[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[June 22, 1995]
[Pages 919-920]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Senate Action on the Nomination of Henry Foster To Be
Surgeon General in Edison, New Jersey
June 22, 1995

    Good afternoon. Today 43 Republicans in the Senate failed the 
fundamental test of fairness. By choosing to side with extremists who 
would do anything to block a woman's right to choose, those Senators 
have done a disservice to a good man, done a disservice to the 
nominating process, and sent a chilling message to the rest of the 
country.
    The American people are smart enough to see through what just 
happened. They know this is not about my right to choose a Surgeon 
General; this is about the right of every woman to choose. The committee 
recommended Dr. Foster to the Senate. A clear and substantial majority 
of Senators were prepared to vote for his nomination. But a determined 
minority succumbed to political pressure and abused the filibuster rule.
    It's wrong for a man as qualified and committed as Dr. Foster to be 
denied this chance to serve our country. He has gone where too few of us 
have ever dared to go. He has ridden the rickety elevators in high-rise 
projects to talk to young people about the importance of abstinence and 
avoiding teen pregnancy. He has traveled the backroads of rural Alabama, 
bringing health care and hope to women and children who would otherwise 
have never seen a doctor. He has been a father figure to many children 
who do not see their own fathers.
    He has actually done something, in short, about the problems a lot 
of people in Washington just talk about. He's done something about teen 
pregnancy. He's done something to convince young people to abstain from 
sex. He's done something about women's health and crime prevention and 
giving young people hope for the future. One of his former patients even 
talked about how he talked her out of having an abortion.
    Now, you would think that those who deplore teen pregnancy, advocate 
abstinence, and oppose abortion would want to support a man who has 
actually done something to advance the aims they say they share, instead 
of just use them as political weapons. But no, in their brave new world, 
raw political power and political correctness, pure political 
correctness, are all that matter. They are determined to call the tune 
to which the Republican Party in Congress and in their Presidential 
process march.
    Well, they won a victory today, but America lost. And all those 
young people who came up here from Tennessee, what about them? What 
about those young people that came here believing in the congressional 
process and told the Members of Congress that Dr. Foster had encouraged 
them to avoid sex, to stay away from teen pregnancy, not to do drugs, to 
stay in school? They had a role model, and they saw their role model 
turned into a political football. In 1995, Henry Foster was denied even 
the right to vote.
    A minority in the Senate may have denied him this job, but I am 
confident that he will go on to serve our country. I think more of Henry 
Foster today than the first day I met him. This is not a good day for 
the United States Senate. But it is a good day for Henry Foster. He 
didn't get what he deserved, but he is still deserving. Those who denied 
him the right to a vote, they may have pleased their political bosses, 
but they have shown a lack of leadership that will surely be remembered.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 3:45 p.m. at the landing area 
at the Ford Motor Co. plant.

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