    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [November 19, 1997]
    [Pages 1614-1615]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing District of Columbia Appropriations Legislation
    November 19, 1997

        Today I am pleased to have signed into law H.R. 2607, the ``District
    of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1998.''
        I am particularly pleased that the Act provides sufficient funding
    to implement the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government
    Improvement Act of 1997 (Revitalization Act), which includes the main
    elements of the plan for the District of Columbia that I proposed in my
    1998 budget in February. That plan, which was the most comprehensive
    plan that any Administration had ever proposed for the District, was
    designed to achieve two goals: to revitalize Washington, D.C., as the
    Nation's capital and to improve prospects for ``home rule'' to succeed.
    The Congress adopted the Revitalization Act as part of the historic
    balanced budget agreement that I signed into law last summer. Now, with
    this 1998 appropriations bill, the

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    Congress has provided the funds to implement it.
        The Act also drops several of the objectionable micro-management and
    other provisions in the original House-passed version of the bill such
    as Federal funding for private school vouchers, the requirement to
    reopen Pennsylvania Avenue, the limitation on public assistance
    payments, the prohibition on Treasury borrowing authority for the
    District, and restrictions on the District's authority to make
    improvements in its financial management system.
        The Act continues to contain abortion language that would prohibit
    the use of Federal and District funds to pay for abortions except in
    cases in which the life of the mother is endangered or in situations
    involving rape or incest. The continued prohibition on the use of local
    funds is an unwarranted intrusion into the affairs of the District.
        In addition, the Act makes important changes to last year's
    immigration bill by offering more generous treatment to Central
    Americans than was available under that bill. These changes make good on
    the pledge I made during my trip to Central America last spring.
    Nevertheless, I have several concerns. First, I am troubled by the
    differences in relief offered to similarly situated persons. I believe,
    however, that these differences can be minimized in the implementation
    process. I therefore am asking the Attorney General to consider the
    ameliorative purposes of this legislation and the unique history and
    circumstances of the people covered by it in giving effect to its
    provisions. Second, I believe that similar relief should be made
    available to Haitians and will seek a legislative solution for this
    group. Finally, I ask the Congress to revisit its decision to continue
    to apply some of the harsher rules under last year's immigration bill to
    other persons with pending immigration cases who are not covered by H.R.
    2607. I commend to the public my statement of November 14 for a further
    discussion of these issues.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    November 19, 1997.

    Note: H.R. 2607, approved November 19, was assigned Public Law No. 105-
    100.