    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [August 6, 1996]
    [Pages 1262-1263]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996
    August 6, 1996

        The President. Thank you. I'd like to begin by thanking Diana Neidle
    for her years of work in this cause and all the other environmental and
    community workers who are here who have also labored in this vineyard. I
    want to thank Secretary Browner and the others at the EPA who have done
    such good work on this legislation, and the Members of Congress who are
    here and those who are not here who were active. Senator Warner and
    Senator Kempthorne, thank you especially for your efforts in this. I
    know how long and hard you worked on it. Representatives Boehlert and
    Borski and Oberstar and Waxman and Norton who did such good work, and
    the others who were mentioned by Carol Browner who are not here.
        I thank Governor Voinovich and the mayors and the commissioner and
    the State senator who have come here today because their constituents
    will be affected by it, and the way they govern will be, I believe,
    eased and improved as a result of this legislation.
        This legislation represents a real triumph because it demonstrates
    what we can achieve here in Washington and in our country when we turn
    away from partisanship and embrace shared values. Last week I was proud
    to sign the Food Quality Protection Act, which passed with full
    bipartisan support. I said then and I'd like to repeat today that I
    think a fundamental promise we must make to our people is that the food
    they eat and the water they drink are safe. American families, after
    all, have enough to worry about without having to worry about whether
    that glass of water Diana talked about that you might offer to a child
    or a grandchild will be contaminated.
        Today we come together in that same spirit of bipartisanship to
    celebrate another cornerstone in the foundation of security for American
    families. The Safe Drinking Water Act is terribly important. I know that
    many of us take safe drinking water for granted. Unfortunately, it's not
    always so. I came into office determined to change this. In 1993, I
    asked Congress to strengthen our drinking water laws to meet the
    challenges we face today and the ones we will face in the future. I am
    proud to say that the proposals I made then were at the heart of the law
    I will sign today.
        Americans do have a right to know what's in their drinking water and
    where it comes from before they turn on their taps. Under the new law,
    water authorities will be required to tell them. Americans have a right
    to trust that every precaution is being taken to protect their families
    from dangerous and sometimes even deadly contaminants like
    cryptosporidium. The new law sets high standards that consider the
    special needs of children, the elderly, people living with AIDS and weak
    immune systems. Americans have the right to believe that Government is

    [[Page 1263]]

    doing everything it can to keep water systems safe. The new law requires
    it to act. It protects the sources of our drinking water from pollution.
    Even more important, it authorizes nearly $10 billion in loan funds to
    help communities all across our Nation upgrade their drinking water
    systems.
        I hope that Congress, and I believe that Congress, will now take the
    steps necessary to release all of the available monies to communities as
    quickly as possible. As some of you know, just by chance, the law passed
    a few hours too late to access money that had been set aside. But the
    law passed with such strong and passionate support I believe it will be
    forthcoming.
        Today we help to ensure that every family in America will have safe,
    clean drinking water to drink every time they turn on a faucet or stop
    at a public water fountain. From now on our water will be safer, and our
    country will be healthier for it.
        Again, let me say there are environmental and consumer and public
    health groups represented here who worked so hard to make this happen,
    and it wouldn't have happened without you. Again, let me say that
    Congress performed so very well in this endeavor, coming together,
    working together, securing our future together.
        This has been a good couple of weeks for positive achievement: these
    environmental laws, a higher minimum wage, incentives for small
    businesses, health reform, meaningful welfare reform. This is what
    Government should do and how we should work together.
        Now, let me just say one other thing in passing. You know the First
    Lady's had the chance to represent our country around the world on a
    couple of occasions, talking to women and mothers and grandmothers
    around the world. The absence of safe drinking water is the single
    biggest health threat to poor children all over the world, to tens of
    millions of them. The number of children that die in other countries
    from the absence of safe drinking water is absolutely staggering. I have
    always hoped that our country would be able to do more to help to
    alleviate this problem, which can be done without great expense compared
    to the conditions which exist in other nations. But when I became
    President and I realized how much more we had to do here, I thought at
    the time that before we can attempt to do all we might do for poor
    children everywhere else in the world, we ought to take care of all the
    children in this country who are entitled to safe drinking water so we
    can set the proper example. That's what we're doing today. I am very
    grateful to every one of you who had a role in this.
        And now I'd like to ask the children to come up and stand around me
    as I sign this law, because, after all, they're what the law's all
    about. I'd like to invite the Members of Congress who are here. And
    Governor, I'd like to ask you to come up as well to represent the State
    and local officials that are here and what they have at stake. So if you
    all come up, we'll sign the law.

    [At this point, the President signed the legislation.]

        The President. Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:20 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to safe drinking water advocate Diana
    Neidle and Gov. George V. Voinovich of Ohio. S. 1316, approved August 6,
    was assigned Public Law No. 104-182.