Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / Feb. 22 of some complex, high-tech glitch. We just want world’s best health care system much better for to make sure people can read the prescriptions. all Americans. Two out of three of these errors can be elimi- This is a worthy endeavor. It is one that, nated. as you see, will be bipartisan, and one that I Taken together, these actions represent the am committed to seeing through. Thank you most significant effort our Nation has ever made all for being here, and let’s get about the busi- to reduce medical errors. It’s a balanced, com- ness of doing this. monsense approach based on prevention, not Thank you. punishment; on problemsolving, not blame-plac- ing. NOTE: The President spoke at 12:53 p.m. in Presi- If we can do this and pass a strong, enforce- dential Hall in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Execu- able Patients’ Bill of Rights, we will have gone tive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred a long way toward ensuring quality health care to Barbara A. Blakeney, first vice president, Amer- for all Americans in the 21st century. Just think ican Nurses Association, who introduced the about it. We can cut preventable medical errors President; John M. Eisenberg, Administrator, in half in 5 years, reduce concerns about law- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and suits and about medical mistakes, avoid needless Paul A. London, Senior Policy Adviser to the Sec- injuries and deaths, save lives, and make the retary, Department of Commerce. Remarks at a Reception for Lieutenant Governor Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware February 22, 2000 The President. Thank you very much, Lieuten- and understands the rest of the world—in other ant Governor Minner, Senator Biden, ladies and words, the three big things you’ve got to do gentlemen. I was sitting here looking at all of if you’re a Senator—there is nobody in the Sen- your faces, and I reached over and whispered ate who can do all three as well as Joe Biden. to Joe Biden, I said, ‘‘You know, I really like You are very well served. Delaware.’’ [Laughter] It has certain unique par- And the third thing I’d like to say is, I’m allels to my home State. It’s two of the places also grateful to your Governor for a lifetime, in America where there are more chickens than nearly, it seems like, a political lifetime of people. [Laughter] And depending on what day friendship and all the work we’ve done together it is, that’s not all bad. [Laughter] on welfare reform, on strengthening families, on I am profoundly grateful to Delaware for child support enforcement. I’m elated that he’s many reasons. You have been so good to me running for the Senate. And I look forward to and to Al Gore. Twice you have given me your his success and to his service. electoral vote; you supported the Vice President, The fourth reason I’m here is, this is my for which I am very grateful. I couldn’t even year to support women for elected office. I’m begin to tell you, in the time I have allotted into that. I think we ought to do more of that. tonight, all the reasons for my gratitude, respect, [Laughter] Hillary tried to call me right before and affection for Senator Biden. I got here. She’s up in New York and coming Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Go ahead and home tonight. And I would imagine she was tell them. [Laughter] trying to call me before I got here to say that The President. Beginning with his uncommon she thinks you guys ought to stick together— humility. [Laughter] His retiring personality. [laughter]—and so do I. [Laughter] His always muted voice. [Laughter] But let me tell you, finally, I’m here because Actually, if you’re looking for somebody in I really admire Ruth Ann Minner. I really ad- American politics who understands what life is mire Ruth Ann Minner. Some of you know this, like for ordinary people, who’s always there to but I was born to a widowed mother who had defend the Constitution of the United States, to leave to go back to school. I can only imagine 287 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 10:23 Feb 01, 2002 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00287 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\PUBPAP~1\PAP_TEXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Feb. 22 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 what it was like. She had to go back to get at the grassroots level, you can actually see peo- a GED, start her own business, depend on her- ple’s lives changing before your very eyes. self, raise three sons—I met two of them to- And we have—the way I view this last 7 years night. They both look like—they look like they is that we basically turned the ship of state ought to be playing for the Redskins—[laugh- around. When I took office, we had high unem- ter]. They’d improve our defense a little bit. ployment, and the social problems were getting And I’ve watched her in public life. worse, and there was political gridlock in Wash- And you know, people make fun of little ington. And we had decades of national elections States. When I ran in ’92, President Bush kept decided by the politics of division, us and them. referring to me as the Governor of a small And it never made much sense to me, and I southern State. I had to hear him say it five tried to turn it around. And I think we have times before I realized it was a putdown; I turned it around. thought he was bragging on me. [Laughter] I The question for the country now is, what was proud of it; I didn’t have any better sense are you going to do with this good fortune? than to think that was a good thing. [Laughter] I’d like for more people in positions of influence You can’t really play games with people in to have the memories Ruth Ann Minner has a place like Delaware, and you can’t posture. of what’s it like not to have good fortune. They And people don’t hire you for hot air; they hire are more likely to make good decisions in times you to produce. And people know most of the of prosperity. They are more likely to remember problems we have are human problems, and that not all people and communities have par- they don’t expect us to let our political dif- ticipated in this economic recovery; more likely ferences paralyze us. And I just wish there were to remember that we still need to keep paying more people like Ruth Ann who have been the debt down, get this country out of debt through the kind of life experiences she’s been so we’ll keep interest rates down for other peo- through, who still had enough energy and opti- ple; more likely to remember that not every mism left to devote themselves to public life. child has a world-class education; more likely We need more people who are making deci- to remember that there are still young families sions in State capitals who know what it’s like out there struggling to balance work and family, to try to feed kids without a high school di- trying to succeed at home and at work. And ploma. We know. We need more people who that is very important. can remember what it was like when they won- I told somebody the other day, if somebody dered if their children would be able to get stood up and ran on a platform, ‘‘Vote for me; a decent education, who understand what it’s I’ll do just what Bill Clinton did,’’ I’d vote like to be on the other side of life’s arc of against them, because times are changing. We’re opportunity—both because they understand the living in a time of very rapid change. But I government ought to give people a helping hand do believe we ought to change in the direction and because they understand that if the hand in which we have been going. The question is outstretched and you don’t work for it, you is, ought we turn the country around now? Not still won’t reach it. We need that. Our country me—we. All of us, together. needs it. Now we have a chance to meet the big chal- And I was flattered that she said that what lenges out there. The longest economic recovery we needed in this election was to ratify the in our history—what are we going to do with direction in which we’re going. I have only a it? Now is the time to think about the big chal- slightly different take on that, and I’d just like lenges: What are the big challenges our kids to close with a few moments speaking to you face? How are we going to deal with the retire- more as a citizen than as your President. ment of the baby boom generation? How are Before I was President, I had the privilege we going to grow the economy and continue of being Governor for a dozen years, and I to improve the environment? Big, big chal- loved it, and I was not burned out on it.