Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 / May 17 1099

And I’m telling you, that is the kind of Again’’: ‘‘Oh yes, I say it plain, America never thing we have to deal with, knowing that was America to me. And yet I swear this oath, there is no ultimate perfect answer but that America will be.’’ Let that be our oath on we expect something that will not occur if this 40th anniversary celebration. we think we can simply advocate the ideas Thank you, and God bless you all. that are embodied in the Brown decision and not change our own behavior and the behav- NOTE: The President spoke at 8:15 p.m. in the ior of our country to give our kids a safe and International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton. decent and well-educated childhood to put In his remarks, he referred to Elaine R. Jones, director counsel, LDEF; Rabbi David Saperstein, things back together again. There is no alter- director, Religious Action Center, Union of Amer- native for us if we want to keep this country ican Hebrew Congregations; , din- together and we want, 100 years from now, ner chairman; Dan Rather, dinner host; Cecelia people to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Marshall, widow of Supreme Court Justice Brown v. Board of Education in the greatest ; William T. Coleman, former country the world has ever known, fully di- Secretary of Transportation; Jack Greenberg, Co- verse, where everybody, all God’s children, lumbia University law professor; Julius L. Cham- can live up to the fullest of their God-given bers, chancellor of North Carolina Central Uni- potential. versity; Robert Bennett and Chester Davenport, And in order to do it, we all have to over- dinner corporate cochairs; Ernest Green, one of the who integrated the public come a fair measure not only of fear but of school system in Little Rock, AR; Thurgood Mar- resignation. There are so many of us today, shall, Jr., Deputy Counsel and Director of Legisla- and all of us in some ways at some times, tive Affairs for the Vice President; and Minister who just don’t believe we can tackle the big Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. things and make a difference. But I tell you, the only thing for us to do to honor those whom we honor tonight is to tackle the big Memorandum on Assistance to things and make a difference. the International Tribunal for I’m proud that Elaine Jones and all the the Former Yugoslavia rest of you are trying to deal forthrightly with the problem of violence and the fear it pro- May 16, 1994 duces and what it’s doing to drive our people apart. I want you to think about what we can Presidential Determination No. 94–25 do to honor the sacrifices of those whose Memorandum for the Secretary of State shoulders we stand on tonight. They did not Subject: Drawdown of Commodities and do all this work to preside over the collapse Services to Assist the International Tribunal of American society, to give people an equal for the Former Yugoslavia opportunity to get an inferior education, to give people an equal opportunity to be un- Pursuant to section 548(e) of the Foreign employed, to give people an equal oppor- Operations, Export Financing, and Related tunity to stand on the street corner and be Programs Appropriations Act, 1994 (Titles I– gunned down by some kid that nobody ever V of Public Law 103–87) (the ‘‘Act’’), I here- loved enough or disciplined enough or cared by: enough about to give a different way of living direct that the provision of commodities to. and services to the United Nations War We cannot stand chaos and destruction, Crimes Tribunal will contribute to a just but we must not embrace hatred and divi- resolution of charges regarding geno- sion. We have only one choice. cide or other violations of international Let me read this to you in closing. It seems law in the former Yugoslavia; and to me to capture the spirit of Brown and the direct the drawdown of commodities spirit of America and what we have to do and services of an aggregate value not today, starting with what is in our heart. to exceed $6 million from the inventory These are lines from ’ won- and resources of the Departments of derful poem ‘‘Let America Be America State, Justice, and Defense, the Federal

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Bureau of Investigation, the Central In- The President. We are working on this telligence Agency, and other agencies of whaling issue. You know, the United States the U.S. Government under the author- has taken a position opposed to commercial ity of section 552(c) of the Foreign As- whaling, and we’re working through this with sistance Act of 1961, as amended, and, Norway. The Vice President and I had a con- as provided in section 548(e) of the Act, versation about it this morning. We are work- without regard to the ceiling limitation ing through the issue, and we feel com- contained in paragraph (2) thereof. fortable about what we’re doing. We think Amounts to be drawn down from each we’re doing the right thing. agency shall be decided by that agency Q. [Inaudible]—environmental groups say and the Department of State. you—— You are authorized and directed to notify The President. Some environmental the Congress of this determination and to groups do. The most mainstream environ- publish it in the Federal Register. mental groups have not joined these rather William J. Clinton extreme claims that have been made against our country. Give us a chance to work NOTE: This item was released by the Office of through this. I think we’ll come out in the the Press Secretary on May 17. right place. Q. Madam Prime Minister, do you agree Exchange With Reporters Prior to with the Commerce Department’s opinion Discussions With Prime Minister Gro that your country’s resumption of whaling Harlem Brundtland of Norway goes against efforts to save the whale, so to speak? May 17, 1994 Prime Minister Brundtland. No, I cer- Interest Rates tainly don’t. We would never have a policy which is not in accordance with international Q. Mr. President, the Federal Reserve law. We would never have a policy which seems likely to increase interest rates today. is not long-term sustainable development, How is that going to affect economic growth not on this issue, not on any other. and your calculations for deficit reduction if you have to spend more to service a $4 tril- [At this point, one group of reporters left the lion debt? room, and another group entered.] The President. Well, first of all, if it hap- pens, it will be because we have growth. I Q. [Inaudible]—whaling, Mr. President? mean, now let’s get the fundamental facts out The President. We are working—we’ll here. We have more jobs, lower inflation, and work through that. I have confidence that we a lower deficit and expectations for high will be able to work through it. growth this year, good growth. Q. Mr. President, in that letter to Con- And so—I make it a practice generally not gress last October, you said that you’re going to comment on what the Fed does. There to work with Norway to create an inspection is clearly some room for short-term interest regime for commercial whaling within sci- rates over the rate of inflation that won’t slow entific limits. Is that still the U.S. position? down our economic growth. And I have every The President. What were you going to confidence that we’re still going to have an- say, Mr. Vice President? other good year this year and that we will The Vice President. I was going to say, be able to offset any modest increase in inter- we’re opposed to commercial whaling. We est rates with increased growth. And so far— have always been committed to good, sound I talked to Mr. Panetta yesterday—we’re well science. And as the President said, we’re within our projections on deficit reduction. working with Norway to work through this issue. We’re opposed to commercial whaling. Norway We hope that we’ll also, incidentally, be able Q. Mr. President, have you ruled out the to establish a sanctuary in Antarctica. We possibility of sanctions against Norway be- hope Norway will support that. But we’re just cause of whaling? going to work through the issue.

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