[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 18 (Monday, May 10, 1999)]
[Pages 775-776]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7191--Law Day, U.S.A., 1999

April 30, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    America's founders recognized that the rule of law is the greatest 
guarantor of freedom and justice, the crucial barricade protecting 
civilization from chaos, democracy from tyranny. Among the chief 
grievances they enumerated in the Declaration of Independence were that 
``the present King of Great Britain . . . has refused this Assent to 
Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good. . . . He has 
made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their 
Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.''
    The Constitution and Bill of Rights reflect our founders' reverence 
for and faith in the rule of law, and they stand as an enduring charter 
of freedom and equality that continues to protect our fundamental rights 
today. But only the passage of additional laws over time has fulfilled 
the promise of justice enshrined in that charter. Amendments abolishing 
slavery and guaranteeing due process and equal protection to everyone 
came only after the Civil War--nearly 80 years after the ratification of 
the Constitution. It took almost another century, and the courageous and 
persistent efforts of lawyers such as Thurgood Marshall, to establish 
that the equal protection clause prohibits governments from enforcing 
segregation in schools and other public arenas. Women did not gain the 
right to vote until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
    During the past 4 decades, our Nation has continued to pursue the 
ideals of justice and equality. President Kennedy and President Johnson 
fought to enact what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965, laws that safeguard the rights of citizens to 
vote, to work, to use public accommodations, and to attend school free 
from illegal discrimination. In 1967, President Johnson signed the Age 
Discrimination in Employment Act to protect older Americans against 
discriminatory treatment in their jobs.
    In 1990, President Bush signed into law the Americans with 
Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that recognizes the right of 
people with disabilities to have equal opportunity for employment and 
equal access to public services. Building on the Americans with 
Disabilities Act, I announced a new initiative in January of this year 
to remove significant barriers that prevent people with disabilities 
from joining the work force. We will invest more than two billion 
dollars over the next 5 years to provide tax credits to offset critical 
and expensive transportation costs, increased funding for assistive 
technology research, and greater access to health care for people with 
disabilities.
    In May of 1998, I was proud to sign Executive Order 13087, which 
amends Federal equal employment opportunity policy to prohibit 
discrimination based on sexual orientation in the Federal civilian work 
force. My Administration is working with congressional leaders to pass 
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit most 
private employers from firing good workers solely because they are gay 
or lesbian. And we must secure equal pay legislation to ensure that 
women and minority employees receive fair compensation for their work.
    America's trust in the rule of law and our continuing quest for 
equality under the law have defined our history for more than 200 years. 
Now, as we look forward to a new century, we must renew our commitment 
to the spirit of our Constitution and the strong foundation of civil 
rights laws that guarantee both our freedom and our security. We must

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reaffirm our goal of building an America where all people have an equal 
opportunity to reach their full potential and where no American is 
denied his or her rights because of race, national origin, gender, 
sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability. By doing so, we 
will fulfill our founders' vision of a Nation where all citizens share 
equally in the blessings and protections of the law.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20 of April 7, 1961, 
do hereby proclaim May 1, 1999, as Law Day. I urge the people of the 
United States to consider anew how our laws protect our freedoms and 
contribute to our national well-being. I call upon members of the legal 
profession, civic associations, educators, librarians, public officials, 
and the media to promote the observance of this day with appropriate 
programs and activities. I also call upon public officials to display 
the flag of the United States on all government buildings throughout the 
day.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-third.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 4, 1999]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on May 5. 
This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate 
issue.