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plans without the guarantee of critical pro- has got a great sense of tections. Millions of Americans should not be humor, so I’m going to tell you a story she held hostage to the hope that their State told me upstairs, and I’ll never live over it, might pass legislation providing these protec- I know. But she said one night she spent the tions. In fact, while States have the authority night here with Hillary and me, and she got to pass patient protections for these plans, in rather late. We stayed up rather later not one has enacted all of these protections. speaking. And then she went to sleep, and That is why we need strong Federal legisla- something happened, and she had to get on tion to ensure that all health plans provide the phone early in the morning, London patients these important rights. time, which is in the middle of the night our Even for those it does cover, the Chair- time. And the operator called back and said man’s proposal leaves out many of the most that she was having trouble finding Secretary fundamental protections. For example, it Mowlam; she was in Mr. Lincoln’s bedroom. does not have an adequate enforcement [Laughter] She said it was quite obvious the mechanism to ensure that patients are com- operator did not know who Mr. Lincoln was pensated when they are injured or die as a or that he had been deceased for quite some result of a health plan’s decisions; it does not time. [Laughter] But she at least felt that she assure patients access to specialists, such as was in good company. [Laughter] oncologists or heart specialists; and it leaves I would like to thank the members of our our continuity of care protections. That is administration who are here and the rather why every major patient, doctor, and nurse astonishing number of Members of Congress advocacy organization has concluded that this who are here. I’d like to ask all the Members proposal is simply inadequate. of the Congress who are here Today represents the first test of whether to please stand, wherever you are. [Applause] this new Congress is serious about providing Thank you. Many have come with their Americans with a strong, enforceable Pa- spouses. Congressman King came with about tients’ Bill of Rights to assure high quality 15 members of his family—[laughter]—rep- health care. I urge the Committee to do ev- resents about 5 percent of the total brood. erything it can to pass this test and give [Laughter] We’re delighted to see them all. Americans the health care protections they I’d also like to say a special word of wel- need. come to Senator Mitchell and to Heather and to all of George’s family and friends who are here. As all of you know, in addition to the Remarks on Presenting the entertainment, which we’ll talk about in a Presidential Medal of Freedom moment, our primary purpose here is to give to George J. Mitchell me the opportunity, in front of the Irish- March 17, 1999 American community and so many of our friends from Ireland, north and south, to The President. Well, thank you very present the Presidential Medal of Freedom much. I am very grateful for your warm re- to Senator George Mitchell. [Applause] ception. I take it you had a good time inside. Thank you. [Laughter] You not only put me out of the I really don’t know if this is going to mean White House, you put all of yourselves out, anything to George anymore; he’s gotten so too, because we wanted to be here where many honors lately. He can’t walk two blocks we could sit as one, to participate in this very down any street without someone throwing important ceremony. some sort of trophy at him—[laughter]— I thank you, Taoiseach, Celia. I thank all Irish-American of the Year, Honorary De- the party leaders who are here: Mr. Trimble, gree from Dublin’s Trinity College. He even Mr. Mallon, John Hume, , all got an honorary knighthood from the Queen the others. I thank Mo Mowlam for her tire- of . George Lucas offered to give less work. And the members of the Irish Gov- him ‘‘the Force’’—[laughter]—but he said ernment who are here, I thank all of them. ‘‘the Force’’ was already with him. [Laughter]

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Few Americans have served with such dis- I asked him to take a small, part-time com- tinction in so many different capacities: pros- mitment as my special economic adviser to ecutor, judge, Senator, Presidential envoy, . [Laughter] Then the Brit- chair of Northern Ireland’s historic peace ish and Irish Governments stepped in and talks. His, as most of you know, is a great asked him to chair talks on disarmament and American story. His father, born to Irish im- then on bringing a comprehensive peace migrants, adopted by Lebanese immigrants; after a generation of bloodshed. The small, his mother herself born in Lebanon. She part-time commitment became more all-con- worked a night shift at a textile mill; his father suming than being Senate majority leader. cleaned the buildings at Colby College. They I got even with him for leaving me. [Laugh- stressed education and hard work, and ter] George supplemented his scholarships with He drew up principles of nonviolence, jobs as steward, dorm proctor, construction aimed at preventing further tragedies while worker, night watchman, truck driver, and in- the talks proceeded. In building common surance adjustor. ground among longtime antagonists he was Now we all know why he fought so hard a patient listener when he needed to be and for the working people of our country. At a decisive leader when he had to be. He one time or another, he did everything that earned the respect of all parties for fairness, they do all day, every day. integrity, and judgment. And he built the I’ve heard George say on more than one trust necessary to move toward an agree- ment. occasion that his favorite part of being a Fed- Through more than 100 trips across the eral judge was administering the citizenship Atlantic, shall I say that again?—through oath to new American citizens. He said he more than 100 trips across the Atlantic, he was very moved when one of them told him, continued to press ahead in the cause of ‘‘I came here because in America, everybody peace. Northern Ireland learned what its sis- has a chance.’’ ter and brothers knew from endless nights Well, this son of immigrants has done his of cribbage, what his college basketball team- dead-level best to make sure that in our mates saw from their tenacious starting country everybody does have a chance. And guard, what his fellow legislators learned on he replaced a remarkable man, Senator Ed- the Senate floor and on the tennis court, and mund Muskie, in the Senate and in just 8 what I learned as his friend and colleague: years became the majority leader. Don’t be fooled by the calm demeanor; this In our time together, he pushed through guy is a ferocious competitor, determined to crucial laws that enabled us to turn around succeed. our horrendous deficit, get our budget in During the course of this endeavor, order, and start to grow our economy again, George and Heather’s son, Andrew, was to give tax breaks to working people, to born. George thought of Andrew, and also broaden voter registration, to give 20 million of the 61 children born in Northern Ireland people, now, access to the family and medical on the same day. He wanted to champion leave law, to put 100,000 police on the street, their future as well, to give them the same protect religious freedom, clean up the envi- chance for a good life he wanted for his own ronment, stand up for our veterans. That’s son. just a few of the things that he did. What motivated George brought to mind When he announced his retirement, it was for me a letter I read last summer at Omagh a bittersweet moment, for friends and col- when, together, we met with survivors of the leagues wished him well but also knew we bombing there. It was sent to our then-Am- would miss him dearly in this town. And I bassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith, devised a scheme, the dimensions of which who is also with us tonight, and thank you, George would only later appreciate. [Laugh- Jean. ter] I think it is the only time in our long I want to read this to you so you will under- relationship where I outsmarted him, instead stand from a personal point of view why I’m of the other way around. [Laughter] giving this medal to George tonight and why

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I want every person who is a part of this proc- public life say. And even sometimes when ess to leave here tonight determined to get you’re moved, you doubt the ability of one over this last hurdle and to remember that person’s words to move another. Tonight I we do not have a day to waste. Easter is com- think I can speak for all of us when I say ing again. Good Friday is coming again. we were genuinely moved by what George We have to give an accounting of our- Mitchell said. selves. So remember this: ‘‘Dear Ambas- And I believe I can speak for all of us who sador, you may not know me. You may not are not parties and will have no direct say, even get this letter. But after yesterday’s trag- that we hope and pray that they were moved edy, I wanted to do something. I’m 29 years and emboldened and redetermined by Sen- old, an Irishman to the very core of my being. ator Mitchell’s words. I will say what I have But throughout my life, there has never been said from the beginning: The United States peace on this island. I never realized how will support all sides in Ireland that take hon- precious peace could be until my wife gave est steps for peace. And I hope and believe birth to our daughter, Ashleen, 20 months that the necessary steps can be taken before ago. We don’t want her to grow up in a soci- we pass another Good Friday. ety that is constantly waiting for the next Thank you very much. atrocity, the next batch of young lives snuffed Now, enough of this really too serious out by hatred and fear. stuff. Now we’re going to have St. Patrick’s ‘‘Ashleen’s name means ‘vision’ or ‘dream,’ Day fun. Let me begin by thanking the per- and we have a dream of what Ireland might formers who already have been entertaining be like when she grows up. Ireland could you here and in the White House. Let me be a place where dreams would come true, where people would achieve things never mention them all, and then I think we should imagined before, where people would not be give them a round of applause: the Irish Fire afraid of their neighbors. We know America band and dancers from the O’Hare School has done much for Ireland and all we ask of Irish Dance; the Culkin School of Tradi- is that you keep trying. Please keep Ireland tional Irish Dance and The Next Generation in mind because Ashleen and all Irish chil- Band; the harpists, Ellen James and Michael dren need to be able to dream.’’ O’Hanlan; the Prince George’s County Po- Well, my thanks go to the Taoiseach, to lice Pipe Band; and the U.S. Marine Band Prime Minister Blair, to Mo Mowlam, the Irish Ensemble. Thank you very much. Hil- leaders of the parties, our Government, but lary and I appreciate it. [Applause] especially to my good friend George Mitch- There is another great performance ahead: ell, who never meant to sign on for quite Both Sides Now, music and spoken words the job he got but who did it as an act of celebrating the people of Northern Ireland. love and devotion. You will hear the great music from our George, thank you for your service to our friends Phil Coulter and James Galway, two Nation. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank of Ireland’s and the world’s great musicians. you for being so tenacious. Thank you for Last December they performed together in your friendship and for being a truly fine Oslo on a great day, the day John Hume and human being. David Trimble received the Nobel Peace Major Everhart, read the citation. Prize. They are joined by some familiar faces, [At this point, Maj. Carlton Everhart, USAF, Roma Downey and Aidan Quinn. We thank Air Force Aide to the President, read the cita- them for being here. And you will hear from tion. The President then presented the medal, the musicians of Different Drums of Ireland, and George Mitchell made brief remarks.] whose sounds represent a melding of Ire- The President. Thank you, George, for land’s traditions. your service and your remarks tonight. Finally, you will hear from a truly beautiful You know, when you stay in this work as and remarkable young woman, Claire Galla- long as Senator Mitchell and I have, you’re gher. She lost her sight in the terrible bomb- not often moved by what other people in ing at Omagh, but she did not lose the vision

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and strength of her spirit and soul. And her In an effort to consolidate and build upon mission for peace is powerful and clear. the significant progress achieved in Africa in Claire came here tonight with her parents, recent years, Ministers and senior U.S. offi- her siblings, her teacher, and we are genu- cials discussed concrete ways to accelerate inely honored to have her. Hillary was so Africa’s integration into the global economy. moved by her before in Northern Ireland, African Ministers expressed strong support and I can’t say enough about my respect for for the immediate passage by Congress of what she has done to carry on with what will the African Growth and Opportunity Act and still be a genuinely remarkable life. for continued implementation of the Presi- I thank all of our performers in advance. dent’s Partnership for Economic Growth and And again, I say I hope the music and the Opportunity. spirit embodied by the Irish who are here U.S. and African Ministers engaged in an will also help to give us the strength and re- active exchange on a broad range of eco- solve to fulfill the final promises of the Good nomic, political, and social issues. They Friday accord. shared the view that high indebtedness con- Thank you, and God bless you stitutes a serious constraint to sustainable de- velopment in many African countries. In re- NOTE: The President spoke at 8:45 p.m. in a pavil- sponse to African requests for more effective ion on the South Grounds at the White House. debt relief, President Clinton proposed a six- In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of Ireland; Celia Larkin, who accom- point expanded debt relief program for high- panied Prime Minister Ahern; First Minister ly indebted poor countries, which was warm- David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus ly welcomed by the African ministers. Mallon of the Northern Ireland Assembly; Social African and American officials discussed Democratic and Labour Party leader John Hume; trade finance, market access, and access to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams; Queen Elizabeth private investment capital for ventures in Af- II, Prime Minister , and Secretary of rica. Initiatives to enhance trade and invest- State for Northern Ireland Marjorie Mowlam of ment links and economic policy dialogue the United Kingdom; ‘‘Star Wars’’ creator George were discussed as well as efforts to improve Lucas; and actors Roma Downey and Aidan transportation and communications infra- Quinn. The transcript made available by the Of- fice of the Press Secretary also included the re- structure and cooperation in agribusiness and marks of Mr. Mitchell. energy. Ministers also reaffirmed the impor- tance of addressing environmental issues. They noted that early ratification by the U.S. United States-Africa Ministerial Joint Senate of the UN Convention to Combat Communique Desertification will help to mobilize commu- March 18, 1999 nity and international efforts to better man- ager land and water resources. From March 15–18, 1999 the United African Ministers and their U.S. counter- States hosted the first-ever meeting of Afri- parts exchanged ideas on how to enhance Af- can and American Ministers to enhance the rica’s ability to compete in the global market U.S.-Africa partnership in order to foster through the development of its greatest re- greater economic development, trade, invest- source—its people. Emphasizing the need ment, political reform, and mutual economic for accelerating reform and continued devel- growth in the 21st century. The President, opment assistance as well as trade and invest- eight members of the Cabinet, and four ment, participants examined ways to bolster agency heads met for the first time with the human capacity through investment in edu- African delegations. Eighty-three Ministers cation, skills training, gender equity, micro- from forty-six sub-Saharan African nations, enterprises and health, particularly the pre- representatives from four North African na- vention of HIV/AIDS. All agreed that these tions, and the heads of eight African regional steps will accelerate the ability of Africa to organizations participated in this historic and sustain socio-economic development and re- successful meeting. African Ministers also duce poverty. They also recognized the cru- met with members of the U.S. Congress. cial role of regional cooperation in the overall

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