    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 21, 1999]
    [Pages 826-827]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act
    May 21, 1999

        Today I have signed into law H.R. 1141, the ``1999 Emergency
    Supplemental Appropriations Act'' providing the emergency resources I
    requested to support our mission in Kosovo, to assist the victims of
    Hurricane Mitch, and to provide relief to our farmers. I welcome the
    Congress support for our continuing military efforts in the Federal
    Republic of Yugoslavia. This important supplemental appropriation to
    fund the continuation of our military operations sends a clear signal to
    the Milosevic regime that the Congress
    and people of the United States are committed to the NATO efforts in
    Operation Allied Force.
        We and our allies have been very clear about what
    Milosevic must do. The refugees must go
    home, with security and self government. For that to happen, Serbian
    forces must leave Kosovo and an international security force with NATO
    at its core must deploy to protect innocent people of every ethnicity
    and faith.
        By providing the resources I requested for the Department of
    Defense, this bill will keep our military readiness strong. At the same
    time it includes resources critical to helping the international
    community and the frontline countries of Southeast Europe to cope with
    the massive humanitarian crisis and other immediate spillover effects of
    the conflict and Milosevic's brutal
    campaign of ethnic cleansing.
        This emergency funding package will also provide urgently needed
    resources to help Central Americans repair and rebuild after the
    devastation of Hurricane Mitch. With these funds, farmers can plant new
    crops in the final weeks of the growing season; roads, hospitals, and
    schools can be rebuilt; and Central Americans can look to the future
    with hope, knowing that America is standing with them. The legislation
    will support the improving prospects for peace in the Middle East by
    providing additional assistance to strengthen Jordan's economy and
    security. The bill also provides resources for victims of natural
    disasters at home and for our farmers in distress due to depressed crop
    prices.
        I am pleased that the bill repeals a provision of law that had
    threatened to interrupt funding for the Departments of Commerce,
    Justice, State, and other agencies. In addition to removing this funding
    restriction, the bill provides the added resources needed to continue
    preparations for a decennial census. My Administration will work with
    the Congress to ensure that next year the Census Bureau has the funding
    needed to conduct the most accurate census possible.
        While I also am pleased that the Congress has finally acted to fund
    our mission in the Balkans, to support the Middle East peace process,
    and to help American farmers and the victims of Hurricane Mitch, it is
    unfortunate that members attached unnecessary and ill-advised special
    projects onto basic, essential emergency legislation. Were it not for
    pressing needs in Kosovo, Central America, the Middle East, and
    America's heartland, I would have rejected several of these measures
    that reward special interests, weaken environmental protection, and
    undermine our campaign to stop teen smoking. This is no way to do the
    people's business. The Congress should not permit, and I will not
    tolerate, special interest meddling as we complete the annual budget
    process.
        This bill does show significant improvement over earlier versions.
    Gone are proposed cuts

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    that weakened anti-terrorism programs, especially embassy security
    upgrades; threatened to undermine global economic stability by denying
    U.S. funds to multi- lateral development banks; and imperiled the
    Government's ability to continue fixing its computers for the Year 2000.
    The Congress also removed or modified certain objectionable riders that,
    for example, would have blocked our efforts to protect the sensitive
    waters in Alaska's Glacier Bay and weakened the Endangered Species Act.
        Congress should not have used this bill as a vehicle for a range of
    special interest provisions harmful to the environment and to the
    careful stewardship of our Nation's natural resources. Several highly
    objectionable provisions remain in the bill. For example, there are
    provisions that undermine our ability to ensure that mining on Federal
    lands is done in an environmentally responsible manner. And by extending
    a moratorium on the Department of the Interior's proposed oil valuation
    rules, the Congress is preventing the collection of fair royalty
    payments from the oil companies that extract oil from public lands. I
    want to be clear that were it not for the truly emergency needs to which
    this bill responds, I would reject these environmental riders. I call on
    the Congress to end these stealth attempts to weaken environmental and
    public health protections. I have vetoed bills in the past because they
    contained anti-environmental riders and, if necessary, I am fully
    prepared to do so again.
        I am extremely disappointed that the Congress failed to require
    States to use even a portion of the funds collected from the tobacco
    companies to prevent youth smoking. Even though 3,000 young people
    become regular smokers every day and 1,000 will have their lives cut
    short as a result, most States still have no plans to use tobacco
    settlement funds to reduce youth smoking. This bill represents a missed
    opportunity by the Congress to protect our children from the death and
    disease caused by tobacco. This is wrong. I will closely monitor State
    efforts in this area, and I will continue to fight for a nationwide
    effort to reduce youth smoking through counteradvertising, prevention
    activities, and restrictions on youth access to tobacco products.
        I hereby designate the following amounts as emergency requirements
    pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
    Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended:

    Department of Defense

        Military Personnel, Reserve Personnel, Army: $2,900,000
        Military Personnel, National Guard Personnel, Army:
                $6,000,000
        Military Personnel, National Guard Personnel, Air Force:
                $1,000,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance, Army:
                $50,000,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance, Navy:
                $13,900,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance, Marine
                Corps: $300,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance, Air
                Force: $8,800,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Operation and Maintenance,
                Defense-Wide: $21,000,000
        Operation and Maintenance, Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster,
                and Civic Aid: $37,500,000

    Federal Emergency Management Agency

        Disaster Relief: $372,000,000

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    May 21, 1999.

    Note: H.R. 1141, approved May 21, was assigned Public Law No. 106-31.