[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[December 12, 1996]
[Pages 2194-2195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 2194]]


Remarks Prior to a Meeting With the President's Drug Policy Council and 
an Exchange With Reporters
December 12, 1996

    The President. Good morning. First, I'd like to thank Director 
McCaffrey and the other Cabinet and agency officials who are here for 
the second meeting of the President's Drug Policy Council.
    Before we begin the meeting I'd like to make two brief 
announcements: first, an important step we are taking to break the cycle 
of crime and drugs in the revolving door between prisons and drug use.
    In the last Congress, we pushed for and passed legislation which 
requires States to drug-test prisoners and parolees as a condition for 
receiving prison grants from the Federal Government. Today I'm pleased 
to announce that the Justice Department has developed drug test 
guidelines for the States that will help them to meet the requirements 
of the legislation. This law says to inmates, if you want out of jail 
you must get off drugs. And it says to parolees, if you want to stay out 
of jail you must stay off drugs. If you go back on drugs, then you have 
to go back to jail. The new guidelines call for every State to submit a 
plan for drug testing, for interventions, for sanctions to the Attorney 
General within 14 months as a condition of receiving Federal prison 
funds.
    We know this effort will work. A recent report shows that in 
Delaware, prisoners who got treatment in prison and during work release 
were 75 percent drug-free and 70 percent arrest-free after 18 months. 
But 80 percent of the prisoners who did not receive treatment went back 
on drugs, and two out of three were arrested again. There is a huge 
connection between crime and prison population and drug use which we are 
now strongly determined to break.
    Also let me say, in light of the recent initiatives in Arizona and 
California, I have instructed General McCaffrey and the other members of 
the Cabinet and the Drug Policy Council to review what our options are 
to make sure that we do not do anything that will increase drug use and 
that instead we do whatever we can to decrease drug use. And we will 
look at what our options are under Federal law to proceed there.
    I am confident we can make real progress here, but I am not 
unmindful of how difficult the challenge is. And you can see by the 
people around the table and by the work that General McCaffrey has done 
that we're going to work together, and we're very hopeful.
    General, thank you.
    Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey. Thank you, Mr. President.
    Well, we could proceed with the press out of the room. It probably 
would be helpful. [Laughter]

Second Term Transition

    Q. Before we go, can we just ask if you've had a chance to discuss 
with Attorney General Reno her future, because that seems to be up in 
the air right now?
    The President. No, I've got about--there are four or five of my 
Cabinet members I haven't yet met with, but I'm going to try to get it 
all done by the end of the week.
    Q. Do you think tomorrow at the press conference you'll have some 
Cabinet announcements?
    The President. I don't know--oh, I might, I might.
    Q. Could you give us a sneak preview? [Laughter]
    The President. You know how this is, you all--we're partners in this 
deal, and you've got to have something every day. And so you've already 
had a good day today. I've got to give you something tomorrow now. 
[Laughter]

District of Columbia

    Q. Do you think it's appropriate to spend $1 billion on the District 
of Columbia, as the control board is suggesting?
    The President. Well, I don't want to comment on the specific 
recommendation. Let me say this: I believe that every American has a 
stake in seeing the District of Columbia succeed. And the kind of 
netherworld, almost, relationship it has with the Federal Government has 
been a mixed blessing. And we have tried over the last 4 years to 
intensify our efforts--I know Secretary Cisneros, for example, has done 
a lot of work to try to reduce homelessness here.

[[Page 2195]]

    But I believe that one of the things I should be doing in the next 4 
years is to make a more disciplined, organized effort and try to forge a 
partnership with the Congress--I know Speaker Gingrich, at various 
times, has expressed an interest in this--to try to do more to help the 
District of Columbia to be the kind of city it ought to be. And I intend 
to put a real priority on it. But I don't want to get into a dollar 
discussion now because I don't know enough about it to have an informed 
opinion.
    Thank you. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. [Laughter]
    Q. Might see you tonight.
    The President. Did you get your crossword puzzle, Mara [Mara 
Liasson, National Public Radio]? [Laughter] You were in the crossword 
puzzle yesterday, and I worked the whole puzzle. I gave it to McCurry. 
He's got a copy of it. Yesterday's USA Today crossword puzzle stars you. 
[Laughter]

Note: The President spoke at 11:57 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House.