[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 37 (Monday, September 16, 1996)]
[Pages 1704-1705]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Departure From Kansas City and an Exchange With Reporters

September 10, 1996

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

    The President. Today in New York the United Nations General Assembly 
voted overwhelmingly to adopt the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 
and open it for signature later this month. On behalf of the American 
people, I will have the honor to sign this historic treaty.
    Our signature, along with that of Russia, China, France, the United 
Kingdom, and the vast majority of nations around the world will create 
an international barrier against nuclear testing as soon as we sign.
    With this treaty we're on the verge of realizing a decades-old 
dream, that no nuclear weapons will be detonated anywhere on the face of 
the Earth.
    This has been a dream of American leaders going back to Presidents 
Eisenhower and Kennedy. They long worked for a safer world at home and 
abroad. By banning all nuclear tests for all time, the treaty will 
constrain any nation from improving its existing nuclear arsenal and end 
the development of advanced nuclear weapons and help to stop their 
spread.
    We're taking the next crucial step to lift the dark cloud of nuclear 
fear that has hung over the world for 50 years now. Over the past 4 
years we have permanently extended the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 
dramatically cut existing nuclear arsenals under the START treaties, 
persuaded Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakstan to give up the nuclear weapons 
left on their land after the USSR dissolved, frozen North Korea's 
dangerous nuclear program, and today no Russian missiles are pointed at 
our cities or our citizens.
    For four decades visionary statesmen like Prime Minister Nehru of 
India worked tirelessly to make the comprehensive test ban a reality. 
More recently, Britain's John Major, France's Jacques Chirac, Russia's 
Boris Yeltsin, China's Jiang Zemin--all have made courageous decisions 
to halt their country's nuclear testing programs. I want to thank them, 
along with Foreign Minister Downer of Australia and the chairman of the 
CTBT negotiating committee, Netherlands' Ambassador Jaap Ramaker for all 
the work they have done.
    I'd also like to express my gratitude on behalf of our country to 
our Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Stephen Ledogar, along 
with the entire United States delegation. They worked very hard for the 
last 3 years to bring us to this happy day. I`m proud that our American 
leadership has played an important role in this success.
    Now, together, the United States and the nations of the world have 
taken another giant step toward making our world safer. It is in that 
spirit that I will urge all nations to sign the agreement.
    Thank you.
    Q. Mr. President, there were three votes against----
    The President. There were: the Indians and Bhutan voting with India 
and Libya. The Indians have some concerns which they have made clear in 
public, but now that we have voted overwhelmingly to do it, and when we 
sign it, then we'll have to work out the entry into force provisions. I 
am convinced we can do it, and I believe we can find a way for the 
Indians to have their security concerns met.
    And so this is a big plus today. We're a lot closer today than we 
were yesterday toward realizing the dream of a comprehensive nuclear 
test ban.

Same Sex Marriage

    Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--same sex marriage bill passed today. 
Are you still going to sign it?
    The President. Yes.
    Q. Why?
    The President. For the reason that I said all along--I have--I said 
back in '92 that while I believe that gay partners can have certain 
contractual rights and other considerations, that the term marriage 
should not be applied in law. And this bill simply says that no State 
has to recognize any other State's

[[Page 1705]]

law to that regard. So it's consistent with the position I took back in 
'92, and therefore, I will sign it.
    I will say again as I have repeatedly said, this should not be cause 
for any sort of discrimination or gay bashing, and I regret that the 
Senate failed by one vote to adopt the antidiscrimination bill with 
regard to employment discrimination, which I think is a very good bill. 
And we're so close, and I feel comfortable we'll be able to get it 
sometime in the near future.
    Thank you.

Iraq

    Q. [Inaudible]--Saddam Hussein--[inaudible]----
    The President. Well, we don't have any independent confirmation of 
their allegation about firing the missiles. And again I will say I will 
take the position that I have taken from the day I took this office: We 
will evaluate them based on what they do, not what they say.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 4:14 p.m. at Kansas City International 
Airport. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister John Major of the 
United Kingdom, President Jacques Chirac of France, President Boris 
Yeltsin of Russia, and President Jiang Zemin of China. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.