    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [February 18, 1995]
    [Pages 222-224]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    February 18, 1995

        Good morning. I'm joined today by the Houston Rockets, last year's
    National Basketball Association champs. I'm glad they're here to have
    their recognition and take their tour of the White House, not only
    because of what they've achieved but because I believe team sports
    reflect America at its best.
        And in America, as in team sports, anyone can rise as far as his or
    her God-given talents and hard work will take them. That doesn't mean
    everyone can lead the NBA in scoring. The American dream doesn't
    guarantee results for anybody. But it does mean that opportunity is
    there if you're willing to work and struggle and do your very best. At
    the same time, for teams to succeed, people have to work hard and work
    together. Hakeem Olajuwon would probably be the first to admit that
    stars can break records but only teams win championship rings.
        That's what I mean when I talk about a New Covenant in America. It's
    about teamwork, partnership among all of our people.
        In this country at this time, as we move into a new century and a
    new economy, the Government's job is to expand opportunity while
    shrinking Government bureaucracy, to empower people to make the most of
    their own lives, and to enhance our security, not just abroad but here
    at home on our streets, too. At the same time, we must demand more
    responsibility from every citizen in return, not just for ourselves and
    our families but responsibility for our communities and our country.
    We're all in this together--more opportunity and more responsibility.
        I know the American people want us to practice that here in
    Washington, and I've reached out to the Republican Congress. At the end
    of the cold war as we move into this information age, there are many
    areas where we can work together to improve the lives of hard-working
    Americans: reducing the size of the Federal Government, reducing the
    burden of unfunded requirements on State and local governments,
    requiring Congress to live under the same laws it imposes on people in
    the private sector, the line-item veto to control unnecessary spending,
    and giving more flexibility to States to reform their welfare and health
    care systems.
        But we still have our differences as well. And when we do, I'm going
    to judge a policy not on whether it's a Republican or a Democratic one
    but on whether it's best for the American people. If it is, I'll support
    it, fight for it, sign it into law. But if it isn't, I will oppose it.
        Just this week, we've seen where some of these differences lie. When
    I ran for President,

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    I pledged to cut 100,000 Federal bureaucrats and use the money to put
    100,000 new police officers on the street. I did it because one of the
    jobs of the Federal Government is to enhance our security at home and
    because crime and violence is a problem all over America, in communities
    small and large.
        Well, we're keeping that promise. Last year's crime bill reduces the
    Federal bureaucracy and takes all the money and gives it to our
    communities to fight crime. It provides explicitly for 100,000 new
    police officers. Just since the 4 months since the crime bill took
    effect, police departments in America have been able to hire over 16,000
    police officers. That's in just 4 months. We're going to make the
    100,000 goal.
        And just so you'll know how much that is, there are only 550,000
    police officers in America. So with these 100,000 all going on the
    streets, that's about a 20 percent increase in the police forces of
    America to keep our people safer.
        Incredibly, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to
    replace our guarantee of 100,000 police with a blank check that has no
    guarantees at all, with money that can be used for all kinds of things
    other than police. Now, I'm all for cutting bureaucracy; under our plan,
    communities can apply for police with a one-page, eight-question
    application. But I know the American people want more police on the
    street, and I know the law enforcement officers of this country know
    it's the best crime-fighting tool there is. I'm going to work with the
    Senate to fix this proposal. But I will veto any effort to repeal or
    undermine our promise.
        Some are saying that this change is necessary because police
    departments won't hire 100,000 people because we require them to come up
    with a little of the money, too. To them I say, in only 4 months, one-
    half of all the communities in the entire Nation have written to us
    asking for more police. This is popular in the country, and it ought to
    stay the law here in the Congress.
        As we enter the 21st century, the keys to opportunity for every
    American are education and training. That's another one of our jobs here
    in Washington, to give people the tools they need to make the most of
    their own lives. That's why we reformed the student loan system,
    eliminating middlemen and actually cutting the cost to the taxpayers and
    making college loans more affordable for all kinds of middle class
    students all across this country, lower cost and easier to pay back. We
    also expanded the Head Start program by 30,000 children and made it
    apply to younger kids. We're helping young people who don't choose
    college learn the skills they need to get and keep high-paying jobs.
        In the last Congress, many Republicans supported these things as
    well as Democrats. But in this Congress, some Republicans want to limit
    the reach of our college loans so over half the students in the country
    can't get them. They want to slow down or stop or reverse a lot of these
    other educational gains.
        But creating opportunity for people who take responsibility for
    themselves is exactly what the Government should be doing at this time
    in our history. Some of these Republicans see education as just another
    place to cut and gut. I want to cut Government. I have cut Government.
    There are already more than 100,000 fewer people working here than there
    were the day I became President. But I don't want to do it at the
    expense of our children's skills and education and our future.
        Finally, this week our administration opposed Republican efforts in
    the House of Representatives to force the Government to spend billions
    on a Star Wars-type defense system, diverting those resources from high
    priority national security areas and threatening our Antiballistic
    Missile Treaty. I was gratified that the Democrats and some Republicans
    who joined them had the courage to defeat this unacceptable and
    unconstitutional infringement on the President's authority. America's
    security must never be about Republicans and Democrats, about who
    happens to be President and who happens to control Congress. Our
    national security should never be a partisan issue. And I will not allow
    Congress to jeopardize that security by making it one. After all, our
    job, no matter what our party is, is to work together to move America
    forward and to preserve the American dream for all Americans in the new
    global economy.
        That's why I proposed the middle class bill of rights, to cut taxes
    for ordinary people to help them invest in their families and in their
    education; why I want to raise the minimum wage, so people who will take
    the responsibility to work full-time and stay away from welfare can earn
    a decent living for themselves and their children while they're doing
    it.

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        I will fight for every idea, every proposal, every piece of
    legislation that strengthens the American dream. And I'll keep doing
    everything in my power to fight against anything that weakens it.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the
    White House.