pd06au01 Remarks on Receiving the Report of the National Commission on Federal...

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that will come next year.
    We're asking a lot of our schools and our teachers and our students. 
They have a big job ahead of them, and so do we, here in Washington. And 
now is the time, Congress, to get the job done.
    Two years ago, when I spoke to the Urban League Conference in 
Houston, my reforms for America's schools were just a set of proposals. 
And now, these proposals are within weeks of becoming reality. I'm 
thanking the Urban League for your support, and I ask you to continue to 
work with Congress to make sure they become the law of the land. I ask 
you to join me in building a system of education worthy of all America's 
children, so that every child has a chance in life, and not one single 
child, in the greatest land on the face of this Earth, is left behind.
    Thank you all for having me, and may God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 10:20 a.m. at the Washington Convention 
Center. In his remarks, he referred to Hugh B. Price, president and 
chief executive officer, Kenneth D. Lewis, vice chairman of the board of 
trustees, and Leland C. Brendsel, trustee, National Urban League. The 
President also referred to title I of the Improving America's Schools 
Act of 1994 (Public Law No.

[[Page 1128]]

103-382), which amended title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (Public Law No. 89-10).


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[Page 1128]
 
Pages 1115-1139
 
Week Ending Friday, August 3, 2001
 
Remarks on the Patients' Bill of Rights

August 1, 2001

    The President. Today I'm very pleased to announce that Congressman 
Norwood and I have reached an agreement on how to get a Patients' Bill 
of Rights out of the House of Representatives.
    Charlie started on this issue 6 years ago. He's worked diligently to 
protect Americans, patients, from wrongdoings. I appreciate so very much 
his spirit, because I share the same concerns. And now after long hard 
labors, we've reached an agreement on how to amend his bill, that will 
meet the principles that I outlined.
    When I first came to Washington, I gave--right after I came to 
Washington, I gave a speech that talked about the principles necessary 
for a Patients' Bill of Rights. In that speech, I wanted a bill--a bill 
that was good for patients, a bill that allowed for people to be able to 
air their grievances, a bill that did not encourage frivolous lawsuits.
    Charlie also shares the deep concern--I'll let him express his own 
concerns--but there's no question that he, himself, wanted to get a 
bill. He was practicing the art of what is possible. It's a spirit we 
need more of in Washington: people who come to this city with the intent 
of doing what's right, the intent of having accomplishment, the intent 
of not playing--you know, bickering over politics and getting 
intransigence because you don't get everything you want.
    And so after a lot of labor and a lot of hard work and a lot of 
discussion, we shook hands in the Oval Office, about 10 minutes ago. And 
Charlie is going to head up to the Hill. I've spoken to the Speaker. And 
he's going to take--we're going to work on the language of the agreed 
upon amendment. And it'll give the Members something positive to vote 
for.
    I want to thank Charlie Norwood for his hard work, for his--the 
southern gentlemen that he is--for his willingness to work with the 
White House. It's a good signal for a lot of folks in Capitol Hill.
    Now, Mr. Norwood.

[At this point, Representative Charlie Norwood briefly discussed the 
agreement, saying it would protect patients by ensuring that people 
could choose their own doctor, that a patient who was harmed would have 
recourse in some type of court setting, and that there would be good, 
independent, external review.]

    The President. Get to work up there on the Hill, Charlie. Thank you 
very much. I appreciate--[inaudible]
    Thank you, all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:40 p.m. in the James S. Brady Briefing 
Room at the White House.


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[Page 1128-1129]
 
Pages 1115-1139
 
Week Ending Friday, August 3, 2001
 
Statement on Northern Ireland

August 1, 2001

    This morning I telephoned Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern to state 
my strong support for the package of proposals their governments 
released today to the political party leaders in Northern Ireland.
    I believe the package is fair and that it charts the way forward in 
areas central to the Good Friday agreement. The package allows the 
people of Northern Ireland to sustain devolved government and establish 
a police service with broad public support. It provides further steps 
for normalizing the security presence in Northern Ireland and assuring 
the stability and integrity of the Good Friday agreement's political 
institutions. The proposals also recognize that a commitment to 
democratic governance and normalized security requires all parties to 
renounce violence and deal decisively with paramilitary weapons. 
Consequently, substantial progress on decommissioning is an essential 
part of today's package.
    In my conversation this morning, I commended the Prime Ministers for 
their continuing leadership on behalf of peace. I reiterated to them 
that the United States stands ready to help in any way that the 
governments and the parties find useful. I now urge all parties in 
Northern Ireland to reflect

[[Page 1129]]

carefully on today's proposals and to do everything in their power to 
make permanent the progress of the past 3 years by taking the next steps 
to implement the Good Friday agreement.


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[Page 1129]
 
Pages 1115-1139
 
Week Ending Friday, August 3, 2001
 
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Congressional Leaders on Education 
Reform Legislation

August 2, 2001

    Listen, thank you all for coming. It's my honor to meet with the 
Senate conferees and the chairman of the Education Committee in the 
House and, of course, the Secretary of Education to discuss the 
Conference Committee on Education and the education reform package and 
how best to--what I can do to help move the bill and to work with the 
Members to get a--to continue the spirit of reform that was a part of 
the Senate bill and the House bill.
    Today one of the things that I hope the Nation notices is that the 
NAEP is out, the national assessment statistics. And one of the things--
one of the powerful statistics is that States that use strong 
accountability systems, States that measure, States that say every child 
could matter are the States that perform best when it comes to teaching 
children the basic skills, in this case, math. It so happened to be that 
one of those States was Texas; the other was North Carolina.
    But it is a strong message to the advocates for reform who sit here 
in the Oval Office, strong message for the Members who doubt whether or 
not accountability is important, that accountability is crucial for 
reform. And after all, we're all united in making sure every child can 
learn in America and no child, not one child is left behind.
    So I want to thank the Members for coming. I'm hopeful that we can 
get a bill on my desk as soon as possible. I know that's the intent of 
the two chairmen. And when I do--when it is, and when I sign it, it will 
be really good for the public education of the country.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 2:51 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to NAEP, the National Assessment of 
Education Progress. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of these remarks.


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[Page 1129]
 
Pages 1115-1139
 
Week Ending Friday, August 3, 2001
 
Statement on House of Representatives Action on the Patients' Bill of 
Rights

August 2, 2001

    Today's action brings us an important step closer to ensuring that 
patients get the care they need and that HMOs are held accountable.
    I appreciate the bold leadership and hard work of Speaker Hastert, 
Congressman Norwood, Congressman Fletcher, and others for their efforts 
to make patient protections a reality for all Americans after years of 
gridlock.
    As this bill heads to the conference committee, I remain committed 
to extending the hand of cooperation to all who share a commitment to 
achieving real results for better health care for every American.


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[Page 1129-1130]
 
Pages 1115-1139
 
Week Ending Friday, August 3, 2001
 
Remarks Following a Cabinet Meeting on the Administration's Agenda

August 3, 2001

    Good afternoon. The Vice President and I are pleased to welcome the 
Cabinet to the Rose Garden. Together with Congress, we are proving that 
a new tone, a clear agenda, and active leadership can bring significant 
progress to the Nation's Capital. We are ending deadlock and drift and 
making our system work on behalf of the American people.
    Six months ago I chose a distinguished Cabinet, took a solemn oath, 
and promised to fight for the things close to my heart. My 
administration pledged to bring stability and high standards to 
Washington and to lead for the sake of all Americans.
    Six months later I'm proud of my Cabinet and the White House staff, 
who have worked with such energy and have brought integrity to their 
jobs. I'm grateful for the good will shown by Congress, and I am pleased 
with the progress we have made together, progress that touches every 
American family.

[[Page 1130]]

    We acted quickly to pass the first major tax cut in a generation to 
help families in an economic slowdown and to help rebuild the momentum 
of our economy.
    Both Houses of Congress have passed major education reform 
legislation, which will bring a new passion for excellence to America's 
public schools. We have broken 6 years of gridlock in the task of 
protecting patients from arbitrary medical decisions made by 
bureaucrats. The House has passed a bill to promote the work of 
mentoring groups, homeless shelters, and drug treatment facilities. And 
I have had positive discussions with leaders in the United States Senate 
on this matter.
    The House has also passed an energy plan that addresses current 
needs. We have put our foreign policy on sound footing. We are 
strengthening our relationships with our allies and moving to build a 
world that trades more freely.
    We have taken the first steps toward revitalizing and transforming 
our military so it can meet the threats and challenges of the future. 
Today the Senate joined with the House to provide our farmers with $5.5 
billion of emergency help. We passed a budget resolution that, for the 
first time in recent memory, has been respected, not ignored. And we are 
on our way to the second largest surplus in history, as well as paying 
down a significant amount of U.S. debt.
    On this path, we are headed for a year of strong, meaningful 
legislative achievements. And I want to express my thanks for every 
legislator who made tough decisions, every legislator who chose long-
term progress over short-term political gain.
    There's much more to do. In September the second stage of our work 
begins, and I will be guided by a few goals. First, we must finish the 
work we have begun. On the topics of education and the disadvantaged, 
our Nation has needs that will not wait. Americans, come September, will 
be watching. They want us to be principled, not partisan. They want us 
to look for agreement instead of looking for fights and arguments. 
Americans know obstructionism when they see it, and when necessary, I 
will point it out.
    Second, the Congress must live within the generous limits of our 
budget. Irresponsible spending is a threat to our economy and a threat 
to the essential functions of our Government. I will protect Medicare, 
Social Security, and our Armed Forces. And I will protect the American 
taxpayers. The Congress, through its budget resolution, has given its 
word on spending. So far, Congress has kept its word, and it must 
continue to do so.
    Third, within a limited budget we must have an active, compassionate 
Government. Beginning in September, I'll be proposing creative ways to 
tackle some of the toughest problems in our society. We must take the 
side of parents trying to raise responsible, motivated, and moral 
children. We must help disadvantaged Americans find opportunity and 
ownership and the tools to succeed in our free economy. We must show 
that our welcoming society values the ideals and contributions of 
immigrants. We must challenge Americans to be citizens, not spectators, 
in the renewal of their neighborhoods and their cities.
    In a few days, I'm headed home to the heartland to listen to the 
American people and to talk about the values that unite and sustain our 
country. Members of Congress are going home, as well. When we all come 
back in September, so many accomplishments are within our reach, and I 
look forward to the work ahead.
    Thank you all very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:21 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House.


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