    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [January 6, 1996]
    [Pages 16-17]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Open Letter to Federal Government Employees on the Furlough
    January 6, 1996

        We want to welcome back those of you who have been furloughed and
    express our deep appreciation to all of you in the federal work force.
        Through no fault of your own, you have been forced to carry on in
    very difficult circumstances--some of you on furlough, and more of you
    unpaid, all of you doubtless unsettled. Although the continuing
    resolutions signed today provide neither a satisfactory nor a complete
    resolution to the current budget dispute, we have succeeded in returning
    all of you to work with full retroactive pay.
        And if there is any positive outcome to the pain and hardship you
    have undergone for the past three weeks, it is that your fellow
    Americans have been made painfully aware of the importance of your work.
        The inconvenience and pain of this shutdown spread from coast to
    coast. Veterans benefits were curtailed. Services to small businesses
    have been interrupted. Important environmental protections have been
    shut down, including Superfund cleanup and programs to combat air and
    water pollution. FBI training of state and local law enforcement
    officers was stopped.
        The list of curtailed or limited services goes on and on. FHA
    mortgages and housing vouchers were halted. State rehabilitation
    services for those with physical and mental disabilities have started to
    shut down. Travellers found National Park Service facilities closed,
    National Forests restricted, great museums padlocked, and passports
    unavailable.

    [[Page 17]]

        A ripple effect extended the economic hardship beyond the federal
    work force to millions of other Americans who provide services to or
    receive them from you--hardships that, sadly, will not disappear with
    the stroke of a pen.
        Let us be clear: there was absolutely no excuse for this shutdown.
    We and Republicans in Congress have differing views on how to balance
    the budget, and that's why we are engaged in negotiations. But there was
    no justification for this government to be closed while negotiations
    progress. And there is no justification for Congress' failure to fully
    fund all government services.
        Once again, many of the men and women who make up our federal
    government were held hostage, with your paychecks delayed and your
    security threatened during the holiday season. You were put unfairly in
    the middle of a battle you did not seek. But--whether you were
    furloughed or working--by your commitment and your sacrifice, you
    continued to serve our nation as loyally as ever during this crisis.
        We salute you for your dedication, and we thank you.

                                                                Bill Clinton

                                                                     Al Gore