    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [September 11, 1993]
    [Pages 1468-1469]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    September 11, 1993

        Good morning. Today I'm in Houston with Vice President Gore. This
    week we've been talking with Americans in Ohio and California and Texas
    about our plan to reinvent Government, to make Government work better
    and cost less.
        We're living in truly revolutionary times, with profound changes
    sweeping the entire world. On Monday, Israel and the PLO will come to
    the White House to sign a courageous and historic peace accord, the
    first step in replacing war with peace and giving the children of the
    Middle East a chance to grow up to a normal life. Here at home, we're
    trying to face the future with confidence and to face the changes that
    have confronted us by owning up to our problems and seizing our
    opportunities.
        We've sharply broken with the past of trickle-down economics and
    huge deficits by adopting an economic program that drives down the
    deficit, increases investment incentives to small

    [[Page 1469]]

    businesses and high-tech businesses, and helps our people to move from
    welfare to work.
        We seek other fundamental reforms, including a new trade agreement
    with Mexico with historic protections for labor rights and improvements
    in the environment. And we're putting the finishing touches on a health
    care reform proposal that will restore peace of mind and financial
    security to homes and to businesses all across America by providing
    health care that's always there at an affordable price.
        In this world of dramatic change, one of the biggest obstacles to
    our changing is the machinery of Government itself. It's frankly been
    stuck in the past, wasting too much money, often ignoring the taxpayer,
    coping with outdated systems and archaic technology, and most of all,
    eroding the confidence of the American people that Government can make
    change work for them.
        Reforming, indeed, reinventing Government is essential to make our
    economic, health care, and trade efforts succeed. For the last 6 months,
    Vice President Gore has been studying the problems in the Federal
    Government. His National Performance Review has found more than $100
    billion in savings that we can claim through serious and lasting
    management reforms over the next 5 years, reforms that will at the same
    time make the services we provide to you, the taxpayer, our customers,
    more efficient and more effective.
        Now, I want to ask the Vice President to tell you more about what
    he's found in this historic review.
        Mr. Vice President.

    [At this point, the Vice President discussed the findings of the
    National Performance Review.]

        The President. And thank you, Mr. Vice President, for the excellent
    National Performance Review. It is important for all the reasons you've
    said and for this one: We need to earn the trust of the American people.
    Until we do that, it's going to be hard to move on these other problems,
    for the Government has to be a partner in many of the things the
    American people need to do. We not only have a budget deficit and an
    investment deficit, we've got a real performance deficit in this
    Government. And that's led to the trust deficit that you're doing so
    much to help us overcome.
        I am determined that these changes will come about. Where Executive
    action is recommended to bring change, I will take that action. Where
    legislation is needed to bring change, I will work with the Congress,
    with members of both parties, to win that legislation. Those of us in
    the business of Government owe the American people no less than making
    it the best it can be. Make no mistake about it, we've got a lot of work
    ahead of us. But we're all going to win on this.
        Again, I thank you, Mr. Vice President, and I believe the American
    people do too, for a job very well done.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:06 a.m. from Room 810 of the Wyndham
    Warwick Hotel in Houston, TX.