[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
[March 16, 1999]
[Page 389]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Proposed Child Care Legislation
March 16, 1999

    Making child care better, safer, and more affordable is at the heart 
of my effort to help America's parents balance their responsibilities at 
home and at work. Today, more than ever, parents struggle to find high 
quality, affordable child care for their children. That is why I have 
proposed significant new investments in child care, expanding subsidies 
and providing greater tax relief for working families, increasing after-
school opportunities for children, improving child care quality, and 
providing new tax relief for parents who choose to stay at home.
    I am pleased that today key Members of the House of Representatives 
took steps to move us closer to enacting meaningful child care 
legislation. Representative Ben Cardin 
introduced important new legislation--the ``Child Care Improvement Act 
of 1999''--that, like my proposal, addresses the critical child care 
needs of working families. And Representative Ellen Tauscher and numerous Democratic colleagues introduced a 
comprehensive child care package--the ``Affordable Child Care, 
Education, and Security Act''--that incorporates many of my proposals 
and would go a long way to fully addressing the child care demands of 
working families. These bills would help Americans fulfill their 
responsibilities as workers and their even more important 
responsibilities as parents. I look forward to working with 
Representative Cardin, Representative Tauscher, and other Members of 
Congress on both sides of the aisle to meet the child care needs of 
America's families.