[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 5 (Monday, February 2, 1998)]
[Page 150]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Senate Republican Child Care Proposal

January 28, 1998

    Earlier this month, I unveiled an ambitious initiative to make child 
care better, safer, and more affordable. Last night, in my State of the 
Union Address, I asked Congress to reach across party lines to work on 
this important issue. I am very pleased that today, Senators Chafee, 
Hatch, Snowe, Roberts, Specter, and Collins proposed a child care 
package that, like mine, significantly increases child care subsidies 
for poor children, provides additional tax relief to help low- and 
middle-income families pay for child care, creates a tax credit for 
businesses that provide child care to their employees, and improves 
State enforcement of health and safety standards. I look forward to 
working with Members of Congress in both parties to enact comprehensive 
child care legislation to meet the needs of children and families.
    I believe that by continuing to work together on a bipartisan basis 
and by taking the best proposals from both sides of the aisle, we will 
achieve legislation that helps Americans fulfill their responsibilities 
as workers and, even more importantly, as parents. With this important 
contribution from Senator Chafee and his Senate colleagues, we move 
significantly closer to enacting child care legislation that is right 
for America's children.