    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [August 2, 1996]
    [Pages 1244-1247]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1244]]

    Remarks Announcing Measures To Improve Working Conditions in the Apparel
    Industry and an Exchange With Reporters
    August 2, 1996

        The President. Good morning. To Secretary Reich, Phil Knight of
    Nike, the other business leaders who are here, and the labor leaders,
    leaders of other organizations who are concerned about this issue; to
    Kathie Lee Gifford and Congressman George Miller, who was just here and
    had to leave. I want to say a special word of thanks to my friend
    Senator Tom Harkin, who is the very first person who ever discussed the
    issue we'll be talking about today with me.
        Before I begin, I'd like to say just a brief word about the new job
    figures. It was reported this morning that our economy produced nearly
    200,000 more new jobs in July, further good news for the American people
    that our economy is growing and creating good jobs. Thanks to the hard
    work of employees and businesses here in our country, we now have the
    economic equivalent of our dream team: strong growth, millions of jobs,
    low inflation, low unemployment, and growing incomes. That's the lineup
    we want for America.
        I just had a very productive meeting with representatives of some of
    our Nation's largest apparel and footwear companies as well as
    representatives of labor, consumer, human rights, and religious groups.
    They all accepted my invitation to meet here today to deal with an issue
    that is rightly on the minds of millions of American consumers.
        Just a year ago today, the discovery of more than 70 people working
    in virtual slavery behind barbed wire in a garment factory in El Monte,
    California, awakened Americans to the fact that some of the clothes and
    shoes they buy are manufactured by people who work under deplorable
    conditions. The well-documented episode involving Kathie Lee Gifford
    also awakened many people to this problem.
        We all are outraged by these awful revelations, but as leaders we
    have a responsibility to do something about them. When Kathie Lee
    learned that some of the garments with her name on them were being
    produced under terrible working conditions, she didn't bury her head in
    the sand. Instead, she reacted quickly, decisively, and responsibly.
    That's what all the rest of us must do as well.
        Our Nation has always stood for human dignity and the fundamental
    rights of working people. We believe everyone should work, but no one
    should have to put their lives or health in jeopardy to put food on the
    table for their families. That's why I am pleased to announce that the
    companies gathered here today have agreed to begin working together to
    put an end to this terrible problem.
        They have agreed to do two things. First, they will take additional
    steps to ensure that the products they make and sell are manufactured
    under decent and humane working conditions. Second, they will develop
    options to inform consumers that the products they buy are not produced
    under those exploitative conditions. They have agreed to report back to
    me within a maximum of 6 months about their progress.
        Human and labor rights are not brand names. They are the most basic
    products of our democracy. I want to compliment the companies that are
    here: Phillips-Van Heusen, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Nicole Miller, Karen
    Kane, Warnaco, Tweeds, and of course, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, Liz
    Claiborne, and Nike, companies that have pledged to live up to their
    responsibilities. And I want to see the results they produce.
        The ultimate test of their commitment will be for them to produce
    tough criteria to make sure that sweatshops are not used and to make
    sure consumers know it. And then what we want to do is to persuade
    others in this country to follow their lead and to find ways to make
    sure, again, that consumers know it.
        I don't know what final strategies they will come up with. I do hope
    they'll develop measures that might include labels, clear signs in
    stores, or other means of getting the information directly involved to
    consumers so that consumers at the point of sale have an opportunity
    themselves to be responsible citizens in their purchases.
        This is a good start. As I said before, we know that the first job
    of business is to produce a profit. That is the foundation of our free
    en-

    [[Page 1245]]

    terprise system. But for the system to succeed, good corporations must
    also be good citizens. Our success in the 21st century depends more than
    ever on the right kind of partnership between all of us to make America
    the place it ought to be and to set a standard for the entire world.
        We're already working with the high-tech community to put computers
    in schools, with the media and entertainment industry to rate television
    programs. Today we are embarking on a new partnership. I hope that it
    will become a vital part of the battle against sweatshops here in the
    United States and against abusive working conditions and particularly
    child labor everywhere in the world.
        Thank you.

    [At this point, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich; Phil Knight, president
    and chief executive officer, Nike, Inc.; and television talk show host
    Kathie Lee Gifford made brief remarks.]

    Health Care Reform

        Q. Mr. President, now that Kennedy-Kassebaum appears to be about to
    become the law of the land, I wondered if you think that is enough for
    health care or if there are some goals that you have should you get
    reelected, possibly specific programs that you would try to get
    through--[inaudible].
        The President. Well, first of all, I'm very gratified that it is
    law. And I think that it's going to be the law of the land in no small
    measure because we have had this health care issue on the agenda now for
    3\1/2\ years, and, frankly, because Senator Kennedy has been fighting
    for it for 20 years, ever since his own son was taken ill as a young
    boy.
        And I was talking with Senator Rockefeller, who is also one of our
    longtime leaders, about this this morning. As you know, I also
    recommended in my budget that we take steps to provide for the
    possibility of coverage for people who suffer long periods of
    unemployment and when they're in between jobs and when the insurance
    that they have associated with their previous jobs expires. And so I
    think that is the next step.
        And I think what we should do--I still believe the goal that I had
    to have a system that provides everybody with the opportunity to have
    health insurance coverage, that emphasizes preventive health, that keeps
    inflation in health care at about the general rate of inflation--that
    these are good and honorable goals, and I think we're going to have to
    meet them in a sort of a step-by-step basis. And I think when we get
    Kennedy-Kassebaum in place and see how it works, the new changes may
    tell us what the next steps are. But I think we should begin to focus on
    the problems of unemployed families. And as I said, I've already tried
    to address this to some extent in my budget.
        Q. Mr. President, when do you plan to sign----

    Terrorism

        Q. Mr. President, what can you tell us about these reports of
    terrorist training camps in Iran, and what, if anything, do you plan to
    do about it?
        The President. Well, first of all, there are terrorist training
    camps in more than one country in the world, and we are aware of many of
    them in many countries. The question here is whether--who was
    responsible for the killing of the America servicemen in Saudi Arabia?
    And keep in mind, we cannot confirm--I was asked a question by a young
    man this morning--we cannot confirm yet what the cause of the TWA crash
    was, and until we can we shouldn't speculate. But we know that our
    servicemen in Saudi Arabia were killed by a terrorist attack. Who was
    responsible for that? Who supported them in that? And was any nation
    involved in that? These are the questions we have to ask and answer. The
    speculation or even the existence of actual terrorist training camps do
    not answer those specific questions.
        And so until I'm in a position to tell the American people the
    answer to those questions, I think I should tell you what I have said
    all along. Our country has taken a tough line against terrorism. We want
    our allies to help us. We want to have the tools we need here at home to
    prevent as many attacks as possible and to punish people who carry them
    out. We want to make airline safety as safe as we possibly can. And
    that's what we're working on. And then when we find people who have done
    things that are wrong, we will do our best to bring them to justice, as
    you have seen in the successful trials and convictions in the World
    Trade Center bombing and the trial going on involving the Oklahoma City
    bombing.

    [[Page 1246]]

    Japan-U.S. Trade

        Q. Mr. President, are you concerned that your Trade Representative
    was unable to get an agreement on insurance with Japan despite your
    Wednesday deadline?
        The President. Well, frankly, I'm elated that we got a semiconductor
    agreement. That is a very, very big issue, and very important for us
    because of the enormous comeback American industry's had in that area. I
    thought we would get an insurance agreement. I still think we can. We're
    really not all that far away, and I think we need to keep working at it.
        But I want to congratulate Ambassador Barshefsky on getting the
    semiconductor agreement. And I know that the people in that industry in
    America--there are many, many thousands of good jobs involved in this--
    are very happy today.
        Sarah [Sarah McClendon, McClendon News Service]?

    Terrorism

        Q. Yes, sir. Aren't we doing some of this training in the use of
    bombs in our own Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps? And we're
    doing it with people who are not treated or tested for psychiatric
    conditions? And isn't some of this coming out from after they get out of
    the services and they are unhappy about things, then they create bombs?
    Our research shows that that's happening.
        The President. Well, for one thing, it is necessary that people in
    our military understand fundamentals--the people in the appropriate
    units in the military understand the fundamentals of how bombs are made
    and how they can be defused and the technology of it. And of course, I
    think the people in the military do the best they can to make sure that
    the rigorous training program that people go through would sort out
    those who are unsuited.
        It is true that some of the people who have the knowledge necessary
    to cause problems for us domestically, in instances of domestic
    terrorism, have been in the military. But I don't know that we can
    compellingly say that there's any higher percentage of people who are
    mentally unbalanced who have been in the military than in any other
    group. And I don't know that there's any sort of screening process that
    the military could adopt that would protect against that. That is
    something that--I think that's one of the ongoing questions they're
    always asking themselves whenever we have an incident not just involving
    a bomb, but if there's something else that a soldier does or a veteran
    does that may seem tied to his or her military service, they look at
    that. But I don't know that there's an easy answer to that.
        Mara [Mara Liasson, National Public Radio]?
        Q. Senator Moynihan yesterday----

    Legislative Accomplishments

        Q. [Inaudible]--with this Congress--welfare reform, minimum wage,
    Kassebaum-Kennedy. Isn't this an argument to keep things the way they
    are, with you in the White House, Republicans in the majority, and
    Democrats in the minority of Congress?
        The President. Well, first of all, it's come like pulling teeth
    right here before the election. And it's only come after the American
    people showed that they were bitterly opposed to the extremism that was
    the wont of the Congress. So if--the American people, of course, will
    have to make up their minds, but basically, what we did with the health
    initiative and the minimum wage were plainly Democratic initiatives, as
    well as the major environmental initiatives. In welfare, the two parties
    essentially came together finally. Otherwise, we would have had a
    totally unacceptable bill. So the American people can make up their
    minds.
        I think what they've seen is that all the things that were said
    about the Democrats aren't true. The Democrats have turned out to be
    fiscally responsible, strong on defense, strong on foreign policy,
    strong on welfare, strong on crime, strong on management of the economy,
    and good for health care and education and working families.
        So it seems to me that our party in Congress ought to feel good
    about going out and presenting an image of a modern 21st century
    progressive party and then let the American people make up their mind
    whether they agree with their philosophy or the philosophy of the other
    party. That's what the election will be about.
        Thank you.

    Health Care Reform Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, will you sign Kennedy-Kassebaum before going on
    vacation?
        Q. Will Republican leaders be invited to the signing ceremony?

    [[Page 1247]]

        The President. Absolutely. They always are. I don't have any
    uniparty signing ceremonies where there are bipartisan support.
        Q. Do they not deserve some credit?
        The President. Absolutely. I'm glad that they voted for it. They
    absolutely do. Anybody who supported any of these measures deserves
    credit for it. I was just answering Mara's question in the other
    context. They absolutely do, and I applaud them for doing it. I'm
    tickled pink that they did it.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:22 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House.