[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 24 (Monday, June 15, 1998)]
[Pages 1084-1085]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the House of Representatives Democratic Child Care Proposal

June 9, 1998

    The balanced budget I submitted to Congress includes an ambitious 
initiative to make child care better, safer, and more affordable. 
America's working families and our Nation's children deserve our 
attention and action on this critical issue. Today House Democrats

[[Page 1085]]

are unveiling an important proposal--sponsored by over 100 
Representatives--to address the child care needs of working families. 
Like my child care initiative, this new package significantly increases 
child care subsidies for poor children, provides greater 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, 
increases after-school opportunities for children, promotes early 
learning, and improves child care quality.
    I believe that by continuing to work together and by taking the best 
proposals from both sides of the aisle, we can achieve legislation that 
helps Americans fulfill their responsibilities as workers, and even more 
importantly, their responsibilities as parents. I welcome this important 
contribution from House Democrats, and I urge all Members of Congress to 
come together this year to improve child care for our Nation's working 
families.