    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [August 7, 1999]
    [Pages 1400-1401]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1400]]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 7, 1999

        Good morning. At the edge of a new century and an increasingly
    competitive global economy, we know that our children's futures will be
    determined in large part by the quality of the education they receive.
    More and more, what you earn depends upon what you learn.
        Our administration has made education a high priority, focusing on
    standards, accountability, and choice in public schools and on making a
    college education available to every American, with increased Pell grant
    scholarships, better student loan and work-study programs, and the HOPE
    scholarship and other tax credits to help families pay for college
    tuition. Because of these efforts, more young people have the chance to
    make the most of their God-given abilities, and take their place in the
    high-tech world of the 21st century.
        Today I want to talk about what we're doing to build on our
    progress, by reaching out to young people and challenging all of them to
    reach for their dreams by preparing for college. Because as far as we've
    come, we know, still, there is much to do; for too many children,
    especially in economically distressed communities, aren't getting the
    chance to reach their highest potential.
        That's why we've worked hard to expand Head Start; to connect every
    classroom in America, even in our poorest communities, to the Internet;
    to launch the America Reads program, which has mobilized tens of
    thousands of student tutors to help millions of children learn to read;
    and to expand after-school programs to keep kids in school and learning,
    not on the street and losing their way.
        But to really make a difference in disadvantaged children's lives,
    we must instill in them the unshakable belief that if they work hard,
    they will be able to go on to college. And we must give them the tools
    to achieve that dream.
        I know how important this can be. No one in my family had ever gone
    to college before me. But I never doubted I was going to college,
    because everyone in my life guided me to reach that goal. That's what I
    want for every child in America. For years now, Congressman Chaka
    Fattah, Eugene Lang--
    who started the ``I Have a Dream'' Foundation--and the Ford Foundation
    have been dedicated to supporting new partnerships to meet that
    challenge.
        Last year, in my State of the Union Address, I asked Congress to
    support our plan to create hundreds of these partnerships between
    universities, colleges, middle schools, and community and business
    organizations. These innovative programs start early, reaching out to
    students no later than seventh grade, staying with them all the way,
    from providing students with mentors who encourage them to have high
    hopes and high expectations for themselves, to ensuring that schools
    teach the classes that prepare young people for college entrance exams,
    to helping families figure out how to pay for college. These programs
    can make all the difference in whether a young person goes to college.
        Last year, with bipartisan support, Congress passed and I signed
    legislation creating the GEAR UP program. With the leadership of Senator
    Specter of Pennsylvania and Senator
    Harkin of Iowa, we secured the funds to put this
    plan into action. Today I am pleased to announce the first $120 million
    in GEAR UP grants to help States and communities all over the country
    inspire and guide their children from the playground to the college
    classroom.
        I'm glad to be joined here today by Congressman Fattah, by Senator Specter, and also
    by Congressman Becerra from California, who
    supports this program. And I ask Congress to fully fund my request to
    double our commitment to these programs now, so that we can reach more
    of our children than ever. GEAR UP is a great example of what we can
    accomplish when we put progress ahead of partisanship and put our
    children's future first.
        Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of program that the
    Republican large tax plan would jeopardize. Families don't take a costly
    vacation and then say they'll figure out when they get home whether they
    can make the mortgage payments or pay the college tuition. And I don't
    think we should decide on this big tax cut and just hope there's enough
    left over to pay for education and to save Social Security and Medicare
    and pay off our national debt. We have worked very hard to turn around
    the deficit.

    [[Page 1401]]

    Now is not the time to turn our backs on our children's future.
        So today I say again, let's join together across party lines to put
    first things first and build a stronger America for the 21st century.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:17 p.m. on August 5 in the
    Roosevelt Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August
    7. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on August 6 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.