    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [March 4, 1997]
    [Pages 233-235]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Surveying Tornado Damage and an Exchange With Reporters in
    Arkadelphia, Arkansas
    March 4, 1997

        The President. Ladies and gentlemen, first let me say that I very
    much appreciate the work that has been done here. I know this has been a
    very difficult thing, but I have been so impressed by the local
    officials, the volunteers, the police and fire personnel, the Army
    Reserve, the other military people. You've got a lot to be proud of.
        I want to thank Governor Huckabee--and I see Mrs. Huckabee over
    there in a Red Cross jacket--for what they have done, and Congressman
    Jay Dickey, who came down with me today. I want to thank all the
    Arkansans who are part of our operation. In addition to James Lee Witt,
    I know that Mack McLarty and Bruce Lindsey and Craig Smith came down
    with me today. And we have a lot of people here representing our various
    agencies. Rodney Slater has been here since Sunday, and as I was walking
    up and down the streets, I heard several people say, ``Well, I don't
    want you to fix my building, but I would like a new road in some place
    or another in Clark County.'' [Laughter] So we'll do our best to behave
    on that.
        I also have the new director of the Small Business Administration
    here, Aida Alvarez, who served in the Housing and Urban Development
    Department with me. And we're going to be working with Judge Runyan and
    Mayor Kolb and Senator Ross and Representative Malone and all the other
    local leaders here to try to help you get back on track.
        You know, James Lee said this, but when I became President, one of
    the things that I wanted to do--and I never thought my native State
    would need it, but I wanted to make sure that when disaster strikes
    anywhere in America, the United States Government would do its part and
    would be there promptly and would stay for the long haul and would be
    concerned and

    [[Page 234]]

    be able to deal with problems that may look small in Washington but are
    as big as anything in life to people who face them when a disaster
    strikes. And I can't say enough about the work he's done. But I have to
    tell you, you know--he mentioned this--we've seen five 100-year floods
    in the Middle West like nothing I'd ever seen. We've seen flooding in
    the Southeast. We've worked on the aftermath of a hurricane in Florida.
    We saw the Pacific Northwest washed out. We've seen fires and floods and
    earthquakes in California. But nothing has quite affected me the way
    this has today, and I think it's because I've been coming to Arkadelphia
    for more than 40 years.
        We flew over College Station in Saline County coming down here, and
    I spent an enormous amount of time in those places when I was Governor.
    And I look into the eyes of so many people here today, and I wish there
    were more I could say and do. But I can tell you this--I'll make you a
    little prediction. Within 2 years, what we're looking at today will look
    better than it did before the storm hit because of all of you, and we're
    going to do what we can to help you.
        Let me just go over some details here. I've got a few notes--
    everybody makes fun--when I was Governor I never used notes, but now my
    memory is failing me, so I need notes. [Laughter] The disaster
    declaration I signed on Sunday provides for emergency aid, temporary
    housing, grants, and low interest loans. FEMA has set up an 800 number,
    and the people that are eligible for financial help will be getting it
    beginning just in the next couple of days. I think that since James
    Lee's been there, we've turned these checks around pretty quick. So I
    think there shouldn't be people in too much of a tight, within a matter
    of just a few days.
        The Department of Defense is already helping, as all of you know, in
    clearing debris. The SBA can provide long-term, low-interest loans. I
    know for a lot of small-business people that seems like a losing
    proposition now, but I think if you look at the terms you will find them
    very helpful. I also know that the local banks here have gone out of
    their way to try to be helpful already and have sent very positive
    signals out in this community.
        Let me just mention two other things, mostly for other parts of the
    State. Today we're making farmers also eligible in the affected counties
    for emergency low-interest loans. And as I told the Governor coming
    down, the Labor Department will be providing some funds to the State
    which will enable people who have lost their jobs temporarily or--I hope
    not, but if it should happen--permanently because of this tornado, to be
    hired to help and be part of the cleanup so their families won't be
    without an income and so we can speed up the cleanup. And I hope that
    will be helpful.
        The third thing I'd like to say is that we're looking here at a
    long-term process. I am, I must say, terrifically impressed with all the
    folks I've seen out here cleaning up, all the people from the utilities
    and the contractors and the football teams. I was walking down the
    street, I said, ``I believe there's more brawn per square inch in this
    town today than any other place in America.'' We've got more physical
    strength here, and I've been very impressed.
        But you look around at this destruction. It's going to be a long-
    term rebuilding process, not only for the individuals who lost their
    businesses but for this community. And a lot of thought has to go into
    this. Each and every person who lost a business will have to decide,
    ``Well, what am I going to do? Am I going to rebuild here or not? Or, if
    I'm going to rebuild, am I going to do it somewhere else?'' And the
    county has to decide what to do about the courthouse site. A lot of
    decisions have to be made.
        And we have decided that what we should do is to put together a task
    force representing all the different departments in the Federal
    Government that could be of any help, that will be able to work with you
    over the long run. I don't want you to think that the Federal Government
    comes down here, there's an emergency, sends out a few checks, and then
    we walk away. So we're going to set up a long-term task force. We will
    be with you all the way. And again I will say, I predict that within a
    couple of years, Arkadelphia will be back stronger than ever and you
    will like what you see here. You will have to plan your own future. You
    will have to execute it. But we want to stay with you.
        Let me also tell you that these storm centers--and you already know
    this, but I have to say this to people in other States who've been
    afflicted--if you've been looking at the television you have seen people
    literally buried in avalanches of water in Ohio, in Kentucky, and in
    West Virginia. Today I'm declaring a major disaster in Kentucky and Ohio
    because

    [[Page 235]]

    of the floods that are there, and we will begin to immediately help
    them. The Vice President and Mr. Witt are going to go to those two
    States tomorrow to view the damage and to report back to me.
        The final thing I'd like to say is that when I heard about this, the
    first thing that struck me was not only the physical devastation but
    that the number of people who died here in the space of about 18 hours
    are equal--almost equal to the number of people who died from tornadoes
    in the entire 12 years that I had the honor of being Governor of
    Arkansas. And so Hillary and I said a prayer for those people and their
    families, and I would just like to ask that all the rest of us who were
    unscathed by this keep those folks in mind, as well as those who were
    injured and those who lost everything they had. They're all going to
    need our help.
        There are people here who have come from other States already to
    help. And if we keep the right spirit and all of you keep the light in
    your eyes that I saw today when person after person after person said,
    ``Well, we'll get over this. This is Arkansas. We know how to behave. We
    know what to do.'' You do know what to do, and I'll be honored to help
    you every step of the way. And I thank you for giving me the chance to
    share this with you today. As difficult as it is, I very much wanted to
    be here, and I'm glad I came.
        Thank you.

    1996 Campaign Financing

        Q. Mr. President, a couple of questions on other topics. One
    question, apparently there is some effort on the Hill to get the
    legislation--Trent Lott and others have called for an independent
    counsel. Is that appropriate at this time?
        The President. It's a legal question.
        Q. OK, one other question----
        The President. I have nothing else to say.
        Q. Did the White House ever get a heads up from DOJ or from the FBI
    on the Chinese----
        The President. I want to refer--ask them. Ask the White House.
    They're the appropriate person you're supposed to ask.
        Q. Did you?
        The President. No.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:35 p.m. at the corner of Seventh and
    Clinton Streets. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Mike Huckabee of
    Arkansas and his wife, Janet; Clark County Judge Grady Runyan; Mayor
    Mike Kolb of Arkadelphia; State Senator Mike Ross; and State
    Representative Percy Malone.