    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 6, 2000]
    [Pages 856-857]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Northern Ireland Peace Process and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    May 6, 2000

        The President.  I would just like to make a brief statement about
    the acceptance by the IRA of the proposals by Prime Ministers
    Blair and Ahern. This is
    a very good day for the people of Northern Ireland. It is a truly
    historic step. For the first time, the IRA is clearly committed to
    decommissioning and a process to get there. I applaud that. I want to
    thank the Prime Ministers and Gerry Adams and
    everyone else who was involved in this. But this is a very good day.
        Q.  Do you think it will stick?
        The President.  Well, I do. Of course, the Unionists still have to
    formally accept it, but this idea of storing the weapons and having the
    storage site monitored, I think, is a way for both of them to achieve
    their previously stated objectives, both sides. So it's a very, very
    good day.
        Q.  Weren't we at this point once before, sir?
        The President.  No, we never got this far on the details of the
    implementation. We always knew, I think, that the sequencing of
    decommissioning and the full implementation of the accords by both sides
    and by the British Government would be a problem. And that's really what
    this last year-plus has been about. For all of us who've worked on it,
    this is a very happy.
        But I really appreciate the work done by Prime Minister Blair and Prime Minister Ahern and
    the fact that the IRA has accepted it, and the Sinn Fein has obviously
    had a role in that. So this is a big step. And they've reached out to
    the Unionists now. Of course, I hope it will be fully accepted by all
    parties, and we can get the Government back up and go on.

    [[Page 857]]

    Opposition to Enrique Moreno Nomination

        Q.  Why do you think the two Texas Senators--did they reject your
    nominee because he's Hispanic, Mexican-American?
        The President.  There are only two conceivable alternatives, I
    think. That or they just don't want to confirm any judges unless they're
    rightwing ideologs. I mean, this man had unbelievable academic
    credentials. He was endorsed by every conceivable professional
    association. He was consistent with the judges I've appointed for over 7
    years now, highly qualified and clearly in the mainstream of the
    American judiciary.
        But you know, they like judges that are more results oriented, and
    it may be that they just want to use this opportunity to try to seize
    control of the judiciary again. For them, it's all too often a political
    arm of the Government. But to do this to a Hispanic judge from Texas,
    who has made himself into an excellent lawyer and a superbly qualified
    person is just unconscionable. I mean, it's unbelievable.
        If their committee didn't find this man qualified, I'd certainly be
    interested in knowing what the criteria of their committee is.
        Q.  But you're not charging that two U.S. Senators are prejudiced
    against Hispanics, are you?
        The President.  No, I'm saying that--you have to ask them, and
    people can draw their own conclusions. They may or may not be. But since
    he's clearly well-qualified and everybody virtually in the world with an
    opinion has endorsed him, if it's not that, it's that they want somebody
    who's more politically malleable.
        As I said, all you have to do is look at the way so many of their
    judges perform. They're highly results oriented when they appoint
    judges. I just try to appoint people I thought would be fair and
    interpret the law and be balanced and represent this country. So it
    might be politics and ideology. But it's a terrible, terrible day for
    the Hispanic community and for the idea of fairness in the judiciary.
        Q.  What's this going to do--[inaudible]--election, Mr. President?
        The President.  I don't know. I don't have a comment on that. I'd
    rather--to me this is--I made this appointment; this man was qualified
    on the merits, superbly qualified. And he's from a State with a huge
    Hispanic population and a big caseload, and he deserved a hearing, and
    he deserved to be confirmed. I think it's just disgraceful.
        Thank you.

     Note:  The President spoke at approximately 12:15 p.m. on the South
    Lawn at the White House, prior to his departure for Fayetteville, AR. In
    his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United
    Kingdom; Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of Ireland; Sinn Fein leader Gerry
    Adams; and Enrique Moreno, nominee for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for
    the Fifth Circuit. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of these remarks.