Bill Clinton photo

Statement on Signing the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions Legislation

August 04, 1995

On July 27, 1995, I approved H.R. 1944, the Initiatives, for Assistance in the Recovery from Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Tragedy that Occurred at Oklahoma City, Additional Disaster Assistance, for Anti-terrorism and Rescissions Act, 1995. This legislation shows how we can work together to produce good legislation.

From the start of this rescission process, I agreed with the Congress on the need to cut spending. The question was, how should we do it?

I vetoed the original rescission bill because it would have cut spending the wrong way, by targeting education and training, environmental protection, and other key national priorities. I then worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to produce a better bill. I am pleased that this bill cuts nearly $16 billion in spending while protecting our key investments in education and training, the environment, and other priorities.

Like the earlier version, this bill also provides much-needed supplemental funds that I have sought for disaster relief activities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal response to the bombing in Oklahoma City, increased anti-terrorism efforts, and debt relief to Jordan to facilitate progress toward a Middle East peace settlement.

To be sure, I do not support every provision of this bill. For instance, I still do not believe that this bill should contain any of the provisions relating to timber. But the final bill does contain changes in the language that preserve our ability to implement the current forest plans and their standards, and protect other resources such as clean water and fisheries. In addition, I am pleased that the Congress amended the bill to limit its special authorities for timber sales to end on December 31, 1996. Therefore, I have directed the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal agencies to carry out timber salvage activities consistent with our forest plans and existing environmental laws.

In addition, though this bill includes a rescission of summer youth jobs funding for the summer of 1996, the Administration continues to support the program and will work with the Congress in the FY 1996 appropriations process to ensure that the program for the summer of 1996 is funded.

I have designated as an emergency all funds in this Act so designated by the Congress that I had not previously designated pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

I am pleased that bipartisan leaders of Congress worked with me to produce a good bill. Working together, we can continue to produce good legislation for the American people.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

The White House, August 4, 1995.

NOTE: H.R. 1944, approved July 27, was assigned Public Law No. 104-19.

William J. Clinton, Statement on Signing the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions Legislation Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/221124

Simple Search of Our Archives