[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 41 (Monday, October 14, 1996)]
[Pages 2016-2018]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996

October 9, 1996

    Thank you, Doug Smith, for your very moving remarks, for your 
recognition of the contributions of others, and for your own constant, 
brave efforts to help this day come to pass. And I thank all the family 
members who are here for your efforts to go beyond your own personal 
suffering to make something positive happen for our country in the 
future. Thank you, Madam Attorney General, for your strong support and 
your leadership in this regard; to OMB Director Raines; Congressman 
Duncan, thank you, sir, for your leadership, for the fine work you did; 
to the FAA Administrator, David Hinson, who is here. I'd like to say a 
special word of thanks to Admiral Edward Kristensen and Coast Guard 
Commander Ken Burgess, who supervised the recovery efforts for TWA 800. 
And I hope they will thank the Navy divers and the men and women of the 
Coast Guard who have worked so long and hard off Long Island. To Deputy 
Secretary Mort Downey of Transportation; Vice Chairman of the NTSB, Bob 
Francis. To all of you, thank you for being here.
    Today I am pleased to sign the Federal Aviation Administration's 
authorization bill that will address the concerns Doug Smith expressed 
so movingly. It will improve the security of air travel. It will carry 
forward our fight against terrorism.
    Last summer I met with the families of the victims of TWA Flight 
800, the cause of which we are still investigating. They told me, as Mr. 
Smith and others have said, that there should be a single place in the 
Federal Government, a specific office that has the responsibility and 
the capability to assist them in the wake of a tragedy. This bill gives 
the National Transportation Safety Board that task. The NTSB will be the 
sole authoritative agency so that families will know exactly where to go 
and who will speak for the Government when they have lost a loved one. 
The measure builds upon Secretary Pena's efforts to improve passenger 
manifests on international flights, a priority for families of victims.

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    I thank the families for the tremendous work they have done to make 
these changes happen. And I thank Secretary Pena, who could not be here 
today because of another assignment he has undertaken for our 
administration. The bill I sign today will increase the safety of our 
Nation and our families by giving us more of the tools we need to fight 
terrorism.
    We have pursued a concerted strategy against terrorism on three 
fronts: First, working more closely than ever with our allies to build a 
coalition with zero tolerance for terrorism; second, by giving our own 
law enforcement officials the most powerful counterterrorism tools 
available; and third, by increasing security in our airports and on our 
airplanes. This bill is an outstanding example of how we can advance 
that strategy when we work together, Government and private citizens, 
the executive branch and Congress, Republicans and Democrats.
    After the TWA 800 disaster, I asked Vice President Gore and a 
commission of experts to examine all our aviation security practices and 
recommend improvements that would protect against terrorists or criminal 
attacks. On September the 9th, 45 days after they began their work, the 
Vice President and his commission delivered their action plan. Today, 
exactly one month later, almost all of its recommendations will become 
the law of the land.
    I want to say a special word of thanks to the Vice President, who 
very much wanted to be here today and could not for obvious reasons, for 
the extraordinary work he has done on this and so many other issues.
    Because of this legislation and the budget bill I signed last week, 
we will install hundreds of state-of-the-art bomb detection scanners in 
our major airports to examine both checked and carry-on luggage. It will 
pay for a dramatic increase in FBI agents assigned to the Bureau's 
counterterrorism efforts. Now background and FBI fingerprint checks will 
become routine for airport and airline employees with access to security 
areas. And the Federal Aviation Administration will continue the bag 
match program for domestic flights at selected airports that were begun 
by my Executive order last month.
    We will increase inspection of mail and other international air 
cargo and expand the use of bomb-sniffing dogs. Because of these 
improvements, Americans will not only feel safer, they will be safer. 
America has the will and we are finding the ways to increase security 
against the terrorist threat on all fronts. We cannot make the world 
risk-free, but we can reduce the risks we face.
    Beyond our efforts to improve aviation security, our new 
counterterrorism measures will also strengthen America's intelligence 
capabilities worldwide so that we can stop terrorists before they 
strike. We're improving security at both military and diplomatic 
facilities so that those who serve our Nation abroad are better 
protected. We are strengthening security at public sites here at home. 
And we are continually stepping up our law enforcement efforts with more 
agents and more prosecutors, after sending the message to terrorists 
that they will pay the full price for their deeds.
    With these steps we are helping to make Americans safer. This 
legislation is proof that if we work together and put the interests of 
real people first, we can meet the challenges of this era.
    I'd like to say, on a personal note, that I am especially grateful 
for the time and effort and stories that the family members of air 
tragedies have shared with me. And when I went to New York with Hillary 
to meet with the family members of the victims of TWA 800, a grandmother 
spoke to me movingly about how she had lost both her child--her 
daughter--and her grandson in that crash. And she gave me a picture of 
her 10-year-old grandson because of his particular attachment to the 
President and his desire to grow up to be in public life some day. I 
have carried that picture with me every single day until this day and 
the signing of this bill. And I hope that this legislation will mean 
more children will have the chance to live out their dreams.
    I'd like to ask Congressman Duncan, the Attorney General, and the 
family members to come up now as we sign the legislation.

Note: The President spoke at 10:20 a.m. in Room 450 of the Old Executive 
Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to Doug Smith, president, 
National Air Disaster Alliance. H.R. 3539, ap- 

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proved October 9, was assigned Public Law No. 104-264.