[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[December 2, 1996]
[Pages 2158-2160]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Presenting the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to 
Astronaut Shannon Lucid and an Exchange With Reporters
December 2, 1996

    The President. Good morning. It's a pleasure to have all these 
dignitaries here today. I want to especially acknowledge Senators Glenn 
and Burns; the NASA Administrator, Dan Goldin; Dr. Jack Gibbons; the 
Russian Ambassador, Mr. Vorontsov, who is here on behalf of the two 
cosmonauts that Dr. Lucid roomed with in space. She just told me she 
made them Jell-O every Sunday morning. [Laughter] I want to welcome 
Michael Lucid and the shuttle crew that brought her home: Commander Bill 
Readdy, Pilot Terry Wilcutt, Mission Specialists Tom Akers, Jay Apt, and 
Carl Walz.
    I can think of no better way to begin this season of hope than by 
presenting the Congressional Space Medal to Dr. Shannon Lucid. The 
United States has always been sparing in its honors because the medals 
and official recognition we bestow are more than simple congratulations. 
They are public declarations of outstanding achievement and 
extraordinary service to the Nation. Dr. Lucid achieved that kind of 
service for 188 days this year, the longest flight by an American in 
space, the longest mission for any woman of any nation in space, five 
shuttle missions altogether.
    Her accomplishments should come as no surprise. She has always been 
a determined visionary. I think many of us have now heard the story of 
how, as an eighth grader, she wrote a school paper about wanting to be a 
rocket scientist, and she was told by the teacher that there was no such 
job and, even if there were, a girl couldn't get it. Fortunately, she 
didn't listen to everything her teacher said.
    In 1978 she was chosen as one of NASA's first six women astronauts. 
As a biochemist, she's done important work on the effects of 
weightlessness on the human body, including her own. She surprised just 
about everyone when, after 6 months in space, she stood up to gravity 
and walked right off the space shuttle.
    Most pioneers set their sights on just one frontier. Shannon Lucid 
has pushed to the fur-


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thermost reaches of two, the frontiers of both space and science. She 
has done so with brainpower, willpower, courage, skill, and good humor.
    This medal commemorates her service, but it also stands for 
something greater: Her mission did much to cement the alliance of space 
we have formed with Russia. It demonstrated that as we move into a truly 
global society, space exploration can serve to deepen our understanding 
not only of our planet and our universe but of those who share the Earth 
with us. That's why we're committed to keeping a strong space program, 
to keep the shuttle flying, to work toward the international space 
station, to develop the X-33 which will replace the shuttle, to continue 
robotic exploration of Mars and the solar system. In fact, countdown 
begins this afternoon for the launch of the Mars Pathfinder mission.
    Let me also express my gratitude to the brave men and women of our 
space program, past and present, and especially those who have given 
their lives in this noble endeavor. I want to say a special word about 
the Discovery crew that is here with us today. They are doing remarkable 
work--I mean, they're up there right now. We wish them Godspeed on their 
journey home. And to all the people of NASA, many of whom I've had the 
privilege to meet with and discuss the space program with over the last 
4 years, let me thank them for all they do. When we see them on film, 
they make it look so easy, but we know it isn't. We know that their 
dedication, their service, their knowledge is truly extraordinary.
    When Dr. Lucid began her education, it took faith as well as 
intellect to be a female rocket scientist. Now she has exceeded a 
universe of expectation. Perhaps more than even she knows, she set a 
remarkable example for a new generation of young Americans, especially 
young women, who look up to her and see possibilities that are new and 
uncharted for their own lives. Our young people, like those who are here 
today, will be doing work that hasn't been invented yet. Many will be 
doing work, as I have often said, that has not been imagined yet. We owe 
it to them to continue in the American tradition of pushing back the 
frontiers of knowledge.
    I now have the honor of presenting the Congressional Space Medal of 
Honor to Dr. Shannon Lucid, the first scientist and the first woman to 
receive this award. What she did while journeying among the stars is a 
proud example of what all of us should try to do more of here on Earth.
    I'd like now to ask the military aide to read the citation.

[At this point, Lt. Comdr. June Ryan, USCG, Coast Guard aide to the 
President, read the citation, and the President presented the medal. Dr. 
Lucid and Commander Readdy then made brief remarks.]

Second Term Transition

    Q. Mr. President, do you have a Secretary of State for your next 
term?
    The President. When I have an announcement, I will make it. 
[Laughter] Let me say to all of you, you can hear that my voice is 
better but not fully recovered. I took 4 days off with my family, 
indeed, my extended family--I even had my two nephews up at Camp David. 
It's the longest time I've had off without any work in more than a year. 
Even in my vacation last summer, I worked most of the time I was there. 
I'm trying to rest my voice. I tried to do a little work and found I 
simply couldn't make telephone calls. So I had 4 days off; I hope you 
did. And I expect to work hard this week, and I'll be making some 
announcements as they're ready to make. It won't be too long.

Gun Control Legislation

    Q. Are you challenging the challenge to the Brady law that's coming 
up tomorrow in the Supreme Court, Mr. President?
    The President. Excuse me?
    Q. The challenge to the Brady law that's coming up in the Supreme 
Court, do you have any comments on that?
    The President. Well, I believe it's constitutional, and I believe 
that we have clearly preserved the right to keep and bear arms, 
consistent with the Constitution in this country. But we have also made 
America a safer place. And there are tens of thousands of people with 
criminal backgrounds and other serious problems that couldn't get 
handguns because of the Brady law. People are alive today because of it. 
It's a better country because of it. At the very last of the last 
Congress, many who had previously ferociously opposed it voted with me 
to extend it to cover cases of domestic violence, which I very much 
appreciated. So I think we're better

[[Page 2160]]

off, and I certainly hope that the constitutionality will be upheld.

Riady Letter

    Q. There's a report today that Mr. Riady gave you foreign policy 
advice and that the White House sat on the letter until now.
    The President. On the what?
    Q. Did not disclose----
    The President. There was a Wall Street Journal article about a 
letter that I received in '93, which I think--which Mike McCurry says 
has been--the information has been out there for some time. It's just a 
very--it's a letter like tens of thousands of other letters I get, 
people suggesting every day--I get, I suppose, hundreds every day 
suggesting what our policy ought to be in various areas. And we will 
make that letter available to Congress, after which I'm sure it will be 
made available to you. But you will see it's a straightforward policy 
letter, the kind of thing that I think people ought to feel free to 
write the President about.

Campaign Finance Inquiry

    Q. What's your response to the call from GOP Senators on hearings--
--
    The President. On what?
    Q. ----on donations to the Democratic National Committee--
[inaudible].
    The President. They'll have to do their business. They can do 
whatever they think is right. It's all--I'm going to spend my time 
working on what I can do.
    And let me again say to the Russian Ambassador how glad we are to 
have you here, sir, today. And today the Vice President has flown to 
Lisbon; he will be there with Prime Minister Chernomyrdin at the OSCE 
meeting. We're all thrilled at the reports we get of President Yeltsin's 
excellent recovery from his surgery. And this is the kind of partnership 
that we are working hard to build between our two nations. And we are 
honored to have you here, and we look forward to more of the same.
    Thank you, and thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 10:37 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Russian Ambassador to the U.S. 
Yuliy Vorontsov; Dr. Lucid's husband, Michael; Indonesian businessman 
Mochtar Riady; and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and President 
Boris Yeltsin of Russia.