[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]





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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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