    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 5, 1998]
    [Page 180]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Proposed Child Care Legislation
    February 5, 1998

        Earlier this week, I submitted my budget proposal to Congress. I am
    proud that this budget--the first balanced budget in a generation--
    includes an ambitious initiative to make child care better, safer, and
    more affordable. Yesterday we moved closer to achieving meaningful child
    care legislation because of an important step taken by Senator Chris
    Dodd and many of his Democratic
    colleagues in the Senate. Senator Dodd has introduced a comprehensive
    child care package that, like mine, significantly increases child care
    subsidies for poor children, provides greater tax relief to help low-
    and middle-income families pay for child care, creates a tax credit for
    businesses that provide child care for their employees, increases after-
    school opportunities for children, promotes early learning, and improves
    child care quality.
        In putting forward this proposal, Senator Dodd and his cosponsors
    have built on their longstanding commitment to improving child care for
    our Nation's children. I was also pleased that last week a group of
    Republicans introduced a promising child care proposal. I look forward
    to working with the Congress on a bipartisan basis to enact child care
    legislation this year that will help Americans fulfill their
    responsibilities as workers, and even more importantly, as parents.