[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

[[Page 827]]

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.