Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 / Oct. 28 I call on the Congress to act—before it ad- the Congress to resolve the issues and agree journs for the year—on a multi-year reauthoriza- on a multi-year bill. tion bill that will give transportation planners WILLIAM J. CLINTON and decision-makers the assurance of multi-year funding levels that they can use to continue The White House, to improve America’s vital transportation net- October 27, 1997. work. My Administration stands ready to assist NOTE: H.R. 2169, approved October 27, was as- signed Public Law No. 105–66. Remarks at a Birthday Party for the First Lady in Chicago, Illinois October 27, 1997 The President. Thank you very much. You can doing other unbelievable things. They may well hear I’m a little hoarse tonight, but I’ll do my make a larger chapter in the history of this best to be heard over the din. Let me say to city, but you will never have a kinder, better, all of you, first of all, thank you, Mr. Mayor; warmer gesture than the one you’ve given Hil- thank you, Mrs. Daley; thank you, Lois lary today, and I will never forget it as long Weisberg. I thank all the committee, everybody as I live. Thank you very, very much. who had anything to do with this day today. Audience member. Four more years! You have made Hillary and, I might say, her The President. It’s not constitutional. [Laugh- mother and her brothers who came with her ter] today—you’ve made their whole family very I want to ask Hillary to come up now. You happy. This has been an unforgettable day in have to remember—this birthday—she wore it her life, and I am profoundly grateful to all lightly for a long time, but her staff started of you, and I thank you very much. celebrating it 50 days before the event. They You know, before I met Hillary, you could wanted her to recognize precisely how old she put what I knew about Chicago in a thimble was by giving her one present a day for 50 and have space left over. [Laughter] About a days up to the blessed event—[laughter]—which week after I met Hillary, I thought there was occurred yesterday. Now she’s still celebrating no other city on the face of the Earth. [Laugh- it as if she’s going to hold on for dear life. ter] I’ll never forget the first time I came here [Laughter] Whatever she wants to do, I’m for. to visit Hillary. I remember only two things: Ladies and gentlemen, our First Lady. her father would not come outside to say hello to me—[laughter]—which I thought showed NOTE: The President spoke at 9:25 p.m. in Gar good judgment on his part—[laughter]—and she Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center. In his re- took me to Chicago and showed me the city. marks, he referred to Mayor Richard M. Daley And I fell in love with it then—that was a long of Chicago and his wife, Margaret; Chicago Com- time ago now—and I have been ever since. missioner of Culture Affairs Lois Weisberg; and This is a magnificent place. You have done the First Lady’s mother, Dorothy Rodham, and unbelievable things. You’re in the process of brothers Tony Rodham and Hugh Rodham, Jr. Remarks at Oscar Mayer Elementary School in Chicago October 28, 1997 Thank you very much. Thank you, Evaline, livan. Mr. Blitstein, thank you for welcoming and thank you, Mary. Thank you, Maggie Sul- me here. 1439 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 09:40 Oct 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00545 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\PUBPAPER\PUB_TEXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Oct. 28 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 I have been officially welcomed. [Laughter] fact that crime is down 5 years in a row, that I have my Oscar Mayer wiener here. When Hil- we have the lowest percentage of people on lary was teaching me about Chicago so long welfare we’ve had since 1970—millions of peo- ago, we learned to sing the Oscar Mayer song. ple have left the rolls—on education, we know [Laughter] we’ve got a lot more to do to make sure all Congressman, Mayor, Mr. Chico, Mr. Vallas, children receive the world-class education they Ms. Buckney, Alderman Bernardina, Alderman deserve to thrive in the information economy O’Connor, Recorder White. I don’t know if my of the 21st century. That’s why I’ve put edu- friend John Stroger is here or not, but if he cational excellence and opportunity at the top is, hello. I am delighted to be here today. of America’s agenda, and that’s why I’ve come As all of you know, I’m sure, my wife had to Oscar Mayer school, to thank the mayor, the a wonderful day in Chicago yesterday, and her principals, the teachers, the students, the par- whole family was here. And I was regaled with ents, and the people of Chicago for leading this it last night, everything that happened. Chicago crusade. is a really special place, and the people who Because of what you are doing, the city that are tied to it have this almost psychic energy, works now has a school system on the move. I think, about what’s going on. Chicago has shown us that having high expecta- For example, on the way into Chicago, my tions for our children, setting high standards brother-in-law told me, he said, ‘‘I’ve got good and holding students accountable for them, and feelings about this.’’ He said, ‘‘I even think the above all, making sure we stay at it systemati- Bears are going to win.’’ [Laughter] I swear cally, school-by-school, child-by-child—Chicago he did. So there is something quite mystical has shown us that this works. about all this but also something very wonderful. I thank you for letting me come here. By abolishing the destructive practice of social I wanted to be here today because this school promotion and giving all children the chance is the embodiment of the effort that I have to learn what they need to know, Chicago is asked Americans to make to prepare our country leading the way to an educated America in for the 21st century, to make sure we have which every 8-year-old can read independently, an America where every person who is respon- every 12-year-old can log on to the Internet, sible enough to work for it can live the Amer- every 18-year-old can go on to college, every ican dream, where we’re still strong enough to adult can keep on learning for a lifetime. That lead the world for peace and freedom and pros- is the vision I want for every American commu- perity, and where we look across all of our di- nity, and Chicago is leading the way. versity and come together as one America. Last summer, I signed into law the historic I know today a lot of Americans are focused Balanced Budget Act, which will help to bring on the stock market. It may be disappointing, us closer to these goals. It will open the doors but I think it is neither prudent nor appropriate to college for everyone who is willing to work for any President to comment on the hour-by- for it, through more Pell grants and work-study hour or the day-by-day movements of the mar- positions, better student loans, tax-free edu- ket. I’d like to ask all of us to remember that cation IRA’s, the HOPE scholarship, and other our economy is as strong and vibrant today as tax credits for all forms of education after high it has been in a generation. We saw yesterday school. We’re also well on our way to putting that our deficit has come down to $22 billion computers in all our classrooms by the year 2000 from $290 billion. That’s the lowest since 1970. and hooking them up to the Internet. With unemployment and inflation at their But none of it will matter if our children lowest levels in two decades, businesses and don’t master the basics. That’s why I’m fighting banks healthy and sound, new jobs being created to bring our America Reads program to every every day, our economy is continuing to grow community in the country, gathering an army steady and strong. That’s why we have to feel of volunteers led by our AmeriCorps young peo- confident and continue our economic strategy. ple to go in and offer to tutor one-on-one all We’ve got to balance the budget, expand trade, children who are having trouble reading. Today, and invest in the education of all our people. we already have 800 colleges, tens of thousands Now, on that last score—in spite of all the of students who are moving into our schools economic progress we’re making, in spite of the and supporting our children in this way. 1440 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 09:40 Oct 19, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00546 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\PUBPAPER\PUB_TEXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 / Oct. 28 I’m also fighting to introduce more choice got about the Chicago school system was the and competition into our public schools and to annual strike.