[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 21 (Monday, May 31, 1993)]
[Pages 942-943]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the ``Drive American Quality'' Event

 May 25, 1993

    Thank you very much, Mr. Bieber, and to all of you who are here. I 
want to say a special word of thanks to Mr. Smith and Mr. Poling, Mr. 
Eaton and Secretary Brown and Secretary Reich. I see Mr. Bieber just 
gave Secretary Reich a nightshirt. I also want to thank all the Members 
of the Congress who are here and for their support of the auto industry 
in this country.
    I grew up as a boy, starting from the time I was about 6 years old, 
in the back of a Buick dealership. I have been interested in the 
automobile business all my life. I watched with sadness when it was 
down, and I feel great elation now that I see it coming back. These cars 
are what is best about America: increasing productivity, increasing 
quality, and gaining market share back. The people who make them are the 
people who deserve our support, and this administration is determined to 
give it to them. Last year the auto

[[Page 943]]

industry production was 5.6 percent of our gross national product. In 
1992, vehicle and parts manufacturing directly accounted for 4.6 percent 
of our manufacturing employment. During the first quarter of this year, 
the Big Three accounted for two out of three auto sales in the United 
States, with the American cars gaining market share in 1993. This did 
not happen by accident. It required investment, it required 
reorganization, it required some reductions in spending. Over the last 3 
years, $73 billion have been invested by the Big Three. Since 1981, 
quality has dramatically improved. The number of customer-reported 
defects is down by 80 percent. And many of our American cars, by any 
quality measure, are better than their foreign competitors today. They 
are also more fuel-efficient and increasingly so.
    Our great challenge now is to produce cars of high quality at 
affordable costs that are environmentally responsible and that preserve 
good jobs here in America for those who can compete and win. In order to 
do that, we have to begin by getting our house in order. In the next few 
days, the United States Congress will have a chance to adopt the biggest 
deficit-reduction package in the history of this country, one that asks 
wealthier Americans--who, I might add, have overwhelmingly been 
supportive of this--to pay most of the burden of the new taxes, which 
exempts lower middle income Americans from any burden and which asks the 
Congress to impose unprecedented cuts, including reducing the Federal 
work force by 150,000 over the next 4 years and cutting over 200 
specific Government programs. This is a balanced program. We also invest 
in jobs, in technology, and education and training. If we can get our 
house in order, if we can bring our deficit under control, reduce it, 
make some room for targeted investments in jobs and people, we can turn 
this country around.
    I think that the auto industry has showed us what it takes. You've 
seen reduction in spending, you've seen painful cuts, you've seen 
dramatic increases in investment, you've seen American workers not just 
working harder but smarter, and you have seen years and years and years 
of disciplined effort rewarded by something 5 years ago or 6 years ago 
most people would tell you would never happen: American-made cars 
winning the quality race and regaining market share. That's what we're 
going to do with our country.
    Thank you and bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 1:55 p.m. at the National Air and Space 
Museum. In his remarks, he referred to Owen Bieber, president, United 
Auto Workers; John F. Smith, Jr., president, General Motors Corp.; 
Harold A. Poling, chairman and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Co.; 
Robert J. Eaton, chairman and chief executive officer, Chrysler Corp.