[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[April 25, 1995]
[Pages 592-593]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the National Rural Conference Closing Session in Ames
April 25, 1995

    First of all, let's give all the panelists a big hand for all the 
work they've done. [Applause]

    I would like again to congratulate the Secretary of Agriculture and 
the Deputy Secretary and others on the fine work they did here. I want 
to thank the president of this fine university and all the people who 
have worked so hard to make this a success.

    I want to remind all of you--I think you can see today that we care 
a lot about these issues and we're committed to doing something about 
them. So if you had ideas that were not expressed, fill out those forms 
and give them to us. They will not just be thrown away.

    Finally, let me thank the State of Iowa, Senator Harkin, the 
Governor who is not here anymore but spent some time with us. Attorney 
General Miller was here, and we have the State treasurer, Mike 
Fitzgerald, and the State agriculture commissioner, Dale Cochran. Thank 
you all for being here.

    Let me close by leaving you with this thought: The balance of power, 
political power, in this country has shifted. Never mind whether you 
think it's Republican, Democrat, liberal, or conservative. It's 
basically shifted to a suburban base. And most of those folks in the 
suburbs either once lived in a city or once lived in the country. But 
most--a lot of them are doing reasonably well in the global economy. And 
if they aren't, the only thing they may think they need from the 
Government is help with a student loan for their kids. And otherwise 
they may view anything any public entity does as doing more harm than 
good.

    What we have seen today on this panel--and I know, and most of you 
don't, but I know that we had people up here who are Republicans and 
people who were Democrats. And I'll guarantee you, listening to this 
conversation, you couldn't tell one from another. Why? Because what 
works is practical commitment to partnerships and to solving problems 
each as they come up, to developing the capacities of people, to dealing 
with the options that are there, and to going forward.

    So we have two problems today in coming up with good legislation in 
the farm bill and in coming up with other approaches that are 
appropriate. One is that Washington tends to be much more ideological 
and partisan than Main Street America, particularly rural America. And 
we need more of Main Street up there, not more of what's up there down 
here.

    The other is that demographically our country's political center has 
shifted away from the urban areas and the rural areas into the suburbs, 
and a lot of the people who have to make decisions on these matters, 
without regard to their party or their philosophy, have no direct 
experience or direct lobbying in the best sense on these issues.

    Therefore, I think what we need--I cannot tell you how strongly I 
feel this--is for, in States like Iowa and every other State here 
represented, we need for people of good will to try to get together at 
the community level, across party lines, and come up with positions on 
these matters that can be communicated to the Congress, because Dick 
Durbin and Tom Harkin and Senator Grassley and others on the Republican 
side will be trying to craft legislation that makes sense in some way 
that will be much more difficult unless your voice is heard in 
partnership, not partisanship, and the voice from the rural heartland. I 
implore you to do that.

    Meanwhile, I pledge to you that your day here has not been wasted. I 
have learned a lot, and we will act on what we have learned.


[[Page 593]]


    Thank you so very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:47 p.m. in the Memorial Union at Iowa 
State University.