    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [August 19, 1995]
    [Pages 1260-1261]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 19, 1995

        Good morning. As I speak to you this morning, I can look out on
    Grand Teton National Park in the Rocky Mountains where my family and I
    are enjoying our summer vacation. We're looking forward to exploring
    both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks over the next several
    days. The beauty of these mountains is absolutely breathtaking, and
    their tranquillity is good for the soul.
        We could all use a lot more peace and quiet in our lives and in our
    society these days. So today I want to talk about our progress in
    reducing the violent crime that has shattered the lives of too many
    Americans for too long.
        Just a year ago this week, we ended 6 years of partisan stalemate in
    Washington by pushing a tough, sweeping crime bill through the Congress.
    Narrow interest groups on the left and the right didn't want the bill to
    pass, and you can be sure the criminals didn't, either. But every major
    law enforcement organization in America fought hard for the crime bill,
    and so did I, because it puts Government firmly on the side of the
    people who abide by the law, not the criminals who break it.
        Already the crime bill is making a difference. So far, we have
    awarded community policing grants to put 24,000 new police officers on
    the street. And we paid for it with the money saved by reducing the size
    of the Federal bureaucracy to its lowest level since John Kennedy was
    President. Already there are 150,000 fewer people working for the U.S.
    Government than there were the day I became President.
        The assault weapons ban and the Brady bill have stopped thousands of
    criminals from getting their hands on deadly weapons. We're giving
    States more help in building prisons to keep serious offenders behind
    bars longer. And we're giving communities funds for prevention, to give
    our young people something to say yes to as well as something to say no
    to.
        Although it's far too early to declare victory, aggressive efforts
    like these and aggressive efforts by local police departments to expand
    community policing and crack down on drugs and gangs have helped to
    reduce the murder rate this year in Chicago, New York, New Orleans, and
    several other major cities. In fact, the crime rate is down overall in
    almost every area in America.
        The crime bill has also given prosecutors tough new penalties to use
    against violent criminals. The death penalty can now be imposed for
    nearly 60 Federal crimes, such as killing a law enforcement officer and
    using weapons of mass destruction resulting in death. Prosecutors are
    using this statute to seek the death penalty in indictments in the
    Oklahoma City bombing just now.
        And just this week, a violent career criminal in Iowa named Thomas
    Farmer was sentenced to life imprisonment because the crime bill says to
    repeat offenders, when you commit a third violent crime you'll be put
    away and put away for good, ``three strikes and you're out.''
        Until this week, Thomas Farmer had been a textbook case of what's
    wrong with our criminal justice system. He committed one violent crime
    after another and each time was paroled long before his sentence was up.
    In 1970, he murdered a doctor and drew a 20-year sentence, but he was
    paroled a few years later, even after he tried to escape. In 1979, he
    was sentenced to 25 years for armed robbery. Two years later, he
    murdered a fellow inmate and was sentenced to an additional 10 years,
    but the State paroled him yet again. And last fall he went on a crime
    spree, robbing two supermarkets and threaten-

    [[Page 1261]]

    ing to kill an employee who was taking too long to open the store safe.
        No wonder law-abiding Americans are fed up with a system that lets
    too many career criminals get out of jail free. If Thomas Farmer had
    been convicted in State court again, he might have been out on the
    street again in less than 3 years. But our ``three strikes and you're
    out'' law slammed that revolving door shut. Thomas Farmer has made a
    life of violent crime; now he will pay for the rest of his life behind
    bars where he belongs.
        Thomas Farmer was the very first career criminal we put away under
    the ``three strikes and you're out.'' But he will not be the last.
    Federal prosecutors already have another 16 ``three strikes'' cases
    pending around the country, including three convictions that are
    awaiting sentencing now.
        One year ago, we overcame deep partisan differences and bitter
    partisan opposition to make ``three strikes and you're out'' the law of
    the land. Now it's time for Members of Congress to do that again, to put
    aside demands for ideological purity and give the American people the
    reforms they want, the reforms they need, the reforms they need in
    welfare, the reforms they need in other areas of our Government. And
    these reforms clearly include the antiterrorism legislation I sent to
    Congress after the Oklahoma City bombing.
        It's hard to imagine what more must happen to convince Congress to
    pass that bill. Yet partisan politics has blocked it in the House of
    Representatives. I call on the House to pass that antiterrorism bill
    when they return so we can continue to make all Americans safer.
        Because of the crime bill passed a year ago, the people of Iowa are
    safer today, and a career criminal who haunted them for decades is off
    the streets for good. I'll keep doing everything in my power to ensure
    that those who commit crimes are caught, those who are caught are
    convicted, those who are convicted are punished, and those who have made
    a life of crime spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
        The American people deserve a justice system that reflects our
    values and a Government that fulfills its first responsibility, to keep
    Americans safe.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:21 p.m. on August 18 at the
    Rockefeller residence in Jackson Hole, WY, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m.
    on August 19.