Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Monday, February 1, 1999 Volume 35—Number 4 Pages 109–155

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Addresses and Remarks Communications to Federal Agencies See also Meetings With Foreign Leaders International financial institutions and other Arkansas international organizations and programs, Community in Beebe—118 memorandum on funding—143 Community in Little Rock—116 Kosovo, memorandum on assistance—125 Gov. Lawton Chiles of Florida, memorial Interviews With the News Media service—136 Exchange with reporters in St. Louis, MO— Kosovo—143 127 Millennium Evening at the White House, Interview with Judith Miller and William J. fifth—123 Broad of the New York Times—109 Pacific coastal salmon, partnership, telephone Meetings With Foreign Leaders remarks—134 Radio address—115 Vatican, Pope John Paul II—126, 127 Social Security and Medicare, roundtable Proclamations discussion—127 National Consumer Protection Week—151 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings— 141 Statements by the President U.S. Conference of Mayors—143 BP Amoco’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas Virginia, employment initiative in Oakton— emissions—122 137 Colombia, assistance in earthquake Welfare to work initiative—119 aftermath—135 Transportation Department’s Disadvantaged Communications to Congress Business Enterprise program—150 Cyprus, letter transmitting report—141 Supplementary Materials Terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle Acts approved by the President—155 East peace process, letter transmitting Checklist of White House press releases—154 report—135 Digest of other White House U.S. Air Force operating location near Groom announcements—152 Lake, Nevada—152 Nominations submitted to the Senate—153

Editor’s Note: The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is also available on the Internet on the GPO Access service at http://www.gpo.gov/nara/nara003.html.

WEEKLY COMPILATION OF regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10). PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg- The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be ister, National Archives and Records Administration, Washing- furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year ton, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ($137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for ments contains statements, messages, and other Presidential $93.75 per year, payable to the Superintendent of Documents, materials released by the White House during the preceding Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The week. charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing). The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- There are no restrictions on the republication of material lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg- appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under ments.

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Interview With Judith Miller and bombing of our Embassies in Africa and what William J. Broad of the New York happened in Khobar, other things. Times One of the things that I have worried January 21, 1999 about from the beginning with the break- down of the Soviet Union before my time here was how to help them deal with the Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological aftermath of the massive nuclear system they Weapons have, and starting with the Nunn-Lugar The President. Before you ask questions, funds, going all the way up to our threat re- I just want to say that I really have appre- duction proposals in this year’s budget, you ciated the stories you’ve done, because I know, we tried to hire—keep the scientists think it’s so important that—it’s sort of a bal- and the labs working and do joint projects ance thing, but I want to raise public aware- of all kinds that would be constructive. ness of this and awareness also with people But it was pretty obvious to me that, given with influence who can influence decision- the size of the Soviet biological and chemical making without throwing people into an un- programs and the fact that we know a lot necessary panic. And I think these stories of other nations are trying to develop chemi- have been exceedingly valuable. cal capacity and some biological capacity, Sandy was making fun of me today before that we had not only nuclear problems, but you came in. Sandy Berger was—he said, we have a chemical and biological problem. when you started talking about this 6 years And of course, the Vice President and others ago nobody around here—people just sort of sensitized me to this whole computer didn’t—they hadn’t thought about it. problem. We had the incident with the de- Q. Six years ago. fense computers just a few months ago. But The President. I’ve been asking them to before that, I kept reading about all these think about this for a long, long time. And non—in the line of national security, all these of course, we had it more or less in the con- computer hackers. You know, I’m techno- text of terrorism because we had the World logically challenged. I can do E-mail and a Trade Center and all the other things to few other things, you know. But it struck me worry about. But anyway. that we were going to have to find some way Q. But actually, one of my first ques- to try to deal with that, too, because of the tions—because we’ve heard so many rumors defense implications, as well as the other pos- about how you got interested and none of sibilities. what has happened would have happened without your interest. But what was it? And I’ve had all kinds of—I also find that The President. Well, it was—first of all, reading novels, futuristic novels—sometimes I spend a lot of time thinking about 5 years people with an imagination are not wrong— from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from Preston’s novel about biological warfare, now. I think that’s one of the things that which is very much based on—— Presidents are supposed to do and especially Q. ‘‘Hot Zone’’ or ‘‘Cobra Event’’? Which when things are changing so much. But we one impressed you? had—keep in mind, we had the World Trade The President. ‘‘The Cobra Event.’’ Center issue; we had the CIA killer; and then Q. That’s the one. later you had the incident in the Tokyo sub- The President. Well, ‘‘The Hot Zone’’ was way and then Oklahoma City. We’ve had a interesting to me because of the Ebola thing, lot of terrorist incidents, culminating in the because that was a fact book. But I thought

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‘‘The Cobra Event’’ was interesting, espe- pens not only in the United States but any- cially when he said what his sources were, where else. We’ve had enough warning signs which seemed fairly credible to me. And then out there now, enough concrete evidence, I read another book about a group of terror- and we need to close the door of the gap ists shutting down the telephone networks in between the offense and defense. the Northeast and the Midwest. Q. What was that? Do you remember? Gravity and Timing of the Threat The President. I can’t remember. I read so many things. I can’t remember. A couple Q. How worried should we be, and how— years ago. But anyway, when I—and a lot we don’t want to panic people. And research of times it’s just for thrills, but a lot of times has seen some of these warning signs, and these people are not far off. You know, they readers call, and they want to know, is this— sell books by imagining the future, and some- how worried should we be? Is this serious times they’re right; sometimes they’re wrong. today, and is the threat rising? Is it going So I’ve gotten—I don’t want to sound— be more serious in the future? I’ve gotten a lot of sort of solid, scientific The President. I would say that if the input. I’ve also solicited opinions from people issue is, how probable is it in the very near- working on the genome project, for example, term an American city or community would and about what the implications of that might be affected, I’d say you probably shouldn’t be for dealing with biological warfare. And be too worried. But if the issue is, is it a last year, we had a whole group of experts near certainty that at some time in the future come in here and spend an extended amount there will be some group, probably a terrorist of time with me and then follow up with the group, that attempts to bring to bear either staff on biological issues in particular. So I’ve the use or the threat of a chemical or biologi- had a real interest in this, and I think we’re cal operation, I would say that is highly likely about to get up to speed. to happen sometime in the next few years. But we just have to be prepared for it. And therefore, I would say the appropriate I mean, it’s—if you look back through all of response is not worry or panic but taking this human history, people who are interested in issue very seriously, expecting all elected offi- gaining control or influence or advantage cials with any responsibility in this area to over others have brought to bear the force know everything they can, and to do every- of arms. And what normally happens from thing we can both to erect all possible de- the beginning of history is the arms work fenses and then to try to make sure we are until a defense is erected, and then there’s doing everything we can to stop this. an equilibrium until there is a new offensive system developed, and then a defense comes Now, we know right now—we know that up, going all the way back to—well, even be- a lot of what we’ve done already has delayed fore it, but castle moats which were over- WMD programs, some of which I can’t talk come by catapults. about, but slowed the development of WMD And so, basically, I think what has con- programs of missile technology development cerned me is that we, because we’re moving that might deliver such weapons and other from one big issue—will there be a nuclear things. And we’re doing everything we can war between the United States and the So- to stop or slow down the ability of others, viet Union, to now a whole lot of proliferation insofar as we know about it and can do some- of issues, dealing with smaller scale nuclear thing about it. And meanwhile, we’re doing issues, chemical and biological issues, missile everything we can both to develop defenses technology and, of course, the related com- and emergency responses. But I think we’ve puter cyber-crime issue—is that I just don’t got an enormous amount of work out there want the lag time between offense and de- ahead of us, an enormous amount of work. fense to be any longer than is absolutely nec- And a lot of this has to be done with great essary. cooperation between the Federal Govern- That, I think, is the challenge for us, is ment—we need cooperation of the private to try to—before anything really tragic hap- sector on the cyber issues, the computer

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issues. We need cooperation with local gov- issue, we had this defense issue, plus we were ernment on public health response issues, ex- dealing with all this—we’d studied for a year posure—if there appears to be an outbreak. all this—especially this biological issue—is We had all these sort of false alarms of an- we had this work going on in 12 different thrax in California—how many?—more than places in the Government. So we had to orga- a dozen, I think, in the last month. So we nize our efforts, so that we could be acces- need to be able to diagnose and to treat and sible to local governments, so we could work also to manage those things. with them, to set up their own preventive mechanisms. Biological Threat and Developing a And I have to tell you, it may be—we may Response have to await—it’s a note I made to myself Q. Does one of these threats worry you that we may have to have a perfect defense. more than another, and does any one in par- I mean, instantaneous. We may have to de- ticular keep you awake at night? pend upon the genome project, interestingly The President. Well, I have spent some enough, because once the human genes’ se- late nights thinking a lot about this and read- crets are unlocked, then if you and I think ing a lot about it. I think in terms of offense we’ve been infected, they could take a blood versus defense, if you go back to where we sample, and there would be a computer pro- started, the thing that I’m most interested gram which would show us if we had, let’s in—and you will see we’ve allocated several say, we had a variant of anthrax. Let’s sup- hundred million dollars basically to research pose some terrorist hired a genius scientist and to applied research—the thing that I’m and a laboratory to take basic anthrax and most interested in is developing the ability put some variant in it that would be resistant to quickly contain biological agents. to all known anthrax antidotes. A chemical attack would be horrible, but Q. Okay. Or a Russian scientist. it would be finite. You know, it’s just like— The President. Yes. So let’s just suppose for the people who went through Oklahoma that happened. And what you would want is City, nothing could be more horrible. But to be able to take a blood sample, do an anal- it didn’t spread. The thing that bothers peo- ysis, put it through a software program that ple about biological agents is that, unless had already been developed, and say, ‘‘Okay, they’re properly diagnosed, contained, and here is—this is how the genes are different. treated, that it could spread. This is the difference.’’ And then presum- For example, we know that if all of us went ably, not too long after we’ve developed this, to a rally on The Mall tomorrow with 10,000 they will already know, well, therefore, this people, and somebody flew a low-flying crop is how you should—how you should change duster and sprayed us all with biological the vaccine. agents from, let’s say 200 feet, that no matter And we know now—I know this is kind how toxic it were, half of us would walk away of bewildering, but keep in mind this is actu- for reasons no one quite understands. You ally good news because, if there were no ge- know, either we wouldn’t breathe it, or we’d nome project, if there were no rapid way to have some miraculous resistance to it. And do quick analysis that would go right to the the other half of us, somebody would have tiniest variant, we would be in trouble. And to diagnose in a hurry and then contain and now these scientists are working on this, and treat. Otherwise, it would be kind of like the we’re actually a little bit ahead of the original gift that keeps on giving, you know. [Laugh- predicted timetable on unlocking the secrets ter] of the gene. And when that happens, one And I don’t mean that—I’m not trying to of the side benefits, I think, will be to be be macabre, but you asked me what keeps able to tell these things much more quickly. me awake at night, and that bothers me. And But meanwhile, we’ve got this plan. We’re that’s why the thing that I thought was most stockpiling the vaccines, and we’re doing all important about what we did last year, and this research which the Government has to what we learned a little bit from our defense fund, because obviously there’s no market for scare—even though it was on a computer it, right? It’s not like—there’s no market for

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it, and I hope there never will be any market est, whether it’s political or financial or reli- for it. But we have to pay, the Government gious or whatever in oppressing other people has to pay, for this research to develop new or holding them down will always be looking vaccines and to manage it along. And I think for new offensive weapons. we will do—I think we’ve got a very good Our goal should always be, for the sake increase in the budget, and I really think it of the world as well as the security of the will have broad bipartisan support. American people, to make sure not only that we can defend ourselves and counter-punch, Human Genome Project if you will, but to develop with each new Q. There’s a school of worrywarts out wave of technology to close the gap between there that says this genome stuff is a double- offense and defense. And if we do that, I edged sword, and at some point you can envi- think that’s the strategy that I hope will be- sion ethnic weapons, looking at racial dif- come at least an integral part of our national ferences and try to do selective—— security strategy in the WMD area. Q. And targeting. Q. Look at Kosovo. Look at how much Anthrax Vaccination of the blood that has spilled is just rooted Q. Mr. President, in the interim we have in this ethnic—— a lot of Americans, more than 2 million The President. Yes, but I think to be fair, Americans in uniform, being vaccinated we’re a good ways away from that. I think against anthrax. Are you vaccinated? we need to worry far more about the fact The President. The Secret Service told that most of these groups—we know, for ex- me I couldn’t discuss that, and they have ample—let’s take something I can talk about good reasons for not wanting me to do it. because it’s public record. We know Usama But let me say, I’m convinced that like any bin Ladin’s network has made an effort to other vaccination, there may be some small get chemical weapons. rejection, but I think on balance it’s a safe Q. Biological or just chemical? procedure. I’ve looked at the reports, and I The President. Well, we know they’ve think on balance, given the fact that we send made an effort to get chemical weapons; they so many of our men and women in uniform may have made an effort to get biological into places where they could be exposed, I weapons. We do not know that they have think that they’re better off being vaccinated. them. It is true—if you take this thing out I do not believe that the threat in the United to sort of the science fiction conclusion, obvi- States is sufficient that I could recommend ously the genome project itself carries the that to people, to the public at large. seeds of its own misuse. But right now I’m absolutely convinced that the advantages dwarf the disadvantages in this area. Response to the Terrorist Threat Plus, which all the other advantages of it— Q. What about first responders or people I mean, it’s going to lead us to—we will save in hospitals who might be exposed to small- countless lives because we’ll know in advance pox, anthrax, plague, and things like that? what predisposition people have, what prob- The President. The real answer there is, lems they have—the genome project would we haven’t reached a conclusion, but we’re be the seminal event—you know, when it’s considering that. Because we have to work done, of the first part of the 21st century, with the first responders, we’ve got the pub- there’s no doubt about that. lic health people looking into this and other But to come back to your point, the only people, and I think that that’s a judgment point I would make, whenever you ask me that ought to be made primarily by people a question like that, I think it’s best for you who are in the best position to make a profes- to remember the formulation that I started sional judgment about it. So that’s something with, and it’s interesting to think about the that’s being considered. moat and the catapult, the spear and the Q. We’ve heard about something else shield—anything. It’s all a question of people that’s being considered that I think Bill wants who have money, organization, and an inter- to ask you about.

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Q. As you may be aware, Secretary Cohen these fallout shelters, and every school had and people at the Pentagon are talking about its drills and all that. I mean, I’m older than trying to create a new position of com- you, so you wouldn’t remember this, but—— mander-in-chief for the continental United Q. No, we did it. States because of the terror threat. And it’s The President. But you know, and we— moving through the system, and at some it was a sensible thing to do under the cir- point it’s going to come to you, probably cumstances. Thank God we never experi- sometime this summer. Are you inclined to enced it. But it was the sensible thing to do. create that kind of position for the military? And so what I want us to do is everything, The President. Let me say, I think that within reason, we can to minimize our expo- we need to have an organized response, if sure and risks here, and that’s how I’m going you will, to what you might call ‘‘homeland to evaluate this Pentagon recommendation. defense’’ on CBW and cyber or computer Secretary Cohen, I think, is also real fo- terrorism issues. And now we’ve established cused on this now. I’ve been very pleased a national coordinator on these issues in the with the priority he’s given it. And I think White House. We’ve got this national domes- that all these guys know that after their expe- tic preparation office at the Justice Depart- rience with the computer issue that all this— ment. We’ve got a National Infrastructure tomorrow’s threats may be very different Protection Center. We’ve got a joint task from yesterday’s, and we’ve got to be ready. force on cyber defense already at DOD in response to what they went through before. Funding the Response So I want them to look at where we are and make some recommendations to me. I’m Q. What do you say to people, to skeptics not sure that that is what they’re going to who say all this is just Pentagon maneuvering, recommend, and I think that I shouldn’t give creating new bogeymen to scare us so they an answer to the question you ask until I see can whip up new budget authority? And what the range of options are and what the it’s—and that’s a large crowd. range of recommendations is. The President. Even though we’re talking Q. Do you have a leaning one way or an- about hundreds of millions of dollars and in other? the aggregate a few billion dollars, it’s no- The President. No, just except to say that where near as expensive as maintaining this it is very important that we outline every sin- sort of basic infrastructure of defense, the gle responsibility that we have as a nation case of public health, the basic infrastructure at the national level and that someone be re- of public health. sponsible for it. I want to know—as I said, I say to them, they should understand that one of the things that we learned last year we have intelligence—and a lot of it is in that I think was a legitimate criticism of what the public arena, you all write about it— we have done in our administration is that about all the countries that are trying—the we had 12 different places where these ac- countries and the groups that want chemical tivities were going on, and they weren’t being weapons, that want biological weapons, that properly coordinated and driven in the prop- are trying to get agents, precursor agents that er fashion. And we’ve tried to resolve this. you can use to develop chemicals or basic And this is sort of the last big kind of organi- agents you can use to develop biological zational piece, as far as I know, that is yet weapons. And everybody knows now the to be resolved. So the military is going to world is full of hackers that seek to intrude make me a recommendation and I will re- on networks, that seek to insert bogus codes spond accordingly. into programs and all this sort of stuff. And Again, the American people, this shouldn’t it would be completely irresponsible for us be a cause for alarm; this should be a cause not to allocate a substantial investment in try- for reassurance. They should want us to be ing to protect America from threats that will well-organized on these things because—re- be, in all probability, as likely or more likely member for years and years, when I was a in the future than the threats we think we boy we used to do all those—they had all face today.

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That’s why we started this conversation by the more successful we are in building a com- saying, I don’t want to say anything that will mon endeavor, the more it will be in their overly alarm anybody. I’m not trying to stir interest to comply. The real danger in Russia, up a lot of false threats. But if you look at I think—dangers—are two. One is—I’ll take just what the UNSCOM people in Iraq— one that is outside the CBW area so it doesn’t they say that they don’t believe that the re- look like I’m waving the red flag here—when porting in Iraq is consistent with what they we started the space station—you know, John believe the chemical capacity there is. Glenn went up and then we sent the first If you look at the fact with regard to two components of the space station up— chemicals, with the Chemical Weapons Con- it had been months since a lot of those Rus- ventions, if we can get it properly imple- sian scientists had been paid. mented, at least we will be able to track prob- That’s why it is very, very important, I ably that plus intelligence, large volumes of think, to say we value this enormous infra- chemical stocks. But with biological stocks, structure of scientific expertise they have in a very small laboratory with the right mate- the space area, in the CBW area, and we rials to work with, you could develop supplies want to work with them. This budget of mine that could kill a large number of people. It would enable us to do joint work with 8,000 simply is irresponsible for us not to both do Russian scientists. Now, there are, I think, the best we can with public health protec- 40,000 total—we think. But that’s important. tions, do the best research we can on vac- That bothers me. cines, stockpile what we know works, and The second thing that concerns me is that then get out there and try to build a defense when Russia shed communism, they adopted and an ability to interrupt and stop with ex- a strategy which was widely lauded at the port controls and any other way we can these time in the United States and elsewhere, but developments, and it costs money. But to me, it’s money well spent. And if they were actually—when I went to Russia, there is never an incident, nobody would be and you remember right after my mother happier than me 20 years from now if the died I got on the plane, and I went to the same critics would be able to say, ‘‘Oh, see, Czech Republic and Russia—that was, what, Clinton was a kook; nothing happened.’’ I January of ’94. Actually at that time, the would be the happiest man on Earth. I would Czech Republic was doing very well and was be the happiest man on Earth. If they could sort of the poster child of the new economy say, ‘‘He overexaggerated it; nothing hap- in the former communist countries. But pened. All he did was make a bunch of jobs when I was there, Russia had actually for scientists and build the Pentagon budg- privatized more property than the Czech Re- et,’’ I would be elated 20 years from now public had. to be subject to that criticism because it And this relates partly to the economic cri- would mean that nothing happened and in sis, but when they did it, they did it without no small measure because of the efforts having had the benefit of an effective central we’ve made. bank, a securities and exchange commission, all these other things. So that you had money Russia coming in and money flying out now. And Q. Since we have so little time left, Mr. one of the problems they have now is that President, Russia. How can you be sure— it’s not a totalitarian Government anymore. since they violated the treaty that they signed There are a lot of private companies—all the banning biological weapons for 20 years, does private companies there by definition used it make sense to work with them now on bio- to be part of the state, unless they’re new logical projects? Are you certain that they are businesses. And so one of the problems we’re not doing biological research? And what do having is, even when they’re trying to help you do? us, is keeping up with what all these compa- The President. Let me say this. I think nies and their subsidiaries do. that the more we work with them and the And that’s been the tension that you’ve more their scientists are working with us and written a lot about, and there’s been a lot

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in the press about was there missile coopera- sponse if someone committed an act of war tion with Iran or not, and does that violate against the United States. That’s what we our understanding, and does that call for would do. And if somebody willfully mur- some action vis-a-vis Russia? And part of the dered a lot of our civilians, there would be problem is, just keeping up with this pro- a very heavy price to pay. liferation of companies and people that used to have some connection to the Soviet State, Senator Dale Bumpers’ Senate some connection to the defense apparatus. Impeachment Trial Presentation It’s not a simple process, and it’s not a per- Q. Mr. President, you have time for one fect process, but I am absolutely convinced more—— that this threat reduction initiative we’ve got Q. We’re about to go. Did you have a can kind of intensify our efforts to work with chance to watch any of Senator Bumpers’ them, as well as to really implement the presentation today? Chemical Weapons Treaty, and get some The President. I did. It’s the only thing teeth in the Biological Weapons Convention. I’ve watched. I watched that. That’s very, very important. I think that is Q. He said—he criticized the House man- the best strategy. It may not be perfect, but agers for lacking compassion for your family. it is better than the alternative. He described your family as a family that has been ‘‘about as decimated as a family can Response to an Attack get. The relationship between husband and Q. What do you do if the nightmare comes wife, father and child, has been incredibly to pass, and some country hits us, hits us strained if not destroyed.’’ Is that an accurate hard, with a biological weapon? What kind representation? of response would you do? The President. Well, it’s been—I would The President. Well, first of all, if some say it has been a strain for my family. But country were thinking about doing that, I we have worked very hard, and I think we would certainly hope that they wouldn’t have have come through the worst. We love each the capacity to do it before we could stop other very much, and we’ve worked on it very them or interrupt them, if it was a—that is, hard. But I think he was showing—you know, if you’re talking about somebody lobbing a he knows me and Hillary and Chelsea, and missile over here or something like that. we’ve all been friends, as he said, for 25 I think if it happened, it would be an act years. I think he was just trying to inject a of war, and there would be a very strong re- human element into what he was saying. sponse. But I think we’ve demonstrated that. NOTE: The interview began at approximately 6:30 But I think the far more likely thing is some- p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House on body representing some interest—maybe it January 21 and was released by the Office of the could be a rogue state; maybe it could be Press Secretary on January 23. In his remarks, the a terrorist network—walking around a city President referred to Usama bin Ladin, who alleg- with a briefcase full of vials or in spray cans, edly sponsored bombing attacks on the U.S. Em- you know. bassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998. So what we have to do—any country with He also referred to weapons of mass destruction any sense, if they wanted to attack us, would (WMD) and chemical and biological weapons try to do it through a terrorist network, be- (CBW). A tape was not available for verification of the content of these remarks. cause if they did it with a missile we’d know who did it, and then they’d be sunk. It would be—that’s a deal where they’re bound to The President’s Radio Address lose. Big time. January 23, 1999 Q. Would you respond with nuclear weap- ons to a biological attack? Good morning. Last Tuesday night, in my The President. Well, I never discuss the State of the Union Address, I was honored nuclear issue. I don’t think that’s appropriate. to report to the American people that our But I think that we would have at least a families, our communities, and our country proportionate, if not a disproportionate, re- are stronger, healthier, and more prosperous

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than ever. But I warned that we cannot let Under my plan, families will receive a tax the hum of our prosperity lull us into compla- credit to contribute to their USA account and cency. Instead, we must use this moment of an additional tax credit to match a portion promise to meet the long-term challenges we of their savings—with a choice in how they face as a nation, to meet our historic respon- invest the funds—and more help for those sibility to the 21st century. who will have the hardest time saving. Over the last 6 years, our hard-won fiscal Let me give you an example of how USA discipline has given us the chance to meet accounts could work. With the help of USA those long-term challenges. Six years ago our account tax credits, working people who save budget deficit was $290 billion. Last year we and invest wisely from the time they enter had a budget surplus of $70 billion. We ex- the work force until the time they retire pect another one a little larger than that this could have more than $100,000 in their USA year, and we’re on course for budget sur- account, and a more secure retirement. pluses for the next 25 years. That’s the kind of tax relief America needs. So now we face a new choice: what to do By providing this new tax credit for retire- with the surplus. I believe we should use it ment savings, we can make it possible for to plan and save for retirement, to strengthen all Americans to have a stake in the remark- the readiness of our military, to get our chil- able economic growth they have worked so dren ready for the 21st century. Very simply, hard to create. I believe we should use the first surplus in Social Security first, then saving Medicare and giving tax relief to help all Americans three decades and the projected ones in the save in the new USA accounts, investing in future to meet America’s great challenges. defense and education: that’s the right way Above all, that means saving Social Security to use America’s surplus. If we squander the and Medicare. surplus, we’ll waste a once-in-a-lifetime op- We all know that the baby boom will soon portunity to build a stronger nation for our become a senior boom. The number of sen- children and our grandchildren. Instead, let’s iors will double by 2030; average life expect- work together to prepare our Nation for the ancy is rising rapidly, and that means rising great challenges and opportunities of the 21st costs for Social Security and Medicare. century. I propose to keep Social Security strong Thanks for listening. for 55 years by committing 60 percent of the surplus for the next 15 years and investing NOTE: The address was recorded at 3 p.m. on a small portion in the private sector just as January 22 in the Roosevelt Room at the White any private or State pension would do. We House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 23. should make further tough choices to put So- The transcript was made available by the Office cial Security on a sound footing for the next of the Press Secretary on January 22 but was em- 75 years, to lift the limits on what seniors bargoed for release until the broadcast. on Social Security can earn, and to provide support to reduce the poverty rate among elderly women—which is twice the poverty Remarks to the Community in Little rate among seniors as a whole. We can do Rock, Arkansas that with a good bipartisan effort. January 24, 1999 Once we’ve accomplished this, I propose we use one of every six dollars of the surplus Thank you very much, James Lee. Ladies over the next 15 years to double the life of and gentlemen, let me thank you for coming the Medicare Trust Fund. Then I believe we out today. I want to thank Governor should dedicate $500 billion of the surplus Huckabee for his response to this terrible, to give working families tax relief for retire- terrible tornado—and Mrs. Huckabee—I ment savings, by creating new Universal Sav- thank them for joining us on this walking tour ings Accounts—USA accounts—to help all today and welcoming me back to the Gov- Americans build a nest egg for their retire- ernor’s Mansion. It’s still—it’s very beautiful ment. inside, and it’s had a little radical surgery in

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the backyard, as I’m sure that a lot of you the Quapaw Quarter not to give up on it. have seen. I hope everyone who possibly can will rebuild I thank Secretary Slater, the Secretary of those homes—will rebuild the homes, fix the Transportation, also, obviously, our native roofs, replant the trees, and keep the spirit Arkansan, for coming down here with me. of the place alive. And I want to say to the And they will be helping us on the rebuild- folks in all the counties in the State—and ing. I thank Congressman Snyder and Con- I’ve got a list that includes not only Pulaski gressman Marion Berry from east Arkansas, but also Independence, St. Francis, Saline, who has had some communities hit, and rep- and White counties—we’ve already declared resentatives of our other congressional of- individual and local governments eligible for fices who are here today. And Lt. Governor assistance there. The State has been declared Rockefeller, Attorney General Pryor, Sec- a disaster area as more counties may become retary of State Priest, Treasurer Jimmie Lou specifically eligible. I want to encourage all Fisher: I thank all of them for being here. of them, as well. And I want to thank Mayor Pat Hays for These things happen, as Governor coming across the river and lending a friend- Huckabee reminded me, that Arkansas had ly, neighborly hand. James Lee Witt’s re- the largest number of tornadoes in one day gional director here is Buddy Young, who moving through here the other day that have lives in Texas and who, as many of you know, ever been recorded. And we grieve for the was in the Arkansas State Police for many loss of life. years before that. I’d like to say, especially, that this is a land- This is a tragedy we all take very person- mark for me, this store here. And I’m so glad ally. When I was—I got out this morning at that the people who own it are going to re- 25th and Gaines and sort of wended my way build it, because it used to be our family down Arch and Spring toward the Governor’s store. And Hillary and Chelsea and I used Mansion, and I thought about how many to come down here. We think of the fine hundreds of times I had run on those streets. pharmacist here who lost his life, and the And all these folks kept coming out and said, others here in Arkansas. And when we survey ‘‘The last time I saw you, you were running the scope of the devastation, I think we can by here. And I had a roof on my house.’’ all be grateful to God that the loss has not And then we went over—we crossed Roo- been greater. sevelt and went down toward Martin Luther And so this is a day when the Sun is out, King Drive and saw a lot of those homes, and a lot of people have offered their helping large numbers of homes have been com- hands. I want to thank these young people pletely destroyed there. And I just wanted from the AmeriCorps program, our national to say to you because Arkansas always had service program, for being here. They’ve a lot of tornadoes and two huge floods when come in to help. We’re glad to see them. I was Governor, I asked James Lee Witt to And so I ask you to redouble your resolve, run the national Federal Emergency Man- and help your neighbors. And we’ll do every- agement Agency so that it would not be polit- thing we can to be good neighbors. ical and so that it would be competent, pro- Thank you, and God bless you. Thank you. fessional, and highly personal. And we’ve dealt with everything from a 500-year flood along the Mississippi River to a massive NOTE: The President spoke at 1:10 p.m. in the earthquake in California and all kinds of parking lot of a Harvest Foods store. In his re- marks, he referred to Gov. Mike Huckabee and other natural disasters. This is a trip, I’m his wife, Janet, Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller, Attorney sure—I know I, and I’m sure both James Lee General Winston Bryant, Secretary of State Shar- and Rodney, never wanted to have to make. on Priest, and State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher I’d like to give a word of personal encour- of Arkansas; and Mayor Patrick Henry Hays of agement to my former neighbors up here in North Little Rock.

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Remarks to the Community in portable classrooms in here in large numbers Beebe, Arkansas and with the best possible quality. And I as- January 24, 1999 sure you that we will—I will personally be involved in that, and so will Mr. Witt and Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank Secretary Slater. We’ll get on it, and we’ll you, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon. get the job done as quickly as it can physically Thank you for making me feel welcome. Let be done. me say, first of all, that I brought my ‘‘Arkan- We also want to make sure that both the sas Cabinet’’—Secretary Slater and Mr. community and individual families are clear Witt—down here today, along with a number about what the Federal Government can and of Arkansans from the White House staff, in- cannot do and what kind of support is there. cluding Missy Kincaid, who is from this com- We don’t want anybody to leave something munity. I have been here many times. I have on the table that we could contribute to re- a lot of friends here, and I was very sad when building the lives of the families and the com- I flew over Beebe and McRae today and I munity. saw how much damage had been done. And And, again, I just want to encourage you. I saw a lot of pain in a lot of faces up on You probably know, right before I came here the road there, but I also saw a lot of deter- I was walking through my old neighborhood mination. in Little Rock, the Quapaw Quarter, where I want to thank your mayor for being— the Governor’s Mansion is and where I lived even with his bad foot, walking around with for 12 years. I saw a lot of people whom Hil- me in some pretty lumpy places. He must lary and Chelsea and I spent a lot of time think he has impeccable timing. He got him- with, with their homes down around their self installed just in time for the tornado. But ears today, too. They’ll have to decide how he’s a young man and a teacher, so he ought to go forward, and many of you will. But I to be about rebuilding the schools—and just want to encourage you. I want to tell that’s a good thing. you that as awful as it is, I just thank God And I thank your county judge. I thank there weren’t more people killed. And I hope your superintendent, Mr. Williams. I thank we can all keep the right attitude, and I hope my good friend Senator Beebe and Mrs. all the neighbors will keep helping their Beebe and Representative Hinton. I’d also neighbors and, in the end, I think it will come like to compliment your fire chief, Mr. Ken- out all right. nedy, and the National Guard people. I know And, again, let me thank you, Mayor; thank they’ve worked very, very hard the last few you, Judge; and I thank all the other local days, and I know that we’re all appreciative leaders, and thank you for giving a chance of them. to be here—giving us a chance to be with And you’ve had some young AmeriCorps you today. volunteers who came down from St. Louis, God bless you. Thank you very much. and that’s a program that was started after I also wanted to say just one other thing. I became President—I’m proud of these Just because I—there’s one part of Arkansas young people; they volunteer a year or 2 I am not visiting today. In addition to Con- years of their lives to work in communities gressman Snyder, who has Pulaski and White just doing what needs to be done. And I’m County, Independence and St. Francis very grateful for that. County, and I think one other county have Let me say on the points that I’ve heard been declared disasters. And the east Arkan- people talk about, as all of you know, we’ve sas counties are in Representative Marion got a relationship here with the State emer- Berry’s district, and Congressman Berry is gency folks. We are going to set up programs here with us today, too. And so our thoughts to provide whatever help we can to this com- are with the people east of here who are suf- munity. I think the most immediate public fering as well. And some of those folks lost need, obviously, is for some place for the everything they have, and I just wanted to children to go to school. And we’ve talked mention them and say our thoughts and our about how quickly we could get some of the prayers and our support are with them, too.

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Thank you very much. Rube´n Hinojosa from south Texas. And I thank them for being here and for what NOTE: The President spoke at 3:47 p.m. in the they’ve done for this cause. Beebe School District Building. In his remarks, And my good friend Jane Campbell, coun- he referred to Katherine (Missy) Kincaid, Special Assistant to the First Lady; Mayor Donald Ward ty commissioner from Cuyahoga County, of Beebe; Judge Bob Parish of White County; Cleveland, Ohio. And I’d like to say a special Kieth Williams, Beebe superintendent of schools; word, if I might, before I get into my remarks State Senator Mark Beebe and State Representa- about Eli Segal who started our Welfare to tive Randy Minton of Arkansas; and Doug Ken- Work Partnership. nedy, chief, Beebe Fire Department. You know, it takes a special, almost a ge- nius, to start something that didn’t exist be- Remarks on the fore. And a couple of years ago, when I an- Welfare to Work Initiative nounced in the State of the Union we were going to have this Welfare to Work Partner- January 25, 1999 ship, we had five companies. A couple of Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This years later, we have 10,000 companies. is a good way to start the day, isn’t it? [Laugh- Yesterday, you may have seen in the press, ter] We’re all going to feel better when we I went home to Arkansas to look at some leave here. terrible tornado damage. At each place Let me thank the previous speakers. First, where I went, both these places, there was I want to thank Robert Higgins and his entire a team of our young AmeriCorps volunteers organization for setting an example for cor- from all over America—and most of them porations throughout America. And I thank had never been to Arkansas before. And Gov- his employees for coming here today and for ernor, one of the teams was from St. Louis, being a vivid human illustration of how wel- working on the tornado damage. These fare reform can work at its best. young Americans give a year, sometimes 2 I thank my good friend of many years Gov- years of their lives; they earn credit for col- ernor Mel Carnahan, and Mrs. Carnahan, lege. In 4 years there have been over 100,000 who is here with him. We made two of our AmeriCorps volunteers. It took the Peace major welfare reform announcements over Corps 20 years to get to 100,000 volunteers. the last several years in Missouri because no Eli Segal also started AmeriCorps. So for two State has worked harder to do this right, in great contributions to the United States, we a both humane and effective way. thank him for this remarkable, remarkable I want to thank Carlos—I was looking at thing. him—I don’t know how many—how many One of the reasons that I ran for President public speeches do you think Carlos has in 1992 was to change the welfare system Laughter made in his life? [ ] Man, he stood as we then knew it, to move from a system up here, he had his head up, his shoulders that promoted independence and had no in- back—I was thinking as I was watching him centives for parents who are not custodial that after he does all that computer stuff and makes money for a few years, that we’re al- parents to be responsible, and basically gave ways looking for a few good candidates in people a check that was almost always inad- this business, and he looked awfully good. equate, in the name of being humane, which [Laughter] assumed, more often than not, that they had I would like to thank Secretary Shalala, no capacity to work and support their chil- Secretary Herman, and Secretary Slater for dren. their work on welfare reform. And there are All these things were done with the best two Members of the House of Representa- of intentions. We either assumed people tives here today who represent very different couldn’t do the right thing, or we assumed districts, but who have a passionate interest that they wouldn’t do the right thing. And in this whole subject: Representative Ben so, well, we made the best of an imperfect Cardin from Maryland and Representative world by at least cutting a check once a

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month and then making sure that—and I ap- law, something I confess that even I did not prove of this and kept it—there were nutri- believe would happen. None of us believed tional and health benefits for the children. that they would. Every single one of them And it seemed to me that we ought to— so far is meeting the work participation before we just continue to give up on this— standards of the welfare reform law. we now had created a couple or three gen- America is working again, and this work erations, in some places, of people who de- is transforming lives and families. The wel- pended on welfare checks and repeated the fare system is no longer holding people back, pattern of the past—that we ought to try to it is helping them to move ahead. develop a system that at least would try to Since the goal here—and let’s not forget create incentives and, where appropriate, re- what the goal is; it is to empower individuals quirements that would promote independ- and strengthen families—we’ve had to do ence, work, and family responsibilities. more than simply put time limits on welfare. Now, everybody liked the idea and wanted As I said a moment ago, those who lose their to do it, but a lot of people, including a lot welfare checks continue to get health and nu- of very good people who had labored for tritional support for their children—and they years in this system, doubted that it could should. It was one of the big battles we be done. And so we started working at it. fought here when we debated this, and it led And in the past 6 years, I think it’s obvious to two vetoes before we finally got a bill that that the American people have done a lot I felt that I could sign. to change all that. We also have increased our support for When I became President, I worked with training, for transportation, for child care for 43 States—Governor Carnahan mentioned those who move from welfare to work, rec- this—before we passed legislation, to just ognizing that there are barriers, and we free them of Federal rules which under- shouldn’t expect people to actually move mined their ability to create a system that from welfare to work and lower their stand- would promote work and family. There were ard of living and lower their ability to support many innovative programs that already were their children. And there is more support for beginning to move large numbers of people child care, substantially more, in this budget from welfare to work, even before 1996. It and for other things. was in that year that I was able to sign the We have given more support for health landmark bipartisan welfare reform law. I care and child care for all low income work- said then that our Nation’s answers to the ing families. I think that our citizens should problems of poverty will no longer be a never forget that the largest number of poor never-ending cycle of welfare, but instead, people in America are the working poor. And the dignity, the power, the ethic of work. we should be sensitive of that. And with the Today, we can actually foresee a time help of Congress, we have doubled the when we can break the cycle of welfare for earned-income tax credit for families with good—when welfare will literally be a sup- children. That is a targeted tax cut that’s es- port system given to people in hard economic pecially generous to low-income working times, or when personal misfortune occurs, families. And today it’s worth about $1,000 but that it will not be the rule of life for to every family of four with an income of large numbers of our fellow citizens. under $30,000; and for families of two and Already we now see welfare rolls in Amer- three, lower incomes, it’s worth quite a lot ica are the lowest they’ve been in 30 years— of money. So this was a major contribution for the first time in 30 years, below 8 million of the economic plan of 1993, and it alone, people, down by 44 percent since I took of- along with the increase in the minimum fice. And the same people—the number of wage, has lifted over 2 million children out people on welfare who are also working of poverty. some, taking that first step toward respon- And finally, let me say, as all of you know sibility, has tripled. Every State—every I am trying to raise the minimum wage again State—is now meeting the work participation because I don’t think people should work so standards required under the welfare reform poor children can still be in poverty.

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I think it is very important, however, that In my State of the Union Address last we recognize that much of the success of wel- week, I said that we can help another 200,000 fare reform has come because of the growth Americans move from welfare to work with of the economy at large—nearly 18 million extra support in the Federal budget. To new jobs in the last 6 years. I also think we achieve that, I propose first that we renew have to recognize that much of the success the welfare-to-work program, which is set to of welfare reform has come because of the expire in the year 2000. My balanced budget commitment of people in the private sector includes $1 billion to help States and com- to do the right thing. I think that if there munities build upon their record of success. were no companies willing to have the exam- It also dedicates $150 million of those funds ple that Fleet has offered us today, this would to low-income fathers who fulfill their duty be much, much harder. to work, to pay child support, to become part And as we look ahead to the future, we of their children’s lives. have to assume that reaching the next 8 mil- And I think all of us were thrilled by Car- lion people—or just under 8 million peo- los’ statement. But I would like to make one ple—on welfare will be even more challeng- point here that he made that I think ought ing than reaching the 44 percent reduction to be made more explicit. There is a reason that we have seen achieved already. There- that welfare reform has worked. There is a fore, since it’s not fair to require people to reason that programs like this magnificent work unless they have a chance to work, we program in Minnesota, giving fathers the have to honor and build up and work with tools they need to support their children, has the private sector to make sure they have that worked. And that is, most people are basi- chance. cally good people who want to do the right As I said, we started 2 years ago with five thing. companies in the Welfare to Work Partner- You know, we have all these programs; we ship. Today there are 10,000. They have talk about all these policies, and we hardly hired, retrained, and often promoted literally ever say that. But I think that’s worth stating. hundreds of thousands of people. And as you You saw a good person up here talking about have heard, this is not charity—it’s good for a child he loved. And it’s so easy to forget families, but it’s also good for the bottom that. The reason all this stuff can be done line, and good for the communities. is that human nature will rise to the level Now, smaller caseloads, bigger paychecks, of possibility if given the opportunity and the are important signs of progress. But I think guidance and the support. That’s the reason it’s also important that we recognize this is these rolls have reduced so much. about more than economics. And I think you You know, I hardly ever—when I was Gov- can see that. There’s something intangible, ernor for 12 years, I ran a welfare system even beyond the money, involved here—the in a poor State—I don’t believe I ever met— sense of security of these newly-working and I went to welfare offices, and I sat and members of our country, the sense of pride talked with caseworkers and welfare recipi- at being able to support a child, and being ents, and went through the details of it— able to be a fully participating member of and I have never met a person who has said, society. ‘‘You know, I really love getting this welfare So we have to do more, and we now know check, and I hope I never have to hit a lick.’’ what works. And we’ve seen examples of it [Laughter] I never met a person who said, today. We know that long-term welfare re- ‘‘Gosh, I’m proud that I never paid any child cipients can be turned into full-time workers. support to my child.’’ You know, there may Now we must ensure that we go to the next be a few, but to pretend that that is anything step, that we deal with the remaining people like more than a small minority is a foolish on welfare, and that we do it, recognizing assumption. that it is a challenge but also a phenomenal So I say this is very important. And this opportunity for the United States, and a re- $150 million to support people, so there can sponsibility for those of us who can do some- be more stories like Carlos Rosas’, is very, thing about it. very important. Many States are using some

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of their welfare-to-work funds, as you heard do everything you can to spread the word from Governor Carnahan already, to get fa- across the country that it is good for America thers to sign personal responsibility con- to do this, and it will work because most peo- tracts, to do the right thing by their children. ple are good people and they want to do the And now this extra $150 million will help to right thing. ensure that every State can have this kind Thank you very much. of effort, and that every community that has any substantial number of people who would NOTE: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m. in the Presidential Hall (formerly Room 450) of the Old fall under this category can do the kinds of Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he re- things we’ve heard about in this Minnesota ferred to Robert J. Higgins, president and chief program. operating officer, Fleet Financial Group; Gov- But we have more to do. With the longest ernor Mel Carnahan of Missouri and his wife, peacetime expansion in history, with a con- Jean; Carlos Rosas, former welfare recipient who tinually growing economy, businesses have to introduced the President; and Eli Segal, president reach wider to get new talent. They have to and chief executive officer, Welfare to Work Part- bring more welfare recipients into the work- nership. place if we’re going to continue to grow. So we have to see this as an opportunity Statement on BP Amoco’s Efforts To to make permanent gains in dealing with the Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions welfare challenge. And therefore, I think we have to do more to help those recipients who January 25, 1999 are still on the rolls. And as I said, they’re I commend BP Amoco and its chief execu- often the greatest challenges to getting peo- tive, John Browne, for once again dem- ple into the work force. onstrating the kind of corporate leadership Example number one—that’s why Sec- needed to meet two of our most pressing en- retary Slater is here today—two-thirds of the vironmental challenges—air pollution and new jobs in America are in the suburbs; global warming. three-quarters of the welfare recipients are Last fall British Petroleum set a new stand- in the cities or in isolated rural areas. So ard in corporate responsibility by voluntarily you’ve got the jobs in the middle, and the pledging to reduce dramatically its emissions welfare recipients in the cities or in the rural of greenhouse gases. Today BP Amoco ex- areas. tended this pledge to cover Amoco’s produc- Our balanced budget will double funding tion facilities as well. These commitments to get workers to the workplace—for trans- demonstrate that leading corporations can portation support. It also has a 50-percent serve their investors and their customers, increase in housing vouchers, to help families even as they join us in the fight against global find affordable homes closer to the jobs and warming. avoid difficult and, sometimes, actually im- Also today, BP Amoco announced plans possible commutes. to market cleaner fuels in 40 cities around Now, these are the kinds of things that I the world to help improve local air quality. think we ought to be doing. We don’t have By using the latest technology to custom tai- any excuse not to do it. We have the example lor fuels to address the unique pollution con- of Fleet. We have the example of Missouri cerns of these cities, the company will help and Governor Carnahan. We have the exam- produce cleaner, healthier air for millions of ple of Carlos Rosas. We have the example people worldwide. And it is helping to build of these fine women who stood up when they the kind of partnership between the fuel and were introduced as employees of Fleet. And automotive industries that will be needed to we now know that it is not only the right deliver clean, efficient transportation for the thing to do for our country; it is the right 21st century. thing to do for our companies. With today’s announcements, BP Amoco So I hope that we will have enormous bi- offers further proof that a strong economy partisan support for this new advance in the and a healthy environment go hand in hand. welfare budget. And I hope all of you will Working together, we can ensure that future

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generations breathe cleaner air, and we can the Middle East, Africa. I thank her, too, for protect them from the grave risks of global reminding us that ordinary people, even a warming. long time ago, can make a difference to a good end. I thank Professor Marty for his fundamen- Remarks at the Fifth Millennium tal insights, for reminding us to be both Evening at the White House hopeful and humble. He asked all these January 25, 1999 questions. I enjoyed Professor Hawking being here and trying to deal with all these The President. Thank you very much. I questions of time: how we measure time; why would like to take about the last four sen- do we care so much about the millennium, tences of Professor Marty’s talk and embla- or a century, or a year, or our birthdays and zon it in the consciousness of every human anniversaries, for that matter? We have to being on the face of the Earth. have some way of organizing our thoughts This is a wonderful night. I’d like to begin and our plans against the mysteries of time by thanking the First Lady for leading our and timelessness. We have to find some way Millennium Project and by bringing these of explaining our poor efforts to fulfill our two remarkable people here. I’m terribly im- own destinies and to live out our small piece pressed with both of them. They took about of God’s design. 40 minutes, by my count, and did the last Most of us, sooner or later, come to the 1,000 years and the entire future. [Laughter] conclusion that life really is a journey, not Took me an hour and 17 minutes the other a destination, until the end. But we all still night to talk about one year. [Laughter] need a few benchmarks along the way to get I also want to express my gratitude to both there. of you for not making fun of those of us who insist on ignoring the Gregorian calendar and I thank them both for ending on a note proclaiming the millennium next New Year’s of hope and for recognizing that you cannot Eve at midnight. [Laughter] have hope without faith—for believers, faith I thought Professor Davis did a great serv- in God—and in the end you cannot practice ice to all of us who are less well-read in what hope without charity or love. happened 1,000 years ago by debunking One of the dilemmas I constantly confront some of the popular myths. Clearly, not ev- as President is the necessity of believing in eryone was giving away all their possessions the idea of progress, with the certainty of or cowering in churches waiting for the world man’s and woman’s constant demonstration to end. Maybe what was said tonight will dis- of making the same old mistakes over and courage some of our fellow citizens who over again, millennium after millennium, in seem determined to buy desert land and new and different guises and the certainty hoard gold, bullets, and Skoal in their pickup that perfection cannot be achieved in this trucks. [Laughter] I don’t know. You laugh, life. this is a major source of conversation every I think there is a way to reconcile the idea morning in the White House, here. [Laugh- of progress with the frailty of humanity. I ter] think that you can make a case that, on bal- I also thank her for reminding us about ance, the world is a better place today than the bold voyages of discovery, the important it was a thousand years ago for people who advances in human knowledge. I thank her have had a chance to drink fully of life’s pos- for reminding us that people were, and I sibilities. I think you can make a case that quote what she said, ‘‘enmeshed in reading we are obliged, all of us as human beings, texts together.’’ Who would have thought to try to extend that opportunity to more and about book clubs 1,000 years ago. more of our fellow citizens on this small plan- I thank her for telling us about the medie- et. And Mr. Goldin’s successors in interest val Peace of God movement, which has a mil- will be taking us into outer space to see if lennial connection to us in what has been we can find some others, somewhere else, going on in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, to worry about 1,000 years from now.

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We thank Professors Davis and Marty for sources. And the most serious problem is the giving us a chance to make some sense of problem of climate change, global warming. the millennium and for reminding us, in the The rain forest is important for a lot of end, that the only meaning it will have is the reasons—he mentioned the rain forest—be- meaning we give it in our own lives. cause an enormous percentage of the oxygen Thank you very much. generated from non-ocean sources comes Now, I’d like to ask Ellen Lovell to take from rain forests; because well over half the over the floor and turn over the floor to all plant and animal life on the globe lives in of you and to the thousands who are joining the rain forests; and therefore, the answers us, thanks to technology, for some questions. to some of my most profoundly important Ellen? medical questions lie in the rain forest, quite [At this point, Ms. Lovell, Director, White apart from our responsibility to preserve it House Millennium Council, and the First just for what it is. Lady led the question-and-answer portion of So we have put a lot of emphasis on trying the evening. The following question from the to create more financial and other incentives Internet was directed to the President.] for people to deal with climate change and The First Lady. This is from Dr. Joseph global warming, to try to help to save the W. Epstein, from Monroe, New York, and rain forests. And I have, for years, kind of it’s for the President: Should the dawning of brooded about the prospect of having a glob- this new millennium see a greater participa- al alliance between governments, chemical tion of scientists in studies aimed at preserv- companies, and others that would have an ing our environment and recapturing what interest in it, in joining together, in effect, has been lost? Government and business in- to pay to save the rain forests. The Govern- centives would be required to encourage sci- ment of Brazil actually has a program there, entists in these areas. Hopefully, a person where they try to invest and set aside large who recaptures a rain forest could receive tracts of rain forest land. as much acclaim as the batter of ever more But I think one of the things that is going home runs. Thank you. [Laughter] to happen in the next century is that we will The President. Well, the short answer to move very close to the limits of our body’s his question is, obviously, yes. If you look ability to live. I think you’re going to see an at—one of the things I was going to say in exponential increase in life expectancy in the my closing remarks I’ll just say now to re- next 30 years or so. And to go back to what spond to this question, because we don’t have you said, I think that it’s going to aggravate enough time for everybody to ask a question the underclass problem, because you have, for us all to have a conversation. I wish we in countries where the health system is did. breaking down, a decline in life expectancy. I think something that would be helpful Now, where that’s going on, there will be for all of you is if, when you go home tonight, more and more pressure to develop more before you go to bed, if you would take out and more scientific discoveries and also to a piece of paper and a pencil or a pen, and write down the three things that you’re most more democratically spread it and to lift peo- worried about, with the dawn of the new mil- ple out of poverty. I think that there has to lennium, and the three things that you’re be an enormous amount of money and incen- most hopeful about. And then ask yourself tives and time and thought given to how a what, if anything, can you do about either lot of countries can skip a stage of economic one? development that would otherwise require Now, I think, with the growth of the them to destroy what remains of the world’s world’s population and with the emergence natural resources and put us in a position of a new economy based more on ideas and where we could never solve this global warm- information and technology and less on in- ing problem. dustrial patterns of production, we still see And that’s why I signed the Kyoto treaty an enormous destruction of the world’s re- on climate change, why I have pushed it so

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hard. I think it can be the organizing prin- hopeful about, and what you think I ought ciple to get to the objective that our ques- to spend my time between now and the mil- tioner asks. Unfortunately, my successors will lennium doing for you and the rest of the have to do a lot of the work, but I hope we’ll world. at least have laid the foundation for it, be- Thank you. Join us in the dining room for cause it will be one of the most significant a reception. Thank you very much. public questions of the next, not just the next century, the next couple of decades. It would NOTE: The White House Millennium Evening be on my list of three. program began at 7:37 p.m. in the East Room [The question-and-answer portion of the at the White House. In the President’s remarks, evening continued. The President then made he referred to physicist Stephen W. Hawking and civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. The lecture, closing remarks.] ‘‘The Meaning of the Millennium,’’ was presented The President. Well, I will be very brief. by Natalie Zemon Davis, professor emeritus, First of all, I think we should thank our Princeton University, and Martin E. Marty, direc- speakers again. They were magnificent. [Ap- tor, the Public Religion Project. The transcript plause] made available by the Office of the Press Sec- retary also included the remarks of the First Lady, Secondly, I would like to say that I think Professor Davis, and Professor Marty, as well as we all leave here feeling that we now have the question-and-answer portion of the evening. more questions than we did when we showed The lecture was cybercast on the Internet. up, which means they succeeded. I would just like to leave you with this one thought. You all know that I am a walking apostle of hope and progress. The question is, how do Memorandum on Assistance to you pursue it without arrogance, with appro- Kosovo priate humility, and without a definition that January 25, 1999 is too narrow? Reverend Jackson asked a question about Presidential Determination No. 99–10 Africa, and Dr. Marty gave a great rejoinder about how we had to be more concerned be- Memorandum for the Secretary of State cause there were more and more Christians growing in Africa and fewer elsewhere. I Subject: Determination Pursuant to Section would like to ask you to think about another 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee thing. Assistance Act of 1962, as Amended Our whole sense of time and marking time Pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Migra- is so rooted in the development of our var- tion and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as ious monotheistic philosophies, Christianity amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1), I hereby de- for me, and for many of you, or Judaism or termine that it is important to the national Islam. How do you think this whole discus- interest that up to $25 million be made avail- sion would sound, tonight, to a serious Bud- able from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and dhist or a serious Confucian? How would we Migration Assistance Fund to meet the ur- argue with them about the idea of progress. gent and unexpected needs of refugees and How would they argue with us about the idea migrants. of the immutable? How can we reconcile the These funds may be used to meet the ur- two? Because in the end, that’s what religious gent and unexpected needs of refugees, dis- faith does. It gives you a sense of the timeless placed persons, victims of conflict, and other and a sense of what you’re supposed to do persons at risk due to the Kosovo crisis. with your time. These funds may be used, as appropriate, to And I just—this has been thrilling for me. provide contributions to international and But I hope all of you will remember the ques- nongovernmental organizations. You are au- tion I asked you. And if you feel so inclined thorized and directed to inform the appro- later, feel free to write to me about the things priate committees of the Congress of this de- that you’re most worried about and the most termination and the use of funds under this

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authority, and to arrange for the publication dignity, human rights, and religious freedom of this determination in the Federal Register. and for helping people to find the courage to stand up for themselves, from Africa to William J. Clinton Asia to the Western Hemisphere. NOTE: This memorandum was released by the We honor you for your work to bring peace Office of the Press Secretary on January 26. to nations and peoples divided by old hatreds and suspicions, from Bosnia and Kosovo, to central Africa, to Indonesia, to the Middle Remarks at the Welcoming East, even to our own communities. People Ceremony for Pope John Paul II still need to hear your message that all are in St. Louis, Missouri God’s children, all have fallen short of His January 26, 1999 glory, all the injustices of yesterday cannot excuse a single injustice today. Your Holiness; Archbishop Rigali; Arch- Holy Father, we are moved by your desire bishop Montalvo; Governor Carnahan; to mark the new millennium with a journey Mayor Harmon; County Executive Westfall; to Jerusalem, to bring mercy and reconcili- Ambassador Boggs; Members of Congress; ation to all those who believe in one God, members of the Cabinet; our visitors from in the holy place where all our faiths began. the Vatican; my fellow Americans: Your Holiness, we honor you, too, because Your Holiness, on behalf of all of us gath- you have never let those of us who enjoy the ered here today, indeed, on behalf of all the blessings of prosperity, freedom, and peace people of our beloved Nation, we welcome forget our responsibilities. On your last visit you back to America. Your return brings joy not only to the Catholic faithful but to every to the United States you called on us to build American who has heard your message of a society truly worthy of the human person, peace and charity toward all God’s children. a society in which none are so poor they have And we thank you for first going to Mexico nothing to give and none are so rich they and for reaching out to all the people of the have nothing to receive. Today you visit an Americas. America that is thriving but also striving, We greet you, and we thank you. For 20 striving to include those who do not yet share years, you have lifted our spirits and touched in our prosperity at home and striving to put our hearts. For 20 years, you have challenged a human face on the global economy by ad- us to think of life not in terms of what we vancing the dignity of work, the rights of acquire for ourselves but in terms of what women, the well-being of children, and the we give of ourselves. help of our common environment. This is your seventh visit to the United You will see an America that is not simply States, your 85th visit abroad as the Bishop living for today but working for future gen- of Rome. Through it all, you have given of erations, an America working harder to be yourself with a boundless physical energy what you have asked us to be, an example which can only find its source in limitless of justice and civic virtues, freedom fulfilled, faith. You have come in the final year of a and goodness at home and abroad. century that has seen much suffering but The Catholic Church in America is helping which ends with great hope for freedom and all of us to realize that vision. Here in St. reconciliation. It is a moment anticipated by Louis, Catholic charities are helping families countless prayers, brought forward by count- conquer violence and drug abuse, helping less hands, and shaped very much by you, people in need to find work and to finance Holy Father, and your 20-year pilgrimage. their first homes, helping refugees from war- We honor you for helping to lead a revolu- torn lands to build new lives, building hous- tion of values and spirit in central Europe ing for the elderly, including the new Pope and the former Soviet Union, freeing millions John Paul II Apartments, and leading count- to live by conscience, not coercion, and free- less other efforts that lift our people’s lives. ing all of us from the constant fear of nuclear All over our country, the Catholic faithful war. We honor you for standing for human do this work for the sake of all Americans,

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and they are joined in their work by Ameri- the world with it. We could sell all the film cans of all faiths. the photographers use. [Laughter] Your Holiness, every American welcomes you and hopes that you will come to see us NOTE: The exchange began at 2:28 p.m. at the again. I am nowhere near as gifted a linguist Air National Guard Base. A tape was not available as you are, Holy Father, but as they say in for verification of the content of this exchange. your native Poland: Sto lat i wiecej—may you live 100 years and more. And may you keep Remarks in a Roundtable Discussion working and teaching and lighting the way, on Social Security and Medicare for all of us and all the world. January 27, 1999 Welcome to the United States. The President. Thank you, and good NOTE: The President spoke at 1:50 p.m. at the Missouri Air National Guard Hangar. In his re- morning. The Vice President and I are de- marks, he referred to Archbishop Justine Rigali lighted to welcome you here. We have an of St. Louis; Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo of the unusually large delegation from the United Holy See; Governor Mel Carnahan of Missouri; States Congress here today, and I believe I Mayor Clarence Harmon of St. Louis; St. Louis have all their names, and I would like to ac- County Executive George Westfall; U.S. Ambas- knowledge Senator Thomas and Representa- sador to the Holy See/Vatican City Corinne Clai- tives Becerra, Bliley, Borski, Cardin, Hill, borne Boggs. The transcript made available by the Nadler, Pickering, Portman, Pomeroy, Mar- Office of the Press Secretary also included the key, Smith, and Tauscher. I think I have got remarks of Pope John Paul II. them all. And give them a hand. [Applause] I think that’s amazing that they’re here. Exchange With Reporters Prior to I would like to thank Secretary Shalala, So- Discussions With Pope John Paul II cial Security Commissioner Apfel, and Gene in St. Louis Sperling for their work on this meeting today. January 26, 1999 I’d like to thank our panelists Laura Tyson, Uwe Reinhardt, Martha McSteen, Hans Q. Mr. President, are there any thoughts Riemer, and Stuart Altman for their pres- you’d care to share with us, now, as you sit ence. And they will be introduced in a few down with the Holy Father? moments. The President. Well, we have a lot of In my State of the Union Address last things to discuss, so I’m looking forward to week, I challenged Congress and the Amer- it. We’re going to talk about many places in ican people to meet the long-term challenges the world, and I’m anxious to hear his our country faces for the 21st century. Today thoughts on his recent trip to Mexico. And you all know we are here to talk about per- then I expect we’ll go through a lot of other haps the largest of those, the aging of Amer- hot spots in the world. ica. Q. How has his advice affected your deci- The number of elderly Americans will sions so far in your Presidency? double by 2030. Thanks to medical advances, The President. He reminds us to think by the middle of the next century, the aver- of the people, not just the governments of age American will live to be 82—6 years other countries but the people of other coun- longer than today. These extra years of life tries. And that’s an important thing for an are a great gift, but they do present a prob- American President to keep in mind. lem for Social Security, for Medicare, for Press aide. Thank you, pool. To your left, how we will manage the whole nature of our please. We have another wave. society. As I have said repeatedly, this is a high- [At this point, one group of reporters left the class problem, and the older I get the better room, and another group entered.] it looks. [Laughter] But it is one, nonetheless, The President. I think the Church should that we have to face. Fortunately, we are in buy the company producing the film, and you a strong position to act because of our pros- could fund all the Catholic charities all over perity and our budget surplus.

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It is well to remember that the current To prepare America for the senior boom prosperity of this country was created not by will require more than saving Social Security. rash actions in Washington, but by facing We also have to deal with the challenge to boldly the challenge forced by the budget Medicare and our obligation to make sure deficits, by getting the deficit down, getting that our seniors have access to quality health into balance, bringing the interest rates care. I want to say very clearly that we need down, and bringing the economy back. We to set aside enough of the surplus for Medi- also should face the challenge of the aging care and Social Security before we address of America in the same way. new initiatives like tax cuts. That’s why the In the State of the Union, I laid out a second part of our proposal calls for devoting three-part plan and asked Congress to con- 15 percent of the surplus for 15 years to the sider it, to invest our surplus in ways that Medicare Trust Fund. If we do this and noth- will both strengthen our economy today and ing else, we can secure the Trust Fund until in the future, and meet the needs of the after the year 2020. aging of America. First, I proposed that we But I want to make something else clear. devote 62 percent of the surplus for the next I believe that—some have suggested that by 15 years to saving Social Security, investing dedicating the surplus to Medicare, we won’t a small portion in the private sector, as pri- need to make any decisions to reform the vate, State, and local government pensions program. I disagree with that. Medicare do. The average position of the retirement needs revenues to increase its solvency, but fund in the stock market, of Social Security, it also needs reform to make sure that it is would be under 2 percent of the market for modern and competitive and to gain addi- the next 15 years, under 3 percent for the tional savings to help finance a long overdue next 20 years, and always under 4 for the prescription drug benefit. So, for me, reform- next 50 years. ing Medicare and committing the surplus go Over the course of the last week, I have hand-in-hand. been gratified to see discussions of this pro- I’d also like to say that, for me, there could posal, and obviously differences about the be no better use of our surplus in assuring whole market investment issue, but substan- a secure retirement and health care to older tial agreement in the idea of dedicating a Americans. And I believe that it is good not large portion of the surplus to saving Social only for older Americans but for their chil- Security across partisan lines. And for that dren and grandchildren as well, and for the I am very grateful. I think we should build larger economy. on this to extend the life of the Social Secu- Why is that? Well, first of all, if we dedi- rity Trust Fund further. If we do what I sug- cate this portion of the surplus to Social Se- gested, it will add 55—take us to 2055. curity and Medicare over the next 15 years, I think we should have a 75-year life for obviously, in most of those years that money the Social Security Trust Fund. We should will not be needed. In all those years we will, also make some changes to reduce the pov- in effect, be buying back the national debt. erty rate among elderly women who have a As we do that, we will bring the percent of poverty rate at twice—almost twice the gen- our debt—I mean, our publicly held debt as eral poverty rate among seniors in our coun- a percentage of our economy—down to its try. And I believe we should eliminate the lowest point since 1917, since before World limits on what seniors on Social Security can War I. What will that do? That will drive earn. interest rates down, and it will free private To make the changes necessary to go to capital up to invest in the United States, to 75 years on the Trust Fund and deal with create jobs, to raise incomes. So I think that these other challenges, we will simply have it’s very important. to have a bipartisan process. There is no way If you look around the world today at the to avoid it. But I’m confident that the troubles these countries are facing, when changes, while somewhat difficult, are fully their budget deficits get out of hand, when achievable. And if we work together, we can their interest rates go through the roof and make them. they can’t get any money from anywhere,

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when we worry constantly about our trading country and help to keep families together partners, trying to keep them in good shape across the generations without seeing un- and help them to not only preserve our eco- bearable strains put on those families, as so nomic markets, to preserve partners for many of the baby boomers live longer and peace and democracy and freedom—if we inevitably have more medical costs. in the United States could actually be doing So I hope that we will have a good debate something to pay down our debt while saving in Congress. There will be others with their Social Security and Medicare, we would keep own ideas. I welcome them. I look forward these interest rates down. And it would be to it. Today we’re going to focus on the pro- an enormous hedge against whatever unfore- grams that I mentioned at the beginning of seen future volatility occurs in the global my talk. And I’d like the Vice President, who economy. has worked very hard on this with me, now So this is a strategy that will actually grow to make a few remarks and to introduce our the American economy while preparing for panelists so we can get on with the morning. the future. Of course, in an even more direct Thank you very much. way it’s good for the rest of America because, At this point, Vice President Al Gore made when the baby boomers retire, as I said in [ brief remarks and introduced the panelists. the State of the Union, none of us want our ] children to be burdened with the costs of The President. Well, I would like to begin our retirement, nor do we want our grand- by asking a question of Laura Tyson, who children’s childhoods to be lessened because is, as has been said, on this bipartisan Medi- our kids are having to pay so much for our care Commission. One of the things that I retirement or our medical care. So, from my have seen—and I alluded to this in my re- point of view, this is a very good thing for marks—one of the things that I’ve seen said Americans of all ages, without regard to their in the press in the aftermath of the State political party, their income, their section of of the Union is that by proposing to allocate the country. I think this will benefit the coun- 15 percent of the surplus for 15 years to the try and help to bring us together and Medicare Trust Fund, I basically was killing strengthen us over the next several decades. any chance to reform the program because Let me just say very briefly that the third we can keep it just like it is until 2020. part of our proposal is to dedicate $500 bil- I didn’t see it that way, for the reasons lion of the surplus to give tax relief to working I said. First of all, I think there are some families through USA accounts, Universal substantive changes that ought to be made Savings Accounts. Under my plan, working that would enrich the program, like the pre- Americans would receive a tax credit to con- scription drug program, and secondly, be- tribute to their own savings account and an cause I think the demographics and the costs additional tax credit to match a portion of are going to require reform anyway. I mean, their savings, with the choice theirs about if my numbers are right, I think that the how to invest the funds, and more help for Medicare spending would have to grow at those who are working harder on lower in- like half the rate of economic growth for the comes and, therefore, would have a harder next decade just to extend it for another 5 time saving. or 6 years. This new tax credit would make it easier So what I’d like for you to talk about is— for Americans to save for their own retire- what do you think—it’s a good thing to dedi- ment and long-term care needs. And obvi- cate some of the surplus to Medicare, and ously, this would be further helped by some- whether you think it can be used as an excuse thing that is already in our balanced budget, not to make any further changes in the pro- which is the $1,000 long-term care tax credit. gram, or whether it would actually facilitate So these are the things that I think to- changes? gether would not only help us to manage and I think we need to get this out. And I really deal with in a very good way the aging of don’t know what she’s going to say, but I’ve America, I think it would help us to secure been very concerned about that because the long-term economic prosperity of the when I made this suggestion, I did not intend

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to say that, ‘‘Whoop-de-do! Now we don’t thing that Stuart said, because I think we have to make any changes in the program.’’ ought to drive it home. Many of us have actu- What I was trying to do was to make it pos- ally met people who choose between food sible for us to change the program without and medicine. Nobody made a deeper im- pricing it out of the reach of Americans, mil- pression on me when, in 1992, than this el- lions of Americans. derly couple I met in the Arel Senior Center So, Laura, you want to talk about that? in Nashua, New Hampshire, when they de- scribed this choice they made on a weekly Laura D’Andrea Tyson, member, Commis- [ basis. sion on Medicare, noted Medicare’s complex- But the point I want to make is, you know ity and despite efforts to improve it, addi- when we have partisan fights in Washington, tional funding would be required. She indi- they always get a lot of publicity. And when cated the President’s plan to dedicate a por- we do something together, almost nobody tion of the budget surplus to Medicare would notices. But one of the things that I’d like secure the program. Vice President Gore to compliment all the Members of Congress asked Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, commissioner, here for is that there has been an enormous Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Un- amount of bipartisan consensus to dramati- insured, for his observation, and Dr. cally increase investment in medical re- Reinhardt strongly supported the President’s search. And the NIH budget, for example, proposal.] has grown exponentially as a result of that. The President. Let me just say for the Now, what are we trying to do? Among record as someone who knows a little about other things, we’re trying to find cures for such characterizations, I wouldn’t do that, everything from cancer to arthritis to Parkin- myself. [Laughter] son’s to you name it. And we’re also trying I’d like to ask Stuart Altman a question. to develop preventions. A lot of those cures Stuart has worked for Republican and for and preventions will be in the form of medi- Democratic administrations. He’s been cine, and a lot of what lengthens people’s through all the various generations of re- lives is in the form of medicine. We will be forms we’ve had, trying to manage these spending more and more and more money health programs that we fund. And he’s now every year that we don’t have to spend on also on the Medicare Commission. I’d like hospital care and doctor care if we don’t pro- to just ask him to give us some idea from vide a prescription drug benefit. his point of view about—maybe be a little And from the point of view of the Con- more specific, and I’m sure the Members of gress, I would ask you to think, if we were Congress here would like this—what are the all serious about all this money we have put type of structural reforms you think we into the NIH, then we have to be equally should adopt to improve and modernize serious about getting the benefits of that in- Medicare, even as we extend the life of the vestment to all the American people, to the Trust Fund? health care system in general, and to the [Stuart Altman praised the Health Care Fi- economy in general. And I think it’s very im- nance Administration’s work in an increas- portant because the problem Stuart men- ingly complex situation and indicated Con- tioned is going to accelerate because of the gress had hindered the agency’s ability to breakthroughs that will occur as a result of contract with providers and bill more effi- the medical research that all of you have ciently. He also advocated restructuring the funded. system to allow competition with the private Go ahead. sector. Finally, he indicated that the benefit [Vice President Gore asked Martha McSteen, package had to be altered to include prescrip- president, National Committee To Preserve tion drugs.] Social Security and Medicare, about the need The President. I don’t want to interrupt to deal with Social Security and Medicare the flow of the program; I think they’re doing together and the projected doubling of eligi- so well. But I just want to comment on one ble seniors in the year 2030. Ms. McSteen

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noted the two programs were viewed as en- goes and why, are going to pretty much de- twined, particularly with regard to the baby mand it. And I think that that’s something boomers for whom health care advances that we have to be quite careful about, and meant increased longevity and the oppor- we need to be very prudent in projecting this. tunity for greater post-retirement productiv- And everybody understands when we say ity.] we’re going to have surpluses over 25 years The President. I’d like to close this sec- that they will vary in size, depending on the tion of the panel with Hans Riemer and ask condition of the economy. What we mean him sort of what this looks like from his per- by that is that we have a structural surplus spective. Let me remind you that the people and that the projections are pretty good. And that are now on Social Security don’t have I think that we have to—my sense is that to worry about what we’re talking about. The that’s where Congress is in both parties. people that are now on Medicare, by and There will be people who think that we ought large, don’t have to worry about what we’re to have a tax cut now instead of the retire- talking about, although, there’s a more im- ment tax cut, so that it ought to be fungible mediate time problem there. What we’re try- now. There will be arguments about that. But ing to do for Social Security is to take it out my sense is, there’s almost no one willing to the time when it would even cover Hans’ to do anything that would in any way run retirement, which it ought to as a retirement the risk of returning to a structural deficit. system that big, and also to try to at least And I think that’s a big step forward for our have a framework which will enable us to country. not only secure Medicare for 2020 but make Well, I thank all of you. We have here, some changes that will enable us to manage in addition to Members of Congress, we’ve the program far beyond that. got a lot of health care providers and people So I’d like for Hans to talk a little about who represent other folks. We’ve got a little his work and how he sees this and what ad- time. I wonder if any Member of Congress vice he has. who is here would like to ask a question of any member of our panel. This is not pre- [Mr. Riemer, 26-year-old founder and direc- pared. This is all—[laughter]. tor, 2030 Center, stated the solution would Mr. Nadler? Mr. Pomeroy? be to maintain fiscal discipline using the budget surplus for the Medicare and Social [Representative Jerrold Nadler noted that the Security Trust Funds. He stated that because assumptions used by Social Security actuar- his generation would be living longer, it ies were extremely conservative and asked would need budget flexibility derived from why projections were being made on such paying down the debt.] conservative estimates of economic growth.] The President. You know, I doubt, given The President. Ken, you want to answer the global economy, at least in the foresee- that? [Laughter] He’s just greedy and wants able—and I mean probably the next 10 to all the money he can get; that’s all. 20 years—it will ever be possible for a coun- Kenneth S. Apfel, Commissioner, Social Se- try that wants to have a great economy to [ curity Administration, stated that Office of run permanent deficits again. Now, we all Management and Budget’s prudent assump- know, if there’s a recession, happens, and tions anticipate a smaller work force in the you’ve got fewer taxpayers paying in and future and, therefore, slower economic more money going out for unemployed peo- growth. More optimistic assumptions would ple—and we know there will be good times create a bigger problem if the economy did and bad times; that’s part of human nature— not grow as much as anticipated. but the elimination of the structural deficit, ] I think, is pretty much going to be a require- The President. Let me say—I’m with you. ment for every country that wants to run an I think they’re wrong, but I don’t think we advanced economy and have long-term, sta- can take the risk. But let me tell you why ble conditions. Because the control of the— it looks like they’re right. The reason it looks the people that can decide where the money like they’re right is that the number of people

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taking early retirement, for example—taking noted the world economy is currently grow- the early Social Security option—is going up, ing at a slower rate than the actuarial projec- still—people checking out at 62. And then tion.] they—if they’re living to 82, then that’s—and The President. Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Smith, by the way, even today people who live to and Mr. Cardin. Go ahead. be 62 have a life expectancy of nearly 80; a 76-average-life-expectancy is from birth. So [Representative Earl Pomeroy said the Presi- somebody who lives to be 62 years old, unless dent’s plan would significantly advance the they have some critical condition, their prospect of achieving Social Security reform. chances of living to be 80 or more are pretty He also supported the President’s debt reduc- good. So the assumptions are based on two tion plan to ensure flexibility when facing fu- things. Number one is the slowing of the ture problems. Ms. Tyson noted the 30-year growth of the work force, and number two decline in the domestic savings rate and said is people drawing for a lot longer time. the President’s plan would reduce debt and Now, I’ll make you a prediction—that’s increase savings.] one of the reasons that I think it’s imperative The President. Janet Yellen, our Chair of that we make this bipartisan agreement this the Council of Economic Advisers, nodded year—we can make it wrong—because I yes when she said it will add 2 points to the think you have to consider one thing. Num- savings rates. That’s good. ber one, there’s a record number of kids in school today. Now, they say they’ve factored [Representative Nick Smith asked Ms. Tyson that in, but that means you’re going to have what was being done to ensure the country more workers in a few years. Number two, was on the cutting edge of productivity and we’ve still got a fairly generous immigration competitiveness. Ms. Tyson pointed to the policy, which I think, on balance, has served President’s investment policies in education, us well. But the third and the most important in technology, and trade liberalization.] thing is, after you get a certain percentage The Vice President. Well, the new Gov- of people who retire at 62, and they’re going ernor of California, Gray Davis, points out to live until 82 or 85 or whatever—if we take that if every retiree 30 years from now is the earnings limit off, you will have more and going to have two workers financing his re- more people working. The computer and the tirement, he says, ‘‘I don’t want my two to Internet are changing the nature of work. have a C average and inadequate schools When I became President, there were only today. [Laughter] A pretty good way to put 3 million people making a living out of their it. homes. When I ran for reelection, the num- The President. You talk about our long- ber was 12 million. I think, today, the num- term productivity. Let me just mention one ber is almost 20 million. thing that was a part of my State of the Union So I think what you are going to have is Address that didn’t get a lot of attention, but a dramatic change in the nature of work in I hope that it will get more, and I hope that the next 20 years, and more people doing there will be a real bipartisan effort here. work in different places and different ways, And that is that I think we still have a lot especially older people. So my guess is, they of capacity for growth and productivity with- are low, but if you look at people drawing in the borders of the United States. Social Security for a longer period of time When you’ve got hundreds of thousands and the sheer demographics and you were of high-tech computer jobs going begging in charge of keeping the thing stable, you’d and when you’ve got neighborhoods in this probably make the same call they did. country where the unemployment rate is still [Ms. Tyson concurred that when doing long in double digits, mostly in inner cities and term projections, it is good to be cautious and rural areas, our trick in the next 10 years, able to assure the public that the predictions if you want to think about how we can con- are realistic. Vice President Gore pointed out tinue to grow this economy with no inflation, that in 1992, the transition team used the will be to try to find the right mix of incen- most conservative economic assumptions. He tives for private sector investment and then

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removing the barriers to employment invest- [National Economic Council Director Gene ment in a lot of places, whether it’s education Sperling emphasized the importance of com- and training or whatever else. petitive bidding to ensure that the actual in- We’ve had some success with the em- vestments would take place by private man- powerment zones. I proposed some new ini- agers using broad-based passive indexes. He tiatives in my State of the Union. But for said that such a system would be insulated the last 2 years—Reverend Jackson is here— from political interference and should get the I’ve gone to this unusual meeting with Jesse highest return due to lower administrative Jackson, Jack Kemp, and Wall Street to talk costs.] about how we can get Wall Street to try to The President. Mr. Portman. invest more in our inner cities and our iso- lated rural areas. And I think that’s some- [Representative Rob Portman commended thing we should not dismiss the potential of. the President for raising this issue in the State of the Union Address and encouraged him If you think about it, if you go into a place to keep the notion of private savings accounts where there is complete underinvestment on the table during the discussions with the and, therefore, underpurchasing of American Congress rather than relying solely on invest- goods and services, if it works when we invest ment in the stock market. Ms. Tyson re- in Central America or whatever, it would cer- sponded that having private savings accounts tainly work here. And I’d like to see some as a replacement for Social Security would more careful attention given to that. undermine its social insurance value but that Mr. Cardin and Mr. Markey? the USA accounts would function as a com- plement to Social Security.] [Representative Benjamin L. Cardin said he was intrigued by the savings incentives USA The President. We are getting down to accounts would offer to young people and the real details of this debate that will unfold. low-wage workers. He asked Mr. Riemer how I wanted to make two points, if I might. young people might be encouraged to save There are some proposals for savings ac- for retirement. Mr. Riemer stated that young counts, private savings accounts, that say that people were receptive to the message and sug- they could ensure a floor, which would be gested a campaign to stir up excitement about a return no less than Social Security would the accounts.] otherwise give. That will all be part of this debate, and I’m looking forward to it. And The President. Mr. Markey? I appreciate it. [Representative Edward J. Markey praised Let me say one other thing to Mr. the President’s recommendations but noted Portman, if you were to set aside this much a concern about Government investment in money for Social Security and Medicare, and interference with the stock market. Ms. then most of the Republican caucus would Tyson cited State and local retirement plans believe that there is not enough money left and the Federal Retirement Investment for a tax cut of the size you believe should Board as models, listed elements necessary flow. And then we would argue about the for success, and stated that investment deci- form of the tax cut. If you look at that nega- sions must be made on the basis of fiduciary tive savings rate, I think that’s partly because responsibility and not political influence or people have great confidence—you know, concerns. Vice President Gore added that the stock market went up again, and also in- some investment opportunities could add an terest rates are down, home mortgage pay- additional layer of insulation from political ments are lower, and a lot of people may influences and pointed out that returns on feel like they’re more comfortable spending equities were significantly higher than other more money. But one of the challenges that we have alternatives.] to face in this coming Congress is not only The President. I want to call on Mr. what the size but what the nature of the tax Portman, but Gene Sperling, did you want cut should be. And should it be in the nature to say anything about the question here? of helping people develop a greater private

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savings plan, or should it just be a tax cut Kemp. The President also referred to the Moe that people can dispose of? Arel Center in Nashua, NH. The argument for the latter, frankly, which doesn’t have all that much appeal to the Telephone Remarks Announcing a young or to the old but might have a lot of New Partnership To Restore Pacific appeal to the parents in the middle is, ‘‘Hey, I’m maxed out on my credit cards, and I need Coastal Salmon some help. You know, there’s a negative sav- January 27, 1999 ings rate, that means I can’t go charge any- The President. Thank you very much. thing else.’’ And I want to say to all of you on the phone But the argument for the long-term of the and, obviously, our friends from Washington country, it seems to me to be the stronger here in the Oval Office, that I am very, very argument, because that is one way we can grateful to all of you and to others in your have an increase in personal savings as op- States and in the tribes who have made a posed to the aggregate savings rate. When priority of preserving the salmon. And I’m we buy in the debt—which we’ll do if we grateful to you for making sure that those save this money, we’ll be buying back the of us who do not hail from the Pacific North- debt—that will increase the national savings west understood the gravity and the urgency rate, and it will free up private money, and of the issue. it will be invested privately. We want to help you bring the salmon But if you want to increase the personal back. And the Vice President and I today are savings rate, it seems to me, we need to really announcing, as a part of my fiscal year 2000 think about not only what the size but what budget, a new $100 million fund to help the nature of the tax cut should be. States and tribes restore coastal salmon. The We’ve already gone 40 minutes over— funds can be used up and down coastal rivers that’s a good sign—but I’ll give Mr. Hill the and streams to rebuild habitat, restore last word, because he had his hand up, and spawning grounds, give salmon a new lease then we’ll go. Go ahead. on life. And if we work together, I’m sure [Representative Rick Hill stated that public that we can succeed in restoring this symbol institutions investing privately produced sub- of your region’s heritage and ensure that for stantially lower rates of return than private all time to come the salmon will still be thriv- institutions investing in the market and asked ing. if reasons for that had been identified.] I want to thank again all of you for what you have done. We can’t succeed here with- The President. Gene? [Laughter] out your energy, your vision, your determina- They’re more risk-averse, I imagine, is one tion. And I know how passionate folks out reason. there are about their salmon, and I’m con- [Mr. Sperling concurred that public investors fident we can succeed, and I believe this tend to be more risk-averse but pointed out $100 million will help. that investment in the market over a long pe- Governor Locke, I’d like to call on you riod of time would provide a higher return first. And tell Mona I said hello and Hillary than the Government bonds in which Social and I are thinking about her and you, and Security currently invested. He reiterated we look forward to another beautiful baby. that using broad-based indexes would help I’d like for you to speak and then maybe Gov- ensure the highest possible return.] ernor Knowles, Chairman Billy Frank, and The President. Thank you very much. Governor Kitzhaber. This was terrific. And thank the participants, [At this point, the teleconference continued.] thank you. The President. Thank you very much. I NOTE: The roundtable began at 10:40 a.m. in the know you’re all busy and have many other East Room at the White House. In his remarks, things to do. I just want to thank you for the President referred to civil rights leader Rev. what I said earlier. You brought this to our Jesse Jackson and former Representative Jack attention; you asked us to do something.

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We’re committed to this; we have to pass this Governments. We will deploy a new team now. But this needs to be a long-term com- of technical advisers to bolster Colombia’s mitment to partnership on the part of the rescue efforts. And with the strong support Federal Government. And I want you to help of the United States, the Inter-American De- us pass it in Congress. I want you to help velopment Bank has already pledged $10 us work with you to implement it. And I want million for rebuilding. you to continue to make sure that we are We will stay in close contact with the Co- aware of exactly what’s happening in your lombian Government to determine how else backyard. we can help. As with the response to Hurri- I think this is very important to the future cane Mitch in Central America, I know the of the entire country, that we prove we can people of the United States will want to assist do this together. And this is something that in the wake of this tragedy. I say to Colom- every single one of you will always be proud bians what I said to Central Americans: of having taken a leadership role in. Ayudaremos a nuestros hermanos—we will Thank you very much, and goodbye. help our brothers and sisters. It is the right thing to do, and it supports our interest in NOTE: The President spoke at approximately 1:15 a stable, democratic, and prosperous hemi- p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. sphere. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Gary Locke of Washington and his wife, Mona Lee. The tran- As I said in October when President script made available by the Office of the Press Pastrana visited the White House, his Presi- Secretary also included the remarks of Vice Presi- dency represents a new beginning for Co- dent Al Gore; Governors John A. Kitzhaber of Or- lombia, a new opportunity that Monday’s egon, Gary Locke of Washington, and Tony tragedy cannot and must not undermine. We Knowles of Alaska; Representative Norman D. will continue to work closely with him as he Dicks; California State Secretary of Resources leads Colombia toward a more peaceful and Mary D. Nichols; Northwest Indian Fisheries prosperous future. Commission Chairman Billy Frank, Jr.; County Executive Ron Sims, of King County, WA; and Mayor Paul Schell of Seattle, WA. Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Terrorists Statement on Assistance to Colombia Who Threaten To Disrupt the in the Aftermath of the Earthquake Middle East Peace Process January 27, 1999 January 27, 1999 On behalf of all the people of the United States, I want to express our deepest sym- Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) pathies to the people of Colombia who have As required by section 401(c) of the Na- lost loved ones or suffered injuries in Mon- tional Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), day’s devastating earthquake. It appears that and section 204(c) of the International Emer- more than 1,000 people were killed and more gency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 than 3,000 were injured. Entire neighbor- U.S.C. 1703(c), I transmit herewith a 6- hoods lie in ruins, leaving many homeless. month periodic report on the national emer- I have spoken by telephone to President gency with respect to terrorists who threaten Pastrana and assured him that the United to disrupt the Middle East peace process that States will do its part to support relief and was declared in Executive Order 12947 of recovery. Already, a 62-member U.S. search January 23, 1995. and rescue team has arrived in Colombia, at Sincerely, the request of the Colombian Government, to help find and assist survivors. Today we William J. Clinton are making available through USAID $2 mil- lion for immediate disaster relief, including NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis airlifts of blankets and shelter materials and Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, other emergency needs identified by our two and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.

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Remarks at a Memorial Service for And like everybody else, I loved the Governor Lawton Chiles humor. I knew Lawton Chiles long before ‘‘he-coon’’ became a part of our political lexi- January 28, 1999 con. And one of the most humbling nights of my life was a night at the Governors con- Lawton would get a huge kick out of know- ference that I spent with Ann Richards and ing that I have just been upstaged by his 10- Lawton Chiles. [Laughter] I thought I was year-old granddaughter. [Laughter] When a good storyteller. I thought I knew every both the grandkids were singing, I was think- phrase that had ever been coined. I listened ing, you know this is what Lawton would to them talk about how a stuck pig squealed, liked to have done if he had not been a politi- how a cut dog barks, how if you can’t run cian, sort of the wandering minstrel for with the big dogs, you ought to just stay on America. [Laughter] And in some ways, he the porch. [Laughter] Listen, I lost that was. night. [Laughter] But I never forgot it. I looked through the Scripture to find You know, Lawton may have worn a coon- something that referenced how he started his skin cap and coat to his own inaugural ball political campaign, and there’s a verse in in 1995, and he did a lot of that ‘‘awe shucks’’ Genesis which says, ‘‘Arise, walk through the stuff with all of us, but we all know that he land and the length of it and in the breadth was really a visionary. He saw the possibilities of it, for I will give it to thee.’’ I think in and the challenges of the future, and he saw so many ways God gave Florida to Lawton his own life as a sort of continuing obligation so that he could give himself to the people to push people toward them. of his beloved State. And in so many ways, Long before most of the rest of us, as Sen- his homespun humor and his common sense ator Domenici and others have already said, became the glue that held Florida together he knew that we had to put our budgetary as it exploded and diversified and changed house in order if we wanted our children to in ways that make it almost unrecognizable have a future. And I’m very glad he got to to people who were there three decades ago. live to see it come to pass—even though Every one of us who knew Lawton Chiles Pete’s right, he’d want to see all the numbers feels blessed. If we knew him very well, we and all the books and be a little suspicious. loved him. He gave something to all of us. Carol Browner talked about how he saw He gave me a lot when we were serving to- that in Florida and in the United States we gether as Governors. I mean, I couldn’t imag- had to reconcile the imperatives of economic ine—I was serving as Governor with some- growth and preserving our environment. And one who had been chairman of the Senate because of his vision, the forests and the Budget Committee. And he made sure that swamps that he loved so much as a boy, and I was always aware of what I should know especially the beautiful Florida Everglades, before I voted however he wanted me to vote are going to be preserved. in the Governor’s conference on whatever it He saw long before the rest of us the was. [Laughter] promise in every child and the need to give I loved campaigning with him in Florida. every child decent health care and a world- I loved—it’s almost a sad thing to say, but class education. The fragile cry of his young it was very moving for me—Florida had a grandson who sang for us today, born several lot of natural disasters during the period in months premature, inspired him as Senator which we served together. It was very moving and Governor to want to give every child a to me to be in these places with Lawton healthy start in life, the chance to make the Chiles, to see the pulse of the people beating most of their God-given talent. How proud in him and the feeling he had for them. I he would be to see his grandson making the loved all the opportunities he gave me to help most of those talents today. Florida, with late-night phone calls about I’m told that as he lay in state in Tallahas- every conceivable subject, the recommenda- see a few weeks ago, a woman from Gadsden tions he gave that Carol Browner and Janet County, where Rhea and Lawton first began Reno ought to be in the Cabinet. working to improve prenatal care in Florida,

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brought her young son to pay his respects. of the people and making their hopes and She said that Lawton Chiles had saved her dreams your own. I thank you for never los- son’s life. That boy, and the millions of Flor- ing the light in your eyes, the steel in your ida children growing up healthy and ready, spine, the love in your heart. may well be his greatest legacy. Young Lawton’s song was reminiscent of I’d also like to thank him publicly for the wonderful lines from Wordsworth, ‘‘We something else. As Florida explodes and di- can make our lives sublime, and departing, versifies, he worked so hard to make all his leave behind us footprints on the sands of native Floridians—those who were like time.’’ What wonderful wide, deep footprints him—see all the new immigrants as their our friend left for us to walk in. own, to see those children as a rich resource that would make life more interesting and NOTE: The President spoke at 12 noon in the Rus- the future more prosperous. sell Senate Caucus Room, Room 325, at the Rus- I thank him for being an early supporter sell Senate Office Building. In his remarks, he re- ferred to former Gov. Ann W. Richards of Texas, of political and campaign finance reform but and Governor Chiles’ wife, Rhea, granddaughter, in doing it in a way that made sense and Christin Chiles, and grandson, Lawton Chiles IV. didn’t raise people’s defenses. I don’t think he had a sanctimonious bone in his body. He just didn’t want everybody to have to Remarks at the Employment spend all their time raising money. He Initiative in Oakton, Virginia thought it would be better if people talked January 28, 1999 to one another, face-to-face. He thought it would be better if, on television, people had Thank you. I would say this is a fairly high honest debates and discussions. He didn’t go energy crowd here today. [Laughter] Thank around telling you how much better he was you for making us all feel so welcome. Thank than everybody else because he only took a you, Cheryl Simms. She was nervous as a cat. hundred bucks. And he knew that only one [Laughter] And I said, ‘‘Look, Cheryl, that person could have ever made that walk, and microphone, it will carry your voice. Just pre- then you couldn’t just repeat that over and tend you’re talking to a friend or two.’’ And over again. He tried to convince us to relax I think she did a fine job, don’t you? Let’s and think. And he did it in the right way. give her a hand. [Applause] Some of you know that, right before he I’d like to thank Mirian Graddick and died, I think I had about won a long, intense Mary Jane McKeever for making us feel so campaign that I waged to persuade Lawton welcome here today. I thank Secretary Her- to become America’s Special Envoy to Latin man and Secretary Riley for their wonderful America. He said, ‘‘Well, I don’t want to work on the announcements I am about to spend a lot of time in Washington.’’ I said, make. I want to thank my longtime friend ‘‘Lawton, it’s Latin America, not Washing- Senator Chuck Robb for being a terrific Sen- ton.’’ [Laughter] I said, ‘‘You know, you’ll ator for the State of Virginia and on edu- have to breeze through every now and then cation issues for all the United States. and give me a report. There’s a telephone. And I’d like to recognize two Members of There are fax machines. You can do this.’’ the House of Representatives who are here, And he was really getting interested in it. who have been very, very active on these And I say that not to make anyone sad, issues: Congressman Tim Roemer from Indi- but to say that the reason his life was so rich ana, and Representative Dennis Kucinich is that he lived to the last hour of the last from Cleveland, Ohio. Thank you for being day thinking about tomorrow, thinking about here, both of you. other people’s interest, thinking about other I also want to thank the Vice President possibilities still to be developed. for his interest in this. Not very long ago, So I thank you, Lawton, for teaching us just a couple of weeks ago, he convened a that public service is not a position, it’s a mis- national meeting with business, education, sion; that our job is not to posture, but to labor, and government leaders to come up produce. I thank you for feeling the pulse with proposals that will further our efforts

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to promote lifelong learning. I want to say mother went to nursing school, never went one other thing: There is a member of my to college; my father’s uncle, who served staff who worked very hard on this who is three terms in the legislature, dropped out leaving the White House, but she had a lot of school after the eighth grade to support to do with this announcement I’m making the family. They all did just fine. Now—and today. Her name is Cecilia Rouse, and she’s all you have to do is look at the census data; going back to be a professor. But I wish she you don’t just have to tell family stories— were staying with us. Thank you very much, if you look at the census data, high school Cecilia, for what you’ve done. graduates are likely to get jobs where their I wanted to come here because this is a incomes drop over time, not go up. People picture—a picture I hope will be in news- who have the equivalent of at least 2 years papers all across America tomorrow. I hope of college and can keep on learning for a this picture will be on some television sta- lifetime are likely to get jobs where their in- tions tonight. I want Americans to be able comes go up and, if they lose their jobs, to to visualize the kind of continuing lifelong find jobs that are as good or better. learning opportunities that you have that I So what we have now is a situation in want for all Americans. America where the income gap, that we all I want to compliment AT&T, the CWA, know widened over the previous 20 years or the IBEW, and Lucent Technologies. This so, is largely a skills gap and that it applies workers alliance, I was told, since its incep- across all kinds of industries. We have to tion in the mid-eighties has given way over close that skills gap. 100,000 people the chance to come through In 1992, when I took office, I said we had here and get education and training. That is two deficits. We had a budget deficit and an profoundly important. And it’s important not investment deficit in our people. Well, just for people who work for AT&T, who are thanks to Senator Robb and the Members in the communications business. of the House that are here, we’ve closed the I recently learned about a man in my home budget deficit; we’ve got a surplus. But we State who was 50 years old, had an eighth still have a deficit in investment in our peo- grade education, ran a conveyor belt for a ple. We have got to find a way to create in company that converted to a new computer- America, not only world-class public schools ized transport system. Since he only had an and access to college education—and you eighth grade education, he was may have heard me say in the State of the computerphobic, to say the least, and he was Union Address that, with the tax credits, the afraid that he would lose his job. Instead, Pell grants, and the other things, no one he enrolled in a training program, learned should ever fail to go to college because of how to use computers, improved his reading the cost, now—but we have to create a situa- and math skills so that he could master com- tion in America where people can keep on plex, technical manuals. And instead of losing learning for a lifetime, without regard to his job, he got a raise. where they live, what their job is, what their Now, a lot of you have been through more income is. than one training program since you’ve been Why? Well, just a couple of statistics. In employed. I just met a gentleman who said manufacturing, 88 percent of the compa- he spent over 300 hours in this program, in nies—I want to say that again—88 percent alliance programs. And if you think about of the companies say they’re having trouble how almost every form of work today is dif- finding qualified applicants to fill at least one ferent from what it was just a few years ago kind of job in their operation. One in five and how rapidly the nature of work is chang- companies says, today, it literally cannot ex- ing, we are going to be challenged to change pand its operation, even though the markets our whole conception of what education is. are there, because they don’t have workers You know, a lot of you came from families with the right skills. like mine. I mean, my grandfather had a You heard, I think, the Senator said that grade-school education; my stepfather, who there are jobs going begging right here in raised me, didn’t finish high school; my the DC area. You’ve got high unemployment

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in DC, job vacancies in the communities out- But it is not a good deal when you think side. In America as a whole, there are over about—it’s going to be hard enough for us a quarter of a million high-tech jobs, com- all to understand our different racial and eth- puter-related jobs, vacant this day. We may nic and cultural and religious traditions and have the lowest unemployment rate in 29 figure out how to get all that together, if we years, but we’ve got a quarter of a million can’t even read one another’s words or un- high-wage jobs going vacant this day. derstand each other. And if a certain group And there are places where the economic of people are locked out of the whole new recovery hasn’t hit, because people can’t get economy, not because they’re not intelligent the investment or because they don’t have and not because they don’t work like crazy the skills to do these jobs. but because they literally can’t plug in be- Now, that’s really why I wanted to come cause their mind doesn’t have the connec- here. I want America to work like this place tions. does. I want there to be an American alli- And that is very, very important. So we’re ance. I want workers who aren’t lucky going to seek new tax credits for businesses enough to be represented by the CWA or the IBEW to have access to lifetime learning. like the two that sponsored the alliance, I want employers who may not have the re- which provide basic skills to their workers. sources of AT&T or Lucent Technologies to And we will work to greatly expand the fund- know that there is some way they can work ing for basic adult education and high school with their employees to give them access to completion programs. these kind of skills. You read all these stories about inner cit- And in the State of the Union Address I ies, where there are all these young single just barely mentioned this, and so I wanted people, unemployed. Nearly all of them to come here to tell you the things, the spe- dropped out of high school. And it’s going cific things that I intend to propose that are to be difficult to get some of them into some in our budget. First, we need a national cam- of the training programs we want unless we paign to dramatically increase our efforts at can get them to come back and finish high basic adult education and family literacy, to school, get their GED, and then go forward. help the millions and millions of adults who And so this is a very, very important thing. struggle with basic reading or math. Secondly, I’m going to recommend a large People that cannot fill out a job application new investment in the worker training system cannot be expected to fill a 21st century job. we revolutionized last year. You heard pre- You know, when Alexis told that old Getty vious speakers mention it. But basically what joke—I love that—rise early, work hard, we did was to take all these Government pro- strike oil. It’s good; it keeps us humble, re- grams, 40 or 50 of them, collapse them into minds you there’s a little bit of luck in life. a single skills grant and one-stop shopping, [Laughter] But the oil today is in your nog- so that if somebody is eligible right now for gin, not in the ground. And everybody can Federal help and training, instead of having strike oil today. But they have to have the to go to this program, that program, the other means to do it. program, they go to one place, get a skills This country has been greatly enriched, particularly by our immigrant populations. grant, and they can decide how to spend the But I went to a school not very long ago, money, where it is most likely to give them Senator, in Virginia, and they asked me in the training that will most likely give them advance if there was any way we had time a job. to have consecutive translation of my re- But the program is underfunded today. It marks, first in Spanish and then in Arabic, will not cover all the people who need it. so the parents of the children at the school So over the next 5 years I’ve asked for funds would understand the speech I was giving sufficient for us to be able to provide appro- to their kids. priate training and reemployment services Now, I can tell you in a global economy for all Americans who lose their jobs—all this is not a bad deal; this is a good deal. Americans.

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Now, next year we will increase the fund- 1989, 10 years ago this coming fall, I met ing for skill grants, high-tech community ca- with all the other Governors and the then- reer centers and rapid response teams by President of the United States, George Bush, more than $360 million under our budget. to set some national education goals. One of Third, I want to greatly increase our pro- our goals was that we would have an on time grams and our commitment to helping dis- high school completion rate of 90 percent. advantaged young people. We’ll nearly dou- That was one of our goals. ble the funding for YouthBuild, an innovative We knew that some people would drop program that gives young people a chance out regardless, you know, that just would to learn construction skills to build homes happen. In 1989—well, 1998, last year, a for low-income families, on the job. We will wonderful thing happened. For the first time double the funding for our GEAR UP pro- since we’ve been keeping these statistics, the gram, one of my favorite programs; it’s a last 20 or 30 years, the on time African- mentoring and tutoring initiative I men- American high school graduation rate was al- tioned earlier, which involves sending college most identical to the on time high school students out into middle schools to mentor graduation rate of white children. It was students, to get them to both learn their les- about—between 83 and 84 percent. That’s sons and stay in school but also to raise their the good news. sights and believe no matter how poor their There’s two pieces of bad news. Bad news circumstances, they can go on to college and piece number one is it’s not 90 percent. And do well. And it’s a great program. that’s 16, 17 percent of the people we have We are also going to continue our invest- to figure out how to get back to school and ments in what we call youth-opportunity how to get education and training. And for areas, to try to go into these areas where Hispanic young people, many of whom have there are a lot of kids just walking the streets, language barriers that cause them after the and there aren’t any jobs, to try to get these eighth grade not to be able to keep up, the kids off the streets—either back in the dropout rate is still over 40 percent. So we schools, or into jobs. If we cannot deal with must do more here. the challenges faced by these young people And it’s something I’d like to ask you all now, with the lowest unemployment rate in to think about. And here in Virginia, North- 29 years and the first budget surplus in 30 ern Virginia, you’ve got a lot of young people years and the smallest percentage of the from all over the world, as the school districts American people on welfare in 29 years, we get increasingly diverse—these kids have fine will never get around to doing this. Now is minds, but it will be harder for them, and the time for us to try to bring these young the longer they go on in school without a people into the mainstream of American life. complete mastery of English and access to We also are going to try to expand more learning, the more the difficult courses will partnerships. You have proved here that it become more out of reach. And if they get takes people working together to make some- bored, they’ll drop out eventually. So I ask thing like this go. We have a new initiative for your help and attention. called ‘‘Right-Track Partnerships,’’ to help Finally, let me say that I’m very gratified schools, businesses, and community organi- by the broadbased support that this initiative zations work together to reduce teen dropout seems to have attracted among the American rates and to help former dropouts come back, people. I think it’s because everybody knows building on what we did last year, directed that what you’re doing is what we all need especially toward Hispanic young people, be- to do for the future. But I would ask you cause the dropout there is far higher than to remember this day, to talk to your friends for any group in America. and neighbors who you may never have men- Let me just tell you, though, you all know tioned this to, to find out whether all the that we need more than a high school edu- people that work in their workplaces have cation to do what you guys are doing; so even access to these sort of training programs. if you didn’t have one once, with all the train- But remember, what we’re trying to do in ing programs, you’ve got to have more. In this balanced budget now is we’ve closed the

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budget deficit, now we’ve got to close the Remarks Honoring the 1998 Stanley skills deficit. We cannot have the earnings Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings gap in America, the income gap bigger be- January 28, 1999 cause we didn’t make the skills gap smaller. Now is the time to do it. We will never have The President. Thank you very much. a better time. And we will all—all—be richly Please be seated, everyone. rewarded when we have more stories like the Commissioner Bettman, Coach Bowman, ones I heard here from the Alliance today. Denise Ilitch, General Manager Holland; to Thank you, and God bless you all. the team captain, Steve Yzerman, and all the Red Wings; Congressmen Bonior, Dingell, NOTE: The President spoke at 2:02 p.m. in the Knollenberg, Levin, Stupak; Mayor Archer Atrium at the AT&T Facility. In his remarks, he and other mayors from Michigan who are referred to Cheryl E. Simms, worker, who intro- here with us today: Welcome back to the duced the President, Mirian M. Graddick, senior vice president of human resources, and Mary Jane White House. McKeever, president, government markets, You know, this is becoming such a regular AT&T. The President also referred to the Com- thing—from time to time, we have State days munications Workers of America (CWA) and the at the White House. We’ll have a Maryland International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Day, and bring in people from all over Mary- (IBEW). land, and let them meet members of the Cabinet and talk about issues affecting the State. This is becoming so regular, we should Letter to Congressional Leaders just have Michigan Day at the White House Transmitting a Report on Cyprus when the Red Wings come. January 28, 1999 Vince Lombardi, who was a pretty good coach himself, once said that ‘‘excellence is Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:) not a sometime thing.’’ I think it’s clear that, In accordance with Public Law 95–384 (22 with your four-game sweep for a second U.S.C. 2373(c)), I submit to you this report straight Stanley Cup, that’s what the Red on progress toward a negotiated settlement Wings are living by. of the Cyprus question covering the period I’ve always found the history of the Stanley October 1 to November 30, 1998. The pre- Cup particularly interesting. It’s the oldest vious submission covered events during Au- trophy competition by professional athletes gust and September 1998. in North America; the only trophy which Following United Nations Secretary-Gen- bears the names of individual players and eral Kofi Annan’s September 30 announce- coaches. And what I admire most is the tradi- ment of an initiative to reduce tensions and tion of the whole team sharing the Cup, each promote progress towards a just and lasting player getting to take it home to friends and settlement, the United Nations launched family. I think it’s a tradition that other sports shuttle talks between both communities in ought to follow, because it recognizes that October. During the reporting period, U.S. every person on a team makes a unique and officials urged the leaders of both Cypriot enduring contribution. communities to support fully the U.N. initia- The Red Wings overcame the Capitals— tive. They also underscored my Administra- as I said, our hometown team, but we still tion’s commitment to finding a peaceful solu- are impressed with what you did—[laugh- tion to the Cyprus dispute based on a bizonal, ter]—in four decisive games, with grit, deter- bicommunal federation. mination and teamwork. The series will be Sincerely, remembered as a defensive triumph that William J. Clinton spotlighted your goalie, Chris Osgood, who allowed seven whole goals. Amazing. NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis And of course, it will be remembered for Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the performance of your team captain. Steve, and Jesse Helms, chairman, Senate Committee on your teammates have said you have the heart Foreign Relations. of a champion and that, when the chips are

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down, you always made the plays. That’s friends from Michigan and all your fans who something that every leader needs to do, and live in Washington now but have their hearts you have certainly done it. in Michigan. We all know, too, that great hockey teams This house is truly the people’s house. have to have great coaches. Perhaps the De- Every President is a temporary tenant. And troit Red Wings have the greatest coach in I think, to me, the greatest joy of living here the history of hockey. This victory, with his is seeing other people come in and share in eighth championship as a head coach, Scotty the history. Every President since John Bowman became the winningest coach in Adams has lived in this house. George Wash- NHL history, maybe an athletic dynasty all ington conceived it, really, but never got a to himself. chance to live here. The whole history of our But teams win, whole teams, in the arena country is embodied within these walls. and on the sidelines, and we’re glad to see This house has been burned down; in 1814 the whole team here, including Vladimir, the British troops came in here—we were Sergei. Thank you all for coming. We’re glad having a banquet, and everybody had to run. you’re here. Thank you. And Dolley Madison—whose husband, Last year when you were here, and this James Madison, was the last active Com- year again when you were going through the mander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, was line, I sensed a real genuine spirit of not only out with our Army—and she cut that mag- championship but camaraderie. A sense of nificent picture of George Washington down, family, of caring for one another and support- which was purchased in 1797 for $500. It ing one another. In the end, that’s even more has no price today. The British came in and important than winning the game. ate our food—[laughter]—and then burned So congratulations. I’m delighted to have the house down. [Laughter] But the walls you here. And I’d like to have Commissioner hung on, and it’s been rebuilt, that time and Gary Bettman come up and say a few words. one other time since. After all these years, Thank you. whenever I land the helicopter on the back [At this point, NHL Commissioner Gary lawn and come in this house, I still get a Bettman, Denise Ilitch-Lites, daughter of Red thrill, because everything that our country Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch, and has tried to be is embodied in this house. Coach Scotty Bowman made brief remarks. So, for your excellence, for your spirit of Red Wings team captain Steve Yzerman teamwork, we’re honored to have you here, made brief remarks and presented the Presi- with all of your family and friends. And I dent with a Red Wings jersey.] only hope that it is as enjoyable to you as it is to me every day. Welcome, and God The President. Thank you. When you bless you. gave me the last one, I started wearing it around the house, and Hillary pointed out I wasn’t as broad-shouldered as she thought NOTE: The President spoke at 6:15 p.m. in the I was. [Laughter] One wag in my office today East Room at the White House. In his remarks, said, ‘‘You know, they’ll probably give you he referred to Red Wings General Manager Ken a jersey, but I wish they’d give you one of Holland; Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei those sticks, you could really put it to good Mnatsakanov, both of whom were seriously in- use around here.’’ [Applause] Thank you. jured in an automobile accident a few days after Let me just say in closing, to the coach, the team’s previous Stanley Cup championship in to Steve, to all the team, it is an honor to June 1997; and Mayor Dennis W. Archer of De- have you here. It’s wonderful to have all your troit, MI.

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Memorandum on Funding for hope you will forgive me because I need to International Financial Institutions make a couple of remarks about some devel- and Other International opments in Kosovo at the beginning. Organizations and Programs Kosovo January 28, 1999 You remember that 2 weeks ago there was Presidential Determination No. 99–11 a massacre in the village of Racak. After that, we insisted that the Serbian authorities stop Memorandum for the Secretary of State their repression and meet their commit- ments. Today Secretary Albright forged an Subject: Presidential Determination agreement with our Contact Group allies, Pursuant to Section 523 of the Foreign France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Operations, Export Financing, and Related Russia, on a common diplomatic strategy to Programs Appropriations Act, 1999 (as achieve compliance with the rules of the contained in the Omnibus Consolidated and international community. With our allies in Emergency Supplemental Appropriations NATO, we stand ready to back that strategy Act, 1999, Public Law 105–277) with the threat of force. Pursuant to section 523 of the Foreign Op- Our goal is not merely to respond to the erations, Export Financing, and Related Pro- recent atrocities in Kosovo but to help re- grams Appropriations Act, 1999 (as con- solve the conflict so that the violence can end tained in the Omnibus Consolidated and for good. The Contact Group has now ap- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations proved the terms of an interim agreement Act, 1999, Public Law 105–277), I hereby that would do just that, by protecting the certify that withholding from international fi- rights of all the people of Kosovo and giving nancial institutions and other international them the self-government they clearly de- organizations and programs funds appro- serve. priated or otherwise made available pursuant Both sides now have an opportunity to stop to that Act is contrary to the national interest. a war that neither side can win and to start You are authorized and directed to publish building a better future for all the people this determination in the Federal Register. by peaceful means. To that end, the inter- national community has sent a clear message William J. Clinton to the authorities in Belgrade: The time for NOTE: This message was released by the Office denial and delay is past. NATO is united and of the Press Secretary on January 29. ready to act if you don’t. I want to thank, again, Mayor Corradini, Mayor Webb, Mayor Coles for greeting me. Remarks to the United States Like Deedee, I want to say how much I ap- Conference of Mayors preciate the work that Mickey Ibarra and January 29, 1999 Lynn Cutler do to bring the mayors and the White House together to give us, I think, a Thank you very much for the wonderful virtually unprecedented working relation- welcome. I want to say I’m just as glad to ship. And I intend to keep it going. see you as you apparently are to be here. [Laughter] Just looking at you reminds me Domestic Agenda of why we do what we do. And I thank you I want to thank all the members of the so much for your work. Cabinet and the administration who are here. I’d like to thank Secretary Cuomo for his There is a stunning array—the whole Gov- fine remarks, and Secretary Herman, who ernment is here on the front row. I hope will have remarks in a moment; and Mayor there is no emergency in any department Corradini for your leadership. today while we are all here. [Laughter] I feel Because this is my only opportunity, I be- rather badly about this; they’ve probably lieve, today to see the press and to speak heard this speech a hundred times before. with them and with the American people, I But I thank them. I think their presence here

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is evidence of the seriousness with which we history of the United States with the lowest take our responsibilities to work with you. peacetime unemployment rate since 1957. I also want to thank Mayor Corradini for I remember after I was elected, we were her leadership on the census. I know we may sitting around the table at the Governor’s have some questions about that later, but just Mansion in Little Rock arguing about our let me say the Supreme Court struck down economic strategy. And I had all these folks the use of sampling for congressional appor- come in from around the country, and they tionment among the States. It reaffirmed our said, ‘‘Now, Mr. President, you just cannot use of these scientific methods for other pur- grow the economy at more than 21⁄2 percent poses. We remain committed to making the for more than a year or two without having 2000 census both accurate and fair, and we uncontrollable inflation.’’ And I said, ‘‘Well, are working very hard, as—Secretary Daley I’m not an economist, but I know what tech- is working very hard to try to determine how nology is doing, and I don’t believe that.’’ we can best do that and have the most useful And at least for 6 years, it hasn’t been so. and accurate census we can. The American people have proved that You know, one of the reasons I ran for through productivity and hard work, we can President 7 years ago is to do something grow the economy, reduce unemployment, about the then condition of our cities. I also and if we do the right things, by the way, was encouraged by what I saw as I visited we can also improve the environment, not cities in 1991 and 1992, and I saw, even with destroy it. the country in pretty bad shape, there were So this is an encouraging thing. Today places where people were actually solving we’re releasing an interim state of the cities problems, where hope had returned because report that tells the story of economic growth change was occurring. And I believed then, in the cities. Unemployment in our central as I said in my first inaugural, that there is cities has fallen by 40 percent since 1992; nothing wrong with this country that can’t 4 of our largest 10 cities have cut their unem- be fixed by what is right with our country. ployment rates in half. We have the highest I have always believed that, and you have real wage growth in two decades; the lowest proved that that is right. African-American and Hispanic unemploy- Now, since 1993 we have worked together, ment rates since such things were first meas- as I have said thousands of times, to create ured in 1972; average family income up by an America in which there is opportunity for $3,500; the lowest crime rate in, now, about all of our citizens, responsibility from all our 26 years, and a drop in our cities that aver- citizens, and a community that includes all ages 27 percent. our citizens. No group of Americans is more All of you in this room should be proud committed to that than our mayors. of what you have done, and I’m proud of We’ve had a strategy for the new economy: what we’ve been able to do together. But to balance the budget, to invest in our peo- I would like to reiterate today, in terms spe- ple, to sell more of our goods and services cific to the cities and our urban agenda, the around the world. We balanced the budget general point that I made at the State of the for the first time in nearly 30 years and still Union Address. The present prosperity is an almost doubled our investment in education opportunity and a responsibility to make sure and training. The strategy has helped to steer that opportunity and prosperity reaches our Nation through some tough global cur- every person in every corner of this country, rents. And as you know, our economy is into every neighborhood in every city of this doing very well. country. This morning we received more good news If we cannot do this now, with what some about the American economy. I can now re- people believe is the strongest overall econ- port that in the fourth quarter of 1998, our omy in our history, believe me, we will never economy grew at 5.6 percent. For the entire get around to doing the job. And so I think year, the growth rate was 3.9 percent, giving we should all be very up front and say: This us the longest peacetime expansion in the is a dynamic economy; you don’t ever stand

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still in it; if you don’t keep going in one direc- We created a network of community de- tion, before you know it you’ll be going in velopment financial institutions, and we now the other. And so what is our clear respon- propose increasing the investment in that. sibility is also in the self-interest of all our We strengthened and streamlined the Com- citizens. munity Reinvestment Act, encouraging And I hope you can talk to people about banks—just since we’ve been here—to make that in all your communities. This is not a over $1 trillion in financial commitments. time to say, isn’t this wonderful, and let’s take Since the CRA became law in 1975, 95 per- another vacation. This is a time to say all cent of all the commitments made under it these things that I bet you everybody in this have been made since 1993. room has talked about and worried about, And I hope you noticed that during this wrung your hands about, probably for dec- period our banks have not gone broke. ades before you ever showed up in city gov- [Laughter] I bet the town banker is doing ernment. It’s finally a time that we can deal pretty well where you live in a big city or with these challenges. And that’s what I have a small town. And yet, unbelievably enough, tried to construct a budget to help you do. when we are proving it is working, the Com- Secretary Cuomo sort of brushed by the munity Reinvestment Act is under fire again. remarkable role that HUD has played in the Again, this ought not be a political deal. last 6 years, not only in helping you to grow Every American has an interest in seeing that the American dream in our cities but also every economic opportunity in every com- to reinvent the Department of Housing and munity is seized. And if it is a good invest- Urban Development, to make it smaller and ment, it’s a good investment. The banks are able to invest more and have a bigger impact not going broke; they’re doing well. The out there where people live. Community Reinvestment Act is a good David Osborne, the intellectual godfather thing. I hope you will help us protect it and of this whole REGO movement, said that support it. Now, even so, capital still bypasses HUD is a model of reinvention in the nine- a lot of areas where it’s most needed. ties. The balanced budget that I will submit I said in the State of the Union, I’d like to Congress will increase the overall HUD to say again, today the largest pool of ready budget by $21⁄2 billion, to $28 billion. It will untapped investment opportunity and new support HUD’s community empowerment customers is not overseas; it’s in our back- fund: 100,000 new vouchers to make housing yard, in Harlem or Watts or Appalachia, even more affordable; dozens of other innovative our Native American reservations. According steps. I want you to support this in the Con- to a recent Harvard Business School study, gress. We have to have votes from Members underdeveloped communities in America on both sides of the aisle in both Houses still control more than $85 billion a year in to pass the HUD budget. purchasing power. That’s more than the en- But if we’re going to reach every person tire retail market of Mexico, our second larg- in every corner of every city, we have to do est trading partner. more, and Mayor Corradini mentioned some So I have proposed an initiative to bring of the things, but I’d like to run over them jobs and opportunity to the new markets here with you. at home. We should write into law a new First, we have to create more economic markets tax credit: $1 billion of tax credits opportunity. The best poverty program, the over 5 years, worth 25 percent of the amount best anticrime program, the best urban pro- of equity placed in investment funds, com- gram is still a job for every person who will munity development banks, and other invest- work. We’ve created now 31 empowerment ment vehicles targeted for these untapped zones to bring the spark of private enterprise markets. to inner cities. The Vice President an- We should create ‘‘American Private In- nounced the 20 newest zones earlier this vestment Companies,’’ modeled on the Over- month. I will ask Congress to fully fund this seas Private Investment Corporation, that round to help support another 90,000 jobs. would provide for guarantees of a portion of

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private equity investment of up to $11⁄2 bil- mayor, come up here and tell you his life lion a year over the next 5 years. We should story. Thank God nobody gave up on him. create new market venture capital firms to So I ask you to help me pass this provision bring capital and technical assistance to small of my budget, which would help us to give businesses in distressed areas. another 200,000 people the dignity of work, Thousands—literally thousands and thou- and reinforce the new markets initiative by sands of opportunities of entrepreneurs in making sure people are actually able to work this country just need a little capital and a if we can get the investment opportunities little guidance to expand their businesses and to them. to create new jobs. All told, this new markets We have to do more to clean up aban- initiative will bring $15 billion in new private doned industrial sites and redevelop them. sector investment, our most significant op- My balanced budget proposes an abandoned portunity in years to break the cycle of pov- buildings initiative that will help you acceler- erty and joblessness in the neighborhoods ate your efforts to clean up brownfields and where unemployment is still too high, and deal with sites with old and unused buildings that 5.6 percent does not mean anything. I and turn them into places of opportunity. ask you to help me make sure it means some- Now, every one of these initiatives will re- thing from now on to every American in quire Democrats and Republicans to work every community. together to get through Congress. And every We have to do more. I announced in the one requires Congress to act; I do not write the checks in America. [Laughter] So I need State of the Union that welfare is at its lowest your help, across party lines. These things level in three decades. Caseloads have been should be American initiatives. They relate cut nearly in half. That’s the good news. The to human potential and private initiative and bad news is that the remaining number of private sector investment. people on welfare who are able-bodied and Second, we have to do more to keep our who are required under the law to seek work cities safer. I thank the mayor for what she will very often be harder to place, at least said about your position on drug testing. I in terms of either their educational level, don’t think people ought to be paroled in their skills level, or their difficulty in getting the first place unless they’ve been tested, and transportation to work, or perhaps they have they’re drug-free. And I believe when they’re more children, and therefore it’s more dif- on parole, if they had a drug problem in the ficult to support child care. first place, they should be tested and should And yet we have seen evidence—I think have to stay drug-free to stay out of prison, either Secretary Shalala or Janet Yellen in because I think it will keep your cities safer. one of the weekly economic reports quoted You look at the numbers that the Attorney a report to me recently which said that we General gives me all the time, just look at had some evidence now that even hard-to- the Federal prison system and the way that place—people that you would type as hard- it’s grown and the number of people there to-place welfare recipients—are actually who are there because of drug-related of- being placed, being trained, and doing quite fenses, and the numbers are bigger and the well, thank you, where the unemployment percentages are worse in State facilities. And rate is low and the markets are so tight that I despaired for a long time—I ran a big pris- employers had to be out and train them and on system when I was a Governor for 12 provide the kinds of tools necessary to give years, and I dramatically increased the size them a chance to go to work. of it. And every year I got sicker and sicker So again I say, I think it is very important to see great world-class facilities being built that no public official get up here and according to Federal court guidelines for my disempower hundreds of thousands of Amer- prisoners, while my kids were going to school icans by saying, ‘‘Well, now we have creamed in second-class facilities, many of which were everybody off the top, and these other folks, too old even to be hooked up to the Internet. we’ll just have to give up on them.’’ If we But the point I want to make is this: I don’t had time, I’d have my mayor here, my new favor putting people in inhumane conditions,

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but I think we’re wasting our time if we think ployed. Obviously, you know from the other we can keep jailing our way out of this situa- program, we’ll do our best to create the larg- tion in the same old way. That’s the point est number of police possible as quickly as I’m trying to make. And we’ll have more to possible to do this. say about that later. But let’s begin with first We also want to enlist probation and pa- things first, with this drug testing initiative. role officers, school officials, faith-based or- Secondly, with, I think, the superb part- ganizations in active attempts to prevent nership between the Justice Department and crime in the first place. We want to give your the local communities, we’re going to achieve police more high-tech tools to fight crime, our goal this year of those 100,000 commu- from digital mug shots to crime-mapping nity police, under budget and ahead of computers in squad cars. For years, we have schedule. I wish I had a list of everything seen—you can see in any movie, drug dealers everybody who ever voted against that bill using pagers, scam artists using the Internet, in 1994 said. ‘‘Oh, this will never work.’’ ‘‘Oh, gangs with high-tech weapons. I think the what will happen?’’ ‘‘Oh, the mayors will hate police ought to have access to the same tech- you for doing this.’’ ‘‘Oh, how can you do nology that their adversaries do. this?’’ I wish I had a list of all that stuff. I also thank you for what you’re doing to [Laughter] The people that were opposed to take guns out of the hands of criminals, and that, they practically swole up and died when I ask you not to relent. There is still almost— it was passed. You would have thought it was and it’s still bewildering to me, but there is the worst thing that ever happened. [Laugh- almost a culture war still going on out their ter] over all these issues. I ask for your support And I am so grateful to you for what you as we seek to restore the 5-day waiting period have done with the police program. We for buying a handgun, to extend the Brady worked with you all the way, you and your bill to violent juveniles, to pass legislation to law enforcement officials. I’m going to give require child safety trigger locks. These are a 21st century crime bill to Congress that three things we can do to save lives. No one will focus on, now, how we can make our is trying to stop anybody from their legiti- communities even safer. mate right to hunt or have weapons, but we It’s fine to say that crime is at a 30-year need to pass these bills. And I ask for your low. If you’re a victim, it’s still too high. And support. no one really believes that the United States, The third thing we need to do is keep compared to other countries, is a safe country working on these schools. Now, as all of you yet. We still have more to do. And no one know, we not only have the most diverse stu- seriously believes that we can really get pri- dent population in history, with one in five vate investment into all those places that of our children with—I’ll say it again—one have been left behind until we get the crime in five of our children in school from immi- rate down. So part of it involves the drug grant families. We have 53 million kids in strategy. Part of it involves, I believe, more school, the largest number ever. Secretary police resources deployed in the toughest Riley loves to say that number and then to areas. And the budget we have will help our look at me and say, ‘‘Well, you baby boomers communities to hire or redeploy somewhere are not the largest generation.’’ [Laughter] between 30,000 and 50,000 police. And I think that’s good because when all And we had the 100,000 number down those kids get out of school, there will be quite good, we thought, and we were being more of them than us and they’ll be able to conservative, and now we know we’re going support me in my old age better. [Laughter] to get there ahead of schedule and under I hope. [Laughter] budget. The reason I give you this rather Now, there are a lot of good things going flexible number—and I said up to 50,000 in on in our schools. I’ve been in the schools the State of the Union—is, obviously, it de- in some of the communities here present. pends upon where those toughest neighbor- Test scores are up across the Nation. But I’ll hoods are, and what the cost per police will just—I’ll give you one—I don’t want to bore be in the neighborhoods where they’re de- you with statistics, because I could talk about

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education all day long, but I just want you know, you’re trying to decide what they do to think about one thing. What does it say at the local level. That is not true. The crime to you that on these international tests, com- bill, as all of you know, was, in effect, written paring the performance of our children in by your local police chiefs and prosecutors math and science, our kids—a representative and mayors. They came to us, and they said, sample of our kids, by race, by income, by this is what works. And Senator Biden and region—a representative sample rank at the others put together a bill that reflected what top of the world on the fourth grade test, you were telling us. drop to the middle in the eighth grade, and There is nothing in this ‘‘Educational Ac- are near the bottom in the twelfth grade? countability Act’’ that we have not been told These children are not dumb. The system at high decibel levels by local educational is failing them, not the other way around. leaders over and over and over again. And And I think it’s important for us to recognize I ask you, if you know—and every one of that. Although you’ve got all of these dedi- you know this is true—if you know that every cated teachers out there, you’ve got schools problem in American education has been where everyone is succeeding, where they’re solved by somebody somewhere, and you all doing well on these exams, where they’re know there are certain common elements to all going to college. the solution, just as there have to be—and Dick Riley and I have been working for you when you run your cities—a tailor-made more than 20 years together on education construction of it, depending on the facts— now, and I always told him—I always consid- but if you know there are common elements, ered—to me the most frustrating thing to me how in the world can you keep giving people about working in education is that every sin- a check whether those elements are there gle problem has been solved by somebody or not? If you know that we’re not spending somewhere. And we have simply got to do as much money as we should in education, a better job of replicating success. how in the world can you justify not spending We need to finish the job of hiring 100,000 the money we are spending as well as pos- teachers to have class size smaller in the early sible? grades, or we’ll start losing the ground we’ve This is very serious. Now, you can help gained, with all these kids coming into school us to pass this. But I think it is absolutely and all the teachers retiring. So we made a imperative that we say: no social promotion; big downpayment on 100,000 teachers last quick action to turn around failing schools; year. We need to continue that. We ought qualified teachers; report cards on schools; to pass the bill that would enable you to build discipline codes; don’t say that kids are fail- or modernize 5,000 schools. That’s very im- ures; fix the system. That’s why—Deedee portant. mentioned this—we want to triple the funds Again, I say we should—we have to reau- that you get for the after-school programs, thorize the Elementary and Secondary Edu- more investment for the summer school pro- cation Act this year. And I’m going to pro- grams. pose a dramatic change, and it will be very We know these things work. We know they controversial, maybe right across the political work. We know they work in the poorest spectrum, because I think that we now know neighborhoods. We know they work in cir- what works; we know that there are great cumstances where people say that you can schools in every State in this country; we never turn these schools around. We know know—I’ve been in city after city, including they work. We have no conceivable excuse this one, where I have been blown away by for continuing to invest in what doesn’t work the performance of some schools, even as I and for not investing in what does. I implore get dismayed by the overall numbers. It is you to help me pass a different way of send- time the United States Government started ing Federal funds to invest in our children’s investing in what is working and stopped in- future that will work. vesting in what is not. I also ask you to help me pass the rest I am quite sure I’ll hear the same thing of the budget so we can hook up every class- I heard when we passed the crime bill: You room and library to the Internet. We’re going

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to start getting the e-rate that we fought so can do better. Even though times are good, hard for, so our classrooms, even in the poor we can do better. We can do much better. neighborhoods, and libraries can afford to And we can reach all those neighborhoods hook up to the Internet; to support the and all those people to whom these statistics America Reads program—we now have don’t mean a thing because they haven’t felt 1,000 colleges with young people out in our them. And it’s in everyone else’s interest be- grade schools helping kids learn to read; to cause that’s how we’ll keep the overall Amer- support our Gear Up program—we’ve got ican economy growing. mentors now going into middle schools not Let me just say, parenthetically, I hope you only to tutor and mentor our children but will all support my proposal to set aside the to get them to start thinking about going to surplus till we fix Social Security and Medi- college and to start telling them when they’re care at the same time, not all of it but most in middle school, ‘‘Look, here’s what the law of it—and to do something that we never is. Here’s what aid you can get. Here’s what think about in America, which is paying down the scholarships are. Here’s what the Pell some of the debt. The reason I want to do grants are. You’ve got to start thinking about that, especially now, is, you know about all going to college.’’ this turmoil overseas; you know how a lot I see Mayor Rendell back there; this whole of countries are being punished for having thing was the brainchild of Congressman big deficits; you know what will happen if Chaka Fattah from Philadelphia. And he and we have to have—either they start having ter- I were together with Chaka and a bunch of rible inflation problems or have to have astro- young kids from the inner city not very long nomical interest rates. They won’t be able ago, just sitting around drinking a Coke with to buy as many of our products, and we’ll them. Every single one of these kids wanted have to develop more within our country. to go to college, every one of them, and in- tended to go and believe they could go. And If we fix Social Security and Medicare and we need to do that everywhere in America. do it by actually saving money until we need Fourth, I’d like to talk just briefly about it, so while we’re saving it, we’re paying down the preservation challenge you all face. I the debt, that will keep our interest rates low, talked about this at some length in the State and it will free up money that people in the of the Union, but we’re losing 7,000 acres private sector would otherwise spend buying of green space and farmland every single day. Government debt, to invest in your cities and So I have proposed this billion-dollar livabil- in your neighborhoods. ity agenda to help you save open space, ease So this is a very important part of this traffic congestion, grow in ways that enhance whole economic strategy. If the world econ- the quality of lives of your citizens, including omy resumes growing, we’ll grow even faster. the Better America bonds. Carol Browner If the world economy—and about half the was telling me yesterday, you kind of like world is in a recession now—if the world those Better America bonds—it’s a tax cut economy stays in trouble, we have to find to leverage $91⁄2 billion in private investment ways to keep growing, and one of the ways to clean up brownfields, to have clean air, we can do it is to free up more private sector and to do some other things that I think you money for private sector investment to create know will be very important. So I hope you’ll jobs. So I hope you will support that as well. help us to pass it. It will have a direct impact on your economic I hope you’ll support our billion-dollar well-being, as well as, obviously, it is of con- lands legacy initiative, to preserve places of cern because you want your seniors to do natural beauty all across this country from well and to be—this generation of seniors is the most remote wilderness to the nearest fine, but you want them to do well in the city park. future also. Now, if we can continue in this direction, Let me just make one last point. I know in expanding economic opportunity and im- the First Lady is coming over here to talk proving education and fighting crime, in later today about the millennium. We estab- making our communities more livable, we lished this White House Millennium Council

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as an inspiration for communities and indi- five children, including his mother, the viduals. We’ve done a lot of things here. youngest of the children. And we were talk- We’ve helped to save the Star-Spangled Ban- ing about this incredible dilemma his mother ner and Thomas Edison’s home and other faced because there were homes for orphans, things around the country. We’ve had these but no places for five kids with a single moth- White House Millennium Evenings; they’ve er, and how, at the last moment, when they been utterly fascinating. The famous physi- were destitute, she was rescued by this com- cist, Stephen Hawking, came over from Eng- munity church in Philadelphia. It was a very land and talked to us about the nature of moving story. time and black holes in the universe, and all But we now have this in our consciousness, these things we’d find out in the 21st century and we know that the 20th century, basically, that I could barely understand. It was fas- was the urbanizing, the industrializing of cinating. America, a new wave of immigrants coming We had, early this week, we had two histo- in, and how we had to meet those challenges. rians of religion come and talk about what And this time gives us a time to think again. the millennium meant to people, from a phil- We can create the community of our dreams osophical and religious sense a thousand in this country at the turn of this century. years ago, and what it might mean today. And the magnitude of the moment is height- Wynton Marsalis came and conducted a sem- ened by the fact that it is also the turn of inar on the history of jazz, and how it em- a millennium. bodied this last century and what it might But we must not see our present prosper- mean for the next century. These things have ity from the perspective of self-satisfaction. been fascinating. But the millennium will We should say, thank goodness we happen never have its full meaning to us unless it to be in positions of responsibility, when we is played out in every single community. have an opportunity the people who came Now, I know most of you are planning to before us never had. do something, but I would urge you to plan Do you know how many people were may- more than a celebration on New Year’s Eve. ors of your cities or who held the office of You will all be invited by her to receive na- President, in this century, who would have tional designation as millennium commu- given anything—anything—to have had the nities by launching projects to save your his- chance to do what is right before our eyes? tory, honor your arts and humanities, prepare I think we ought to do it. your children for the new century. I hope Thank you very much. you will do that. Often, when a century turns, it marks a NOTE. The President spoke at 9:50 a.m. in the turning point in how people see themselves East Room at the White House. In his remarks, in the world. Maybe all we do is catch up he referred to Mayor Deedee Corradini of Salt to what’s already going on, but it gives us Lake City, UT; Mayor Wellington Webb of Den- a chance to sort of stop and think and try ver, CO; Mayor Brent Coles of Boise, ID; Mayor to see patterns in our existence. If you look Edward Rendell of Philadelphia, PA; and author at the turn of the last century, we now see and public management consultant David that it was a time of enormous creation and Osborne. identification by cities: the world’s first Co- lumbian Exposition in Chicago; the unifica- tion of the five boroughs of New York; the Statement on the Transportation rebuilding of San Francisco after the earth- Department’s Disadvantaged quake. In the early years of the 20th century, Business Enterprise Program America really became a melting pot. January 29, 1999 I heard a fascinating story with a friend of mine the other day. Both his sets of grand- For 6 years, our administration has worked parents were Italian immigrants, and his hard to give more Americans the tools to grandfather died right after he came over make the most of their lives. Today I am here, leaving his grandmother homeless with pleased to announce that the Department of

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Transportation is reforming and strengthen- complicated and can occur when perpetra- ing a program designed to open the doors tors hide or fail to disclose essential informa- of economic opportunity for those who have tion to consumers. By stealing consumers’ too often been shut out. credit identities, criminals can run up huge The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise debts and ruin their victims’ credit records. program gives thousands of minority-owned And credit fraud costs all of us in higher in- and women-owned business an opportunity terest rates and fees. to compete for State and local contracts to The best defense we have against credit maintain our roads, construct new highways, fraud is education. The Federal Trade Com- and improve public transportation, among mission (FTC), the National Association of many other projects. Consumer Agency Administrators, the U.S. After carefully considering hundreds of Postal Inspection Service, the American As- comments and suggestions from local lead- sociation of Retired Persons, the National ers, business owners, and citizens from across Consumers League, the Consumer Federa- the country, the Transportation Department tion of America, and the National Association has amended the DBE rules to ensure that of Attorneys General are working in partner- this vitally important program works more ship to inform Americans about the dangers fairly, more efficiently, and meets all con- of credit fraud. As part of this effort, the FTC stitutional requirements. The new rule is an and its partners offer information on-line, by excellent example of our efforts to mend, not telephone, and in writing to alert consumers end, affirmative action. I applaud the hard about the warning signs of credit fraud and work and dedication of Secretary Slater and how to protect themselves against it. The his staff to make sure that all Americans can FTC, in cooperation with State Attorneys share in this time of prosperity. General and the Internal Revenue Service, is also actively prosecuting credit fraud cases Proclamation 7164—National that target some of our most vulnerable citi- Consumer Protection Week, 1999 zens. I encourage all Americans to learn more January 29, 1999 about credit fraud, to read their credit re- By the President of the United States ports carefully, to protect such personal in- of America formation as their bank account, credit card, and Social Security numbers, and to know A Proclamation how to recognize the characteristics of fraud- Consumers are too often the target of un- ulent proposals. By using credit wisely and fair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices. Mod- remaining alert to the possibility of credit ern advances in telecommunications and fraud, we can better protect the well-being marketing technology have dramatically in- of our families and preserve our financial creased both the sophistication and the po- health and security. tential threat of such practices. Perpetrators Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, of fraud can reach consumers across the President of the United States of America, country through the Internet, on television, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the telephone, or by direct mail, misrepre- the Constitution and the laws of the United senting themselves as legitimate business States, do hereby proclaim January 31 people. Because their proposals appear le- through February 6, 1999, as National Con- gitimate, these unscrupulous operators fre- sumer Protection Week. I call upon govern- quently succeed in cheating vulnerable con- ment officials, industry leaders, consumer ad- sumers out of hard-earned dollars. vocates, and the American people to partici- One of the most damaging fraudulent pate in programs that foster credit literacy practices is credit fraud. Credit fraud—steal- and raise public awareness about the dangers ing credit cards or credit identities and cheat- of credit fraud and other deceptive and ing consumers through deceptive or abusive fraudulent practices. lending practices—can be difficult to recog- In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set nize. Fraudulent credit transactions are often my hand this twenty-ninth day of January,

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in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred require the disclosure of classified informa- and ninety-nine, and of the Independence tion. of the United States of America the two hun- Sincerely, dred and twenty-third. William J. Clinton William J. Clinton NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, 8:45 a.m., February 2, 1999] and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.

NOTE: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on February 3. Digest of Other Letter to Congressional Leaders on White House Announcements the United States Air Force Operating Location Near Groom The following list includes the President’s public Lake, Nevada schedule and other items of general interest an- January 29, 1999 nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and not included elsewhere in this issue. Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Consistent with section 6001(a) of the Re- January 23 source Conservation and Recovery Act The President declared a major disaster in (RCRA) (the ‘‘Act’’), as amended, 42 U.S.C. Arkansas and ordered Federal aid to supple- 6961(a), notification is hereby given that on ment State and local recovery efforts in the September 25, 1998, I issued Presidential area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and Determination No. 98–36 (copy attached) high winds on January 21 and continuing. and thereby exercised the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of January 24 the Act. In the morning, the President traveled to Presidential Determination No. 98–36 ex- Little Rock, AR, to inspect tornado damage empted the United States Air Force’s operat- in the surrounding areas. In the afternoon, ing location near Groom Lake, Nevada, from he traveled to Beebe, AR, where he in- any Federal, State, interstate, or local hazard- spected tornado damage there. ous or solid waste laws that might require In the evening, the President returned to the disclosure of classified information con- Washington, DC. cerning that operating location to unauthor- ized persons. Information concerning activi- January 25 ties at the operating location near Groom The President declared a major disaster in Lake has been properly determined to be Mississippi and ordered Federal aid to sup- classified, and its disclosure would be harm- plement State and local recovery efforts in ful to national security. Continued protection the area struck by severe winter storms, ice, of this information is, therefore, in the para- and freezing rain on December 22–26, 1998. mount interest of the United States. January 26 The determination was not intended to In the morning, the President and Hillary imply that in the absence of a Presidential Clinton traveled to St. Louis, MO. In the exemption, RCRA or any other provision of evening, they returned to Washington, DC. law permits or requires the disclosure of clas- The President announced his intention to sified information to unauthorized persons. appoint Rudy de Leon as a member of the The determination also was not intended to National Partnership Council. limit the applicability or enforcement of any requirement of law applicable to the Air January 27 Force’s operating location near Groom Lake In the afternoon, the President met with except those provisions, if any, that would President-elect Hugo Chavez of Venezuela

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in National Security Adviser Samuel R. of Ministers, for an official working visit on Berger’s office. March 5. In the evening, the President and Hillary Clinton hosted a dinner for the Nation’s mili- January 29 tary leaders in the State Dining Room. In the morning, the President had a tele- The White House announced that the phone conversation with Prime Minister Atal President invited President Jerry John Behari Vajpayee of India concerning India- Rawlings of Ghana for a state visit on Feb- U.S. relations and nonproliferation. ruary 24. The President announced his intention to The White House announced that the appoint Evelyne R. Villines as a member of President will travel to Manchester, NH on the Committee for Purchase From People February 18. Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. The President announced his intention to The White House announced that the appoint John C. Pierce and Joyce Van President will travel to Boston, MA, and New Schaack as members of the Christopher Co- York City on February 2. lumbus Fellowship Foundation. The President announced his intention to appoint Joseph (Jody) Trapasso as a member of the Community Adjustment and Invest- Nominations ment Program Advisory Committee. Submitted to the Senate The President announced his intention to appoint Edward F. Hartfield and Mary E. Jacksteit as members of the Federal Service The following list does not include promotions of Impasses Panel. members of the Uniformed Services, nominations The President announced his intention to to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- appoint W. Peter Conroy to serve as the Al- eign Service officers. ternate Federal Commissioner to the Apa- lachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Submitted January 26 Compact Commission and to the Alabama- Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin Compact Marsha L. Berzon, Commission. of California, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for The President declared an emergency in the Ninth Circuit, vice John T. Noonan, Jr., Michigan and ordered Federal aid to supple- retired. ment State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by near-record snow on January Legrome D. Davis, 2 and continuing. of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, vice January 28 Edmund V. Ludwig, retired. In the afternoon, the President traveled to Barbara Durham, Oakton, VA, and later, he returned to Wash- of Washington, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for ington, DC. the Ninth Circuit, vice Betty Binns Fletcher, The President announced his intention to retired. nominate Robert W. Gee to be Assistant Sec- retary for Fossil Energy at the Department Timothy B. Dyk, of Energy. of the District of Columbia, to be U.S. Cir- The President announced his intention to cuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, vice Glenn appoint Steven W. Percy as a member of the L. Archer, Jr., retired. President’s Council on Sustainable Develop- ment. Keith P. Ellison, The White House announced that the of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the President invited Prime Minister Massimo Southern District of Texas, vice Norman W. D’Alema of Italy, President of the Council Black, retired.

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Gary Allen Feess, Ronnie L. White, of California, to be U.S. District Judge for of Missouri, to be U.S. District Judge for the the Central District of California, vice James Eastern District of Missouri, vice George F. M. Ideman, retired. Gunn, Jr., retired. Submitted January 29 Barry P. Goode, of California, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for Robert Wayne Gee, the Ninth Circuit, vice Charles E. Wiggins, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of En- retired. ergy (Fossil Energy), vice Patricia Fry Godley, resigned. Ronald M. Gould, of Washington, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, vice Robert R. Beezer, re- tired. Checklist William J. Hibbler, of White House Press Releases of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, vice James H. The following list contains releases of the Office Alesia, retired. of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as items nor covered by entries in the Digest of Matthew F. Kennelly, Other White House Announcements. of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, vice Paul E. Released January 23 Plunkett, retired. Statement by the Press Secretary: Situation Lynette Norton, in Romania of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for Released January 25 the Western District of Pennsylvania, vice Maurice B. Cohill, Jr., retired. Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- retary Joe Lockhart Richard A. Paez, Transcript of a press briefing by Health and of California, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, the Ninth Circuit, vice Cecil F. Poole, re- Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, and Assist- signed. ant to the President for Domestic Policy Planning Bruce Reed on welfare-to-work Virginia A. Phillips, funding in the budget of California, to be U.S. District Judge for Released January 26 the Central District of California, vice Wil- liam M. Byrne, Jr., retired. Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- retary Joe Lockhart Stefan R. Underhill, Transcript of a press briefing by Assistant of Connecticut, to be U.S. District Judge for Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs P.J. the District of Connecticut, vice Peter C. Crowley on the President’s meeting with Dorsey, retired. Pope John Paul II T. John Ward, Statement by the Press Secretary: President of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the Clinton’s Meeting With His Holiness Pope Eastern District of Texas, vice William John Paul II Wayne Justice, retired. Announcement of renomination for six U.S. Court of Appeals Judges and six U.S. District Helene N. White, Judges, and nomination of two U.S. Court of Michigan, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the of Appeals Judges and four U.S. District Sixth Circuit, vice Damon J. Keith, retired. Judges

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Released January 27 Transcript of remarks by Housing and Urban Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo on retary Lockhart the President’s meeting with the U.S. Con- ference of Mayors Transcript of a press briefing by NSC Senior Director for Inter-American Affairs Jim Advance text of remarks by National Eco- Dobbins on the visit of President-elect Cha- nomic Council Director Gene Sperling to the vez of Venezuela National Press Club Statement by the Press Secretary: State Visit by President Rawlings of Ghana Released January 28 Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- Acts Approved retary Joe Lockhart by the President Statement by the Press Secretary: Visit of Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema of Italy NOTE: No acts approved by the President were Released January 29 received by the Office of the Federal Register Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- during the period covered by this issue. retary Joe Lockhart

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