Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Monday, April 10, 2000 Volume 36ÐNumber 14 Pages 691±770 Contents Addresses and Remarks Addresses and RemarksÐContinued See also Bill Signings White House Conference on the New AFL±CIO Building and Construction Trades Economy Department conferenceÐ717 Session 1Ð732 California Session 2Ð738 Arrival in San JoseÐ704 Session 3Ð743 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception in Palo AltoÐ704 Bill Signings Democratic Leadership Council conference Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act of in San JoseÐ709 2000, remarksÐ761 Democratic National Committee dinnerÐ728 Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Digital divide, efforts to bridgeÐ722 Reform Act for the 21st Century, International Brotherhood of Electrical statementsÐ745, 747 Workers luncheon for Hillary ClintonÐ694 International family planning assistance, Communications to Congress legislative agendaÐ764 Japan, Prime Minister ObuchiÐ704 Corporation for Public Broadcasting, message Nevada transmitting reportÐ727 Democratic National Committee and Energy Policy and Conservation Act Nevada State Democratic Party reception extension, letter on House inactionÐ692 in Las VegasÐ700 Hazardous materials transportation, message Democratic National Committee brunch in transmitting reportÐ747 Las VegasÐ697 Korean Peninsula Energy Development One America initiative, corporate leadersÐ Organization, letter transmitting reportÐ 754 748 Radio addressÐ693 National Endowment for the Arts, message Radio and Television Correspondents transmitting reportÐ758 Association dinnerÐ758 Senator Patrick J. Leahy, receptionÐ727 Communications to Federal Agencies Social Security Internet retirement planner, Emergency Response Assistance Program, radio remarksÐ767 memorandumÐ760 (Continued on the inside of the back cover.) Editor's Note: The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is also available on the Inter- net 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. ContentsÐContinued Interviews With the News Media Statements by the PresidentÐContinued Exchange with reporters in San Jose, CAÐ Independent Counsel's investigation of Alexis 704 Herman, conclusionÐ747 Interview with Dan Rather of the ``CBS Maryland State action on gun safety Evening News''Ð748 legislationÐ726 Proclamations Senate inaction on the supplemental budget Census DayÐ694 requestÐ726 National Child Abuse Prevention MonthÐ691 Supplementary Materials National Volunteer WeekÐ767 Acts approved by the PresidentÐ770 Statements by the President Checklist of White House press releasesÐ769 See also Bill Signings Digest of other White House Budget resolution, Democratic amendmentÐ announcementsÐ768 726 Nominations submitted to the SenateÐ769 Deaths Former Tunisian President Habib BourguibaÐ757 John Robert StarrÐ697 Week Ending Friday, April 7, 2000 Proclamation 7285ÐNational Child parental leave to flexible work schedules, to Abuse Prevention Month, 2000 reduce the stress on working families. Keeping children safe is a community re- March 31, 2000 sponsibility, and prevention must be a com- By the President of the United States munity task. Every segment of society must be involved, including health and law en- of America forcement professionals, schools, businesses, the media, government agencies, community A Proclamation and faith organizations, and especially par- Children are our link to the future and our ents themselves. Teachers and physicians hope for a better tomorrow. Within a few need to recognize the symptoms of child short years, we will look to today's children abuse; parents need to ask for help in over- for the vision, strength, creativity, and leader- coming addictions or controlling violent be- ship to guide our Nation through the chal- havior; communities must be willing to fund lenges of this new century. If they are to grow programs and services to protect children into healthy, happy adults and responsible from abuse; and the media needs to raise citizens, we must provide our children with public awareness of the availability of those the love, nurturing, and protection they need programs and services. and deserve. My Administration is committed to doing However, many of America's children are its part to ensure the health and well-being not safe, even in their own homes. The statis- of all our Nation's children. We have worked tics are staggering. Every year, there are to increase funding at the State level for child nearly one million reported incidents of child protection programs and family preservation abuse; and even more disturbing, more than services. Working with the Congress, we 2,000 of these incidents result in the child's have enacted the Child Abuse Prevention death. Whether suffering neglect, harsh and Treatment Act and the Adoption and physical punishment, sexual abuse, or psy- Safe Families Act, and we have established chological trauma, the children who survive the Safe and Stable Families Program. Just will carry the scars of their abuse for the rest a few weeks ago, I signed into law the Child of their lives. Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, We now know that there are a variety of which gives State and local officials greater risk factors that contribute to child abuse and flexibility in using Department of Justice neglectÐincluding parental substance abuse, grant programs to prevent child abuse and lack of parenting skills and knowledge, neglect. This new legislation will increase domestic violence, or extreme stressÐand funding to enforce child abuse and neglect there are practical measures and programs laws, to enhance the investigation of child we can use to mitigate such factors. Social abuse and neglect crimes, and to promote service providers can offer substance abuse programs to prevent such abuse and neglect. programs for adults with children; schools Through these and other measures, we con- can offer educational programs to teach par- tinue our efforts to create a society where enting skills to teen mothers or instruct chil- every child is cherished and no child bears dren on how to protect themselves from sex- the lasting scars of abuse or neglect. ual predators; faith organizations can offer Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, respite care for parents of children with spe- President of the United States of America, cial needs; and employers can introduce by virtue of the authority vested in me by family-friendly policies, from child care to the Constitution and laws of the United 691 692 Mar. 31 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 States, do hereby proclaim April 2000 as Na- an essential line of defense against an inter- tional Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call ruption in oil supplies. Although the Senate upon all Americans to observe this month by passed a four-year straight reauthorization of demonstrating our gratitude to those who EPCA, the House has failed to act. It is crit- work to keep our children safe, and by taking ical that the House reauthorize EPCA imme- action in our own communities to make them diately to ensure that the United States main- healthy places where children can grow and tains its ability to use all available tools to thrive. respond to the needs of the U.S. economy. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set In addition, Congress should address other my hand this thirty-first day of March, in the energy measures. Congress should pass my year of our Lord two thousand, and of the comprehensive tax package, which includes Independence of the United States of Amer- new tax incentives for domestic oil producers ica the two hundred and twenty-fourth. to reduce U.S. reliance on oil imports, as well William J. Clinton as other incentives to promote energy effi- ciency and renewable sources of energy that [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, Congress has failed to enact. Congress 8:45 a.m., April 4, 2000] should also fully fund the more than $1.4 bil- NOTE: This proclamation was published in the lion that I have requested in my fiscal year Federal Register on April 5. This item was not 2001 Budget and 2000 Supplemental to pro- received in time for publication in the appropriate mote energy security through the use of do- issue. mestic energy technologies, including more efficient homes and buildings, a new genera- Letter to