[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 39 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Pages 1878-1880]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Democratic Congressional Leaders and an 
Exchange With Reporters

September 26, 1996

Legislative Accomplishments

    The President. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Let me join 
the Vice President in thanking Senator Daschle and Congressman Gephardt 
for their strong leadership in this session of Congress. Here at the end 
we have had a real spate of positive legislation coming out: improving 
our environment through safe drinking water and the pesticide protection 
act; health care reform; reforms in the pension systems for people who 
work for small businesses; the raise in the minimum wage. This has been 
a remarkable, remarkable last few days, and these leaders have worked 
very hard to gather sup- 

[[Page 1879]]

port for this legislation and to work in a constructive manner with 
those in the Republican majority.

    But they have also done something else. They have protected 
Medicare, Medicaid, education, the environment, workers' pension funds, 
the earned-income tax credit for hard-working people and still continued 
to work toward a balanced budget, and I came here to thank them for 
that. I believe the American people want a Congress that will fight for 
the interests of working families, expand education opportunities, 
balance the budget in the right way and never, ever shut the Government 
down again. And I am committed to that; I know that they are.
    Let me say that the strategy we have been pursuing for 4 years now 
is clearly working. The strategy of opportunity for all, responsibility 
from all, and a community which includes all people who are willing to 
do their part is plainly working. We not only have 10\1/2\ million jobs, 
the lowest unemployment rate in 7\1/2\ years, 4 years of declining 
deficits for the first time since before the Civil War so that now we've 
got a 60 percent reduction, but we saw the census numbers.
    You heard the Vice President's headlines. Let me read you what 
today's headlines should be: Typical household income up $898 in 1995, 
after inflation; family income up over $1,600; since our economic plan 
passed the interest rates dropped and the economy started to grow. The 
largest decline in income inequality in 27 years--the largest decline in 
income inequality in 27 years; the largest decline in the number of 
Americans living in poverty in 27 years. These are remarkable 
turnarounds from a condition that many people thought was inevitable--
from the American people growing apart, now we're growing together as we 
work together.
    We had the biggest drop in the poverty rate in over a decade, the 
lowest poverty rates ever recorded for African-Americans and for senior 
citizens, the biggest drop in child poverty in 20 years and the biggest 
drop in poverty in female-headed households in 30 years. This country is 
on the right track, and we need to bear down and pursue that course.
    And these leaders and their Members have helped us to do that, and 
for that I am very, very grateful.
    Thank you.

1997 Budget

    Q. Mr. President, in terms of the budget, do you feel like an 800-
pound gorilla because Republicans have been seemingly willing to give 
you much of what you wanted, had no taste for a Government shutdown, a 
continuing resolution? Could you tell us what your feelings about that 
are?
    The President. Well, I feel good about it, but that is the way that 
our Government has traditionally worked. We've gotten together, worked 
together, and made principled compromises, and we did make principled 
compromises here. And we're continuing to bring the deficit down and 
work toward a balanced budget. We must do that. I am for that.
    And I am very gratified. I think the American people made it quite 
clear that they do not support the Government-shutdown way of governing 
America. They want us to work together, and I'm pleased by that.
    Q. Are you satisfied with continuing resolutions?
    The President. Well, we're still negotiating on that. I hope I will 
be. I'm satisfied with the process so far, but I haven't seen the 
product. So let me see the product before I tell you that.

Immigration Legislation

    Q. Mr. President, are you willing to sign the congressional 
immigration report or in the conference report can still changes be 
made? What's your view?
    The President. First of all, I'm gratified that we got the Gallegly 
amendment out of the immigration bill. I thought that was the right 
thing to do, certainly the right thing for children. Every law 
enforcement group in America supported our position. I feel good about 
it.
    I want to withhold further comments on the immigration bill because 
it is a subject of intense negotiation now and they're working on how it 
might be resolved in the context of the continuing resolution and moving 
to get Congress out of town. So I don't want

[[Page 1880]]

to say anything that will complicate the work that's being done. I hope 
some progress can be made there.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 2:14 p.m. at the Longworth House Office 
Building.