    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [July 23, 1993]
    [Pages 1168-1169]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on National Service Legislation and an Exchange With Reporters
    July 23, 1993

        The President. Good morning, everybody. Before I leave I'd like to
    make a couple of comments, if I might.
        First of all, I was frankly somewhat disappointed yesterday at the
    delay in the progress of the national service legislation in the Senate.
    This is one idea that all Americans should be able to agree on. We know
    we have broad bipartisan support. Several Republican Senators have told
    us that they like the bill and intend to support it. And I very much
    hope that next week whatever considerations were moving the Republican
    Senate toward filibuster will evaporate.
        Mr. Segal and all the people supporting national service have worked
    hard with Republicans and Democrats from the inception of this
    legislation. We have a very large number of Republican supporters in the
    House of Representatives, as well as the Democrats, and significant
    support in the Senate. And this is not the bill to delay. America needs
    this. It's a very important part of our efforts to open the doors of
    college education to all Americans and give hundreds of thousands of
    young Americans over the next few years a chance to serve their country
    while earning credit against their college costs. I think it's very
    important that we move on it.
        The next thing I would like to say is I'm very encouraged and I have
    very positive feelings about the progress made in the conference on the
    budget plan. The conferees are obviously determined to move toward the
    largest deficit reduction package in history and to do it in a way that
    promotes growth and jobs. I was quite encouraged that some of the
    provisions that were agreed on yesterday were those that I think are
    important to encourage people to invest in new jobs in this country,
    including the provision long championed by Senator Bumpers to give a
    significant tax break to people who make investments of 5 years or
    longer in new businesses and smaller businesses in this country. So I
    think we're off to a good start on that, and I'm very hopeful about the
    spirit that is prevailing in the conference today.

    Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster,  Jr.

        Q. Mr. President, do you have any update on the Park Police or the
    Justice Department on Vince Foster and the investigation?
        The President. No. It's just a normal, routine

    [[Page 1169]]

    thing that would be done. I don't think anything's going to come out
    other than what you already know.
        Q. What will you say about your friend in Arkansas?
        The President. That he was a wonderful person. That I don't think
    that any of us will ever know exactly why his life ended the way it did.
    But today I think that we should all determine not to judge his life by
    the way it ended solely. He was a terrific friend, a great father, a
    great husband, a great lawyer. He was one of the ablest and best people
    I ever knew in my life. That's what makes this day the more painful. But
    we have to accept the fact that there are many things we're not in
    control of, many things we don't understand, and we have to be grateful
    for what his life was.
        Thank you.

    Midwest Disaster Assistance

        Q. The floods--what about the funds, and are they playing politics
    on the flood issue?
        The President. Who?
        Q. The House?
        The President. I don't think we should read too much into that.
    Let's wait and see what happens next week. There are people in the House
    that have very strong feelings about the procedures by which matters
    should be brought to vote and debated, and I think that's what's going
    on. I wouldn't read too much into that one way or the other. Let's wait
    and see what they do. I think they'll work through it next week.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:15 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House prior to his departure for Little Rock, AR. A tape was not
    available for verification of the content of these remarks.