[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 15 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Pages 655-656]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Congressional Action on Child Care Legislation

April 15, 1999

    I am pleased that Congress has made important progress this week to 
address the pressing child care needs of America's working families.
    Significant new investments are needed to make child care better, 
safer, and more affordable for working families. My budget request 
includes substantial new resources to help working families pay for 
child care, increase the supply of good after-school programs, improve 
the safety and quality of care, and promote early learning.
    Today Senator Jeffords and Representative Gilman introduced, with 
bipartisan co-sponsors, the ``Caring for America's Children Act,'' which 
calls for significant new investments to make child care more affordable 
and improve child care quality. Other important legislation has been 
introduced in the House and the Senate during this congressional 
session, as well. And most important, this week the Congress 
demonstrated through votes on the budget resolution that there is strong 
bipartisan support for taking

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action on child care. I want to thank Senators Dodd and Jeffords for 
their strong leadership on this issue, and I look forward to working 
over the coming months with Members of Congress on both sides of the 
aisle to strengthen child care for America's working families.