    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 21, 1999]
    [Page 828]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 828]]

    Radio Remarks on Agriculture Provisions in the 1999 Emergency
    Supplemental Appropriations Act
    May 21, 1999

        We are living through the longest peacetime expansion in our
    Nation's history, the strongest economy in a generation, the lowest
    unemployment in nearly 30 years, over 18 million new jobs since 1993.
        Our farmers and ranchers helped to create this new prosperity,
    giving us good, inexpensive food at home and exporting a lot abroad.
    Unfortunately, today, too many of them are not reaping the benefits of
    the prosperity they helped to create. In fact, many of our farmers and
    ranchers are in the grip of the worst crisis in over a decade. We have
    to do more to help them.
        Three months ago, I called on Congress to give farmers the loan
    assistance they needed to start the spring planting. Congress didn't act
    then, and every day they waited brought more farms closer to
    foreclosure.
        So in March our administration took extraordinary action to make
    $300 million in loans available to America's farming families now,
    instead of at the end of the year when they normally would have come up.
    Congress, Friday, acted to provide funds for those loans and more. On
    Friday I signed an emergency appropriations bill that will restore the
    $300 million to the loan program to help our farmers, ranchers, and
    rural communities.
        But with thousands of them still in danger of failing, we must
    continue our efforts. My balanced budget for next year includes
    additional help for agriculture. Unfortunately, next week the House of
    Representatives will vote on a bill that would gut some of those
    commitments, and the Senate is considering even deeper cuts. Our farmers
    and ranchers feed us. They've helped us to get this prosperity we're
    enjoying. Now they're in need, and we should help them.
        After passing a bill that will do so much good, it would be a real
    shame and a bad mistake for Congress to reverse course and cut back on
    our commitment to America's farming and ranching families. I'm committed
    to working with Congress to give them the support they need.

    Note: The President's remarks were recorded at approximately 1:30 p.m.
    on May 21 in the Oval Office at the White House for later broadcast.
    These remarks were also made available on the White House Press Office
    Radio Actuality Line.