[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
[January 6, 1996]
[Pages 13-14]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Sixth Continuing Resolution
January 6, 1996

    Last night, I signed into law H.R. 1643, the Sixth Continuing 
Resolution for fiscal 1996, which puts all Federal workers back on the 
job with pay from December 16 until January 26 and also funds a limited 
number of Federal activities until September 30, 1996.
    This bill is a step in the right direction--but only a step. It does 
not end the partial shutdown of the Federal Government that continues to 
seriously impair the activities of the Departments of Commerce, 
Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban De-


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velopment, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, and Veterans Affairs; the 
Environmental Protection Agency; the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; the Small Business Administration; and many smaller 
agencies.
    Most importantly, H.R. 1643 enables Federal workers to return to the 
job and to be paid--both the 480,000 who have been working without pay 
and the 280,000 furloughed workers.
    The bill also funds a limited number of Federal functions for the 
rest of fiscal 1996. They include nutrition services for the elderly; 
grants to States for child welfare services; Federal Parent Locator 
Service activities; State unemployment insurance administration 
activities; general welfare assistance payments and foster care payments 
to Indians; the Federal subsidy to the rail industry pension and certain 
other expenses of the Railroad Retirement Board; visitor services of the 
National Park System, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, 
Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, John F. Kennedy Center 
for the Performing Arts, and United States Holocaust Memorial; and State 
Department visa, passport, and U.S. citizen services. In addition, 
family support payments to States and payments to States for foster care 
and adoption assistance are provided through March 15, 1996.
    The bill ensures, through September 30, 1996, benefit payments to 
about 3.3 million veterans and their survivors. It also provides for 
payments to contractors of the Veterans Health Administration for 
services related to the health and safety of patients in Veterans 
Affairs medical facilities.
    The measure provides authority for the District of Columbia to 
continue full operations, using District funds, through September 30, 
thereby extending the authority provided by the Fifth Continuing 
Resolution for fiscal 1996, which expires January 25. Regrettably, the 
measure contains an objectionable provision that would single out poor 
women by prohibiting the use of District funds for providing abortion 
services. I oppose including this provision in the regular fiscal 1996 
District of Columbia appropriations bill, and I urge the Congress to 
send that bill to me--in a form I can sign--as soon as possible.
    The measure also provides for reimbursement to States for State 
funds used to implement Federal programs and to pay furloughed State 
employees whose compensation is advanced or reimbursed, in whole or in 
part, by the Federal Government during any 1996 lapse in appropriations 
and it makes interest payable on the State funds that were used.
    The problem with this bill is in what it does not do. It does not 
end the inconvenience, if not suffering, that millions of Americans 
continue to experience because of the partial government shutdown. It 
does not provide funds to help put 100,000 more police officers on the 
streets of U.S. cities; funds for Head Start; funds for the States for 
social services and job training; funds to help U.S. businesses with 
export financing; and funds to continue the Space Station program and 
other key initiatives at the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. Nor does the bill provide needed funds for contracts 
vital to protecting the environment.
    Along with denying services, the shutdown is threatening the 
vitality of thousands of businesses, many of them with contracts with 
the Federal Government. Also at risk are the jobs of thousands of 
workers in those businesses. The longer the shutdown continues, the more 
its effects will be felt.
    Clearly, this bill is only a partial solution to the partial 
shutdown. The real solution, and the one that the Congress should pursue 
without delay, is to send me acceptable 1996 appropriations bills for 
the agencies in question or, at a minimum, an acceptable continuing 
resolution that will permit the Government to perform the full range of 
services that citizens expect.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,

January 6, 1996.

Note: H.R. 1643, approved January 6, was assigned Public Law No. 104-92.