[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 35 (Monday, September 5, 1994)]
[Pages 1724-1725]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, 
the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

August 26, 1994

     Today I have signed into law, H.R. 4603, the ``Departments of 
Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, FY 1995, and Supplemental Appropriations for FY 
1994.''
    This Act provides funding for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, 
and State; the Judiciary; and several smaller agencies.
    This Act marks a bold first step in our effort to combat violent 
crime in America. In this Act, the Congress has provided $2.3 billion in 
funding to support the key new programs in the newly-passed Crime Bill. 
Foremost, the bill makes good on the promise of the Crime Bill by 
providing $1.3 billion to begin putting 100,000 new police officers on 
the street over the next 6 years.
    The Act will enable the Justice Department to escalate its efforts 
to secure the border and to control illegal immigration. Resources are 
provided to expand the number of agents at high-risk crossing points to 
deter illegal immigration, improve the equipment available to agents to 
increase their effectiveness, expedite deportations of criminal illegal 
aliens, and increase asylum adjudications. The Act also provides, for 
the first time, a funding source to help States that are burdened by 
large numbers of criminal illegal aliens in their prisons. This $130 
million initiative highlights the Federal Government's commitment to 
share the responsibility for reducing the fiscal impact of illegal 
immigration with affected States.
    A total of $100 million is provided to States to upgrade their 
criminal records databases, continuing implementation of the Brady Bill 
to ensure that handguns stay out of the hands of criminals. Innovative 
programs such as boot camps and drug courts are supported to promote 
cost-effective methods of dealing with young nonviolent offenders. 
Finally, funds are provided to stop or penalize those criminals who 
prey, intentionally, on women.
    This Act, coupled with the Crime Bill, will provide the foundation 
for our bold new strategy of fighting crime in the United States.
    The Act also provides important funding for some of my investment 
priorities, including development of the information highway, the 
defense conversion projects of the Economic Development Administration, 
and projects to foster high technology at the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology.
    In addition to providing important funding for fiscal year 1995, the 
Act provides urgently needed emergency funding for fiscal year 1994. Due 
to an increased need for disaster assistance, stemming primarily from 
the Northridge earthquake in California and the

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recent flooding in the Southeast, the Disaster Loan Program of the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) is out of funds. This Act provides $470 
million for SBA's Disaster Loan Program. Concurrently with signing H.R. 
4603 into law, I am informing the Congress of my designation of these 
funds as an emergency requirement, thereby making them available.
    Finally, this Act provides important funding for our contribution to 
United Nations international peacekeeping efforts around the world. 
These efforts are essential to reducing regional tensions and preventing 
or stopping the horror of war.
    Unfortunately, the Act does not provide sufficient funding for the 
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for fiscal year 1995. If the 
Congress does not provide additional funds for the SEC before adjourning 
in October, the SEC will have to shut down before the Congress returns 
next year. To avoid this, I urge the Congress to enact legislation 
providing the necessary budgetary resources for the SEC prior to the 
start of the new fiscal year.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
August 26, 1994.

Note: H.R. 4603, approved August 26, was assigned Public Law No. 103-
317. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.