[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 32 (Monday, August 12, 1996)]
[Pages 1399-1400]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

August 3, 1996

    Good morning. Today I'm pleased to announce a major step for 
protecting the health and safety of all Americans, especially our 
children. In a few moments I'll sign into law legislation that will 
revolutionize the way we protect our food from harmful pesticides. This 
is a positive and hopeful time, an age of enormous possibility for our 
people, a chance for us to build a country and a world that is stronger 
and safer and more full of opportunity than any that has existed before.
    The way we will master this moment of change is the way we always 
have, by meeting our challenges and holding fast to our enduring values. 
Central among these is the belief that American families are owed some 
basic security. They should know that the food they eat and the water 
they drink will not make them sick.
    From the day I took office I've worked hard to meet this fundamental 
promise. We strengthened and expanded the community right to know law, 
which requires industries to tell our citizens exactly what substances 
are being released into the world around us. Last year we put in place 
strong new protections to ensure that the seafood we eat is safe, and 
last month I announced steps to revamp our meat and poultry inspection 
system for the first time in 90 years.
    Today we add the cornerstone to the solid foundation we've built for 
America's families, the Food Quality Protection Act. Three years ago I 
proposed reforms to overhaul and strengthen the way we regulate 
pesticides. This landmark legislation meets the goals I set forth then. 
I like to think of it as the ``peace of mind'' act, because it will give 
parents the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the fruits, 
vegetables, and grains they set down in front of their children are 
safe.
    This legislation is long overdue. The old safeguards that protected 
our foods from pesticides were written with the best intentions, but 
they're simply no longer up to the job. Bad pesticides have stayed on 
the market too long; good alternatives have been kept out. There are 
strong protections against cancer but not against other health dangers. 
There is no uniform standard for what is safe.
    Those weaknesses in the present law put us all at risk, but 
especially our children. According to the National Academy of Sciences, 
infants and young people are particularly vulnerable to pesticides; 
chemicals can go a long way in a small body. The Food Quality Protection 
Act puts the safety of our children first. First, it sets clear, 
consistent standards for all pesticide use on all foods for all health 
risks. It also sets that standard high. If a pesticide poses a danger to 
our children, then it won't be in our food, period.
    Second, the act will reform the regulatory process for pesticides. 
New, safer substitutes will be approved faster. The sooner they get on 
the market, the sooner farmers will be able to use them to replace older 
pesticides that may pose greater health risks. All pesticides will be 
reviewed regularly using the best science available.
    Third, this legislation will see to it that consumers get the facts 
they need. Supermarkets will be required to provide health information 
to shoppers about the pesticides used on the food they're buying. A 
family should be able to gather for a summer dinner knowing that the 
fruits and vegetables before them will provide nothing more than 
nourishment and joy. Americans have enough on their minds without having 
to worry about whether or not the food they eat will put them in harm's 
way. With this legislation, Americans will continue to have the security 
of knowing that the world's most bountiful food supply is also its 
safest.
    Just as important as what this law does is how it came into being. 
The Food Quality Protection Act comes to my desk with the support of 
farmers and environmentalists, consumer groups and agriculture groups 
and the medical industry. After more than a decade of work, these 
diverse groups have come together to say with this bill, we do not have

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to choose between a strong economy and a safe environment. We can have 
both.
    This bill also comes to the White House with the unanimous backing 
of all Republicans and all Democrats in Congress. What a difference a 
year makes. Last August, we were fighting off a concerted effort to roll 
back our most basic safeguards for clean air, clean water, and clean 
food. Our traditional bipartisan commitment to protecting the public 
health and our environment was at risk. Today, on this issue, I'm proud 
to say that we again stand on common ground.
    That is how we must meet all the challenges of our time, not by 
drifting apart but by coming together. In the last week, members of both 
parties have joined in common cause to do what's best for America, to 
end welfare as we know it, to raise the minimum wage and aid small 
businesses, to pass health care reform, and to safeguard our food. Last 
night, Congress passed strong legislation to help keep our drinking 
water safe. This is truly a season of progress because we're turning 
away from extremism and coming together around our basic values of 
opportunity, responsibility, and community. If we keep it up, we surely 
will make this an age of possibility for all Americans.
    Thank for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the 
White House.