    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [February 12, 1997]
    [Pages 147-149]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Receiving the Final Report of the White House Commission on
    Aviation Safety and Security and an Exchange With Reporters
    February 12, 1997

        The President. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Secretary
    Pena, Secretary-designate Slater; Senator Lautenberg, thank you for your
    support and involvement. And a special thanks to all the members of this
    very distinguished Commission for the work that they did.
        This report lays out a clear plan of action to ensure that America's
    airways and airplanes will remain the safest and that our passengers the
    most secure in the world well into the next century.
        Our aviation infrastructure is just as important to us today as the
    great railroads were in the 1800's or the interstate highway system
    became in the second half of the 20th century. Just as they made us
    competitive in the economies of the 19th and 20th century, a modernized
    national airspace system will determine our ability to compete in the
    21st century.

    [[Page 148]]

        It is fitting that the Vice President is leading this effort. One of
    the great legacies of Al Gore, Sr.'s service in the United States Senate
    was his leadership in building our interstate highway system. The
    mission to modernize and improve our airspace system for the challenges
    of the next century is every bit as important and historic, and I thank
    him for the work he has done.
        I also want to commend the members of this Commission for first
    taking on the task and especially the family members of the victims of
    airline disasters, those serving on the Commission, those who wrote to
    us, those who testified before us about how to improve our interaction
    with families in the aftermath of disasters. Out of their personal
    tragedy they have made a valuable contribution to all of us.
        The recommendations in this report are strong, and we will put them
    into action. We will use all the tools of modern science to make flying
    as safe as possible. We will bring our air traffic control system into
    the 21st century, and we will do it by converting to space age satellite
    technology. We will also change the way we inspect older aircraft, to
    include an examination of wiring and hydraulic systems, all to ensure
    that every plane carrying passengers, regardless of its age, is as safe
    as it can be.
        We are doing all these things so that we can cut the fatal accident
    rate by 80 percent in 5 years--in 10 years--and so that by the year 2005
    our air traffic control system will be the finest in the world. We are
    also taking steps to improve security for all American travelers.
        I want to say a word about two of the report's most important
    recommendations on accident reduction and security. First, it's
    important to note that air travel is still our safest mode of
    transportation and America has the lowest accident rate in the world. We
    have to keep it the lowest and keep working to improve. The FAA and the
    airline industry have been partners in this effort for years. Today I am
    pleased to announce that NASA will join them. NASA has agreed to
    dedicate up to a half a billion dollars in research and development
    budget over the next 5 years to help make sure we do achieve our
    accident reduction goal.
        Second, aviation security is one of the major fronts of our three-
    part counterterrorism strategy. On September 9th, I accepted the
    Commission's 20 initial policy recommendations on security. We acted
    quickly to implement these recommendations. We have begun installing 54
    bomb detection machines in America's airports. We are training and
    deploying over 100 bomb-sniffing dog teams. The FAA is hiring 300 new
    special agents to test airport security. And the FBI is adding 644
    agents and 620 support personnel in 1997 to counterterrorism efforts.
        We are taking action to make our people more secure. But we cannot
    afford to rest. The balanced budget I submitted to Congress last week
    contains $100 million for future aviation security improvements, as the
    Commission recommends. I urge the Congress to provide this critical
    funding. This unprecedented Federal commitment reflects our resolve to
    do everything we can to protect our people and to prevent terrorism.
        Again, let me thank the Vice President and the Commission for this
    remarkable report. Your work should give the American people confidence
    that air travel in the 21st century will be better and safer than ever
    before.
        Thank you very much.
        The Vice President. Mr. President, I think we're going to have a
    chance to visit with each of them. I want to just note that every single
    member of the Commission signed the final recommendations. And it was
    unanimous on every section, with the exception of one dissent in one
    part of the report from one Commissioner. Every member of the Commission
    has signed it.

    American Airlines Labor Dispute

        Q. Mr. President, on aviation, if American Airlines and its pilots
    can't come to an agreement by Friday, are you inclined to use your power
    to declare a national emergency and therefore avoid the disruption of a
    strike? [Laughter]
        The President. You're going to have another shot at me tomorrow, you
    know. [Laughter] First of all, today I want to say this and just this.
    This issue has huge implications for our country and, in particular, for
    specific parts of our country. I have been following it very closely.
    Today I want to say that the time has not expired, and I want to
    encourage the parties to make maximum use of the mediation board
    process. That's what ought to be done today, and that's all I have to
    say about it today.

    [[Page 149]]

        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:47 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.