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the budget, we have a real opportunity to protect our farmers. The 
strict budget rules permit special measures for one-time emergencies. 
And make no mistake, for America's farm families this is a real 
emergency, as harmful as a hurricane, a flood, or a riot.
    So this summer, I sent a proposal to Congress for emergency aid for 
our farmers, and I backed a proposal by Senators Harkin and Daschle to 
lift the cap on marketing loan rates for one year. Since then, we've 
strengthened our proposal to help hundreds of thousands of farmers while 
honoring the budget rules.
    Congress is now considering a package which, though it adopts many 
of the protections we've proposed, still does not do enough for farmers 
who are suffering from the lowest prices in decades. I call on Congress 
not to leave town before they've sent me a comprehensive plan that 
protects farmers by strengthening the safety net at this very difficult 
time.
    With Congress in town for just a few more days, we must take another 
critical step to help our farmers and ranchers who rely on exports to 
make a living and support their families. Farm products from one of 
every three acres planted in America are sold abroad. And when those 
markets stumble, our farmers take a fall, too.
    Just this week the New York Times ran a story that described the 
tons of wheat, apples, and other farm goods piling up on our docks 
because Asian customers can no longer afford them. That is why we must 
give the International Monetary Fund the resources it needs to help our 
customers in Asia so that they can continue to buy our farm products.

[[Page 1975]]

    Congress has had months and months to create a stronger IMF, better 
able to deal with the most serious financial challenge the world has 
faced in 50 years. Now, each day Congress delays on IMF, our farmers, 
our ranchers, our economy, our future suffer.
    It's way past time for Congress to act on the IMF and do the right 
thing for our farmers. Our farming families are the lifeblood of our 
land or, as President Franklin Roosevelt once called them, ``the source 
from which the reservoirs of our Nation's strength are constantly 
renewed.''
    We cannot afford to let them fail. And with these steps, we will 
strengthen and support our farms and our farm families, just as they 
have sustained us throughout our history.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:51 p.m. on October 2 at the Wyndham 
Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on 
October 3. This transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on October 2 but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast.


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[Page 1975-1976]
 
Monday, October 12, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 41
Pages 1965-2025
 
Week Ending Friday, October 9, 1998
 
Remarks at a Unity '98 Luncheon

October 5, 1998

    Thank you very much. Let me begin by saying that we decided, Tom and 
Dick and I, after we found ourselves in the minority in 1995 and we were 
facing the Republican contract on America, that if we stayed together, 
that our policy positions could prevail and that what we wanted to do 
for the country would be much more difficult to do but that we could 
still get a lot of it done.
    And we had that terrible experience of the Government shutdown in 
late '95 and '96. But after that, when the American people made their 
voices heard, we had a good election in '96. We had a balanced budget 
agreement, which closed the remaining 8 percent of the gap in balancing 
the budget, but importantly, should give us a balanced budget for years 
and years to come, with a lot of our priorities in it, including health 
care for 5 million kids and the widest opening of the doors of college 
since the GI bill. None of that would have happened if we hadn't worked 
together. And I could not have done any of it if it hadn't been for the 
Democrats in the House and the Senate. I think that's very important.
    We are seeing the potential of a replay of that now, as we get 
closer and closer to the election and the feelings of the American 
people become apparent. In a few days I'll get a chance to sign a higher 
education bill which has a big drop in the interest rates on student 
loans and a program to provide mentors for inner-city kids in their 
junior high school years or middle school years that will include a 
guarantee of access to funds to go to college, if they stay out of 
trouble, stay in school, and learn.
    These things would absolutely be impossible in the present array of 
Congress with the Republicans in the majority, if we weren't working 
together. So there is a substantive benefit to that.
    Now, let me say where we are now is a position that I think is 
virtually unprecedented in 150 years. In 150 years of American political 
history, the President's party in the midterm elections nearly always 
lose, and in the second term of the President, I don't think there's an 
exception. But we are on the verge of having an exception, and I would 
like to tell you why and why I think your investment is well made.
    Normally, these midterm elections have a big fall-off in voter 
turnout. And that is the assumption and, indeed, what our opponents are 
literally working for and hoping for and praying for, because a lot of 
the people that vote for us would never be able to come into a home like 
this except to maybe serve lunch. And it's a big hassle for a lot of 
them to vote; you know, they have to worry about child care and the job 
and getting to vote and all that.
    When I was in Philadelphia with Peter and others a couple of days 
ago, a friend of mine from New Jersey came over and brought me a survey 
that had just been done in New Jersey asking people if in the current 
climate they were more or less likely to vote in the midterm elections. 
Fifty percent said they were more likely. Ten percent said they were 
less likely. Fifty percent of the Republicans said they were more 
likely--49 percent of the Democrats--I mean, 49 percent of the 
independents, 57 percent of the Democrats said they were more likely to 
go and vote.

[[Page 1976]]

    So what is important for us is we don't have to run a negative 
campaign. All we have to do is say, you know, what their agenda is. Our 
agenda is, first of all, to see America lead in heading off this crisis 
in the global financial system, beginning with funding the International 
Monetary Fund contribution so we can keep the economy going at home. 
Secondly, don't spend the surplus now on a tax cut just before the 
election or right after the election; save the Social Security system 
first. Thirdly, continue education as our first investment priority. 
Fourthly, pass this HMO bill of rights, which, interestingly enough, has 
more than three-quarters support of the American people without regard 
to party--it's a uniform issue across the board--which they killed. And 
then, obviously, the other things that we believe in, including 
protecting the environment as we continue to grow the economy.
    But if we run on the strength of the economy and our responsibility 
in the world economy to keep America's economy strong, on the education 
issue, on the saving Social Security first, these issues are very, very 
powerful, and they stand in stark contrast to the evident priorities of 
the majority in Congress.
    So we actually have a chance to do something never before done here, 
but it will not happen unless, first of all, we stay together and, 
secondly, we have enough funds to get our message out. We don't have to 
have as much money as they do. We'll never have as much money as they 
do. But we have a chance to do something literally without precedent in 
20th century American political history, just by doing the right thing. 
It's not even complicated. We just have to stand up there and fight for 
what is evidently in the interest of the American people.
    And that is what your investment will be used to do. And they'll do 
it right. I've never seen the Democrats more well focused on how to do 
this business and how to be there in the last 10 days of the election 
when very often--and to give you an example, in 1996, when we picked up 
several House seats and lost two Senate seats in what was a very bad 
rotation for us--the next three rotations, by the way, are good for us 
in the Senate elections. We've had three that were terrible, in terms of 
we always had more seats up than they did; we had more people retiring 
than they did.
    But in '96, when we picked up a few House seats, lost two Senate 
seats, we were outspent in the close races the last 10 days, near as I 
can tell, four to one, or more. That will give you an idea of the level 
of disadvantage here, and it also might explain why they killed campaign 
finance reform this year. But we can do this. And we can do it simply by 
doing what is right for America. It's not a complicated strategy. 
There's no twist and turn to it. It's very straightforward and, I think, 
self-evident.
    So I feel good about where we are, good about where we're going, and 
very grateful to all of you, because the American people need stability 
and strength and a clear message on this economic issue, on the 
education issue, on the Social Security issue. And I think if we give it 
to them, we're going to be just fine, and it's going to be quite 
surprising to a lot of the pundits. But none of it would be possible if 
you weren't willing to come here today and do your part and then some, 
and we're very grateful.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 1:20 p.m. at a private residence. In his 
remarks, he referred to Senator Thomas A. Daschle and Representative 
Richard A. Gephardt. A tape was not available for verification of the 
contentof these remarks.


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[Page 1976-1977]
 
Monday, October 12, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 41
Pages 1965-2025
 
Week Ending Friday, October 9, 1998
 
Remarks on the Legislative Agenda

October 5, 1998

    Good afternoon. From the beginning of our efforts to create the 
economic renaissance America now enjoys, Congressman Gephardt and 
Senator Daschle have been tireless in working for that change. 
Especially in these last few weeks as the congressional session has 
entered its crucial final stage and the political season has 
intensified, these two leaders have stood above the crowd in their 
constant efforts to elevate progress over partisanship.
    I realize that the calendar says the election is just a month away. 
The calendar also says it is now 8 months since I sent the Congress a 
budget, 5 months since the legal deadline for Congress to pass a budget 
resolution. And

[[Page 1977]]

as all of you know, the fiscal year ended last week. Yet so far, 
Congress has sent me only 2 of 13 appropriations bills necessary to keep 
our Government running. On Friday the temporary spending measure I 
signed will run out. I want to work with Congress to get this important 
work done. There is still time for real achievement, still time for 
progress over partisanship.
    That is why today I stand with Representative Gephardt and Senator 
Daschle to call on the congressional majority. Time is running short. 
Congress has important work left to do: Pass the necessary spending 
bills to keep the Government running; save Social Security for future 
generations; ensure a quality education for all our children; protect 
America from the global economic turmoil. These are the priorities of 
the American people, and they must be the priorities of Congress in 
these last days before the election.
    First, we must save Social Security first. Last week I was 
privileged to announce the first budget surplus in a generation. 
Congress must not lose this spirit of fiscal discipline. I have proposed 
tax cuts, but they're fully paid for. If the Congress sends me a tax 
plan that drains billions from the surplus before saving Social 
Security, I will veto it. We've worked too hard for too long to abandon 
fiscal discipline and our economic strength and to weaken our commitment 
to Social Security just because it's election time.
    Second, we must act to protect our prosperity in this turbulent 
international economy by meeting our obligations to the International 
Monetary Fund. The world is waiting--literally, the world is waiting--
for Congress to step up to America's responsibility, provide funds to 
the IMF, and give us the tools we need to pull teetering economies back 
from the brink and to keep America's economic prosperity going. It would 
be unacceptable for Congress to leave Washington before acting.
    Third, we must continue to invest in education. As the leaders here 
with me and about 50 other Members of Congress asked last week, we seek 
just one day for Congress to consider the education measures I have 
proposed, to pass a plan to provide our schools with the tools they 
need, with 100,000 teachers so we can have smaller classes in the early 
grades, with after-school and summer school programs to help students 
raise higher--achieve higher academic standards, with thousands of 
modernized schools for the 21st century.
    And fourth, in these last few days, Congress must act to protect, 
not gut, the environment. Republicans in Congress have sought to slip 
unacceptable provisions into unrelated bills that would cripple wildlife 
protection, force overcutting of our national forests, deny taxpayers a 
fair return on oil leasing, thwart commonsense efforts to address global 
warming. If they insist on sending these antienvironmental riders to my 
desk, again I will veto them.
    Fifth, Congress must act to address a range of pressing emergencies 
that simply cannot wait for a new congressional session, emergencies 
including supporting our troops in Bosnia, maintaining our military 
readiness worldwide, providing assistance to our farmers who are in real 
crisis out there, protecting American citizens from terrorism, and 
providing resources to address the year 2000 computer problem.
    For two administrations the budget rules under which both parties 
have operated have accommodated such emergencies. Troops in the field 
and citizens in crisis should never be subject to partisan wrangling. 
This is what we ought to do. We ought to save Social Security first, 
pass the education program, protect our own economy, and do what we 
should do to lead the world away from world financial crisis, pass the 
Patients' Bill of Rights, avoid these environmentally destructive 
riders. There is still time for us to put the people of our country 
ahead of politics, and I hope we'll do it.
    Now I'd like to ask Senator Daschle and Congressman Gephardt to say 
a word.

Note: The President spoke at 3:17 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. The transcript made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary also included the remarks of Senator Thomas A. Daschle and 
Representative Richard A. Gephardt.

[[Page 1978]]


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[Page 1978-1979]
 
Monday, October 12, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 41
Pages 1965-2025
 
Week Ending Friday, October 9, 1998
 
Remarks to Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

October 5, 1998

    The President. First of all, let me welcome all of you here to the 
United States. It is a great honor for us to host this terribly 

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