[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
[January 28, 1998]
[Page 132]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Senate Republican Child Care Proposal
January 28, 1998

    Earlier this month, I unveiled an ambitious initiative to make child 
care better, safer, and more affordable. Last night, in my State of the 
Union Address, I asked Congress to reach across party lines to work on 
this important issue. I am very pleased that today Senators 
Chafee, Hatch, 
Snowe, Roberts, 
Specter, and Collins proposed a child care package that, like mine, 
significantly increases child care subsidies for poor children, provides 
additional tax relief to help low- and middle-income families pay for 
child care, creates a tax credit for businesses that provide child care 
to their employees, and improves State enforcement of health and safety 
standards. I look forward to working with Members of Congress in both 
parties to enact comprehensive child care legislation to meet the needs 
of children and families.
    I believe that by continuing to work together on a bipartisan basis 
and by taking the best proposals from both sides of the aisle, we will 
achieve legislation that helps Americans fulfill their responsibilities 
as workers and, even more importantly, as parents. With this important 
contribution from Senator Chafee and his 
Senate colleagues, we move significantly closer to enacting child care 
legislation that is right for America's children.