    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [January 1, 1991]
    [Pages i-xii]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page i]]

    PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES

              P U B L I C  P A P E R S  O F  P R E S I D E N T S

                                    O F  T H E

                             U N I T E D  S T A T E S

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    [[Photographic insert]]

    photographic portfolio

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                         PUPLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

                                     OF THE

                                  UNITED STATES

                            ________________________

                                   George Bush

                                      1991

                                 (IN TWO BOOKS)

                       BOOK I--JANUARY 1 TO JUNE 30, 1991

                            ________________________
                    United States Government Printing Office
                                Washington : 1992

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                                Published by the

                         Office of the Federal Register

                  National Archives and Records Administration

                                 For sale by the

                           Superintendent of Documents

                         U.S. Government Printing Office

                              Washington, DC 20402

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                                    Foreword

        On January 16, 1991, the United States and its coalition partners
    launched Operation Desert Storm. At midnight on February 27, the guns
    fell silent; Iraq's unlawful occupation of Kuwait was ended. This was a
    victory for every country in the coalition and for the United Nations.
    This Nation fought with honor and valor. We owe our heartfelt
    appreciation to our sons and daughters in our Armed Forces who achieved
    such a quick and decisive outcome.

        Before launching the operation, the United States explored every
    avenue for a principled peace. The United Nations, with the full support
    of the United States, had tried to apply peaceful pressure to force Iraq
    out of Kuwait and had given Iraq until January 15 to comply with its
    resolutions. Secretary of State Baker travelled to Geneva to meet with
    Iraqi Foreign Minister Aziz on January 9 to convince him of the
    seriousness of our will. Despite all our efforts, Saddam Hussein chose
    to ignore the UN's deadline to withdraw from Kuwait. We had no choice
    but to use military force, and, as a result, Kuwait is once again free.

        In its wake, the Gulf War also opened an historic opportunity to
    settle the Arab-Israeli dispute. To move this process forward, Secretary
    Baker made numerous trips through the region, to see whether the United
    States could act as a catalyst for peace. We made great progress toward
    our goal of convening a Middle East peace conference. At the same time,
    to address another serious problem in the region--the proliferation of
    destabilizing conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction together
    with the means to deliver them--I proposed a Middle East arms control
    initiative.

        The Persian Gulf and Middle East were not, however, the sole focus
    of attention during this time. Economics and trade remained important
    issues. To aid our goal of a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round,
    the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative, and the North American Free
    Trade Agreement, I asked Congress to extend my ``fast track''
    negotiating authority. I also signed a transboundary clean-air agreement
    with Canada, added additional measures to our trade enhancement
    initiatives for central and eastern Europe, and extended Most Favored
    Nation trading status to the People's Republic of China for another
    year. On February 4, I proposed that agreement be reached on a global
    climate change convention by June 1992.

        U.S. relations with the Soviet Union were, as always, of central
    importance. The successful international effort to oust Saddam Hussein
    from Kuwait would have been immeasurably more difficult without the
    cooperation of the USSR. Nevertheless, we did not let this deter us from
    protesting the excessive use of Soviet force in the Baltic Republics. At
    the same time, to help alleviate a serious food shortage confronting the
    people of the Soviet Union, I sent a mission there to examine and report
    back to me on the food distribution system. In light of their
    recommendations, I extended additional credit guarantees to the Soviet
    Union. I also waived the Jackson-Vanik Amendment because of the USSR's
    greatly improved record in emigration.

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        To maintain our competitiveness internationally, we must invest
    wisely in America's future--by promoting excellence in American
    education. My national education strategy, ``America 2000,'' will help
    us achieve by the year 2000 the six national education goals which the
    Governors and I announced in 1990. America 2000 calls for a nationwide
    effort involving every sector of our society and all Americans. It is
    intended to stimulate reform and restructuring of our education system
    in ways that enhance local control and innovation, while at the same
    time encouraging parental involvement and choice and improving student
    achievement levels.

        In my State of the Union Address, I proposed an aggressive program
    of new prevention initiatives to promote a heathier America, including
    Healthy Start for infants. The Administration offered proposals for
    medical malpractice reform, and my Budget also increased support for
    Federal biomedical research. A strong Federally assisted highway system
    is critical to our economy, and my Surface Transportation Assistance Act
    is intended to achieve this important goal. Our National Energy Strategy
    will strengthen America's future by increasing energy efficiency,
    expanding the Nation's fuel and technology choices, and developing all
    of America's energy resources in an environmentally sound fashion.
    Additionally, cost-effective environmental initiatives for implementing
    the Clean Air Act, revising our wetlands policy, and seeking ways to
    reduce air toxic emissions will ensure a safer environment for all
    Americans.

        A sound, internationally competitive banking system is also critical
    to our economic vitality and the financial well-being of our citizens.
    This Spring, I proposed comprehensive financial sector reforms that
    would modernize our outdated banking laws in order to make our banking
    system stronger and safer. This legislation offers a carefully balanced,
    integrated approach to increased competitiveness, a sound deposit
    insurance system that safeguards the deposits of all Americans, and a
    national regulatory structure that is both stronger and streamlined.

        In my State of the Union Address, I emphasized the need to ``put
    more power and opportunity in the hands of the individual.'' I
    retransmitted a crime bill, the Comprehensive Violent Crime Control Act
    of 1991, to the Congress. We could create thousands of new jobs for
    individuals in our cities by encouraging expanded investment through
    urban enterprise zones. We also asked the Congress to help us expand
    opportunities for greater tenant ownership of public housing and tenant
    management in dozens of American communities. And if we want to expand
    opportunities for individuals, we need to make sure that barriers to
    such opportunities are eliminated. That is why we are vigorously
    enforcing the civil rights laws that enhance individual opportunity.

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                                     Preface

    This book contains the papers and speeches of the 41st President of the
    United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary
    during the period January 1-June 30, 1991. The material has been
    compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National
    Archives and Records Administration.

        The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates
    shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In
    instances when the release date differs from the date of the document
    itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made
    to ensure accuracy: Remarks are checked against a tape recording, and
    signed documents are checked against the original. Textnotes and cross
    references have been provided by the editors for purposes of
    identification or clarity. Speeches were delivered in Washington, DC,
    unless indicated. The times noted are local times. All materials that
    are printed full-text in the book have been indexed in the subject and
    name indexes, and listed in the document categories list.

        The Public Papers of the Presidents series was begun in 1957 in
    response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications
    Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the
    Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D.
    Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and
    1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but
    there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record
    or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers
    could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or
    as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the
    establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings,
    addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available.

        The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of
    the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under
    section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be
    found in title 1, part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations.

        A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly
    Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a
    broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet
    the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration
    of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to
    include all material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That coverage
    provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and meetings, when
    announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of
    the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the President's
    nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by the Office of
    the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book, acts
    approved by the President, and proclamations and Executive orders. This
    information appears in the appendixes at the end of the book.

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        Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman,
    Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan are also
    available.

        The Public Papers of the Presidents publication program is under the
    direction of Gwen H. Estep. The Chief Editor of this book was Karen
    Howard Ashlin, assisted by Sheli Fleming.

        White House liaison was provided by Marlin Fitzwater, Assistant to
    the President and Press Secretary. The frontispiece and photographs used
    in the portfolio were supplied by the White House Photo Office. The
    typography and design of the book were developed by the Government
    Printing Office under the direction of Robert W. Houk, Public Printer.

    Martha L. Girard
    Director of the Federal Register

    Don W. Wilson
    Archivist of the United States

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                                    Contents

                        Foreword . . . v

                        Preface . . .  vii

                        Cabinet . . . x

                        Public Papers of George Bush,
                        January 1-June 30, 1991 . . . 1

                        Appendix A
                        Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 739

                        Appendix B
                        Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 769

                        Appendix C
                        Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 781

                        Appendix D
                        Acts Approved by the President . . . 789

                        Appendix E . . . . . . . . . . . . 793
                        Proclamations and Executive Orders . . .

                        Appendix F
                        Points of Light Recognition Program . . . 797

                    subject index . . .  a-1

                    Name Index . . .   b-1

                    Document Categories List . . .  c-1

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                                    Cabinet

            Secretary of State ............. James Addison Baker III

            Secretary of the Treasury .......Nicholas F. Brady

            Secretary of Defense ........... Richard B. Cheney

            Attorney General ............... Richard L. Thornburgh

            Secretary of the Interior ...... Manuel Lujan, Jr

            Secretary of Agriculture ....... Clayton Yeutter
                                             Edward R. Madigan
                                             (sworn in March 8)

            Secretary of Commerce .......... Robert Adam Mosbacher

            Secretary of Labor ............. Lynn M. Martin

            Secretary of Health and Human
            Services           ............. Louis W. Sullivan

            Secretary of Housing and Urban
            Development .................... Jack Kemp

            Secretary of Transportation .... Samuel Knox Skinner

            Secretary of Energy ............ James D. Watkins

            Secretary of Education ......... Lamar Alexander

            Secretary of Veterans Affairs .. Edward J. Derwinski

            Director of the Office of
            Management and Budget .......... Richard G. Darman

            United States Trade
            Representative ................. Carla Anderson Hills

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