Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Monday, May 6, 1996 Volume 32—Number 18 Pages 735–789

1

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:04 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P18AP4.000 p18ap4 Contents

Addresses and Remarks Alaska North Slope crude oil exports, See also Bill Vetoes memorandum—748 American Israel Public Affairs Committee Interviews With the News Media policy conference—749 Exchanges with reporters Billy and Ruth Graham, dinner honoring— Cabinet Room—768, 781 784 Oval Office—770, 776 Budget negotiations—781 Roosevelt Room—764 Cattle prices—768 Florida Joint Statements Democratic dinner in Coral Gables—758 U.S.-Israel joint statement—767 National Drug Control Strategy in Coral Gables—754 Letters and Messages Kennedy Center anniversary reception—746 Eid al-Adha, message—735 National Association of Realtors—739 Pennsylvania, Democratic reception in Mettings With Foreign Leaders Philadelphia—735 Israel, Prime Minister Peres—749, 764, 767 Radio address—738 Palestinian Authority, Chairman Arafat—770 U.S.-Israel counterterrorism accord—764 U.S. Olympic Committee Proclamations Champions in Life—772 Labor History Month—786 Dinner—774 Law Day, U.S.A.—769 Loyalty Day—769 Bill Signings Statements by the President Technical corrections to the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and See also Bill Signings Appropriations Act of 1996, statement—785 Alaska North Slope crude oil exports—747 Family and Medical Leave Act—774 Bill Vetoes Gasoline prices—758 ‘‘Immigration Control and Financial Common Sense Product Liability Legal Responsibility Act of 1996,’’ Senate action— Reform Act of 1996 783 Message—780 Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Remarks—776 Emergency Act, Senate passage—783 Tobacco use, initiative to reduce—783 Communications to Congress Supplementary Materials See also Bill Vetoes Cyprus, letter transmitting report—773 Acts approved by the President—789 National Drug Control Strategy, letter Checklist of White House press releases—788 transmitting—757 Digest of other White House announcements—787 Communications to Federal Agencies Nominations submitted to the Senate—787

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.

2

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:04 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P18AP4.000 p18ap4 Week Ending Friday, May 3, 1996

Message on the Observance of Thank you, Congressman Chaka Fattah, Eid al-Adha for that powerful introduction and for your April 26, 1996 great service. Thank you, Congressman Tom Foglietta, for your friendship and your sup- Warm greetings to everyone celebrating port. Thank you, Gussie, and thank you, Eid al-Adha. Mina Baker Knoll, and thank you, Joe Kohn. An observance of sacrifice and a celebra- Thank you, Mr. Chairman Fowler, for all tion of faith, Eid al-Adha is a sacred day for the endless nights that you go back and forth Muslims in our nation and around the world. across America in search of the magical On this special day, the entire global Muslim chemistry of victory, not just for our party community joins in spirit with those who and our candidates, but for the kind of Amer- have traveled to Mecca to complete the Hajj. ica we’re fighting for. And thank you, Mr. The Festival of the Sacrifice reminds all Mayor, for proving that the Democratic Party of us of the need for obedience to God, can be the party of the future and the party prompts us to reflect on God’s mercy, and of all the people, the party of compassion gives participants a welcome opportunity to and competence, the party of the mind, and join with friends and family in a community the party of the heart. Thank you all. celebration of faith. In commemorating this Ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply moved holy day, Muslims in America and in coun- by this large outpouring. As President Ken- tries around the world serve as a source of nedy used to say, I am deeply touched, but strong faith that can enrich our lives and not so deeply touched as you are tonight. strengthen our common values. [Laughter] I thank you for your support, and Best wishes for a memorable and meaning- I thank you for your commitment to your ful observance. city, your State, and your country. Pennsylva- nia and Philadelphia have been very, very Bill Clinton good to me. And as all of you know, this State and this part of our State has a special place NOTE: This item was not received in time for pub- in my wife’s heart and her family history. And lication in the appropriate issue. we’re delighted always, either one of us, to have a chance to come. I think you know why we’re here, or you Remarks at a Democratic Reception wouldn’t be here. But let me just say again in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania very briefly, when I ran for President in 1992 April 26, 1996 and the State of Pennsylvania gave Bill Clin- ton and Al Gore its electoral votes, when Thank you very much. Come on up, Con- Philadelphia gave our ticket a larger margin gressman—give Congressman Borski a hand than President Kennedy received here in for going to his daughter’s soccer game. Give 1960, we had a very straightforward vision him a hand. [Applause] for our country, a vision for what we wanted One of the things you need to know if America to look like in the 21st century and you’re in public life is how to make a proper what we wanted America to be like for all entrance. [Laughter] And Bob just qualified. the children that are here. Actually, I saw him this morning. We were First, we wanted a country where every both out running at Fort McNair in Washing- person who is willing to work for it, without ton, DC, and he said he’d be here tonight. regard to their race, their income, or their And I thank him for keeping his word. background, could have a chance to live out

735

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 736 Apr. 26 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

their dreams. Second, we wanted a country about what will happen. You know where I that was coming together, not being driven am and what I will do. You know where they apart; that was reaching across the racial and are and what they will do. You know that other lines that divide us to find strength in our approach produced a deficit that is less our diversity and our shared values. Third, than half of what it was in 1992 when we I wanted to see our country continue to be took office, 81⁄2 million more jobs, a real the world’s strongest force for peace and crime bill instead of 6 years of talking about freedom and prosperity and security, so that it. It’s putting 100,000 police on the street we could build a framework for the 21st cen- and helping communities to drive the crime tury that would free our children of the wor- rate down to make our streets safer. ries that two World Wars and the cold war You know that it produced new and inno- imposed upon generation after generation vative approaches to protect the environment after generation of Americans in the 20th while growing the economy. You know that century. it produced a new commitment to the edu- In short, I really believed that if we did cation of all of our children, from expanding the right thing, the new global economy the Head Start program to expanding the could open up the greatest age of possibility availability of affordable college loans, to the our people have ever known. I still believe national service program that your former that. And what I come to you to say is that Senator, Harris Wofford, heads today. You we have a record that we can be proud of. know what we will do, and you know they Together we’ve done what we said we’d do oppose all those things. in 1992. But it is a record to build on, not You also know that I have done my best a record to sit on. It is a record to go forward to reach across party lines to work with Re- from, and not a record to take a radical turn publicans of good will; that I think this in- away from. That is what is at stake here. tense partisanship—the idea that everybody The American people in a way are fortu- who is not in your party is the enemy of your nate in this election year. In 1992, there was future and the enemy of your country—is a big debate about change or the status quo. crazy; the idea that you should never work That’s not what is at stake in 1996. In 1996, with people even if you agree with them on there are two very different visions of change a specific issue because there might be some, that offer us two roads into the 21st century. God forbid, benefit to somebody in the other And the next 4 years, like it or not, are going party, is wrong. That is not what made Amer- to take us right into the next century. The ica great. There are enough differences that question is, which road are we going to walk are honest without that kind of excessive par- into the 21st century? That is the question tisanship. the American people will determine. And today I finally signed, 7 months late, Will we walk the road of those who say a budget for this year that I would have that Government is the problem in America signed 7 months ago. Why? It continues the and the only thing we need to do is to give reduction of the deficit; it continues to cut the American people freedom from their spending; but it protects education; it pro- Government? Or will we walk with those of tects the protection of the environment; it us who believe that we need a smaller and protects Medicare; it protects Medicaid; it less bureaucratic Government, but Govern- protects our investment in new technologies ment has a role to play to make sure that and the growth of jobs; and it protects the every American has a chance to make it, that 100,000 police and the AmeriCorps program, every family has a chance to make it, that all things—all things—that the other party every neighborhood and every community tried in an intensely, completely partisan way has a chance to live up to the fullest of their to do away with. That was wrong. God-given capacities? But when we came back and rolled up our I think those of us who want to go forward sleeves and worked together, we did what together will prevail in 1996 because of you, we should have done: keep that deficit com- and I know that you know that, or you ing down, continue to reduce the size of un- wouldn’t be here. And we don’t have to guess necessary Government, but protect our fu-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 26 737

ture and protect our children and protect the lines anymore because they’re keeping their things that bring us together instead of driv- word to build down their nuclear program. ing us apart. That is the way we ought to And we are committed to that. do things. In Japan, we’ve had 21 separate trade A couple of days ago I signed an agreements with Japan, 21. And in those antiterrorism bill—the same thing, passed in areas, everything from auto parts to cellular a completely bipartisan way to give us the telephones to autos to rice, in all those areas tools to fight the kind of terrorism that we our exports to Japan are up 85 percent and have seen in Oklahoma City, at the World our trade deficit is going down. We are creat- Trade Center, in Japan, in the Middle East, ing jobs with free and fair trade, doing the indeed, all over the world, the use of murder right thing by the American people, and of innocent civilians to achieve a political maintaining our security partnership with end. We did that in a bipartisan way by put- Japan. ting America first. That is what I represent Let me tell you why I went to Russia and and that’s what our party will represent as how it affects you. Because of the work that long as I am the President of the United has been done with Russia as a democracy States, and that is what we ought to do. in the last 3 years, for the first time since So I ask you to keep these things in mind. the dawn of the nuclear age there is not a This is an interesting world we’re living in. single, solitary nuclear missile pointed at an It’s full of unpredictable events. Just in the American child tonight. And I am proud of last few weeks we’ve seen the heartbreaking that and you should be proud of that. deaths of my friend, the Commerce Sec- But unfortunately, not all the dangers of retary, Ron Brown, and some of our finest the nuclear age are behind us. We have more young public servants and some of our finest work to do to reduce nuclear weapons fur- business leaders going to Bosnia to try to put ther. And the waste that is left behind—the the power of the American economy behind waste that is left behind could be used to saving the peace and tell those people, you make small bombs with many times the de- have no future if you hate each other because structive power of the bomb that blew up of your religion or your ethnic background. the Federal building in Oklahoma City. So And we are determined now to make some- we have to work with them to make sure thing positive happen out of that, to use it that all that is safe, that it cannot be stolen, to strengthen our ability to stand for peace. that terrorists cannot get a hold of it. We were afraid that the peace was being So even these things that happen so far shattered in the Middle East with the fight- from home affect the way your children live ing in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. on their streets and their neighborhoods and But, thank God, today they reached an agree- their schools and their future. That is why ment to restore the cease-fire and to monitor I say again, we have to do three things. Every violations and not to resort to that kind of person without regard to their race, their killing again. And yesterday the Palestinians gender, their station in life has got to have took out of their constitution the provision a chance if they’re willing to work for it. We that required them to be against the very ex- have got—we have got to—fight these im- istence of the state of Israel. This was a good pulses that are dividing people all over the day, a good week for peace in the Middle world by race, by religion, by ethnic groups East and moving forward again. and say, no, no, that’s not what America is; And on the trip I took to Korea and Japan America is leading our challenges together and Russia, let me remind you, it may seem by sharing our values and working together. like a long way away, but when I took office And we’ve got to continue to be the force the number one threat to America’s security for peace and freedom and security in the was said to be the development of a nuclear world that only America can be. And we have program by North Korea and the prospect to do it by saying this is what the Democrats that they would have nuclear weapons that stand for; not big Government solving all the could be used and could be sold to other problems, but a new, smaller, less bureau- countries. Now that is not even in the head- cratic Government, the smallest in 30 years,

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 738 Apr. 26 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

but one still strong enough to help citizens pollution laws and risk severe damage to our and families and communities make the most environment. We aren’t going to abandon of their own lives. our effort to shrink class size and raise teach- That is tomorrow’s progressivism. That’s ers’ standards, to keep kids in school safe and what we stand for. And if any Republicans make college more affordable. We aren’t or independents want to help us, we are not going to abandon our commitment to going to be blindly partisan, we’re going to AmeriCorps, our national service program, say come on aboard, grab us by the hand, which also helps young people pay for college and walk into the future together. as they serve in their communities. Thank you, and God bless you all. Thank But here’s what we are going to do: We you. are going to cut the deficit for the 4th year in a row. This is the first time that has hap- NOTE: The President spoke at 7:30 p.m. in Frank- pened in almost 50 years, since Harry Tru- lin Hall at the Franklin Institute. In his remarks, he referred to Gussie Clark, Philadelphia council- man was President. We’re on the way to a woman; Mina Baker Knoll, candidate for State balanced budget. The deficit this year will treasurer; Joe Kohn, State attorney general can- be less than half of what it was when I took didate; Don Fowler, chairman, Democratic Na- office. And now we’ve got to finish the job. tional Committee; and Mayor Edward Rendell of Earlier this year I proposed a plan to bal- Philadelphia. This item was not received in time ance the budget, and Congress’ own econo- for publication in the appropriate issue. mists have certified that plan will balance the budget in 7 years. Republicans in Congress The President’s Radio Address have their own balanced budget plan. If you laid my plan and their plan side by side, you April 27, 1996 would find enough cuts in common to both Good morning. This has been a very good plans to balance the budget and provide a week for America. On Friday I signed a bi- tax cut for working families. So the ingredi- partisan budget to keep the Government op- ents for a balanced budget are clearly at erating for the rest of the year. After a year hand. All we have to do is sit down together of intense and sometimes heated debate, Re- and assemble a final agreement based on the publicans and Democrats in Congress came things we already agree on. together and worked with us to craft an But that’s the problem. I have made it agreement that is good for the American peo- clear that I want to meet with Congress and ple. work this out as soon as possible. I said this First of all, it keeps the deficit on the week I’m willing to meet with a large group downward path we started in 1993. This of lawmakers or a small group of Republican budget cuts billions of dollars in spending. and Democratic leaders. When Senator Dole At the same time, the budget upholds Ameri- said that maybe the two of us ought to get ca’s most basic values, as I have pledged to together and work it out, I told Senator Dole do, by honoring our commitment to our el- I’d be more than happy to meet with him derly, to our children, and to our future by alone. I don’t care how we do it. My singular protecting Medicare and Medicaid, preserv- goal is to work together with the Republicans ing our fight against crime, investing in edu- to craft a bipartisan plan to balance the budg- cation and in the protection of the environ- et in 7 years while upholding our values and ment. our commitment to the future. Look how far we’ve come. A year ago, I’d like to take a minute to speak directly many in Congress insisted we could only to the Republicans in Congress. I know some move toward a balanced budget by imposing people in your party are urging you to reject extreme measures and walking away from bipartisan negotiation in favor of more par- those commitments. I knew that wasn’t true, tisan confrontation. That would be a terrible and I was determined to hold the line. So mistake. Let me be blunt. I refused to accept now we aren’t going to break our promise extreme proposals for the last year and a half, to put 100,000 new police officers on the and I will not accept extreme proposals for street. We aren’t going to stop enforcing anti- the future. If it is your political strategy to

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 27 739

concoct a budget that you hope I will not keep your health insurance if you change jobs sign, you ought to think again. If you torpedo or lose a job, and you ought not to be denied these negotiations today, after so much health insurance just because somebody in progress has been made on a balanced budg- your family has been sick. We can agree on et, simply to create a campaign issue for later, that, or the Republicans can send me a more the American people will see through that partisan bill that has special provisions for with their eyes closed. special interests. So I urge you this morning to take the high The Republican leadership can work with road to progress. Do what we did with this us to raise the minimum wage, or they can year’s budget, with the antiterrorism bill, go on ignoring working families and mod- with the telecommunications bill, with the erates in their very own party, and do their lobby reform bill. Come meet with me and best to obstruct even a vote on the minimum let’s finish this job together. This is an his- wage. toric chance to balance the budget. We’re Now, if you look at what’s been done that within inches of agreement, and nothing— is good in the last year and 4 months—this not politics, not partisanship, not Presidential year’s budget, the antiterrorism bill, the tele- campaigns—nothing should be allowed to communications bill, the lobby reform— stop us. every single good thing has been done be- Just about a year ago I gave a speech to cause Democrats and Republicans in Con- the American Society of Newspaper Editors. gress worked together and worked with me. I told them then I did not want a pile of That’s how to get things done. vetoes. I told them I wanted to work with The only way for us to move forward is Congress and get things done for the Amer- to do it together. That’s the right thing to ican people. But I also said I’d never accept do on balancing the budget; the right thing extreme and unnecessary measures that to do on health care reform; the right thing would jeopardize our ability to care for our to do on the minimum wage. That is what elderly, educate our children, and protect we are here for: to move America forward. our environment. Unfortunately, a lot of Re- So let’s get together, and let’s get to work. publicans in Congress didn’t believe me. Thanks for listening. They shut the Government down. They re- fused to cooperate. But look what happened. NOTE: The address was recorded at 5:21 p.m. on When they tried to impose these drastic April 26 at the DuPont Hotel in Wilmington, DE, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 27. measures I was forced to stop them, just as I said I would. But then last week we worked together, and we quickly agreed on a budget Remarks to the National Association plan that accomplishes what I said could be of Realtors done all along: The deficit is going down, and April 27, 1996 our commitments are secure. Today the Republican leaders in Congress The President. Thank you very much. face a similar choice. They can go it alone Thank you, Art and Michael, Robert, Russ, and we will end up going nowhere, or they ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for the warm can come on down to the White House and welcome. we will get a good job done for the American Audience member. Go, Bill! [Laughter] people together. That’s how our system Audience member. Four more years! works best. That’s how we should reform [Laughter] health care and help working families. The President. Let me say that I’ve been Every United States Senator, for example, trying to convince the Congress it’s too early every single one, 100 of them, voted to pass to start all that. So you’ve got to help me the bipartisan Kennedy-Kassebaum health set a good example. [Laughter] care reform bill. Now, Republicans can work I am delighted to be here and delighted with us to make that health care more avail- to be with you. I’m delighted to be here once able to 43 million Americans by passing a again to express my support for your work bill that says that you ought to be able to every day, and my thanks for the support you

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 740 Apr. 27 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

have given to me in our common efforts to And so now they’re trying to get more rebuild this economy and to increase home- homeowners, more property ownership, out ownership. in the rural areas of the country. And I say Spring is the traditional start of the home- that just to say a lot of times we just take buying season, and it’s a time of hope and, it for granted that once you start a democracy at least for us here in Washington, it came it’s just such a wonderful thing we just keep not a day too soon. We suffered through a on with it. And we realize that—I mean, we tough winter, and we thought the spring forget that this is the oldest continuous de- would never come. But I was glad to see that mocracy in human history, and it’s not all in March, that home resale activity was up that easy to start one and it’s not all that easy in every region of the country, and there was to save one. And a lot of times people want a 16-percent jump in single-family home to lay down the burden of governing them- sales last month, compared to March of ’95. selves and making all these hard decisions I hope that is a harbinger of a good spring, and living under the rule of law and enduring a good summer, and a good year for you and defeat as well as victory in elections and in for the United States. other big decisions. Art said something—I didn’t even have a And I was there still watching this very note on this, I wasn’t going to talk about it great country with its rich and profound his- because I hear everybody is not interested tory essentially still in the process of defining in foreign policy, but I want to tell you some- what it wishes to be in the 21st century. And it struck me so clearly there that giving peo- thing. You made a remark about our common ple a piece of the country for themselves, understanding of the importance of home- whether it was in the private ownership of ownership in building our democracy. As I’m a building, private ownership of a farm, pri- sure most of you know, I just came back from vate ownership of a home, private ownership a trip to Korea, Japan, and Russia, and I had of a business, that is the key to making every- an astonishing experience in Russia, in addi- body feel that they can really win, even if tion to being there at a nuclear summit where their side doesn’t win every election or if we made some real strides forward in our every issue doesn’t go their way. unfinished work of removing any danger of So that liberty, free speech, and free elec- nuclear explosions from the face of our chil- tions and personal liberties should include— dren’s future. I had an opportunity to meet indeed, I would argue must include—the with 12 leaders from very different political recognition of private ownership of property factions in Russia, as they are getting ready in order to make sure that democracies can to have another election there for President. last. I wish them well, and I know that you And it was fascinating. First of all, they had do, but I thought you’d be interested in that. a virtual brawl of an argument right there We take this country and everything good in front of me, which I liked. [Laughter] about it for granted, and we take our system They behaved just like our politicians do. for granted. And sometimes we don’t even [Laughter] Made me think they were kind show up on election day and we say—nearly of healthy. [Laughter] every citizen does say—from time to time But it was very interesting to see that one says foolish things like, well, it doesn’t really of the things that is happening to change that matter what happens, and all that. We just country, to make more people more devoted think it will go on. But one reason it probably to democracy and freedom, is the ownership will go on is that we all have a piece of Amer- of property. And it is very interesting to see ica. And even people who don’t own property that in the areas where there is more owner- still have a piece of America because they ship of property, where people, for example, know they can, they know that we all can own more of their own businesses, they’re participate in this. more committed to democracy and to eco- And so when you see the next couple of nomic reform and to the promise of free en- months unfold in Russia and you watch that, terprise, even with all of its troubles as they and you see what happens to their democ- start. racy, you ought to just think about what they

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 27 741

have in common with us. And as they move homegrown, or you can have a terrorist that to have more control in their—individuals is tied to the forces beyond your borders, and families and communities—over their as we did at the World Trade Center. And future, a lot of it will be because they have every country is facing these kinds of chal- a personal, private stake in the public future lenges. of a free country. So I want all those things for our country. Four years ago when I sought this job I But I know it all begins by giving individuals am now privileged to hold, things weren’t so and families the power to make the most of good for you or for the rest of the country. their own lives. And we could never have Our economy was down, unemployment was done that unless we started by reversing the high, the deficit was exploding, the debt had disastrous fiscal condition of this country by quadrupled in just 12 years. I wanted to bringing that deficit down and getting inter- change the course of this country, and I knew est rates down and promoting economic we had to do it, first of all, by getting eco- growth, while continuing to invest in the nomic growth back by driving interest rates things that we all know we have to invest down. And that meant that we had to do in, like education and infrastructure and en- something about the deficit. But to me it was vironmental protection and the integrity of part of a vision that I have about what I want our medical programs, so that the country our country to look like in the 21st century can grow together. and how I want America to be perceived by Now, that’s what I tried to put together all of its citizens. in that 1993 economic plan. And this organi- I want this country to be a place where zation supported that, and I will be eternally everybody who is willing to work hard and grateful. But it worked. I predicted that if obey the law has a chance to live out their we implemented it we would cut the deficit dreams without regard to their race or their in half and generate 8 million new jobs. Well, region or their station they were born to in last month the Congressional Budget Office life. I want this country to be a place that said that by the end of this year the deficit is coming together, not being driven apart, will be less than half of what it was 4 years even though we’re rapidly becoming the ago, and we already have 81⁄2 million new most diverse democracy in the world. Los jobs. That’s something you can be proud of. Angeles County alone has 150 different racial This country is enjoying the lowest com- and ethnic and religious groups within one bined rates of unemployment and inflation county. But if we can come together and in what used to be called the ‘‘misery index’’ meet our challenges, based on shared values, in 27 years. For 3 years in a row we’ve had instead of being driven apart, that’s a guaran- a record number of new businesses started tee of America’s strength. and—I like this statistic—a record number And I want us to continue to lead the of new self-made millionaires, not people world as the greatest force for freedom and who were inheriting their wealth, but people peace and security and prosperity, because who made it the old-fashioned way in Amer- whether we like it or not, we’re living in a ica. Our telecommunications and auto indus- global economy and we can’t run away from tries are once again leading the world. We’ve it. So we’d better try to shape it; we’d better halted finally—and this may, over the long try to have more democracies and more peo- run, be the most important thing of all—we ple who want to work with us and more peo- have finally halted a 10-year-long slide in av- ple who are committed to finding nonviolent erage hourly earnings. And most important solutions to their own problems, as well as to you, of course, as has already been said, to the problems that affect us all. homeownership is at a 15-year high. We’ve seen it lately in the great debate The Government has been reduced in size we’ve had the world over on terrorism. And and it has been reformed so that it is begin- we know now that in this great open world ning to work better and cost less. I’ll just give we’re living in, with all of its opportunities, you one example. The Small Business Ad- the organized forces of evil can cross national ministration has cut its budget by over 25 boundaries. You can have a terrorist that’s percent and doubled its loan volume. And

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 742 Apr. 27 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

I’m very proud of that. It’s the smallest your example—I mean, if I had told you this 3 Federal Government—as you come here to years ago, let me ask you if you would have Washington this month, it’s the smallest it found it hard to believe—if I had said to you, has been since 1965. [Applause] Thank you. look, you support my economic plan and in By the end of this year it will be the small- 3 years and 4 months we’ll have 81⁄2 million est it has been since 1963. And yet, we are new jobs, we’ll cut the deficit by more than still working to try to do better. There’s been half, we’ll have the lowest combined rates a quiet revolution in the relationship of the of unemployment and inflation in 27 years, National Government not only to the private highest homeownership in 15 years, but sector, but to State and local governments. wages for the bottom half of the work force There’s been a lot of debate in Washington, would be more or less stagnant, about what for example, about what kind of welfare re- they were 15 years ago, and there will be form legislation we ought to sign. But I think places in our inner cities and rural areas that there’s a broad consensus in America that the won’t have any new investment, and there welfare system ought to empower people to will be a lot of people that look like me, 50- take responsibility for their own lives, not just year-old white guys, that will be being support people forever who ought to be sup- downsized at big companies just when porting themselves. they’re trying to send their kids to college, We had some differences here about how and they won’t know what to do and how that ought to be done. I have a very strong to get another job paying anything like what conviction that most people—based on my they were making, and there will be a lot 12 years as a Governor, I have a very strong of women and people of color going through conviction that most people on welfare are the same thing, but there are a lot of these dying to get off of it if they can be given big companies—and they’ll be out of work the ways to work and support themselves and for a while—and we’ll cut the inflation rate they don’t have to hurt their kids. So I’m in health care dramatically by having more for a system that is very, very tough on work, competition, but we’ll still have a lot of peo- very tough on child support enforcement, but ple who won’t be able to get health insurance is good to the kids, has child care and other because they work for small businesses and support for the children. It ought to be pro- it’s too expensive, or because they can’t take work and pro-family. After all, most of you it from job to job with them—you’d say, well, had to work and raise your families. Most that doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t compute. Americans are working and raising children. The reason it’s happening is that we’re So what we want is an America where every- going through the period of most profound body can succeed at home and at work. And economic change we’ve been in 100 years, if we have to choose one or the other, we since we’ve moved from farm to factory and get in a lot of hot water because none of from the country to the city, as a general rule. us have any more important job than raising Now, we’re moving from a cold war set of our own children well. So that’s what we’re regional economies in the world to a global striving for. economy, and every kind of work is more But anyway, you might be interested to dominated by information and technology, know while all this hullabaloo about the legis- including yours, than it was 5 or 10 years lation has been going on, we have made over ago. If you were to go home with me in Ar- 50 agreements with 37 States to get them kansas at planting time or harvest time you’d out from under destructive Federal rules and see people driving around in farm equipment regulations, and let them require people who with computers, maybe with software in it can work to work. Seventy-three percent of that they designed themselves. the people on welfare in this country are So with all these changes, what has hap- under welfare reform today, and that’s a good pened? A lot of work that used to be done thing. by a lot of people can now be done by a But I want to talk to you today about the few people. And all organizations need fewer paradoxes of this good news, because you people passing orders down and information have all seen the paradoxes. You know, for back up. And there’s an enormous mobility

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 27 743

in technology and money and information to their dreams. That is the challenge we all and management. And that’s what’s creating face as Americans today. all these incredible opportunities for people Now, I believe that homeownership is a that I just reeled off. big part of that. You know that and I do, But if you happen to be on the wrong side too. So we ought to balance the budget, but of it on a given day, it can also dislocate your I don’t think that we should do it in a way life. And it happened 100 years ago. When that undermines the ability of people to own we became an industrial country there were their own home. If we can simplify the tax people who came in from the country and code, I’m all for it. But I don’t think we ought went to cities and got jobs in factories and to adopt a flat tax that will raise taxes on ev- overnight became middle-class citizens—for erybody making less than $100,000 a year the first time in their lives could afford to and put homeownership out of the reach of have their own home and send their kids to all the people in those categories. good schools and have a decent retirement, Your president has already mentioned that maybe even take a vacation for the first time. the last time I spoke to you in Anaheim in But there were also tens of thousands of 1994, I asked you to work with Secretary people living in tenement houses in these Cisneros to develop a national homeowner- cities, virtually without the means to support ship strategy that will take us up to two-thirds themselves, because when you have this kind of the American people in their own homes, of upheaval you have some bad along with 8 million new homeowners by the end of the century. And we are well on our way to get- the good. And what we have to do is to find ting there because of the 56 major housing a way to grow this economy fast enough to and finance groups that have joined us. I keep America generating these new jobs, but want to thank you for that. also give people the chance to raise their I also want to thank you for your support families in dignity, to get incomes up, to be of FHA, and I want to ask you to continue able to afford to buy their own home, to be to support it. Again, there’s always an argu- able to have access to education for a lifetime ment for doing anything that will save money if they have to change jobs and access to to help us to balance the budget. But we health care they can carry around with them don’t want to do anything that will under- from job to job and access to retirement sav- mine our ability to grow the economy. And ings that they can carry around with them if you want hard working people on modest from job to job, so that we can compose fam- incomes to have a chance to be pro-work and ily life and community life and still keep the pro-family, lower income people have got to American job machine growing. have access to buy modestly priced homes. That is the challenge of the moment, and That’s why we shouldn’t do anything to wreck you will play a big role in that. I think you FHA. And I hope you’ll stay with us on this. understand that. That is what I hope so much Last June, Secretary Cisneros and I were that in this election year we can have an hon- joined by representatives of this partnership, est debate about. We don’t need another including people from your organization, at stale debate about yesterday’s issues, or this the White House. We announced 100 spe- one’s an alien and the other one ought to cific actions that we can take to make home- be disqualified and all that kind of stuff. We ownership more affordable, to target under- ought to actually have an honest discussion served populations, to educate those who about which path to the future we’re going haven’t considered becoming homeowners. to take, because no great country has solved Now, we’ve now got this national home- this problem. Indeed, no other country has ownership rate, at the end of the first quarter done anything nearly as well as the United of 1996, up to 65.1 percent. That’s the high- States has in generating new jobs. But we est rate since 1981 and the sharpest increase, have to say, even with all these jobs we need as you heard earlier, in 30 years. We can to have a really permanently growing econ- make it. We can get up to two-thirds of the omy that is pro-family and pro-community American people in their own homes by the and that gives everybody a chance to live up end of this decade.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 744 Apr. 27 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

Beginning next week, HUD and FHA will that this budget honors our commitments to launch the next phase of this effort, a grass- our elderly, to our children, and to our fu- roots outreach and education campaign de- ture. It invests enough to keep environmental signed to help millions of new Americans be- protection going in a responsible way. It in- come homeowners. The cornerstone is a new vests enough to keep our commitments in toll-free number to provide instant informa- education and to keep opening the doors of tion on the wide variety of home-buying help college education wider, to keep striving for that HUD offers. We’re going to launch a higher standards in education, to keep more series of home-buying seminars in schools in kids coming into these Head Start programs. over 20 markets across the country, to bring It does the right thing there. It protects the together real estate professionals, lenders, integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid pro- governmental and nonprofit organizations to grams while understanding that we have to help potential first-time buyers gain an un- do things to lower the inflation rate in them. derstanding of the process. Outreach and That’s what it did for this year. PSAs will show how FHA can open the door Now, this is just a one-year budget. When to homeownership. you hear us talk about the balanced budget I don’t need to tell you about how impor- up here, that’s a multiyear budget plan. And tant that is. And again, I want to thank you now it’s time to finish that job. Earlier this for helping. But let me say that the most im- year I proposed a plan to balance the budget, portant thing we can do to help you is to and Congress’ own economists have now cer- continue to grow this economy. And the most tified that it will do so in 7 years. The Repub- important thing that we can do to continue licans in Congress have their own balanced to grow the economy is to keep the interest budget plan that is now different from the rates down by finishing the unfinished busi- one that I vetoed several months ago. If you ness of balancing the Federal budget in a laid my plan and their plan side by side, you way that is consistent with our values and would find enough cuts in common to both our long-term economic interests. plans to balance the budget and still provide Now, yesterday I signed a bipartisan budg- a modest tax cut, stuff we have agreed on et that will cover the Government’s oper- already in common spending reductions. The ations for the rest of this year. We fought ingredients, therefore, for a balanced budget about it for 6 months. But I would have glad- are clearly at hand. ly signed the budget I signed yesterday on Are there other things we disagree on? You the first day of the new budget year. It was bet there are. We disagree about the details a year of intense and heated debate, but fi- of how Medicare should be changed. We dis- nally, the Republicans and the Democrats in agree about certain specific things in the area the Congress and the White House came to- of environmental policy. We have big dis- gether and we crafted an agreement that is agreements about whether we should aban- good for the American people. don our commitment to put 100,000 police First, the budget I signed for this year on the street—I don’t think we should—or keeps the deficit on a downward path. We’re whether we should cut back on a college loan now cutting the deficit for the 4th year in program that’s making the loans more afford- a row for the first time since Harry Truman able to our kids. I don’t think we should do was the President of the United States. The that. budget cuts billions of dollars in spending But if you’re just talking about balancing and eliminates outright over 200 Govern- the budget, there is more than enough sav- ment programs. I bet you don’t miss a one ings in common to both these plans to do of them. [Laughter] You know, while I was that and provide a modest tax cut right now. a Governor, every 2 years I’d eliminate a gov- All we need to do is to sit down and make ernment agency just to see if anybody com- the agreement. And I made it clear that I plained. [Laughter] And I never got the first want to meet with the leaders of Congress letter. [Laughter] as soon as possible. I’m willing to meet with But let me say that the budget we adopted a big group of lawmakers or a little group also upholds our values and keeps my pledge of lawmakers, with the leaders or the fol-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 27 745

lowers or the caucuses or the bipartisan tween the President and the Congress. In groups or any group of them. When Senator other words, we put the public interest over Dole suggested last week, perhaps in jest, short-term political advantage. And because that he thought the two Presidential can- the right thing was done, everybody was bet- didates ought to sit down and work it out, ter off. Now, that is what we ought to do I accepted within 10 minutes of hearing the on this budget. offer. I’ll do it any way. We can cut it flat I remember once in the heat of the cold around. There’s not that much difference, war, President Kennedy said in his Inaugural anyway. But the fact is that we ought to do Address, let us never negotiate out of fear, it. We should not have a work stoppage here but let us never fear to negotiate. That is in April because there’s an election in No- my message to the Congress. Let’s get to vember. We ought to stay at the job and get work and do this job for the American peo- the job done. ple. Again I say, while you’re here I hope you Beyond the budget, I want you to know— will urge us—you don’t have to take sides a lot of you clapped when I talked about the in all the details. You don’t have to say, the Kassebaum-Kennedy health care bill. The President is right. But I hope your voice will Senate version passed 100 to nothing. Why? be loud and clear that the time is now, not Because it’s a clean, simple bill designed to next year, now, to pass a genuine, compas- achieve those two objectives. The House ver- sionate, but tough bipartisan balanced budg- sion of the bill was far more controversial. et plan to keep these interest rates coming Why? Because there were certain specific in- down and this economy growing. You will terests that wanted other things in the bill. benefit from it, but so will all the rest of They honestly believe it would be good for America. America; a lot of the rest of us don’t think Let me say this: In spite of all the fights it would be good. We think it would do more that we have up here, this budget agreement harm than good. that I signed was not the only good thing My question to you is, since you all that’s happened in the last year and 4 months clapped for the two things and they passed coming out of the Congress. But they all have 100 to nothing, I urge you again, say to the something in common. Just a few days ago Congress, pass that bill clean. Don’t clutter I signed an antiterrorism bill that will dra- it up with things we disagree about. These matically increase the capacity of your Gov- are big things. This will help millions and ernment to fight terrorism. millions of people. Pass a clean, good bill that A few weeks ago I signed a telecommuni- has bipartisan support that will help every- cations bill which will create hundreds of body in America. It will be good for America. thousands of new high-wage jobs in the tele- There’s no politics in it if we all do it to- communications industry and keep America gether. That’s the right thing for the country leading in many sectors of that important in health care and in the budget. And I ask part of our economy. Just a few days ago, for your support for that as well. the United States Senate passed 100 to zero Let me say in closing that I ask you again the Kassebaum-Kennedy health care reform to ask yourselves what do you want America bill which simply says you ought to be able to look like in the 21st century? What are to keep your health insurance if you move you working for? What do you want your chil- from job to job and you ought to be able dren and grandchildren to feel like when to buy it, even if someone in your family has they get up every morning? What kind of been sick. That’s what it says. world do you want them to live in? Now, all those things, those good things If you want them to be able to live out that have happened that I laud the congres- their dreams if they’re willing to work hard sional leadership of the other party for sup- for it; if you want them to live in a country porting have just one thing in common. that’s still the strongest force in the world Every one of them has one thing in common. for peace and freedom and security; if you They were passed with bipartisan support want them to live in a country where we meet and they were negotiated in good faith be- our challenges together, no matter how di-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 746 Apr. 27 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

verse we are because we share the same val- Remarks at the 25th Anniversary ues, then we have to keep in mind two things. Reception for the John F. Kennedy First of all, we have to give every American Center for the Performing Arts the capacity to make good choices and be rewarded for work; everybody’s got to have April 27, 1996 the ability to do it. There’s a lot of talk about That’s the most attractive introduction I’ve empowerment in Washington. It’s a ever had. [Laughter] buzzword today. I love that word. But it Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome means more than choice. It means the ability to the White House and welcome here for to seize the choice you want to make. And this occasion. We’re delighted to join in the the second thing we’ve got to do is to do 25th anniversary celebration, and I want to it together. say a special word of welcome to the mem- We are moving into a new age. The old bers of the Kennedy family and to thank categories in which we divided ourselves do them for remaining tireless in their efforts not give us easy answers to these new chal- to preserve, promote, and honor our Nation’s lenges. As I said before, there’s not a country culture. in the world that solved the problem of eco- The Kennedy Center for the Performing nomic growth that gives everybody a chance Arts prospers today as our national cultural to participate in it, that deals with the institution, thanks to so many people who are downsizing, the areas that don’t get invest- committed to that ideal, the ideal that art ment, the stagnation of wages among people and culture are not so much a pastime as that don’t have a lot of education. We’re try- a definer, a clarifier, a representation of ing to come to grips with that. America. But we cannot do it in the old, highly in- Recently, the First Lady and I returned tensely partisan way. That is doomed to fail- from a trip to the Far East and to Russia, ure. Because we are moving into a new era, and, as in other visits, we saw how prized we have to break new ground. We have to an export our culture is. It’s not just coinci- be willing to give up on some of the things dence that it is embraced and adapted by that we used to hold on to and grab on to a world increasingly sharing our democratic each other and work together and solve these ideals. Visit almost any part of the world and problems. And we have to be animated by there can be no doubt, our art, our music, the vision we have of what we want America our dance and theater are among our greatest to look like. Homeownership has to be a part ambassadors. of it. A growing economy has to be a part Here in America the Kennedy Center is of it. A more unified sense of our ability to the Nation’s stage. It’s hard to believe that work together through our diversity has to just a quarter century ago it was only a goal. be a part of it. But it begins by saying we President and Mrs. Kennedy realized the sig- have to put the public interest ahead of short- nificance of a national cultural center. They term politics. I ask for your support as Ameri- even held a telethon to raise funds for the cans for that goal. center. Of course, President Kennedy could Thank you, and God bless you all. not have known that he would be the center’s greatest inspiration and its namesake. But there could not be a more fitting living me- NOTE: The President spoke at 3:45 p.m. in the ballroom at the Sheraton Washington Hotel. In morial, for at the Kennedy Center each night his remarks, he referred to Art Godi, president, we enjoy great performances, each year we Michael Graeper, chair, and Robert Galiano, vice honor great performing artists. Every day we chair, Public Policy Forum, and Russ Booth, 1996 work to commission and create new works president-elect, National Association of Realtors. and to reach and educate a new generation.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 28 747

The Kennedy Center makes our culture I am also announcing additional measures accessible as it never was before. Last year to address safety concerns relating to oil tank- more than 2 million people attended per- ers and other commercial vessels in Puget formances at the center. Another 20 million Sound-area waters in Washington State. saw its touring and broadcast productions. I want to express my appreciation to Con- And many of these people who could not oth- gress, led by the Alaska congressional delega- erwise afford the price of admission took ad- tion, for its bipartisan support of the legisla- vantage of free and low-cost performances. tion that has made exports possible. In addi- The Kennedy Center is truly a place for tion, I want to express my appreciation to all Americans. It is promise and proof of our Alaska Governor Tony Knowles. It has been shared values. It offers a forum to an amazing a pleasure to work with him to make ANS variety of God-given talents. The best of art exports a reality. endures, enriches, and enlivens the human After careful consideration, I have deter- condition far beyond the horizon of any of mined that ending the 23-year ban against our tomorrows. Our art is the best record exporting ANS oil is in the national interest, of who we are, what we have been, and what subject to four important conditions: we hope to become. 1. Tankers exporting ANS crude oil President Kennedy said it best in words must remain outside of the 200-mile inscribed in the marble walls of his memorial: Exclusive Economic Zone. This will ‘‘There is a connection, hard to explain logi- ensure that tankers in the ANS export cally, but easy to feel between achievement trade remain far from the U.S. coast- in public life and progress in the arts. The line and the environmentally sensitive age of Pericles was also the age of Phidias. areas along the Aleutian Islands. The age of Lorenzo de Medici was also the 2. ANS export tankers must be age of Leonardo da Vinci. The age of Eliza- equipped with a satellite communica- beth was also the age of Shakespeare.’’ tions system to permit the Coast Tonight we pause and pay tribute to the Guard to monitor the tankers’ posi- deeper sources of our strength, the expres- tions. sions of the human spirit that light up not 3. ANS export tankers must be in- only our stages, but our national life. We cel- ebrate 25 years of the John F. Kennedy Cen- spected annually, in accordance with ter for the Performing Arts, and we look for- U.S. Coast Guard policies and proce- ward in joyful expectation to new generations dures. This condition will ensure that of performances. The best of the Kennedy the tankers are kept in safe working Center is yet to come. order. Thank you very much. 4. ANS export tankers will be required to exchange their ballast water in NOTE: The President spoke at 5:15 p.m. in the deep ocean water prior to entering East Room at the White House. Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Ship logs will record ballast exchanges and Statement on Exports of Alaska will be checked periodically by the North Slope Crude Oil Coast Guard. This condition will help April 28, 1996 prevent the introduction into Alaskan fisheries of nonindigenous, aquatic Today I am taking action that will allow, nuisance species. for the first time, exports of Alaska North These requirements, which will be applied Slope (ANS) crude oil. Permitting this oil to to ANS oil exports as export license condi- move freely in international commerce will tions, will protect Alaska’s unique environ- contribute to economic growth, reduce de- ment and abundant natural resources. A fifth pendence on imported oil, and create new requirement—that exports be carried in jobs for American workers. It will not ad- U.S.-flag tankers, crewed by U.S. merchant versely affect oil supplies or gasoline prices seamen—is already in place under PL 104– on the West Coast, in Hawaii, or in the rest 58, the oil export legislation I supported and of the Nation. signed into law last November. That law is

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 748 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

also the source of the authority under which I share those concerns. Accordingly, I am I am imposing the four additional export con- requesting the Coast Guard to prepare, by ditions. no later than 120 days from today, a status By removing the ban that has prevented report on its plan for a private-sector vessel ANS oil from moving freely in international assistance system. I am also asking the Coast markets for more than two decades, we will Guard to accelerate completion of the plan, be stimulating increased domestic oil pro- which will be submitted to Congress, and to duction in Alaska and California, creating offer its assistance to any serious private-sec- new jobs in the oil industry, and preserving tor efforts to improve vessel safety. The plan jobs for America’s merchant seamen. is required under a provision of the ANS ex- Over the last several months, my adminis- port law authored by Senator Patty Murray, tration has conducted an extensive inter- who has been at the forefront of efforts to agency review of the environmental, eco- safeguard her State’s waterways. To further nomic, and energy aspects of lifting the ban. support those efforts, I am asking the Sec- retary of Transportation to determine, by the Led by the National Economic Council and end of this year, the need for additional, cost- the Council on Environmental Quality, the effective measures to protect the marine en- interagency review team confirmed the De- vironment, and to prevent shipping acci- partment of Energy’s 1994 findings that lift- dents, in Washington State. ing the export ban would provide important Finally, I wish to emphasize that in permit- benefits to the economy. Permitting exports ting ANS oil to be exported, I am in no way will generate up to 25,000 more jobs, particu- diminishing my authority under various laws larly for American workers in California and to impose new export restrictions if necessary Alaska, but also in States that produce oil to respond to a national emergency, or to industry supplies and equipment. Additional deal with severe oil supply shortages. oil production of about 100,000 barrels per day is expected, according to DOE projec- tions, and Alaska, California, and the Federal Memorandum on Exports of Alaskan Government will also benefit from up to $2 North Slope Crude Oil billion in additional Federal, State, and local April 28, 1996 royalty and tax payments. The review group identified an additional Memorandum for the Secretary of benefit of exports. It determined that overall Commerce, The Secretary of Energy tanker movements along the West Coast will Subject: Exports of Alaskan North Slope decline. Because of the ban, the ANS oil that (ANS) Crude Oil exceeds the West Coast’s needs currently Pursuant to section 28(s) of the Mineral must be shipped down the West Coast any- Leasing Act, as amended, 30 U.S.C. 185, I way. Without the ban, that ‘‘surplus’’ oil— hereby determine that exports of crude oil which has been suppressing Alaska and Cali- transported over right-of-way granted pursu- fornia producer prices below U.S. market ant to section 203 of the Trans-Alaska Pipe- levels—can now be exported. line Authorization Act are in the national in- While the review group found no likeli- terest. In making this determination, I have hood of adverse impacts from ANS exports taken into account the conclusions of an on Washington State’s consumers, refiners, interagency working group, which found that or environment, concern is clearly rising in such oil exports: that State about the increasing volume of ves- —will not diminish the total quantity or sel traffic projected to occur as a result of quality of petroleum available to the other factors. For example, the growing United States; and international trade between Washington —are not likely to cause sustained material State and Pacific Rim nations, while clearly oil supply shortages or sustained oil a boon to the State’s economy, is prompting price increases significantly above world debate over the adequacy of current vessel market levels that would cause sustained safety procedures and resources. material adverse employment effects in

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 28 749

the United States or that would cause an annual internal survey of the vessel’s substantial harm to consumers, includ- cargo block tanks; and ing those located in noncontiguous —the owner or operator of an Alaskan States and Pacific Territories. North Slope crude oil export tankship I have also considered the interagency shall adopt a mandatory program of group’s conclusions regarding potential envi- deep water ballast exchange (i.e., in ronmental impacts of lifting the ban. Based 2,000 meters water depth). Exceptions on their findings and recommendations, I can be made at the discretion of the cap- have concluded that exports of such crude tain only in order to ensure the safety oil will not pose significant risks to the envi- of the vessel. Recordkeeping subject to ronment if certain terms and conditions are Coast Guard audit will be required as met. part of this regime. Therefore, pursuant to section 28(s) of the The Secretary of Commerce is authorized Mineral Leasing Act I direct the Secretary and directed to inform the appropriate com- of Commerce to promulgate immediately a mittees of the Congress of this determination general license, or a license exception, au- and to publish it in the Federal Register. thorizing exports of such crude oil, subject to appropriate documentation requirements, William J. Clinton and consistent with the following conditions: —tankers exporting ANS exports must use [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 1, 1996] the same route that they do for ship- ments to Hawaii until they reach a point NOTE: This memorandum was made available by 300 miles due south of Cape the Office of the Press Secretary on April 28 but Hinchinbrook Light and then turn to- was not issued as a White House press release. ward Asian destinations. After reaching It was published in the Federal Register on May that point, tankers in the ANS oil trade 2. must remain outside of the 200 nautical- miles Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States as defined in the Fisheries Remarks to the American Israel Conservation and Management Act (16 Public Affairs Committee Policy U.S.C. 1811). This condition also applies Conference to tankers returning from foreign ports April 28, 1996 to Valdez, Alaska. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the vessel mas- Thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister, ter only to ensure the safety of the ves- I just thought I was tired because it was late sel; Sunday night. I never felt better in my life. —that export tankers be equipped with Thank you very much. satellite-based communications systems Mr. Prime Minister, Ambassador that will enable the Coast Guard inde- Rabinovich, Secretary Glickman, Ambas- pendently to determine their location. sador Indyk. President Dow, thank you for The Coast Guard will conduct appro- that wonderful introduction. Mr. Grossman, priate monitoring of the tankers, a meas- Mr. Sher, Mr. Bronfman, Mr. Levy, to Jack ure that will ensure compliance with the Bendheim, who also gave a wonderful intro- 200-mile condition, and help the Coast duction; the cochairs of this event, Art Sand- Guard respond quickly to any emer- ler and Betsy Sheer; to all the young students gencies; who are here. —the owner or operator of an Alaskan The Prime Minister referred on two occa- North Slope crude oil export tankship sions to the opportunity that I had on my shall maintain a Critical Area Inspection last trip to Israel to meet with the young peo- Plan for each tankship in the trade in ple there. It was an incredible experience for accordance with the U.S. Coast Guard’s me. And I realized that in some ways we have Navigation and Inspection Circular No. to keep depending on young people to de- 15–91 as amended, which shall include liver us because they remind us that we can

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 750 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

break new ground and make tomorrow dif- down on the people of northern Israel. I ferent from yesterday. thank the Prime Minister for the tremendous Just before the Prime Minister and I came work he did. And in his absence—and I hope in here tonight, we received petitions for to goodness he’s sleeping right now—I want peace signed largely by college students that to thank the Secretary of State for his mag- were presented by Jonathan Epstein of Trin- nificent herculean effort. I also thank his ity College and Abigail Michelson of Bran- partner and great unsung hero, Dennis Ross, deis, and I’d like to thank them. I think for what he has done. they’re over here. I thank them very much As the Prime Minister said, we had an for what they did for that. agreement back in 1993, but it wasn’t in writ- I would also like to say a special word of ing, and it was shattered. For the first time thanks to the Members of Congress who are now, there is an agreement in writing that here who have supported our administra- will be more effective in preventing further tion’s policies in the Middle East. If I miss outbreaks. The violence has stopped. There someone whom I do not see, write me a nasty is now a monitoring mechanism to which Is- note tomorrow. [ Laughter] But I would like rael and Lebanon can refer complaints. And to say a special word of thanks to Senator now it is our fond hope that civilians on both Lautenberg, Congressman Frost, Congress- sides of the border can resume their lives man Engel, Congresswoman Lowey, Con- with greater confidence and security. And we gressman Waxman, and Congressman Levin. will not tolerate further efforts to disrupt the And I hope I didn’t miss anybody; we can’t calm. afford to lose any more friends in Congress. When I came into office, I was determined [Laughter] that our country would go into the 21st cen- When the Prime Minister said that Israel tury still the world’s greatest force for peace was now spending as much money on edu- and freedom, for democracy and security and cation as defense, I thought of seeing if I prosperity. We have to promote these values could get him to stay another week and just just as vigorously as we did in the cold war. testify before a few committees. [Laughter] Indeed, in some ways, our responsibilities as And when you, sir, said that I had made his- Americans are now greater. tory for a second time, I can see myself being I know that you agree with that. You have guilt-peddled into the future; I can make his- devoted yourselves to strengthening the tory now every year from now on until the bonds between the United States and Israel, end of my life. [Laughter] a cornerstone of our foreign policy and of Since I associate you with the struggle for our efforts to advance peace and freedom peace, I can’t help, if you will indulge me and democracy in the Middle East. I thank one real purely personal observation: The last you for that and I ask you, too, to continue time I appeared before this conference be- to speak out in a larger sense for America’s fore last year was in 1989, when the person role in the world. It has made a difference who was supposed to appear on behalf of the what we have done in the Middle East and Democratic Party against Lee Atwater went in Bosnia and in Northern Ireland and in to his daughter’s college graduation. I Haiti and in fighting against the proliferation thought he had his priorities in order, and of weapons of mass destruction and in lead- so when he asked me to replace him, I was ing the world to take a tougher stand against glad to stand in for Ron Brown. And since terrorism. We cannot afford to walk away he lost his life on another remarkable mission from these responsibilities to the future of of peace, I thought I would share that with our children, our children’s children, and the you tonight, and I hope you will remember children of all the world. that and remember him and his family in What a difference a year can make. It was your prayers. at this conference last year that Israel’s then- I am pleased as the Prime Minister is that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said, from day we can come here tonight with the northern one Israel found itself in a unique alliance border of Israel and the southern border of with the United States, resting on twin pillars Lebanon quiet—no Katyusha rockets firing of shared values and strategic partnership.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 28 751

Well, it’s still true. And now the United Qana who were caught between—make no States and Israel are still partners based on mistake about it—the deliberate tactics of shared values and common strategies. Hezbollah in their positioning and firing and I am grateful for the service, the life, and the tragic misfiring in Israel’s legitimate exer- the sacrifice of Prime Minister Rabin. But cise of its right to self-defense. I am also very grateful that the man he called I know that in Israel and Lebanon, his full partner, our friend Shimon Peres, is throughout the Middle East and throughout carrying forward the important work of peace the world, it would be so easy after yet an- with security. From his earliest days when other round of violence and death to give he helped to establish Israel’s military, up to up, to think that the very best we could ex- the very present when he has defined a vision pect is a future of separate armed camps. of a new Middle East in his remarkable It is that sort of bunker mentality that we book—which, Prime Minister, I have told the fight, indeed, all across the world in different whole world I enjoyed reading, and I’m pro- ways today. It would be easy to give into it moting it for you and I hope I get a certain in the Middle East, but it would be wrong. percentage kickback if it really does very I was asked the other day whether the vio- well. [Laughter] We just made another lence of the last few days was not proof that agreement. They’re just spouting out all over. the peace process was dead. I said, no, quite I said that in jest—[laughter]—to lay the the contrary; it was proof that the yearning pretext for a serious comment. At least the for peace was alive. The people who started critical mass of American Jews should read the violence were trying to kill the longing that book and become familiar with its con- for peace. It is still alive, and we must not tents, because if you do it will give you the let it die. We must stand up to what they energy for the tasks ahead, because the tried to do. Prime Minister has been able to imagine what the future might be like beyond the his- We can still achieve a peace if we conquer tory that can be made with the other peace fear and restore security and deal honestly signings. And that vision is what must drive with those with whom we have differences. us all into tomorrow. We know it will not be easy. Peace requires We have made a lot of progress with the in some ways more strength than war. And Declaration of Principles of the Palestinians, we must have the patience to endure a few the peace of the Araba with Jordan, the in- more setbacks along the way. We know that terim accord that was signed in Washington. it takes great courage to press forward into I have watched in these very difficult months an unknown future. It’s harder than retreat- since Prime Minister Rabin’s assassination ing into a familiar past. It takes great bravery Prime Minister Peres rise to this moment. to reach out to a former enemy. It’s easier He has been a true and reliable friend of to stay in the false security of isolation. our country, and a true and reliable leader But I believe that Israel will maintain its of his own. And I am proud to say, as Yitzhak resolve for peace. As I said, I saw it in the Rabin said, he is our full partner for peace eyes and I heard it in the voices of the chil- and security. dren of Israel when I was there just last This has been a trying time for those who month. I saw it in the eyes of those two young believe that a secure peace is the only true Americans who gave Prime Minister Peres hope for Israel and the Middle East. The and me those petitions. I heard it from two Katyusha rockets, the bloodshed in Lebanon, boys in Israel, Uri Tal and Tal Loel, who the suicide bombings in Israel—we grieve for were badly wounded in the bombing in Tel the innocent victims, for the Israelis who sim- Aviv—one even deafened. Despite their ply wanted to live quiet lives in their own pain, they wrote to me from their hospital country, for the innocent Palestinians who beds, and I quote, from their hospital beds were killed in the suicide bombings in Israel, they wrote: ‘‘Peace is the only true solution for the children of our own Nation, Sarah for this area.’’ They showed strength, having Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld, visiting a land lost much even in their young years. They they loved; for the Lebanese children in showed the ability to overcome adversity that

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 752 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

is the true genius of the character and history ultimate goal, else we will hand them the vic- of the Jewish people. tory that they have sought all along. If the Jewish people have endured cen- We know the circle of peace cannot be turies of exile, persecution, the ultimate evil closed only by an end to the fighting in Leb- of the Holocaust, flourishing against all the anon. It can be closed only when the Arab- odds, surely—surely—together they can Israeli conflict is truly over; when normaliza- throw back their shoulders and raise their tion takes hold in the entire Arab world; heads and say, after all this, Hezbollah and when Israel’s security is completely assured; Hamas will not succeed where others have when Israel is fully accepted in every way failed. in the region. The circle of peace will be Even as the Katyushas were falling, we saw closed only—and I say only—when the peo- proof of peace taking hold. We saw it in the ple of Israel are confident that what they are meeting between Prime Minister Peres and getting is worth the risks they must take. Chairman Arafat 10 days ago, when they Peace and security are indivisible. And Israel vowed to move ahead on the goals set by must feel comfortable and confident about the accords. We saw it in the Prime Min- both in order to achieve either over the long ister’s path-breaking trips to Qatar and Oman run. this month. And I salute again the Prime Let me say to you what I hope you already Minister for the strength and commitment know, the breakthroughs of the past were he has shown in pursuing the peace in this possible because we built together a bond of trust. And I pledge to you today that this difficult period. relationship will remain strong and vital, so And of course, last Wednesday, on the strong and so vital that no one will ever drive 48th anniversary of Israeli independence, the a wedge between us. Palestinian National Council finally did Our commitment to Israel’s security is change the PLO charter and deleted the unshakable. It will stay that way because Is- hateful clause calling for the destruction of rael must have the means to defend itself Israel. Now, think about that. That symbol by itself. In a time of shrinking resources, of hatred had endured since 1964, before we have maintained our economic assistance. some people in this room were even born. We have sought to enhance Israel’s security It’s a moment we have long waited and to lessen the risks it has taken and still takes worked for. The Palestinian leadership fol- every day for peace. lowed through on its commitments and made Israel’s qualitative military edge is greater a better move to a better day. All friends of than ever because we have kept our word. peace should be heartened by this, and espe- Earlier today, Prime Minister Peres and Sec- cially by the large margin of the vote in sup- retary Perry signed an agreement to expand port of Chairman Arafat’s policy. our theater missile defense program so that Even during the suicide bombings there we can detect and destroy incoming missiles. was dramatic proof that peace is taking root. That way Israel will have not only the advan- Remember, as Prime Minister Peres said, at tage it needs today, but will be able to defeat the Summit of the Peacemakers in Sharm the threats of tomorrow. al-Sheikh we had 29 leaders from around the As part of this effort, we are proceeding globe and 13 from the Arab world voting and with the third phase of the deployment of committing themselves for the first time not the Arrow missile program. The United only to condemn but to work against terror- States is committing $200 million to this ef- ism in Israel. It was an historic moment. And fort so that the children who lived through we are following up on it. the Scud attacks of the Gulf War will never I say again, I want to hammer this home, again face that fear. We also pledge to ex- not only to you who know, but to people be- pand work on the Nautilus high-energy laser yond this room; this progress for peace is the system, which is designed to destroy reason the enemies of peace are lashing out. Katyushas in flight. Our air forces are work- We must restore peace. We must restore se- ing together so that the first of the F–15– curity. But we must not be diverted from our I’s are delivered as planned next year. And

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 28 753

we have offered Israel the AMRAAM, our expanded penalties against those who terror- most advanced air-to-air missile system, so ize Americans at home or abroad. And we that Israel’s air power remains unmatched in can stop terrorists from raising money in the the region. United States to pay for their crimes any- Our strategic cooperation is greater than where around the world. ever. We are continuing to help build Israel’s Again, I say AIPAC has long been a power- high-tech capacity through the sale of super- ful voice in favor of this legislation. We may computers. We are even expanding coopera- not be able to always stop those who are tion in space and preparing to train Israeli gripped by hatred, but at least now because astronauts. There may be a few volunteers of your support, we will make a real dif- out there, Mr. Prime Minister. [Laughter] ference in the fight against terror. And I We are also working, as the Prime Minister pledge to you that in America, in Israel, and has said, more closely than ever to defeat ter- around the world we will not rest from these rorism. This week we will complete the efforts until, in the words of the Psalm, ‘‘We agreement to combat extremist violence that shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor we began work on during my visit to Israel for the arrow that flies by day.’’ last month. Almost as soon as we received When I was in Jerusalem last month, I word of the bombings we began sending new placed a small symbol of the extraordinary equipment to detect explosives. Now we are bond of solidarity between the United States committing more than $100 million to this and Israel on the grave of my friend Prime program for equipment and training, for de- Minister Rabin. It was a little stone from the velopment of new technologies and im- South Lawn of the White House where the proved communications and coordination. first accord with the Palestinians was signed. And I am very pleased that in the budget I put it there in keeping with the Jewish tra- I signed just 2 days ago, the first $50 million dition that says one must always add to the was included in our common antiterrorist ef- memories of those who have died and never forts. detract from them. We all know that Israel should have every Well, it falls to us to add more to the tool at its disposal in the fight against terror. memories of all those who have given their And we all know that the organized forces lives for Israel’s security and for the hope of hatred and terror threaten people not only of peace. And we must do this not only with in the Middle East, but here at home and stones, but in kind. We must build a peace around the world. We saw that in Oklahoma as hard and real as any stone. And in so City, at the World Trade Center, in the at- doing, we will add to the memory of every tacks we have thwarted, in the subways of martyr and validate the sacrifice of every Tokyo, in the skies over Scotland. We see martyr, and give meaning and breath and life it all around the world. Fighting terrorism to the dreams of so many who have gone will remain one of our top law enforcement before. priorities for many years to come. And in That is my vision to you and my pledge. order to be successful, we have to have the And I say to you, and especially to you, I tools we need here, and we have to work will do everything I can to help us achieve together. it together. I want to thank the Congress and Mem- Thank you, and God bless you. bers in both parties for passing the antiterrorism bill I signed into law just last NOTE: The President spoke at 9:37 p.m. in the week. I want to thank many of you in this ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel. In his audience in both parties who worked hard remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Shimon and lobbied hard for that legislation. It will Peres of Israel; Itamar Rabinovich, Israeli Ambas- sador to the United States; Martin Indyk, U.S. help us to stop terrorists before they strike Ambassador to Israel; Melvin Dow, president, and to bring them to justice when they do. Steve Grossman, chairman of the board, Neal Now we can more quickly expel foreigners Sher, executive director, Edward Levy, vice presi- who come here and support terrorist activi- dent, and Jack Bendheim, board member, Amer- ties. Our prosecutors can wield new tools and ican Israel Public Affairs Committee; Edgar

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 754 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

Bronfman, president, World Jewish Congress; and Rachel that if we keep working, we can have Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Author- the children of America educating the rest ity. of us about this problem, and then it will go away for sure. Remarks on the National Drug Miami has dealt with the biggest chal- Control Strategy in Coral Gables, lenges that drugs present to America. And Florida Miami knows that what I have said about the world toward which we are moving is true. April 29, 1996 We are going into a world of enormous possi- Thank you very much. Thank you. Didn’t bility for our people, dominated by global Rachel do a good job? Give her another trade and high technology. You have worked hand. She was great, wasn’t she? [Applause] very hard to see that the people of southern Principal Heise, thank you for hosting us Florida reap the benefits of global trade and today, and for your fine remarks, which I high technology. heard from behind the way there. I’m de- But you also know that the more open our lighted to be on this stage with our two Cabi- borders are, the more freely people can trav- net members from Miami, Attorney General el, the more freely money can move and in- Reno and Secretary Rubin, and with General formation and technology can be transferred, McCaffrey, who moved the SOUTHCOM the more vulnerable we are to people who here and wishes he were from Miami. You would seek to undermine the very fabric of can tell by the Spanish speech he gave you. civilized life, whether through terrorism, the And he’s doing a wonderful job, and I’m very weapons of mass destruction, organized proud of him. crime, or drugs and sometimes through all I want to thank three of your distinguished of the above. State officials who came in with me today So the great challenge we face, my fellow who are here: Lieutenant Governor Buddy Americans, is how to get the benefits of this MacKay, Attorney General Bob Butterworth, world toward which we are moving and not and Senator Daryl Jones, who has a son here be exposed to the forces that would under- somewhere—there he is. Your son is clap- mine our ability to raise strong children in ping for you, Daryl. strong families in good, strong communities. I want to thank Alvah Chapman and That’s what this national drug strategy is Marilyn Culp and Tad Foote and local tele- about. It focuses on rising drug use among vision and other media executives. Judge children. It confronts head-on the fact that Goldstein, of the local drug court, I thank crime and drugs are vicious co-conspirators. him and all those involved in the drug court. You heard General McCaffrey allude to that. I thank Dorothy Perry and all the community A significant percentage of the people in the leaders. prison systems of America today are there I want to thank all these young people in because of drug problems. If they weren’t D–FY–IT. And I thank not only those who stealing money to pay for a drug habit, deal- are here, but those who came out to the air- ing drugs in the first place, or behaving irra- port to meet me. We have the leader of tionally because of an addiction to drugs, we America’s Coast Guard, the leader of our would be spending that money on educating Customs Service and others here today, our children and building our future instead along with the Attorney General and the Sec- of maintaining a prison system. And that’s retary of the Treasury and General McCaf- what we ought to do. frey. But all of you here at George Washington We are here in Miami to announce a new Carver are a shining example of what it will drug strategy because of what Miami is doing ultimately take to make a drug strategy work to make the children of Miami and the future all across America, people at the grassroots of Miami drug free. I thank all of you who level. This school—I’ve heard you cheering have been any part of that—the local offi- for it before. But I want you to know why cials, the religious leaders, the community we’re here. We are not here by accident. And leaders, the school leaders. And I agree with we are not here because of anything we have

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.029 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 29 755

done. We are here because of what you have The Brady bill, which now requires a waiting done: zero guns, zero assaults, zero incidents period before you can buy a handgun, has of drug-related violence, zero drugs. That’s kept 60,000 people with criminal records where America ought to go and where Amer- from purchasing guns and endangering inno- ica can go. cent citizens. It is working. We are here because of what Miami has I was so inspired by my personal experi- done. I have watched this city and this county ence watching your drug court here, and the recover from a massive storm to host the Attorney General’s experience when she took Summit of the Americas, to attract the South- office, that we have worked hard to help oth- ern Command of the United States military, ers establish drug courts around America. and now to set a standard that all other cities There are now more than 100 of them in should follow in reducing the problem of the United States, and I think every commu- drug abuse. The Coalition for a Safe and nity ought to have one, and we’re going to Drug-Free Community has worked hard keep going until every community has the with all the rest of the people here so that chance to have one. drug use dropped more than 50 percent be- We’ve also used the crime bill to help tween 1991 and 1993 alone. That was the schools fight drugs and violence, to help biggest decline in any metropolitan area in them support programs like D.A.R.E. and the country. I’d like to see that on some of GREAT, to help them with gang prevention, the TV shows on prime time about Miami. and when they’re needed, with things like Let me again thank the members of the metal detectors and increased securities. We Coalition. I thank the students here today are opening the way to do more in this area. and I thank the Attorney General, who was But I want to say a special word of thanks a founding member back when she had her to the people here who have taken a pledge other job here in Dade County—or as those to abstain from drugs and alcohol. You heard of us in the administration say, back when Rachel talk about that. I believe that if every we had a life, Janet Reno lived in Miami, student in every school in America took that and I thank her for what she did and for pledge and reaffirmed it on a regular basis, what you are doing. a lot of these other things would not be nec- Now while it is true that in the end this essary. So I’d like to ask all the students who work has to be done student by student, fam- have taken that pledge to stand today. If you ily by family, school by school, neighborhood took a pledge to be free of drugs and alcohol, by neighborhood, we must acknowledge that stand up and the rest of us would like to the Nation’s Government has a role to play. applaud you. [Applause] In this new era, when we are reducing the While not every community in America size of Government and its burden, when we can claim the results that Miami can, you have a Federal Establishment that today in should know that every year for the last 3 1996 is the smallest the National Govern- years, murders have dropped and robberies ment has been since 1965—and by the end have dropped and drug use has dropped. of this year it will be the smallest it’s been Monthly drug use today is roughly half of since 1962—we still have responsibilities to what it was 10 years ago in America. The help people throughout America make the number of cocaine users has fallen by 30 per- most of their own lives and their families and cent in the last 3 years alone. But we have their communities. a lot to do. And again, it’s why we’re at this And a big part of that is to make sure school. The most perplexing problem that we Americans can feel secure in their homes, face in this area is this: While the drug rate on their streets, and in their schools, with has gone down, drug usage among people drug-free homes, drug-free streets, and drug- under 18 has gone up. While the crime rate free schools. has gone down, random violence among peo- Our crime bill is helping reduce the crime ple under 18 has gone up. The children who rate by giving communities police officers, are here today are the battleground of today 100,000 of them, in community settings in and tomorrow. They are the people for whom America; banning 19 deadly assault weapons. we must fight this great battle, and they are

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.030 p18my4 756 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

the ones we must rely on to win it by working We are also working hard in Washington with them. to try to protect you from new problems be- That is why I am announcing today a new fore they come to your doorstep, and that’s and intensified strategy to battle drugs that an important job of the Nation’s Govern- builds and improves on the work we have ment. I thank Secretary Rubin for getting the done over the last 3 years, calls for more re- early warning on Rohypnol, a powerful and sources from the Nation than ever before, dangerous sedative, to stop it from flooding and targets those resources better than ever. across our borders. I thank the Attorney This National Drug Control Strategy of 1996, General for the work she has done with Gen- as General McCaffrey said, is meant to be eral McCaffrey and others on the meth- a 10-year plan. He worked on it very, very amphetamine strategy. That is a deadly drug. hard with many others. I want to thank him It is gaining in popularity. In 2 years, deaths again for it, and I want to thank him for being from this drug have doubled. I’m glad it’s willing to give up his four stars and his mili- not here yet, but we have to stop it before tary command to fight America’s most impor- it becomes the crack of the 1990’s. And we tant battle for the future. are going after it right now. Very briefly, this strategy has five very con- So let me say again, if we’re going to win crete goals: Number one, to get young peo- this battle, we have to be prepared to pay ple to reject drugs—that’s what you’re doing the price of time, we have to be prepared here; number two, to use effective treatment to ask ourselves, each and every one of us, and prevention to break this vicious cycle what is our job? This national drug control that links drugs to violent crime; third, to stop strategy is our effort to answer the question: drugs at the border, the way we are doing What is our job? What is the President’s job? at the Miami Customs Office where tech- What is the Cabinet’s job? What is General nology and street smarts are catching more McCaffrey’s job? drugs with less inconvenience to arriving visi- But we know in the end it is all of you tors; fourth, to break up the sources of sup- here at the community level doing your jobs ply, whether they are cocaine farms in Co- that will determine the fate of the children lombia or methamphetamine labs in Califor- who are here. And ultimately it is their job nia; and finally, to reduce the terrible social to say ‘‘no’’ to destructive forces in their lives and economic costs imposed by drugs on our and ‘‘yes’’ to the future, ‘‘no’’ to an empty society, $69 billion in the last year. fantasy land and ‘‘yes’’ to the fantasy of an Now, to meet these goals, we are asking unimaginable future that is out there for all Congress as we cut spending and move to- of our young people who will prepare them- ward a balanced budget, to increase funding selves for it. That is, ultimately, the goal we for the drug war by 9.3 percent. We can’t must all share and work for as Americans. stop drugs if our schools, hospitals, and com- munities don’t have the tools they need to Thank you, and God bless you all. get the job done. We have to have the sup- port of Congress to do this. NOTE: The President spoke at 10:46 a.m. in the Make no mistake about it, this has got to George Washington Carver Middle School. In his be a bipartisan, American, nonpolitical effort. remarks, he referred to Pregri Heise, principal, If we’re going to keep our commitment to George Washington Carver Middle School; Alvah put 100,000 new community police officers Chapman, director, Knight-Ridder, Inc.; Marilyn on the street, we are going to have to do Culp, executive director, Miami Coalition for a that. If we are going to keep our commitment Safe and Drug-Free Community; Tad Foote, to give schools the funds they need for the president, University of Miami; Judge Stanley Goldstein, 11th Circuit; Dorothy Perry, chief ex- Safe and Drug Free Schools program, we ecutive officer, Youth Progressing, Inc.; and Ra- have to do that. And I am proud that the chel Berne, middle school student who introduced budget I signed last week from the Congress the President. included both those programs.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.030 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 29 757

Message to the Congress ful drug lords, including leaders of Colom- Transmitting the National bia’s notorious Cali cartel, have been ar- Drug Control Strategy rested. A multinational air interdiction pro- April 29, 1996 gram has disrupted the principal air route for smugglers between Peru and Colombia. To the Congress of the United States: The close cooperation between the United I am pleased to transmit to the Congress States, Peru, and other governments in the the 1996 National Drug Control Strategy. region has disrupted the cocaine economy in This Strategy carries forward the policies and several areas. Our efforts have decreased principles of the 1994 and 1995 Strategies. overall cocaine production and have made It describes new directions and initiatives to coca planting less attractive to the farmers confront the ever-changing challenges of who initiate the cocaine production process. drug abuse and trafficking And I have taken the serious step of cutting This past March I convened the White off all non-humanitarian aid to certain drug House Leadership Conference on Youth, producing and trafficking nations that have Drug Use, and Violence in order to focus not cooperated with the United States in nar- the Nation’s attention on two major health cotics control. Further, I have ordered that problems faced by young people today— we vote against their requests for loans from drug use and violence. The conference the World Bank and other multi-lateral de- brought together over 300 young people, par- velopment banks. This clearly underscores ents, clergy, community and business lead- the unwavering commitment of the United ers, judges, prosecutors, police, entertainers, States to stand against drug production and media executives, researchers, and treatment trafficking. and prevention specialists from across Amer- Here at home, we have achieved major ica to examine solutions and keep us moving successes in arresting, prosecuting, and dis- forward with proven strategies. The Vice mantling criminal drug networks. In Miami, President, General Barry McCaffrey, and I the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Pro- met with the participants in a series of round- gram, through its operational task forces, suc- table discussions, discussing how to strength- cessfully concluded a major operation that en the efforts of families, the media, commu- resulted in the indictments of 252 individuals nities, schools, businesses, and government for drug trafficking and other drug-related to reduce drug use and violence. Participants crimes. Operations conducted by the Drug left with new energy and new ideas, deter- Enforcement Administration’s Mobile En- mined to return home and begin implement- forcement Teams programs (MET), a highly ing the solutions and strategies discussed that successful federal tool for assisting local law day. enforcement, have resulted in more than This conference took place at an important 1,500 arrests of violent and predatory drug juncture in America’s ongoing fight against criminals in more than 50 communities drug abuse. In the last few years our nation across the nation. has made significant progress against drug But as the White House Leadership Con- use and related crime. The number of Ameri- ference on Youth, Drug Use, and Violence cans who use cocaine has been reduced by showed, now is the time to press forward. 30 percent since 1992. The amount of money We must not let up for a moment in our Americans spend on illicit drugs has declined efforts against drug abuse, and drug abuse from an estimated $64 billion five years ago by young people, particularly. to about $49 billion in 1993—a 23 percent There are many reasons why young people drop. We are finally gaining ground against do continue to use drugs. Chief among these overall crime: drug-related murders are are ignorance of the facts about addiction down 12 percent since 1989; robberies are and the potency of drugs, and complacency down 10 percent since 1991. about the danger of drugs. Unfortunately, all At the same time, we have dealt serious too often we see signs of complacency about blows to the international criminal networks the dangers of drug use: diminished attention that import drugs into America. Many power- to the drug problem by the national media;

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.030 p18my4 758 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

the glamorization and legitimization of drug leader, every young person, and every com- use in the entertainment industry; the cod- munity leader—to join our national cam- dling of professional athletes who are habit- paign to save our youth. ual drug-users; avoidance of the issue by par- William J. Clinton ents and other adults; calls for drug-legaliza- tion; and the marketing of products to young The White House, people that legitimize and elevate the use of April 29, 1996. alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. All Americans must accept responsibility Statement on Action on Gasoline to teach young people that drugs are illegal Prices and they are deadly. They may land you in jail; they may cost you your life. We must April 29, 1996 renew our commitment to the drug preven- Over the last several weeks, I have been tion strategies that deter first-time drug use concerned about the rise in gasoline prices and stop the progression from alcohol and at the pump. Today I am directing my admin- tobacco use to marijuana and harder drugs. istration to take the following steps. The National Drug Control Strategy is de- First, I am asking the Secretary of Energy signed to prevent a new drug use epidemic to immediately begin the process of orderly through an aggressive and comprehensive sales of approximately 12 million barrels of full-court press that harnesses the energies our Nation’s strategic petroleum reserves. of committed individuals from every sector This step was authorized by the Congress last of our society. As I said in the State of the week as part of the omnibus appropriations Union, we must step up our attack against bill. criminal youth gangs that deal in illicit drugs. Second, I am asking the Secretary of En- We will improve the effectiveness of our co- ergy to review market circumstances and re- operative efforts among U.S. defense and law port back to me within 45 days about the enforcement agencies, as well as with other factors that led to the runup in prices. As nations, to disrupt the flow of drugs coming part of that analysis, I am asking her to evalu- into the country. We will seek to expand the ate the expected market prices for the re- availability and improve the quality of drug mainder of the peak summer driving season. treatment. And we will continue to oppose I believe these are the appropriate steps resolutely calls for the legalization of illicit to take at this time. My administration will drugs. We will increase efforts to prevent continue to monitor developments in this drug use by all Americans, particularly young market in the coming weeks. people. The tragedy of drug abuse and drug-relat- ed crime affects us all. The National Drug Remarks at a Democratic Dinner in Control Strategy requires commitment and Coral Gables, Florida resources from many individuals and organi- April 29, 1996 zations, and from all levels of government. For the Strategy to succeed, each of us must Thank you very much, Lieutenant Gov- do our part. ernor MacKay and Senator Dodd. Thank We ask the Congress to be a bipartisan you, Marvin Rosen, for leaving Florida for partner and provide the resources we need so much of the time to help me and the at the federal level to get the job done. I Democratic Party return to victory in No- challenge state and local governments to vember. I thank Howard Glicken and Larry focus on drug abuse as a top priority. We Hawkins and Mitch Berger and M.J. Parker ask the media and the advertising and enter- and all others who worked to organize this tainment industries to work with us to edu- phenomenally successful dinner tonight. cate our youth, and all Americans, about the And I want to thank all of you for coming dangers of drug use. Finally, we invite every here and for giving us your support in our American—every parent, every teacher, fight to make sure that America takes the every law enforcement officer, every faith right road into the 21st century.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18AP4.030 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 29 759

My fellow Americans, this is a very dif- of what I think we ought to be working for. ferent race than it was in 1992. In 1992 when We ought to be working for an America in I ran for President, I did it because I really which every person, without regard to their felt that the country had no animating vision, race or their gender or how they start out that we did not understand as a people the in life, should have the chance to live up to changes we were going through and where their dreams if they’re willing to work for we wanted to come out on the other end. it. We had no strategy for achieving it. And I We ought to be working for an America sought to bring that contribution to that cam- in which all the incredible diversity in this paign. And I think the American people basi- country is the source of our strength, not a cally saw that race as status quo versus source of division and weakness, because we change. have shared values and because we respect Now this is a very different circumstance. the honest differences among us. And we We now have two very different visions of ought to stop using politics as a way of divid- change before the American people. And the ing the American people and start uniting American people don’t have to guess; they them again. And we ought to be working for really know what those visions are. There is an America that is still the world’s leading no option; when we vote now in 1996 we source of inspiration and strength and sup- will be voting to take a certain path right into port for peace and freedom and democracy the 21st century. The only question is which and security and prosperity. Those are the road we decide to walk. There has been a things that we ought to do. lot of talk over the last couple of years about Now a lot of that work has to be done what we Democrats stand for, whether it is by all of you in your private capacities. And clear, what is the difference between the two we know in this new world of information parties. Does it matter anymore? technology and lightning change, big, cen- Well, I can tell you this: My belief is that tralized bureaucracies are not as important we are going through a period of change in as they once were, including the big, central- this country as profound as any we’ve en- ized bureaucracy of the National Govern- dured in a hundred years, since we moved ment. But that does not mean we do not from farm to factory, from country to city. need a Government in Washington and a We are now moving from the cold war into spirit in Washington and a presence in the the global economy in an ever more global White House committed to those three ideas, society. We celebrated that here in Miami that everybody should be able to live out a couple of years ago at the Summit of the their dreams if they’ll work for it, that we Americas. ought to be coming together, not being driv- We are moving into an economy in which en apart, and that we must continue to be all forms of endeavor, including agriculture the world’s strongest force for peace and and industry, are dominated by technology freedom and democracy. That is what has and information. If you were to come home driven me for these 31⁄2 years. to Arkansas with me at planting time or har- So I say to you, we have—our friends in vesting time, you would see farmers riding the Republican Party have condemned the around in their machinery with computer Government and talked about how bad it is. screens, often working with software they And they say that it’s the source of all of prepared themselves to do the work that they our problems, but it was the Democrats who now do. reduced the size of Government so that now And we’ve changed so much the way we in Washington, DC, the United States Gov- work, and in the course of that, the way we ernment is the smallest that it’s been since live, that we are moving into a time of almost 1965. They condemned heavy-handed Fed- unbelievable possibility but also significant eral regulation, but we have gotten rid of disruption. That is the fact of the time in more regulations than they did. We have which we live. given more authority to State and local gov- When I became President, I had a very ernments than they ever did—ask Lieutenant clear idea, which I want to restate to you, Governor MacKay. There are over one mil-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 760 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

lion fewer families on welfare today than than giving them fish. That means no one there were the day I took office because should get anything if they can do for them- we’ve given 40 States the power to have wel- selves. But it also means don’t drain the fare reform, to move people from welfare to pond. work. Empowerment means more than giving But when the great crisis over the budget people a choice. The great French writer, came, and the power of Congress and the Victor Hugo, once observed that the rich and majority was used to shut the Government poor are equally free to spend the night down because I wouldn’t go along and Sen- under the bridge. Empowerment means not ator Dodd wouldn’t go along and the Mem- only having the choice but having the capac- bers of our party wouldn’t go along with ity to exercise the choice. That’s why we’re doing things to Medicare which were uncon- for education and safe streets and a clean scionable and unnecessary to save the pro- environment and a strong economic policy gram; with walking away from a Medicaid and a strong foreign policy. program that not only provides care for poor Now sometimes we reach agreement. And children and pregnant women but also for when we do, I’m happy. If you think about middle class families with children with dis- the good things that have happened in the abilities and with parents in nursing homes; last year-and-a-half—and I’ll just mention with an absolute evisceration of the environ- some—I signed a budget bill last week that mental protection policy of the country, protects education and the environment and which had been for 25 years a bipartisan pol- our major economic programs and reduces icy, shared by Republicans and Democrats the deficit so that now we’ll have 4 years of until that time; and with a reduction in our deficit reduction. And I’ll keep my commit- commitment to education at a time when ment to you: We will cut the deficit by more what you can earn is more tied to what you than half in just 4 years. We did that. can learn than at any time in our history. We And I signed a very tough anti-terrorism said no. bill which will give us the tools we need to We said there is a national responsibility. kick terrorists out of the country when we There is a national responsibility for putting find them here from other countries, to kick 100,000 police on the street. There’s a na- people out of this country when they come tional responsibility for helping schools to be here and raise money for terrorists, which drug free and to be safe. There is a national is wrong, to do more to prevent terrorist inci- responsibility for, in other words, growing dents and to catch terrorists when they com- the economy, expanding opportunity, helping mit terrorism. We passed that bill. That was the American people, coming together and a good thing. maintaining the leadership of the United Just a few weeks ago I signed a tele- States of America. That is what this choice communications bill which will create at a is all about in 1996, which road are we going minimum hundreds of thousands of very high to walk into the future. wage jobs in the next few years. There’s a lot of talk about the word What do all those things have in common? ‘‘empowerment.’’ And I used it a lot in 1992 They were passed by a Congress overwhelm- and long before I decided to run for Presi- ingly working in a bipartisan fashion, putting dent. I believe in it. To use the words of aside the labels and the ideologies and the my friend, James Carville, and Larry Haw- extremism of the past and the recent past kins said, ‘‘Everybody in America ought to and working together for the practical benefit read James Carville’s book, ‘We’re Right and of all Americans. When we have done that, They’re Wrong.’ ’’ So I’ll flack for it tonight. we do just fine. But Carville said, ‘‘You know, people criticize In this budget bill, Congress gave me the the Democrats for giving people fish when authority to do something that I did this we ought to be teaching them to fish, but afternoon. I want to tell you about it. I’ve our opponents want to drain the pond.’’ been very concerned about this dramatic, al- Now, what does that mean? That means though apparently temporary, rise in the if people can be taught to fish, it’s a lot better price of gasoline at the pumps. It affects the

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 29 761

take-home pay of working people who have this year. I would have happily signed it on to commute to work. It offers a great prob- the first day of this year, the very first day lem for tourism centers like Florida. We’re of this fiscal year. about to get into the high driving season, and We have not yet adopted a balanced budg- if gasoline is 20 percent higher, there are not et plan, but we have identified savings in going to be as many people driving as far common to both the Republican and Demo- to do whatever it is they’re going to do this cratic plans that are more than enough to summer. balance the budget, provide a modest tax cut, So today I instructed the Secretary of En- and still protect Medicare, Medicaid, and our ergy to immediately begin the orderly sale investments in education and the environ- of about 12 million barrels of our Nation’s ment and economic development and in re- strategic petroleum reserve to try to mod- ducing the crime rate and violence in this erate the price of fuel. And I’ve also asked country. We could do all that. Secretary O’Leary to report back to me with- The question is, will we? The answer is, in 45 days about all the elements that caused depends upon whether the majority in Con- this sudden burst in the gasoline prices to gress decides to play politics a long time be- determine whether it is likely to be short- fore the November election or will it go back term or long-term, what the likely impact on and work with me in good faith to pass the our economy would be. right sort of balanced budget plan for Amer- Now I say that in this context. The Con- ica. That’s what we ought to do. There’s plen- gress gave me explicit authority to do that, ty of time for the elections after the conven- and I applaud them for doing it. What is tions this summer. Let’s go back to work and unique about it? Well, we stopped all these give the American people the balanced budg- partisan wars and rolled up our sleeves and et plan they deserve. sat down and said, ‘‘What would be a good There’s another big issue that will tell a thing to do for America?’’ Not which party big tale about where we’re going now. That’s can gain the advantage, not can we put the the so-called Kassebaum-Kennedy bill, a bi- President in a corner and threaten to shut partisan bill that passed the Senate last the Government down, but what would be week—listen to this—100 to zero. You say, good for America? It would be good to re- ‘‘Well, if anything got a hundred votes, could duce the deficit and increase our investment it have any significance?’’ You bet it does. in education, the growth of the economy, the You know what it does? The Kassebaum- protection of the environment. And, oh by Kennedy bill says that you cannot lose your the way, here’s some authority to release bar- health insurance. If you change jobs or lose rels of oil from the strategic petroleum re- your job, you can still keep it. It says that serves. you cannot be denied the right to purchase I say that because I want to follow up on health insurance just because somebody in something that Senator Dodd said and Lieu- your family has been sick. It can provide im- tenant Governor MacKay said. This is a very mediate help in health security to millions great country. We need two strong parties. of Americans who are self-employed, who are There are plenty of differences between us. working in small businesses, who are working But when the most extreme position domi- for businesses that may go broke or that may nates a party’s governing, so that governing have to lay them off for a while. It can make is less important than making a point, even a huge difference. That’s why it passed 100 if the point requires you to shut the Govern- to nothing. It’s a very big deal. ment down, then we have gone too far. But the version of the bill in the House, Now the same thing is true on the issues it didn’t pass by 435 to zero in the House. before us. And I want to talk a little more Why? Because there are all these other about where we go from here. But there are things in the bill that are extremely con- two great issues still before us. We could troversial, not necessary to protect the health solve them both and make the American peo- care interest of American families and de- ple much better off. We’ve now adopted a signed basically to jam those who don’t agree budget 6 months late for the remainder of with them into voting for them and me into

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 762 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

signing them in order to get the good things that has to be borrowed. That’s important of the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill. and we should keep that. So watch this. Why don’t we take the That is why I’ve asked the Congress to in- things we disagree with and throw them into vest more money in college scholarships and the fall election, and let’s have it part of all college loans, and why I said to them, ‘‘If the debates? But why don’t we pass Ken- we’re going to give families a tax cut in this nedy-Kassebaum pure and clear, 100 to noth- country, let’s give them a deduction for the ing, one more time for the American people? cost of college tuition.’’ It would be the best That’s what we ought to do. money we ever spent in terms of a tax incen- If you ask me to say in a sentence, Mr. tive. President, what is the role of the President Let me take a controversial issue that al- and the Government in Washington as we ways gets me a few demonstrators when I move into this new era, I would say it is to come to Florida. We have very different give citizens, families, and communities the views in Washington about the environment, ability they need to meet their challenges and although now those views are quickly being seize their opportunities and make the most blurred as we come toward election day. of their own lives. And to do it not with big, Here’s what I believe. I think Teddy Roo- centralized bureaucracies, but with whatever sevelt, our first great environmental Presi- it takes to forge the kind of partnership that dent and a Republican, was right. I believe will genuinely empower people, genuinely that we cannot preserve the American econ- omy unless we have a system for sustaining empower people to do that, and to maintain our natural resources, our land, our air, our our commitment abroad for security, peace, water, our trees, our species. That’s what I freedom, and democracy. believe. Let’s just take a few simple issues. The I believe you can’t preserve the very idea issue of education. Today I was here an- of American democracy unless people at least nouncing the new national drug control strat- have some ability to preserve the nature, the egy at a school that has no guns, no violence, heritage that they grow up around. I believe and no drugs for the last 2 years. Now that you can’t maintain the integrity of the de- was done by the people at the school—the mocracy of this country if millions of kids principal, the parents, the teachers, the kids, live within a couple of blocks of a toxic waste they deserve the credit for that. The National dump and cities have no devices to clean up Government will never be able to replace the environmental pollution of former eras that magic and shouldn’t try. But we should when we didn’t know what we were doing. make sure that every school has the resources That’s what I believe. to provide what needs to be provided to be I believe Florida will not be able to sustain safe and drug free. And that’s why I fought the population growth that is coming unless to save the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act. you find a way to save the Everglades. That’s Well, let’s take another issue. One of the what I believe. And I believe your Nation news magazines this week has the cover— has a responsibility to help you. I think it the news magazine—how expensive it is to is a national treasure, as well as a local treas- send a child to college—a thousand dollars ure. a month. That won’t touch it for some of I believe there are a lot of good people you, depending on where your children go. in the sugar industry. There are a lot of good But we know that every young person in people who have worked hard in that. I be- America ought to have the opportunity to go lieve that many of those companies are doing to college. That’s why we worked so hard to a better job today with conservation practices totally redesign the student loan program, so than they were doing just a few years ago. that anybody could borrow money to go to I know that is true. All these things are true. college and pay it back as a percentage of The question is, who is going to pay what the income they earn from whatever job they in order to save the Everglades. I believe that get, so that no child should ever drop out we can find a way to sustain the economy of school because of the burden of the money of Florida in the short run while we move

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 29 763

to preserve it in the long run and while we that’s why I signed the Helms-Burton bill preserve one of the globe’s most precious and why I am working for a free Cuba. natural resources. We have to save the Ever- Now the problem with our involvement glades. That’s what I believe, and I think the around the world is that most everybody can National Government has a responsibility to find something they like about that. You hear do that. the different sources of cheers there. But I believe that we did the right thing to what I want to convince you of is that the take action in Washington to try to reduce general principle is right, too. Think about the hazards of young people beginning to what the world will be like 20 or 30 years smoke cigarettes. Three thousand kids ille- from now. The United States may not have gally begin to smoke every day, and a thou- the same dominance we have now. I’m con- sand of them will die early because of it, and vinced we’ll be the strongest country in the it is wrong, and we ought to stop it. That world, but others will grow richer. Others is what we are trying to do. But it is very will exercise influence. What we do now in controversial. this critical period coming out of the cold I believe we did the right thing in Wash- war and moving into a global economy and ington to pass the Brady bill, but it was very a global society will have a profound impact controversial. All I know is there are 60,000 on whether other great countries stand up people with criminal records who were un- for peace and freedom, whether other great able to buy handguns in the last 2 years and countries define their greatness in terms of to go out and victimize other people because whether they can help people live their own that law was on the books. It was the right lives or whether they can dominate people thing to do. just because they’re smaller and weaker. You have to ask yourself, what do you be- And because no one believes we wish to lieve? None of this had to do with a big, cen- dominate anyone and our purpose for peace tralized bureaucracy, but I believe we were and freedom and prosperity and democracy doing the right things. And as you look ahead, is so clear, we are able to do things that no there will be more that has to be done to other country can do now. And I believe we protect the environment, to invest in edu- are safer because of it. There are no nuclear cation and technology and the growth of the missiles pointed at America’s children for the economy, to continue to reach out to the rest first time since the dawn of the nuclear age. of the world with broader commitments to We are working to reduce that threat more free and fair trade. every day. And we also have to stand up for freedom. We have cooperation from other countries I know a lot of the things that I have done in fighting terrorism at home and abroad. in foreign policy have been controversial, but And I can tell you, if you look at terrorism, you know, one of the things that I see, and the drug threat, organized crime, money I wish every one of you could see, is that laundering, if you look at the proliferation when I leave the borders of the United of dangerous weapons, every one of these States, I am no longer just Bill Clinton or things requires the United States to lead and the President. I become all of you, the sym- cooperate, and they will affect how your chil- bol of America. It is the greatest honor you dren and your grandchildren live and what can imagine. kind of future we have in the 21st century. And I know that there are things that if So I ask you all, when you go into the next we don’t do them they won’t be done. That’s few months—I thank you for your financial why we stood up for peace in Bosnia. That’s contributions. I am profoundly grateful. We why we took the initiative to try to bring will spend the money well. Marvin Rosen will peace in Northern Ireland, working with the make sure we spend the money well. But Irish and the British Governments. That’s every one of you who can be here tonight why we have worked so hard for so long in is here because you have accomplished the Middle East and why the Secretary of something in your own life. You will be lis- State was there to try to bring an end to the tened to. There are people who look to you. violence between Lebanon and Israel. And There are people who will listen to what you

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 764 Apr. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

have to say and care what you think and care and say, you know, this is an election about how you feel about your country. And I’m America’s future. This is an election which telling you, the American people have to de- will determine what kind of country we’re cide how we’re going into the 21st century. going to be in the 21st century. This is an There is no status quo option, and you don’t election which will determine what our chil- have to guess about our views. We now have dren and our grandchildren will live like. And almost 2 years where the leaders of the two this is an election in which I have taken a parties and their philosophies have become stand that I want to tell you about. That’s clear. And that is a great, good fortune. what I want you to do. If you do, it will be I believe that it’s clear that we did what fine. we said we’d do in 1992. We have cut the Thank you, and God bless you all. deficit in half, 81⁄2 million new jobs, a new commitment to invest in our people and our NOTE: The President spoke at 7:48 p.m. at the future and our communities. We did that. Biltmore Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to I believe in Florida you can see it. The unem- Marvin Rosen, finance director, Democratic Na- tional Committee; Larry Hawkins, Dade County ployment rate is 2 percent lower. We brought commissioner; and Democratic fundraisers Mitch the Summit of the Americas here. We Berger and M.J. Parker. A portion of the content brought SOUTHCOM here. We have a com- of these remarks could not be verified because mitment here to help people do what they the tape was incomplete. can to deal with the challenges you face today. It is clear that we have a record. But the Remarks at the Signing Ceremony far more important thing is, this is a record for the United States-Israel to build on, not to sit on. We have created Counterterrorism Accord and an jobs, but we haven’t raised everybody’s in- Exchange With Reporters come. We have to do more to allow people April 30, 1996 who are working for a living to be able to generate lifetime education, lifetime access The President. Good afternoon, Mr. to health care, and develop a pension they Prime Minister and members of the Israeli can carry around with them, too, if they move and American delegations, ladies and gentle- from job to job. men. For the past 3 years, Israel and the We have done a lot of things to try to bring United States have worked hand in hand to the American people together and to bring advance the peace process in the Middle down the crime rate and to reestablish a East. Today, with this U.S.-Israel Counter- common national commitment to the preser- terrorism Cooperation Accord, we strength- vation of our environment, but there is a lot en our partnership to stop the enemies of more to do. We have done a lot of things peace. to do things to make the Government work With every new step along the path to better and to be smaller and less burdensome peace, its enemies grow more and more des- to you, but Lord knows there is more to do. perate. They know a new day is dawning in And we have taken a stand for America’s the Middle East, that the vast majority of role in the world. We dare not adopt the easy, its people want to enjoy the blessings of a short-term, but short-sighted isolationist po- normal life. Their answer, more violence and sition that others have advocated. So I ask terror, more bullets and bombs, may seem you—I thank you for what you have done senseless, but it is the product of cold cal- here tonight, but it’s a long time between culation. By murdering innocent people, they now and November. aim to kill the growing hope for peace itself. So I ask you to take every opportunity you We will not do what the enemies of peace can to be good citizens between now and want. We will not let our anger turn us away then. Talk with your friends and your neigh- from the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. bors and your co-workers. Engage people Maintaining our resolve for peace does not over coffee. Visit with them on the weekends mean, however, turning the other cheek. We when you run into them wherever they are must do everything in our power to stop the

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 30 765

killing and bring the terrorists to justice. That dom unless you have a leader of great inspira- is the only way to give those who have chosen tion and outstanding capacity. peace the confidence they need that they In my own judgment, Bill Clinton has this have made the right choice and the courage great capacity to inspire the whole free world to keep moving forward. with his ideas; with his determination; with This agreement does just that by deepen- his capacity to distinguish what is right and ing the cooperation between our two coun- what is wrong, what is immediate and what tries in the fight against terrorism. Prime is long-range, what is support and what is Minister Peres and I worked on it during my response. I feel myself very lucky to see a visit to Israel last month, in the wake of a person like him standing ahead and trying terrible string of suicide bombings. Now we to lead the whole world to peace and to peace have agreed upon areas for greater coopera- for everybody, not just for us, the Israelis, tion, on information sharing, on research and but also for our neighbors; not just for the development, on training and technical as- Middle East, but for Bosnia, Haiti, or other sistance, on investigation, prosecution, and places. extradition. In each one we will look at very We are going and departing by the end practical ways in which we can work together of this century a history of bloodshed, and better. with Godspeed let’s hope that we’re entering I am pleased to sign this accord. And I a different world of peace and understand- am also pleased that the budget I signed just ing. last week included the $50 million I re- The President played a major role in bring- quested earlier this year for our joint ing peace between us and the Jordanians, be- antiterrorism efforts in this year, including tween us and the Palestinians. He and his today’s accords. I thank the Congress for Secretary of State are now opening a new their prompt action here and for the biparti- chapter to bring peace between us, Syria, and san support it received. Lebanon that may be the last peace which To my friend the Prime Minister and the is necessary in order to make the peace com- people of Israel, let me say the United States prehensive and all-embracing. stands with Israel through good times and Mr. President, I really with a full heart of bad, because our countries share the same thanks, would like to express both our admi- ideals: freedom, tolerance, democracy. We ration and gratefulness to you, to your admin- know that wherever those ideals are under istration, to the American Congress, to the siege in one country they are threatened ev- American people. The world is a better place erywhere. We have never been more deter- to live with this sort of a policy and this sort of leadership. mined to achieve and to defend those ideals and to achieve our goal of a just and lasting Thank you very much. peace for all the people of the Middle East. Mr. Prime Minister. Middle East Peace Process Prime Minister Peres. I would like to Q. Mr. Prime Minister, those agreements thank from the depths of my heart, in the you’re talking about that you’d like to have name of the people of Israel, the President, by all accounts will require Israel giving up his delegation, his team, and him, personally, territory, buffer zone. The help you got on for really showing the deepest understanding this trip—antimissile help, counterterrorism that one can hope for, the immediate re- help—will that make it easier for you to relin- sponse whenever it is necessary, and the quish territory in order to get an agreement friendship that he has offered time and again with Syria and with Lebanon? over the last years. Prime Minister Peres. You’re asking me? I see the difference between the camp of Q. Yes, sir. terror and the free world. The camp of terror Prime Minister Peres. We don’t intend is operating under orders; it’s disciplined; it’s to remain in Lebanon anyway. We don’t have organized. The camp of freedom keeps its any territorial ambitions concerning Leb- freedom. You cannot lead the camp of free- anon. And on the first right occasion our

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 766 Apr. 30 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

army will be more than happy to leave the structure and restore the stability of their territory of Lebanon. populations. We do recognize the international border And I appreciate what the Prime Minister between Lebanon and ourselves. If the Leba- has said to me about that. I wanted to thank nese Government will take charge and the you for that. Lebanese Army will become the only armed Prime Minister Peres. I told the Presi- authority in Lebanon and disarm all the other dent that Israel will clearly respect religiously terroristic organizations, I see very little rea- the understanding that was achieved by the son for us to remain in Lebanon. Secretary and his team upon the invitation Q. Yes, sir, but I asked you about Syria of the President. Then I told the President and Lebanon, and I asked you if the agree- that Israel will participate in the effort to re- ments and the help you’ve gotten here on store the damages in Lebanon, together with this visit will ease your giving up territory, other nations, and we shall do so. which you’re committed to anyhow we know. The President. Thank you for that. Does it make it easier for you? Q. Mr. President, The Washington Post Prime Minister Peres. Well, you’re talk- wrote today that you are betting on Mr. Peres ing about territory, and I’m talking about as the next Prime Minister, and rightly so. peace. Territory—— Is that the case? The President. Well, let me say, first of Q. I’m talking about land for peace. all, in democracies we have—we schedule Prime Minister Peres. I understand. I elections. And that’s a good thing. That re- mean, if it wouldn’t be done what we are minds everybody that the people are in doing here, I’m afraid that terror would win charge. But I think it was not only appro- the day, and that would be the end of the priate it was virtually necessary for the Prime peace process. We consider the last cam- Minister to come here at this time, in the paign as a campaign against peace. Now to wake of recent events not only in Lebanon answer your question, we have announced but some of the developments in their rela- that in order to attain peace we are ready tionship between Israel and the PLO—as I to make territorial compromise. Don’t expect think all of you know, Mr. Arafat will be here me now to lay the map on the table. in the next couple of days—so I think his The President. If I could just say one trip here is entirely appropriate, and it was other thing related to this, this last agreement the right thing to do. that was reached and the first one in writing The United States has always said that we to restore the cease-fire and to set up a mon- do not interfere in the internal decisions of itoring mechanism that involves Israel and other countries, and Israel and the United Lebanon and Syria, and involves France, who States are friends and allies and will be no has been very active in this, and then has matter who is elected. I hope that will also a larger consultative group that involves Rus- be the case no matter who is elected in No- sia and other countries. Because this is in vember in the United States. So our policy writing and because it gives us a chance to on that has not changed and will not and restore a normal life there, if this can be should not. properly implemented, I think that it will be a good signal or a good, if you will, a test Russian and Israeli Elections run to see how—whether other progress can Q. But, Mr. President, you said in Moscow be made. recently, regarding the Russian election, that And I have talked to the Prime Minister elections have consequences, and you did not about this. We are all very concerned about dispute that that election would have con- the civilians, the innocent people in Northern sequences for relations between your govern- Israel, and all the people in southern Leb- ment and whatever government is there. Is anon who have lost loved ones and have suf- that not also true here, sir? fered great economic disruption. I think we The President. Well, and for the Russian have to implement this agreement faithfully people. Then it depends, obviously, on what and help the Lebanese to rebuild their infra- happens afterward. But all elections have

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 30 767

consequences. But the people who decide The President and Prime Minister re- what the consequences are are the citizens viewed the extent of the U.S.-Israeli relation- of the country, in this case, the citizens of ship in all its dimensions. They agreed that Israel. You know, they’ve shown pretty good this cooperation in security, economic, and judgment for quite a long while now, and diplomatic areas is grounded in institutions I’m sure that the Prime Minister would join that are functioning extremely effectively to me in saying that they’re in the driver’s seat the benefit of both countries. At the same on that question, not me and not anyone else. time, they agreed that, in view of continuing threats to regional peace and stability, and Israeli Response to Terrorist Attacks in particular the dangers posed by prolifera- Q. Mr. Prime Minister, you spoke of the tion of weapons of mass destruction and ad- last bombing campaign, so to speak, the four vanced military technologies, U.S.-Israeli bombings that occurred within little more strategic cooperation will grow in impor- than a week. In the weeks since there have tance. been no—I hate to use the word ‘‘success- To this end, the President and the Prime ful’’—bombings in Israel. To what would you Minister agreed that a steering committee attribute that? headed by the U.S. Secretary of State and Prime Minister Peres. To three things: the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs would To the conference in Sharm al-Sheikh that be established to explore means of enhancing was initiated by the President and created and, where appropriate, formalizing, that co- a spirit of cooperation and understanding to operation. Two working groups will report work together in order to stop the acts of to the steering committee. The first, dealing bombing and suicidal terror. The second is with security and defense matters, will con- the more serious measures that Yasser Arafat sider all options including the possibility of has taken in Gaza and the territories. I feel more formal security accords, for how best that he really started to fight terror, and I to meet common threats in the years to say it with appreciation. And the third is be- come. It will also identify ways to maximize cause Israel itself—maybe that is from our the effectiveness of U.S. aid to Israel. The point of view the first thing—got ourself or- second will deal with other policy matters re- ganized to face this danger. I cannot say that lating to U.S.-Israeli strategic cooperation. we have a full-fledged answer to the prob- The two leaders affirmed that the strategic lem, but we are by far much more organized partnership between the two countries will and ready to prevent these sort of actions. continue to be based on two key principles: The President. Thank you very much. first, the United States unshakable commit- ment to Israel’s security and its determina- NOTE: The President spoke at 1:57 p.m. in the tion to minimize the risks and costs Israel Roosevelt Room at the White House. confronts as it pursues peace; and second, the U.S.-Israeli mutual commitment to a comprehensive peace and their determina- United States-Israel Joint Statement tion to move toward that goal. April 30, 1996 With respect to Israel’s security, the Presi- dent specifically reaffirmed the United States President Clinton and Prime Minister commitment to maintain Israel’s qualitative Peres have concluded two days of intensive edge and to preserve and to strengthen Isra- discussions on a broad range of issues relat- el’s capability to deter and defend itself, by ing to the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Those dis- itself, against any adversary or likely com- cussions reflect the deep, long-standing and bination of adversaries. unique bonds of friendship which have char- The President and Prime Minister took acterized the U.S.-Israeli relationship and great pride in signing the U.S.-Israel the legacy of shared values, common inter- Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Accord. ests, and mutual respect for democracy that This agreement sets out practical measures have made this close and special relationship enabling their two countries to make the best endure. possible use of expertise, resources, and ca-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 768 Apr. 30 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

pabilities in the war against terror. A Joint boycott and to eliminate discrimination Counter-Terrorism Group has been estab- against Israel in all international organiza- lished to monitor and oversee the implemen- tions, including the United Nations. tation of the agreement. Israel and the Unit- ed States also agreed to seek to coordinate NOTE: An original was not available for verifica- their efforts with the international effort tion of the content of this joint statement. against terror launched at Sharm al-Sheikh on March 13, 1996. The President and the Prime Minister also Remarks Prior to a Meeting With took note of the joint statement on theater Congressional Leaders and an missile defense cooperation signed by the Exchange With Reporters Prime Minister and Secretary of Defense Perry April 28. The United States and Israel April 30, 1996 recognize the defense of Israel will be made more effective by undertaking necessary Cattle Prices steps to ensure that Israel’s theater missile The President. Ladies and gentlemen, defenses are supported by related United first let me—I want to thank this bipartisan States capabilities. The two leaders expressed congressional delegation from cattle-produc- satisfaction with the positive results to date ing States for coming in. Cattle producers, of the ongoing bilateral dialogue on issues by numbers, represent the largest single seg- relating to the transfer of equipment and ment of America’s agricultural economy. Cat- technology to third countries. tle prices are at a 10-year low, and feed prices With respect to their determination to are at—are or have been recently at an all- achieve a comprehensive peace, the two time high. And we want to discuss some po- leaders agreed on the importance of imple- tential recommendations for action the Sec- mentation of agreements reached and the retary of Agriculture might take, using tradi- need to expand the orbit of Arab-Israeli tional means at his disposal to help to deal peacemaking with a view toward achieving with this situation and help these producers normal, peaceful relations between Israel through this difficult time. and all its Arab neighbors. They welcomed I want to thank the Members of Congress the decision by the Palestinian National who requested this meeting and who brought Council to cancel all the provisions of the this matter to our attention, and I’m looking Palestinian National Covenant which deny forward to the meeting. Israel’s right to exist or are otherwise incon- Q. How much traditional beef are you sistent with the September 1993 exchange going to buy, Mr. President? of letters between Prime Minister Rabin and The President. The Secretary of Agri- Chairman Arafat. This action is an important culture will have an announcement later, demonstration by the Palestinians of their once we have time to talk through our op- commitment to honor the terms of the 1993 tions here. Oslo Accords. Q. Can you act quickly? The President and Prime Minister also ex- Q. Will you call up the conservation re- pressed satisfaction with the improved un- serve for more grazing nationwide? derstanding reached last week on Southern The President. Well, we will issue an an- Lebanon as a result of Secretary of State nouncement after the meeting; the Secretary Christopher’s negotiating efforts and after of Agriculture will. discussions with the governments of Israel Yes, we’re going to act quickly. We won’t and Lebanon and in consultation with Syria. fool around with it. They noted the importance of prompt activa- Thank you very much. tion of the monitoring committee and con- sultative group established by the under- NOTE: The President spoke at 5:43 p.m. in the standing. Cabinet Room at the White House. A tape was Finally, the President and the Prime Min- not available for verification of the content of ister agreed on the need to end the Arab these remarks.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Apr. 30 769

Proclamation 6889—Loyalty Day, cials to display the flag on all government 1996 buildings and grounds. April 30, 1996 In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the By the President of the United States year of our Lord nineteen hundred and nine- of America ty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twen- A Proclamation tieth. In his inaugural address, President John William J. Clinton F. Kennedy said, ‘‘Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, been summoned to give testimony to its na- 8:45 a.m., May 1, 1996] tional loyalty.’’ The members of our Armed Forces have long responded to such a call, NOTE: This proclamation was published in the though their task has often been difficult and Federal Register on May 2. fraught with peril. Drawing on an abiding de- votion to country, America’s service men and women have faced loneliness and danger, Proclamation 6890—Law Day, grave injury and death, to protect our Na- U.S.A., 1996 tion’s interests and to reach out to others by April 30, 1996 providing humanitarian assistance. In pausing to honor all those who have By the President of the United States dedicated their lives to our freedom, let us of America reflect on their deep commitment to the fun- damental ideals of independence, justice, A Proclamation and equality—the very foundations of our For more than three decades, we have set way of life—and draw inspiration from their aside the first day of May to honor the role shining example. For more than 200 years, our legal system plays in maintaining our America’s shores have embraced immigrants country’s greatness, to celebrate the precious seeking opportunity, while our system of gov- freedoms our citizens have enjoyed since ernment has encouraged people around the America’s beginnings, and to recognize the world who struggle against tyranny and op- crucial role of the law in ensuring our secu- pression. Following the brave men and rity and prosperity. Today, as we confront women who wear our Nation’s uniform, let the threats of domestic and international ter- us each do our part to strengthen this legacy rorism and the violence that plagues our and to ensure that future generations will neighborhoods and schools, it is more impor- enjoy and cherish the precious liberties we tant than ever for Americans to understand hold so dear. the extraordinary legacy left to us by our To nurture loyalty to and love of country, Founders and to reaffirm the ideals of lib- the Congress, by Public Law 85–529, has erty, equality, and justice. designated May 1 of each year as ‘‘Loyalty This year’s theme, ‘‘The Constitution: The Day.’’ We spend this day in celebration of Original American Dream,’’ underscores the our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and we centrality of this precious document in our honor the extraordinary sacrifices made by national life. The doctrines set forth in our the members of our Armed Forces through- Constitution have made possible our out our Nation’s proud history. progress and unparalleled history of freedom. Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, Written more than 200 years ago, its meas- President of the United States of America, ures were crafted by people who believed do hereby proclaim May 1, 1996, as Loyalty in individual rights and who understood that Day. I call upon all Americans to observe liberty must be the basis for our system of this day with appropriate ceremonies and ac- laws. As we approach a new century, we can tivities, including recitation of the Pledge of be proud that our remarkable, dynamic Con- Allegiance. I also call upon government offi- stitution, while reflecting the mores and cul-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 770 Apr. 30 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

ture of its time, continues to express Ameri- [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, ca’s profound commitment to human dignity. 11:51 a.m., May 1, 1996] We celebrate the Constitution as a model NOTE: This proclamation was published in the for other nations around the world, as the Federal Register on May 2. purest expression of American law, and as the ultimate authority for our statutes, judi- Remarks Prior to Discussions With cial decisions, and Executive actions. But its Chairman Yasser Arafat of the power also depends on an informed, involved Palestinian Authority and an citizenry. Each of us must take personal re- Exchange With Reporters sponsibility for our actions and respect the rights of others. In homes, schools, neighbor- May 1, 1996 hoods, and businesses we must honor the Middle East Peace Process rule of law and cherish the promise of equal- The President. First, let me say I am very ity and opportunity for all people. Every pleased to have Chairman Arafat in the Oval American must work to see that our Nation’s Office today. We need to take this oppor- legal system remains a model for the rest of tunity to take stock about where we are with the world and that future generations will our common efforts in the Middle East. I continue to share its blessings. had a good visit with Prime Minister Peres On this day and throughout the year, let yesterday, and I look forward to this one. us consider the written instruments that have I do want to make two specific points be- so profoundly shaped our experience and pay fore we begin. First of all, I want to applaud tribute to all those who enforce and maintain the action that Chairman Arafat has taken our legal and judicial systems—including po- in keeping the commitment he made at the lice officers, community policing volunteers, Sharm al-Sheikh meeting to revise the Pal- lawyers, and members of our independent estinian Covenant. I think that was ap- judiciary. Their efforts help to ensure that plauded by all Americans. Americans will always enjoy individual lib- And secondly, we now have to work hard erties and a just society. on where we go from here. I want to talk Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, to him about what we can do to improve the President of the United States of America, welfare of the Palestinian people and what in accordance with Public Law 87–20 of April we can do to continue to work together to 7, 1961, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1996, improve security for all the people in the re- as Law Day, U.S.A. I urge all Americans to gion. And I’m looking forward to that con- recognize the rule of law as the basis for free- versation. dom in our democratic society and to learn Palestinian State more about the United States Constitution. Q. Mr. President, do you endorse a Pal- I call upon members of the legal profession, estinian State as we did so avidly the creation civic associations, educators, librarians, pub- of the State of Israel? lic officials, and the media to promote the The President. I endorse the continuation observance of this day with appropriate pro- of the talks between the Palestinians and the grams and activities. I also call upon public Israelis to resolve that problem. officials to display the flag of the United Q. Well, how does the U.S. feel? States on all government buildings through- The President. We are going to do every- out the day. thing we have done—we can do, just as we In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set have since I took office, not to get in the my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the way of these parties making a permanent year of our Lord nineteen hundred and nine- peace that suits them. That’s what we want ty-six, and of the Independence of the United to do. States of America the two hundred and twen- tieth. Middle East Peace Process Q. Chairman Arafat, can we ask you how William J. Clinton you view the state of Israel-Palestinian rela-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.001 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 1 771

tions in the aftermath of the Israeli military Palestinian Covenant by the 1st of May. campaign in southern Lebanon? Under difficult circumstances, he kept that Chairman Arafat. First of all, I have to commitment. And now it’s time for us to dis- thank His Excellency for giving me this op- cuss the continuation of the peace process, portunity. It is a great privilege from His Ex- what we can do to help improve the welfare cellency. And no doubt, it is a very important of the Palestinian people, which I know is opportunity to speak about how to push for- uppermost on his mind, and we are very con- ward to strengthen more and more the peace cerned about that, and what we can do to- process which we cannot forget His Excel- gether to improve the security for all the peo- lency was from the beginning, which started ple in the region. So we’re going to discuss here under his provision. all these issues. Q. How are relations now with Israel in Q. Mr. President, when will we see that the aftermath of that military action in south- Israeli negotiations are going to continue to ern Lebanon? complete the circle of peace that you are talk- Chairman Arafat. What is important is ing about? that the efforts to stop all the military activi- The President. I believe that they will ties has succeeded, and the two sides have continue shortly, and we’re going to discuss retained back to the agreement of 1993, that. which is very important, and this is also be- And as to your question, ma’am, my posi- cause of His Excellency’s efforts and Mr. tion from the day I got here is still the same Christopher’s shuttling visits. position. I believe that those matters are Q. Could President Asad learn anything going to have to be worked out by the parties from your example, sir? in the region. I do not believe the United Chairman Arafat. I am sure that Presi- States can serve any useful purpose by get- dent Asad will follow up in his Syrian track ting in the middle of decisions which have the same line so that we can achieve a com- to be resolved by the parties themselves. prehensive, lasting peaceful solution in the Our purpose is to try to speed the peace whole area. process along and to help those like Chair- The President. Thank you. man Arafat who take risks for peace. When people take risks for peace, we want to mini- Gas Tax mize those risks, and we want to do what Q. Are you going for a gas tax repeal? we can to help improve life for ordinary peo- The Vice President. That’s a good place ple in the region. And we intend to do that, to leave it, Helen [Helen Thomas, United and that’s what we’re going to discuss here. Press International]. [Laughter] Q. But what is the answer? Abu Abbas The Vice President. Thank you. Q. Mr. President, 99 Senators asked for Q. You’ve got a new press secretary here. you to, and for Chairman Arafat, to authorize [Laughter] the extradition of Abu Abbas, the master- The President. He’s always been better mind of the Achille Lauro hijacking. Will you at it. [Laughter] ask the Justice Department to issue an extra- [At this point, one group of reporters left the dition request? room, and another group entered.] And Chairman Arafat, would you honor such a request if it came from the United Middle East Peace Process States? Q. Mr. President, when will—— Chairman Arafat. We should not forget Q. —Palestinian state with Jerusalem as that Abu Abbas came and attended the PNC its capital? and voted to change the Covenant of the The President. Let me begin by making PLO and to support the peace process. a statement if I might. I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with Chairman Middle East Peace Process Arafat. When we met at Sharm al-Sheikh he Q. Mr. Arafat, Mr. Peres said this week said that there would be a revision in the that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel forever,

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 772 May 1 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

and Mr. Savir said the right to return is not don’t divide us. They’ll see that we under- going to be given to the Palestinians. What stand individual excellence and teamwork. are you going to talk about in the final talks They’ll see, as Buddy Lee said, that no cham- of negotiations, only the settlement? pion wins alone, not in athletics and not in Chairman Arafat. No, according to what life. There’s always a parent who cares or a has been agreed upon and what had been teacher who listens or a coach who believes signed in Washington and in Cairo and in or a friend who encourages or a church and Washington, that this has to be discussed community that supports. with other matters—Jerusalem—settle- And behind them, there must be an Amer- ments, borders, and relation with neighbors. ica—an America where every child, without regard to race or gender or however they NOTE: The President spoke at 10:03 a.m. in the start out in life, has a chance to make the Oval Office at the White House. Hafiz al-Asad most of his or her own life through a decent is President of Syria; and Uri Savir is the Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. education and safe streets and a clean envi- ronment and a brighter future. We know that it takes extraordinary indi- Remarks Honoring the United States vidual effort to achieve. The Vice President Olympic Committee’s Champions in talked about Jeff Blatnick’s heroism in the Life face of his cancer. We know that there are May 1, 1996 incredible stories of heroism here on this stage and throughout the Olympic teams: Thank you very much. Let me say that people like Deanna Sodoma, a cyclist until whoever organized this program so that I she was paralyzed, and now she will race in could follow Buddy Lee—[laughter]— a wheelchair in the Paralympics, still an should take up another line of work. [Laugh- Olympic champion; people like Bill Demby, ter] Wasn’t he wonderful? Let’s give him an- who lost both his legs serving our country other hand. [Applause] in Vietnam, and is now a member of our And thank you, Bonnie Blair, for your story Paralympics volleyball team. and your example. Thank you, Ralph Neal, All these athletes, each in their own way, for letting us come here to Eastern. I thank and in some special way the members of the the Senior High School Band, and I thank Paralympics team, remind us that we all have the wonderful Eastern High School Choir a lot of important muscles in our body, but that sings for us every Christmas I’m told. the most important muscle we ever use on I thank the students from Elliot and Payne the field of competition as well as in life is and the Head Start kids who are here. Thank the heart. Having heart means doing the very you. I want to thank Al Oerter and the rep- best we can with our God-given capacity, resentatives of the U.S. Olympic Committee, whatever that is, just like Bonnie Blair said. and all the Champions in Life who are here. If you young people have heart, you will I am so honored to be here with you today. remember the pledge that Buddy Lee got And I hope that all of you have enjoyed this you to make: You’ll stay in school; you’ll stay just as much as I have and has gotten just drugfree; you’ll stay away from gangs and vio- as much as I have out of it. lence; and you’ll get into developing your You know, I’m very proud that the United minds and your bodies. If you have heart, States is going to be hosting the Olympics you know you can be a better student, a bet- again and that this is the 100th anniversary ter athlete, a better musician, and you can of the modern games. I’m proud that there be a good son or daughter, a good brother will be people from 197 different nations or sister, a good friend. If you have heart, coming here. And when I see these folks be- you know that you have to respect yourself hind me, the Olympians and the and others, and you have to show the respon- Paralympians, I know that they will see sibility that every human being can that America at its best. makes you a champion. They’ll see our diversity and our unity. A lot of heart has gone into putting the They’ll see that we have differences that Olympics together. In the final weeks, it’s all

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 1 773

coming together. There are a lot of people them with a warm round of applause. [Ap- being recognized in the Olympics for what plause] they do every day, not as athletic champions The America these champions represent but because they are champion human is a place where individual dreams must be beings. realized through our common efforts, a place Today, this day, in Boulder City, Nevada, where all Americans who are willing to work a woman named Irene Wisner is carrying the hard can succeed, a place where we have dif- Olympic torch on its way to Opening Day ferent points of view and different heritages, in Atlanta, July 19th. Most of you have prob- but a place where, like the champions here ably never heard of Irene Wisner. She won’t today, we come together as a team, wearing be in the Olympics, she is 74 years old. The the colors of liberty and freedom, respecting children in Washington, DC, don’t know her, our honest differences and working together but there are 100 children who know her very to help each of us clear life’s highest hurdles well, because they were abused children, together. One America, good for all, where abandoned children, and no one would take we all work for the common good. This is care of them, but this one 74-year-old woman the America we want the world to see in At- took 100 of these children into her love and lanta, and this is the America that we want life to give them a better chance. And for you young people to grow up in. that service, she was one of many Americans Good luck. Good bless you, and God bless selected to carry the Olympic torch. America. Thank you. There are people like that all around. Just NOTE: The President spoke at 12:01 p.m. in the this morning before I came out here, I was stadium at Eastern High School. In his remarks, with one of your fellow students in Washing- he referred to Buddy Lee, member, U.S. Greco- ton, Alicia Brown, a young woman who made Roman wrestling team; Olympic Gold Medalists a television spot with me about violence be- Bonnie Blair, Al Oerter, and Jeff Blatnick; and cause she had lost friends of hers and she Ralph Neal, principal, Eastern High School. was speaking out, not only personally but to all the people of this country against violence Letter to Congressional Leaders against our young people. I thank her for Transmitting a Report on Cyprus that, and I hope all of you will do that in your individual lives. May 1, 1996 I hope you young people will watch this Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:) torch as it travels through 42 States and In accordance with Public Law 95–384 (22 15,000 miles. It will follow the work of count- U.S.C. 2373(c)), I submit to you this report less volunteers who are trying to make this on progress toward a negotiated settlement country better. They’ve cleaned roads, paint- of the Cyprus question. The previous submis- ed houses, even shuttled neighbors to places sion covered progress through January 31, where they can see the torch passed. I want 1996. The current submission covers the pe- you all to cheer on our torchbearers and fol- riod February 1, 1996, through March 31, low their example by holding high the torch 1996. of good citizenship in your own lives. In support of the U.N. Secretary General’s And that’s what I want to say, finally, about good office mission on Cyprus, my Adminis- these Champions of Life behind me. Yes, tration hopes to be able to take an initiative they all have succeeded in athletics. Yes, on Cyprus this year. If the two communi- many of them have succeeded against ex- ties possess sufficient political will to make traordinary odds and every one of them has tradeoffs required for an intercommunal achieved something extraordinary against the agreement, we believe it should be possible odds. But what they are doing now is in some to arrive at a fair and just solution. Attaining ways more important because they are trying this goal requires the active support of Tur- to set an example for the next generation of key and Greece. Although unavoidable champions. We should be grateful to them. events have delayed the launching of our Cy- And I’d like to ask you to recognize all of prus initiative, we have been preparing its

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 774 May 1 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

groundwork. In this respect, in March I had and keep their health benefits if they need a useful session on Cyprus with Turkish unpaid time off to meet medical or family President Demirel who expressed his govern- needs. Thanks to the work of this bipartisan ment’s desire to be helpful. I plan on engag- commission, we now have further proof of ing other visitors similarly in the lead-up to what I have always known: the Family and our Cyprus effort. Medical Leave Act was, and is, the right thing Sincerely, to do for America’s working families. William J. Clinton

NOTE: Identical letters were sent to Newt Ging- Remarks at the Olympic Dinner rich, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Jesse Helms, chairman, Senate Committee on May 1, 1996 Foreign Relations. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. President Walker, thank you for your re- Statement on the Family and marks and for your work and to Dick Schultz Medical Leave Act and Jim Hardymon, Steve Green, Anita May 1, 1996 DeFrantz, and others who are responsible for this dinner tonight. To the Members of Con- Three years ago, I worked with the Con- gress who are here, and Mr. Michel, it’s good gress to pass the Family and Medical Leave to see you again. I miss you. I’m glad you’re Act so that we could help Americans balance here—I’m glad you’re here. their work and family responsibilities. Ameri- I want to thank the Vice President and cans should not have to choose between their Mack McLarty for the work they have done job and caring for a sick child or parent. We on the Olympics and all those others in our said we could do that without hurting busi- administration who have undertaken this en- nesses, and we were right. Today, a biparti- deavor, I must say, with great joy and energy. san commission that studied the act an- As the Vice President mentioned, Hillary had nounced its conclusion that this new law has the honor of representing our country at the significantly helped working Americans while Olympics in Lillehammer and of being in placing only minimal requirements on their Greece and Olympia with our daughter when employers. the Olympic flame was lit to be brought to The commission found that because we the United States. Our experience with the have a Family and Medical Leave Act, fewer Olympics has been one of the great highlights workers will have to choose between their of our service here in Washington and in this jobs and their loved ones if a child or elderly great office. parent should need care. That’s tremen- I’d also like to say a special word of appre- dously important in an era when most house- ciation to the men and women up here on holds are headed by two working parents or the stage with me, particularly those who by single mothers. were with me today earlier when the Vice And as we predicted at the time we fought President, over at Eastern High School, in for this legislation, businesses are finding that the Champions in Life program, for truly so the new law is easy to administer and costs many of them have been an inspiration to are non-existent or small. The majority of young people all across the country who may leaves are short in duration, and most work- never be Olympic athletes but can be Olym- ers return to their jobs. In fact, some busi- pian in their citizenship and character and nesses testified to the commission that the the contribution they give to this country, new law has helped them reduce employee and who drew inspiration and strength from turnover, enhance productivity, and improve what was said for them today. the morale of their workforce. I want to thank Billy Payne and Andy The Family and Medical Leave Act has Fleming and all those who have worked so brought many Americans a benefit that was hard to make the Atlanta Olympics and the once afforded only to a fortunate few—the Paralympics a great success, but also those knowledge that they can return to their jobs who won the competition for the 100th mod-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 1 775

ern Olympics to be in Atlanta. It’s a great this Olympics, and I will be bursting with honor for the United States. And when open- pride when the games begin. I hope in some ing day comes, I believe that the United way I can communicate to the American peo- States will measure up to that honor, that ple and to people all over the world what the world will see America achieving a new the spirit and character of the Olympics national best. mean, what the standard of excellence within The spirit of the United States Olympic honorable rules set by these Olympians and Committee was basically born with Dr. Wil- the Paralympians mean to the United States. liam Milligan Sloane, who helped to rekindle I also want to thank those who were there the modern Olympic Games and who was with me at Eastern High School today, who so dedicated to getting his team to Athens reminded those young people that no one for the 1896 Olympics that he gave up his really makes it alone and that every achieve- own ticket, and his wife’s, so that the last ment is worthy of respect. That’s what I want 2 of the 13 American team members could the world to see at the Olympics this sum- go. He didn’t even get to see the spectacle mer. And if I could leave you with that he had made possible. Now, I know a lot thought—you know, when this country gets of you have given very generously to these together, when we reach across all the lines Olympic Games, but at least you’re going to that divide us, when we say, in spite of our get to see them unfold. differences of color or creed or region or sta- The legacy that Dr. Sloan left us has been tion in life, we really are one nation, helping richly fulfilled by this U.S. Olympic Commit- each other to achieve our individual tee. When our athletes line up at the starting dreams—when America does that, we are blocks or face off in the wrestlers’ circle or never defeated. And I believe this summer the boxing ring or the basketball or the tennis the world will see one America, a place court, we will see the best in the world. But where individual dreams are realized through we have to thank not only them for their common efforts, where all Americans who dedication, their coaches, their trainers, their want to work hard are being given a chance families, their friends, but also the United to succeed, where different points of view States Olympic Committee. Here in America and different heritages are undergirded by we do it our way, the Government does not shared values that keep this great country finance the Olympic teams. Everyone pitches strong and secure and give it its character in and does his or her part, businesses, com- and its future. munities, universities, neighbors, friends, and I thank you, all of you, for contributing families. to that and for making America’s Team still So not only our athletes but also all of you the envy of the entire world. Good luck and would have anything to do with the Olympics God bless you. are part of Team USA, and on behalf of the American people let me thank you for mak- NOTE: The President spoke at 8 p.m. at the Wash- ing Team USA possible. We are very proud ington Hilton Hotel. In his remarks, he referred of you. to Leroy Walker, president, and Dick Schultz, ex- Not very long ago I had the privilege to ecutive director, United States Olympic Commit- spend a few hours with Billy Payne, walking tee; Anita DeFrantz, member, International around the Olympic stadium and some of the Olympic Committee; James F. Hardymon, chair- facilities and being briefed. Andy Fleming man and CEO of Textron, Inc.; Steve Green, chairman and CEO of Samsonite; Bob Michel, was there, others were there. And I’m telling former House minority leader; Billy Payne, chief you they have done a magnificent job down executive officer, Atlanta Committee for the there, and I am in awe of the level of organi- Olympic Games; and G. Andrew Fleming, chief zation, preparation, and execution we are executive officer, Atlanta Paralympic Organizing seeing. I am very proud of every aspect of Committee.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 776 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

Remarks on Returning Without One of my duties as President is to protect Approval to the House the Common the health and safety of our people. Parents Sense Product Liability Legal should know the toys their children play with Reform Act of 1996 and an Exchange are safe. Families should know the cars they With Reporters drive will not explode upon impact. Our grandparents have a right to know the drugs May 2, 1996 and the medical devices they use will not in- jure them. It is a hallmark of our system of The President. Good afternoon. Before I justice that when a product produces injury make the announcement I invited you here or death a family has the right to try and for today, I want to congratulate the Depart- recover its losses. And if someone endangers ment of Justice on the success of the Zorro the health of the public, he or she should 2 antinarcotics operation that Attorney Gen- be held responsible. I believe we can protect eral Reno announced a couple of hours ago these rights even as we curb frivolous law- today. suits. Zorro 2 targeted a Mexican-run cocaine Let me be clear: We do need legal reform. smuggling and distribution network in the America’s legal system is too expensive, too United States and the Colombian cartel with time-consuming, and does—does—contain which it worked. It dismantled both the orga- nization that owned the cocaine and the orga- too many frivolous lawsuits. nization that ran the transportation system, As Governor of Arkansas, I signed several locking up more than 100 individuals across tort reform bills into law. In 1994, I signed the country, seizing almost 6,000 kilograms legislation in this room to limit the liability of cocaine and a thousand pounds of mari- of aircraft manufacturers in what I thought juana. was a reasonable and prudent way. We’ve Critical to the success of this multi-State worked hard to lift the burden of regulation operation which is a part of our southwest and redtape from business. We cut 16,000 border initiative was the cooperation of over pages of Federal rules, giving a break to small 40 State and local police agencies, the DEA, businesses and working for results. I believe the FBI, and several other Federal agencies we can help the business community in this all across the country. They combined their country without hurting ordinary Americans. resources and their expertise to take down But any legal reform must be carefully craft- this extensive drug organization. ed so that the interest of consumers and busi- Today’s arrests are another big victory in nesses are fairly balanced. the fight against illegal drugs, the fight to For a year I tried to work with Congress keep them off our streets and out of the to write such a balanced bill. I made it very hands of our children. On behalf of the clear what I would accept in such legislation American people I want to thank our law en- and what I could not support. When the forcement officers for a job well done. United States Senate passed product liability Today I am returning to Congress without legislation, it was clearly an improvement my signature the product liability legislation over a much more extreme House bill. I still sent to me this week. I take this step because had a couple of objections to it, which I made I believe this bill tilts against American fami- very clear. And I expressed the hope that in lies and would deprive them of the ability the conference we could resolve those objec- to recover fully when they are injured by a tions so that a bill would be sent to me that defective product. I could sign. I am eager to sign legislation to make our Instead, in the conference, the bill moved legal system work better at less cost in a fairer back toward the House bill in a couple of way. But this bill would hurt families without respects, and perhaps even worse, included truly improving our legal system. It would some things which were not included in ei- mean more unsafe products in our homes. ther the Senate or the House bill, but, as It would let wrongdoers off the hook. I can- too often happens in Washington, were put not allow it to become law. into the final conference version.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 2 777

This bill is opposed by the American Can- put in at the 11th hour in the conference cer Society, the Heart Association, the Lung without any hearing in the Senate or the Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, House. and our friend, Sarah Brady—where is she, I should also point out that there has been behind me—and the handgun control peo- a lot of talk in this Congress about the impor- ple. It is opposed by every major consumer tance of giving responsibilities back to the and senior citizen group. It is opposed by States. That apparently does not apply to laws State legislators and State judges. I’m proud relating to the civil justice system. This bill to be joined today by the attorney general overrides the laws of all 50 States, in spite of Mississippi, Mike Moore, who opposes it. of the fact that 40 of the 50 States in the These are mainstream, Main Street groups, last 10 years have acted on their own to re- and I believe they are right. form the tort laws, and more than 30 of them The legislation would make it impossible have acted in the area of product liability. for some people to recover fully for non- So it seems that the Congress is willing economic damages. This is especially unfair to override State laws if they conflict with to senior citizens, women, children who have this bill but only, I might add, if the State few economic damages, and poor people who laws are more favorable to the consumers. may suffer grievously but because their in- Now, if the State laws are less favorable to comes are low have few economic damages. the consumers than this bill, they can stand. It would arbitrarily cap punitive damages This legislation is arcane, complex; it has which are paid by a corporation that has en- a lot of legalisms and loopholes in it. But gaged in egregious conduct, such as know- the real fact is it could have a devastating ingly making or selling the public a dan- impact on innocent Americans who can pres- gerous product. A cap on punitive damages ently look to our system of justice for recov- can reward wrongdoers and diminish the de- ery. Several of them are with me today. terrent impact of punitive damages. Janey Fair lost a daughter when her school And if a jury, for example—and many ju- bus burst into flames because the manufac- ries are being asked to consider this today— turer wouldn’t install an inexpensive safety should ever issue a finding that tobacco com- measure. The bus was hit by a drunk driver panies have been not truthful with their cus- with no money. Because she could rely on tomers, this legislation would limit the ability joint and several liability she could bring a of juries to impose punitive damages on those lawsuit. This is the sort of thing that would companies. be changed, as it relates to noneconomic And in a provision added in the con- damages, in this law. ference, the legislation would bar the court- The problem is that children have hardly house door to some consumers altogether if any economic damages. They’re not out there they are unlucky enough to be hurt by a earning money. Poor people may have just product that is 15 years old, even if it’s sup- as much life expectancy left as you or I, but posed to last more than 15 years. That is the their economic damages would not be as case with two of the people who are in this great, no matter how great their human loss. room today. In the worst provision added to Carla Miller was left with her children the conference, it would bail out a gun deal- after her husband was killed when his tractor er, for example, who knowingly sells a felon rolled over. Jeanne Yanta lost the ability to a gun or a bar owner who knowingly sells have children after she used a contraceptive a drunk another beer before he or she hits that the manufacturer knew was dangerous. the road. And I might say, that is why Sarah Every one of these people is a hard-working Brady is here today. American citizen who is law-abiding, tried to This was supposed to be a product liability do the right thing by their families. Every bill. This provision has nothing—I reit- one would have been prevented from fully erate—nothing to do with the manufacture recovering for their losses, or in some cases, of products that subsequently prove defec- those who committed civil wrongs would es- tive and injure people. It shouldn’t even be cape full punishment if this bill were to be- in this bill, and that is probably why it was come law.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 778 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

I continue to believe that if we were to own hurts. And so it just seems to me that work together in a bipartisan and open fash- before they notch this one up as a special ion we can craft the right kind of legal re- interest vote, I would just say two things: One form. I am still willing to do it. Congress is I made it clear that I would sign legislation knows well my specific positions. If it will that the Trial Lawyers Association did not send me a balanced bill that cuts back on agree with. I made that abundantly clear. I frivolous lawsuits while being fair to families, made my position clear. Two, what is their that gives manufacturers more predictability answer? Can they really look at these people but doesn’t bail out real wrongdoers, I would in the face and say, ‘‘Boy, our economy needs sign such a bill without hesitation. it so badly that I don’t want anybody who’s But this bill does not do that. And because like you in the future to be able to recover of the changes that were made in the Senate and be made whole the way you were.’’ bill moving away from rather than toward the And if they—I’ll be glad to have the special specifics that I asked for and because of interest discussion with them if they first say, things that were put into the conference that ‘‘It is fine with me if these people, people were not even a part of the House bill, much just like these people, in the future cannot less the Senate bill, I have no choice but to be made whole.’’ They need to answer on veto it. And that is what I have done today. the merits before they get to the accusations. Product Liability Veto Gas Tax Q. Mr. President, I’m sure you’ve heard Q. Your critics say that you’re resisting cut- that the Republicans are heaping criticism ting the gas tax. Is that accurate? upon you, saying this veto is a payback to The President. Well, first of all, I believe the Trial Lawyers Association whose mem- that the better tax cut for Americans is to bers have contributed heavily to your reelec- give people a deduction for the cost of edu- tion. Your response? cation after high school and to give them a The President. Well, I know they’ve said deduction for the cost of raising their chil- that. I think you should go back to them and dren. It’s a lot more money. And it’s for a ask them how they could justify depriving more compelling reason. Americans who are just like these people of The gas tax did not drive up the cost of the right to recover for their injuries. And gasoline. After the gas tax was put in and ask them if they really believe that our econ- all dedicated to deficit reduction in 1993, gas omy is so fragile that we have to strip from continued to go down for a year. And we these people the right to be made whole in have taken steps to bring the price of gasoline order to continue to make our economy go down. We are moving aggressively on that, forward. and it’s beginning to work. Just today, we learned that in the last quar- Now if the Congress wants to repeal the ter our economy grew at 2.8 percent. We gas tax, then it ought to be done—I’ll say have the lowest unemployment of any ad- again—in the context of deficit reduction. vanced economy in the world except for They ought to come in here, and we ought Japan. And many people believe as a practical to figure out what our balanced budget plan matter it’s even lower than that nation’s. I is. We ought to put our common savings to- do not believe that we have to have a legal gether. We ought to have a tax program— system which shuts the door on the legiti- a tax relief program—that we can afford, and mate problems of ordinary people in order we ought to do it. I would be happy to talk to get rid of frivolous lawsuits and excess with them about this. legal expenses. And I think that we ought But I think just to sort of out of the blue to ask those folks that. say we’re going to add $30 billion to the defi- You know, before I got into being an elect- cit instead of talking about what the best kind ed official, I taught law. I studied the Con- of tax relief for America’s families is and how stitution. I have sat in courtrooms and seen we’re going to do it in the context of bal- the faces of people who come in there full ancing the budget is not a responsible thing of fear, full of uncertainty, and full of their to do. But I’m happy to talk to them about

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 2 779

it. But we have to do it, aware of its con- The President. Yes, it would. But I want sequences and of the choices which it will to point out, it’s different from like the secu- impose upon us. And I think we ought to rities law issue where, essentially, I approved come in and start these budget discussions, the bill except for the changes that were and if they want that to be a part of it, it’s made in the conference that nobody ever de- fine with me. I’ll be glad to talk to them. bated. And I made that clear. And that’s an I’m not shutting the door on that. area of Federal law. Budget Negotiations There is a general feeling among people around the country that there are too many Q. Mr. President, in that vein, you’ve been frivolous lawsuits. The only point I’m making keeping up pressure on Senator Dole now is that the States have moved to try to address for a least a good week to come in here and this. As a result of that, there have been 40 talk with you about the balanced budget. States that have acted in the area of tort re- Why isn’t that working, would you say? How form. And I believe this is right. There may long are you going to keep—— be more, but there have been at least 30 The President. Well, I don’t know. You’d have to ask him that, because, if you remem- States that have specifically taken action in ber, the first day I asked for them all to par- the area of product liability. ticipate again, he suggested that the two of I just pointed out that it is ironic that the us ought to do it, and then through Mr. Pa- Congress which said that what it wanted to netta, I accepted. So I’m to willing to meet do was to give power away from the States, with them under any circumstances and try in this area wants to take the power away to get—I’ll meet with him alone; I’ll meet from the States. At least they want to take with the leadership; I’ll meet with a biparti- it away one way. san, broader group. I just think that we need Yes, if you have any Federal standards, to understand that whenever we have worked they will, to some extent, erode State law. together, good things have happened. I’m prepared to do that to a limited extent You look at the—we’ve got the tele- to get rid of frivolous lawsuits. But I think communications bill. We’ve got the terrorism we ought to be aware of the fact that this bill. We got this year’s budget. I would have country has functioned pretty well for 200 signed a budget I signed last week on the years by being very reluctant to do that and first day of the budget year, 6, 7 months ago. letting the States handle that area of our law. We’ve got the bill on lobbying reform. When- Now in areas of national commerce, like ever we work together, we can still make the securities laws, the Federal Government good things happen, and we don’t need a has been very active. In other areas, the Fed- work stoppage here before the election. And eral Government hasn’t been so active. So we don’t need bills just to be—we don’t bill, it just is another argument for being careful veto, bill, veto, bill, veto. We need to work in this area. together and pass legislation that I can sign and keep moving the country forward. Then It’s not like the States have been asleep we’ll have conventions this summer, and for the last decade. It’s not like they never there will be lots of times for the campaign. debated this, not like they never made any Press Secretary Mike McCurry. Thank decisions. They’ve been quite active in this you, Mr. President. area. We can go further. I am prepared to The President. I’ll take one more. do it. But I think—I am just bringing it out as a reason for further caution. Product Liability Veto Thank you very much. Q. Mr. President, you just suggested you would not sign this bill in part because it NOTE: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. in the would overrule the 50 State laws, but Oval Office at the White House. wouldn’t any product liability reform over- rule the——

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 780 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

Message on Returning Without harm, consumers should be able to get ade- Approval to the House of quate compensation for their losses. Certain Representatives the Common Sense provisions in this bill work against these Product Liability Legal Reform Act goals, preventing some injured persons from of 1996 recovering the full measure of their damages and increasing the possibility that defective May 2, 1996 goods will come onto the market as a result To the House of Representatives: of intentional misconduct. I am returning herewith without my ap- In particular, I object to the following pro- proval H.R. 956, the ‘‘Common Sense Prod- visions of the bill, which subject consumers uct Liability Legal Reform Act of 1996.’’ to too great a risk of harm. I support real commonsense product li- First, as I previously have stated, I oppose ability reform. To deserve that label, how- wholly eliminating joint liability of non- ever, legislation must adequately protect the economic damages such as pain and suffering interests of consumers, in addition to the in- because such a change would prevent many terests of manufacturers and sellers. Further, persons from receiving full compensation for the legislation must respect the important injury. When one wrongdoer cannot pay its role of the States in our Federal system. The portion of the judgment, the other wrong- Congress could have passed such legislation, doers, and not the innocent victim, should appropriately limited in scope and balanced have to shoulder that part of the award. Tra- in application, meeting these tests. Had the ditional law accomplishes this result. In con- Congress done so, I would have signed the trast, this bill would leave the victim to bear bill gladly. The Congress, however, chose not these damages on his or her own. Given how to do so, deciding instead to retain provisions often companies that manufacture defective in the bill that I made clear I could not ac- products go bankrupt, this provision has po- cept. tentially large consequences. This bill inappropriately intrudes on State This provision is all the more troubling be- authority, and does so in a way that tilts the cause it unfairly discriminates against the legal playing field against consumers. While most vulnerable members of our society— some Federal action in this area is proper the elderly, the poor, children, and nonwork- because no one State can alleviate nation- ing women—whose injuries often involve wide problems in the tort system, the States mostly noneconomic losses. There is no rea- should have, as they always have had, primary son for this kind of discrimination. Non- responsibility for tort law. The States tradi- economic damages are as real and as impor- tionally have handled this job well, serving tant to victims as economic damages. We as laboratories for new ideas and making should not create a tort system in which peo- needed reforms. This bill unduly interferes ple with the greatest need of protection stand with that process in products cases; more- the least chance of receiving it. over, it does so in a way that peculiarly dis- Second, as I also have stated, I oppose ar- advantages consumers. As a rule, this bill dis- bitrary ceilings on punitive damages, because places State law only when that law is more they endanger the safety of the public. Cap- favorable to consumers; it defers to State law ping punitive damages undermines their very when that law is more helpful to manufactur- purpose, which is to punish and thereby ers and sellers. I cannot accept, absent com- deter egregious misconduct. The provision of pelling reasons, such a one-way street of fed- the bill allowing judges to exceed the cap if eralism. certain factors are present helps to mitigate, Apart from this general problem of dis- but does not cure this problem, given the placing State authority in an unbalanced clear intent of the Congress, as expressed in manner, specific provisions of H.R. 956 un- the Statement of Managers, that judges fairly disadvantage consumers and their fami- should use this authority only in the most lies. Consumers should be able to count on unusual cases. the safety of the products they purchase. And In addition, I am concerned that the Con- if these products are defective and cause ference Report fails to fix an oversight in title

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 2 781

II of the bill, which limits actions against sup- Similarly, the Conference Report reduces pliers of materials used in devices implanted the statute of repose to 15 years (and less in the body. In general, title II is a laudable if States so provide) and applies the statute attempt to ensure the supply of materials to a wider range of goods, including hand- needed to make life-saving medical devices, guns. This change, which bars a suit against such as artificial heart valves. But as I believe a maker of an older product even if that prod- even many supporters of the bill agree, a sup- uct has just caused injury, also will preclude plier of materials who knew or should have some valid suits. known that the materials, as implanted, In recent weeks, I have heard from many would cause injury should not receive any victims of defective products whose efforts protection from suit. Title II’s protections to recover compensation would have been must be clearly limited to nonnegligent sup- frustrated by this bill. I have heard from a pliers. woman who would not have received full My opposition to these Senate-passed pro- compensatory damages under this bill for the visions were known prior to the Conference death of a child because one wrongdoer on the bill. But instead of addressing these could not pay his portion of the judgment. issues, the Conference Committee took sev- I have heard from women whose suits against eral steps backward in the direction of the makers of defective contraceptive devices— bill approved by the House. and the punitive damages awarded in those First, the Conference Report seems to ex- suits—forced the products off the market, in a way that this bill’s cap on punitives would pand the scope of the bill, inappropriately make much harder. I have heard from per- applying the limits on punitive and non- sons injured by products more than 15 years economic damages to lawsuits, where, for ex- old, who under this bill could not bring suit ample, a gun dealer has knowingly sold a gun at all. to a convicted felon or a bar owner has know- Injured people cannot be left to suffer in ingly served a drink to an obviously ine- this fashion; furthermore, the few companies briated customer. I believe that such suits that cause these injuries cannot be left, should go forward unhindered. Some in the through lack of a deterrent, to engage in mis- Congress have argued that the change made conduct. I therefore must return the bill that in Conference is technical in nature, so that has been presented to me. This bill would the bill still exempts these actions. But I do undermine the ability of courts to provide not read the change in this way—and in any relief to victims of harmful products and event, I do not believe that a victim of a thereby endanger the health and safety of drunk driver should have to argue in court the entire American public. There is nothing about this matter. The Congress should not common sense about such reforms to prod- have made this last-minute change, creating uct liability law. this unfortunate ambiguity, in the scope of the bill. William J. Clinton In addition, the Conference Report makes The White House, certain changes that, though sounding tech- May 2, 1996. nical, may cut off a victim’s ability to sue a negligent manufacturer. The Report deletes a provision that would have stopped the stat- Remarks Prior to a Meeting With ute of limitations from running when a bank- Congressional Leaders and an ruptcy court issues the automatic stay that Exchange With Reporters prevents suits from being filed during bank- May 2, 1996 ruptcy proceedings. The effect of this seem- ingly legalistic change will be that some per- Budget Negotiations sons harmed by companies that have entered The President. I’d like to make a couple bankruptcy proceedings (as makers of defec- of brief opening remarks, and then I’d like tive products often do) will lose any meaning- to let Senator Chafee and Senator Breaux say ful opportunity to bring valid claims. whatever they’d like to say. And then after

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.002 p18my4 782 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

the meeting, after we’ve had a chance to visit, year, but in the out-years likewise. And we I may want to say some other things. But feel very strong. This is not a negotiating I’d like to say less of and more now, and group. We’re not negotiators on behalf of perhaps more afterward. anybody in the Congress. We have come up First, I want to thank this group of Sen- with a plan, a bipartisan plan, which we’ve ators for coming to the White House. This arrived at after considerable effort, and I has been a good day for our country. We’ve want to commend Senator Breaux and all got some good economic news. We found who are associated with him. We think that the American economy is continuing to there’s a very, very fair budget proposal that grow steadily and without inflation and better we’ve worked out. And we commend it to than had been expected. But even though you, and we’ll have a chance to present it we have over 8 million jobs and low inflation in greater detail as we proceed. and strong growth, we know that if we want Senator Breaux. Mr. President, we’re de- to continue this we have got to finish the lighted to be here at your invitation to meet work of balancing the budget, and we have with you and to present what I think is very to do it in 7 years and in a bipartisan way. unique. This is truly a very unique coalition In a very real sense for the next several of 11 Democrats working together with 11 months we will have to face the choice in Republicans who have come together to more than one area between partisanship and present to you and to the administration and progress. But if you look at what has hap- to our colleagues a 7-year balanced budget pened in this Congress that is really good, which brings about real reform in areas of and a lot has happened that is good—the welfare and Medicaid and Medicare, as well telecommunications bill, the antiterrorism as a tax cut for individuals and working fami- bill, the budget bill that I signed just a few lies. days ago, the lobby reform bill; in the Senate, We think that working from the center out the passage of 100 to nothing of the Kasse- is the way to solve these problems. We’ve baum-Kennedy bill, and then the passage, I had 2 Government partial shutdowns last think 97 to 3, just before you came over here, year and 13 continuing resolutions. That’s not of the immigration bill sponsored by Senator the way to balance the budget. We offer this Simpson—in every case these things have as a hopeful suggestion as the way we should happened because there was bipartisan co- go about getting it down. operation, the people put the interest of the The President. Thank you very much. country first. Q. Senators Breaux and Chafee, will you That is what works. And that is what we’re have a cut in the gas tax as a part of your going to have to do to with this budget. So plan to balance the budget? I’m proud to be here with these Senators Senator Breaux. That’s not part of our today. I commend them for what they are plan. doing. I hope it will become the model for Senator Chafee. That’s not part of this what Congress does on this, and I hope it plan. will bring us to a genuinely bipartisan bal- Q. Any tax cuts at all as part of this—— anced budget. And I’m encouraged, and I’m Senator Chafee. Yes, we have a tax cut anxious to get down to the discussion. proposal in our plan. Senator Chafee? Q. Can you tell us more about the Medi- Senator Chafee. Well, thank you first, care and welfare proposals? Mr. President. Thank you very much for in- Senator Chafee. Well, I don’t think we viting us down. We appreciate that. This want to get into this in piecemeal. whole group—Senator Dole has invited us The President. We’ll all have more to say. to meet with him in a similar fashion next We want to talk first. Tuesday, and we all intend to do that, like- wise. This is truly a bipartisan group, as you NOTE: The President spoke at 3:40 p.m. in the have mentioned. Cabinet Room at the White House. A tape was We are brought together by a desire to not available for verification of the content of get a balanced budget, not just in the 7th these remarks.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 2 783

Statement on Senate Action on the Statement on the Initiative To ‘‘Immigration Control and Financial Reduce Tobacco Use Responsibility Act of 1996’’ May 2, 1996 May 2, 1996 Smoking is a pediatric disease that shows no sign of abating, in part because young The Senate has taken an important step people are constantly barraged by messages today by passing with bipartisan support the that glamour and grit can be found in pack Immigration Control and Financial Respon- of cigarettes. sibility Act of 1996, important legislation My administration has proposed the Na- which ratifies my administration’s com- tion’s first comprehensive initiative to reduce prehensive immigration strategy to reverse children’s use of tobacco products. But Gov- decades of neglect and restore the rule of ernment cannot solve this problem alone. law to our immigration system. Everybody must do their share to help par- This bill builds upon the historic progress ents keep their kids tobacco-free. we are making. Over the last 3 years, I have I applaud 3M Media for accepting respon- directed my administration to use every tool sibility for the impact billboards have. We at its disposal to crack down on illegal immi- must all work together to protect our chil- gration and to reintroduce the rule of law dren from the lures of tobacco. at the border and in the workplace. We have made illegal crossings at the Southwest bor- der tougher than ever before by increasing Statement on Senate Passage of the manpower by 50 percent and employing Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS state-of-the-art technology. We are deporting Resources Emergency Act record numbers of criminal and other illegal May 2, 1996 aliens from the United States, and we have put teeth into our immigration laws in the I applaud the Members of Congress for workplace. Earlier this year, I signed an Ex- this overwhelming statement of support for ecutive order barring employers who know- the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Re- ingly hire illegal workers from receiving Fed- sources Emergency Act. By extending this eral contracts. vital program for 5 additional years, law- I am pleased that the Senate has endorsed makers of both parties are sending a message our strategy with legislation that answers my of support to thousands of Americans who administration’s call for tougher penalties for are living with HIV or AIDS and to their alien smugglers, criminal aliens, and manu- families and friends who offer them love and facturers and sellers of fraudulent docu- support each and every day. In its first 5 years ments. The Senate bill also supports our plan of existence, the Ryan White CARE Act has to continue to increase the size of our Border provided high-quality medical care and sup- port services that help to extend the length Patrol and provides the Justice Department and improve the quality of life for people with new tools to fight illegal immigration. living with HIV/AIDS. I have been proud of While this bill strongly supports our enforce- our recent success in increasing funding for ment efforts, it still goes too far in denying this program by more than 110 percent in legal immigrants access to vital safety net the last 3 years, including a $105 million in- programs which could jeopardize public crease in the recently enacted budget agree- health and safety. Some work still needs to ment for fiscal year 1996. I look forward to be done. I urge the Congress to move quickly signing this bill and continuing this record to finalize and send me this key legislation. of bipartisan support.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 784 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

Remarks at a Dinner Honoring calls upon us to minister to the poor and the Billy and Ruth Graham needy as they did in trying to help disaster May 2, 1996 victims in Guatemala and countless other places. And I know yesterday Billy and I were Good evening. The first time I ever met talking about how proud he was of the work Paul Harvey, he and his son played through that his son, Franklin, has done, and I saw a foursome I was in on his golf course in some of that when I sent our troops into Chicago. He never told me the score. But Bosnia and I met some people who had since then he’s tried to tell me the score worked with Franklin Graham to try to help about a lot of other things. [Laughter] And the poor children in that war-torn land. I’ve enjoyed it every time. Billy and Ruth Graham have practiced the To the members of the Graham family, the ministry of good citizenship, being friends Members of Congress who are here, ladies with Presidents of both parties, counseling and gentlemen: I’m deeply honored to join them in countless ways, always completely with you tonight in honoring two of Ameri- private, always completely genuine. Yester- ca’s finest citizens, two of the world’s greatest day we sat in the Oval Office reminiscing and human resources, Billy and Ruth Graham. talking about current circumstances, and I When Billy and Ruth received the Con- asked for Billy Graham’s prayers for the wis- gressional Gold Medal today, they received dom and guidance of God. That is a part of only the 114th medal in the 220-year history his ministry as well. of this country. Since, as Paul Harvey said, Perhaps the most moving example of that George Washington started receiving the came when Billy Graham spoke along with first one in 1776, Thomas Edison, Marian me and a number of others at the first service Anderson, Elie Wiesel, Winston Churchill— shortly after the bombing in Oklahoma City. Billy and Ruth Graham belong in their com- And he knew he was speaking to a vast array pany, and more. of people who had been wounded by that I am going to make a presentation in a incident. Most of them were Christians, but moment related to that, but I wanted to say not all of them were. And yet he sought to a few words first. I’m very proud that Billy speak to all of them, and he gave what I and Ruth have decided to share this honor thought was one of the most honest messages with the Billy and Ruth Graham children’s I had ever heard a minister of the Word give. center of Memorial Mission Hospital in And I thought to myself as I watched him Asheville, North Carolina. give it that only a man completely convicted, In Galatians 6, St. Paul said that while each completely secure in his own faith, could of us must make our own efforts to sustain have looked out at that vast wounded array ourselves, we are also reminded to ‘‘bear ye of human beings and said, ‘‘I wish I could one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law tell you that I understand completely why of Christ.’’ Sharing this medal in this way things like this happen. But I don’t. Even does that. But in so many ways Billy and Ruth after all these years, I don’t. I don’t know have fulfilled the law of Christ, in the min- why this happened. I don’t have an expla- istry of the Word going into all nations. nation for it. But the God we love is a God I hardly ever go to a place, as President, of love and mercy amidst all the suffering Billy Graham hadn’t been there before me we are asked to endure. We are not supposed preaching. [Laughter] And I feel like a poor to understand everything but instead to lean substitute from time to time, because a lot on God.’’ of the time what I’m trying to do is get people And he made it more powerful because to lay down the hatreds of the heart and he was able to say to his fellow Americans, reach down into their spirit and treat people ‘‘Even after all these years, after I have who are different from them with the same searched the Scriptures and prayed for wis- dignity that all God’s children are entitled dom, I do not understand everything. I can- to. not explain this, but that makes the case for Billy and Ruth have practiced the ministry our faith even stronger.’’ I’ll remember that of the deed. Hundreds of times the Bible for as long as I live.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 3 785

Finally, I thank Billy Graham and Ruth about their life, their work, their trips to the Graham for the ministry of their life and their Holy Land, and the life to come. There was personal example, for their extraordinary no one there. There were no cameras; there achievement of 5 children, 19 grandchildren, were no reporters; there was nothing to be and I think now 8 great-grandchildren. If that gained. It was a simple, private, personal ex- achievement could be mirrored by every pression of common Christianity and grati- adult in America, we would have about 10 tude for the life of a person who had given percent of the problems we’ve got today in his life for their shared faith. this great country of ours. And finally, he got up to go. Billy looked I thank them for countless personal ges- at my pastor, W.O. Vaught, shriveled to less tures that demonstrate that as private people than 100 pounds, and he said, ‘‘Smile, W.O., they are what they seem to be in public. I next time I see you we’ll be outside the East- thank them for always doing things that will ern Gates.’’ I’ll never forget that as long as enable them to minister to people they may I live. not even know. I have said this in public be- So the Congress did a great thing; you have fore, but I want to say it again. When I was done a great thing; Billy and Ruth Graham a small boy, about 12 years old, Billy Graham have done a great thing in sharing this award came to Little Rock, Arkansas, to preach a with future generations of people who will crusade. That town was torn part by racial need their help and their ministry even after conflict. Our high schools were closed there, they have passed their time on this Earth. and there were those who asked Billy Gra- For all that, as President and in my personal ham to segregate his audience in War Memo- role as a citizen and a Christian, I am pro- rial Stadium so as not to roil the waters. foundly grateful. And I’ll never forget that he said—and it I’d like Reverend Graham to come out was in the paper—that if he had to speak now, and I will give him a copy of the bill the Word of God to a segregated audience, which I signed and the pen with which I he would violate his ministry, and he would signed it. And perhaps he’d like to say a word not do it. And at the most intense time in to you tonight. the modern history of my State, everybody Billy. caved, and blacks and whites together poured into the football stadium. And when the invi- NOTE: The President spoke at 9:08 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel. In his re- tation was given, they poured down together, marks, he referred to radio commentator Paul down the aisles, and they forgot that they Harvey. were supposed to be mad at each other, angry at each other, that one was supposed to consider the other somehow less than Statement on Signing Technical equal. Corrections to the Omnibus And he never preached a word about inte- Consolidated Rescissions and grating the schools. He preached the Word Appropriations Act of 1996 of God, and he lived it by the power of his May 2, 1996 example. And one young boy from a modest family for a long time thereafter took just Today I have signed into law Senate Joint a little money out of his allowance every Resolution 53 (‘‘Resolution’’). This Resolu- month and sent it to Billy Graham’s Crusade. tion makes technical corrections to Public And I’ve lived with that all my life. Law 104–134, the ‘‘Omnibus Consolidated I’ll never forget that when Billy Graham Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996’’ came back to Little Rock 30 years later, prob- (‘‘Act’’), which I signed into law on April 26, ably the most well-known man of God and 1996. faith in the world, he took time out one day Two of the corrections merit comment. to let me take him to see my pastor who The Resolution repeals two paragraphs re- he’d known 30 years before, because he was lating to the Tongass National Forest, which dying. And my elderly pastor, with only a few were mistakenly not deleted when the opera- weeks to live, sat and talked to Billy Graham tive language was moved to another section.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 786 May 3 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

The Resolution also includes the repeal of ceed only after workers organized and spoke section 21104 of the Act, which relates to with a united, independent voice. The Amer- international population assistance programs ican labor movement helped the first genera- and which was inadvertently included in the tion of industrial employees to express their Act. Nevertheless, I believe that the level of aspirations and insecurities, empowering funding that the Congress has provided for them with the necessary tools to define the FY 1996 for these programs remains inad- terms and conditions of their employment equate, given the critical importance of these and to expand the role of labor in the larger services to protecting the health of women, society. strengthening families, and preventing un- As we approach the 21st century, our Na- wanted pregnancies and abortions. I regret tion’s economy is undergoing a trans- that the House and Senate were unable to formation as momentous as the change that come to an agreement to lift the severe limi- spurred the exodus from farms to factories tations placed on U.S. programs by the FY 100 years ago. And in facing the challenges 1996 Foreign Operations appropriations act. It is my hope that the Congress will remove posed by global competition and rapid tech- these limitations and provide full funding for nological advances, the workers of the Infor- these programs in the FY 1997 appropria- mation Age need the same effective leader- tions process. ship that allowed their forbears to succeed. Each new generation of workers must em- William J. Clinton brace the activism that has characterized la- The White House, bor’s rich history, and all Americans should May 2, 1996. recognize the role that labor has played in the continuing progress of our democracy. NOTE: S.J. Res. 53, approved May 2, was assigned Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, Public Law No. 104–140. This statement was re- President of the United States of America, leased by the Office of the Press Secretary on May by virtue of the authority vested in me by 3. the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 1996, as Proclamation 6891—Labor History Labor History Month. I call upon Govern- Month, 1996 ment officials, educators, the media, and all May 3, 1996 the people of the United States to observe this month with ceremonies, activities, and By the President of the United States programs that encourage reflection on the of America labor movement’s heritage and its many con- tributions to the creation and maintenance A Proclamation of a just America. In the early 1900s, millions of Americans In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set left their farms to begin new lives as factory my hand this third day of May, in the year workers. Sadly, many of these citizens found of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety- neither secure employment nor higher wages six, and of the Independence of the United at their new jobs, and the industrial economy States of America the two hundred and twen- brought them exploitation, continued pov- tieth. erty, and the risk of injury and death. No student of American history can forget the William J. Clinton images of filthy children emerging from mills and mines, the stories of terrible fires and explosions, or the grim legacy of the slums [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, that grew up in factory towns. 8:45 a.m., May 6, 1996] Although child labor, sweatshops, and workplace disasters are largely horrors of the NOTE: This proclamation will be published in the past, efforts to eliminate them began to suc- Federal Register on May 7.

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 787

Digest of Other Bulgaria, Anne W. Patterson as Ambassador White House Announcements to El Salvador, John Francis Maisto as Am- bassador to Venezuela, and Marisa Lino as Ambassador to Albania. The following list includes the President’s public schedule and other items of general interest an- May 2 nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and In the morning, the President attended a not included elsewhere in this issue. memorial service in Potomac, MD, for David Ifshin, former general counsel for the Presi- April 28 dent’s 1992 campaign committee, who died In the afternoon in the Map Room, the April 30. In the early afternoon, he returned President provided a videotaped deposition to Washington, DC. for the ongoing trial in Little Rock, AR. May 3 In the late evening, the President met with In the morning, the President met with Prime Minister Shimon Peres of Israel in the Secretary of Defense William Perry and mili- Oval Office. tary leaders in the Oval Office. April 29 The President announced his intention to In the morning, the President traveled to nominate Brooksley Elizabeth Born as Com- Miami, FL. In the late evening, he departed missioner and Chair of the Commodity Fu- for Washington, DC, arriving after midnight. tures Trading Commission. The President announced his intention to April 30 reappoint Joel I. Ferguson, Dennis DeCon- In an afternoon ceremony in the Oval Of- cini, Harriet F. Woods, James B. Nutter, Sr., fice, the President received diplomatic cre- and Jerry M. Hultin as members of the Board dentials from the following Ambassadors: of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Nagora Bogan of Papua New Guinea, Dato Mortgage Corporation. Dali Mahmud Hashim of Malaysia, Mahdi The President announced his intention to Ibrahim Mohamed of Sudan, Pedro Miguel nominate Jerry M. Melillo as Associate Di- Lamport Kelsall of Guatemala, Theogene rector for Environment at the Office of Rudashingwa of Rwanda, Bhekh Bahadur Science and Technology Policy. Thapa of Nepal, Bulat K. Nurgaliyev of The President announced his intention to Kazakstan, Banny de Brum of the Marshall appoint Jeffrey Orseck as a member of the Islands, Jaakko Tapani Laajava of Finland, Panama Canal Consultative Committee. Naresh Chandra of India, and Dieudonne- Antoine Ganga of the Congo. In the evening, the President and Hillary Clinton attended a dinner for supporters of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Nominations Commission in the State Dining Room. Submitted to the Senate The President announced his intention to nominate Vicky A. Bailey as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The following list does not include promotions of members of the Uniformed Services, nominations May 1 to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- The President announced his intention to eign Service officers. appoint Peggy Weil Steine to the Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Ken- Submitted April 29 nedy Center for the Performing Arts. The President announced his intention to Avis T. Bohlen, appoint Jack W. Theimer to the Franklin of the District of Columbia, a career member Delano Roosevelt Memorial Commission. of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Min- The President announced his intention to ister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraor- nominate Avis T. Bohlen as Ambassador to dinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 788 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996

States of America to the Republic of Bul- term expiring April 13, 2000, vice Sheila C. garia. Bair, resigned. Marisa R. Lino, of Oregon, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- Checklist potentiary of the United States of America of White House Press Releases to the Republic of Albania. John Francis Maisto, The following list contains releases of the Office of Pennsylvania, a career member of the Sen- of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as ior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Coun- items nor covered by entries in the Digest of Other White House Announcements. selor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Venezuela. Released April 28 Anne W. Patterson, Announcement on the President’s of Virginia, a career member of the Senior videotaped deposition for the ongoing trial Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, in Little Rock, AR to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- Released April 29 potentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador. Transcript of a press briefing by Director of National Drug Control Policy Barry McCaf- Submitted May 1 frey on the National Drug Control Strategy Mary Lucille Jordan, Released April 30 of Maryland, to be a member of the Federal Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- Mine Safety and Health Review Commission retary Mike McCurry for a term of 6 years expiring August 30, 2002 (reappointment). Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry condemning renewed fighting in Liberia Submitted May 3 Fact sheet on counterterrorism Michael Kantor, Released May 1 of California, to be Secretary of Commerce, vice Ronald H. Brown, deceased, to which Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- position he was appointed during the last re- retary Mike McCurry cess of the Senate. Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry Brooksley Elizabeth Born, on North Korean nuclear fuel of the District of Columbia, to be a Commis- Released May 2 sioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the remainder of the term Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- expiring April 13, 1999, vice Mary L. retary Mike McCurry Schapiro, resigned. Transcript of a press briefing by National Economic Adviser Laura D’Andrea Tyson, Brooksley Elizabeth Born, Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor, of the District of Columbia, to be Chairman Under Secretary of the Treasury Larry Sum- of the Commodity Futures Trading Commis- mers, and Council of Economic Advisers sion, vice Mary L. Schapiro, resigned. member Alicia Munnell on the economy David D. Spears, Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry of Kansas, to be a Commissioner of the Com- on National Security Adviser Anthony Lake’s modity Futures Trading Commission for the May 1 meeting with Capt. Kojo Tsikata, spe-

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 789

cial envoy from President Jerry John Street in Youngstown, Ohio, as the ‘‘Thomas Rawlings of Ghana D. Lambros Federal Building and United States Courthouse’’ Released May 3 Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- H.R. 1804 / Public Law 104–137 retary Mike McCurry To designate the United States Post Office- Transcript of a press briefing by Secretary Courthouse located at South 6th and Rogers of Labor Robert Reich, Secretary of the Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the ‘‘Judge Treasury Robert Rubin, and Council of Eco- Isaac C. Parker Federal Building’’ nomic Advisers member Martin Bailey on the economy H.R. 2415 / Public Law 104–138 Statement by Press Secretary Mike McCurry To designate the United States Customs Ad- on progress in the Guatemalan peace process ministrative Building at the Ysleta/Zaragosa Port of Entry located at 797 South Zaragosa Road in El Paso, Texas, as the ‘‘Timothy C. McCaghren Customs Administrative Build- ing’’ Acts Approved by the President H.R. 2556 / Public Law 104–139 To redesignate the Federal building located Approved April 30 at 345 Middlefield Road in Menlo Park, Cali- fornia, and known as the Earth Sciences and H.R. 255 / Public Law 104–135 Library Building, as the ‘‘Vincent E. To designate the Federal Justice Building in McKelvey Federal Building’’ Miami, Florida, as the ‘‘James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building’’ Approved May 2 H.R. 869 / Public Law 104–136 To designate the Federal building and Unit- S.J. Res. 53 / Public Law 104–140 ed States courthouse located at 125 Market Making corrections to Public Law 104–134

VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4