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<DOC> [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents] [frwais.access.gpo.gov] [Page i-ii] Monday, February 3, 1997 Volume 33--Number 5 Pages 95-127 Contents [[Page i]] Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents [[Page ii]] Addresses and Remarks Democratic Business Council dinner--112 Microenterprise Awards, presentation ceremony--119 Radio address--95 Virginia, military leaders at the Pentagon in Arlington--118 Communications to Congress International family planning, letter--125 ``Support for a Democratic Transition in Cuba Letter transmitting report--112 Preface--111 Terrorists who threaten the Middle East peace process, letter reporting--117 Thailand-U.S. taxation convention, message transmitting--112 Communications to Federal Agencies Improving the safety of the Nation's food supply, memorandum--96 Executive Orders Extension of Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses--123 Interviews With the News Media Exchange with reporters at the Pentagon, Arlington, VA--118 News conference, January 28 (No. 134)--99 Proclamations National African American History Month--122 To Modify Application of Duty-Free Treatment of Certain Articles Under the Generalized System of Preferences, and for Other Purposes--97 Statements by the President Death of Frank Tejeda--124 International family planning--124 Supplementary Materials Acts approved by the President--127 Checklist of White House press releases--126 Digest of other White House announcements--125 Nominations submitted to the Senate--126 WEEKLY COMPILATION OF ------------------------------ PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents contains statements, messages, and other Presidential materials released by the White House during the preceding week. The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is published pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Register Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10). Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year ($137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for $93.75 per year, payable to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing). There are no restrictions on the republication of material appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. [[Page 95]] <DOC> [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents] [frwais.access.gpo.gov] [Page 95-96] Monday, February 3, 1997 Volume 33--Number 5 Pages 95-127 Week Ending Friday, January 31, 1997 The President's Radio Address January 25, 1997 Good morning. Today I'm pleased to announce a major new step toward protecting the health and safety of all Americans, especially our children. Almost a week ago, in my Inaugural Address, I told the American people that we must lead our country into the 21st century with the American dream alive for all our children, with the American promise of a more perfect Union a reality for all our people, with the light of our freedom illuminating all the world. I believe we will make this vision real by doing what we've always done in moments of great change--holding fast to our enduring values. Central among these is the belief that we work tirelessly to make our families stronger and our children safer. Nothing is more important to meeting this goal than seeing to it that Americans live in a world with clean air, safe food, pure water. Hard-working American parents deserve the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the meal they set before their children is safe. That's why I was so concerned by what happened in Washington State and in two other Western States this fall. Apple juice contaminated with a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria reached supermarket shelves. More than a dozen children, some as young as 2, were hospitalized, and one child died. I'm sure just about every parent in America remembers what E. coli can do. Four years ago this month, tragedy struck hundreds of families in the Western United States when they took their children to fast-food restaurants that served them hamburgers tainted by the E. coli bacteria. Five hundred people became ill, some of them severely, and four children lost their lives. Our administration has made it a top priority to protect the health and safety of all Americans. I signed into law legislation to keep harmful pesticides off our fruits and vegetables and legislation that keeps our drinking water safe and pure. We put in place strong new protections to ensure that seafood is safe. And last summer we announced steps to modernize our meat and poultry food and safety system for the first time in 90 years. These new safety rules will begin to take effect next week. From now on, all meat and poultry plants will be required to test for E. coli. We have built a solid foundation for the health of America's families. But clearly we must do more. No parent should have to think twice about the juice that they pour their children at breakfast or a hamburger ordered during dinner out. That's why today I'm announcing new steps to use cutting-edge technology to keep our food safe and to protect our children from deadly bacteria. We must continue to modernize the food safety system put in place at the dawn of the 20th century so that it can meet the demands of the 21st century. First, we will put in place a nationwide early warning system for food-borne illness. Right now the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agriculture Department sponsor five centers across the country whose mission is to post a lookout for food- borne diseases like E. coli bacteria and salmonella. Working with State and local governments, these sentinel sites in California, Oregon, Minnesota, Georgia, and Connecticut, actively track outbreaks of illnesses caused by contaminated food. Today I'm announcing we'll increase the number of these sites from five to eight and link them to other State health agencies. This expanded early warning system will enable us to catch outbreaks sooner and give us the data we need to help us prevent outbreaks from happening in the first place. Second, we will see to it that the early warning system uses state- of-the-art technology to keep our food safe. We'll increase [[Page 96]] the number of expert disease detectives to investigate and control food- borne disease outbreaks. We will give these experts the technology to use sophisticated new DNA finger-printing methods to trace dangerous bacteria to their source. We will create a permanent DNA fingerprint library so we can immediately recognize an illness if it reappears. And we will use advance communication networks to speed outbreak information to hospitals and public health agencies all around America. Third, I'm directing Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Carol Browner, to work with communities, farmers, businesses, consumer protection groups, and all levels of Government to come up with additional measures to improve food safety. I want them to pay special attention to research and public education efforts. I want them to focus on what sort of partnerships the Government can form with the private sector to meet our goals. And I want them to report back to me with their findings within 90 days. Finally, let me add that these new public health investments are paid for, line by line, dime by dime, in the balanced budget I will officially send to Congress next month. With this new early warning system to track food-borne illness, we are saying loud and clear that we will use the world's best science to make the world's most bountiful food supply safer than ever before for our families and for our children. Together we will see to it that our people and our Nation are prepared for the 21st century. Thanks for listening. Note: The address was recorded at 7:30 p.m. on January 24 in the Roosevelt Room at the White House for broadcast at 1:26 p.m. on January 25. <DOC> [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents] [frwais.access.gpo.gov] [Page 96-97] Monday, February 3, 1997 Volume 33--Number 5 Pages 95-127 Week Ending Friday, January 31, 1997 Memorandum on Improving the Safety of the Nation's Food Supply January 25, 1997 Memorandum for the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Subject: Improving the Safety of the Nation's Food Supply Americans rightly expect to have the world's safest food supply. Although our food is unmatched in quantity and quality, we can do better in our efforts to eliminate disease caused by microorganisms and other contaminants. Americans still suffer thousands of food-related deaths and millions of food-related illnesses. The 21st century will present new and greater challenges in this area. Novel pathogens are emerging. Long-understood pathogens are growing resistant to treatment. Americans eat more foods prepared outside the home, and we consume record levels of imported food--some of which moves across the globe overnight. These changing circumstances require greatly strengthened systems of coordination, surveillance, prevention, research, and education. My Administration has already taken a number of steps to improve food safety. We modernized the meat, poultry, and seafood safety systems. I signed into law new legislation to keep harmful pesticides off our fruits and vegetables--and legislation that keeps our drinking water safe and pure. Today, I announced a new national early warning system for food-borne illness. The system will allow us to respond more quickly to disease outbreaks and to better prevent them in the future. But we need to do more. Government, consumers, and industry must work together to further reduce food-borne disease and to ensure our food supply is the safest in the world. I hereby direct that you work with consumers, producers, industry, States, univer [[Page 97]] sities, and the public to identify additional ways to improve the safety of our food supply through government and private sector action, including public-private partnerships. Your recommendations should identify steps to further improve surveillance, inspections, research, risk assessment, education, and coordination among local, State, and Federal health authorities. You should report back to me within 90 days with your recommendations. William J. Clinton <DOC> [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents] [frwais.access.gpo.gov] [Page 97-99] Monday, February 3, 1997 Volume 33--Number 5 Pages 95-127 Other Popular 1997 Presidential Documents Documents:
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