    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 20, 1999]
    [Pages 823-824]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Senate Action on 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
    Legislation
    May 20, 1999

        Today the Senate approved the emergency resources I requested to
    support our mission in Kosovo. Congressional support for this mission
    means our military forces can sustain the air campaign until we prevail.
    It sends a clear signal to the Milosevic
    regime that the Congress and the American people are committed to this
    mission. And the resources I requested for the Defense Department will
    keep our military readiness strong.
        At the same time, the bill includes resources critical to helping
    the international community and the frontline countries of southeast
    Europe 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. This emergency funding also provides resources for victims of
    natural disasters at home, and for our farmers in distress due to
    depressed crop prices.
        While I am pleased that 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 tacked unnecessary and ill-advised special
    projects onto essential emergency legislation.

    [[Page 824]]

    Were it not for the 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, and I will not tolerate this kind of
    special interest meddling as we complete the annual budget process.
        This final legislation does show significant improvement upon
    Congress's earlier versions. Gone are the Congress's proposed cuts that
    weakened anti-terrorism programs, especially Embassy security upgrades;
    that threatened to undermine global economic stability by denying U.S.
    funds to multilateral development banks; and that imperiled the
    Government's ability to continue fixing its computers for the year 2000.
    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.
        It is a mistake for Congress to use this bill as a vehicle for a
    range of special interest provisions harmful to the environment and to
    the prudent stewardship of our Nation's natural resources. Several
    highly objectionable provisions remain in the final 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 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. Again, I want to be clear that, were it not for the truly
    emergency needs to which this bill responds, I would be rejecting these
    environmental riders. I call on 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, am fully prepared to do so again.
        Finally, Congress passed up an important opportunity to protect our
    children from the death and diseases caused by tobacco. This is wrong. I
    am also extremely disappointed that the Congress acted against
    recoupment of funds collected by the States from tobacco manufacturers
    and does not require States to use even a portion of those funds 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. I will closely monitor State efforts in this area,
    and I will continue to fight for a nationwide effort to reduce youth
    smoking through counter-advertising, prevention activities, and
    restrictions on youth access to tobacco products.