[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 40 (Monday, October 7, 1996)]
[Pages 1927-1928]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Arrival in Boston, Massachusetts, and an Exchange With 
Reporters

September 28, 1996

Balanced Budget Agreement

    The President. Good evening. Early this morning we reached an 
important agreement with Congress to continue balancing the budget while 
we invest in education, protect the environment, and keep our streets 
safe. This budget agreement was a victory for our values and a victory 
for the American people. It was also, in particular, a victory for the 
people of Massachusetts.
    I want to talk briefly about three things in particular that are 
important to this State. First, the budget agreement includes $50 
million that could be used for shipyard reac- 

[[Page 1928]]

tivation. Today I have instructed Secretary Pena to complete 
negotiations for a binding letter of commitment to revitalize the Quincy 
Shipyard, which we just flew over, and to do it within 30 days after I 
sign the budget.
    I especially want to thank Senator Kerry, Senator Kennedy, and 
Congressman Studds for their hard work to include this provision in the 
budget agreement. Their work will help to create a world-class 
shipbuilding operation to bring new jobs, new technology, and new 
opportunity to the people of Quincy.
    Second, the budget includes important funds to continue the cleanup 
of Boston Harbor. Last year Senator Kerry and Senator Kennedy joined us 
to stop congressional efforts to walk away from that commitment. And 
because of their work this year we are going to keep moving forward to 
make the Boston Harbor safe, clean, and healthy.
    Finally, I want to say a word about our ongoing effort to streamline 
our Government. We're working hard to overhaul Defense Department 
management while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the best 
equipped, trained Armed Forces in the world. We've closed 228 of the 
Defense Department's more than 300 finance and accounting facilities, 
while working hard to improve training for Defense Department financial 
managers. Today I'm pleased to announce that the budget agreement also 
includes funds to establish a financial management education center at 
Southbridge, Massachusetts. The Pentagon will release $5 million for the 
center's development next week, and classes will begin on March 1, 1997, 
18 months ahead of class. The Southbridge center would not be happening 
today without the leadership of Senator Kerry, Senator Kennedy, and 
Congressman Neal.
    This budget agreement shows what we can do when we work hard on 
things that really matter to the American people. It creates opportunity 
by working to revitalize the shipbuilding industry, takes responsibility 
by working to reform our Government in a responsible way while providing 
the best training to our Armed Forces, it strengthens our community by 
continuing our effort to clean up our environment here to Boston Harbor. 
We are on the right track to the 21st century, and I am very pleased 
about it.
    Now I'd like to ask the Senators each to say a word.

[At this point, Senator John Kerry and Senator Edward M. Kennedy made 
brief remarks.]

    Q. [Inaudible]
    The President. Well, for one reason, I've been working on these 
things for far more than one year. The Southbridge project is a big 
project, goes back several years. The Boston Harbor project was going on 
before I got here. The Quincy project developed when they had a person 
interested in going there.
    So we've been working very hard on it, and I think if they didn't 
have independent merit, it would have been difficult for us to get them 
in these times, which have been particularly contentious. So I think, 
you know, every one of these things will stand on its own merit. But the 
people in Boston have paid an enormous amount out of their own pockets 
to clean up the Boston Harbor and it would have been unconscionable for 
us to walk away from our continuing commitment to that.
    These other two projects we've been working on, waiting for, for a 
very long time. It's not something that just came up overnight tied to 
the election cycle. This is a multi-year effort and I want to 
congratulate all the community leaders who are here. They're the ones 
that ultimately deserve the credit for bringing this day to bear.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 6:40 p.m. at Logan Airport. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.