    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 25 (Monday, June 26, 2000)]
    [Page 1415]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Radio Remarks on Signing the Agricultural Risk Protection Act
    of 2000

    June 20, 2000

        Today I'm signing into law the Agriculture Risk Protection Act,
    which makes the Federal crop insurance system more inclusive and
    affordable. The bill also includes $7.2 billion in emergency farm
    assistance to help farmers suffering from plummeting crop prices.
        While this bill is important, it still fails to fix what is plainly
    an unsuccessful farm policy. We should be targeting assistance where
    it's truly needed instead of making payments to farmers who haven't
    planted a crop and don't need our help. That's why we need to revise,
    revamp, and improve the 1996 freedom to farm bill--to build a safety net
    that adequately protects our Nation's farmers.

     Note:  The President's remarks were recorded at approximately 11:30
    a.m. on June 19 in Room 200 at the Joseph C. Lanzetta School (Public
    School 96) in New York City for later broadcast. The transcript was
    released by the Office of the Press Secretary on June 20. These remarks
    were also made available on the White House Press Office Actuality Line.
    H.R. 2559, approved June 20, was assigned Public Law No. 106-224.