pd06jn94 Digest of Other White House Announcements...

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the beaches of Normandy, not only on D-Day but also throughout the rest 
of the war, were responsible for the liberation of many of the 
concentration camps as well as cities, towns, and villages throughout 
Europe that had suffered for so many years.
    Thus, 1944 was a year of triumphs and sorrows. The Allies made great 
advances in bringing liberty to millions, while families and friends on 
the home front, faced with the knowledge that many of their loved ones 
would not return, continued to build the ``Arsenal of Democracy.''
    It is to those millions of American men and women, veterans and 
civilians, those who came home from the war and those who made the 
ultimate sacrifice that we say ``a grateful Nation remembers.'' We must 
never forget the high price paid by the valiant to ensure the freedoms 
of the many.
    The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 303, has designated June 6, 
1994, as ``D-Day National Remembrance Day.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 6, 
1994, as D-Day National Remembrance Day, and May 30, 1994, through June 
6, 1994, as a Time for the National Observance of the Fiftieth 
Anniversary of World War II. I call upon all Americans to observe this 
period with appropriate programs and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of May, in the year

[[Page 1190]]

of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of 
the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 2:52 p.m., May 31, 1994]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on June 2.


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[Page 1190-1191]
 
Monday, June 6, 1994
 
Volume 30--Number 22
Pages 1177-1208
 
Week Ending Friday, June 3, 1994
 
Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for the President's Council on 
Physical Fitness and Sports

May 31, 1994

    Thank you very much, Secretary Shalala and Mr. Vice President, 
Florence Griffith Joyner and Tom McMillen. Glad to see others here in 
the audience, our Surgeon General, Dr. Elders; Assistant Secretary of 
HHS Phil Lee; and so many others who are here.
    Let me say that I was once asked if I wanted Al Gore to be Vice 
President because he could run faster than me, and then I would get my 
times down. [Laughter] That was not the primary reason that I asked him 
to join the ticket in 1992, but I did think it was important, and I do 
believe it is important that all of us exemplify by what we do a 
commitment to the work we are about to celebrate when we swear in the 
President's Council today.
    Let me explain why I think this is important. This morning before I 
came out here, I had about 10 minutes, and I sat down and I made these 
little notes here, to try to see if I could get across to you and, 
perhaps through you, to the American people why this day is really a big 
deal to me.
    Before I ran for President, I devoted a lot of time, very private 
time, to reflecting on the nature of public service, the nature of 
government, what the role of government in our life is, and what things 
government cannot do. And I thought a lot about what the American people 
have to do for themselves in order for this country to work right.
    So consider the following: Our Government and our administration has 
worked hard here at home to get the economy up and going and the deficit 
down, to pass the most sweeping education and training legislation for 
workers and young people trying to compete in a global economy in 30 
years, to expand trade more in 15 months than in the previous 
generation. Abroad, in the last couple of days, we have celebrated 
something that's good for our health: for the first time since the dawn 
of the atomic age, the United States and Russia no longer have nuclear 
missiles pointed at each other.
    An enormous amount of what we do involves the health of our people. 
In the area of the environment, we're working hard on a new clean air 
act and a safe drinking water act. In the area of crime, we passed an 
assault weapons ban and the Brady bill and more police officers and more 
prevention, more opportunities for our young people to stay out of 
trouble, in the area of strengthening the family, something that 
directly relates to the health of American families, the Family and 
Medical Leave Act, which permits families to take time off when their 
children or their parents are ill. Our FDA is taking on a pretty tough 
fight with the tobacco industry and now looking into the whole issue of 
the narcotic or addictive effects and whether they can be varied based 
on certain production techniques. In the area of health care, the First 
Lady and the Department of Health and Human Services and others have 
worked on immunization, on more primary and preventive care in our 
health care proposal, on trying to provide prescription medicines to 
elderly people.
    Now, in the course of doing this, we've made quite a few enemies. 
We've made the NRA mad, the cigarette industry mad, certain business 
interests that don't agree with either the economic program or the 
environmental initiatives or other things, many of but not all of the 
health insurance companies, and some particularly extremist groups who 
disapprove even of what we've done to expand the frontiers of medical 
research. It has all been worth it. It is part of what we are supposed 
to do.
    Now, having said all that, when I picked up the briefing for this 
event and I realized that 43 percent of the adults in this country don't 
exercise, that 5 years ago the Council sponsored a poll that said 42 
percent of the American people who were adults were ac- 

[[Page 1191]]

tively interested in pursuing a healthier lifestyle which would mean 
more exercise and a better diet and it's dropped now to 30 percent; when 
I see the number of children who live in our cities and are vulnerable 
to gangs and violence and drugs, and I realize that there are no public 
swimming pools in many of our cities available to them, that the 
basketball courts don't work anymore, that there are no longer baseball 
leagues for kids to play in in the summertime; when I look at large 
employers who spend fabulous amounts of money on health care but very 
little on the wellness of their employees, I say to myself, I like 
fighting these fights. I don't mind making these enemies. But unless the 
American people do something to seize control of their own personal 
health care destiny and that of their families and that of their friends 
and neighbors and the kids who live in their cities and communities, we 
are not going to become what we ought to become. That is why this day is 
important to me and to the American people.
    So I say to the members of the President's Council on Physical 
Fitness and Sports, thank you. We will support you in every way we can. 
We hope your message will be heard loud and clear.
    I say to my fellow Americans, ask yourselves what you can do to 
improve your own health, the health of your communities, and the 
availability of sporting and teamwork activities to kids. When you play 
sports, you don't have time to do other things. When you're involved in 
teamwork, you learn how to deal with the disappointment of defeat and 
frustration. You even learn how to manage unfairness. These are 
important things, lessons in life that have to be learned. A Government 
program cannot provide them.
    So we'll keep doing our job. Let's help them do their job.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 11:21 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Florence Griffith Joyner and Tom 
McMillen, cochairs of the Council.


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[Page 1191]
 
Monday, June 6, 1994
 
Volume 30--Number 22
Pages 1177-1208
 
Week Ending Friday, June 3, 1994
 
Statement on Representative Dan Rostenkowski

May 31, 1994

    Like all Americans, Chairman Rostenkowski has the right to contest 
the charges made against him and to have his day in court. Chairman 
Rostenkowski and others have helped create real momentum for health care 
reform, and I am confident that legislation will pass this year.


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[Page 1191-1192]
 
Monday, June 6, 1994
 
Volume 30--Number 22
Pages 1177-1208
 
Week Ending Friday, June 3, 1994
 
Proclamation 6698--National Women in Agriculture Day, 1994

May 31, 1994

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Few images are more traditionally American than the vast geometric 
tapestry of plowed fields and lush crops that carpet our country. Since 
our Nation's founding, farms have defined both the topography of our 
land and the steadfastness of our national character. Farm families take 
particular pride in knowing that women--as field workers and financial 
managers, as mothers and homemakers--have been a vital, driving force in 
sustaining this essential enterprise from its beginnings.
    Today, American agriculture encompasses far more than a quiet 
picture of pastoral beauty. Our Nation's farmers grow the food that 
feeds the world. Merging old-fashioned know-how with the latest 
innovations in production technology, farmers across the United States 
work to ensure that our markets are filled with low-cost, high-quality 
goods. With wise leadership and firm support, women in their myriad 
roles in our agriculture industry reflect the proud American commitment 
to excellence.
    As we celebrate National Women in Agriculture Day 1994, we recognize 
new ways in which women's energy and determination are helping to keep 
our agricultural system strong. Whether in investigating the ecosystem 
of a Brazilian rain forest or in exploring new opportunities in 
international trade,

[[Page 1192]]

women are working to enhance efficiency and competitiveness in American 
agribusiness--a mission that benefits all of the Earth's people.
    With an abiding love for their families and a deep understanding of 
the challenges farmers face, women have urged our Nation to action in 
areas from environmental protection to providing health care to every 
one of our citizens. Their personal experiences of hard work and 
cooperation have made the world of American agriculture thrive. Just as 
important, they have demonstrated to all of us the strength of 
compassion and the power of perseverance. For this lesson and for the 
gifts of their labor we enjoy every day, our Nation's women in 
agriculture have our heartfelt gratitude.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 9, 
1994, as ``National Women in Agriculture Day.'' I call upon the people 
of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and 
activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first 
day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:15 a.m., June 1, 
1994]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on June 2.


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[Page 1192-1193]
 
Monday, June 6, 1994
 
Volume 30--Number 22
Pages 1177-1208
 
Week Ending Friday, June 3, 1994
 
Remarks Honoring the 1st Infantry Division

June 1, 1994

    Thank you so much, Colonel Nechey, for your introduction, for your 
comments, for your heroic devotion to your country. General Sullivan, 
General Talbott, Mr. Stanton, we stand here today in the shadow of 
Winged Victory, the statue atop the monument to the 1st Infantry 
Division, the Big Red 1. The motto says it all, ``No mission too 
difficult, no sacrifice too great, beauty first.'' The number ``1'' 
tells us not only your division's name but the faith your country has 
placed in you for quite a long while now. You have been first in battle 
for as long as you have existed: The first in Paris in World War I, the 
first on the Normandy beaches, the first Army division in Vietnam, the 
first to breach Iraqi defenses in Desert Storm.
    In a few moments I will leave to begin this historic trip to Europe 
to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day and the other crucial 
battles of World War II. I want to take a moment here briefly to thank 
the Department of Defense and the World War II Commemorative Committee 
for all their hard work in organizing these observances. In Europe we 
will be remembering the sacrifices of the generation that fought that 
great war. They have given us 50 years of freedom and strong nationhood. 
They have nurtured generations of young Americans and given us a chance 
to work with the rest of the world to bring the cold war to an end and 
to build toward the 21st century.
    Before we leave to honor those who fought and died in the Second 
World War, I think we should also say a word here on American soil about 
those who were here at home during that war and who, themselves, were 
also heroes. They made a contribution, whether they were women who built 
aircraft or rolled bandages, farmers who grew food for troops, men who 
in my State and many others worked as much as 16 hours in coal mines 
breathing coal dust and wrecking their bodies to keep our engine of 
production going, or children who collected scrap metal and rubber for 
our production. Worried about loved ones overseas, the homefront army of 
democracy kept the faith to build the wartime output that made D-Day and 
victory possible.

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