    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [October 4, 1993]
    [Page 1684]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1684]]

    Statement on the Retirement of House Republican Leader Robert Michel
    October 4, 1993

        As he noted in his statement this morning, Bob Michel has served his
    country--as Congressman, aide, and soldier--for close to a half century.
    As the eighth President to have had the pleasure of working with him, I
    want to express my heartfelt gratitude for his many contributions to
    America's strength, my profound respect for his leadership, and my
    sincere appreciation for the fairness and bipartisanship he has shown in
    his dealings with me.
        For over a decade as Republican leader, Bob has exhibited the
    balance of partisanship and cooperation which makes our system function.
    He would never give my party any quarter in a partisan fight, but Bob
    Michel would never put his party's political interests ahead of the
    national interest.
        I look forward to continuing to work with Bob Michel over the next
    15 months as we seek to achieve a bipartisan consensus on such issues as
    free trade, health security, and the rest of our agenda for 103d
    Congress, and I wish him a long and happy retirement in his beloved
    Illinois.