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And Stella was up here bragging about and it turned out most of them worked out how he had intelligence and energy and pretty well. And I feel good about it. charm. And I thought, where’s the blarney We’ve still got a lot of good things going, part? [Laughter] But I’m telling you, I know and I think a lot of good things are going this guy. I know him well. And he’s kind of to happen in the next 7 months. You may hot right now because he’s raising all this have seen yesterday the House—the Senate money and having a good time doing it. But passed the hate crimes legislation I’ve been what you need to know is, he believes in what pushing for 2 years. A couple of days before he raised it for. He believes in what we’ve that, the House reversed itself and decided done here these last 8 years. And he knows to leave my process of creating national that we couldn’t have done it if he hadn’t monuments to protect land for all time to done what he did. come alone. We’re moving on a lot of the And he’s given in unique ways thousands fronts that I hope we’ll have some progress of us a chance to be a part of changing Amer- on. I think we will. ica for the better. And I think that’s some- The second point I’d like to make is that thing that his wife and his children and his people come up to me all the time and say, family and his friends ought to be very, very ‘‘Well, who is going to win this election or proud of. Because this is a better country that election or the other’’—except I always today because of Terry McAuliffe. say Hillary now, but apart from that—and Thank you very much. I believe that very strongly. But I think my experience has been that the outcome of elections are largely determined by what the NOTE: The President spoke at 8:15 p.m. in the Rooftop Ballroom at the Washington Hotel. In voters believe the elections are about. his remarks, he referred to Stella O’Leary, presi- That’s what you were talking to me tonight dent, Irish-American Democrats; John D. on the New York City—what you think the Raffaelli, partner, Washington Group; former U.S. election is about may determine more than Ambassador to Singapore Timothy A. Chorba; and anything else which candidate you vote for. Rashid Chaudary, president, Raani Corporation. And what I have been trying to hammer home all across the country, to all kinds of audiences—partisan audiences, nonpartisan Remarks at a Hillary 2000 Dinner audiences alike—is that this election must be June 21, 2000 about what we’re going to do with our pros- perity. That was one of my great jokes—[inaudi- Eight years ago when we were in deep ble]—that I intended to be president again trouble—the economy was down; society was next year, president of the Senate spouses’ divided; we had all kinds of difficulties—ev- club. [Laughter] erybody knew what we had to do. We had Let me say that I love coming to this mag- to roll up our sleeves and get out of the ditch. nificent home. I’m always so happy here. It’s We had to turn things around. We had to a happy place. I love being here. And now put things moving in the right direction. I’m here as surrogate-in-chief. Hillary is in Well, now things are moving in the right di- New York tonight, and I was delighted to rection, and the real question is, what do we come by and have a chance to talk to you do with it, not just the budget surplus but at the table. the confidence, the capacity, to deal with the I would like to just say a couple of things. challenges facing the country, to deal with First of all, thank you. I am very grateful that the big opportunities out there? I’ve had a chance to serve as President. And And if the American people think that is I’m grateful that I had a chance to get elected what we should do, then we’re going to have in a moment where I felt that I had some a very good election. Because that means it’s ideas that would change the country for the no longer necessary to have one of these sort better—and only after I’ve had years and of mudslinging campaigns where everybody years and years and years of working seri- tries to convince everybody else that their ously on these ideas so I could test them, opponent is just one step above a car thief.

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I mean, how many elections have we had like et in 1932, when we had 25 percent of the that? That’s not necessary. You start with the people out of work in 1933? It would have two Presidential candidates, you go through been exactly the wrong thing to do for him, these Senate races, these House races, you’ve just like it was the right thing to do for me. got people that make a very presentable case So basically, you’ve got a big, important elec- for their point of view and that argue it out. tion; you’ve got real differences. And so we really can have an election about Now, here’s the third thing, only the the future. Democrats want you to know what the dif- And I worked as hard as I could to turn ferences are. Really. The real differences. this country around, get it going in the right You see that in the way the Republicans are direction, and that’s really what I want to basically trying to make everybody forget have. If you believe that, then there are three they had a primary season in which they things I want you to know—and don’t laugh. made a lot of very specific commitments, and Number one, it’s a really big election. How they don’t want to talk about them anymore. a country deals with its prosperity is as im- But I think they’re honorable. I think portant a test of its character and judgment they’ll keep the commitments they made in as how you deal with adversity. the primaries. And it makes it uncomfortable There’s not a person around this room to- for them when, like Mr. LaPierre, the NRA night who cannot remember one instance in guy, says, ‘‘Well, we’ll have an office in the your life when you made a mistake, not be- White House if Bush wins the election,’’ be- cause things were going so badly but because cause they want him to go away until after things were going so well, you thought there the election. was no consequence to the failure to—[in- But there are real differences, and by and audible]—if you live long enough. Everybody large, they relate to how we think we ought knows that. So this is a big election. to manage this moment of prosperity. Point number two, there are real and hon- And I’ll just say a brief word about the est differences between the candidates for Vice President. I do believe by now I know President, for Senator, for the House, and him as well as anybody besides his wife, people, historically, pretty well do what they maybe his children. He’s been, by far—as say they’re going to do when they get in of- a matter of historical fact, he’s had by far fice. Contrary to a popular expression that a greater positive impact on the country in all politicians are a bunch of slugs and don’t this job than anyone who has ever had this keep their word, by and large, they do. If job. you look at all the historical studies, they do Now, I have to make full disclosure. That’s pretty much what they said they were going a very self-serving statement for me because to do. the way the job works, you’ve got to know One of the proudest days I’ve had as Presi- what the President asks the Vice President dent was in ’95, when things looked so bleak to do. But I’ve spent a lot of time studying for us, a scholar of the Presidency and the the Presidency, and I never could figure out media named Thomas Patterson published why you would want a Vice President who a report and said I kept a higher percentage didn’t go to work every day. I never could of my promises to the American people than figure out why the Presidents felt threatened any of the last five Presidents by ’95, even by their Vice President—I didn’t get all that though I’d made more, which made me feel stuff. very good. But most people will do most of I picked Al Gore because he basically was the things they say. in tune with me, and we got along together. And usually when a President doesn’t do But he knew things I didn’t know. He had it, you wind up being glad. For example, experiences I didn’t have, and he has made aren’t you glad that Abraham Lincoln didn’t an absolutely incalculable contribution to keep his promise not to free the slaves? That whatever good we’ve accomplished in the was one of his 1860 campaign promises. White House. And I think he should be elect- Aren’t you glad that Franklin Roosevelt ed because I agree with his economic plan, didn’t keep his promise to balance the budg- as compared with the alternative, and we

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need to keep the prosperity going; because rid of the Department of Education or get I know he’ll work harder to extend the bene- rid of the 100,000 police that lowered the fits of our prosperity to other people, wheth- crime rate in New York and other places. er it’s the differences they have over the min- So, there, too, there are real differences. imum wage or the Patients’ Bill of Rights I think the big issue here on the economic or you name it. And because he understands front for both of them—and it’s one that all the future. He understands issues like cli- of you need to think about because you could mate change and the other energy and envi- actually be better off the day after it passed ronmental issues, or the Internet privacy with the Republican plan, everybody here— issues, which I predict will be very big for the day after it passed. Because basically, all of you over the next 5 or 6 years. All of what they want to do is spend the whole pro- our medical records and all of our financial jected surplus on the tax cut, for Social Secu- records and all of our other records, every- rity transition costs and extra defense costs. thing is on a computer somewhere. I think And what we want to do—even though I’m that’s a big issue. not a candidate, I strongly support this—is I’m very pro-high technology. I’ve tried to to set aside at a minimum—at an absolute do everything I could to create as many jobs rock-bottom minimum—at least 20 percent to support a competitive environment with of this projected surplus which comes then the Telecommunications Act and all. But I from your Medicare taxes, and put it in a think these privacy issues are going to be big. Medicare Trust Fund, and get it away from So I think he’s good because I like his eco- any spending, and use it to continue to pay nomic plan. I think he’ll do more to help the debt down, and then we want to have everybody participate in our society, and I a tax cut that’s much smaller, probably about think he understands the future. And it’s 40 percent the size of theirs—still substantial, really important, because the next 8 years are but not as big as theirs—slightly less than going to be different from the last 8. The half of it—and we want to invest more money issue is not whether we’re going to change; in education and research and technology the issue is how are we going to change. and health care and the environment. I wouldn’t vote for anybody that said, Now, why is ours better? Because, number ‘‘Hey, I’d like to be President because I’ll one, we may not have—just because some do everything Bill Clinton did.’’ I wouldn’t economist says we’re going to have $1.9 tril- support a candidate—that would be wrong. lion over the next 10 years doesn’t mean it’s Things are changing too much. So that’s my going to happen. And I’ll bet you everybody take on that. in this room, in your heart of hearts, says, Now, in Hillary’s case, what I think will ‘‘Gee, I hope that will happen, but it might happen is she’ll go through a period of time not.’’ You know, we might not have 4 years where—apparently, just looking, I saw Mr. like these last 7 years. Lazio had a film the other day that had me If I tell you—this gentleman was telling on it, saying something nice about him. Well, me about his business in Buffalo; if I said, I’m not like them. If a Republican votes on ‘‘What’s your projected revenue? Are you something that I think’s good, I’ll brag on going to go out and not only spend it all, them. I’m not ashamed of it. I don’t think but borrow money on the basis of it, no mat- you have to say, just because somebody is ter what, with no safety net?’’ you probably a member of the other party, that they’re wouldn’t do that. And so I think if we—I right over there with Attila the Hun. believe if you have sort of a Bush-Lazio tax But I kind of—it was a gas that he would plan, and it passed, you’d all be better off try to give the people of New York the im- the day after because all of you can afford pression that I’d prefer him to my wife in to come here tonight. But you wouldn’t be the Senate. [Laughter] Because she would better off if it led to a 2-percent increase have voted for my economic plan, not against in interest rates. But in 2 years, the impact it, and she would have voted against the con- it would have on the markets, on the overall tract on America, not for it. She wouldn’t economy, on the unemployment rate, you’d vote to shut the Government down and get be worse off. And the overall economy would

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be worse off, and we wouldn’t have any of a certain value structure. And if we’ve got money to do these things. a country where, in order to be a success, And the way our crowd has it structured you have to just basically walk away from is, number one, they’re going to save 20 per- your responsibilities as parents, we’re in deep cent of the money on the front end and put trouble here. And this is a challenge for every it into Medicare, as long as it materializes, business, for everybody, and we’re going to which is good because when the baby have to work through a lot of these issues boomers retire it’s going to be hard to—[in- together. audible]—and we’re going to keep paying the But one of the reasons that I think Hillary debt down as fast as we can, which I believe ought to go to the Senate is that she spent is good. I think since there’s so much private 30 years working on this stuff. She knows debt, we should pay the public debt down more than anyone I personally know about and keep interest rates as low as possible. adoption, about foster care, about the chil- That’s what I believe. dren’s health care and emotional and nutri- And most of the people I know that have tional and educational needs, about the rela- done well in this economy, if they have to tionship of early childhood brain develop- choose between low interest rates and a ment to whatever the Government policy is. growing stock market and a tax cut, and if She has lived with this stuff. it’s either/or, they would choose the former And I was just kind of surprised when all every single time. So this is a big issue, and those New York House Members came to I think it’s important. see her and asked her to run for the Senate. The second big cluster of issues, I’ll say I was surprised she’d even think of it. I said, again: what do you believe our obligations ‘‘Do you know how much this is going to are to those who haven’t done as well in this cost you?’’ She said, ‘‘You’re talking to me whole thing as we have or those that have about money?’’ [Laughter] She laughed at got the good jobs, but they have other prob- me. She said, ‘‘You, who have never cared lems. if we had a nickel in the bank’’—[inaudi- The biggest challenge most working fami- ble]—and we laughed about it, you know, lies, even upper class working families that and we admitted that in the end we were work for salaries, face today is how to balance kind of public service junkies. It’s what we the burden of raising their children and suc- care about. [Laughter] ceeding at work. Because in the United And for 30 years she’s worked for me and States we have less support for that than our worked on the side. The whole time we were competing countries do. We don’t do as in Arkansas, she gave away lots of potential much to help people pay for child care. We income every year just to do public service, don’t do as much to make sure they all have because it’s what she wanted to do. And I affordable health insurance. We don’t do as can just tell you that in a lot of ways she’s much to make sure the kids are all in pre- better than I am on a lot of this stuff, and school or after-school programs. We don’t do she knows things I don’t know. And she will as much to guarantee that they have family be absolutely unbelievable. leave options so that if the baby is sick or I know there are still some people in New the parents are sick or there’s a newborn York who say, ‘‘Well, why is she doing this, baby, that everybody can get pretty much and why are they coming to New York, and what they need. why is she running for the Senate?’’ It’s not Now, I think this whole cluster of family- very complicated. She would prefer to do related issues, I’ll predict to you, will be very that than go out and get real rich. I mean, big over the next decade, because we’re not that’s basically—she would prefer to do this all working just to have money to go spend work than even be a wonderful commentator it on things; that’s not why people do it. They and talk about it. Arguably, in the modern find reward from their work, and they try world, people who have access to commu- to run businesses that they’re proud of, and nications can influence more people because they want to raise families they’re proud of. they can just talk to a lot of people and con- And this all has to be done in the context vince them to go change their behavior. Not

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her, man. She thinks she’s supposed to show et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United up for the job, do it in the old-fashioned States Code. way—bam, bam, bam. That’s what she be- I, William J. Clinton, President of the lieves. United States of America, in view of the poli- All I can tell you is, I’ve been around a cies underlying Executive Order 12938 of lot of people, and I’ve never seen anybody November 14, 1994, and Executive Order that I thought had the gift for public service 13085 of May 26, 1998, find that the risk that she does. And so what she’s got to do of nuclear proliferation created by the accu- is work like crazy and just keep meeting peo- mulation of a large volume of weapons- ple in New York, and basically chip away at usable fissile material in the territory of the the people who are still questioning, ‘‘Well, Russian Federation constitutes an unusual why is she doing this?’’ And at some point and extraordinary threat to the national secu- between now and election day, a critical mass rity and foreign policy of the United States, of people will have been reached, and they and hereby declare a national emergency to will be talking to other people, who will be deal with that threat. talking to other people, who will be talking I hereby order: to other people. Section 1. A major national security goal Did you read that little book, ‘‘The Tipping of the United States is to ensure that fissile Point?’’ Have you all read that, how little material removed from Russian nuclear things make big changes? At some point, weapons pursuant to various arms control we’ll reach the tipping point in this whole and disarmament agreements is dedicated to issue, and it will vanish, and I think she’ll peaceful uses, subject to transparency meas- be elected. But she can only do it if we can ures, and protected from diversion to activi- get our message out, which is why it’s so im- ties of proliferation concern. As reflected in portant. Executive Order 13085, the full implementa- So, anyway, that’s my pitch. You’ve got a tion of the Agreement Between the Govern- good Senator. You’ve got a good Presidential ment of the United States of America and candidate. It’s a big election. There are big the Government of the Russian Federation differences, and I do want you to know what Concerning the Disposition of Highly En- they are. riched Uranium Extracted from Nuclear Thank you very much. Weapons, dated February 18, 1993, and re- lated contracts and agreements (collectively, NOTE: The President spoke at 10:30 p.m. at a pri- the ‘‘HEU Agreements’’) is essential to the vate residence. In his remarks, he referred to attainment of this goal. The HEU Agree- Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president, Na- ments provide for the conversion of approxi- tional Rifle Association; Representative Rick mately 500 metric tons of highly enriched Lazio; and Gov. George W. Bush of Texas. uranium contained in Russian nuclear weap- ons into low-enriched uranium for use as fuel in commercial nuclear reactors. In further- Executive Order 13159—Blocking ance of our national security goals, all heads Property of the Government of the of departments and agencies of the United Russian Federation Relating to the States Government shall continue to take all Disposition of Highly Enriched appropriate measures within their authority Uranium Extracted From Nuclear to further the full implementation of the Weapons HEU Agreements. June 21, 2000 Sec. 2. Government of the Russian Fed- eration assets directly related to the imple- By the authority vested in me as President mentation of the HEU Agreements currently by the Constitution and the laws of the may be subject to attachment, judgment, de- United States of America, including the cree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other International Emergency Economic Powers judicial process, thereby jeopardizing the full Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the implementation of the HEU Agreements to National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 the detriment of U.S. foreign policy. In order

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