[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)] [July 1, 1996] [Pages i-xiii] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov] [[Page i]]PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES [[Page ii]] [[Photographic insert]] photographic portfolio [[Page iii]] PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES William J. Clinton1996 (IN TWO BOOKS) BOOK II--JULY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1996 ---------------------------------------- United States Government Printing Office Washington : 1998 [[Page iv]]
Published by the Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration For sale by the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402 [[Page v]] Foreword In 1996, the American people came together in a spirit of new optimism about ourselves, our country, and our future. It was a time of significant legislative achievement. Most notably, I signed into law landmark welfare reform ending a system that had trapped millions in a cycle of dependency. Within days, I also signed into law an increase in the minimum wage, signed legislation making it possible for people to take their health insurance with them as they move from job to job, and announced unprecedented steps by the Food and Drug Administration to protect children from the dangers of tobacco. These and other steps, and the continuing success of the American economy, inspired in our people a renewed sense of hope and confidence that our political system could meet our challenges. Above all, this was a time when I sought to challenge the American people to turn toward the future. In August, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and in talks with voters across the Nation, I declared our mission must be ``to build a bridge to the 21st Century.'' I have used this metaphor for years. But in the hundreds of hand-painted banners at rallies, in the handmade bridges that were sent to my office by the dozens, in the thousands of letters we received, I could see that this time, this image had touched a nerve. Why? I believe ``the bridge'' evoked both the hope and the challenge of the new century. Our people know that this new era, with its stunning leaps of technology, rapid globalization, and many social changes, offers remarkable opportunities for our people. But they also know they need education, skills, and confidence to reap the rewards of this time. As I told so many audiences, it must be a bridge ``wide enough and strong enough for every American to walk across.'' Vice President Gore and I were humbled and deeply gratified when the American people chose to ratify our course and return us to office for a second term. The election amounted to a ringing endorsement of the ``vital center''--a call to both parties to set aside narrow agendas and work together in the national interest. That is what we pledged to do. And as I told the American people on election night, before the Old State House in Little Rock, Arkansas, ``We've got a bridge to build--and I'm ready if you are.''
[[Page vii]] Preface This book contains the papers and speeches of the 42d President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the period July 1-December 31, 1996. The material has been compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy: Remarks are checked against a tape recording, and signed documents are checked against the original. Textnotes and cross references have been provided by the editors for purposes of identification or clarity. Speeches were delivered in Washington, DC, unless indicated. The times noted are local times. All materials that are printed full-text in the book have been indexed in the subject and name indexes, and listed in the document categories list. The Public Papers of the Presidents series was begun in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D. Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and 1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available. The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be found in title 1, part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations. A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to include additional material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That coverage provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the President's nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by the Office of the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book, and proclamations, Executive orders, and other Presidential documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary and published in the Federal Register. This information appears in the appendixes at the end of the book. Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush are also available. [[Page viii]] The Public Papers of the Presidents publication program is under the direction of Frances D. McDonald, Director of the Presidential Documents and Legislative Division. The series is produced by the Presidential Documents Unit, Gwen H. Estep, Chief. The Chief Editor of this book was Karen Howard Ashlin, assisted by Scott Andreae, Brad Brooks, Anna Glover, Margaret A. Hemmig, Carolyn W. Hill, Michael Hoover, Alfred Jones, Rachel Rondell, and Michael J. Sullivan. The frontispiece and photographs used in the portfolio were supplied by the White House Photo Office. The typography and design of the book were developed by the Government Printing Office under the direction of Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer. Raymond A. Mosley Director of the Federal Register John W. Carlin Archivist of the United States [[Page ix]] Contents Foreword . . . v Preface . . . vii Cabinet . . . xi Public Papers of William J. Clinton, July 1-December 31, 1996 . . . 1047 Appendix A Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 2239 Appendix B Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 2253 Appendix C Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 2257 Appendix D Presidential Documents Published in the Federal Register . . . 2269 Subject Index . . . a-1 Name Index . . . b-1 Document Categories List . . . c-1 [[Page xi]] Cabinet Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher... Secretary of the Treasury Robert E. Rubin......... Secretary of Defense William J. Perry........ Attorney General Janet Reno.............. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt........... Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman............ Secretary of Commerce Michael Kantor.......... Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich......... Secretary of Health and Human Donna E. Shalala........ Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Henry G. Cisneros....... Development Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena........... Secretary of Energy Hazel Rollins O'Leary... Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley........ Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown............. United States Representative to Madeleine Korbel Albright the United Nations Administrator of the Environmental Carol M. Browner........ Protection Agency United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky..... (acting)................ [[Page xii]] Director of the Office of Franklin D. Raines...... Management and Budget (effective September 13) Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta......... Counselor to the President Thomas F. McLarty III... Chair of the Council of Economic Joseph E. Stiglitz...... Advisers Director of National Drug Control Barry R. McCaffrey...... Policy Administrator of the Small Philip Lader............ Business Administration Director of Central Intelligence John M. Deutch.......... Director of the Federal Emergency James Lee Witt.......... Management Agency [[Page xiii]] Administration of William J. Clinton 1996