[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 42 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Pages 2096-2098]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and 
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000

October 20, 1999

    Today I have signed into law H.R. 2684, the ``Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000.''
    This Act will fund vital housing, community development, 
environmental, disaster assistance, veterans, space, and science 
programs. Specifically, it provides funding for the Departments of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
(FEMA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and several other 
agencies.
    The Act funds a number of my Administration's high priorities, 
including the Corporation for National and Community Service at this 
year's current funding level. National Service gives young people the 
opportunity to obtain funding for a college education while serving the 
country in areas of great need, such as the environment, public safety, 
and human services. National Service also allows young people to 
participate in service-learning programs that provide substantial 
academic and social benefits, including the opportunity to learn 
responsible citizenship.
    I am pleased that the Act also provides full funding of HUD's 
highest priority: $10.9 billion for the renewal of all Section 8 
contracts, assuring continuation of HUD rental subsidies for low-income 
tenants in privately owned housing. I am also pleased that the Act 
provides 60,000 housing vouchers for low-income families. In addition, 
the Act adequately funds programs to help distressed communities, 
including my new initiative for America's Private Investment Companies 
(APIC), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), assistance to the 
homeless, the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, 
Brownfields redevelopment, and rural and urban empowerment zones. The 
CDBG program promotes housing and economic activity in low- and 
moderate-income areas. It provides funding for housing rehabilitation, 
construction, and homebuyer assistance. The CDFI Fund helps to create a 
network of community development banks across the country, spurring the 
flow of capital to distressed neighborhoods and their currently 
underserved low-income residents.
    The Act includes funding that could support part of my New Markets 
proposal, which will help ensure that all Americans share in our 
economic prosperity. APIC and the rural and urban empowerment zones will 
help revitalize communities so that they can take advantage of the 
strength of the economy and help those left behind in our economic boom. 
Additionally, $1.02 billion is provided for

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homeless assistance grants, enabling localities to continue to shape and 
implement comprehensive, flexible, coordinated ``continuum of care'' 
approaches to solving homelessness.
    I am pleased that the Act adequately funds Fair Housing programs, 
which will enable HUD to expand significantly its activities aimed at 
reducing the level of housing discrimination nationwide.
    The Act provides $710 million, a significant increase, for elderly 
housing, recognizing the dramatic rise in our elderly population and the 
changing housing needs that accompany this unprecedented demographic 
shift. The Act replaces old models, which separated housing from 
services, with new models that bring services to elders where they 
live--allowing seniors to remain in their homes and communities longer.
    I am also pleased that H.R. 2684 provides $19.8 billion for the 
medical care of our Nation's veterans. Since January, long waiting times 
in VA medical centers have disrupted the level and quality of medical 
care that veterans have received. This level of service is unacceptable, 
and the funding levels in the Act will allow us to address this issue. 
The Act will also allow for the provision of a range of home- and 
community-based care for those high-priority veterans who do not have 
access to such services, and it provides resources for the aggressive 
testing and treatment of Hepatitis C.
    The Act provides $7.6 billion for the EPA, which will enable the 
agency to adequately implement our environmental laws. I am pleased that 
H.R. 2684 adequately funds EPA's portion of the Clean Water Action Plan 
and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. However, the Act should 
have provided full funding for the Climate Change Technology Initiative 
and the new Clean Air Partnership Fund at the requested levels. 
Furthermore, I continue to believe that the provision prohibiting 
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is unnecessary, as my 
Administration has no intent of implementing the Protocol prior to 
ratification. This year's language is identical to last year's 
provision. Since this year's House and Senate report language is 
contradictory, we will implement the Kyoto provision consistent with the 
language in last year's conference report. I also am disturbed that the 
conference report includes new language that is aimed at restricting 
efforts to reduce smog by delaying EPA action on several States' clean 
air petitions. My Administration has a strong commitment to clean air 
and will continue to use the full range of authorities under the law to 
make our Nation's air safe to breathe for all Americans.
    The Act also adequately funds the Nation's investment in space and 
science programs. It provides $13.65 billion for NASA and $3.9 billion 
for the NSF, including $126 million for my Administration's Information 
Technology in the 21st Century Initiative. If we want to maintain our 
current economic prosperity, it is essential that we sustain our 
investment in long-term research across all the scientific and 
engineering disciplines. This Act maintains the Nation's investments in 
science, technology, and learning, which have fueled unprecedented 
economic growth for the past decade.
    Finally, I am pleased that H.R. 2684 adequately funds FEMA to help 
cope with unforeseen disasters. The $2.5 billion in contingent emergency 
funds, along with the $821 million appropriated, ensures that the 
country is well prepared to deal with unforeseen natural disasters and 
that FEMA has adequate resources to respond to Hurricane Floyd and other 
disasters.
    I am pleased that my Administration and the Congress were able to 
work together successfully on this bill--in a spirit of cooperation--to 
resolve our respective differences and produce a bill that is fully paid 
for and effectively addresses critical needs of the American people. I 
am especially pleased that we were able to achieve acceptable funding 
levels in a number of areas by providing offsets that were agreed on by 
both sides. I urge the Congress to work with my Administration in 
similar fashion in coming to mutually acceptable agreements on the 
remaining FY 2000 appropriations bills and to do so expeditiously. The 
American people deserve no less.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
October 20, 1999.

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Note: H.R. 2684, approved October 20, was assigned Public Law No. 106-
74.