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Withdrawal/Redaction Marker Clinton Library DOCUMENT NO. SUBJECT/TITLE DATE RESTRICTION AND TYPE 001. talking points Democratic Message for 1998 (poliical) (6 pages) 09/14/1998 Personal Misfile COLLECTION: Clinton Presidential Records First Lady's Office Jennifer Klein OA/Box Number: 13524 FOLDER TITLE: Democratic Women 2014-0536-S kc1432 RESTRICTION CODES Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)] Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)] P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA] b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA] P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA] b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA] an agency |(b)(2) of the FOIA] P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA] financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA] b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President information [(b)(4) of the FOIA] and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA) b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA] personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA] b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA] C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of of gift. financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA] PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C. b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information 2201(3). concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA] RR. Document will be reviewed upon request. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON September 14, 1998 MEETING WITH DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMEN DATE: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 LOCATION: Yellow Oval, Residence TIME: 9:30 am - 10:30 am FROM: Janet Murgui I. PURPOSE To meet with Democratic women Members of Congress regarding issues facing America's families and children which remain at stake in the 105th Congress. II. BACKGROUND Congresswomen Juanita Millender-McDonald, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rosa DeLauro, and Nancy Pelosi have invited their Democratic women colleagues to join you for a discussion regarding key issues affecting families and children which remain at stake in the 105th Congress. Their hope is that this discussion will energize women of the House and Senate and encourage them to focus their constituencies on these critically important issues. The shared Democratic Fall Legislative/Administration Agenda includes: Education, Health Care, Social Security and the Environment. In addition, key appropriations bills affecting child care, Head Start, adoption, LIHEAP, and summer jobs will be addressed prior to adjournment. Attached are two documents for your review: (1) Overview of Issues/ Talking points and (2) Appropriations Issues. III. PARTICIPANTS Pre-Brief First Lady Melanne Verveer Ann Lewis Janet Murguia Jennifer Klein Event Members of Congress Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) * coming late Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN) Rep. Pat Danner (D-MO) Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Rep. Donna Christian-Green (D-VI) Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) Rep. Barbara Kennelly (D-CT) Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Rep. Karen McCarthy (D-MO) Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-MI) Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Rep. Deborah Ann Stabenow (D-MI) Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) Pending Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Rep. Eva Clayton (D-NC) Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Rep. Carrie Meek (D-FL) Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI) Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL) Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) IV. PRESS PLAN Closed Press. V. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS To be briefed on site. 09/14/98 MON 16:52 FAX 202 225 3002 Cong Eleanor H Norton E UUZ Congress of the United States house of Representatibes Washington, DC 20515 September 14, 1998 Dear Democratic Congresswoman: We would like to invite-you-to a private. meeting between First Lady Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Congresswomen on Tuesday, September 15th. The meeting will take place at the White House from 9 to 9:30 am. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the issues affecting America's families and how we might address those issues in the final weeks of the 105th Congress. Children and families continue to need our leadership on issues of child care, education, health care, and a Social Security system that addresses the different employment experiences of women. The time has come for the women of the House to continue to provide strong leadership on issues that affect children and families the most We hope that you will join us tomorrow for this important meeting with the First Lady. Please RSVP to Liz Powell with Congresswoman Millender-McDonald at 5-7924. Sincerely, Member UANITA of MILLENDER-McDONAED Congress Member ELEANOR of Congress HOLMES nutor NORTON Rose Delaurs ROSA DeLAURO nany NANCY Member of PELOSI Congress Pelson Member of Congress PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL WOMEN DEMOCRATS: OVERVIEW OF ISSUES/TALKING POINTS September 15, 1998 Issues for this Congress Appropriations. Last year, Democrats and Republicans worked together to produce a cooperative, bipartisan budget agreement. This year, House Republicans rejected cooperation for confrontation and produced a budget without Democratic support or participation. The House budget bills -- many of which the President has vowed to veto -- fulfill wish lists of the ideological right wing, and slashes the President's proposed investments. The Senate Appropriations Committee has rejected this approach and has approved a Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill that is much closer to addressing our priorities. Still, work remains to be done. We must protect critical investments, such as: Head Start; Child Care Discretionary Funding ($182 million as allocated by the Senate); Goals 2000; America Reads literacy program; High Hopes Scholarships; National testing to raise academic standards WIC nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children. [See Addendum for full discussion of key Appropriations Issues] Bankruptcy Reform. Bankruptcy reform legislation has posed significant threats to women and children by endangering child support and alimony collection. The House-passed bill failed to address these threats. Because of our collective advocacy efforts and pressure, the Senate bill now under consideration includes many needed improvements. Still, we must be vigilant as this bill moves to Conference to make sure that child support is protected and that this bill is more balanced to address abuse by both consumers and creditors. Head Start. Head Start is up for reauthorization this year, and House Republicans had been playing politics with this important, historically bipartisan program. Because of pressure from many of you, the House moved yesterday to approve a bill that removes many of the objectionable provisions, including vouchers. We must work to get through Conference and finish Head Start reauthorization this year. Issues Requiring Ongoing Attention Child Care. We must continue to work together on this issue that Americans, particularly women, care deeply about. The Child Care Action Campaign and the Children's Defense Fund recently released a survey showing that women voters overwhelmingly support stronger national investment in child care. Fifty-three percent of women said they would be extremely or very likely to vote for a candidate who supports helping low-income working families afford quality 1 child care. Sixty-nine percent would be extremely or very likely to vote for a candidate who supports after-school programs. The House Democrats (led by many of you) introduced a significant child care bill in June, and the Administration remains committed to getting meaningful child care legislation done. Patients' Bill of Rights. We need to push for a real patients' bill of rights that includes: direct access to specialists; access to emergency services; continuity of care provisions to protect patients from abrupt changes if their provider is dropped from a health plan; and strong enforcement provisions. The Republican Leadership's bills have serious flaws. For example they do not cover all health plans, leaving millions of Americans without protections; do not assure access to emergency services; fail to protect continuity of care; and undermine existing privacy protections. Social Security. The President is committed to reserving any future budget surplus until a bipartisan plan to save Social Security is enacted. As you have noted in your June letter to the President, we must consider the effects on women of any proposal to reform Social Security. Women represent 60 percent of all Social Security recipients, and elderly unmarried women get more than half of their income from Social Security. The current system protects women (for example, by providing an inflation-protected benefit that lasts as long as a recipient lives, and by providing benefits that are a higher fraction of lifetime earnings for lower income workers). We need to work together to protect women as we reform and strengthen Social Security. Education. The President remains committed to strengthening public education by: reducing class size by helping local schools hire 100,000 teachers; calling for federal tax credits to help renovate and build over 5,000 public schools; bringing technology into classrooms; passing America Reads legislation; strengthening and expanding charter schools; and continuing to fight for voluntary national standards and tests in 4th grade reading and 8th grade math. Tobacco. First and foremost, the President will continue to push for comprehensive bipartisan legislation that will significantly reduce youth smoking by imposing a significant price increase on cigarettes, reaffirming FDA's full authority over tobacco products, and imposing heavy surcharges on tobacco companies that keep marketing tobacco to young people. But even as we continue to fight to enact legislation, the President is moving forward to reduce youth smoking by executive action. He has directed HHS to coordinate a public health review of the recently- released tobacco industry documents and to develop a plan to make the documents more accessible to the public. He also called on HHS to collect more accurate information on teen tobacco use, including information on tobacco use by brand, so that parents will know which companies are marketing products to their children. Children's Access to Guns. As it seems more and more likely that Congress will recess without passing a juvenile crime bill, attention has turned towards the issue of children's access to guns. The President has called on Congress to pass a tough, targeted federal Child Access Prevention (CAP) law that holds adults responsible if they allow children easy access to loaded firearms, 2 with new penalties to punish the most egregious offenders. A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that CAP laws reduced fatal unintentional shootings by an average of 23 percent. We will continue to work to pass this legislation in the next Congress. Women's Health. Genetic Discrimination. Studies show that a leading reason women do not get genetic testing for breast cancer is because they fear the information will be used to discriminate against them. The President will continue to urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to prohibit health plans from inappropriately using genetic screening information to deny coverage, set premiums, or to distribute confidential information, and to prohibit employers from using genetic information to discriminate against employees. Increasing Support for Family Planning. We need to continue to make progress on family planning and other women's health issues. The President's FY 1999 budget increases funding for Title X Family Planning grants by $15 million -- a 46 percent increase since FY 1992 -- and increases funding by about $200 million for the National Institutes of Health for research on infertility and contraception, and for CDC programs to educate teenagers about sexual development and abstinence. Medicare Buy-In. Currently, three million Americans ages 55 to 65 are uninsured, and women make up 60 percent of this population. The President's proposal helps this vulnerable population access to health insurance by allowing Americans ages 62 to 65 to buy into Medicare, through a premium that ensures that this policy is self-financed, and providing vulnerable displaced workers 55 and over access to Medicare by offering those who have involuntarily lost their jobs and their health care coverage a similar Medicare buy-in option. 21st Century Research Fund. Scientists are on the cusp of dramatic breakthroughs in biomedical research. The President is proposing a sustained investment in biomedical research -- with a 50 percent increase in the National Institutes of Health in the next five years -- so that $20 billion will be dedicated to biomedical research in 2003. In FY99 alone, the "21st Century Research Fund" would provide the largest increases in history for the NIH ($1.15 billion). (The Senate version of Labor-HHS increases funding for NIH by $2 billion for FY 99, while the House version increases funding by $1.2 billion). 3 ADDENDUM: APPROPRIATIONS ISSUES MAJOR LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION PROGRAMS AFFECTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Summer Jobs Program. The House eliminates the $871 million Summer Jobs program, which could finance 530,000 summer jobs for economically disadvantaged youth. The unemployment rate for teens continues to far exceed the overall unemployment rate. The Summer Jobs program plays a vital role in supporting employment among these teens, especially among African-American youths -- approximately 25 percent of summer jobs held by African-American 14-15 year olds come through this program -- and serves as a valuable introduction to the world of work. The Senate fully funds this program. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The House Committee Bill would eliminate funding for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program. This would force over five million of our Nation's most vulnerable households to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families. Over 36 percent of LIHEAP households have elderly residents, 32 percent have disabled residents, 27 percent have children under the age of six, and 27 percent are the working poor who do not receive any other public assistance. The Senate Committee restores full funding for LIHEAP. The importance of LIHEAP was underscored this summer, when the program provided valuable relief from the heat wave and drought in many Southern States. Head Start. The Senate Committee provides the full $4.66 billion requested by the President for Head Start. Of these funds, $1.365 are not available for obligation until 10/1/99. The House Committee provides $4.5 billion, $160 million below the request. Up to 25,000 fewer children would receive services at the House level. Head Start funds will help many poor children prepare more effectively for school and the P.B. and Senate funding levels will maintain progress toward the President's goal of making one million Head Start opportunities available annually. Child Care. The President's request for the child care initiative included $180 million to enhance child care health and safety standards enforcement, give child care workers scholarships to improve their skills, and increase our commitment to understand and better evaluate how our nation's child care system is working. The House did not provide this funding. The Senate Committee advance appropriated $1.183 billion for child care in FY 2000. As currently drafted, the Senate bill provides the increase of $180 million for additional child care subsidies --not for the standards enforcement, provider scholarships, and research activities proposed by the Administration. Developmental Disabilities Support. The President's request also includes $5 million to assist States in developing support systems for families of children with disabilities. The House provided no funding; the Senate provided $6 million. 1 Adoption Assistance. The House did provide the full $47 million requested by the President for adoption opportunities and to provide incentives to states that increase the number of children adopted from the foster care system. The Senate provided $2 million less than the House. Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). The President's Budget reduced mandatory funding for SSBG by $471 million below the authorized FY 1999 level ($390 million below the FY 1998 enacted level) to provide a discretionary offset to increase funds for higher priority programs in the appropriations bill. The Senate adopted the Administration proposal, the House reduced SSBG by $81 million, the same level as in FY 1998. Goals 2000. The House cuts the President's $501 million request for Goals 2000 by $255 million, which would reverse momentum in all 50 States to raise academic standards and deny 6,000 schools serving over three million students the funds needed to implement innovative education reforms. The Senate provides $496 million for Goals 2000, $5 million less than the President's request. Education Technology. The President requested $721 million for education technology, a $137 million increase over FY 1998. This request would fund a new initiative to improve the training of teachers in the effective use of new technology in the classroom, and would provide a $50 million increase in the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF), which would provide schools with modern technology-related services and equipment to help students learn more effectively. Neither the House nor Senate funds the teacher training initiative, and neither provide any of the President's requested increase for the TLCF. Title I (Education for the Disadvantaged) Grants to Local Educational Agencies. The House cuts the President's $7.767 billion request for this program by $392 million, providing a total of $7.375 billion, which would deny additional help to nearly 520,000 students in high-poverty communities. The Senate bill cuts the President's request by $91 million, for a total appropriation of $7.676 billion. America Reads. The House and Senate both deny the $210 million provided in last year's Bipartisan Budget Agreement for children's literacy, and the additional $50 million the President requested for this program. Denying these funds would prevent thousands of young children from receiving the extra tutoring they need to read well and independently by the end of the third grade. High Hopes. The House does not fund the President's new $140 million High Hopes initiative, which would help prepare approximately 175,000 students in high poverty middle schools for college. The Senate provides $75 million for this program, which would serve approximately 80,000 fewer students than the President's request. 2 National Tests. Both the House and Senate bills include objectionable language that would hinder efforts to help States and parents raise academic standards through a voluntary national tests. Language in the House bill would prohibit the use of any funds to implement, administer, or even develop these national tests. The Senate bill's language is less objectionable, as it would allow the Department of Education to continue to develop these voluntary national tests. But, unfortunately, the Senate bill would still prohibit field testing, implementation, and administration of these tests. After-School Programs (21st Century Community Learning Centers). As a part of the child care initiative, the President requested $200 million, a $160 million increase from FY 1998, to provide educational after-school activities to approximately 500,000 children. The House cuts the President's request by $140 million and the Senate cuts it by $125 million. Youth Opportunity Areas (YOA). The YOA program supports multiple education, job training, and social services for about 50,000 youth annually in Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and similar high poverty areas. The program goal is to boost employment among out-of-school youth in the local area from under 50% currently to 80%. The President's FY 1999 budget requested a FY 2000 Advance Appropriation (AA) of $250 million to fund the second year of Federal-to-local competitive grants averaging $14 million annually to 15-20 high poverty/unemployment areas. The FY 1999 request was in addition to the FY 1999 AA of $250 million provided by Congress last year, contingent upon enactment of authorizing legislation by July 1, 1998 (authorizing legislation was enacted in August). The House Committee-reported bill (1) provides no funding for the $250 million FY 2000 AA requested in the FY 1999 Budget and; (2) rescinds the $250 million FY 1999 contingent AA provided in FY 1998 for this program. The Senate Committee bill (1) provides $125 million of the $250 million FY 1999 AA requested and; (2) provides the total $250 million FY 2000 AA requested. Efforts Against Child Labor. The President requested an additional $36 million in the Department of Labor to combat child labor abuses domestically and internationally. The DOL initiative includes (1) $27 million for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) to increase its contributions to the International Labor Organization's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) to $30 million; (2) $4 million to target child labor abuses in U.S. agriculture by increasing enforcement efforts and data collection; and (3) $5 million for demonstration programs to provide alternatives to field work for migrant youth. The House committee provides an additional $6 million for the initiative, comprised of $3 million for ILAB and $3 million for increased enforcement and data collection. The House provided no funding for migrant youth demonstrations. The Senate committee provides $37 million in new funds for DOL, fully funding the requests for IPEC, migrant youth demonstrations, and improved data collection. OTHER APPROPRIATIONS BILLS -- MAJOR ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 3 The WIC Program. The President has requested an increase of $157 million for WIC, the nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children. The House would refuse to increase WIC funding beyond the current level and the Senate would add $24 million to the current level, still leaving it well below the President's request. Housing Vouchers. In the area of housing vouchers, the President's budget proposed an important additional step to promote work and welfare reform through a plan to provide 50,000 new housing vouchers to welfare recipients who need housing assistance in order to get or keep a job. Both the House and Senate have not provided sufficient funding for this critical initiative. The HUD/VA Appropriations bill passed by the House provides for only 17,700 Welfare to Work Housing Vouchers. The bill passed by the Senate provides for only 7,000 housing vouchers. Census Sampling. Congress would provide funding only for the first half of the year. This would disrupt hiring of temporary workers and other key functions, and would lead to a less accurate census and undercount minorities and children. Many Federal agencies like the EEOC are statutorily required to use decennial census data to develop, evaluate and implement their programs. In the last census, in 1990, children made up more than half the undercounted, even though they account for about one-quarter of the population. Restrictions on Family Planning and Abortion: The President's request to increase funding for family planning services at clinics by $15 million (a 46% increase since 1992) would be denied by the House and the Senate. The House would deny any additional funds and the Senate would underfund the President's budget by $3 million. A House provision would limit the ability of family planning clinics to help prevent unintended pregnancies by requiring minors to either receive parental consent or provide advance notice before receiving contraceptives. A provision in the House would prohibit the FDA from testing, developing, or approving any drug for the chemical inducement of abortion, which would include RU-486, thereby usurping the Agency's role in making scientific determinations about the effect of drugs on the safety and health of the American people. While maintaining current restrictions on FEHBP coverage of abortions, the House bill further tightens access by denying currently legal abortion coverage, i.e., danger to the mother's life, rape or incest. The Senate bill continues the current restrictions on FEHBP coverage of abortions. Both the House and Senate would prohibit the Bureau of Prisons from funding abortions, except in the cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother. 4 Both the House and Senate would retain and expand the Hyde Amendment, which severely limits the use of funds in the Labor/HHS bill for abortion. A provision in the House bars the use of U.S. population funds for non-governmental organizations if the organization uses any of its own resources for abortion-related services. 5 09/14/1998 06:44 2022890916 PSB DC PAGE 02 Meeting with Congressional Dewocratic women Key Points: I think that this is not the forum to address the investigation in any direct matter, but it could be addressed in the sense that the remarks she gives to the women's caucus are about all of us (including the President) not being diverted from the important fight we have on our hands this month to ensure that our budget reflects our values and priorities. The polling this last week showed the importance of many issues that reflect on the basic values of protecting and nurturing our children: Now is the time to stand by the principles for maintaining important investments in education and training. We have balanced the budget, and now we have to maintain Social Security First and support a budget this year that meets our values: The Republicans have Issued threats against some very important programs, and this month we need to make sure that we have a budget that meets our priorities and values. Each one of the threats made by the Republicans against these programs is really an assault on the needs of families to raise and educate their children - - from Head Start and Child Care to Proper nutrition and child care safety. The programs involved that we have to fight for are: (you can then put together specific information on these issues, but these are the ones in contention and that polled through the roof): Funding of the America Reads Program - they are threatening to cut $260 million in funding to ensure that every third grader can read - one of our most important educational priorities for young children. WIC funding for 100,000 need participants that has been threatened Fight Republican efforts to curb head Start to 85,000 participants. Funding for Head Start that must be expanded, not just maintained, given the critical nature of this program. Funding for Child Care safety programs, which the Republicans have blocked Attempts to eliminate the Summer Jobs Program Cut the national service opportunities offer to young persons through Americorps The attachments document some of the facts that we have on this and the polling as well. [Mar K Penn -Penn, Schoen Berland] 09/14/1998 06: 44 2022890916 PSB DC PAGE 03 This chart ranks which programs are most important to voters in the budget negotiations. WIC funding, America Reads, Head Start, Child Care and tax cuts before Social Security are all at the top of the list. Following are some criticisms of the Republican's All Party budget. After read each one I'd like you to tell me Much 10 R makes you much more ikelyto supportithe More Republican's budget, somewhat more likely to Likely.to support somewhat more likely to oppose or much Oppose Oppose woddhs more likely to oppose the Republican budget? The Republican budget cuts funding for the Women, 48 28/70 24/ 54/ 16/ Infants and Children's Supplemental Nutrition program, 76 39 85 cutting off 100,000 needy participants. The Republican budget cuts 260 million dollars for the 48 28/69 14/ 57/ 22/ America Reads Challenge, denying funding to schools 81 41 76 and communities to improve reading programs and provide tutors. The Republican budget denies child-care funding to 45 30/67 16 52/ 27/ improve and enforce health and safety standards. 85 43 71 The Republican budget enacts tax cuts before the future 44 32/65 25/ 56/ 22/ of Social Security is protected. 75 42 73 The Republican budget cuts Head Start by denying slots 43 28/69 22/ 49/ 19/ in the Head Start program to up to 25,000 low-income 78 46 76 children. The Republican budget eliminates the Summer Jobs 42 32/64 25/ 49/ 29/ programs which gives disadvantaged youths the 71 50 66 opportunity to gain work experience over the summer months. The Republican budget eliminates funding for mentoring 40 33/63 20/ 49/ 28/ and tutoring to at-risk middle-school students to raise 74 44 68 education expectations and eliminate barriers to college. The Republican budget eliminates National Service, 40 38/57 17/ 51/ 44/ denying 49,000 Americans the opportunity to serve in 80 40 50 Americorps and denying over 1 million students a chance to participate in service learning activities. The Republican budget denies funds for after-school 39 37/59 27/ 54/ 36/ programs which give students a safe place to be after 72 43 60 school for recreation, to do homework and to get extra help. The Republican budget denies funding to schools 38 33/62 21/ 61/ 23/ nationwide to provide students and teachers with 75 34 72 access to computers and denies specialized instruction in computers to a large number of new teachers. The Republican budget denies 6,000 schools 37 34/63 24/ 53/ 30/ nationwide funds to help students reach high standards 76 43 64 - 10 . 09/14/1998 06:44 2022890916 PSB DC PAGE 04 and would halt development of voluntary national tests in fourth grade reading and eighth grade math. The Republican budget eliminates funding for middle- 36 37/57 25/ 54/ 34/ schools nationwide that would provide full-time Safe and 74 39 57 Drug-Free Coordinators. The Republican budget cuts almost 600 million dollars 36 38/57 26/ 64/ 32/ from Superfund, delaying environmental cleanups 73 34 60 nationwide. The Republican budget eliminates funding that would 35 34/60 19/ 60/ 28/ help low-income families pay for home-heating and 76 34 64 home-air-conditioning costs. The Republican budget cripples our ability to conduct a 25 40/49 32/ 67/ 31/ fair and accurate 2000 census by restricting funding for 61 24 55 the Census bureau and prevents the use of statistical sampling. - 11 - 09/14/1998 06:48 2022890916 PSB DC PAGE 01 President Clinton Opposes Extreme House Republican Budget Provisions Here are some of the exireme 1998 House Republican budget proposals President Clinton opposes. FAILURE TO SAVE SOCIAL SECURITY FIRST: Republicans are considering various plans to enact massive tax cuts before Social Security's future is protected. Any budget the President signs will Save Social Security First. ENVIRONMENT- 28 PERCENT CUT IN SUPERFUND: The House Republican version of the Veterans Affairs/HUD Appropriations bill cuts $593 million (28 percent) from the President's request for Superfund, delaying environmental cleanups nationwide. [Statement of Administration Policy (SAP), HR 4194, 7/16/98] CENSUS - CRIPPLING OUR ABILITY TO COUNT ALL AMERICANS: The House Republican Commerce/Justice/State Appropriations bill cripples our ability to conduct a fair and accurate 2000 Census by restricting funding for the Census Bureau - preventing the use of statistical sampling. [SAP, H.R. 4276, 8/3/98] EDUCATION -- TITLE I CUTS WOULD EFFECT 520,000 CHILDREN: The House Republican version of the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill cuts $392 million from the President's request for Title I Programs, which would reduce education opportunities for 520,000 disadvantaged children. [SAP, H.R. 4274, 8/4/98] EDUCATION/SERVICE - ELIMINATION OF NATIONAL SERVICE: The House Republican version of the Veterans Affairs/HUD Appropriations bill eliminates National Service, denying 49,000 Americans the opportunity to serve as Americorps members and denying over one million students a chance to participate in service learning activities. [SAP, H.R. 4194, 7/16/98] EDUCATION - AFTER-SCHOOL CARE DENIED TO NEARLY 400,000 CHILDREN: The House Republican version of the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill cuts $140 million from the President's request for after-school care programs, resulting in 3,000 fewer 21st Century Community Learning Centers and no services to nearly 400,000 children. [SAP, H.R. 4274, 8/4/98] EDUCATION - DENYING $260 MILLION FOR "AMERICA READS": The House Republican version of the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill denies a total of $260 million for the President's "America Reads" Children's Literacy Initiative, preventing thousands of young children from receiving the extra help they need to learn to read by the end of the third grade. [SAP, H.R. 4274, 8/4/98] SUMMER JOBS - ELIMINATION OF PROGRAM AND 530,000 JOBS: The House Republican version of the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill eliminates the Summer Jobs Program, which provides 530,000 jobs for disadvantaged teens. [SAP, H.R. 4274, 8/4/98] NUTRITION - CUTTING ASSISTANCE TO 100,000 WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN: Both the House and Senate Republican versions of the Agriculture/Rural Development/FDA Appropriations bill cut $157 million from the President's request for the Women, Infants And Children's Supplemental Nutrition Program, cutting off 100,000 needy participants. [SAP, H.R. 4101, 6/23/98; S. 2159, 7/13/98] ENERGY ASSISTANCE - ELIMINATING THE "LIHEAP" PROGRAM: The House Republican version of the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill eliminates the LIHEAP Program, which helps elderly, disabled and children stay cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter. [SAP, H.R. 4274, 8/4/98] 3 08/27/98 Withdrawal/Redaction Marker Clinton Library DOCUMENT NO. SUBJECT/TITLE DATE RESTRICTION AND TYPE 001. talking points Democratic Message for 1998 (poliical) (6 pages) 09/14/1998 Personal Misfile COLLECTION: Clinton Presidential Records First Lady's Office Jennifer Klein OA/Box Number: 13524 FOLDER TITLE: Democratic Women 2014-0536-S kc1432 RESTRICTION CODES Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)] Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)] P1 National Security Classified Information |(a)(1) of the PRA] b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA] P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office |(a)(2) of the PRA] b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA] an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA] P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA] financial information |(a)(4) of the PRA| b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President information |(b)(4) of the FOIA] and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA] h(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy |(b)(6) of the FOIA] personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA] b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement purposes |(b)(7) of the FOIA] C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of of gift. financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA] PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C. b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information 2201(3). concerning wells |(b)(9) of the FOIA] RR. Document will be reviewed upon request. President Clinton's Fall Agenda Highlights: Saving Social Security First, Protecting Patient Rights, Investing in Education and the Environment, Stabilizing International Financial System September 3, 1998 President Clinton's economic strategy of fiscal discipline, strategic investments in our people, and opening markets abroad has helped create the strongest economy in a generation and will deliver the first budget surplus in three decades. Now is a time to build on our success and there is much work for Congress to do in the weeks before adjournment. President Clinton, working with the Congress, is determined to: Save Social Security First -- The President will fight any attempt to break the budget rules and drain the surplus. His commitment is unwavering: every penny of any future surplus must be reserved until a bipartisan plan to save Social Security is enacted. Pass a Patients' Bill of Rights -- The President will work to pass a strong enforceable patients' bill of rights to give Americans the protections they deserve. Invest in Education -- The President will work to strengthen public schools through higher standards, expanded opportunities, increased accountability, school modernization and smaller classes, and greater access to technology. Invest in a Cleaner Environment -- President Clinton will push his significant new investments to curb water pollution, clean up toxic dumps, protect precious lands, and combat global warming. Stabilize the International Financial System -- The President will work to provide the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the resources it needs to protect the international financial system -- and therefore the United States economy. Save Social Security First Fiscal discipline has helped create the strongest economy in a generation. In 1992, the deficit stood at a record $290 billion and was projected by CBO to exceed $350 billion this year. The President's 1993 Economic Plan helped cut the deficit, lowered interest rates, spurred business investment, and strengthened the economy. With last year's bipartisan Balanced Budget, the President finished the job of balancing the budget and this year we will record the first budget surplus in 29 years. With our fiscal house is in order, we must use our solid fiscal footing to face the next major fiscal challenge: the retirement of the baby boom generation. This is why, in his State of the Union in January, President Clinton proposed that every penny of the surplus be reserved to "Save Social Security First." Building on his tax cutting record, the President has called on Congress to pass targeted tax relief -- to spur school modernization, help families better afford child-care, help clean the environment, expand pension coverage, and develop low-income housing. The President insists that every tax cut and new spending program meet the budget rules and be fully paid for. He will strongly oppose any proposal that breaks the budget rules and drains the surplus. As the President has said: "I believe we should tell our children and our grandchildren that we think enough of them and their future that we're going to resist spending a penny of the surplus on things that I would very much like to spend it on - or you would - until we have met our basic obligation to our future, passing a bipartisan plan to save Social Security" [July 22, 1998, Signing of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act] Pass A Patients' Bill of Rights President Clinton calls on the Congress to pass a strong, enforceable patients' bill of rights that assures Americans the quality health care they need. This bill should include important patient protections such as: Assuring direct access to specialists. Real emergency room protections. Continuity of care provisions that protect patients from abrupt changes in treatment. A fair, timely, and independent appeals process for patient grievances. Enforcement provisions to make these rights real. The President has urged the Senate Leadership to make passing the patients' bill of rights the first order of business this fall. The Republicans have proposed legislation that would be more loophole than law. Their proposals cover too few people; provide too few patient protections; and contain unnecessary and irrelevant provisions that undermine the chances for a bipartisan agreement on a patients' bill of rights. For example, these proposals would let HMOs, not informed health professionals, define medical necessity and would fail to guarantee direct access to specialists. The President is working to implement patients' bill of rights in health plans under Federal jurisdiction. In February, the President issued an Executive Memorandum directing all Federal health plans to come into compliance with the patients' bill of rights. In response to this directive, for example: Department of Health and Human Services has extended the patients' bill of rights to the 40 million Americans who receive Medicare. Department of Veterans' Affairs has begun to put in place a new, rapid appeals process for its 3 million beneficiaries. The Department of Defense issued a directive to all military bases throughout the world, extending patient protections to 8 million servicemen and women and their families. Department of Labor is requiring plans it oversees to have an improved internal appeals process. Invest in Education President Clinton is working to strengthen public education by raising standards, increasing accountability and expanding public school choice, including charter schools, and to prepare students for the 21 st Century through increased investments in public schools, expanded awareness of and access to higher education, and training to ensure success in the workplace. Strengthening Public Education. President Clinton will fight for full funding for programs and new initiatives that will help all children reach challenging academic standards, strengthen accountability, provide access to technology, improve the quality of teaching, expand Head Start and after school programs, and make our schools safe and drug free. Modernizing Our Schools. The President is calling for federal tax credits to help renovate, modernize, and build over 5,000 public schools nationwide. Reduce Class Size. The President will press Congress to enact his proposal to reduce class size to a national average of 18 in grades 1-3, by helping local schools hire 100,000 well-prepared teachers. Expanding Investments In Youth Education And Training. One of the President's top priorities is fighting efforts by Congress to eliminate both the Summer Jobs Program, which provides jobs to roughly 530,000 disadvantaged young people, and the new Youth Opportunity Area Initiative, which would help provide job training and help finding jobs for up to 50,000 youth in the poorest communities nationwide. Passage Of The Higher Education Act, With The High Hopes Mentoring Initiative and Teacher Recruitment. President Clinton urges Congress to pass the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, to reduce interest rates on student loans; extend the Pell Grant and Federal Work-Study programs; enact his High Hopes program to establish college-school partnerships in order to spark young people's interest in college and provide them with the mentoring and other support they need to prepare for college; and strengthen teacher training and recruitment programs. Education Technology. The President has made an unprecedented commitment to bringing technology into the classroom and called for technology training for teachers and expanded access for teachers and students to computers in the classroom; however, the House appropriations bill threatens these initiatives; Strengthening And Expanding Charter Schools. President Clinton will continue to work with Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal support for the growing charter school movement. Helping Every Eight-Year Old Learn To Read. President Clinton will continue his work with Congress to enact a child literacy bill to ensure that children receive quality instruction from well-trained teachers and have opportunities to develop their reading skills with trained tutors after-school and on the weekend. Voluntary National Standards and Tests. President Clinton will continue to fight for voluntary national standards and tests in 4th grade reading and 8th grade math, to help students master the basic skills and to give parents, communities and educators accurate information on how well our students perform. Invest in a Cleaner Environment President Clinton is proposing significant new investments to curb water pollution, clean up toxic dumps, protect precious lands, and combat global warming. Yet the Republican Congress is not only failing to fully fund these priorities, but is launching a stealth attack on the environment with a host of legislative riders aimed at rolling back protections already in place. Clean, Safe Water for America. The President is proposing an additional $2.3 billion over five years to help clean up the almost 40 percent of America's surveyed waterways still too polluted for fishing or swimming. Budget bills in the House and Senate fall well short of the President's request, denying communities and farmers vital help in curbing pollution. Saving and Restoring Parks and Other Natural Treasures. The President is proposing a 43 percent increase over five years to acquire scenic and historic lands, yet Congress is denying full funding. What's more, Congress is withholding 1998 appropriations that the President has allocated to protect over 100 sites in 35 states, including Civil War battlefields, critical winter range for Yellowstone bison, New Mexico's Baca Ranch, and completion of the Appalachian Trail. Leading the Fight Against Global Warming. The President's five-year $6.3 billion package of tax incentives and research investment would reduce greenhouse gas pollution through energy efficiency and clean energy technologies. But Congress, ignoring the growing evidence of global warming, wants to cut these sensible, cost-effective programs. Doubling the Pace of Toxic Cleanups. The President is proposing an additional $650 million in Fiscal Year 99 a 40 percent increase -- to accelerate Superfund cleanups with a goal of completing a total of 900 cleanups by 2001. By denying these funds, Congress threatens to delay cleanup at up to 171 sites. Fighting Against Stealth Attacks on the Environment. Some of the many anti-environmental riders would force overcutting of timber on national forests, cripple wildlife protection efforts, deny taxpayers a fair return from oil leasing on public lands, and allow a $30 million road through an Alaska wildlife refuge. The President will not tolerate stealth tactics that do unacceptable harm to the environment or threaten public health. Stabilize the International Financial System Driven by a return to fiscal strength, the United States' economy is the strongest it has been in a generation. Unemployment and inflation are at their lowest levels in decades. Some other nations around the world, however, are experiencing major economic upheaval and this has already hurt our exports and farmers. A strong International Monetary Fund is a stabilizing force in the world economy and is vital to protect the international financial system -- and therefore the U.S. economy -- against the risk of new, escalating, or spreading crises. The Senate has wisely provided full funding for the IMF, but the House has failed to include any such funding. President Clinton will fight for full funding for the IMF to help keep our economy strong. Women Cong. Leaders 4 of 7 Women's Cancus bills have passed 3 others - - Genetic Discrim - - women Owned Business - Child care - bipartisan support OF 4 principles Norton primary concern IS not losing seats in November HRC - optimistic about prospects - the issues are our friends - message must be delivered effectively Collectively, we need issue driven, Democratic agenda We also need a motivational message. sure that media is effective -- Dems don't know how to spend $ Rose We have the issues - - Soc. Sec. HMOS, Education Eshoo - Get all women out together HRC - No truth to voter turnout problem - - bee. situation of current HRC - Can do direct mail radio, TV Norton - Turn out problems are real note of dissent Kennelly - This IS a plane caued "education" - " child care" Dem. caucus - Kirkpatrick - These ave little boys who are now men" Sherla Jackson high - we need to face the issue at hand - - say we are women who understand family values, let me tell you about family and why President matters to us. Mc.Carthy We've used to crises bec. we deal w/ them darly, but the men aren't. Amazed by men on the Floor. New strategic discussion. Have issues. Need timeline жес melanne 30 Ann Lewis Margaret L. Buford 09/14/98 06:50:22 PM tanet ruguia fulie mason Record Type: Record tenn kleen To: Kim B. Widdess/WHO/EOP, Sharon K. Gill/WHO/EOP CC: Subject: FLOTUS mtg w/ Womem MOC Forwarded by Margaret L. Buford/WHO/EOP on 09/14/98 06:49 PM Mindy E. Myers 09/14/98 06:48:48 PM Record Type: Record To: See the distribution list at the bottom of this message CC: Subject: FLOTUS mtg w/ Womem MOC Updated Forwarded by Mindy E. Myers/WHO/EOP on 09/14/98 06:47 PM Marty J. Hoffmann 09/14/98 06:40:41 PM Record Type: Record To: See the distribution list at the bottom of this message CC: Subject: FLOTUS mtg w/ Womem MOC Event: FLOTUS meeting with Congressional Democratic Women Date: Tuesday, September 14, 1998 Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am Location: Yellow Oval, Residence Members should arrive at 9:15 am to the West Lobby. Members can park on North Drive and enter through the NorthEAST gate. Confirmed to Attend (24): Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) *coming late Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN) Rep. Pat Danner (D-MO) Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Rep. Donna Christian-Green (D-VI) Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) Rep. Barbara Kennelly (D-CT) Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Rep. Karen McCarthy (D-MO) Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-MI) Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Rep. Deborah Ann Stabenow (D-MI) Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) Invited but Unable to Attend (6): Senator Feinstein (D-CA) Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Senator Mikulski (D-MD) Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL) Rep. Diane DeGette (D-CO) Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) Pending ( 14) : Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Rep. Eva Clayton (D-NC) Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Rep. Carrie Meek (D-FL) Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI) Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL) Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) Message Sent To: Mindy E. Myers/WHO/EOP Janet Murguia/WHO/EOP Tracey E. Thornton/WHO/EOF Charles M. Brain/WHO/EOP Jessica L. Gibson/WHO/EOP Dario J. Gomez/WHO/EOP Janelle E. Erickson/WHO/EOP Message Sent To: Nicole R. Rabner/WHO/EOP Katharine Button/WHO/EOP Brenda B. Costello/WHO/EOP Margaret L. Buford/WHO/EOP Ruby Shamir/WHO/EOP Kim B. Widdess/WHO/EOP