Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / June 19 1407 [Laughter] And the Republicans agree with American public and to conceal information them, and the Democrats in the Senate basi- about the effects of smoking. cally agree with me. And I come from aÐ The Congress, in its appropriations bills, I had my first .22 when I was 12. But I think is undermining this lawsuit by preventing the there's evidence here, in the lower crime rate agencies that have been harmed and that and the less violence, and I don't think this could recover billionsÐthe Defense Depart- country is safe enough. But I just want you ment, the Veterans Administration, and the to remember that. Department of Health and Human Serv- It's a big election, just as important as '92 icesÐfrom providing any support. If Con- and '96. I think the question is, what are we gress cuts off funding for this lawsuit or inter- going to do with our prosperity? There are feres with the Justice Department's pursuit real differences with real consequences. But of the lawsuit, Congress will be capitulating only one party really wants you to know what to the tobacco industry once again at the ex- the differences are. I think that's a pretty pense of taxpayers and their children. good argument for our side. It would be wrong for Congress to under- Thank you very much. mine the authority of the Department of Jus- tice and block this lawsuit rather than allow NOTE: The President spoke at 4:53 p.m. at a pri- vate residence. In his remarks, he referred to re- it to be decided on its merits in court. I call ception hosts Roy M. Spence, Jr., and his wife, on Congress to support rather than under- Mary; musician Ray Benson; former Governors mine these efforts and allow the Justice De- Ann Richards and Dolph Briscoe, Jr., of Texas; partment to keep working to give taxpayers former Representative J. J. (Jake) Pickle; former their day in court. Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro and his wife, Judith; Gov. George W. Bush of Texas; U.S. Senatorial candidate George Allen; and Charlton Statement on Greece's Entry Into Heston, president, National Rifle Association. the Economic and Monetary Union June 19, 2000 Statement on Congressional Action on the Tobacco Settlement Lawsuit I congratulate Prime Minister Simitis and June 19, 2000 the Greek people on the decision today at the EU Summit in Portugal to bring Greece Last year the Department of Justice filed into the EU's Economic and Monetary a civil lawsuit against the tobacco companies Union (EMU), effective January 1, 2001. to recover the billions of dollars the Federal Reaching agreement to become a full mem- Government spends each year on tobacco- ber of the EMU a year before the euro cur- related health care costs. Tobacco-caused rency is introduced demonstrates Greece's diseases kill more than 400,000 Americans remarkable economic progress in recent each year and cost billions in health care years. This economic success complements costs, including more than $20 billion in Fed- Greece's increasingly active political role eral payments under Medicare and other within the EU. programs. The Justice Department's suit Through determination and hard work, would simply hold the tobacco industry fi- Greece succeeded in meeting all the nancially responsible for reimbursement of Maastricht Treaty economic criteria. Entry these costs. into the EMU is not the end of the race but The suit is based on overwhelming evi- the start of a challenging new phase of eco- dence, much of it from the tobacco industry's nomic reform. We wish the Hellenic Repub- own documents. This evidence shows that lic every success as it moves ahead and hope the tobacco companies have conspired over this will usher in a new era of increased trade the past 50 years to defraud and mislead the and investment between our two nations. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 06:25 Jun 30, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\PD26JN00.000 ATX006 PsN: ATX006 1408 June 19 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 Statement on Easing Sanctions President. [Laughter] That was probably the Against North Korea last song he'll ever sing for me. [Laughter] I also want to tell you how much I admire June 19, 2000 and appreciate the work that I've had the Since last September, when I announced chance to do with Tom Daschle and Bob the measures being implemented today to Torricelli and Chuck Robb and Pat Leahy ease sanctions against North Korea, North and Ron Wyden. We really do have a big Korea has maintained its moratorium on mis- percentageÐover 10 percent of our caucus sile tests. These measures are supported by here tonight. And maybe Ann is right; maybe our close allies in the region and are part it's because Texas needs Senators, and we of the process of close coordination between need money, but for whatever reason, they're the United States, Japan, and South Korea here. And I hope you'll take advantage of recommended by former Secretary of De- it. fense William Perry. We will continue to Let me say, as is usually the case when build on these efforts and on the recent I get up to speak, everything that needs to North-South summit to achieve additional be said has already been said, but not every- progress in addressing our common pro- one has said it. [Laughter] But I'd like to liferation concerns. just make a comment or two, if I might. First of all, I've had a lot of friends here in Texas, and especially in Austin. And as I Remarks at a Democratic Senatorial look back on the last 71¤2 years and I look Campaign Committee Dinner in forward to the next, approximately, 7 months Austin I have to serve, I would just like to say, thank June 19, 2000 you. Thank you for your help. Thank you for staying with us. Thank you for giving me and Thank you. I feelÐfirst of all, I feel a little Al Gore and Hillary and Tipper and our en- sorry for all of you. You have to look at me, tire administration the chance to do what and I'm looking at all this, behind you. we've done for the last 71¤2 years. I've had [Laughter] a wonderful time doing it, and I am very I want to thank Lynn and Tom for making grateful that the results turned out to be us feel so welcome in this beautiful, beautiful pretty good for you, as well as for us. It's place. And I want to thank them and Ben been a joy. and Melanie and everyone else who worked Now, I also want to say to you that I on this dinner tonight, for its success. I want thought a lot back in 1992 about what I to thank Roy and Mary Spence, who hosted would like America to be like in 2000, if I me earlier, for the Democratic Senate can- should be fortunate enough to be elected and didates and for what they did. to be reelected. And I believe that one of Thank you, Mayor Watson; we're glad to the reasons that we had some success is that be here. Thank you, Governor Richards. I'd worked as a Governor for a dozen years, Thank you, Garry Mauro. Thank you, Liz through very difficult economic times. I had Carpenter, my old friend. Thank you, B. and had a chance to try to come to grips with Audrey Rapoport; and Dan Morales and John the major economic and educational and Sharp. Thank you, all. And I'd like to say other challenges of the day. And I had a pret- a special word of thanks to Luci Johnson and, ty clear idea about what I wanted to do if through her, to her mother and her entire I got elected. And it turned out that the ideas family for what they have meant to the that I and many others who worked with me United States. over a decade developed worked pretty well. And I want to thank Lyle Lovett for being I say that to make this point. I'm glad that a good Democrat and a good friend to me, we've got the longest economic expansion in and always being there when I've needed history. I'm very glad that we have the lowest him over the years. He made me think that minority unemployment rate ever recorded. even on my bad-hair days, I could still be I am profoundly grateful that we have a 20- VerDate 11-MAY-2000 06:25 Jun 30, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\PD26JN00.000 ATX006 PsN: ATX006.