[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 31 (Monday, August 9, 1999)]
[Pages 1551-1552]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Heat Relief Volunteers in Chicago

August 3, 1999

    Thank you very much. I want to say, first of all, I came here mostly 
just to say thank you. Thank you to the volunteers, the firefighters, 
the police officers, the emergency workers.
    I am joined by three members of our Cabinet over here: our Secretary 
of Labor, Alexis Herman, Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, and 
Chicago's own, Secretary of Commerce Bill Daley.
    Every time I come to Chicago, I get excited. I tell everybody all 
across America, you know, this is the way cities ought to work. It's a 
well-organized, beautiful, clean, ever-changing, dynamic city, and one 
that doesn't run away from its problems but embraces them and tries to 
work through them. And that is what I want America to be like.
    I know this has been a very difficult time. This heat wave has 
claimed over 190 lives nationwide. It has been very, very tough. And I 
just wanted to join the mayor in saying

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thank you. Normally, you know, when something like this happens, the 
role of the Federal Government is to declare emergencies, provide help 
to the farmers or the business people, or extra help to the seniors and 
others who are vulnerable. And I rarely get an opportunity to go out and 
see the people who do the work, save the lives, and help people get 
through the tough times. And so mostly I am here just to tell you, 
you've done a great job, and I am profoundly grateful. Thank you.
    As we can all see, thankfully, the blast- 
furnace heat has subsided a little bit here in Chicago, and believe it 
or not, it was a little better in Washington yesterday and today. Over 
the weekend, it was scorching. But we probably haven't seen the last of 
the heat for the season. And we know that many low income people in this 
area and throughout our country are now saddled with energy bills they 
can't begin to afford. So earlier today I authorized the release of 
another $55 million in emergency funding to help them.
    The funding will be used in Illinois and eight other States in the 
Midwest and the South to help people pay for air-conditioning and pay 
off their high utility bills. About $16 million will go to the State of 
Illinois alone. We have now provided $150 million-plus for cooling 
assistance this summer across America, and I hope it will be enough.
    We know that some of the elderly people who died in this heat wave 
were people on fixed incomes who were reluctant to turn their air-
conditioning on. We know they were afraid they wouldn't be able to pay 
their bills at the end of the month. So the one news item I would hope 
would come out of this meeting is that through this announcement the 
seniors in this area and in any other area that might be hit by this 
kind of heat wave will know that there is Federal help available, 
Congress has set aside the money for this purpose. We know that when 
heat waves like this come along that are virtually unprecedented there 
will be people who need to be cool who can't afford to pay the bill.
    So turn on the air-conditioner, and if you don't have one, send for 
a fan or a room unit; send for something that will keep you alive. That 
is the message we want to come out of here. I want your efforts all to 
be successful, and I hope that that message will go out across the 
country today. People should never have to worry in this country about 
risking their lives because they can't pay their power bills.
    Again, let me say, I want to thank you. The executive director of 
the Chicago Housing Authority, I understand, said recently, there is no 
substitute for human contact. That's probably a good general rule, but 
it is certainly true in this case. You have provided that human contact, 
and the rest of us are very grateful.
    Thank you, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 2:42 p.m. at the Lake Shore Park Pavilion. 
In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago; and 
Phillip Jackson, chief executive officer, Chicago Housing Authority. A 
portion of these remarks could not be verified because the tape was 
incomplete.