[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[August 7, 1996]
[Pages 1267-1268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on the Possible Discovery of Life on Mars and an Exchange With 
Reporters
August 7, 1996

    The President. Good afternoon. I'm glad to be joined by my science 
and technology adviser, Dr. Jack Gibbons, to make a few comments about 
today's announcement by NASA.
    This is the product of years of exploration and months of intensive 
study by some of the world's most distinguished scientists. Like all 
discoveries, this one will and should continue to be reviewed, examined, 
and scrutinized. It must be confirmed by other scientists. But clearly, 
the fact that something of this magnitude is being explored is another 
vindication of America's space program and our continuing support for 
it, even in these tough financial times. I am determined that the 
American space program will put its full intellectual power and 
technological prowess behind the search for further evidence of life on 
Mars.
    First, I have asked Administrator Goldin to ensure that this finding 
is subject to a methodical process of further peer review and 
validation. Second, I have asked the Vice President to convene at the 
White House before the end of the year a bipartisan space summit on the 
future of America's space program. A significant purpose of this summit 
will be to discuss how America should pursue answers to the scientific 
questions raised by this finding. Third, we are committed to the 
aggressive plan we have put in place for robotic exploration of Mars. 
America's next unmanned mission to Mars is scheduled to lift off from 
the Kennedy Space Center in November. It will be followed by a second 
mission in December. I should tell you that the first mission is 
scheduled to land on Mars on July 4th, 1997, Independence Day.
    It is well worth contemplating how we reached this moment of 
discovery. More than 4 billion years ago, this piece of rock was formed 
as a part of the original crust of Mars. After billions of years it 
broke from the surface and began a 16-million-year journey through space 
that would end here on Earth. It arrived in a meteor shower 13,000 years 
ago. And in 1984 an American scientist on an annual U.S. Government 
mission to search for meteors on Antarctica picked it up and took it to 
be studied. Appropriately, it was the first rock to be picked up that 
year, rock number 84001.
    Today, rock 84001 speaks to us across all those billions of years 
and millions of miles. It speaks of the possibility of life. If this 
discovery is confirmed, it will surely be one of the most stunning 
insights into our universe that science has ever uncovered. Its 
implications are as far reaching and awe inspiring as can be imagined. 
Even as it promises answers to some of our oldest questions, it poses 
still others even more fundamental. We will continue to listen closely 
to what it has to say as we continue the search for answers and for 
knowledge that is as old as humanity itself but essential to our 
people's future.
    Thank you.

[[Page 1268]]

Abortion

    Q. Mr. President, Republicans right now are going through a 
wrenching abortion debate. At the same time, pro-choice advocates have 
created the pro-choice public education project, they're calling it. 
They say abortion rights are under a very grave danger. Would you agree 
with that assessment? And what do you think of the Republicans' 
troubles?
    The President. Well, they are only under grave danger if the 
election results in a change in the occupant of the White House. But 
what I think about the--I'd like to just compare it with what we did in 
the Democratic Party. Some of our pro-life members asked for a 
conscience clause in the Democratic platform. And I thought it was a 
good idea; I recommended it. The platform committee unanimously embraced 
it. And the Democratic Party was proud to do it. We believe this is a 
matter which should be left to private conscience. And we believe that 
people who have pro-life convictions should be respected.
    What you see here in the Republican Party is more of the extremism 
that we saw manifested in their budget proposals, their environmental 
proposals, their opposition to sensible crime proposals in the previous 
2 years. And it's lamentable. It's not good for the country. And I would 
just say that in this convention season, we would welcome thoughtful, 
moderate, concerned Republicans, independents, to join our party this 
year and to help keep moving America forward and bringing America 
together.
    Q. You do not feel the rights are under grave danger at this point?
    The President. Well, right now we have a Supreme Court decision and 
an administration committed to the pro-choice position and committing to 
doing whatever we can to keep the Government out of that decision but to 
take initiatives that would reduce the number of abortions in America, 
including the recent tax credit for adoption that we strongly supported 
that will be part of the minimum wage bill when it comes to me for 
signature. So I'm determined to protect those rights and to keep the 
Government out of it. But it is fair to say that in this election that 
is one of the matters at issue. Yes, it is fair to say that.
    Thank you.

President's Olympic Tie

    Q. Where did you get that tie?
    The President. It's an Olympic tie. I got it down at the Olympics. 
Do you want to trade? [Laughter]
     Thanks.

Note: The President spoke at 1:15 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House, prior to his departure for San Jose, CA.