    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [September 10, 1996]
    [Page 1527]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1997
    September 10, 1996

        I have signed into law, H.R. 3845, the ``District of Columbia
    Appropriations Act, 1997.'' This Act provides $719 million in Federal
    appropriations for the District of Columbia.
        The total amount of Federal funds appropriated to the District for
    FY 1997 includes $660 million for the Federal payment to the District of
    Columbia, $52 million for the Federal contribution to retirement funds,
    $5.7 million for Presidential Inaugural expenses, and $1 million to help
    address the District's drinking water problem.
        I am disappointed that the Congress has excluded the $52 million
    increase in the Federal contribution to the pension payment proposed in
    my FY 1997 Budget. The $52 million requested increase was intended to
    begin to address the District's $5 billion unfunded pension liability. I
    am committed to working with the Congress to develop a solution to
    address the District's single largest financial obligation.
        The Act sets the total operating expense spending level for the
    District of Columbia at the requested level of $5.1 billion, $119
    million above FY 1996.
        The abortion language in the Act is the same as current law, which
    prohibits the use of both Federal and District funds to pay for
    abortions except in those cases where the life of the mother is in
    danger or in cases of rape or incest. I continue to view this
    prohibition as an unwarranted intrusion into the affairs of the
    District.
        The Act includes a provision that applies civil rights standards
    provided for in Executive Order 11246 to Federal construction contracts
    funded under the District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    September 10, 1996.

    Note: H.R. 3845, approved September 9, was assigned Public Law No. 104-
    194.