    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [September 26, 1996]
    [Pages 1681-1682]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Legislative Accomplishments of the 104th Congress and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    September 26, 1996

        The President. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Let me join
    the Vice President in thanking Senator Daschle and Congressman Gephardt
    for their strong leadership in this session of Congress. Here at the end
    we have had a real spate of positive legislation coming out: improving
    our environment through safe drinking water and the pesticide protection
    act; health care reform; reforms in the pension systems for people who
    work for small businesses; the raise in the minimum wage. This has been
    a remarkable, remarkable last few days, and these leaders have worked
    very hard to gather support for this legislation and to work in a
    constructive manner with those in the Republican majority.
        But they have also done something else. They have protected
    Medicare, Medicaid, education, the environment, workers' pension funds,
    the earned-income tax credit for hard-working people and still continued
    to work toward a balanced budget, and I came here to thank them for
    that. I believe the American people want a Congress that will fight for
    the interests of working families, expand education opportunities,
    balance the budget in the right way and never, ever shut the Government
    down again. And I am committed to that; I know that they are.
        Let me say that the strategy we have been pursuing for 4 years now
    is clearly working. The strategy of opportunity for all, responsibility
    from all, and a community which includes all people who are willing to
    do their part is plainly working. We not only have 10\1/2\ million jobs,
    the lowest unemployment rate in 7\1/2\ years, 4 years of declining
    deficits for the first time since before the Civil War so that now we've
    got a 60 percent reduction, but we saw the census numbers.
        You heard the Vice President's headlines. Let me read you what
    today's headlines should be: Typical household income up $898 in 1995,
    after inflation; family income up over $1,600; since our economic plan
    passed the interest rates dropped and the economy started to grow. The
    largest decline in income inequality in 27 years--the largest decline in
    income inequality in 27 years; the largest decline in the number of
    Americans living in poverty in 27 years. These are remarkable
    turnarounds from a condition that many people thought was inevitable--
    from the American people growing apart, now we're growing together as we
    work together.
        We had the biggest drop in the poverty rate in over a decade, the
    lowest poverty rates ever recorded for African-Americans and for senior
    citizens, the biggest drop in child poverty in

    [[Page 1682]]

    20 years and the biggest drop in poverty in female-headed households in
    30 years. This country is on the right track, and we need to bear down
    and pursue that course.
        And these leaders and their Members have helped us to do that, and
    for that I am very, very grateful.
        Thank you.

    Budget Negotiations

        Q. Mr. President, in terms of the budget, do you feel like an 800-
    pound gorilla because Republicans have been seemingly willing to give
    you much of what you wanted, had no taste for a Government shutdown, a
    continuing resolution? Could you tell us what your feelings about that
    are?
        The President. Well, I feel good about it, but that is the way that
    our Government has traditionally worked. We've gotten together, worked
    together, and made principled compromises, and we did make principled
    compromises here. And we're continuing to bring the deficit down and
    work toward a balanced budget. We must do that. I am for that.
        And I am very gratified. I think the American people made it quite
    clear that they do not support the Government-shutdown way of governing
    America. They want us to work together, and I'm pleased by that.
        Q. Are you satisfied with continuing resolutions?
        The President. Well, we're still negotiating on that. I hope I will
    be. I'm satisfied with the process so far, but I haven't seen the
    product. So let me see the product before I tell you that.

    Immigration Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, are you willing to sign the congressional
    immigration report or in the conference report can still changes be
    made? What's your view?
        The President. First of all, I'm gratified that we got the Gallegly
    amendment out of the immigration bill. I thought that was the right
    thing to do, certainly the right thing for children. Every law
    enforcement group in America supported our position. I feel good about
    it.
        I want to withhold further comments on the immigration bill because
    it is a subject of intense negotiation now and they're working on how it
    might be resolved in the context of the continuing resolution and moving
    to get Congress out of town. So I don't want to say anything that will
    complicate the work that's being done. I hope some progress can be made
    there.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:14 p.m. at the Longworth House Office
    Building, following a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders.