    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [May 25, 1993]
    [Pages 730-731]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the ``Drive American Quality'' Presentation
    May 25, 1993

        Thank you very much, Mr. Bieber, and to all of you who are here. I
    want to say a special word of thanks to Mr. Smith and Mr. Poling, Mr.
    Eaton and Secretary Brown and Secretary Reich. I see Mr. Bieber just
    gave Secretary Reich a nightshirt. I also want to thank all the Members
    of the Congress who are here and for their support of the auto industry
    in this country.
        I grew up as a boy, starting from the time I was about 6 years old,
    in the back of a Buick dealership. I have been interested in the
    automobile business all my life. I watched with sadness when it was
    down, and I feel great elation now that I see it coming back. These cars
    are what is best about America: increasing productivity, increasing
    quality, and gaining market share back. The people who make them are the
    people who deserve our support, and this administration is determined to
    give it to them. Last year the auto industry production was 5.6 percent
    of our gross national product. In 1992, vehicle and parts manufacturing
    directly accounted for 4.6 percent of our manufacturing employment.
    During the first quarter of this year, the Big Three accounted for two
    out of three auto sales in the United States, with the American cars
    gaining market share in 1993. This did not happen by accident. It
    required investment, it required reorganization, it required some
    reductions in spending. Over the last 3 years, $73 billion have been
    invested by the Big Three. Since 1981, quality has dramatically
    improved. The number of customer-reported defects is down by 80 percent.
    And many of our American cars, by any quality measure, are better than
    their foreign competitors today. They are also more fuel-efficient and
    increasingly so.
        Our great challenge now is to produce cars of high quality at
    affordable costs that are environmentally responsible and that preserve
    good jobs here in America for those who can compete and win. In order to
    do that, we have to begin by getting our house in order. In the next few
    days, the United States Congress will have a chance to adopt the biggest
    deficit-reduction package in the history of this country, one that asks
    wealthier Americans--who, I might add, have overwhelmingly been
    supportive of this--to pay most of the burden of the new taxes, which
    exempts lower middle income Americans

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    from any burden and which asks the Congress to impose unprecedented
    cuts, including reducing the Federal work force by 150,000 over the next
    4 years and cutting over 200 specific Government programs. This is a
    balanced program. We also invest in jobs, in technology, and education
    and training. If we can get our house in order, if we can bring our
    deficit under control, reduce it, make some room for targeted
    investments in jobs and people, we can turn this country around.
        I think that the auto industry has showed us what it takes. You've
    seen reduction in spending, you've seen painful cuts, you've seen
    dramatic increases in investment, you've seen American workers not just
    working harder but smarter, and you have seen years and years and years
    of disciplined effort rewarded by something 5 years ago or 6 years ago
    most people would tell you would never happen: American-made cars
    winning the quality race and regaining market share. That's what we're
    going to do with our country.
        Thank you and bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:55 p.m. at the National Air and Space
    Museum. In his remarks, he referred to Owen Bieber, president, United
    Auto Workers; John F. Smith, Jr., president, General Motors Corp.;
    Harold A. Poling, chairman and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Co.;
    Robert J. Eaton, chairman and chief executive officer, Chrysler Corp.