    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [April 3, 1993]
    [Pages 389-390]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    April 3, 1993

        Good morning. There's much wisdom in these words from the
    Scriptures, ``Come, let us reason together.'' This week we've seen a
    good example of what happens when people talk to each other instead of
    shout at each other. And unfortunately, we've also seen what happens
    when some people go to unreasonable lengths to prevent reasonable
    discussion and decisionmaking.
        I'm speaking to you from the Pacific Northwest where we've just
    concluded the Forest Conference. For years, the good people of the
    Northwest have been divided by a difficult argument over important
    values: how best to preserve jobs and protect the forests in this
    beautiful and productive region of our great Nation.
        Yesterday in Portland, Oregon, timber workers, business people,
    environmentalists, and community leaders sat down together in a
    conference room, not a courtroom. We discussed how to achieve a healthy
    economy and a healthy environment. And I directed my Cabinet to come
    back within 60 days with a plan for a balanced policy.
        Grassroots Americans want to end the gridlock and get the economy
    moving. They want to follow the same practice that we followed in Oregon
    yesterday. Unfortunately, some people in Washington, DC, haven't gotten
    the message that the people want fundamental change. Yesterday the
    minority party in the Senate used procedural tactics to prevent the
    entire Senate from voting on our jobs and economic recovery package,
    which has already been passed overwhelmingly by the House of
    Representatives.
        Yesterday we also learned why our jobs pack-

    [[Page 390]]

    age is even more urgent than ever. After 3 years, when America lost one
    million jobs in the private sector, the unemployment rate remained
    unchanged in March, and the total number of jobs in our economy actually
    declined. Now, some folks in Washington may think everything is fine,
    but all across America the people understand there won't be a real
    recovery until our working men and women can look forward to a secure,
    high-wage future for themselves and their children. The people know that
    America needs our plan to put 500,000 Americans back to work by
    beginning the investments we need in a stronger, smarter economy.
        It's time to move beyond the old politics of partisanship,
    posturing, and procedural delays and start working together to solve
    problems. Good things can be accomplished when we reason together. And
    just as this works in our own country, so too can it work between
    ourselves and other nations.
        That's why I'm taking my first trip out of the country today to meet
    with Russia's democratically elected President, Boris Yeltsin. Nowhere
    is progress toward democracy and free markets more important to us than
    in Russia and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union.
    Their progress presents a great security challenge and offers great
    economic opportunities. Russia's rebirth is in the economic interests of
    American taxpayers, workers, and businesses and the security interests
    of all of us.
        We spent over $4 trillion to wage the cold war. Now we can reduce
    that spending because the arms and armies of the former Soviet Union
    pose a greatly reduced threat to us and to our allies. If Russia were to
    revert to its old ways or plunge into chaos, we would need to reassess
    our plans for defense savings. That could mean less money for creating
    new businesses and new jobs, less for preparing our children for the
    future, less for education. Our economic program at home, more jobs and
    greater incomes for Americans, could be jeopardized if the reforms in
    Russia fail.
        My discussions with President Yeltsin involve measures intended to
    help the Russian people make the difficult transition to a market
    economy by helping themselves. I want America to act, but America cannot
    and should not act alone. Just as we mobilized the world on behalf of
    war in the Gulf, we must now mobilize the world on behalf of peace and
    reform in Russia. Most of this effort will have to come from the Russian
    people themselves. They will chart the path to their own future. These
    efforts to offer an historic chance to improve our own security,
    however, require some action by ourselves, too.
        Russia still holds over 20,000 strategic and tactical nuclear
    warheads. We are implementing historic arms control agreements that for
    the first time will actually reduce the level of strategic nuclear
    weapons. By supporting Russia's reforms we can help turn the promise of
    those agreements into reality for ourselves and for our children and for
    the Russian people and their children as well. And we can make life in
    America more safe and prosperous.
        For too long, work in Washington on issues like economics, the
    environment, and foreign policy took place in isolation. The interests
    of the American people weren't amply protected because their voices
    weren't adequately heard. The change we want is this: to bring men and
    women of good will together so that we can put people, the American
    people, first. We need you to stay active and informed and involved.
        Now, I ask you to call or write your Senators. Ask them to take
    action on our jobs and economic recovery package. I ask for your best
    wishes as I go into this meeting with President Yeltsin and your
    understanding that here there is no clear line between our interests at
    home and our interests abroad. We cannot withdraw from the world even as
    we work to make America stronger. Together we can change America and
    change the world.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8 p.m. on April 2 at the Benson Hotel
    in Portland, OR, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 3.