[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 45 (Monday, November 14, 1994)]
[Pages 2338-2339]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Reception Honoring White House Volunteers

November 8, 1994

    Thank you so very much. Thank you. It is great to be with all of 
you. It's especially great to be with you on election day. I hope all of 
you have had a chance to go to the polls, and if you haven't, I hope 
you'll go before they close tonight. This is a fitting time for the 
event honoring the White House volunteers because as people all around 
our country go out and exercise their right to vote, they're exercising 
their full right and their full responsibility as an American, just as 
all of you do through your service in the White House.
    At these midterm elections, it is critical that people understand 
that there are clear choices between going forward and going back, 
between a Government that works for ordinary families and one that works 
for organized interests, between a Government that does something about 
our great national problems like crime and one that just tries to talk 
them to death.
    It is very important in this election season that the American 
people not vote in anger or cynicism. You know, these last 8 days I've 
had the opportunity to go out and make our case to the American people 
have been bracketed by two events that ought to deny that: first, the 
opportunity I had to represent you in the Middle East, seeing our young 
men and women in uniform in the Gulf, going to the signing of the peace 
treaty. I looked into the eyes of millions of people. I saw how they 
viewed our country. They know this is a great country. They know we have 
a strong defense, a strong economy, and we are now also number one in 
making peace around the world. They think this is a good country, and so 
should we.
    And now, at the end of this season, I look at you and I think of the 
hours you have worked, how you have made even more sacrifices this year 
than last. I do not know how the American people could say anybody, just 
because we've got some difficult problems and some unresolved 
challenges, which we have always had and we always will have, that there 
is something inherently wrong with America's Government. If they could 
see you, they would know that we are a good people with a good 
Government, working hard to help the American people realize their 
dreams and to respond to their hopes and their needs.
    I just want to say, for the benefit of all of you and, of course, 
our friends who are covering this event, I wish I could thank all of you 
by name, but I don't want to keep you here all day and into the night. 
[Laughter] I do want to say that I think I should represent--name a few 
representative people we are fortunate to call White House volunteers.
    Jeffrey Cohelan, a former Member of the House of Representatives, 
and his wife, Evelyn, are loyal volunteers in Hillary's correspondence 
office. We thank you for continuing to serve the United States.
    Jenny Lou Dodson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She works for 
an airline, and she flies to Washington every Wednesday to work in the 
White House Personnel Office. Let's give her a hand.
    Al Carpenter worked at the White House from 1947 to 1950. Now he's 
volunteering his time to take calls on the comment line. He used to work 
on the Presidential yacht; for the voters who haven't voted, we don't 
have one anymore. [Laughter] He traveled to Key West and the Caribbean 
with President Truman. Now he travels to the White House to talk to 
people over the phone all over the United States.
    Eddymarie McCoy worked on Capitol Hill and has been part of several 
campaigns, like the one that's culminating today. Now she's sharing her 
experience with the Office of Legislative Affairs.
    Some of you have been through several administrations. Evelyn and 
Ward Russell first volunteered at the White House in 1953. We also have 
dedicated volunteers from many universities and local colleges like 
Georgetown, American, George Washington, Howard, and George Mason. We 
thank you all. We have members of the Shiloh Baptist Church here. We 
have students from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. And last

[[Page 2339]]

but not least, we have the hardworking, ever-faithful residents of the 
U.S. Soldiers and Servicemen's Home. We thank all of you for being here.
    If it weren't for you, we literally couldn't do the job we were sent 
here to do. But with your help, we can not only continue to make 
progress for our country, continue to keep moving forward with 
confidence into the future but we can do it in a way that responds to 
the hopes and the dreams and the real problems of the thousands and 
thousands and thousands of Americans who write this White House, who 
call us and ask for help, who send a gesture of their concern, a gesture 
of their friendship, a gesture of their hope to this White House. All of 
them deserve to be recognized. All of them deserve to be heard. All of 
them deserve to be treated with courtesy, with respect, and with 
dignity.
    You have permitted the United States, in this administration to do 
that. We could not do it without you. And I only hope America knows that 
the White House, like so much of America, runs not on requirements but 
on the volunteer spirit that is represented in this great audience 
today.
    Thank you all, and God bless you. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 3:25 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.