[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 11 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Pages 480-481]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Departure for the Summit of the Peacemakers

March 12, 1996

    Good afternoon. As you know, I am on my way to Sharm al-Sheikh for 
an unprecedented summit in support of peace in the Middle East. I will 
meet there with the leaders of Israel, many of the Arab countries, 
Russia, Europe, and other nations to condemn the appalling acts of 
terror that have occurred in Israel in the last several days and to find 
ways to combat those who still seek to kill peace with violence.
    The will of the people for peace is clearly greater than the forces 
of division. As we have seen in Northern Ireland and Bosnia and around 
the world, America must continue to support those who seek peace, and 
America will continue to support those who seek peace.
    This summit of the peacemakers can be an important step in the 
process toward peace in the Middle East. After the summit I will also 
make a short visit to Israel to stand with the people there in their 
time of grief. I will also bring a message that, in this time of 
difficulty and in the battle against terror and the struggle for peace, 
Israel is not alone.
    Before I leave I would also like to say something to the Congress. 
We face here urgent domestic issues that demand our attention and our 
action. This Friday the Government will shut down for a third time if 
Congress does not pass a funding bill. Today I signed a temporary 
measure to ensure the creditworthiness of the United States until 
approximately the end of the month.
    But to preserve the full faith and credit of America, Congress must 
pass a long-term straightforward debt extension. Other significant 
legislation also awaits action. We should pass a balanced budget plan 
that reflects our values and supports our economic growth.
    The Congress and I have identified in common over $700 billion in 
savings, more than enough to balance the budget in 7 years and to 
protect Medicare and Medicaid and our investments in education and the 
environment, and to provide modest but important tax relief. We should 
also pass a bipartisan welfare reform bill that genuinely moves people 
from welfare to work and strengthens families. And we should pass the 
Kennedy-Kassebaum health care bill so that working people do not lose 
their health insurance when they change jobs or when someone in the 
family gets sick.
    Agreement on all these bills is clearly within reach. Our Nation 
must move forward. We cannot wait until after November to do the 
people's business. We have an obligation to keep the Government open and 
funded, and we have a distinct opportunity, if we act now, to pass the 
right kind of balanced budget, welfare reform, and health insurance 
reform.
    I say again to Congress what I said in the State of the Union 
Address, and what I have said repeatedly since: My door is open. I am 
ready to meet with the leaders of the Congress at any time to move 
forward on any or all of these matters of national urgency. It is time 
to put partisan politics aside and work together in the national 
interest.
    Spring is coming and we ought to give the American people a rebirth 
of bipartisan, productive accomplishment in this new spring.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 1:46 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.

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