the right to vote, when we out- sive and innovative business person this ad- lawed the poll tax and literacy test, when the ministration needs as it seeks to reinvent the voting age was lowered to 18, and when fi- way Government works,’’ the President said. nally we recognized the rights of disabled ‘‘I am confident Julia will work well with Americans, it was because the forces of Roger Johnson to ensure economy and effi- change overcame the indifference of the ma- ciency are standard rule at the new GSA.’’ jority and the resistance by the guardians of the status quo. And who prevailed? Brave NOTE: A biography of the nominee was made people working at the grassroots, impatient available by the Office of the Press Secretary. with an always imperfect democracy and dedicated to widening the circle of liberty Remarks on Signing the National to encompass more and more of our fellow citizens. Voter Registration Act of 1993 I have said many times in many places that May 20, 1993 in this country we don’t have a person to Thank you very much. Joel, thank you for waste. Surely the beginning of honoring that the T-shirt. In a few moments I’ll give out pledge is making sure the franchise is ex- bill-signing pens, but I’d rather have the T- tended to and used by every eligible Amer- shirt. [Laughter] ican. Today we celebrate our noble tradition Getting to know the young people across by signing into law our newest civil rights this country, beginning in New Hampshire, law, the National Voter Registration Act of who pushed the motor voter bill, was one 1993, which all of us know and love as ‘‘motor of the most rewarding parts of the 1992 cam- voter.’’ paign. But the effort that we come here to An extraordinary coalition of organizations, celebrate today has a long and venerable her- many of whom played historic roles in our itage. expanding democratic rights, joined many A few moments ago, you heard the voice years ago with the hope that they would see of President Johnson crossing the chasm of this day come. I’m honored to share this po- time back to 1965 as he signed the Voting dium with representatives with three fighters Rights Act into law. As a southerner and as for freedom: the NAACP, the League of President, his words have special significance Women Voters, and Human Serve. I want to me. During my childhood, no family’s din- to pay special tribute to Disabled and Able ner table, no church congregation, no com- To Vote, to Project Vote, and to Rock the munity, and no place of work was immune Vote, and literally, the scores of other groups from the searing struggle for civil rights. To for whom the goal of full voter participation hear Johnson’s voice is to make vivid for me has been a durable and lasting dream. I want once again those difficult, yet glorious years to pay special tribute to the young people of struggle, difficult and terrible because so who lobbied me personally for motor voter many people gave their lives moving the and who voted with renewed energy and con- stone of freedom up the side of a mountain, viction for their own futures in the election glorious because the years of contention last November.

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They all labored hard because this bill was has climbed to unprecedented levels. After necessary. As many as 35 percent of other- I had been in office 14 weeks, the White wise eligible voters in our Nation are not reg- House had received more mail than was re- istered, and the failure to register is the pri- ceived in all of 1992. We have had the switch- mary reason given by eligible citizens for boards jammed, the E-mail system full. And their not voting. The principle behind this if you haven’t gotten an answer to your letter, legislation is clear: Voting should be about we’re working on it. [Laughter] discerning the will of the majority, not about This country is pulsing with the power of testing the administrative capacity of a citi- individual citizens’ ideas in their determina- zen. tion to get something done. The legislators The State of Washington instituted a simi- who worked so hard to adopt this bill, the lar measure during the 1992 election, and organizations that gave themselves so com- their motor voter program registered in that pletely to its endeavor, the young people, the State alone an additional 186,000 people. activists, MTV, all of them tapped a powerful Motor voter works at registering voters and current of energy that is still flowing in this people who register vote. country. With this law and its appropriate imple- The Congress has responded in other mentation by States, voters can register by ways: the United States Senate passing just applying for a driver’s license, through uni- a few days ago a lobbying bill requiring reg- form mail application, or by applying in per- istration by all lobbyists and requiring the son at various agencies designated by the disclosure of lobbyists’ spending on Mem- States. As a result, registration for Federal bers of Congress is an example of that. The election will become as accessible as possible, campaign finance reform which has been while the integrity of the electoral process presented, dramatically trying to lower the is clearly preserved. costs of campaigns and reduce the influence As I said, I have long supported the idea of special interest groups, is an example of of motor voter. More than a year ago, I prom- that. ised as President that I would sign H.R. 2 The current of reform is moving in this and fight for its passage. I’m pleased to be country. And those of you who helped to able to keep the promise today that I made bring this bill to pass can take a large share on this Rock the Vote card which still has of credit not only for this bill but for the my signature back in New Hampshire. general movement and energy and involve- I also want to point out that all the Presi- ment and determination of all of our fellow dent does is lobby for and sign laws. If the citizens. It was never right to sit on the side- Congress doesn’t pass them, they don’t get lines of our democracy. And now with motor passed. The Rock the Vote card that I signed voter, there will be fewer and fewer excuses here says, ‘‘Why don’t politicians want you for anyone to do so. to vote?’’ Well, there are a lot of Members Let us remember this in closing: Voting of the Congress here from both parties who is an empty promise unless people vote. Now do want you to vote, and I want to thank there is no longer the excuse of the difficulty not only those on the platform here but all of registration. It is the right of every Amer- of those out in the audience who, after all, ican to vote. It is also the responsibility of passed this bill into law. It was their votes every American to vote. We have taken an that made this day possible. important step this morning to protect that This bill in its enactment is a sign of a right. And I want to challenge Joel and all new vibrancy in our democracy. With all the the young people who did so much to register challenges and difficulties, with the years of voters for the last election, and all of you accumulated economic problems we face, who did so much to bring this voting rights with all the divisions among our people, there bill to law and all the ones that preceded is a new determination to make progress. You it, to make sure now that we keep the rights can see it in many ways: Voter participation alive by making sure that the responsibility was up in November, and after the election to exercise it is exercised by every eligible it didn’t stop. Here at the White House, mail American.

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When we leave here today, we ought to propose, would continue to shift health care say: This voting rights bill and the others will costs onto private citizens and private em- not be in vain. Every year from now on, we’re ployers, which would hurt the economy and going to have more registered voters and hurt jobs. So those are the two things which more people voting. We’re going to make the concern me. system work. The law empowers us to do it. Otherwise, I’m glad to have people talking It’s now up to us to assume the responsibility and coming up with new ideas. But those to see that it gets done. are bad things. Thank you very much. Q. ——have you essentially heard enough—— NOTE: The President spoke at 11:32 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, The President. I can just tell you what— he referred to Joel Shulkin, University of New I’ve given you my answer. Look, we had 12 Hampshire junior who was instrumental in achiev- years where we made this economy more un- ing reform of that State’s voter registration laws equal and unfair. And to move $40 billion and who introduced the President. H.R. 2, ap- off of upper income people to people barely proved May 20, was assigned Public Law No. 103– above the poverty line, it seems to me, is 31. not a good way to go.

Exchange With Reporters After NOTE: The exchange began at 12:50 p.m. on the Signing the National Voter South Lawn at the White House. A tape was not Registration Act of 1993 available for verification of the content of this exchange. May 20, 1993

Senator Boren’s Budget Proposal Remarks on Cuban Independence Q. Mr. President, can you talk to us? Day Q. Can you accept Senator Boren’s entitlement cuts? May 20, 1993 Q. What’s your reaction to Senator Boren’s compromise with Danforth? Before I say anything else, I want to ac- The President. Well, my first reaction was knowledge the presence here of some very that it was a huge shift in lowering taxes on special friends of mine, Jorge Perez, Jorge people with incomes above $100,000 and Bolano, and Willie Braceras, who helped me hurting people, both elderly people and in Miami last year when I hardly knew any- working people just barely above the poverty one who lived in south Florida and when I line. It’s basically a $40 billion shift away needed to learn a lot about the issues affect- from wealthy Americans right onto people ing Cuban-Americans. I want to say a special just above the poverty line, the elderly and word of thanks, too, to Simon Ferro who the working poor. So I don’t support that. helped me to organize this event. I think that’s a mistake. We join all Cubans today in celebrating Q. Would you rule out that kind of com- this, the 91st anniversary of Cuban independ- promise to get rid of the energy tax? ence. Just as Cubans struggled for independ- The President. I think that that is not a ence nearly a century ago today, a new gen- good thing to do if you read the details of eration of Cubans in our country and our it. Obviously, the main purpose of some of time are struggling for freedom and democ- them is to do away with the BTU tax, but racy. And the American people stand by the mechanics shift over $40 billion away them and their brothers and sisters in Cuba from people with incomes above $135,000 as they struggle for freedom and democracy. down to elderly and working people just The people of Cuba deserve to be free and barely above the poverty line. I don’t think to determine their own future through free that’s good. There is also another provision elections. They deserve to be free of political which, if it’s implemented in the way they abuse and dictatorship. Our administration

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seeks a rapid and peaceful transition to de- continuing additions to the vitality of the mocracy so that all Cubans can enjoy the independence and freedom of the United fruits of freedom as Cuban-Americans do States. today. That is why, last year, I was proud I’d also like to make one final remark. to join in supporting the Cuban Democracy Freedom carries with it not only liberties but Act and why as President I still support it. responsibilities. And when we neglect our re- I also want to recognize the accomplish- sponsibilities as a people, our freedoms ments here in the United States of more than erode. That has happened to us in significant one million Cuban-Americans for all they measure here in the United States as we have have done not only to rebuild their lives and seen, over the last 12 years, our national debt the lives of their families but to make Amer- go from $1 to $4 trillion, while our invest- ica a richer, stronger country through what ment in the future and our ability to compete they have done. As I look out on you and in many areas has declined. I believe I was I see the great community you represent, I elected to try to turn that around. I’m doing see a real mirror of the American dream. the best I can to achieve those goals. I hope Like others from all over the world you came that all of you will support the efforts that to our country, or you or your grandparents this administration is making to bring our or parents did, fleeing from oppression, look- deficit down, to invest in education and tech- ing for a better life. America offered, in some nology in the future, and to gain control of way, all of us or our ancestors the gift of free- our economic destiny again. It can no longer dom and opportunity if we would but seize be in the hands of others because we don’t it and exercise it responsibly. have the discipline to control our own direc- When you came to America, you rolled up tion. I’m very concerned that in the days and your sleeves; you went to work. Many of you weeks ahead the easy path may once again work from dawn to dusk, or some of you had be taken. to work from dusk to dawn. You were re- Today I heard people talking about an al- sourceful and talented. You started busi- ternative budget that sounded so good. It nesses, entered the ranks of our legal and said less taxes and more spending cuts. Who medical and other professionals. You sent in the world could be against that? No one. people to Congress and others became artists Except when you strip it away there are two and athletes and entertainers. You helped to things that ought to concern you as Ameri- transform the economy of southern Florida cans first, and second, many of you as busi- so that it now produces more than all of Cuba ness people who have your own health insur- does under Castro’s communism. You’ve pro- ance. I’d like to point out what happens when duced musicians like Gloria Estefan, Arturo you get into this. Point number one, this so- Sandoval, Celia Cruz, Paquito Rivero; writ- called alternative proposal today takes $40 ers, like Herberto Padilla, Liz Balmaseda, billion in tax breaks that it gives to people Christiana Garcia; prominent citizens like with incomes above $135,000 and imposes Ramon and Polita Grau, Bishop Augustin $40 billion in extra burdens on the elderly Roman, Josefina Carbonell, Orestes Lorenzo; and working people just above the poverty political leaders—and we have in Congress line. It sounds great to call one a tax cut and now three Cuban-Americans—Bob Menen- the other to call a budget cut, but when you dez, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Lincoln Diaz- strip all the rhetoric away there’s $40 billion Balart; business leaders, like the distin- worth of burdens on people just above the guished leader of Coca Cola, Roberto poverty line and $40 billion less on those of Guizueta, and Marcelino Miyares; and edu- us like me who can afford to do a little more cators, like Eduardo Padron. I know you have for our country. never forgotten Cuba, any of you, but you The other thing that this alternative budg- have made America a much better place in et today presented was a so-called cap on which to live. And as President of this coun- entitlements. Well, in American terms that try, I thank you on this Cuban Independence means one thing: We’re going to try to con- Day not only for your continuing dreams for trol health care costs. Who could be against the independence of your homeland but your that? The problem is that in this proposal

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we would only control the Government’s he referred to Jorge Perez, president and CEO, health care costs. What happens if that hap- Related Group; Jorge L. Bolanos, president, Nova pens? If you have private insurance, you Home Health Corp.; Wilfrido Braceras, president, know what’s happened, you’ve been paying Med-Care Home Health Agency; and Simon more than your fair share because if you have Ferro, attorney, Beckers & Poliakoffa, and former health insurance you have to pay for the peo- Chair of the Florida Democratic Party. ple who don’t have any insurance when they show up and get health care, and they’re not paid for, and you have to pay because your Government does not reimburse Medicare Message to the Senate Transmitting and Medicaid at appropriate levels. So if we the Mexico-United States control the costs of Medicare and Medicaid Convention and Protocol on Taxation but we don’t reform the health insurance system, that will force the doctors and the hos- May 20, 1993 pitals and the health care providers of this country to explode your health insurance premiums even more in the years ahead than To The Senate of The United States: you’ve experienced in the last 12 years. And I transmit herewith for Senate advice and that’s wrong. consent to ratification the Convention Be- I say let’s do it right. Let’s control health tween the Government of the United States care costs by doing it for the whole system, of America and the Government of the reforming the American health care system United Mexican States for the Avoidance of and reforming the American budget and Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal moving this country forward in a fair and bal- Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, anced way. together with a related Protocol, signed at Thank you, and God bless you all. Washington on September 18, 1992. Also transmitted for the information of the Senate Now wait a minute, I want to introduce is the report of the Department of State with the First Lady for a moment, and let her respect to the Convention. introduce our wonderful Cuban-American sister-in-law and my brother-in-law, her The income tax Convention, the first be- brother. tween the two countries, is intended to reduce the distortions (double taxation or ex- [At this point, Hillary Clinton welcomed ev- cessive taxation) that can arise when two eryone to the White House and introduced countries tax the same income, thereby ena- Hugh and Maria Rodham.] bling United States firms to compete on a more equitable basis in Mexico and enhanc- I want to close by acknowledging, in gen- ing the attractiveness of the United States eral, the presence in the audience of several to Mexican investors. The Convention is gen- members of the Congressional Hispanic erally based on the Model Treaty of the Or- Caucus who are not Cuban-Americans but ganization for Economic Cooperation and who are here, and other Members of Con- Development and recent income tax conven- gress who are here. Could we have all the tions of both parties. Members of Congress raise your hand. Sen- ator Connie Mack over there from Florida, I recommend that the Senate give early thank you for coming. Come on up, Robert. and favorable consideration to the Conven- Here’s a guy who came from the farthest tion and related Protocol and give its advice away. Come up Bill. Okay, all the Members and consent to ratification. of Congress come up here. We’ll give you a little publicity here. William J. Clinton

NOTE: The President spoke at 5:05 p.m. in the The White House, Rose Garden at the White House. In his remarks, May 20, 1993.

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Message to Congress Transmitting President’s staff, or in the Office of the Vice the Report of the Corporation for President. Alumni of the program include Public Broadcasting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General May 20, 1993 Colin Powell, and Housing and Urban Devel- opment Secretary Henry Cisneros. To the Congress of the United States: ‘‘This Commission is comprised of some In accordance with the Communications of the brightest, most talented, and most ac- Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 396(i)), complished people in the country,’’ said the I transmit herewith the Annual Report of the President. ‘‘I am confident that they will Corporation for Public Broadcasting for Fis- apply the criteria of achievement, leadership, cal Year 1992 and the Inventory of the Fed- and promise to select an outstanding group eral Funds Distributed to Public Tele- of fellows. I am especially pleased to note communications Entities by Federal Depart- the bipartisan nature of this group, which re- ments and Agencies: Fiscal Year 1992. tains several members appointed by my pred- William J. Clinton ecessor.’’ This weekend the Commission will con- The White House, vene in Baltimore to select the 1993–94 class May 20, 1993. of White House fellows. Approximately 1,000 people applied for the class, and the Com- Statement on the Death of Four mission will choose about 15 fellows from Marines in the VH–60 Helicopter among the 35 who have been chosen as na- Crash tional finalists. The Commission members are: May 20, 1993 Nancy Y. Bekavac (Chair), Claremont, CA: I am greatly saddened by the news of the president, Scripps College death of four Marine servicemen in the heli- Frederick S. Benson III, Washington, DC: copter crash yesterday. Hillary’s and my vice president, Weyerhaeuser Co. thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones Marjorie Benton, Evanston, IL: president, of these dedicated airmen. I am sure I speak Chaplin Hall Center for Children at the for all Americans in expressing our Nation’s University of Chicago deepest condolences. Michael Beschloss, Washington, DC: author and historian Appointment of Members of the Dr. James E. Bostic, Jr., Atlanta, GA: President’s Commission on White group vice president, communication House Fellowships papers, Georgia Pacific Corp. Hon. Jose E. Cabranes, New Haven, CT: May 20, 1993 chief U.S. district judge, District of Con- The President appointed 37 members of necticut the President’s Commission on White House Julius L. Chambers, Durham, NC: chan- Fellowships today, including Olympic gold cellor, North Carolina Central Univer- medalist Edwin Moses, chief U.S. district sity; former director-counsel, NAACP court judge Jose Cabranes, astronaut Sally Legal Defense and Education Fund Ride, actress Cecily Tyson, Maj. Gen. Wesley Maj. Gen. Wesley Kanne Clark, Fort Clark, and Hawaii Governor John Waihee. Hood, TX: commanding general, 1st The Commission will be chaired by Nancy Cavalry Division Bekavac, the president of Scripps College. Clive S. Cummis, West Orange, NJ: chair- The Commission on White House Fellow- man, Sills Cummis Zuckerman Radin ships provides an opportunity for a select Tischman Epstein & Gross group of men and women to spend a year Ronald R. Davenport, Pittsburgh, PA: early in their careers serving as paid assistants chairman, Sheridan Broadcasting Corp. to Cabinet-level officials, members of the

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Adela de la Torre, Long Beach, CA: econ- Charles T. Royer, Cambridge, MA: direc- omist and chair of the department of tor, Institute of Politics, JFK School of Chicano and Latino Studies, California Government; former Mayor of Seattle State University, Long Beach John Saxon, Birmingham, AL: partner, Dr. Anne Cohn Donnelly, Chicago, IL: ex- Cooper, Mitch, Crawford, Kuykendall & ecutive director, National Committee Whatley; former counsel to U.S. Senate for the Prevention of Child Abuse Select Committee on Ethics, and special Jeri A. Eckhart, McLean, VA: president, counsel to the U.S. Senate Armed Serv- Eckhart & Co.; president of White ices Committee House Fellows Foundation and Alumni Max Starkloff, St. Louis, MO: president, Association Paraquad, Inc. Carolyn Forrest, Detroit, MI: international Mary Steenburgen, Ojai, CA: actress vice president, United Auto Workers Elizabeth Guest Stevens, Washington, Pauline Gore, Carthage, TN: member and DC: editor-at-large, Random House managing partner, Peabody Rivlin & Publishing Gore; mother of Vice President Gore Hon. Stansfield Turner, McLean, VA: ad- Antonia Hernandez, Los Angeles, CA: miral, U.S. Navy (Ret.); former Director president and general counsel, Mexican- of Central Intelligence American Legal Defense and Education Cicely Tyson, New York, NY: actress Fund Hon. John David Waihee, Honolulu, HI: Robert L. Kagen, M.D., Fort Lauderdale, Governor of Hawaii FL: medical director, MRI Scan Center Hon. Robert Yazzie, Window Rock, AZ: Hon. James B. King, Ludlow, MA: Direc- chief justice, Navajo Nation tor, U.S. Office of Personnel Manage- ment Victor A. Kovner, New York, NY: partner, Appointment of a Member of the Lankenau Kovner & Kurtz; former cor- National Transportation Safety poration counsel of the city of New York Board Robert M. McGee, Bethesda, MD: president, Occidental International Corp. May 20, 1993 Dana Mead, Houston, TX: president and The President today named Jim Hall, a top chief operating officer, Tenneco, Inc. aide to Tennessee Senator Harlan Mathews, Arthur Mitchell, New York, NY: artistic di- to be a member of the National Transpor- rector, Dance Theatre of Harlem tation Safety Board. Edwin C. Moses, Laguna Hills, CA: Olym- ‘‘Jim Hall has had a distinguished career pic gold medalist in Government and in the private sector,’’ Faylene Curtis Owen, East Lansing, MI: said the President. ‘‘I am very glad to be ap- president and CEO, Mica Consulting pointing him to this Board today.’’ Corp. Jan O. Piercy, Chicago, IL: Deputy Direc- tor of Presidential Personnel NOTE: A biography of the appointee was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary. Hon. Roger B. Porter, McLean, VA: professor of government and business, Har- vard University; Domestic Policy Aide to Presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush Statement by the Press Secretary on Professor George E. Reedy, Milwaukee, the President’s Meeting With WI: College of Communications, Mar- President Askar Akayev of quette University; Press Secretary to Kyrgyzstan President Johnson May 20, 1993 Sally K. Ride, Ph.D., La Jolla, CA: professor of physics, University of California The President and the Vice President met at San Diego; former NASA astronaut today at the White House with President

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Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan. The President want our people in there basically in a shoot- welcomed the Kyrgyz leader, noting his bold ing gallery. support of human rights, democracy, and Q. ——the issue, though, for now of the market reform in the Kyrgyz Republic. Dur- land the Serbs have grabbed by force in favor ing their talks, the President and Vice Presi- of the idea of this containment? dent discussed a wide range of issues of mu- The President. I will say what I said from tual concern with President Akayev and wel- the very beginning. Our fundamental inter- comed the expansion of bilateral ties be- ests here, the United States interests, are tween our two countries. two. We want the conflict to be contained, The U.S. remains committed to assisting and we want the slaughter and the ethnic the Kyrgyz Republic in its difficult transition cleansing to stop. We believe in order to get to a democratic and market-oriented system. that done ultimately there will have to be The President and Vice President congratu- some reasonable borders, some political solu- lated the Kyrgyz leader for being the first tion to this which has a reasonable territorial of the new independent states of the former component. And we’ll just have to see what Soviet Union to conclude a stand-by agree- happens over the next few weeks. ment with the International Monetary Fund to promote financial stabilization. They sin- NOTE: The exchange began at 10:15 a.m. in the gled out Kyrgyzstan as a model for the other Cabinet Room at the White House. A tape was new independent states, praising President not available for verification of the content of this exchange. Akayev for his government’s bold pursuit of macroeconomic stabilization and democratic reform. Proclamation 6564—National Maritime Day, 1993 May 21, 1993 Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Cabinet Meeting By the President of the United States May 21, 1993 of America A Proclamation Bosnia On May 22, 1819, the first transatlantic Q. Mr. President, have you reached agree- steamship voyage began when the SS Savan- ment with the Russians on a Bosnia policy? nah left the U.S. port of Savannah, Georgia. The President. Well, Secretary Chris- Sixty years ago, in recognition of this historic topher is talking to Foreign Minister Kozyrev voyage, President Franklin D. Roosevelt first today, and we will try to reach an agreement called upon the American people to observe about what we do next. As you know, the May 22 as National Maritime Day by display- United States is skeptical that we’ll be able ing the American flag at their homes and to satisfactorily resolve this within the frame- other suitable places. work that has been proposed, but we do want On National Maritime Day 50 years ago, to work with our allies. And we’re trying our the United States was engaged in a great best to reach a joint position, and I hope we World War. The United States merchant ma- can do it. rine made victory possible by linking our pro- Q. Are you still ruling out safe havens? duction forces at home with our fighting The President. Well, I don’t want to see forces overseas. Throughout our history, the United States get in a position where we America’s civilian seafarers have faithfully are recreating Northern Ireland or Lebanon supported our military forces. or Cyprus or anything else. There may be Thirty years ago, President John F. Ken- some potential down the road for something nedy cited the role of the American mer- to be done in connection with the peace- chant marine in promoting world trade. ‘‘Our keeping operation, but I think it’s something ships and the men who man them stand we have to be very skeptical about. We don’t ready to serve the Nation in any cir-

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cumstance and in all conditions of peaceful Letter to Congressional Leaders commerce or national emergency,’’ he said. Reporting on Iraq’s Compliance On National Maritime Day 15 years ago, With United Nations Security the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Council Resolutions Point, New York, was preparing to become May 21, 1993 the first Federal service academy to grant di- plomas to women. The women who have since graduated from our service academies Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) contribute significantly to our Nation’s eco- Consistent with the Authorization for Use nomic and military strength. of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution Today, America’s merchant ships continue (Public Law 102–1), and as part of my effort to provide jobs and economic benefits for to keep the Congress fully informed, I am America. The men and women who sail those reporting on the status of efforts to obtain ships and who serve in supporting industries Iraq’s compliance with the resolutions adopt- are prepared to support the Nation in times ed by the U.N. Security Council. of crisis. I ask all Americans to join me in My Administration insists on full Iraqi saluting them on National Maritime Day, compliance with all U.N. Security Council 1993. resolutions. We support Iraqi territorial in- In recognition of the importance of the tegrity and will continue to support inter- U.S. merchant marine, the Congress, by a national efforts designed to ensure that the joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has Iraqi regime does not threaten international designated May 22 of each year as ‘‘National peace and security and that it stops the re- Maritime Day’’ and has authorized and re- pression of its own people. We continue to quested the President to issue annually a work to ensure the integrity of the U.N. sanc- proclamation calling for its appropriate ob- tions regime, which is the best means to pro- servance. mote Iraqi compliance. Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, In accordance with U.N. Security Council President of the United States of America, Resolution 687, the U.N. Special Commis- do hereby proclaim May 22, 1993, as Na- sion on Iraq (UNSCOM) and the Inter- tional Maritime Day. I urge the people of national Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have the United States to observe this day with conducted four inspections of Iraq’s weapons appropriate programs, ceremonies, and ac- of mass destruction (WMD) programs since tivities and by displaying the flag of the the events described in my last report. Three United States at their homes and other suit- teams remained in Iraq conducting routine able places. I also request that all ships sailing inspection activities: a group at Al Muthanna, under the American flag dress ship on that where the destruction of chemical munitions day. continues; a team that is undertaking me- In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set dium-to-long-term monitoring of missile re- my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the search and development facilities; and an year of our Lord nineteen hundred and nine- aerial inspection team. ty-three, and of the Independence of the Ongoing inspections reveal that Iraq still United States of America the two hundred is not complying with applicable Security and seventeenth. Council resolutions. In March, UNSCOM #52/IAEA #18 concluded that, of the 242 ma- William J. Clinton chine tools at the Hatteen Establishment, a large number should have been—but were not—included in Iraq’s December 1991 dec- [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:24 p.m., May 21, 1993] laration to the Security Council. U.N. Secu- rity Council Resolution 687 required Iraq to provide a comprehensive declaration in April NOTE: This proclamation will be published in the 1991. The IAEA is now deciding what steps Federal Register on May 25. should be taken.

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Iraqi officials have also balked at moving 688. Over the last 2 years, the northern no- chemical weapon precursors and associated fly zone has deterred Iraq from a major mili- equipment to Al Muthanna for destruction, tary offensive against the Kurdish and other despite express instructions from UNSCOM inhabitants of the north. Since the no-fly head Rolf Ekeus. Ekeus has given Iraq until zone was established in southern Iraq, Iraq’s May 31 to comply, after which further steps use of aircraft in aggression against its popu- may be necessary. lation in the region has stopped, as have In addition, Iraq has refused to give details large-scale troop movements. Nevertheless, concerning suppliers for its WMD programs, evidence continues to mount concerning the although there have been repeated inquiries. massive extent of the Iraqi Government’s Iraq has continued its refusal to accept a human rights violations, both before and long-term monitoring regime for Iraq’s after the Persian Gulf war. Max van der WMD infrastructure. The international com- Stoel, Special Rapporteur to the U.N. munity must insist on such long-term mon- Human Rights Commission, has recently de- itoring as called for in U.N. Security Council veloped a plan for the placement of human Resolution 715. rights monitors throughout Iraq. We support United Nations vehicles in Iraq are regu- his proposal and are working to see that it larly vandalized, and inspectors’ personal is implemented. property is often stolen. Iraqi officials should In late April, the United States announced take steps to improve the hostile environ- our support for the establishment of a U.N. ment, which the U.N. Sanctions Committee commission to investigate Iraqi acts of geno- has noted is not in accordance with Iraq’s cide, war crimes, and crimes against human- obligations. Instead of taking appropriate ac- ity. The Commission would prepare information, on March 10 Iraqi officials alleged that tion for use in possible prosecution; it would information from U.N. U2 aircraft had been also provide the international community given to Israel for use in an attempt on Sad- with a thorough, impartial record of atrocities dam Hussein’s life. Iraq called for the end committed by Iraqi officials against the popu- of U2 flights based on this assertion, which lations of Iraq and neighboring states. We is not credible but may be designed to create are consulting with our allies on the creation resentment toward U.N. personnel in Iraq. of the commission. In accordance with Secu- The flights continue. rity Council Resolution 674, all states and or- I said in my last report that the United ganizations with substantiated information of States and our allies will not shrink from the Iraqi atrocities should provide such informa- use of force in accordance with Security tion to the United Nations; the United States Council resolutions. On two occasions since did so earlier this year. my last report, force has been necessary. On The International community has contin- April 9, an Iraqi antiaircraft site tracked and ued its efforts, consistent with Security engaged four U.S. aircraft monitoring Iraqi Council resolutions, to alleviate suffering in compliance in the no-fly zone established Iraq. The United States is working closely north of the 36th parallel. Two U.S. aircraft with the United Nations and other organiza- responded by dropping cluster bombs on the tions to provide humanitarian relief to the target; the site has not since attempted to people of northern Iraq in the face of Iraqi engage U.S. or Coalition aircraft. On April Government efforts to disrupt this assistance. 18, two Iraqi antiaircraft sites aggressively We continue to support new U.N. efforts to tracked and illuminated U.S. aircraft mon- mount a relief program for persons in Bagh- itoring Iraqi compliance with the no-fly zone dad and the south but must ensure that the south of the 32d parallel. One plane fired United Nations will be able to prevent the a missile at one site, which was hit; no elec- Iraqi Government from diverting supplies. tronic emissions have since been detected The U.N. sanctions regime exempts medi- from either site. cine and requires only that the U.N. Sanc- The ‘‘no-fly zones’’ over northern and tions Committee be notified of food ship- southern Iraq monitor Iraq’s compliance ments. In accordance with paragraph 20 of with Security Council Resolutions 687 and Resolution 867, the Committee received no-

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tices of 17 million tons of foodstuffs to be The United Kingdom has recently trans- shipped to Iraq through January 1993. The ferred 1 million pounds sterling to the escrow Sanctions Committee also continues to con- account, and we have arranged the transfer sider and, when appropriate, approve re- of the equivalent amount. (The United States quests to send to Iraq materials and supplies previously transferred a total of $50 million for essential civilian needs. The Iraqi Gov- to match Saudi and Kuwaiti contributions.) ernment, in contrast, has for months main- We continue to encourage contributions tained a full embargo against its northern from other countries. provinces and has acted to distribute human- Iraq has not met its obligations concerning itarian supplies only to its supporters and to Kuwaitis and third-country nationals it de- the military. tained during the war. Kuwait has compiled The Iraqi Government has refused to sell over 600 files on missing individuals. Al- up to $1.6 billion in oil, as is provided for though Iraq has received this information in Security Council Resolutions 706 and 712. through the International Committee of the Iraq could use proceeds from such sales to Red Cross (ICRC), it has taken no sub- purchase, under U.N. supervision, foodstuffs, stantive steps to cooperate fully with the medicines, materials, and supplies for essen- ICRC, as is required by Security Council tial civilian needs of its population. Iraqi au- Resolution 687. Iraq continues to resist un- thorities bear full responsibility for any suf- qualified ICRC access to detention facilities fering in Iraq that results from their refusal in Iraq. Regional organizations have also to implement Resolutions 706 and 712. been engaged—thus far to no avail—in trying Eventually, proceeds from oil sales also to obtain Iraqi compliance on the issue of would be used to compensate persons in- detainees. We continue to work for Iraqi jured by Iraq’s unlawful invasion and occupa- compliance. tion of Kuwait. The U.N. Compensation The United Nations has continued its Commission has received about 800,000 technical task of demarcating the previously claims so far, with a total of roughly 2 million agreed Iraq-Kuwait border. The Iraq-Kuwait expected. The Commission’s Governing Boundary Demarcation Commission is ex- Council, at its last meeting, approved the ap- pected to submit its final report later this pointments of three panels, which will begin month, notwithstanding Iraq’s refusal to par- considering individuals’ claims of up to ticipate in the Commission’s deliberations. In $100,000. The Council also decided to allow accordance with Security Council Resolution governments until October 1, 1993, to file 806, the United Nations continues to seek individual claims. The United States Govern- the contribution of an armed battalion to the ment is prepared to file a fourth set of indi- United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mis- vidual claims with the Commission, bringing sion (UNIKOM), so that UNIKOM can take U.S claims filed to about 1,000. The Com- necessary actions to prevent violations of the mission’s efforts will facilitate the compensa- border and the demilitarized zone. The tion of those injured by Iraq once sufficient United States and our allies also continue to funds become available. press the Government of Iraq to return all Security Council Resolution 778 permits property and equipment removed from Ku- the use of a portion of frozen Iraqi oil assets wait by Iraq. to fund crucial U.N. activities concerning Security Council Resolution 687 required Iraq, including UNSCOM, humanitarian re- Iraq to renounce all acts, methods, and prac- lief, and the Compensation Commission. tices of terrorism. Kuwait has recently ar- (The funds will be repaid, with interest, from rested 11 people and charged them with par- Iraqi oil revenues as soon as Iraqi oil exports ticipation in an assassination plot against resume.) Pursuant to Executive Order No. President Bush. We are investigating this 12817, the United States is prepared to trans- matter in cooperation with Kuwaiti authori- fer up to $200 million in frozen Iraqi oil as- ties. sets held in U.S. financial institutions, pro- In late April, Vice President Gore and Sec- vided that U.S. contributions do not exceed retary Christopher met with representatives 50 percent of the total amount contributed. of the Iraq National Congress (INC). They

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stressed the need for full compliance by the plantation Facility at the Los Alamos Na- government in Baghdad with all Security tional Laboratory. Later that afternoon, the Council resolutions regarding Iraq. They also President traveled to San Diego, CA, where emphasized that Iraq could be brought back he remained overnight. into the community of civilized nations only through democracy, respect for human May 18 rights, equal treatment of its people, and ad- In the morning, the President traveled to herence to basic norms of international be- Los Angeles, CA, where he toured the Los havior. A government representing all the Angeles Valley College lab. people of Iraq, and which is committed to In the afternoon, the President visited a the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq, sporting goods store in south central Los An- would be a stabilizing force in the Gulf re- geles where he played a short game of bas- gion. The INC will have the support of the ketball with members of the community. United States in achieving these goals. In the evening, the President returned to I am grateful for the support of the Con- Washington, DC. gress of our efforts. Sincerely, May 19 William J. Clinton In the morning, the President went to Capitol Hill where he met with the members NOTE: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. of the Democratic Caucus and Democratic Foley, Speaker of the House of Representatives, leaders. and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. The White House announced that the President has invited Namibian President Sam Nujoma to meet in Washington, DC, on June 16.

Digest of Other May 20 White House Annoucements In the afternoon, the President had lunch with the Vice President. The following list includes the President’s public schedule and other items of general interest an- May 21 nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and In the evening, the President met with not included elsewhere in this issue. President George Vassiliou of Cyprus.

May 15 In the afternoon, the President and Hillary Clinton attended the U.S. Air Force Thun- derbirds aerial demonstration at Andrews Air Nominations Force Base, Camp Springs, MD. Later, they Submitted to the Senate traveled to New York City where they remained overnight. The following list does not include promotions of May 16 members of the Uniformed Services, nominations In the afternoon, the President and Chel- to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- sea Clinton attended a family picnic at eign Service officers. Sidwell Friends School. Later in the afternoon, the President attended a health care meeting. Submitted May 17 May 17 Andrew M. Cuomo, In the morning, the President traveled to of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary Los Alamos, NM, where he toured the of Housing and Urban Development, vice Supercomputer Center and the Plasma Im- Skirma Anna Kondratas.

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Submitted May 18 Submitted May 20

James Richard Cheek, of Arkansas, a career member of the Senior Chas. W. Freeman, Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, of Rhode Island, to be an Assistant Secretary to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- of Defense, vice James Roderick Lilley, re- potentiary of the United States of America signed. to Argentina. Olena Berg, Archer L. Durham, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor, vice David George Ball, resigned. Energy (Human Resources and Administra- tion), vice William H. Young, resigned. John D. Donahue, William J. Taylor III, of Indiana, to be an Assistant Secretary of of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of En- Labor, vice Nancy Risque Rohrbach, re- ergy (Congressional, Intergovernmental, and signed. International Affairs), vice Greg Ward, resigned. Lee Patrick Brown, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug William H. White, Control Policy, vice Bob Martinez. of Texas, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy, vice Linda Gillespie Stuntz, resigned. Albert J. Herberger, Harold P. Smith, Jr., of New York, to be Administrator of the Mar- of California, to be Assistant to the Secretary itime Administration, vice Warren G. of Defense for Atomic Energy, vice Robert Leback, resigned. B. Barker, resigned. William Christie Ramsay, Submitted May 19 of Michigan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, John Francis Maisto, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- of Pennsylvania, a career member of the Sen- potentiary of the United States of America ior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Coun- to the Republic of the Congo. selor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Nicaragua. Sharon Porter Robinson, of Kentucky, to be Assistant Secretary for Deborah Roche Lee, Educational Research and Improvement, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Department of Education, vice Diane S. Defense, vice Stephen M. Duncan, resigned. Ravitch, resigned.

Emmett Paige, Jr., Judith A. Winston, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of of the District of Columbia, to be General Defense, vice Duane Perry Andrews, re- Counsel, Department of Education, vice Jef- signed. frey C. Martin, resigned. Walter Becker Slocombe, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Lionel Skipwith Johns, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, vice of Virginia, to be an Associate Director of I. Lewis Libby, Jr., resigned. the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

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Checklist Transcript of a press briefing by Director of of White House Press Releases Communications George Stephanopoulos Released May 21 The following list contains releases of the Office Transcript of a press briefing by Director of of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as Communications George Stephanopoulos items nor covered by entries in the Digest of Other White House Announcements.

Released May 17 Announcement of Presidential Faculty Fel- lows Program award recipients Acts Approved Released May 19 by the President Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- retary Dee Dee Myers Approved May 20 Released May 20 Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- H.R. 2 / Public Law 103–31 retary Dee Dee Myers National Voter Registration Act of 1993

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