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Talking It Over The First Lady's Weekly Column for Creators Syndicate 12/08/1998-01/17/2001 [Binder] [1]
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Talking It Over The First Lady's Weekly Column for Creators Syndicate 12/08/1998-01/17/2001 [Binder] [1]
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"Talking It Over"
-
The First Lady's Weekly Column for Creators Syndicate
12/8/98 - 1/17/01
"Talking It Over"
The First Lady's Weekly
Column for Creators Syndicate
12/8/98-1/17/01
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
WEEKLY COLUMN -- "TALKING IT OVER"
JULY 23, 1995 - January 17, 2001
1.
Introduction
July 23, 1995
2.
Adoption
July 29-30, 1995
3.
Working Women
August 5-6, 1995
4.
Public Television
August 12-13, 1995
5.
Annual Family Vacation
August 19-20, 1995
6.
Women's Suffrage
August 26-27, 1995
7.
UN Women's Conference
September 2-3, 1995
8.
Beijing Conference/Women's Rights
September 9-10, 1995
9.
Mongolia
September 16-17, 1995
10.
Calvin Klein Commercials
September 23-24, 1995
11.
OB Express
September 30-October 1, 1995
12.
Clinton's 20th Wedding Anniversary
October 7-8, 1995
13.
South America Trip
October 14-15, 1995
14.
Breast Cancer
October 21-22, 1995
15.
Readers' Letters
October 28-29, 1995
16.
Support for the United Nations
November 4-5, 1995
17.
Rabin's Funeral/Democracy
November 11-12, 1995
18.
Children's Hospitals/Medicaid
November 18-19, 1995
19.
Thanksgiving Blessings
November 25-26, 1995
20.
Christmas at the White House
December 2-3, 1995
21.
Ireland/Joyce McCartan
December 9-10, 1995
22.
Military Families
December 16-17, 1995
23.
Christmas
December 23-24, 1995
24.
New Year's Wishes & Resolutions
December 30-31, 1995
25.
St. Ann's Infant & Maternity Home
January 6-7, 1996
26.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13-14, 1996
27.
Whitewater
January 20-21, 1996
28.
Divorce
January 27-28, 1996
29.
Bosnia Relief
February 3-4, 1996
30.
Christopher Reeve/Healthcare
February 10-11, 1996
31.
Military HIV Ban
February 17, 1996
32.
Ramadan
February 22, 1996
33.
Chelsea at 16
February 29, 1996
34.
TV Rating System/TV Executives
March 1, 1996
35.
Whitewater
March 6, 1996
36.
Women and Men Roles
March 13, 1996
37.
Lady Bird Johnson
March 20, 1996
38.
Visit to Bosnia
March 27, 1996
39.
Greece-Turkey/Olympics
April 3, 1996
40.
Ron Brown Eulogy
April 10, 1996
41.
A Chicago Cubs Fan
April 17, 1996
42.
Legal Aid
April 24, 1996
43.
Chernobyl/Victims Relief
May 1, 1996
44.
Bill Clinton's Mothers' Day Tribute
May 8, 1996
45.
Adoption
May 15, 1996
46.
Arts and Kids
May 22, 1996
47.
Commencement 96
May 29, 1996
48.
Talking Women
June 5, 1996
49.
Fathers' Day
June 11, 1996
50.
Summer Youth Programs/Curfews
June 18, 1996
51.
FMLA
June 25, 1996
52.
Central Europe/4th of July
July 3, 1996
53.
Central Europe II/ Emerging Democracies
July 10, 1996
54.
Anti-Smoking Campaign
July 17, 1996
55.
Spirit of Olympics/Sloane
July 23, 1996
56.
Olympics/Terrorism
July 30, 1996
57.
ADA/Title IX/Olympics
August 6, 1996
58.
National Parks
August 13, 1996
59.
Chicago Hometown
August 20, 1996
60.
Chicago/DNC
August 27, 1996
61.
Seeds of Peace
September 3, 1996
62.
Medals of Freedom
September 10, 1996
63.
Lessons Without Borders
September 17, 1996
64.
Nina Hyde Center/Breast Cancer
September 24, 1996
65.
Beijing One Year Later/Women's Rights
October 1, 1996
66.
Women in Space/Shannon Lucid
October 8, 1996
67.
Socks
October 15, 1996
68.
Superman Comic/Bosnia Landmines
October 22, 1996
69.
Henry Ossawa Tanner
October 29, 1996
70.
Campaign '96 Highlights
November 5, 1996
71.
Election Day '96
November 13, 1996
72.
Australia
November 20, 1996
73.
Thailand/Child Prostitution
November 26, 1996
74.
Bolivia/Family Planning
December 3, 1996
75.
Private Life in the White House
December 10, 1996
76.
Adoption
December 17, 1996
77.
Christmas Eve '96
December 24, 1996
78.
New Years Eve '96
December 31, 1996
79.
Gulf War Syndrome
January 7, 1997
80.
Microcredit/Early Childhood
January 14, 1997
81.
Inauguration Day 97
January 21, 1997
82.
Abortion
January 29, 1997
83.
Microcredit
February 4, 1997
84.
Working Women
February 11, 1997
85.
Washington, DC
February 19, 1997
86.
The Millennium Initiative
February 25, 1997
87.
AIDS/Elizabeth Glaser
March 4, 1997
88.
Single Parent Scholarships
March 11, 1997
89.
Africa I
March 18, 1997
90.
Africa II
March 25, 1997
91.
Africa III (Women)
April 2, 1997
92.
Child Care
April 8, 1997
93.
Brain Conference
April 15, 1997
94.
Service Summit/America's Promise
April 23, 1997
95.
FDR Memorial/Disability
April 30, 1997
96.
Mothers' Day 97
May 6, 1997
97.
Latin America Trip
May 13, 1997
98.
Children's Health Insurance
May 20, 1997
99.
Marshall Plan 50th/Anne Frank
May 27, 1997
100.
Chelsea's Graduation
June 3, 1997
101.
Father's Day 97
June 10, 1997
102.
DC Schools
June 17, 1997
103.
Foster Care
June 24, 1997
104.
Food Safety
July 2, 1997
105.
Mars Pathfinder
July 9, 1997
106.
Salzburg Seminar
July 16, 1997
107.
Immunizations
July 22, 1997
108.
Smoking Featured in Movies
July 29, 1997
109.
Balanced Budget '97
August 5, 1997
110.
Children's Drug Dosages
August 12, 1997
111.
125ᵗʰ Anniversary of Yellowstone
August 19, 1997
112.
Family Card Games
August 26, 1997
113.
Princess Diana
September 3, 1997
114.
Mother Teresa
September 10, 1997
115.
Chelsea and College
September 18, 1997
116.
Little Rock Nine/Central HS
September 23, 1997
117.
Arts and the Humanities
October 2, 1997
118.
Global Warming/Infectious Diseases
October 7, 1997
119.
Latin and South America/Women's Progress
October 14, 1997
120.
50th Birthday Party
October 28, 1997
121.
Joyce McCartan/Ireland
November 4, 1997
122.
HRC's Plane Incident
November 11, 1997
123.
Adoption and Safe Families Act 1997
November 18, 1997
124.
Foster Care
November 20, 1997
125.
Former Soviet Republics
November 25, 1997
126.
Start of Holidays '97
December 2, 1997
127.
Women's Rights
December 9, 1997
128.
Buddy
December 16, 1997
129.
Military's Christmas in Bosnia
December 23, 1997
130.
New Year's Eve
December 30, 1997
131.
Child Care
January 6, 1998
132.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13, 1998
133.
White House Endowment Fund
January 20, 1998
134.
Save America's Treasures
January 27, 1998
135.
WEF-Switzerland
February 3, 1998
136.
Early Learning
February 10, 1998
137.
1st Millennium Lecture (Honoring the Past)
February 17, 1998
138.
Children's Health Insurance
February 24, 1998
139.
Children's Reading Programs/Dr. Seuss
March 3, 1998
140.
Violence and Women/CEDAW
March 10, 1998
141.
National Service
March 17, 1998
142.
Uganda/Children Atrocities
March 24, 1998
143.
Women of Africa Progress
April 1, 1998
144.
Arkansas School Shooting
April 8, 1998
145.
Irish Peace Accords
April 15, 1998
146.
Child Care
April 22, 1998
147.
White House Volunteers
April 29, 1998
148.
Bankruptcy & Child Support
May 6, 1998
149.
WHO & Infectious Disease
May 13, 1998
150.
School Vouchers
May 20, 1998
151.
Chicago Public Schools
May 27, 1998
152.
Welfare to Work Success
June 3, 1998
153.
Asthma & the Environment
June 10, 1998
154.
C&O Canal, Save Our Treasures
June 17, 1998
155.
Tobacco Legislation
June 24, 1998
156.
Chinese Women
July 1, 1998
157.
Marine Band
July 8, 1998
158.
Treasures Tour
July 15, 1998
159.
Patient's Bill of Rights
July 22, 1998
160.
Cancer Research
July 29, 1998
161.
Family and Medical Leave Act
August 5, 1998
162.
Kenya Embassy Bombing
August 12, 1998
163.
Natural Disasters and FEMA
August 19, 1998
164.
White House Fellows
August 26, 1998
165.
KaBoom Partnership with Ireland
September 2, 1998
166.
Education and the Budget
September 9, 1998
167.
Peace Corps Volunteers
September 17, 1998
168.
Foster Care and Govt. Programs
September 23, 1998
169.
Bankruptcy Reform
September 30, 1998
170.
Juvenile Crime Prevention
October 7, 1998
171.
Minimum Wage
October 14, 1998
172.
Congress and the Budget
October 21, 1998
173.
Voting
October 28, 1998
174.
Sculpture Garden
November 4, 1998
175.
Hurricane Mitch
November 11, 1998
176.
After School Care Programs
November 18, 1998
177.
National Adoption Day
November 25, 1998
178.
Socks and Buddy
December 1, 1998
179.
Eleanor Roosevelt and Human Rights
December 9, 1998
180.
Israeli and Palestinian Negotiations
December 16, 1998
181.
President's Agenda
December 23, 1998
182.
Millennium Council
December 30, 1998
183.
Medicaid/Medicare
January 6, 1999
184.
Epilepsy
January 13, 1999
185.
Social Security
January 20, 1999
186.
Fifth Millennium Evening (Artists/Scholars...)
January 27, 1999
187.
Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
188.
Death of King Hussein of Jordan
February 10, 1999
189.
Social Security
February 17, 1999
190.
Health Insurance for Children
February 24, 1999
191.
Gaining the Arts Advantage
March 3, 1999
192.
Women in Sports
March 10, 1999
193.
Women in the Last Century and Future
March 17, 1999
194.
Cairo/Israeli Peace Accords
March 24, 1999
195.
Morocco
March 31, 1999
196.
Kosovo Conflicts
April 7, 1999
197.
Seventh Millennium Evening/Elie Wiesel
April 14, 1999
198.
Teacher of the Year
April 21, 1999
199.
Youth Violence
April 28, 1999
200.
Aid to Kosovo Refugees
May 5, 1999
201.
Guns and Kids
May 12, 1999
202.
Refugee Effort in Kosovo
May 19, 1999
203.
Mesa Verde/SAT
May 26, 1999
204.
Violence in the Media
June 2, 1999
205.
Mental Health Conference
June 9, 1999
206.
Honoring Rosa Parks
June 16, 1999
207.
Kosovo Aftermath
June 23, 1999
208.
National Archives/SAT
June 30, 1999
209.
New Markets Initiative
July 7, 1999
210.
US Women's Soccer Team/Title IX
July 14, 1999
211.
Prayers for the Kennedy Family
July 21, 1999
212.
Americans with Disabilities Act
July 28, 1999
213.
Convening on Hispanic Children and Youth
August 4, 1999
214.
Legal Services Corporation
August 11, 1999
215.
Ending Gun Violence
August 18, 1999
216.
Welfare to Work Partnership
August 25, 1999
217.
The President's Budget
September 1, 1999
218.
HIV/AIDS in Africa
September 8, 1999
219.
Congressional Agenda
September 15, 1999
220.
New Year's Eve 99
September 22, 1999
221.
Foster Care and Adoption
September 29, 1999
222.
Democracy in Eastern Europe
October 6, 1999
223.
Eighth Millennium Evening (Technology)
October 13, 1999
224.
Americorps Fifth Anniversary Celebration
October 20, 1999
225.
Conference on Philanthropy
October 27, 1999
226.
Death of Sen. Chafee/Budget Cuts
November 3, 1999
227.
Necessity of United Nations
November 10, 1999
228.
Turkey Earthquake Relief
November 17, 1999
229.
Budget Resolutions
November 24, 1999
230.
Child Healthcare/Children's Hospitals
December 1, 1999
231.
Christmas Decorations
December 1999
232.
Millennium Green
December 15, 1999
233.
Family Histories
December 22, 1999
234.
Time Capsule
December 29, 1999
235.
"Prayer for the New Millennium"
January 5, 2000
236.
Housing Vouchers
January 12, 2000
237.
Human Trafficking
January 19, 2000
238.
Tax Credit Initiatives
January 26, 2000
239.
State of the Union 2000 Highlights
February 2, 2000
240.
Prescription Drug Affordability
February 9, 2000
241.
Vital Voices Conferences
February 16, 2000
242.
Teen Pregnancy
February 23, 2000
243.
Teacher Quality
March 1, 2000
244.
Children and Guns
March 8, 2000
245.
Child Support
March 15, 2000
246.
Children's Mental Health/Pediatric Drugs
March 22, 2000
247.
Teen Smoking
March 29, 2000
248.
Women Entrepreneurs/Microcredit
April 5, 2000
249.
International Family Planning
April 12, 2000
250.
Earth Day
April 19, 2000
251.
Arbor Day
April 26, 2000
252.
White House Conference on Teenagers
May 3, 2000
253.
Million Mom March
May 10, 2000
254.
Howard Theater/Saving America's Treasures
May 17, 2000
255.
Memorial Day
May 24, 2000
256.
Millennium Trails Project
May 31, 2000
257.
VAWA
June 14, 2000
258.
Val-Kill: Save America's Treasures
June 21, 2000
259.
Education of Hispanic Children
June 28, 2000
260.
Ninth Millennium Evening: Exploration
July 5, 2000
261.
Prescription Drugs for Seniors
July 12, 2000
262.
Ellis Island: Save America's Treasures
July 19, 2000
263.
ADA Tenth Anniversary
July 26, 2000
264.
Newborn Hearing Screening
August 2, 2000
265.
Congressional and Presidential Tax Plans
August 9, 2000
266.
Decision 2000 and Thank You
August 16, 2000
267.
Pine Ridge - New Markets Tour
August 23, 2000
268.
Making Education our #1 Priority
August 30, 2000
269.
Expanding Healthcare Benefits
September 6, 2000
270.
Youth Violence and the Entertainment Industry
September 13, 2000
271.
Ritalin
September 20, 2000
272.
Reauthorization of VAWA
September 27, 2000
273.
Reauthorization of AmeriCorps
October 4, 2000
274.
Microenterprise Act
October 11, 2000
275.
Trafficking of Women and Children
October 18, 2000
276.
Passing Legislation Important to America
October 25, 2000
277.
Importance of Voting
November 1, 2000
278.
New York Senate Race
November 8, 2000
279.
200ᵗʰ Anniversary of the White House
November 15, 2000
280.
Trip to Vietnam
November 22, 2000
281.
"An Invitation to the White House"
November 29, 2000
282.
Passing Labor/HHS/Education Bill
December 6, 2000
283.
Ireland Trip and Vital Voices
December 13, 2000
284.
Interagency Council on Women Event
December 20, 2000
285.
The People's House, The White House
December 27, 2000
286.
Memories and Achievements - Part I
January 3, 2001
287.
Memories and Achievements - Part II
January 10, 2001
288.
Thank You and Best Wishes!
January 17, 2001
Columns Index/Subject
Adoptions & Foster Care
2. Adoption
July 29-30, 1995
45. Adoption
May 15; 1996
76. Adoption
December 17, 1996
103. Foster Care
June 24, 1997
123. Adoption and Safe Families Act '97
November 18, 1997
124. Foster Care
November 20, 1997
168. Foster Care and Government
September 23, 1998
177. National Adoption Day
November 25, 1998
187. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
221. Foster Care and Adoption
September 29, 1999
229. Budget Resolutions
November 24, 1999
Arts
46. Arts and Kids
May 22, 1996
69. Henry Ossawa Tanner
October 29, 1996
86. The Millennium Initiative
February 25, 1997
117. Arts and the Humanities
October 2, 1997
133. WH Endowment Fund
January 20, 1998
157. Marine Band
July 8, 1998
174. Sculpture Garden
November 4, 1998
186. Fifth Millennium
January 27, 1999
191. Gaining the Arts Advantage
March 3, 1999
281. "An Invitation to the White House"
November 29, 2000
Beijing
7. UN Women's Conference
September 2-3, 1995
8. Beijing Conf./Women's Rights
September 9-10, 1995
65. Beijing One-Year Later/Women's Rights
October 1, 1996
Budget/Congress
109. Balanced Budget 97
August 5, 1997
181. President's Agenda
December 23, 1998
167. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
172. Congress and the Budget
October 21, 1998
187. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
217. The President's Budget
September 1, 1999
219. Congressional Agenda
September 15, 1999
226. Death of Sen. Chafee/Budget Cuts
November 3, 1999
229. Budget Resolutions
November 24, 1999
238. Tax Credit Initiatives
January 26, 2000
239. State of the Union 2000 Highlights
February 2, 2000
261. Prescription Drugs for Seniors
July 12, 2000
265. Congressional and Presidential Tax Plans
August 9, 2000
269. Expanding Healthcare Benefits
September 6, 2000
272. Reauthorization of VAWA
September 27, 2000
273. Reauthorization of AmeriCorps
October 4, 2000
276. Passing Legislation Important to America
October 25, 2000
282. Passing Labor/HHS/Education Bill
December 6, 2000
Child Care
3. Working Women
August 5-6, 1995
92. Child Care
April 8, 1997
131. Child Care
January 6, 1997
146. Child Care
April 22, 1998
239. State of the Union 2000 Highlights
February 2, 2000
Children/General
4. Public Television
August 12-13, 1995
25. St. Ann's Infant & Maternity Home
January 6-7, 1996
49. Father's Day
June 11, 1996
148. Bankruptcy and Child Support
May 6, 1998
169. Bankruptcy Reform
September 30, 1998
245. Children/General
March 15, 2000
252. White House Conference on Teenagers
May 3, 2000
270. Youth Violence and Entertainment Industry
September 13, 2000
Children/Health
18. Children's Hospitals/Medicaid
November 18-19, 1995
54. Anti-Smoking Campaign
July 17, 1996
87. AIDS/Elizabeth Glaser
March 4, 1997
98. Children's Health Insurance
May 20, 1997
107. Immunizations
July 22, 1997
108. Smoking Featured in Movies
July 29, 1997
110. Children's Drug Dosages
August 12, 1997
118. Global Warming/Infectious Diseases
October 7, 1997
138. Children's Health Insurance
February 24, 1998
149. WHO and Infectious Disease
May 13, 1998
153. Asthma and the Environment
June 10, 1998
190. Health Insurance for Children
February 24, 1999
230. Child Healthcare/Children's Hospital
December 1, 1999
238. Tax Credit Initiatives
January 26, 2000
246. Children's Mental Health/Pediatric Drugs
March 22, 2000
247. Teen Smoking
March 29, 2000
264. Newborn Hearing Screening
August 2, 2000
271. Ritalin
September 20, 2000
Civil Rights
26. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13-14, 1996
31. Military HIV Ban
February 17, 1996
57. ADA/Title IX/Olympics
August 6, 1996
95. FDR Memorial/Disability
April 30, 1997
116. Little Rock Nine/Central H.S.
September 23, 1997
132. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13, 1998
206. Honoring Rosa Parks
June 16, 1999
212. Americans w/ Disabilities Act
July 28, 1999
263. ADA Tenth Anniversary
July 26, 2000
Civil Society/Democracy Building
9. Mongolia
September 16-17, 1995
17. Rabin's Funeral/Democracy
November 11-12, 1995
19. Thanksgiving Blessings
November 25-26, 1995
52. Central Europe/4th of July
July 3, 1996
53. Central Europe II/Emerging Democracies
July 10, 1996
72. Australia
November 20, 1996
89. Africa I
March 18, 1997
90. Africa II
March 25, 1997
91. Africa III (Women)
April 2, 1997
97. Latin America Trip
May 13, 1997
99. Marshall Plan 50th/Anne Frank
May 27, 1997
106. Salzburg Seminar
July 16, 1997
125. Former Soviet Republics
November 25, 1997
129. Military's Christmas in Bosnia
December 23, 1997
143. Women of Africa Progress
April 1, 1998
195. Morocco
March 31, 1999
222. Democracy in Eastern Europe
October 6, 1999
District of Columbia
85. Washington DC
February 19, 1997
102. DC Schools
June 17, 1997
Domestic/Misc.
22. Military Families
December 16-17, 1995
31. Military HIV Ban
February 17, 1996
55. Spirit of Olympics/Sloane
July 23, 1996
56. Olympics/Terrorism
July 30, 1996
57. ADA/Title IX/Olympics
August 6, 1996
62. Medals of Freedom
September 10, 1996
104. Food Safety
July 2, 1997
111. 125th Ann. of Yellowstone
August 19, 1997
147. WH Volunteers
April 29, 1998
163. Natural Disasters and FEMA
August 19, 1998
164. WH Fellows
August 26, 1998
173. Voting
October 28, 1998
199. Youth Violence
April 28, 1999
263. ADA Tenth Anniversary
July 26, 2000
267. Pine Ridge - New Markets Tour
August 23, 2000
269. Expanding Healthcare Benefits
September 6, 2000
270. Youth Violence and Entertainment Industry
September 13, 2000
273. Reauthorization of AmeriCorps
October 4, 2000
277. Importance of Voting
November 1, 2000
279. 200th Anniversary of the White House
November 15, 2000
284. Interagency Council on Women Event
December 20, 2000
285. The People's House, The White House
December 27, 2000
Early Childhood Development
4. Public Television
August 12-13, 1995
80. Microcredit/Early Childhood
January 14, 1997
93. Brain Conference
April 15, 1997
136. Early Learning
February 10, 1998
139. Children's Reading Programs/ Dr. Seuss
March 3, 1998
Education
102. DC Schools
June 17, 1997
109. Balanced Budget 97
August 5, 1997
150. School Vouchers
May 20, 1998
151. Chicago Public Schools
May 27, 1998
166. Education and the Budget
September 9, 1998
167. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
191. Gaining the Arts Advantage
March 3, 1999
198. Teacher of the Year
April 21, 1999
229. Budget Resolutions
November 24, 1999
243. Teacher Quality
March 1, 2000
259. Education for Hispanic Children
June 28, 2000
268. Making Education Our #1 Priority
August 30, 2000
282. Passing Labor/HHS/Education Bill
December 6, 2000
Family Economic Security
28. Divorce
January 27-28, 1996
36. Women and Men Roles
March 13, 1996
42. Legal Aid
April 24, 1996
49. Father's Day
June 11, 1996
101. Father's Day '97
June 10, 1997
109. Balanced Budget '97
August 5, 1997
152. Welfare to Work Success
June 3, 1998
169. Bankruptcy Reform
September 30, 1998
171. Minimum Wage
October 14, 1998
183. Medicaid/Medicare
January 6, 1999
185. Social Security
January 20, 1999
189. Social Security
February 17, 1999
209. New Markets Initiative
July 7, 1999
214. Legal Services Corporation
August 11, 1999
216. Welfare to Work Partnership
August 25, 1999
219. Congressional Agenda
September 15, 1999
236. Housing Vouchers
January 12, 2000
238. Tax Credit Initiatives
January 26, 2000
239. State of the Union 2000 Highlights
February 2, 2000
245. Child Support
March 15, 2000
267. Pine Ridge - New Markets Tour
August 23, 2000
269. Expanding Healthcare Benefits
September 6, 2000
274. Microenterprise Act
October 11, 2000
276. Passing Legislation Important to America
October 25, 2000
280. Trip to Vietnam
November 22, 2000
FMLA
51. FMLA
June 25, 1996
161. FMLA
August 5, 1998
Health & Health Reform
11. OB Express
September 30-October 1, 1995
14. Breast Cancer
October 21-22, 1995
30. Christopher Reeve/Healthcare
February 10-11, 1996
64. Nina Hyde Center/Breast Cancer
September 24, 1996
79. Gulf War Syndrome
January 7, 1997
87. AIDS/Elizabeth Glaser
March 4, 1997
109. Balanced Budget '97
August 5, 1997
159. Patient's Bill of Rights
July 22, 1998
160. Cancer Research
July 29, 1998
184. Epilepsy
January 13, 1999
187. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
205. Mental Health Conference
June 9, 1999
212. Americans w/ Disabilities Act
July 28, 1999
229. Budget Resolutions
November 24, 1999
230. Child Healthcare/Children's Hospital
December 1, 1999
238. Tax Credit Initiatives
January 26, 2000
240. Prescription Drug Affordability
February 9, 2000
264. Newborn Hearing Screening
August 2, 2000
269. Expanding Healthcare Benefits
September 6, 2000
271. Ritalin
September 20, 2000
276. Passing Legislation Important to America
October 25, 2000
282. Passing Labor/HHS/Education Bill
December 6, 2000
Holidays
20. Christmas at the White House
December 2-3, 1995
23. Christmas
December 23-24, 1995
32. Ramadan
February 22, 1996
96. Mother's Day '97
May 6, 1997
101. Father's Day '97
June 10, 1997
126. Start of Holidays '97
December 2, 1997
129. Military's Christmas in Bosnia
December 23, 1997
130. New Year's Eve '97
December 30, 1997
231. Christmas Decorations
December 8, 1999
235. "Prayer for the Millennium"
January 5, 2000
250. Earth Day
April 19, 2000
251. Arbor Day
April 26, 2000
255. Memorial Day
May 24, 2000
285. The People's House, The White House
December 27, 2000
International/Children
38. Visit to Bosnia
March 27, 1996
43. Chernobyl/Victims Relief
May 1, 1996
135. WEF-Switzerland
February 3, 1998
142. Uganda/Children Atrocities
March 24, 1998
149. WHO and Infectious Disease
May 13, 1998
165. KaBoom Partnership w/ Ireland
September 2, 1998
179. Eleanor Roosevelt and Human Rights
December 9, 1998
218. HIV/AIDS in Africa
September 8, 1999
275. Trafficking of Women and Children
October 18, 2000
280. Trip to Vietnam
November 22, 2000
International/General
16. Support for the United Nations
November 4-5, 1995
17. Rabin's Funeral/Democracy
November 11-12, 1995
29. Bosnia Relief
February 3-4, 1996
38. Visit to Bosnia
March 27, 1996
39. Greece-Turkey/Olympics
April 3, 1996
52. Central Europe/4th of July
July 3, 1996
53. Central Europe II/Emerging Democracies
July 10, 1996
61. Seeds of Peace
September 3, 1996
68. Superman Comic/Bosnia Landmines
October 22, 1996
99. Marshall Plan 50th/Anne Frank
May 27, 1997
113. Princess Diana
September 3, 1997
114. Mother Teresa
September 10, 1997
118. Global Warming/Infectious Diseases
October 7, 1997
135. WEF-Switzerland
February 3, 1998
145. Irish Peace Accords
April 15, 1998
162. Kenya Embassy Bombing
August 12, 1998
167. Peace Corps Volunteers
September 17, 1998
175. Hurricane Mitch
November 11, 1998
180. Israeli and Palestinian Negotiations
December 16, 1998
188. Death of King Hussein/Egypt
February 10, 1999
194. 20th Ann. Cairo/Israeli Peace Accords
March 24, 1999
195. Morocco
March 31, 1999
218. HIV/AIDS in Africa
September 8, 1999
227. Necessity of United Nations
November 10, 1999
228. Turkey Earthquake Relief
November 17, 1999
International/Women
13. South America Trip
October 14-15, 1995
21. Ireland/Joyce McCartan
December 9-10, 1995
72. Australia
November 20, 1996
74. Bolivia/Family Planning
December 3, 1996
90. Africa II
March 25, 1997
91. Africa III (Women)
April 2, 1997
97. Latin America Trip
May 13, 1997
119. Latin and South America/Women's Progress
October 14, 1997
121. Joyce McCartan/Ireland
November 4, 1997
127. Women's Rights
December 9, 1997
140. Violence and Women/CEDAW
March 10, 1998
143. Women of Africa Progress
April 1, 1998
145. Irish Peace Accords
April 15, 1998
156. Chinese Women
July 1, 1998
194. 20th Ann. Cairo/Israeli Peace Accords
March 24, 1999
237. Human Trafficking
January 19, 2000
249. International Family Planning
April 12, 2000
275. Trafficking of Women and Children
October 18, 2000
280. Trip to Vietnam
November 22, 2000
Kosovo
196. Kosovo Conflicts
April 7, 1999
200. Aid to Kosovo Refugees
May 5, 1999
202. Refugee Effort in Kosovo
May 19, 1999
207. Kosovo Aftermath
June 23, 1999
Microenterprise
63. Lessons Without Borders
September 17, 1996
80. Microcredit/Early Childhood
January 14, 1997
83. Microcredit
February 4, 1997
97. Latin America Trip
May 13, 1997
125. Former Soviet Republics
November 25, 1997
140. Violence and Women/CEDAW
March 10, 1998
143. Women of Africa Progress
April 1, 1998
156. Chinese Women
July 1, 1998
188. Death of King Hussein/Egypt
February 10, 1999
209. New Markets Initiative
July 7, 1999
222. Democracy in Eastern Europe
October 6, 1999
248. Women Entrepreneurs/Microcredit
April 5, 2000
274. Microenterprise Act
October 11, 2000
Millennium & Saving America's Treasures
86. The Millennium Initiative
February 25, 1997
105. Mars Pathfinder
July 9, 1997
134. Save America's Treasures
January 27, 1998
137. First Millennium Lecture (Honoring the Past)
February 17, 1998
154. C & O canal, SAT
June 17, 1998
158. Treasures Tour
July 15, 1998
182. Millennium Council
December 30, 1998
186. Fifth Millennium (Artists/Scholars)
January 27, 1999
197. Seventh Millennium Evening (Elie Wiesel)
April 14, 1999
203. Mesa Verde/SAT
May 26, 1999
208. National Archives
June 30, 1999
220. New Year's Eve 99
September 22, 1999
223. Eighth Millennium Evening (Technology)
October 13, 1999
232. Millennium Green
December 15, 1999
233. Family Histories
December 22, 1999
234. Time Capsule
December 29, 1999
235. "Prayer for the New Millennium"
January 5, 2000
256. Millennium Trails Project
May 31, 2000
258. Val Kill: Save America's Treasures
June 14, 2000
260. Ninth Millennium Evening: Exploration
July 5, 2000
262. Ellis Island: Save America's Treasures
July 19, 2000
National Service
23. Christmas
December 23-24, 1995
94. Service Summit/America's Promise
April 23, 1007
132. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13, 1998
141. National Service
March 17, 1998
167. Peace Corps Volunteers
September 17, 1998
224. Americorps Fifth Anniversary
October 20, 1999
Personal Anecdotes/Other
1. Introduction
July 23, 1995
5. Annual Family Vacations
August 19-20, 1995
17. Clinton's 20th Wedding Ann.
October 7-8, 1995
15. Readers' Letters
October 28-29, 1995
24. New Year's Wishes & Resolutions
December 30-31, 1995
27. Whitewater
January 20-21, 1996
33. Chelsea at 16
February 29, 1996
35. Whitewater
March 6, 1996
37. Lady Bird Johnson
March 20, 1996
40. Ron Brown Eulogy
April 10, 1996
41. A Chicago Cubs Fan
April 17, 1996
44. Bill Clinton's Mother's Day Tribute
May 8, 1996
47. Commencement '96
May 29, 1996
59. Chicago Hometown
August 20, 1996
60. Chicago/DNC
August 27, 1996
67. Socks
October 15, 1996
70. Campaign '96 Highlights
November 5, 1996
71. Election Day '96
November 13, 1996
75. Private Life in the WH
December 10, 1996
77. Christmas Eve '96
December 24, 1996
78. New Year's Eve '96
December 31, 1996
81. Inauguration Day '97
January 21, 1997
95. FDR Memorial/Disability
April 30, 1997
96. Mother's Day 97
May 6, 1997
100. Chelsea's Graduation
June 3, 1997
112. Family Card Games
August 26, 1997
115. Chelsea and College
September 18, 1997
120. 50th Birthday Party
October 28, 1997
122. HRC's Plane Incident
November 11, 1997
128. Buddy
December 16, 1997
130. New Year's Eve '97
December 30, 1997
178. Socks and Buddy
December 1, 1998
211. Prayers for the Kennedy Family
July 21, 1999
266. Decision 2000 and Thank You
August 6, 2000
277. Importance of Voting
November 1, 2000
278. New York Senate Race
November 8, 2000
279. 200th Anniversary of White House
November 15, 2000
281. "An Invitation to the White House"
November 29, 2000
285. The People's House, The White House
December 27, 2000
286. Memories and Achievements - Part I
January 3, 2001
287. Memories and Achievements - Part II
January 10, 2001
288. Thank You and Best Wishes!
January 17, 2001
Philanthropy
225. Conf. On Philanthropy
October 27, 1999
Vital Voices
106. Salzburg Seminar
July 16, 1997
241. Vital Voices Conferences
February 16, 2000
283. Ireland Trip and Vital Voices
December 13, 2000
Women Empowerment
3. Working Women
July29-30, 1995
6. Women's Suffrage
August 26-27, 1995
7. UN Women's Conference
September 2-3, 1995
10. Calvin Klein Commercials
September 23-24, 1995
21. Ireland/Joyce McCartan
December 9-10, 1995
36. Women and Men Roles
March 13, 1996
48. Talking Women
June 5, 1996
57. ADA/Title IX/Olympics
August 6, 1996
66. Women in Space/Shannon Lucid
October 8, 1996
73. Thailand/Child Prostitution
November 26, 1996
84. Working Women
February 11, 1997
88. Single Parent Scholarships
March 11, 1997
89. Africa I
March 18, 1997
136. Early Learning
February 10, 1998
156. Chinese Women
July 1, 1998
192. Women in Sports
March 10, 1999
193. Women in the Last Century and Future
March 17, 1999
210. US Women's Soccer Team/title IX
July 14, 1999
248. Women Entrepreneurs/Microcredit
April 5, 2000
257. VAWA
June 14, 2000
272. Reauthorization of VAWA
September 27, 2000
275. Trafficking of Women and Children
October 18, 2000
280. Trip to Vietnam
November 22, 2000
284. Interagency Council on Women Event
December 20, 2000
Youth Development/Afterschool/Violence
34. TV Rating System/TV Exec
March 1, 1996
50. Summer Youth Programs/Curfews
June 18, 1996
102. DC Schools
June 17, 1997
121. Joyce McCartan/Ireland
November 4, 1997
144. Arkansas School Shooting
April 8, 1998
165. KaBoom Partnership w/ Ireland
September 2, 1998
170. Juvenile Crime Prevention
October 7, 1998
176. After School Care Programs
November 18, 1999
187. Budget FY 2000
February 3, 1999
199. Youth Violence
April 28, 1999
201. Guns and Kids
May 12, 1999
203. Violence in the Media
June 2, 1999
204. Violence in the Media
June 2, 1999
213. Convening on Hispanic Children and Youth
August 4, 1999
215. Ending Gun Violence
August 18, 1999
242. Teen Pregnancy
February 23, 2000
244. Children and Guns
March 8, 2000
247. Teen Smoking
March 29, 2000
252. White House Conference on Teenagers
May 3, 2000
253. Million Mom March
May 10, 2000
270. Youth Violence and Entertainment Industry
September 13, 2000
Clinton Presidential Records
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179. Eleanor Roosevelt
Dec. 9. 1998
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Noa A. Meyer
12/28/98 03:29:01 PM
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Subject: HRC column 12/9/98
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1998, AND THEREAFTER
One day, many years ago, when Eleanor Roosevelt was scheduled to give a
speech in New York, she was so sick that everyone urged her to cancel. But
she refused. She drove from Hyde Park to 125th St. in Harlem, and when she
got out of the car, a young child, her face beaming, handed the former First
Lady a bouquet of flowers. Mrs. Roosevelt turned to the person with her and
said, "You see, I had to come. She was expecting me."
Without fanfare, Eleanor Roosevelt went anywhere she thought her presence
would make a difference, seeing for herself the everyday violations that rob
individuals of their dignity and humanity. Then, she rolled up her sleeves
and tried to do something about what she saw.
Part of Eleanor Roosevelt's legacy is to open our eyes and hearts and
inspire us to fulfill the promises of what is perhaps her greatest
achievement -- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Declaration, which was adopted 50 years ago this week, reads, "All
human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." It does not
exclude people of color. It does not exclude women. And it certainly does
not exclude children.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child --
adopted in 1989 and ratified by every country except the United States and
Somalia -- every child is born with the right to be protected from abuse and
abduction as well as from violence and work that threatens his or her
development. Every child has the right to worship freely and express
opinions and aspirations. And every child has the right to health, education
and life.
It is up to each of us to make good on these promises.
In some parts of Africa, neighbors greet each other not by saying, "Hello,"
but by asking, "How are the children?" The answer today -- 50 years after
the Declaration of Human Rights and nearly 10 years after the U.N.
Convention -- is that in some ways, they're doing better, but in other ways,
too many are left behind.
Although the health of the world's children is improving, 7 million
children still die of malnutrition every year. And although we know that
education is the single best investment any country can make, 140 million
primary-school age children are not in school.
Children are forced or sold into labor every day. In the developing world,
120 million children work full time, deprived of education and a better
future for themselves and their families.
On my recent trip to Haiti, I learned that an estimated 230,000 children
there are forced by their families' grinding poverty to work as domestic
servants. And on a visit to Thailand, I met 12-year-old girls dying of
AIDS -- children whose parents had sold them into prostitution.
Traditionally, wars have been fought between soldiers, but in the past 20
years, the nature of warfare has changed dramatically. Civilians --
including children -- are now the targets, the victims and even the
instruments of war.
Girls are kidnapped into slave labor and raped; boys are used as child
soldiers or human shields. In the developing world alone, 100 million
children live on the streets -- out of school and without homes or families.
Left to care for themselves, they roam their cities in tattered clothing,
selling gum, begging and digging through the trash for food.
We cannot condemn homelessness or violence against children in other
countries, though, and ignore the plight of children here at home. This is
why it is so important to continue to fight for the best education and
health care for our children and to protect them from abuse and neglect.
I've been pleased that my husband's administration has put the protection
of children around the world on the front burner by fighting against abusive
workplace conditions, increasing awareness of children's health issues, and
working to combat the trafficking of human beings. But so much remains to be
done.
We may not have the stature of Eleanor Roosevelt, but each of us can
contribute to a child's life. We can make sure we are part of a society that
values health care, universal education and strong families. We can continue
to promote democracy around the world, giving parents a voice at the ballot
box and an opportunity to raise their children free from violence, abuse and
war. And I hope we can ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
Eleanor Roosevelt knew that even on a day when she was sick, a child needed
and expected her. In this Advent season, as Christians celebrate the birth
of another child who brought a message of peace to a troubled world, it is
especially fitting to remember every child today who needs and expects us to
fulfill the promises we made 50 years ago in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1998 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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180. Israeli and Pale-
Stinian Negotiations
Dec. 16, 1998
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Millennium Council
December 30, 1998
Noa A. Meyer
12/28/98 03:24:52 PM
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Subject: HRC Column 12/16/98
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1998, AND THEREAFTER
As I write this, Jews around the world are celebrating Hanukkah, Christians
are preparing to celebrate Christmas, and Muslims are approaching the
month-long fast of Ramadan. My husband just made his fourth trip as
President to Israel and his first to Gaza, delivering this message to
Palestinians and Israelis alike: America will stand by you as you take the
difficult steps along the road to peace.
In Gaza, members of the Palestine National Council cast a historic vote to
revoke the parts of their charter that called for the destruction of Israel.
How proud I was to witness the moment when the Council members raised their
hands in favor of the changes and to see my husband deliver an eloquent and
persuasive speech about the promise and rewards of peace.
In large measure, it has been this President's fierce determination, his
devotion to the peace process and his willingness to persevere through dark
and often sleepless nights that have helped bridge the divide between the
Palestinians and the Israelis.
In Jerusalem, I watched as he laid a stone on the grave of Yitzhak Rabin --
a stone he'd carried from Wye River. Quietly, he bowed his head and asked
God for the strength and wisdom to carry on the work for peace he had
started with his friend.
While my husband was participating in meetings with Israeli and Palestinian
leaders, I was reminded that the hard work of peace doesn't begin or end at
the negotiating table. The hard work of peace begins in our hearts, in our
homes and in our communities. The hard work of peace begins when everyday
people -- out of the glare of headlines -- teach their children the values
we all share as human beings -- faith and family, trust and respect, hope
and love.
Everywhere I went this week, I met people doing the everyday work of peace.
I spent Sunday morning with Sara Netanyahu in a small village nestled among
the hills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, overlooking the Ayalon Valley, the
site of thousands of years of bloodshed. Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, or
"Oasis of Peace," is a unique community where 30 Jewish and Palestinian
families have chosen to live together side by side, raising their children
in an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence.
There, on the first day of Hanukkah, I watched as three kindergartners lit
a Menorah, a Christmas tree and a Ramadan lantern. As Muslim, Christian and
Jewish children joined together to sing each other's holiday songs, I knew I
was looking into the faces of the children who will light the way toward a
lasting peace in the Middle East.
In Jerusalem, I toured the Mother and Child Pavilion of the Hadassah
University Medical Center, a cutting-edge medical facility begun by an
American woman whose commitment to improving public health prompted her to
send two nurses to the area. Here, religious differences have no place.
Muslim, Jewish and Christian children share the same wards. And no one asks,
"Are you Jewish or Christian? Do you celebrate Hanukkah or Ramadan?" The
only important question is "What is wrong, and can we help?"
Later that day, I visited HIPPY, the Home Instruction Program for Preschool
Youngsters. There, I saw Israeli and Arab children and their mothers playing
and learning together to be better prepared for schooling and citizenship.
More than 10 years ago, HIPPY's founder and the President of the National
Council of Jewish Women helped me plant the seeds of this successful Israeli
program in Arkansas and around America.
In Gaza City, Suha Arafat proudly showed me the work she started and
oversees at the Avenir Foundation, which provides much-needed special
education and therapy to children with disabilities.
At the Women's Program Center at Beach Camp, a settlement for nearly 65,000
poor Palestinians run by the United Nations, I visited a class where women
were learning about their legal rights. And I met several women who used
small microcredit loans to turn their dreams into thriving businesses. One
woman's successful dressmaking business enabled her to enlarge her house and
send her daughters to school. One day, she hopes to turn her small operation
into a factory her daughters will run.
While at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, I heard the story of one young girl
who picked up a newspaper and saw a picture of a Jewish child and an Arab
child holding hands. Confused, she asked her father why something so
ordinary would be considered newsworthy.
As my husband lit the Menorah in Jerusalem and the Christmas tree in
Bethlehem, we prayed for the day when Arab and Jewish children holding hands
together will no longer be news. Then, we will know that the promise of
peace will be real.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1998 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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181. President's Agenda
Dec. 23, 1997
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(on back of tab) President's Agenda
December 23, 1998
Noa A. Meyer
12/28/98 03:15:18 PM
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Subject: HRC column 12/23/98
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1998, AND THEREAFTER
This past week has been difficult for my husband and me. But we have been
sustained by the overwhelming support of the American people and the love
and encouragement of family and friends.
In countless calls, letters, faxes and e-mails, citizens from every corner
of this great country and every walk of life have urged the President to
stay the course. And he has vowed to do just that.
Since the first days of his presidency, my husband has fought -- often at a
high political cost -- for what he believes is best for this country.
Thanks to his bold economic plan, our budget is balanced for the first time
in 30 years, unemployment is at its lowest rate in a quarter century, and
our economy is the strongest in the world.
The work of ensuring economic security for every American, however, is far
from finished. This President's first priority for the next Congress is to
fix Social Security and Medicare. He is also determined to make sure that
more children in this country have access to quality child care, health care
and education.
Because of his hard work and political will, up to 5 million more children
receive health care today than when he took office. In the last budget
agreement, he fought for and won approval of a plan to decrease class size
by hiring 100,000 more teachers and to improve and enlarge the Head Start
program for disadvantaged preschoolers.
He fought for the largest expansion of educational opportunity in history,
opening the doors of college to millions of students. And because of his
hard work, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows Americans time off from
their jobs for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a seriously
ill family member.
But there is still more to do. There are still abused and neglected
children who need our protection. There are still families in this country
who can't afford adequate child care or health care. There is still no
Patient's Bill of Rights. And there is still more to do to make our schools
the best in the world.
Because he is determined to save the lives of 3,000 young people a day by
cutting teen smoking, the President will continue to stand up to Big
Tobacco.
He will also continue to stand up to the gun lobby. He fought for the Brady
Bill -- even though that, too, was politically risky -- because it was
right. Waiting periods and background checks have kept handguns away from
250,000 felons, fugitives and stalkers.
My husband's commitment to securing peace around the world remains
unwavering. He permitted Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams to come to this
country in the face of vocal opposition from every corner of the foreign
policy establishment. This courageous decision began a process of intensive
U.S. engagement that culminated in the historic Good Friday peace agreement
last spring. I remember vividly the marathon negotiating session in April
that kept Bill on the phone much of the night, prodding and cajoling until
both sides signed a pact to end more than 30 years of sectarian violence.
Last week, during a three-day trip to Israel and Gaza, where he continued
his mission to secure lasting agreements for peace in the Middle East, he
learned that Iraq's President Saddam Hussein had reneged, once again, on his
promise to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to do their jobs.
A President bears many burdens, but there is no heavier burden than the
decision to undertake military action. After long days and nights of careful
consideration with his national security advisers and our allies, my husband
ordered American troops to bomb selected military targets in Iraq.
Although our mission is complete for now, he remains watchful and vigilant,
determined that Saddam Hussein will never again develop the capacity to
threaten his neighbors and the world with weapons of mass destruction.
This is the stuff of the presidency. The power is awesome, the burden
heavy, the toll immeasurable. Only a few aspire to the job, and fewer still
have the courage, the talent and the character to do it well. My husband is
one of these few.
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate this holy season of peace
and joy, of reflection and renewal, I pray that we can commit ourselves to
reconciliation and an end to partisan divisiveness in our country.
There are so many important issues that demand the undivided attention, not
only of the President and the Congress, but also of the American people.
Let's turn our attention to these issues and see what we can do together.
I pray that your holiday season is filled with blessings and joy.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1998 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Clinton Presidential Records
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182. Millennium Council
Dec. 30, 1998
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Israeli / Palestinian
Conflict Dec. 16, 1998
Noa A. Meyer
12/30/98 09:44:34 AM
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Subject: HRC column 12/30/98
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1998, AND THEREAFTER
As I write this, there are only 367 days left until the year 2000. Cadres
of computer programmers are engaged in a feverish effort to foil the
infamous Y2K problem. Like everyone else on the planet, I hope next January
1st will arrive to find our computers fully functioning. Meanwhile, rather
than being anxious or worried about the upcoming change in the calendar, I'm
busy thinking of ways to celebrate.
Last year, the President and I created the White House Millennium Council
as a way of coordinating national activities and engaging every American in
the commemoration of this historic milestone. Our millennium theme is "Honor
the Past -- Imagine the Future." During this last year of the 20th century,
I hope that each of us will spend some time thinking about what these words
mean -- about what defines us as a nation and how we can best carry our
shared values and memories forward.
Last year, on New Year's Eve, I wrote about my family's custom of beating
pots and pans in the streets at midnight to welcome the New Year. This year,
I'll be beating pots and pans every day -- at least figuratively speaking --
to celebrate our efforts to preserve and protect some of this country's most
precious treasures.
There are historic treasures in every American's backyard. This past
summer, I embarked on a "Save America's Treasures" tour to visit a few of
them, including Thomas Edison's Invention Factory, George Washington's
headquarters and Fort McHenry, the site of the battle that inspired our
national anthem.
This month, I traveled to Louis Armstrong's house in Queens, N.Y., Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow's house in Cambridge, Mass., the African Meeting House
in Boston, the historic theater district and the Breed Street Shul in Los
Angeles and the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco.
At each site, I was awed and inspired by the aura of history and by the
dedication of those who love these places and have pledged to preserve them
for future generations. I also came to understand that these sites are
irreplaceable. If we lose them, we lose both our history and our national
memories.
The Save America's Treasures initiative could never succeed without both
public and private funding. I am pleased that Congress has allocated $30
million in support, and that our private partners, the National Trust for
Historic Preservation, the National Park Foundation and Heritage
Preservation Inc., joined by many corporations, foundations and individuals,
have already raised more than $33 million.
In addition to Save America's Treasures, the White House Millennium Council
is presenting Millennium Evenings at the White House, a series of lectures
and cultural showcases designed to highlight America's extraordinary
creativity and inventiveness. The lineup so far has included historian
Bernard Bailyn, physicist Stephen Hawking, poets Robert Pinsky, Robert Hass
and Rita Dove, and jazz greats Wynton Marsalis and Marian McPartland.
Another brainstorm, this one the product of several federal agencies, is
the Millennium Trails Project, which will help communities develop and
enhance recreational trails that preserve our natural history and heritage.
The Mars Project is a great idea scheduled for liftoff next month.
Schoolchildren, with help from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will have
the opportunity to look forward to the year 2030 and imagine the first
village on Mars.
Already, Americans in towns all over the country are planning creative ways
to commemorate the arrival of the new century.
For example, the Seattle Millennium Project kicks off in just two weeks, on
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and will continue through the 30th anniversary
of Earth Day on April 22, 2000. Residents will participate in a series of
Race Forums, plant 20,000 new trees and promote service to the community.
Chicago plans to celebrate the turn of the millennium with a three-year
citywide initiative designed to bring neighborhoods and diverse populations
together. "Chicago's greatest asset is its people," says Mayor Richard M.
Daley. "Our goal for the millennium is to capitalize on this tremendous
resource by linking our communities across geographic, racial, ethnic,
generational and social boundaries, creating opportunities for dialogue and
collaboration." One program will link young people and seniors together to
create oral histories. And, of course, there will be fireworks and great
music.
Every town has a treasure -- a unique neighborhood, a riverfront where
generations of children have played, a special tradition, a statue on the
town green, a historic schoolhouse, a famous resident. All of us can be the
caretakers of these treasures, and stewards not only of our heritage but
also of our journey into the future. Happy New Year -- or should I say,
Happy Last Year of the 20th Century!
If you're interested in finding out about ways you can share in the
Millennium Council's activities, you can check out our web site at
www.whitehouse.gov/initiatives/Millennium. To find out more about Hillary
Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web
page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1998 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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183. Medicad / Medicare
Jan. 6, 1999
Divider Title:
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December 8, 1998
Noa A. Meyer
01/06/99 08:32:26 AM
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Patricia Darlak is a daughter, a mother, a wife and a full-time teacher.
She's also a caregiver for her mother, Hazel, who has Alzheimer's disease
and came to live with the Darlaks in September.
Because of her dementia, Hazel forgets to eat or drink. So every workday,
Patricia rushes home from school during her lunch and planning periods to
feed her mother and make sure she takes her medications.
At the White House this week, Patricia talked about the emotional and
physical stress she's under. "I've tried to employ someone for a few hours a
day," she says, "but caregivers want full-time jobs. There's no place I can
go to get the help I need."
Medicare won't pay for Hazel's long-term care, so even if Patricia is able
to hire someone to help, she's afraid the cost will force her to delay her
own retirement.
Patricia is not alone. Millions of Americans -- most of them women -- take
care of aged or disabled loved ones every day. Of these, almost 40 percent
are children caring for their parents. And the numbers are growing.
Over the next 30 years, 76 million baby boomers will join the ranks of the
retired and the number of elderly Americans will double. By the middle of
the next century, the average life expectancy will rise to 82 -- six years
longer than today.
For many, retirement is a beginning, not an end. Often, older Americans
take up new hobbies, learn new work and perform vital services in their
communities. But it's hard to escape the infirmities of old age. Nearly half
of all those over age 85 need help with basic tasks, such as eating,
dressing and going to the doctor.
Millions -- including 40 percent of those now 65 years old -- require care
that only a nursing home can provide. But record numbers remain at home with
family and friends, putting more and more working adults in the position of
nurturing their children while, at the same time, nursing their aging
parents.
We call this group the "sandwiched" generation -- a phrase that doesn't
come close to describing the small, daily acts of love and frustration,
triumph and worry and hope and exhaustion that are so familiar to those
struggling to meet the needs of family members who depend on them.
The decision to provide long-term care at home is rarely easy.
Out-of-pocket expenses can be staggering. Caregivers -- most of whom hold
outside jobs -- may have to take unpaid leave or work fewer hours. And,
though time spent with an aging or infirm loved one can be precious, it can
also be stressful.
I'm proud of my husband and his administration's accomplishments in helping
America's parents meet the stresses and demands of work and family. We now
have more quality, affordable child care that helps Americans fulfill their
obligations as workers and families. Expanded after-school programs enable
parents to breathe easier during the afternoon hours. And initiatives that
strengthen Medicare and make Medicaid more flexible are helping millions
meet their health-care needs.
The President's agenda is aimed at families meeting their most important
obligation -- caring for their loved ones. This week's announcement is
designed to ease the lives of both caregivers and those who need their help.
The centerpiece of the proposal is a $1,000 tax credit that will support
those with long-term needs or the family members who care for them. This
initiative would provide much-needed financial support to about 1.2 million
older Americans as well as 750,000 disabled adults and children.
In addition, the President will create a National Family Caregiver Support
Program, enabling states to build facilities offering a range of services
from quality respite care to training, support groups, long-term planning
and counseling.
He will also call on Congress to set a national example by offering
non-subsidized, quality, private, long-term care insurance to all federal
employees.
There is no simple solution to the problem of caring for our aging and
disabled loved ones. These initiatives offer a solid first step, and I am
gratified by the support they have received from diverse advocacy groups and
members of both political parties.
The senior boom is one of the most important challenges our generation and
our children will face in the coming century. It is up to us to prove that
the infirmities of age need not be the indignities of age. It is up to us to
protect our children and grandchildren from the unsustainable burden of
caring for us. It is up to us to do everything in our power now to lift the
quality of life for every American family.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
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184. Epilepsy
Jan. 13, 1999
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February 10, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend from
Chicago. In the course of the conversation, he told me about his daughter,
Lauren. Although Lauren was a happy, healthy baby at birth, she began to
have seizures at the age of 7 months. Seventeen years later, the seizures
continue, the cause has never been identified, and Lauren's development has
been irrevocably delayed. She will never live independently and will require
lifelong supervision and support. As her father spoke, I could see and hear
the devastating impact Lauren's epilepsy has had, not only on her own life
but also on her entire family.
When I heard Lauren's story, I was determined to learn more about this
condition and bolster this administration's efforts to improve treatment and
find a cure.
Nearly 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. Current
treatments control symptoms in most of their cases. Yet the word epilepsy
still provokes profound fear and misunderstanding.
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder characterized by spontaneous,
recurrent seizures that range from brief lapses in attention to prolonged
losses of consciousness with convulsions. It affects more than 2 million
Americans -- one out of every 100. Of these, 300,000 are children.
Head injuries, brain tumors, stroke, lead poisoning, genetic conditions and
infectious illnesses can cause epilepsy. But in more than half of all
cases -- like Lauren's -- no explanation is ever found.
According to a new report, "Epilepsy: A Report to the Nation," sponsored by
the Epilepsy Foundation of America, anti-seizure drugs and other forms of
treatment can control or eliminate seizures in 75 percent of those affected.
These people live nearly normal lives -- lives that can be both personally
and professionally fulfilling. But even they never escape the uncertainty or
the potential social stigma that comes out of ignorance -- a stigma that can
crush the spirit as surely as the disorder debilitates the body and the
brain.
Tragically, though, for the nearly 600,000 like Lauren, the disorder is
intractable. Drugs, diet, surgery and other treatments just don't bring
their seizures under control.
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of epilepsy is the toll it takes on
children. Seizures in early childhood often produce developmental delays and
brain damage that can lead to a lifetime of dependence and extraordinary
costs. Children with epilepsy are at special risk for learning problems.
They fall behind in reading, language development and general knowledge.
Children who have frequent seizures can't even go to school. Perhaps worst
of all, they live in constant fear of their next seizure.
If these children are ever to live the normal, healthy and happy lives they
deserve, we must dedicate ourselves to finding a cure now.
I'm pleased that the President's budget for this year includes a 14 percent
expansion for the National Institutes of Health, the largest funding
increase ever. Of this, an unprecedented $76 million is for epilepsy
research alone. But we must still do more.
This week, I'll be in Chicago for the dedication of a new epilepsy center
at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital and a major nationwide fund-raiser
for epilepsy research. There, I'll release the Epilepsy Foundation's report
and talk about the administration's next steps in the effort to eliminate
the disorder.
Next year, NIH researchers will convene the first-ever administration
conference on epilepsy, bringing together more than 150 experts and members
of the public focused on finding a cure. In addition, the Centers for
Disease Control and the Agency for Health Care Policy Research together will
launch a campaign to educate medical practitioners about the critical need
for early and accurate diagnosis.
I have heard from many families around the country who have been touched by
epilepsy. Some share the pain of lives destroyed and promising futures
extinguished. Others marvel at the seemingly miraculous -- when drugs,
surgery or diet actually bring an end to the nightmare.
But the message is the same: More research dollars are critical if we are
to devise innovative, safe and effective treatments or find a cure. No one
has said it better than the parents of 12-year-old Philip Gattone, whose
seizures ceased following a combination of successful surgery and drug
therapy. They wrote:
"Today, Philip plays sports, participates in school activities and clubs,
and loves learning. He has friends that care about him. He is our hero.
"There are so many children that need help. The fight for a cure is a daily
battle, and it is real. It is a fight that must be won. Only research and
new treatments will help these special families achieve their dreams of
recovery from epilepsy."
For more information on epilepsy, visit the Epilepsy Foundation of America
at www.efa.org.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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185. Social Security
Jan. 20, 1999
Divider Title:
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February 3, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Molly Lozoff of Miami, Fla., is a retired real estate broker. When she was
35, her husband suffered an incapacitating stroke that left him unable to
speak. It was then this mother of four discovered that Social Security was
there to provide disability benefits for her and for her children. Molly is
now 77, and once again, she has been able to turn to Social Security for
support.
Molly's story reminds us that Social Security is not just a retirement
program. Many of us don't realize that Social Security protects us in the
event that a spouse or parent becomes disabled.
Her story also reminds us of another critical issue: just how important
Social Security is for women. Most women earn less than men, and many do not
receive private pensions. Women are more likely than men to work part time,
to spend some time out of the labor force and to live alone in their
retirement years. And, on average, women live longer than men.
For these reasons, women make up more than half of all the elderly
recipients of Social Security -- 72 percent of those over the age of 85. For
many women, Social Security is literally all that stands between them and
poverty.
This week, in his State of the Union address, the President offered a bold
framework to help save Social Security. He proposed committing 60 percent of
the budget surplus to Social Security and investing a small portion in the
private sector in order to earn a higher return for all of us.
Social Security has often been called the "third rail of politics" -- the
issue that every politician is afraid to touch. I am proud that my husband
has stepped up to the plate and demanded an end to this head-in-the-sand
approach. And I am pleased that he made the point Tuesday night of reminding
our lawmakers that they must also work together to reduce poverty among
elderly women.
As all of us who are aging know, health-care security can be just as
important as retirement security, which is why the President also announced
a plan to strengthen Medicare.
This week's State of the Union address was my husband's seventh and the
last of the 20th century. As such, it offered him a unique opportunity not
only to assess where we stand as a nation but also to chart a strong and
sure course for the next generation.
My husband took office at a time when America's economy was troubled, the
deficit was high, and citizens feared for their safety. Today, we can all
feel pride in our country and confidence in our future.
We are in the midst of the longest peacetime economic expansion in our
history. For the first time in three decades, the budget is balanced.
Violent crime is dropping, and our environment is the cleanest it's been in
a quarter century.
Now, though, is not the time to be complacent.
To strengthen our families for the 21st century, saving Social Security
will be our first priority. But there are many other challenges as well.
For six years, this President has kept his eyes on the goal of helping
America's families who every day do their best to balance the demands of
work and home. To further that goal, this week, he called on Congress to
increase the minimum wage and to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to
benefit 10 million Americans who work for smaller companies.
More than ever, men and women feel pressed to meet their obligations as
workers and their responsibilities as parents. So, the President also laid
out a bold agenda to improve child care, expand after-school programs, and
provide a new tax credit for stay-at-home parents. He announced a plan to
make America's schools the best in the world. He proposed the extension of
health insurance to millions who can't afford it. And he urged passage of
the Patient's Bill of Rights and action to protect our children from handgun
violence and the dangers of tobacco.
When Molly Lozoff visited the White House last October for a roundtable
discussion on women and pensions, she said, "I am so proud we have a
President who feels a tug on his heart for our plight -- the plight of the
elderly." This President is determined that America begin its journey into
the next century with every American family solidly on board.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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186. Fifth Millennium
Evening Jan 27, 1999
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
The very number 1999 is a vivid reminder that we are about to celebrate The
Millennium. The celebration of thousand-year milestones, dating from the
time of Christ and drawn from Scripture, may not be significant to other
traditions and can be misunderstood even among Christians and those who use
the western calendar.
The impending celebration has sparked a renewed interest in what was going
on in Christendom in 1000 A.D., when Jerusalem was considered the center of
the Christian world. On the maps of the time, Europe was shown as a large
land mass with well-known contours. Asia and Africa were mysteriously
incomplete, and the New World was nowhere to be found.
The majority of Europeans tilled the soil, while the church, trades and
military service provided alternatives for others. Life expectancy was
short, and most people did not live past 40. Girls, unless they were born to
wealthy families or became nuns, were not educated.
The people of medieval Europe measured time by sundials and water clocks.
No one marked birthdays. They traveled by foot, horse, cart or ship, and a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem could take two years. Influenced by Christian,
Jewish and Muslim traditions, their culture was rich in proverbs, folk
tales, legends, love songs, poems and stories from the Bible.
This year, as we count down to the year 2000, attention is focused on
issues such as: When does it happen, and where will we celebrate? What is
the Y2K "computer bug," and what will it mean for me?
But this week, at the fifth Millennium Evening at the White House -- a
series of conversations with artists, scholars, scientists and creative
individuals from many fields -- we were looking for the answers not to these
questions but to more fundamental ones: What can we learn from the past? And
how can we use what we learn to find meaning in the present and the future?
Historian Natalie Zemon Davis was our guide to medieval Europe, debunking
"the false image of western Christians quaking in terror at the prospect of
the year 1000." Rather, she explained, "there was no clear-cut apocalyptic
movement led by a single prophet and focused on the single year 1000 but
rather a millennial spirit spread over several decades. Preached by monks,
it touched at one time or another bishops, nuns, warriors, wives, traders
and peasants, inspiring moods that ranged from fear and repentance to
initiative and joy."
The millennial period did witness optimistic and pessimistic movements --
devoted on the one hand to peace and on the other to the burning of heretics
and the persecution of Jews. Professor Davis reminded us that "Our
dream-making capacity, our capacity to imagine, can give birth to the good
as
well as the bad. The past urges us toward new commitment and also
offers us a source of hope."
Hope -- or hope tempered by realism -- was the focus of the discussion as
theologian Martin Marty brought us back to the present and challenged us to
ponder the future. It was Christian philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr, he said,
"who put the search for meaning into context:
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore,
we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes
complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be
saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore, we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous as it
is from our standpoint. Therefore, we must be saved by the final form of
love, which is forgiveness."
Hope, faith, love and forgiveness. Professor Marty pointed out that these
can carry us beyond a parochial concern about our own end and help us all
"find meaning (SET ITAL) for (END ITAL) the millennium, even if we cannot
claim we have found the meaning (SET ITAL) of (END ITAL) the millennium.
My husband ended this very special evening by issuing a challenge to all
Americans. He asked us to write down the three things that we are most
worried about and the three things about which we are most hopeful. Then, he
suggested we answer the question "What can I do about these things to create
a more hopeful future?"
I hope that many of you will take up his challenge. Talk with your family,
friends and colleagues, and when you ve reached some conclusions, share them
with the White House.
If Americans take time to participate in this simple exercise -- to commit
to action on three areas of concern we will be well-provisioned for our
journey into the future and on our way to preserving our values and our
optimism for generations to come.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
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187. Budget FY 2000
Feb. 3, 2000
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January 20, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
News that the President's budget for the year 2000 is 2,592 pages long is
enough to make most people's eyes glaze over. No matter how complicated it
may appear, though, it provides a critical blueprint for the future, laying
out his priorities for the country in the starkest of terms -- numbers that
add up to a balanced budget.
Six years ago, when my husband took office, analysts projected a $404
billion deficit for fiscal year 2000. Instead, thanks to fiscal
responsibility, strategic investments, the hard work of millions of
Americans and the President's leadership, we now anticipate a $79 billion
surplus.
What you will read and hear about in the President's budget are the big
items -- saving Social Security, guaranteeing the soundness of Medicare,
shoring up our nation's defenses, improving our children's schools and
reducing the national debt.
But there are other, smaller items that may never make it to the pages of
your newspapers but could significantly improve the lives of countless
Americans. Here are four examples that I care deeply about and highlighted
at White House events this week:
Foster Care: Last November, I wrote a column about the plight of the nearly
20,000 youngsters who each year become too old for foster care. Terry Harrak
was compelled to leave foster care when she turned 18, at the beginning of
her senior year. With no job and no place to go, Terry became homeless and
was forced to finish high school while staying with friends and teachers, in
subway terminals and even in hospital emergency rooms. Now, thanks to a
local program that helps the homeless, she has a job and is attending
community college.
Terry's one of the lucky ones, but no foster child should have to become
homeless to obtain help. In his budget, the President proposed funds to help
foster youth like Terry by offering them financial support while they
develop the skills they need to move into the work force and making sure
they have adequate health care until they're 21.
Asthma: Last year, I also wrote about the alarming increase in childhood
asthma. Many people don't understand how debilitating this disease can be
and that it now affects 6 million American children, double the number 15
years ago. The President's budget includes the largest ever federal
investment to fight childhood asthma -- through research, disease management
education and a new public-information campaign.
Children's Hospitals: I know from my own experience that children's
hospitals train 25 percent of this country's pediatricians and nearly half
of all pediatric specialists. But unlike teaching hospitals that train
doctors who treat adults, they receive very little in the way of federal
medical education support. The President's budget would provide funds for
children's hospitals to ensure that the physicians they train can meet the
special health needs of our nation's children.
Mentoring: Most of us can think back to one or two adults who encouraged,
supported and championed us as we were growing up. When I was young, the
youth minister at my church opened doors to me and my friends by arranging
worship and service opportunities with disadvantaged teens in Chicago,
exposing us to art and poetry, and taking us to hear Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. speak.
I am especially pleased that the President's budget contains two items that
support mentoring: the new GEAR UP program, which is aimed at disadvantaged
students as they prepare for college, and at-risk youth programs including
tutoring, job training, and drug and alcohol prevention.
You may have noticed that I keep referring to the "President's budget."
Many people, I have found, assume that when the President announces his
budget, the money will be forthcoming. But this is only the beginning of a
long and sometimes difficult process.
What happens is this: Once the President has announced his plan, he sends
it to Congress, where lawmakers must approve and allocate funds for
everything from the FBI and the Peace Corps to highway construction and
space exploration.
During this process, various Congressional committees and subcommittees
hold hearings. Working with members of the administration, Congress then
accepts some of the President's proposals, rejects others and changes still
others. Agreement should be reached by Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year
begins, although last year, the President couldn't sign the final budget
until Oct. 24.
Over the course of the next eight months, you will hear a lot about various
budget proposals -- proposals that have the potential to change the lives of
millions of American citizens. Let's hope that when Oct. 1 rolls around, the
President's plans for the big things like Social Security and Medicare will
have passed but also that you'll also see funding so young people like Terry
Harrak will never again sleep in subway stations, children will no longer
suffer the life-threatening symptoms of asthma, hospitals will train more
and better pediatric specialists, and every child will have a champion.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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188. Death of King
Hussein Feb. 10, 1999
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January 13, 1999
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
A typical week for me -- if any week can be called "typical" -- is filled
with different activities and challenges. But some weeks, like this one, are
interrupted by the unexpected -- in this case, the loss of an admired
leader.
I was en route to a United Nations conference in the Netherlands when I
learned of the death of Jordan's King Hussein. Because of my husband's and
my esteem for the King and his family, I immediately traveled to Amman to
meet the President for the sad duty of paying our last respects, visiting
with our friend Queen Noor and meeting the new King, Abdullah.
I was moved by all I saw on that memorable day. Hundreds of thousands of
Jordanians left their homes to line the city's streets to pay a final
tribute to their beloved monarch. Leaders from around the world, including
my husband and former Presidents Ford, Carter and Bush, joined together to
honor a courageous champion of peace.
As I contemplated this extraordinary occasion on my way back to The Hague,
I was struck by the fact that, in a strange way, these two events -- the
funeral and the U.N. conference -- were connected. King Hussein will always
be remembered for his ability to imagine a new and different future -- a
future of peace in the Middle East. This will always be one of his enduring
legacies.
I saw the same feat of imagination at work in The Hague, where leaders from
nearly 180 nations gathered to envision a new and better future for people
all over the world. They had come to this history-filled Dutch city to talk
about the progress we've made in the five years since the 1994 United
Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo,
Egypt. There, countries had put aside often profound differences and agreed
upon common goals for the year 2015 -- including reducing child and maternal
mortality and guaranteeing universal access to family planning and
education.
At this week's conference, I heard about the important steps being taken to
reach Cairo's goals, despite the great challenges that remain.
I met with delegates from Yemen -- where the number of girls going to
school has tripled in some villages in the last five years. I listened to
young people from around the world talk passionately about what they were
doing to end domestic violence and help stop the spread of AIDS. And I heard
story after story about loan programs that are giving women a chance to turn
dreams into successful businesses, about health clinics that are teaching
women how to care for their newborns, and about family planning services
that are reducing abortions and saving lives.
I brought news of what the United States has done to fulfill the
commitments we made in Cairo -- most significantly in our efforts to reduce
teen pregnancy. Finally, today, fewer American teens are getting pregnant,
engaging in sexual activity and having abortions.
And yet, too many are still not getting the message. I'm always stunned
when I meet pregnant girls who assure me that as soon as their boyfriend
gets a job or gets out of jail, they'll be a family, and everything will
work out just fine. No one has ever told these young women that teen
pregnancy is too often a one-way ticket to shattered dreams.
We know that young women get pregnant for a whole host of reasons. Some
don't understand why it's a bad idea. Some are coerced by older boyfriends.
Others can't cope with school or family and see motherhood as a way out.
Whatever the reason, we will only address the problem if we work to create a
new and better future for all young people.
This administration's teen pregnancy prevention strategy includes
everything from abstinence education to more after-school programs and
family planning. In cooperation with the non-profit National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy, we are seeing comprehensive, community-based health
programs reduce teen pregnancies and sexual activity.
Most of all, we have to listen to our children. When asked what parents
could do to prevent their own children from becoming pregnant, one young man
from Texas answered: "Don't leave us alone so much." His message was clear:
We need to fill our young people's lives -- with love and guidance, a solid
education and productive activities they enjoy.
Striving to imagine and to create a better future for the world is not only
the work of leaders like King Hussein and those who were in The Hague this
week. It is a job all of us share.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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189. Social Security
Feb. 17, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Women Past and Present
March 17, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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Subject: HRC column 2/17/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Like many Americans, I got my Social Security card when I was a teenager
and applied for my first job. Then, of course, I didn't think much about
what Social Security meant for me or for generations before me. I didn't
understand that my wallet-sized card represented a commitment that every
American could grow old with dignity.
I also didn't understand that Social Security is not just for the
elderly -- and not just for retirement. I didn't know that nearly one-third
of its beneficiaries are either disabled, widows, widowers or surviving
dependents. Almost 4 million are young people. In a very real sense, Social
Security is a family protection system.
When I was a teenager, like many others, I didn't spend much time thinking
about my future, much less about my retirement. Today, sadly, when young
people do take the time to ponder the future, they have little faith that
Social Security will even be there for them when they retire. That's all the
more reason for them to get involved in the debate right away.
This week, the President and I held an event here at the White House
designed to get everyone thinking about Social Security now.
Social Security has affected the lives of people young and old. One young
man from Miami had an incapacitating stroke in his early 30s. Social
Security was there to provide disability benefits for his four children,
enabling them to grow up healthy and cared for. After the death of her
husband, a retired cafeteria worker from Tennessee started receiving his
benefits, allowing her to live more comfortably. A 15-year-old girl from
Oklahoma lost her mother, and Social Security allowed this young woman to
continue on to college, where she's now a sophomore majoring in psychology.
These stories remind us that anyone's life can change overnight and why it
is so important to include young people in the discussion. I hope that young
women in particular will pay attention. Young women today are making such
strides in the workplace, many of them don't think they'll ever need Social
Security. But because we never know when something catastrophic will happen,
it is especially critical for women to understand that they have a unique
stake in the future of the Social Security system.
Women live longer than men, and although many are moving toward pay equity,
lifetime earnings for women remain lower, causing them to reach retirement
with smaller pensions and other financial assets. For a quarter of all older
women, Social Security is the only income they receive all that stands
between them and destitution. The next time you're in the supermarket or
just walking down the street, take a look around. Without Social Security,
every other woman you see over the age of 65 would be living below the
poverty line.
Clearly, it's in all our interests to preserve and strengthen Social
Security into the next century. And if we don't want to burden our children
and grandchildren - if we want to make sure Social Security remains solvent
well into the 21st century -- we must make bold decisions now.
The President believes that the best way to keep the promise of Social
Security rock-solid is to avoid drastic cuts in benefits, not to raise
payroll tax rates and not to drain resources from the system in the name of
saving it. Instead, he has proposed committing 62 percent of the budget
surplus for the next 15 years to saving Social Security.
I am pleased that some Republican leaders have embraced the President's
framework, for this issue is far too important to be sidetracked by partisan
politics. If we want to preserve Social Security as a family protection
system that we can count on into the next millennium, all our voices must be
heard. Republicans and Democrats, men and women, young and old all
Americans must be an integral part of the public debate.
I hope every American will get involved. I hope you will take the time to
educate yourself about how Social Security works and what it can mean to
you. I hope you will encourage discussions at home, at work, at church and
anywhere you gather.
Don't forget: Your voice matters. As we embark on this critical national
debate, make yours heard.
If you're interested in learning more about Social Security, you can visit
the Social Security Administration's web site at www.ssa.gov or the
Americans Discuss Social Security web site at www.adss.org.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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190. Health Insurance
For Children
Feb. 24, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Women in Sports
March 10, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
02/24/99 08:36:20 AM
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Subject: HRC column 2/24/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
I want to give you a new toll-free phone number -- 1-877-KIDS-NOW. I hope
you'll write it down or cut it out and pin it to your bulletin board.
Passing this number along could be the most important thing you do for a
child this year.
In August 1997, as part of the balanced budget agreement, my husband signed
into law the largest expansion of health care in 30 years, providing
coverage for millions of uninsured children and their parents. Although this
was an extraordinary commitment, I knew it would take lots of hard work to
actually get these children into the system, receiving the health care they
need. But I also knew a country that values its children so much, is at the
height of its prosperity and has the best health-care system in the world
could do the job.
More than 4 million children are eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled.
Millions of others could qualify for the Children's Health Insurance Program
because they have working parents who are employed by businesses that don't
provide health insurance and who can't afford to pay the premiums
themselves. Or they have lost their coverage when their parents have lost
their jobs. These parents want health insurance for their kids, but long and
complicated application forms and a lack of information present stumbling
blocks.
For the families of these children, the slightest cough or the smallest
accident can cause enormous worry. A serious illness can lead to financial
ruin or tragedy.
At the White House this week, I met Mary Smith of Baltimore, Md. Mary and
her husband both work, but for three years, they were unable to afford
health insurance for their two boys, Samuel Jr. and Thomas. Mary told me
that she felt like she was "walking on eggshells" the entire three years,
especially when the boys started playing sports. Since July 1998, her
children have been covered through CHIP, and now, she says she feels much
more relaxed.
Mary Smith might be able to relax now, but we can't. It's up to each of us
to get this phone number into the hands of every single family that is
eligible for Medicaid or CHIP in the largest city or in the most remote
rural area.
This week, the President and I, along with several governors and private
sector partners, launched the "Insure Kids Now" campaign to reach out and
enroll every eligible child.
The heart of the campaign is the toll-free number 1-877-KIDS-NOW
(1-877-543-7669). Thanks to an agreement between the National Governors
Association and Bell Atlantic, parents who call this number will be
connected with representatives in their state who will give them information
about benefits, eligibility and how to apply for coverage.
"Insure Kids Now" is the product of unprecedented support from
organizations all over the country, including the media and business, the
health-care industry and community groups. This week, NBC is unveiling a new
public service announcement to broadcast the number in prime time. I have
taped a PSA that will run on several networks including ABC, Turner
Broadcasting, Paramount and BET. Univision will air the information in
Spanish, and radio listeners in 45 states will soon begin hearing spots as
well.
In addition, major corporations including McDonald's, K mart and Ralphs
Supermarkets are taking steps to display 1-877-KIDS-NOW on grocery bags and
restaurant place mats, on school buses and in doctors' offices -- even on
the toothbrushes that dentists give their patients.
And community organizations like the United Way, the National Collaboration
for Youth and others that reach millions of youngsters are working to make
sure that families hear about health insurance from the people they trust
the most teachers and principals, doctors and nurses, rabbis and
ministers, coaches and mentors.
While all these efforts are important, we must not forget that, first and
foremost, it is the responsibility of parents to call this number and sign
their kids up for health care. But that's not the end of the story.
Everybody can help. To make sure that more parents make this call, every one
of us who touches the life of a child in any way must join the effort.
Take a minute to think about the children you know the children in your
neighborhood, in your children's schools, on their sports teams, in centers
where you volunteer or in places where you worship. If any of them is going
without health insurance, give their parents this number 1-877-KIDS-NOW.
It could be the most important thing you do for a child this year.
***
If you're interested in learning more about how to get health insurance for
every child, you can visit this web site: www.insurekidsnow.gov.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
Clinton Presidential Records
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191. Arts Advantage
Mar. 3, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Arts Advantage
March 3, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
03/03/99 08:47:19 AM
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Subject: HRC column 3/3/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
In New York City's Community School District No. 25, one of the first
actions that Superintendent Arthur Greenberg took after he started in 1990
was to visit every school and ask community members what would make their
children's education stronger. The answer he got surprised many people. Over
and over again, parents repeated the same refrain: "This is New York City,
cultural mecca of the world. Where are the arts?"
On Thursday, Feb. 5, 1998, Cincinnati, Ohio, was buried under the heaviest
snowfall ever recorded. In the suburb of Wyoming, Superintendent Ted Knapke
canceled school, and visiting researchers figured they would have to
reschedule their evening town meeting on arts education. But they were
wrong. More than 150 citizens drove or walked through falling snow on mostly
unplowed streets and sidewalks to talk with them.
School administrators from Park Ridge, III., where I went to school from
kindergarten through 12th grade, report: "We are as serious about building
the imagination as we are about nurturing the intellect." Since its founding
in 1902, the district has supported a comprehensive arts program that today
includes more than 40 different art classes. Before graduating, all seniors
are tested in dance, music, theater and visual arts.
The district's fine arts curriculum guide notes that the speech and drama
courses "teach students where to look and what to look for in gathering
support for an idea. They also help students learn to give, to accept and to
follow constructive criticism; listen courteously and critically as others
speak; become more logical, more direct and more creative in organizing
thoughts for presentation; learn to control the fear of speaking or
performing before an audience, and, as a result, become more confident
people."
If this is what the arts teach, shouldn't they be a part of every student's
school day? And yet, when school systems find their budgets shrinking,
aren't art classes the first to go?
The importance of the arts in education is not a new idea. It was Plato who
said, "I would teach children music, physics and philosophy but, most
important, music, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys
of learning."
During World War II, advisers urged Winston Churchill to cut Great
Britain's arts budget. He's reported to have responded, "Hell, no. What do
you think we're fighting for?"
Even today, though, I know many people who consider the arts a luxury.
Research done primarily at the University of California at Irvine
demonstrates that exposure to music at an early age not only sparks
children's creativity but also improves their spatial skills, helping boost
their scores on math and verbal exams.
Last year, the National Center for Education Statistics tested America's
eighth-graders in academic subjects, including art. The results were
discouraging. That is why last September I issued a nationwide call to
action to put the arts back in every school in America.
This week, I traveled to New York to visit Community School District No. 25
and to release the first national study examining successful arts programs
in school districts across the country. This two-year study was undertaken
by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the Arts
Education Partnership, with private support from the GE Fund, the John D.
and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Binney & Smith.
Called "Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons From School Districts That
Value Arts Education," the report profiles 91 districts in 42 states,
including Community School District No. 25, Wyoming, Ohio, and Park Ridge,
III., in order to help other educators understand what it takes to make the
arts a vibrant and meaningful part of every student's school day.
Researchers identified 13 critical factors in the successful implementation
of arts programs, including active and supportive school boards,
superintendents, principals and teachers. But, according to the report, "the
single most critical factor in sustaining arts education in the schools is
the involvement of influential segments of the community -- parents,
families, artists, arts organizations, businesses, and local civic and
cultural leaders and institutions."
The arts have been an integral part of every society. As Superintendent
Greenberg discovered when he learned that students in his district
represented more than 100 countries and spoke 95 languages, the arts are a
bridge between cultures -- a unifying spark for learning.
There are 52.7 million children in America's schools -- more than ever
before. If we don't act now, too many of them will graduate without ever
painting a picture, playing a song or being exposed to the dramatic arts.
It's up to every one of us to help bring the arts back into our schools so
that all our children have the tools to compose a brighter future.
If you're interested in finding out more about "Gaining the Arts
Advantage," you can visit the President's Committee on the Arts and the
Clinton Presidential Records
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192. Women in Sports
Marc. 10, 1999
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2/24/99
Noa A. Meyer
03/10/99 09:17:24 AM
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Subject: HRC column 3/10/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
This week, America lost one of its genuine heroes. Although I never saw Joe
DiMaggio play, I have always been a baseball lover and spent hours as a
child watching games with my father. I grew up hearing about DiMaggio's
grace and professionalism, and knowing that "The Streak" -- hitting in 56
straight games in 1941 -- would be one of sports' most enduring records.
It was 10 or 11 years ago, in Charleston, W.Va.'s airport, that I had the
pleasure of meeting the "Yankee Clipper." En route to Arkansas by way of
Washington, I was standing alone with my bags looking up at the flight board
when a distinguished gentleman next to me asked if I needed help. When I
looked over, there he was. I managed to say, "Yes, thank you," and he
proceeded to carry my bags to the small commuter flight that he was taking
as well. As we neared the plane, I told him that I knew who he was and that,
although I had always been a Cubs fan, I had long ago adopted the New York
Yankees as my American League favorite. He couldn't have been more gracious
or friendly.
For generations of American boys who wanted to grow up to be baseball
players, Joe DiMaggio was a hero and a role model. Now, girls, too, have
sports heroes to emulate -- athletes like soccer star Mia Hamm, Women's
National Basketball Association player Lisa Leslie and Olympic skater
Michele Kwan.
When I was growing up, I could watch baseball with my father and throw the
football around the back yard with my brothers. I even played basketball,
but it was half-court, with a two-dribble limit. We were told a girl's heart
just couldn't take the exertion of playing full-court.
Girls, no less than boys, yearned to be active, but they were told that
sports were unladylike and would damage their reproductive organs. Finally,
pioneers like Trudy Ederle, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Wilma Rudolph and
Billie Jean King gave women the courage to step onto playing fields
alongside their brothers.
Every girl who plays sports today should know the name of Trudy Ederle, who
in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel, shaving more
than two hours off the existing men's record. She should know golfer Babe
Didrikson Zaharias, who is often called the greatest all-around athlete --
male or female -- of the century, and track star Wilma Rudolph, who won
three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games.
Every young athlete should know the story of the "Battle of the Sexes,"
when tennis great Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets. In
Billie Jean's own words, "It wasn't about tennis. It was about social
change." For the first time, many women understood that it was acceptable to
compete with men -- even to beat them.
Every girl who hopes to play sports in high school or win a college
scholarship should know the name of a different kind of hero, former Indiana
Sen. Birch Bayh, who sponsored the federal law that leveled the playing
field for female athletes. Before Title IX was passed in 1972, colleges
spent 1 percent of their athletic budgets on women's sports, and
approximately 300,000 high school girls played on teams. Now, it's the law:
Money for scholarships, coaches, uniforms, facilities, travel and all the
other costs of running sports programs must be distributed equitably. And
more than 2 million girls play on high school teams.
Last week, Billie Jean King, WNBA guard Nikki McCray and Olympic gold-medal
gymnast Dominique Dawes traveled with me to the Lab School in New York City,
where the girls' basketball team is the pride of the campus. Nikki told the
students that, when she was growing up, her male cousins didn't want her to
play basketball with them because she was a girl. Her heroes were male
players like Michael Jordan. Now, she's a hero to young fans.
After our visit to the Lab School, three generations of female champions
gathered at the White House to preview a new HBO film on the history of
women in athletics, a film that I wish every American could see. Called
"Dare to Compete," it celebrates the women who were told that playing sports
wasn't ladylike but didn't listen. It heralds all women who were
discriminated against but just kept standing up and speaking out --
demanding nothing less than justice and equality.
As I looked around the auditorium at the Lab School and later the East Room
of the White House, I couldn't help but marvel at just how far women have
come. Thanks to role models like Trudy Ederle, Wilma Rudolph and Billie Jean
King -- and thanks to heroes like Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, who helped us love
sports even before we were allowed to play -- every American girl today
finally dares to compete.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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193. Women Past and
Present Mar. 17,
1999
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February 17, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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Subject: HRC column 3/17/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
In 1900, near the end of a lifetime spent fighting for women's rights,
Susan B. Anthony described her bold vision for the future: "The woman of the
20th century will be the peer of man. In education, in art, in science, in
literature; in the home, the church, the state; everywhere, she will be his
acknowledged equal. All hail to the 20th century."
How prophetic these words sound today.
Early in this century, the full participation in civic life that women now
take for granted remained out of reach. Women were constrained in their
rights to own property, testify in court, file a lawsuit and serve on a
jury. By law, a woman's husband was assumed to be the guardian of her
children, and in many states, a married woman could not open a bank account.
Most remarkably, women could not exercise the most fundamental symbol of
citizenship -- the right to vote.
My own mother was born before women could exercise this basic privilege.
Yet, now, it's all too easy to take for granted how far we've come. Many of
us forget what life was like before the invention of the vacuum cleaner, the
dishwasher and frozen food. From winning the right to vote to gaining access
to the halls of academia, corporate boardrooms and playing fields, our lives
have changed in ways that even Susan B. Anthony could never have imagined.
As we move into the next century and the next stage of our journey toward
full participation in public life, we who remember the struggle that our
mothers and grandmothers -- and even some of our fathers and grandfathers --
undertook to secure the rights women enjoy today must cherish and preserve
these memories for the generations that will follow.
The President and I have invited all Americans to join us in "honoring our
past and imagining our future" as the turning of the millennium approaches.
This week, as part of our celebration of National Women's History Month and
our series of Millennium Evenings at the White House, we honored the
contributions of women in the last century and imagined the changes that lie
ahead.
We were joined by three distinguished feminist scholars. Historian Alice
Kessler-Harris talked about women as volunteers and reformers -- a role that
grew out of their exclusion from formal citizenship rights. Women like
pioneer feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman and anti-lynching crusader Ida B.
Wells Barnett stepped beyond their households to bring social justice to the
disadvantaged. Spurred by examples such as these, millions of women
organized anonymously to promote change and build social institutions around
issues they cared about, including public safety, health and education.
Professor Kessler-Harris ended on a cautionary note, wondering who will
become volunteers and social activists as women move in even greater numbers
into the workplace. "This is an important moment," she noted, "to reflect on
how we can sustain the values and the visions that have motivated women's
citizenship over the past century, use them to strengthen democracy in the
United States and extend the boundaries of social justice for us all."
Yale historian Nancy Cott took us on a tour of the struggle for political
rights from the days when female waitresses weren't allowed to work at night
through the battle to win the vote and the effort to pass the Equal Rights
Amendment. She, too, reminded us that knowing about our past can help us
imagine a day when we will enjoy even more inclusive rights.
Finally, Smith College President Ruth Simmons used one phrase to sum up the
dramatic changes that have taken place in the lives of women in the last 100
years. She said, "Today, they are able to choose their path." She went on to
predict: "Women of the next century will be molders of their future and
proprietors of their fate. Provided that society continues to protect that
freedom, women will have that most precious thing -- ownership of
themselves."
Every woman in this country who struggles to balance work and family, who
has to decide whether the benefits of taking a promotion outweigh the costs
to her children, or who worries about how she'll pay her bills if she
divorces her husband knows that our work is not done. But inspired by the
memory of those who came before us, we can muster the courage to take the
next step. After all, as Susan B. Anthony said in her final public speech,
"Failure is impossible."
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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194. Cairo / Israeli
Peace Accords
Mar. 24, 1999
Divider Title:
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April 2, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
03/29/99 09:34:07 AM
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Subject: HRC column 3/25/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
If you have ever spent time with a group of enthusiastic teenage girls, you
can relate to an experience I had today at the New Horizons center in Cairo.
As I write this, I am at the end of my second day in Egypt, at the
beginning of a 12-day trip that also includes stops in Tunisia and Morocco.
The populations of these three countries alone comprise almost one-half of
the Arab world, representing a diversity of cultures, ethnic groups and
histories. For too long, our relations have been affected by negative
stereotyping on both sides, but I hope my visit will provide an opportunity
to break down some of those stereotypes and strengthen the bonds of
friendship between us.
Just such an opportunity arose during my conversations with the teenage
girls and women at the New Horizons center, where the focus is basic life
skills and reproductive health information. Like exuberant teenagers
everywhere in the world, the girls I met couldn't stop talking about their
favorite project -- producing short videos on issues including girls'
education, early marriage and the environment.
One 65-year-old woman talked about the literacy class she is taking. Not
only can she now read street signs and newspapers, but she was delighted to
tell me how proud her children are of her.
Through innovative and popular programs such as this, the Egyptian
government and non-governmental organizations are working to improve access
to health care and reproductive health education, boost literacy rates among
girls and women, and eliminate the practice of female genital mutilation.
Earlier in the day, I visited the well-known Khan El-Khalili tourist
bazaar, where I met three shopkeepers who, with the help of small or
microcredit loans, have been able to establish thriving businesses. Each
pointed with great pride to the garments, ornaments, beads and other items
they were selling. One, who was crafting metal by hand, was proud to tell me
that he'd learned his trade from his father, who had learned it from his
father.
What I saw there was the same success story I've seen all over the world: A
small amount of credit transforms lives, giving people dignity, a stake in
their society and a means to support their family. And a repayment rate
approaching 98 percent is the envy of most private financial institutions.
Later, I toured a new health center where women and children, especially
the poor, can now get prenatal care, immunizations, family planning and
other services.
Each of these programs is supported in some part by the United States
Agency for International Development, and as has been the case with most of
the USAID-funded projects I've visited around the world, I wish that every
American could see what I saw: people who are often poor and have little
formal education but who share the same hopes and aspirations we all have.
With just a little support and encouragement, they are creating better
futures for themselves and their families.
Egypt's President Mubarak and his wife are committed to preserving the
precious antiquities and rich cultural and religious heritage of the
country, which has a civilization dating back nearly 7,000 years and is
historically and geographically at the center of the Arab world. They are
equally determined to empower Egyptian women to live in a modern society.
Five years ago, Egypt demonstrated its leadership in empowering women when
it hosted the United Nations International Conference on Population and
Development. Since then, the government has developed a number of
outstanding programs, such as those I saw, with impressive results. Infant,
child and maternal mortality are down. Population growth rates are
approaching sustainable levels, and vaccination rates are among the highest
in the world.
This week, the world marks the 20th anniversary of the historic
Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement signed by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin.
These visionary leaders knew that the price of their actions would be high
but the benefits of peace would be real for their people. As I witness the
progress Egypt is making in the areas of women's rights, literacy, health
care and economic development, I can see the tangible benefits of peace.
Leah Rabin, the widow of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who
gave his life for the peace process, once said, "War solves nothing. Our
area thirsts for peace, for the benefit of all peoples living there. Our
true enemies are poverty, illiteracy, disease and inequality of
opportunity."
The leaders of Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco understand this well. As I travel
through this ancient land, I am pleased to share with you the efforts they
are making, often with the help of our government, to raise the standard of
living of their people, educate their children, eliminate disease and
preserve their rich heritage.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
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195. Morocco
Mar. 31, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Elie Wiesel
April 14, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
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Subject: HRC column 3/31/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
During World War II, France's Vichy government asked Morocco's King
Mohammed V for a list of Jews to be handed over to the authorities. He
refused and called on all Muslims to stand together with their Jewish
brothers and sisters -- saying we aren't Jews or Arabs, only Moroccans.
As I've traveled in Morocco this week, I've witnessed many examples of how
this country continues to expand the circle of human dignity. And I've
imagined how life would be different in other parts of the world --
especially in Kosovo -- if all of the world's leaders worked for tolerance
and peace rather than divisiveness and war.
As the United States and its 18 NATO allies try to stop the ethnic
slaughter in Kosovo before it spreads and claims more innocent lives, it is
important to remember how the fighting in that region began.
The former Yugoslavia is home to many ethnic groups, standing as it does at
the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The ingredients for
conflict have always been present, but for the most part, people of
different religions and ethnic groups have found ways to live together for
generations.
The current violence began 10 years ago, when the leader of Serbia,
Slobodan Milosevic, fanned the flames of ethnic division for his own
personal political advantage and exploited the consequences to wage war on
his neighbors and his own citizens.
What we are seeing now in Kosovo, as was the case earlier in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, is nothing less than ethnic cleansing. Ethnic Albanian
refugees, most of whom are Muslims, are streaming by the tens of thousands
out of their homes, seeking refuge from the Serbian military and police
forces who, they report, are burning homes and entire villages, destroying
Albanian shops, separating men and boys from their families, executing them
in cold blood, and rounding up and murdering community leaders. Those who
are lucky enough to remain alive are told to leave Kosovo and never return
again.
Last year, I met a doctor who worked with the refugees of the violence in
Kosovo. She described what it was like to treat the displaced families as
they came down from the mountains, scared and sick with disease and
malnutrition. Even those who were not physically injured, she told me, bore
the psychological scars of what they had seen and experienced.
All this began long before NATO launched its air strikes against the forces
involved in the repression of this largely defenseless people. It is now
clear that, while the Kosovars were engaged in peace negotiations in France
with representatives of the Serbian government, President Milosevic was
planning a campaign for the systematic destruction of Kosovo -- a plan that
he is now executing. Had NATO stood by and done nothing, there is no doubt
that he would not only have begun his current offensive, but he would have
continued with impunity until he killed or displaced most of the Albanian
population.
That is why my husband and our NATO allies are determined to persevere
until Milosevic has embraced peace or we have significantly limited his
ability to wage war.
Achieving a permanent peaceful solution to the tragedy in Kosovo will not
come without a price. But we must do whatever it takes to ensure that ethnic
tensions are resolved by the force of argument, not the force of arms.
It is no easy task to expand the circle of dignity to all people. As we
have learned in the United States, and as I have seen in Morocco this week,
governments can enforce rights and create a fertile climate for tolerance,
but only individuals can decide whether to love or hate. Only individuals
can decide whether there will be genuine harmony between those of different
faiths, nationalities and ethnic groups.
In the last few days, I have asked some of the Moroccans I've met this
question: "How do your children learn tolerance?" In each case, I've
received the same answer: Children learn tolerance in their homes. They
learn it in their schools. They learn it in their places of worship. And
they learn it in their communities every time they see adults who refuse to
stereotype or degrade other human beings.
It is time to learn this lesson and to teach our children to be tolerant
and respectful of all people, to follow leaders who work for peace, and to
make sure that the circle of human dignity is finally wide enough to include
everyone.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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196. Kosovo Conflicts
Apr. 7, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Conflicts in Kosovo
April 7, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
04/07/99 09:26:31 AM
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Subject: HRC Column 4/7/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Like many people around the world, I have been haunted in recent days by
the images of ethnic Albanians driven from their homes by Slobodan
Milosevic. Taking place half a world away, their stories can sometimes feel
remote. Tragically, though, they are all too real.
Last week, I wrote about a doctor who has treated refugees in Pristina, the
capital of Kosovo, for the last year. Imagine the combination of relief and
horror among members of my staff when they saw that doctor, Vjosa Dobruna,
being interviewed on television. This dignified and passionate woman, who
shared tea with me at the White House last spring, is now herself a refugee.
After a friend of hers, a famous human rights activist, was taken from his
house, Dr. Dobruna went into hiding for seven days. "I slept in different
houses," she explained. When she tried to go back to her apartment, she
encountered police, who beat her driver and forced her to leave Pristina.
Dr. Dobruna laments the deplorable conditions the refugees face. "It's a
catastrophe," she says as she tells the story of a 17-day-old baby who died
in her arms.
We've heard similar stories from other victims of Milosevic's ethnic
cleansing. In the 14 months since he undertook his campaign, more than
800,000 -- one out of three ethnic Albanians in Kosovo -- have been
displaced from their homes. The conditions facing these people are horrific.
Many have walked miles from their towns and villages, forced at gunpoint to
leave without belongings or identity papers. They have endured subfreezing
temperatures, rain and snow. Thousands are trapped in a "no man's land"
around the Macedonian border, without food, water or sanitary facilities.
One doctor, who had worked for an international aid agency, reported that
he and his children had been without food for four days and he didn't know
how long they could hold out.
Another refugee said, "My child has been sleeping in the rain for four
nights. Last night, I had to force him to wake up because his body was too
cold, and he had to move to get warm. The blankets got wet, and there was
nowhere to dry them, and our clothes were soaked as well."
Those who have escaped may be the lucky ones. Reports out of Pristina
describe Serb soldiers and police herding Albanians into the center of the
city and lobbing shells at them. And men have been separated from their
families and are being held in factories, stadiums and other locations
within the country.
One refugee said, "They had snipers who shot at us. They killed one of our
neighbors, an old man, 70 years old, and a girl, 16, and a little boy who
was only 5."
A housewife recalled with horror: "They were killing the children. They
were killing the men. They were burning our houses and stealing everything
in them -- TVs, furniture, everything. They took money and jewelry from the
women. They came with guns into houses where we were hiding and ordered us
to get out, and they were holding knives to our children's throats."
As is always the case in these situations, the American people have
responded to the plight of the Kosovar refugees. As they've seen the
all-too-vivid pictures and heard the devastating stories, they have reacted
with customary generosity. Here at the White House, we've had countless
calls offering contributions of money, supplies and services. Many have even
said they would take refugees into their homes and adopt children orphaned
by the fighting.
Before this latest Serbian offensive began, the United States had committed
$100 million in humanitarian assistance and sent in enough food to supply
half a million people for three months. Now, the President has committed
another $50 million to the operation and announced the creation of a special
coordinating committee for the relief effort as well as plans to accept up
to 20,000 refugees on a temporary basis.
When individuals in this country or around the world ask what they can do
to help, there is one single answer: The most important thing is to reach
deep into their pockets and contribute whatever they can to the relief
organizations that are working to provide food, shelter, clothing and
medical care to the refugees.
I hope that people all over the world will look for ways to help victims of
this vicious aggression. If you would like to make a contribution, there is
a toll-free number you can call for information: 1-800-USAID RELIEF, or
1-800-872-4373. Or if you have access to the Internet, you can go to USAID's
web site at www.info.usaid.gov.
It's time for us all to find ways to stand up against this terrible
reminder of the violence and hatred that have marked too much of this
century.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com
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197. Seventh Millennium
Evening/ Wiesel
Apr. 14, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Morocco
March 31, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
04/14/99 08:00:45 PM
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Subject: HRC column 4/15/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
"Fifty-four years ago, to the day, a young Jewish boy from a small town in
the Carpathian Mountains woke up in a place of eternal infamy called
Buchenwald. He was finally free, but there was no joy in his heart. He
thought there never would be again."
So began the remarks of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner
Elie Wiesel at the Seventh Millennium Evening at the White House Monday
night, "The Perils of Indifference: Lessons Learned From a Violent Century."
He went on to describe his reaction to the U.S. troops who freed him from
the horrors of the concentration camp: "Liberated a day earlier by American
soldiers, he remembers their rage at what they saw. And even if he lives to
be a very old man, he will always be grateful to them for that rage and also
for their compassion. Though he did not understand their language, their
eyes told him what he needed to know: that they too would remember and bear
witness."
I asked Elie Wiesel to participate in a Millennium lecture more than a year
ago. I never could have imagined then that, this week, as people all over
the world mark Yom Hashoah -- the day set aside to remember the Holocaust --
we would be seeing children in Kosovo crowded onto trains, separated from
their homes and families, and robbed of their childhoods.
How could this be happening again?
The Millennium lecture series is intended to offer us an opportunity to
look back on our past and use it as a guide when imagining the future. Our
previous evenings have been celebrations of American history, culture and
scientific discoveries.
But in order to honor the past, we must learn from it. We must look not
just at our noblest achievements but also at our greatest failings. When we
choose the path of indifference, we ignore the lessons of the past.
Elie Wiesel understands the horrors that spring from indifference, and he
has dedicated his life to bearing witness to them, lest they be repeated.
Indifference can be tempting, he warns, even seductive. He senses our
reticence and our hesitation: "It can be much easier to look away from
victims, to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our
hopes. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another's
pain and despair."
But, he explains, "Indifference is always the friend of the enemy. For it
benefits the aggressor, never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he
feels forgotten. The political prisoners in their cells, the hungry
children, the homeless refugees -- not to respond to their plight, not to
relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them
from human memory. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own.
Indifference, then, is not only sin but also punishment."
In 1999, it isn't enough to refuse to commit crimes against humanity. It
isn't enough to look deep into our hearts and say we find them free of
hatred. We have to do more. Every time we let a religious or racial slur go
unchallenged, or an indignity go unanswered, we are making a choice to be
indifferent. We are making a choice to ignore history -- a choice that
punishes not just us but our children as well.
This is why we are in Kosovo.
If we choose indifference when we see people forced from their homes at
gunpoint and loaded onto train cars, we punish not just them but ourselves.
If we choose indifference when we see their identity papers confiscated,
their very presence blotted from the historical record, we become the friend
of the enemy.
The President knows that any military action we take cannot put an end to
ancient grudges or heal freshly opened wounds overnight. But our action can
make it more likely that people will resolve their differences by force of
argument rather than by force of arms and, in so doing, will learn to live
together.
When Elie Wiesel accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he remembered many years
before asking his father how the world could have remained silent. And he
imagined that same young boy asking him today, "What have you done with my
future? What have you done with your life?" I would tell him, Elie says,
that I have tried to keep memory alive and that I have tried to fight those
who would forget.
This is what Elie Wiesel has done. He has taught us never to forget. He has
made us listen to the victims of hatred and evil. He has helped us
understand the perils of indifference.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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198. Teacher of the Year
Apr. 21, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Cairo
March 24, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
04/21/99 09:05:26 AM
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Subject: HRC column 4/21/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
I would bet that most Americans can name their favorite teacher or remember
the day when she or he singled them out for praise -- or, worse, a scolding
in front of the class.
When President Harry Truman handed out the first Teacher of the Year award
in 1952, he said that, next to one's mother, a teacher has the greatest
influence on what kind of citizen a child will grow up to be. This is not
much of an exaggeration. For as many as eight hours a day, five days a week,
nine months a year, teachers hold the future of America in their hands.
This week, my husband carried on the tradition of recognizing great
teachers when he honored Andy Baumgartner of Augusta, Ga., as the new
Teacher of the Year.
A former Marine, Andy is a bundle of energy. Whether he's using popcorn to
teach counting or leading a solemn funeral for a departed pet tarantula,
Andy's ability to rivet the attention of his kindergarten students is the
envy of his colleagues.
When he accepted his award, Andy said, "Educational accountability is the
shared responsibility of all Americans. We can no longer continue to make
excuses for not providing optimal learning environments for our children,
who deserve nothing less than the best."
He went on to list what he thinks makes a learning environment optimal:
small classes with strong parental and community involvement, access to the
latest technology, an end to disparities between rich and poor schools, and
a highly qualified and professionally compensated teacher in every
classroom.
I've cared deeply about these issues for many years. In the 1970s, when I
worked with the Children's Defense Fund, I knocked on hundreds of doors to
talk with parents about their children's schools. In 1983, when my husband
asked me to chair a committee to make recommendations to improve Arkansas
schools, I traveled the state, listening to teachers and parents about the
challenges they faced.
What I learned is just what Andy said: We need smaller classes, strong
community support and parental involvement. We must meet the needs of every
student -- the disadvantaged and the disabled as well as the gifted and the
privileged. And we must recruit, train and hold onto the most effective and
dedicated men and women this country has to offer to teach our children.
Among my husband's proudest achievements in his first term was the
enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the reauthorization of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Together, they fundamentally
changed the role of the federal government in our educational system by
establishing standards and holding schools, teachers and students
accountable for meeting them.
Now, as part of a second major revision of the ESEA, the President has laid
out a comprehensive three-part strategy to continue the progress we have
made. His plan targets funds to prepare disadvantaged students, promotes
student, teacher and school accountability, and strives to recruit, prepare
and retain the very best teachers.
The President wants every teacher to be fully certified in the subjects
they teach and asks states to adopt performance examinations for them.
Teachers, like their schools and their students, must meet high standards.
Next, the President would fund scholarships and other programs to attract
more mid-career professionals to teaching and to lure more teachers to
high-poverty and rural public schools.
One out of five teachers leaves the profession after only three years, so
once we've attracted the best individuals to teaching, we have to make sure
they want to stay there. We have to offer more peer assistance programs and
team planning periods to help new teachers. And we have to offer every
teacher ongoing opportunities for professional development.
A major goal of the President's initiative is to reduce class size,
particularly in the elementary grades. A recent five-year study of the
Milwaukee schools confirmed that students in smaller classrooms outperformed
those in larger ones, including those who used vouchers to study outside the
public school system. Congress has already funded about a third of the
President's proposal to put 100,000 new teachers in the classroom. Now, he
is asking lawmakers to finish the job.
Finally, experienced teachers ought to be paid what they are worth. As we
raise standards, we ought to raise salaries as well.
Because of a growing student population and an anticipated wave of teacher
retirement, this country will need to hire 2 million new teachers over the
course of the next few years. Every one of them should be just as committed,
competent and enthusiastic as Andy Baumgartner.
As we stand on the brink of the new century, making our public schools the
best in the world will be more important than ever. It will take imagination
and daring, commitment and perseverance, equity and resources. But we can do
no less for our children and for our future.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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199. Youth Violence
Apr. 28, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Mesa Verde Nat. Park
May 26, 1999 - SAT
Noa A. Meyer
04/28/99 10:29:49 AM
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Subject: HRC column 4/28/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
When I first heard the news that students had opened fire on their
classmates at a high school in Littleton, Colo., last week, I prayed,
"Please, God, don't let this be happening again."
My heart breaks for every family that lost a son or daughter, for the
family of Dave Sanders, the teacher who died saving the students he loved,
for the entire Littleton community, where every life has been touched, and
for our nation, which must find a way to say, "Enough."
We are neither helpless nor hopeless in the face of this tragedy. There are
answers, but they are not easy.
First, we must acknowledge that too many of our children are growing up
alone. Of course, parents have the primary responsibility for raising safe,
healthy and happy children, but we all must be involved. Teachers and
counselors, police officers and coaches, religious leaders and even elected
officials all have a role to play.
Last October, the President and I hosted the first-ever White House
Conference on School Safety, where we heard from parents, students,
law-enforcement personnel, local community leaders and other experts that
the most important way to keep our schools and communities safe is to make
sure responsible adults are involved in the lives of our children. At the
President's direction, the Departments of Education and Justice issued a
guide to help school officials identify students who are feeling isolated
and troubled and get them help. He also launched the Safe Schools/Healthy
Students initiative to develop comprehensive community-wide responses to
school and youth violence, with a particular focus on providing schools with
appropriate mental health services.
In a world that can feel overwhelming and out of control, children need
help managing their anger, resolving their conflicts and solving their
problems with words instead of weapons. To this end, the President has also
dramatically increased federal funding for children's mental health services
and asked Tipper Gore to host a White House Conference on Mental Health in
June.
We all need help coping with the culture of violence that has become so
much a part of American life. Too many TV shows, movies, songs and Internet
sites romanticize and glorify violence. There are even video games where the
winner is the one who kills the most people. It is time we acknowledge that
this violence is having a profound effect on our children and resolve to
change it. The President has worked tirelessly to focus attention on this
problem.
In 1996, he met with entertainment industry leaders, who agreed to air more
educational children's programs and to establish a rating system to help
parents make choices about what their children watch. Soon, parents will
have more help in the form of the V-chip, technology that can actually block
certain shows.
Finally, it is time for us to acknowledge that we must get guns out of the
hands of children and criminals. The vast majority of gun owners in this
country are law-abiding citizens. Defending the right of these citizens to
keep and bear arms does not mean defending shooting sprees in our
schoolyards or military-style assault weapons in our communities. Nor does
it mean defending those who would fight against simple precautions like
child safety locks and background checks.
This week, the President and I stood with over 40 members of Congress from
both parties to announce the most comprehensive measure ever proposed for
reducing the intolerable toll of gun violence in this country, including
raising the legal age for handguns to 21 and limiting purchases to one a
month. This proposal builds on the President's already strong record in this
area. In 1994, he fought for and won passage of the Brady Law, which has
kept handguns away from 250,000 felons, fugitives and stalkers. And he
worked to ban the import and sale of 19 different types of assault weapons.
Every day in this country, 13 children die from gun-related violence. For
every child killed by a gun, four are wounded. The rate of firearm deaths of
children under 15 in the United States is nearly 12 times higher than in 25
other industrialized countries combined. Seven times in the last two years,
children have been gunned down in cold blood by classmates.
How many more statistics like this do we have to hear? How many more
children have to die? How many more funerals of students and teachers do we
have to watch? It's time for our national leaders to act. It's time for each
of us to say, "Enough."
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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200. Aid to Kosovo
Refugees May 5,
1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) President's Agenda
December 23, 1998
Noa A. Meyer
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Subject: HRC column 5/5/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
"I'm writing because the faces on the news of the frightened children
fleeing the war in Kosovo are haunting," begins a letter to the White House
from Port Jervis, N.Y. "Our country MUST help these people, and soon."
Here are some of the other letters the President and I have received about
the refugees from Kosovo:
A woman in Pleasanton, Calif., wrote: "Can you tell me what it takes for a
community (like my church) to sponsor a family from Kosovo? I can only
imagine what it must be like for a family with nothing left, in the cold,
hungry and forced to go to a country where they are unfamiliar with the
culture and have no human ties. We can make it better for at least one
family."
This from Sandy, Utah: "We have two extra bedrooms in our home and are
willing to help house a refugee family. We support what you are doing and
want to help in any way we can."
And finally, one from San Diego: "On behalf of my family, I would like to
extend an invitation to host a family from Kosovo. We have been watching the
news almost around the clock and feel compelled to help in some capacity.
Macedonia has been sending refugees to homes inside their country, and we
would like to provide the same. We believe that humanitarian efforts must
start with the individual. We are hoping that other households will help in
the same manner."
These letters represent just a fraction of the outpouring of support for
the refugees that has come to the White House, and they remind me of one
reason I'm proud to be an American: Whenever and wherever people are in
need, Americans stand ready to help.
This week, I traveled to Fort Dix in New Jersey, to represent the President
and the people of the United States in welcoming the first group of Kosovar
refugees from Macedonia arriving in our country. Like hundreds of thousands
of others, they've witnessed appalling atrocities.
In Djakovica, in Kosovo, 19 people -- members of three families -- who were
hiding in the basement of a house were discovered by Serbian authorities.
All were shot, and the house was burned. Bodies littered the streets of
Meja, where the killing of scores of men was reported several days ago. One
woman said, "I have seen so much horror, I just close my eyes."
Everywhere, refugees search for lost loved ones. One desperate, young
couple frantically sought news of their 17-day-old infant, left behind in
the intensive care unit of a local hospital when Serb forces drove them from
their home. The plight of a 10-year-old girl, who is caring for her infant
brother while authorities try to locate their parents, is not unusual.
In one 24-hour period earlier this week, more than 11,600 Kosovars arrived
in Macedonia, bringing to nearly 700,000 the number of refugees and
displaced persons who have fled the terror that Slobodan Milosevic and his
regime have inflicted on the ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo. The burden
on the refugee camps in the area is overwhelming, and many countries have
responded by agreeing to house those who are most vulnerable or have family
members to welcome them.
Some of those coming to the United States have relatives anxiously awaiting
their arrival. Families, churches and agencies around the country will
sponsor housing for others. Literally tens of thousands of Americans have
offered help of some kind. Here's what you can do:
Because of the cost of transporting, storing and distributing unsolicited
goods, clothing and services, relief agencies prefer monetary donations. For
a list of those accepting contributions, you can call this toll-free number:
1-800-USAID-RELIEF
(1-800-872-4373). Since this hot line was set up on April 6, operators have
fielded 43,631 calls. You can also get the list at this web site:
www.interaction.org.
If you have relatives in the camps in Albania and Macedonia and you want to
bring them to this country -- or for information about local refugee
resettlement agencies in your area -- you can call this toll-free number:
1-800-727-4420 or e-mail [email protected].
Every offer of help is an offer of hope. The people of America are sending
the people of Kosovo a very strong message: You are not abandoned. You are
not forgotten. Slobodan Milosevic has not succeeded in erasing your identity
from the pages of history, and he will not succeed in erasing your presence
from the land of your parents and grandparents.
We can provide temporary help, but we know that what the refugees want and
need most is to be able to return to their homeland. That goal is the reason
the United States and its NATO allies remain committed to the mission they
have undertaken.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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201. Guns and Kids
May 12, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Guns and Kids
May 12, 1999
Creators Syndicate
310-337-7003
00/5/12/99
05:34PM
2/3
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Mary Leigh and Charlie Blek of Laguna Hills, Calif., lost their 21-year-old son,
Matthew, when he was shot and killed by a teenager in New York City. Catherine and
Pedro Murphy, both New York City police officers, lost their 12-year-old son,
Christopher, when a friend, who was playing with his older brother's illegal handgun,
accidentally shot him. Tom Vanden Berk lost his 15-year-old son, Tommy, when he
was shot and killed by a teenager in Chicago.
Rebecca Lynn's 18-year-old daughter, Betina, was seriously wounded one year
ago this week when a classmate opened fire at her school in Springfield, Ore. Tom
Mauser's 15-year-old son, Daniel, was killed in the Columbine High School shooting
on April 20. Daniel, a straight-A student, was studying through his lunch hour in the
school library when he was shot at point-blank range.
Last Saturday, these anguished parents, along with many others whose
children were victims of gun violence, joined me at the White House for a special
Mother's Day event to highlight the importance of keeping our children safe from guns.
We all took this Mother's Day Pledge:
"I will not give my child unsupervised access to a firearm. I will not allow my
child to play in a home where guns are improperly stored. If I own a gun, I will unload it
and lock it up and store the ammunition separately and securely. I will urge others,
including my elected officials, to do everything in their power to protect our children
from guns."
Looking into the faces of those assembled in the East Room, I had to wonder
what it will take for our country to say, "Enough." What will it take for our Congress to
pass common-sense gun laws to keep handguns and assault weapons out of the
hands of juveniles and criminals? How many more children have to die?
On Saturday, Tom Mauser reminded us that parents -- especially the parents of
teenagers -- have to be more involved with their children. "Parents need to be more in
tune with their children," he said. "There needs to be more talking, more listening,
more hugging, more teaching of tolerance, more time together and less time with
televisions and computers." He also asked us to ponder what is wrong with our culture
and why our children have such easy access to guns.
Tom is right. It's time for all of us to take responsibility for our children and to find
answers to his questions.
Creators Syndicate
310-337-7003
15/12/99
5:34 PM
3/3
TALKING IT OVER 5/12/99
Page 2
This week, several members of Congress took a step when Sen. Charles
Schumer and 10 co-sponsors introduced the President's Youth Gun Crime
Enforcement Act in the Senate. This bill would strengthen the Brady Law and the
assault-weapons ban, restrict access to guns by youth, and crack down on illegal gun
traffickers.
Also this week, the President and I, along with Vice President and Mrs. Gore,
welcomed a distinguished and diverse group of Americans to the White House to
begin the hard work of developing a strategy to protect our children from violence. In
addition to several young people, the group included entertainment and media
executives, representatives of gun owners and the gun industry, religious leaders,
parents and other experts on youth violence -- all determined to look for solutions
rather than point fingers or cast blame.
Behind closed doors, the exchanges were frank and constructive. Sarah Brady,
one of this country's most devoted gun-control advocates, and representatives of the
gun industry agreed to support the President's proposed gun legislation. Video-game
manufacturers and Internet leaders promised the Vice President to work together on
developing an on-line rating system for video games.
And we announced a national campaign to prevent youth violence. Based on
other successful non-profit organizations, like the National Campaign to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy and the Welfare to Work Partnership, this public-private alliance will work
to devise specific solutions to help parents, schools, community groups, the media and
gun manufacturers -- in short, all of us -- prevent youth violence.
When I wrote my book, "It Takes a Village," I added this subtitle: "And Other
Lessons Children Teach Us." There are many lessons to be learned from our children.
But if there's one lesson we must take to heart in the wake of the Littleton tragedy, it's
that we must act now to keep our children safe. Raising our children is our most
important job. We owe it to them to do the best we can.
I'm encouraged by the steps we took this week. We know that when we work
together, we can change America. Everyone -- from parents and community leaders to
CEOs and members of Congress -- has a role to play. Next Mother's Day, I hope that
none of us will be looking into the eyes of yet another parent who has lost a child to
senseless violence.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit
the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
© 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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202. Refugee Effort in
Kosovo May 19, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) War in Kosovo
May 5, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
05/19/99 09:04:54 AM
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Subject: HRC column 5/19/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Their faces may no longer appear on the front pages of our newspapers and
magazines, but there are still nearly 750,000 Kosovar Albanians unable to
return to their homes because of the ruthless determination of Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic. Nearly 250,000 are in Macedonia alone.
Last week, I traveled to Macedonia to visit the Stenkovac I refugee camp,
located outside Skopje in a region of lush, green hills dotted with small
farms. Thousands of tents -- in rows as far as the eye can see -- cover a
dusty expanse about the size of 80 football fields. As many as 31,000
refugees -- most of them children -- have crowded into the camp in the last
six weeks.
It was a hot, dry day when I arrived at Stenkovac to meet some of the men,
women and children who have made this tent city their temporary home. Most
were separated from a family member in the crush to get out of Kosovo alive,
and everyone is surviving on the hope that one day soon they will return to
their villages and be reunited with their loved ones.
A 63-year-old woman told me she doesn't know where her daughter and
grandchildren are. They were with the daughter's in-laws when Serb police
stormed the house, held guns to their throats and ordered them to leave.
One of the men I met cried when he remembered the funeral of a friend in
his village: Serb police surrounded the mourners as they stood at the grave,
threatening to kill them all. Then, they stripped the Albanians of their
money and valuables and drove them away.
I also spoke with a man who, in fluent English, told me that his wife and
children were visiting her father when the Serbs arrived, forcing him to
flee without them. Six weeks later, he is still trying to find them.
I will never forget the last story I heard that day. A woman described the
crush of refugees being herded onto trains to leave Kosovo. She held tightly
to the hand of her oldest daughter who, in turn, held onto the younger
children. Horrified, she felt her daughter's hand slip away. Forced by the
authorities to board a train, she realized that her girls and her husband,
who was trying to find them, were lost. Today, she, too, lives without any
word of where they are or even whether they are still alive.
For 10 years, Milosevic has oppressed the Albanian population in Kosovo.
First, they were forbidden to go to the theater or sporting events, and
their schools were closed. Then, block by block, Milosevic began ordering
families out of their homes, until he was expelling Kosovar Albanians in the
massive numbers we have witnessed in the last two months.
Once, these people lived in their own homes. Parents worked, and children
went to schools. Today, they huddle in crowded tents. They wait in line for
food bread, canned fish, cheese, juice and milk. They wait in line to use
portable toilets and phones, and to get word of missing loved ones.
And these are the lucky ones.
Although the conditions they live in are unimaginable to most of us, they
have food and rudimentary shelter. A remarkable assemblage of some 20 relief
organizations, led by Catholic Relief Services and under the authority of
the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, runs the Stenkovac I camp,
providing care for the children, medical treatment and social services.
There are two UNICEF schools and a youth center run by an Israeli
organization, where children of all ages can enjoy arts, crafts, games and
music. The German Red Cross has opened a hospital. Medical teams have
arrived from France and as far away as Taiwan. The International Rescue
Committee, an American group, is trying to reunite families. And many of the
refugees themselves are volunteering their services around the camp.
Every single person I met at Stenkovac has one thing in common: Each one
wants to go home. And, despite the horrors they have endured, they all told
me how grateful they are to the United States and the NATO allies for
standing up to Slobodan Milosevic. As the refugees told me their stories,
their eyes filled with tears, just as their hearts are filled with hope.
Veton Sylejmani, who came to this country with his wife and 7-month-old
son, Albert, summed it up best at the White House this week when he said, "I
don't know what else to say except God bless America."
We cannot let these people down. We must tell and retell their stories,
because there is no more powerful argument for why the United States and our
NATO allies are in Kosovo. There is no more powerful justification for why
we will not give up until the evils perpetrated by Milosevic have ended and
these refugees are once again living in their own homes in peace and
security.
***
If you are interested in making a financial contribution to the refugee
effort, you can call 1-800-USAID-RELIEF (1-800-872-4373) for a list of
agencies. For information on helping to bring refugees to this country, the
number is 1-800-727-4420.
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203. Mesa Verde / SAT
May 26, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Youth Violence
April 28, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
05/26/99 08:48:11 AM
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Subject: HRC column 5/26/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Last week, I became an honorary Park Ranger. How proud I was to join the
ranks of "the green and the gray," the dedicated men and women who care for
this country's most important historical and natural wonders.
The occasion was a visit to the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, the
last stop on my Southwest Treasures Tour -- a four-day visit to some of that
region's natural, scientific, historical and artistic treasures.
Mesa Verde encompasses 4,000 archeological sites, including 600 cliff
dwellings -- the greatest concentration of pre-Columbian cliff dwellings in
the world.
As I visited the largest, called Cliff Palace, I tried to imagine what it
must have been like more than a hundred years ago when the first non-native
people happened on the unexpected site -- an alcove concealing more than 100
rooms. What they discovered was the remains of a rich and complex culture
that once included thousands of people who thrived on farming, weaving and
baking. Today, that culture is preserved in the spiritual life, weaving and
pottery of the 24 Native American tribes that trace their ancestors to Mesa
Verde.
But Mesa Verde itself is in danger of being lost to erosion, exposure and
the impact of millions of visitors, and if it disappears, it will take a
piece of the nation's collective memory with it. That's why it's so
important for Americans to protect such treasures for future generations.
In Colorado, I met a very special group of preservationists who are doing
just that. For three years, the third graders of the Foothills Elementary
School in Boulder, Colo., have raised money to help save Mesa Verde by doing
extra chores and selling "Adopt a Ruin" calendars they make themselves.
One of the students explained why this project is so important to her: "I
think 'Adopt a Ruin' is a good idea because in 40 years my kids will
probably want to see the ruins, so I want to save the ruins," she wrote. "So
far, I have raised $15. The best part of this is when I grow up, I think
it will be great to see the expression on my kids' faces."
No one could have captured the reason for preserving Mesa Verde -- and all
of America's cultural, historical and natural treasures -- better than this
third-grader. It is this very spirit that the President and I hoped would
take hold of the country's imagination when we created the White House
Millennium Council -- choosing as our theme "Honor the Past -- Imagine the
Future" -- and when we launched the Save America's Treasures program.
Over the course of the past year, I have been privileged to travel around
the country, visiting some of our most precious landmarks. And I have
watched with incredible pride as a network of private and public individuals
and groups -- from the third graders at Foothills Elementary to the National
Trust for Historic Preservation and corporate donors like Polo Ralph Lauren,
General Electric and American Express -- has mobilized to ensure that these
chapters of our history are never forgotten.
We launched the first "Save America's Treasures" tour last summer in front
of the Star-Spangled Banner in Washington. Since then, I've visited a number
of sites -- Louis Armstrong's house in Queens, N.Y., the Conservatory of
Flowers in San Francisco, Calif., and many more
At every stop, I've witnessed a celebration, not just of a prized local
treasure but of our democracy, our citizenship and the richness of the
American mind and spirit. On last week's tour, though, there was even more,
reminding me of the diverse cultural heritage that is the heart and soul of
our nation.
At the Grand Canyon, I announced new public support for a portion of the
Grand Canyon Greenway, a 73-mile network of trails that will bring walkers,
hikers and those in wheelchairs closer to the wonders of the Grand Canyon.
In Flagstaff, Ariz., I was awestruck by the sight of Mars through a
100-year-old telescope at the Lowell Observatory.
In New Mexico, I visited the Palace of the Governors -- the oldest public
building in the United States. I traveled to Albuquerque, where people have
come together to adopt the Southwest Pieta sculpture, teaching their
children about art, preservation and their very rich cultural heritage in
the process. And, at the Pueblo of Acoma in the midst of a vital Native
American community, I toured one of the oldest churches still standing on
American soil.
What I have learned in the last year is that historical preservation is not
only about saving physical objects. It is also about saving our living
heritage, our values and our culture so that we can pass them on to future
generations. Just as Park Rangers are caretakers of our national parks, we
are all caretakers of our history.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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204. Violence in the
Media June 2, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) New Markets Initiative
July 7, 1999
Noa A. Meyer
06/01/99 11:17:52 PM
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Subject: HRC column 1/2/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Last year, 9-year-old Arthur Sawe, a fourth-grader from Seattle, Wash.,
went to a local video store with a friend. A magazine about new video games
caught his eye because, in his words, "the first two pages had fun games,
airplane- and car-racing games."
But when Arthur got home and flipped through the pages of his new magazine,
he came across this ad: "More fun than shooting your neighbor's cat. Bang!
Meow! Bang! Meow! Come on already. It's time you move up the food chain and
take aim at something that sounds better when it explodes. And you can, when
you grab your gun, included free (it'll) have you firing until your
fingers fall off."
Arthur knew that what he was looking at was wrong, and although he was
worried that his mother would be angry that he had bought the magazine, he
decided to show it to her anyway. She was mad -- but not at Arthur.
Arthur's mother gave the ad to representatives of Mothers Against Violence
in America, who shared it with The Seattle Times. When reporters wrote an
article about the ad Arthur found and other violent video-game ads, it
caught the attention of State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who introduced a bill
to research the link between violent video games and the aggressive, often
tragic acts committed by children. In response, the Washington State Retail
Association unveiled a plan to help video retailers be more responsible
about selling children inappropriate or restricted material.
This week, we invited Arthur to the White House, where the President
announced that the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice
would conduct a joint study on how the video, motion picture and recording
industries market their products to children. He also called on retailers to
do a better job of enforcing age restrictions on adult-oriented material in
a further attempt to keep it out of the hands of children. Then, he held up
the magazine Arthur bought and read some of the other ads video-game
producers have used to sell their products.
If you think ads about killing your neighbor's cat are bad, what do you
think about these? One invites players to "get in touch with your
gun-toting, cold-blooded side." This one's truly unbelievable: "Kill your
friends guilt-free."
As a nation, we've reacted to the shootings at Columbine High School like
almost no other event I can think of in recent memory. In my conversations
with young people and parents over the past few weeks, I've been encouraged
by their strong resolve to take steps to end violence, not only in our
schools, but also in the broader community.
Everyone recognizes that there is no single answer or solution. We must
move on all fronts -- from passing common-sense gun-control measures to
helping parents spend more time with their kids. And we need to consider the
impact of the ways in which media violence is marketed and sold to our
children.
A 1972 Surgeon General's Report said: "We know that children imitate and
learn from everything they see: parents, fellow children, school, the media.
It would be extraordinary, indeed, if they did not imitate and learn from
what they see on television." The report went on to say that violence on
television causes children either to mimic directly the actions they see or
act in a more aggressive way.
Yet today, more than 25 years after this report was written, our culture is
even more saturated with TV programs, movies and songs that romanticize and
glorify violence. What kind of values are we promoting when a child can walk
into a store and find video games in which winning depends on who kills the
most people or blows up the most targets?
We can no longer ignore the well-documented connection between violence in
the media and children's behavior. America's culture of violence is having a
profound effect on our children -- and we must resolve to do what we can to
change it. Of course, the responsibility begins at home. But it must be
reinforced and supported in our schools, in our houses of worship and by
members of the community at large -- including manufacturers, business
owners and public officials.
If a 9-year-old in Seattle can affect public policy, imagine what all of us
working together can do. We should heed carefully the lesson that Arthur
learned and shared with us this week: "I am glad I had the courage to do the
right thing. I thought I might get in trouble with my mommy, but instead, I
am here at the White House today. I have learned with courage, a lot of good
things can happen. Thank you."
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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205. Mental Health Conf
June 9, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) National Archives
June 30, 1999 SAT
Noa A. Meyer
06/09/99 09:14:34 AM
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Subject: HRC column 6/9/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Mike Wallace is an award-winning journalist whose career has spanned nearly
60 years. As co-editor and host of "60 Minutes," he is a visitor in many
American homes every Sunday night.
While raising three children, working and going to college, Lynn Rivers won
a seat on her local school board. In 1992, she graduated from law school,
and two years later, she ran for Congress from Michigan, becoming one of
only 13 freshman Democrats elected that year.
Tipper Gore, of course, is not only the wife of the Vice President, the
mother of four and about to become a grandmother; she is also the
President's Mental Health Adviser.
You might be surprised to learn that each of these well-respected
individuals has suffered from some form of mental illness. Many years ago,
Mike Wallace found himself embroiled in a long and difficult libel trial in
federal court. But at the same time, he says, "I was on trial for my life."
Although he found himself feeling "lower than a snake's belly," his own
physician failed to offer any treatment beyond encouraging words. It wasn't
until he ended up in the hospital that he was diagnosed with clinical
depression.
Lynn Rivers says that the day she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder was
the best day of her life. "It was only then," she explains, "that I
understood that my pattern of manic activity, followed by debilitating
depression, was not just some sort of character flaw or defect but caused by
a biologically based disease that could be treated." Today, thanks to proper
medication, Rep. Rivers functions normally, although she says, "I'm probably
more aware than others of the need to monitor my health."
Some time after her son was injured in a near-fatal car accident, Tipper
Gore found herself feeling low enough to seek help. She remembers, "I went
to a mental-health professional, and I said, 'I'm not here as a friend this
time. I'm not here as a volunteer for the cause. I'm here because I need
some help.' And I was diagnosed with clinical depression." She, too, has
been successfully treated with medication.
Consider these facts: At some point in their lives, 51 million Americans
will experience a mental-health issue -- ranging from depression and
anorexia to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But, primarily because of
the stigma and shame associated with mental illness, only one in five will
seek treatment. Depression, the leading cause of disability worldwide,
afflicts more than 19 million people in this country alone -- 2 million of
them children.
Mental illness is not something that happens only to other people. It
touches all of us. Yet, although research, diagnosis and treatment have
opened many new doors, the stigma persists.
This week, in an effort to fight this stigma, Tipper Gore chaired the
first-ever White House Conference on Mental Health. There, along with Mike
Wallace, Lynn Rivers and over 500 other advocates and patients, Tipper, the
President, the Vice President and I announced steps to break down the myths
and misperceptions surrounding mental illness, highlight new treatments and
encourage Americans to get the help they need. The President's proposals
would strive to put mental illness on a par with physical illness, improve
research and expand community responses.
For more than six years, this administration has worked to widen the circle
of opportunity for every American. But the hard truth is that, in too many
places, mental illness is still misunderstood and feared.
We need to listen carefully to the words of Dr. Stephen Hyman, director of
the National Institute of Mental Health, when he says, "These are real
illnesses of a real organ -- the brain. We can make diagnoses, and these
diseases are treatable."
Moreover, it is time to start adding up the costs of not treating mental
illness. Researchers estimate that lost school days and workdays, violent
behavior, marital distress and missed opportunities could mean tens of
billions of dollars for America each year. Although insurance companies and
businesses have resisted treating mental illness as physical illness,
several companies and states are beginning to recognize that maintaining
good mental health is actually good business.
Bank One, which has over 90,000 employees worldwide, started offering its
employees comprehensive mental-health care and watched as its direct costs
for treating mental-health concerns decreased by 60 percent between 1991 and
1995. The state of Ohio has incurred no extra costs since it began providing
full mental-health parity for its employees.
I want to thank Mike Wallace, Lynn Rivers and Tipper Gore for having the
courage to share their stories with the nation and the world. They remind us
that with proper intervention and treatment, mental illness can be managed
and its victims can lead normal and productive lives. In Tipper's words:
"Mental illness is the last, great stigma of the 20th century. We need to
make sure it ends here and now."
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206. Honoring Rosa Parks
June 16, 1999
Divider Title:
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June 23, 1999
TALKING IT OVER
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc061699.html
TALKING IT OVER
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
June 16, 1999
I was 7 years old in 1955. Yet it feels as if I've known the story of Rosa Parks
my whole life. Rosa Parks worked as a seamstress for a department store in
Montgomery, Ala. On Dec. 1, 1955, at the end of a long day, she boarded the
Cleveland Avenue bus, taking a seat along with two other African Americans in
the first row of the "colored section." When a white man demanded that all
three move to the back so he could sit down, Mrs. Parks refused. "Our
mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it," she explained.
To the driver who threatened to call the police to remove her from the bus, Mrs.
Parks quietly replied, "You may go on and do so."
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks' action that day was, in itself, a simple one, but it
required uncommon courage. It rebuked those who denied the dignity of and
restricted the rights of African Americans. And it inspired every American who
was struggling to shed the prejudices of the past and to build a better future.
This was not the first time Mrs. Parks had been ordered off a city bus. Many
times before, she had suffered humiliation and indignity at the hands of white
Montgomery. That same driver had put her off his bus 12 years earlier for
refusing to re-enter through the back after she paid her fare. "I didn't want to
pay my fare and then go around to the back door, because many times, even if
you did that, you might not get on the bus at all," she remembers. "They'd
probably shut the door, drive off and leave you standing there." As is true with
most legends, the real story of Rosa Parks is more complicated than we have
been led to believe. Rosa Parks did not remain in her seat because her feet were
sore and her bones were tired. In her words, "The only tired I was was tired of
giving in." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explained it this way: "Rosa Parks was
anchored to that seat by the accumulated indignities of days gone by and the
countless aspirations of generations yet unborn."
Mrs. Parks had long been an activist in the fledgling civil rights movement,
first as secretary to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People and later organizing the NAACP Youth Council. But although she
protested, "I did not get on that bus to get arrested; I got on that bus to go
home," Rosa Parks was the perfect plaintiff for a test case challenging
Montgomery's segregation laws.
The city's African American population rallied to her cause, and 42,000
boycotted the public buses on Dec. 5, the day of her trial. But what started out
as a one-day protest stretched to 381 days, until the United States Supreme
Court ruled against the city and its public-transportation system.
By Dec. 21, 1956, when Mrs. Parks finally took a seat at the front of one of
Montgomery's buses, she had lost her job, and her family had become the target
of harassment and death threats. But her quiet dignity had ignited one of the
most significant social movements in the history of the United States. When
historians look back at the 20th century, they will see the triumph of America
as the triumph of freedom the triumph of democracy over dictatorship, of free
enterprise over state socialism and of tolerance over bigotry. They will
1 of 2
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TALKING IT OVER
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc061699.html
remember that the fight for freedom was waged not just on the beaches of
Normandy and the islands of the South Pacific but in the classrooms, at the
lunch counters and on the public buses of the segregated South. At stake was
one simple, yet revolutionary, American ideal: We are all created equal.
On that fateful evening 44 years ago, Rosa Parks reminded us all that America
fell short of this, our most cherished ideal. She reminded us that, for millions of
Americans, equality was an illusion and that the ugly shackles of racism denied
African Americans the very opportunity that was the promise of America.
This week, in a moving ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, the President honored
Mrs. Parks with our nation's highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal --
and a grateful nation said, "Thank you."
As we look to a new century and a new millennium, it's up to all of us to
celebrate the people, places and stories that define us as individuals and as a
nation. It's up to all of us to teach our children the story of Rosa Parks and the
values of freedom and equality she stands for. And it's up to all of us to
complete the difficult work that she and so many others began over 40 years
ago.
Only then can we celebrate the rich diversity that is our nation's greatest
strength. Only then can we unite around a common vision of what it means to
be one America.
COPYRIGHT 1997 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
April 29, 1997
Talking it Over
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207. Kosovo Aftermath
June 23, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Honoring Rosa Parks
June 16, 1999
Jennifer H. Smith
06/23/99 11:10:14 AM
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Last month, I landed at a refugee camp in Macedonia called Stenkovac I. There, on a hot and
dusty former airfield, tens of thousands of refugees, forced from their homes in Kosovo by the cruel
tyranny of Slobodan Milosevic, were struggling to hold onto the merest shreds of human dignity. Every
refugee I met had been separated from a loved one -- mothers from their children, husbands from their
wives. Every single person hoped to go home. I promised them that the United States would not turn its
back -- that we would make it happen.
This week, I returned to Stenkovac I with my husband. After 79 days of NATO bombing, the skies over
Yugoslavia are silent, the Serb military has retreated from Kosovo, and the refugees are preparing to go
home.
Their homecoming will not be easy. As the peacekeepers enter Kosovo, they are witnessing firsthand the
appalling scope of destruction: mass graves, torture chambers, hundreds of burned villages, women
raped, and children forced to watch their parents viciously murdered.
In ensuring that Kosovo is safe for the refugees' return, the peacekeepers have a big job ahead. Mines
must be cleared and homes rebuilt. Families need shelter, food and water, as well as information about
the fate of their missing family members. Serbs who remain in Kosovo, as well as Kosovar Albanians,
must be disarmed.
Our European partners are shouldering much of the burden, but it is also in America's interest to play a
part in setting Kosovo, as well as all of Southeastern Europe, on a course toward a prosperous, peaceful
and secure future. The war has taken a tremendous toll -- not just on the Kosovars but also on
neighboring countries.
For example, last year, Macedonia experienced a modest but encouraging economic growth, making it
among the most successful of the region's economies. Now, though, exports to its largest trading partner,
Serbia, have come to a standstill. Foreign investment has dried up, critical transportation links have been
cut, and unemployment has risen to 35 percent. In the textile industry alone, which comprises nearly 25
percent of the economy, thousands of jobs will be lost by the end of the summer if business is not
restored.
In May, I met a woman named Danica Georgieva, whose small company of six employees did
subcontracting work for the American clothing manufacturer Liz Claiborne. When Danica told me that
because of the war Claiborne had significantly reduced its orders, I promised to do what I could to help.
On my return to Macedonia this week, Paul Charron, Liz Claiborne's CEO, traveled with me to unveil a
project that will not only help the refugees but ensure that Macedonian workers will be able to keep their
jobs as well, Starting at the end of this month, his company will donate the fabric, designs and expertise to
create 250,000 shirts and pants for the refugees, providing 3,000 jobs for Macedonian textile workers in
the process. USAID will fund the production and distribution of the clothing, and the relief agency Mercy
International will make sure the items are distributed to the refugees.
The victory in Kosovo is the triumph of a united international community over the forces of inhumanity and
hatred. But it is also the triumph of countless unheralded individuals -- from brave American and NATO
soldiers to thousands of generous families, relief workers and businesses who opened their hearts, their
homes and their pocketbooks to help make sure that every Kosovar refugee would one day be able to go
home with dignity.
When the President ordered our armed forces into combat, he declared three
goals: first, to enable the Kosovar people to return to their homes in safety; second, to require Serbian
forces to leave Kosovo; and third, to deploy an international security force, with NATO at its core, to
protect all the people of that troubled land -- Serbs and Albanians alike. I am proud that America stood
steadfast by these goals and that they are being met.
Undoubtedly, you've heard it said many times: The 20th century has turned out to be the bloodiest in
history. Millions of innocent people have died because democratic nations responded too late to evil and
aggression. Now, because of the resolve of America and our NATO allies, this violent century will end not
with helpless outrage but with an affirmation of decency and human rights. I hope this will be the
foundation for the new century.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate
web page at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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208. Nat'l Archives / SAT
June 30, 1999
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June 2, 1999
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
When I was growing up, the Fourth of July was one of my favorite holidays. My brothers and I
decorated our bikes with flags and crepe-paper streamers for the annual parade, which ended at the park.
There, we indulged in hot dogs and ice cream cones. Back-yard barbecues in the evening were followed
by grand fireworks displays.
Another timeless Fourth of July tradition finds citizens all across America gathered on village
greens and courthouse steps to listen to these stirring words from the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
The Declaration of Independence is one of our nation's most precious national treasures. It was
on July 4, 1776 -- 223 years ago -- that the members of the Continental Congress gathered at the State
House in Philadelphia and voted unanimously to adopt the Declaration. They set the colonies on a course
that would lead them to become the greatest democracy in history.
The inspiring language of the Declaration serves to remind us that the rights we enjoy as citizens
of the United States did not come without a struggle. Our democracy and our freedom -- as well as the
privileges and responsibilities that go along with them -- were hard-fought and hard-won. We read these
words each year so that we -- and future generations -- will never forget.
Today, visitors to the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington can view the original
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights -- collectively known as the Charters
of Freedom. Each of the pages is preserved in a sealed glass encasement filled with helium. Special
filters screen out damaging ultraviolet light, and each night, the Charters are lowered into a reinforced
concrete vault. But despite these precautions, state-of-the-art technology developed by NASA indicates
that the cases are deteriorating, potentially threatening the documents within them.
Each year, more than a million people view the Charters, taking advantage of a unique
opportunity to make a connection with our Founding Fathers and the profound legacy of freedom and
responsibility they left us. If future generations are to have the same opportunity, these fragile documents
must be preserved.
It was nearly two years ago, in the Rotunda of the National Archives, that the President and I
announced our plans for the celebration of the new millennium -- a program that would bring Americans
from every corner of the country together to honor our past and imagine our future. Last July, we stood in
front of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian Institution to kick off our Save America's Treasures
program -- a public-private partnership to preserve the treasures that embody our heritage.
This week, we will return to the Archives, where we will announce one of the most important of
these projects -- a plan to re-encase the Charters of Freedom and, with the generous support of the AT&T
Corporation, to develop new exhibits and educational materials. The long-term plan includes an education
center, a gallery, a family history center, restored Rotunda murals, a conference room and a new theater.
Once the project is complete, more visitors than ever will be able to view the documents and gain a
deeper understanding of their unique influence on our democracy.
But I hope they will also gain a greater appreciation of the influence these words have had on
other nations. Just before I sat down to write this column, 1 participated by satellite in an extraordinary
conference of political, civic and economic leaders -- all from new and emerging democracies. Hosted by
the Republic of Yemen, the program was designed to provide a forum to discuss common hurdles, to
highlight success stories and to encourage international commitment to the democratic reform process in
these countries.
The Republic of Yemen itself offers a remarkable success story. The poorest and
most densely populated country on the Arabian peninsula, it has struggled with economic change, social
unrest and debilitating poverty. Yet, against these odds, this small country is one of the most democratic
countries in the Arab world.
Hard as it is to believe, in the 1970s, there were only 40 democracies in the world. Today, the
people of 120 nations are engaged in building societies based on democratic principles. The Fourth of
July is a uniquely American holiday, and I hope every American will celebrate with parades and fireworks,
ice cream and hot dogs. But I also hope Americans will take this opportunity to wish the citizens of all the
emerging democracies of the world success in their struggle for freedom and democracy.
I wish you all a happy Fourth of July.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators
Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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209. New Markets Initia-
tive July 7, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Legal Services Corp.
August 11, 1999
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
As I've traveled around the country, I've seen Americans
enjoying the fruits of our economic prosperity. But I've also
visited big cities and remote rural regions where, despite the
rosy economic forecasts, unemployment statistics are bleak, good
jobs are hard to come by and families are struggling. It is in
places like these, I've learned, that small economic investments
can go a long way toward helping our poorest citizens.
I'll never forget a visit I once made to a women's resource
center in Denver, founded to promote economic independence for
low-income women in one of that city's poorest neighborhoods. Many
of the women I met had been on welfare, but they had skills, such
as baking and sewing, and wanted to start their own businesses.
What they didn't have was access to credit, because most banks
refused to give them loans. One woman turned to me and said, "Too
many great ideas die in the parking lots of banks.'
I have seen successful small loan -- or microcredit --
programs helping to lift people like these women out of poverty in
many parts of the country -- from here in Washington, D.C., to
Chicago and Arkansas, where my husband and I introduced the
concept when he was governor. I have also seen them in action in
such far-flung corners of the globe as Nicaragua and Bangladesh.
My husband and I have often talked about how we would like to
see successful public-private partnerships like these expanded to
help more communities in our own country.
For years, our government has offered the private sector a
variety of incentives to invest in emerging markets overseas. In
order to introduce them to these potential new markets, the
Secretary of Commerce has taken American business leaders and
members of Congress on trade missions around the world.
But there are actually $85 billion in untapped markets right
here at home. This week, accompanied by a delegation of corporate
CEOs, community leaders and members of Congress, my husband
embarked on a four-day, six-state tour to highlight some of the
communities in this country that are ripe for such investment and
to promote his New Markets Initiative. Using new tax incentives
and investment tools, the President's proposals would make it more
attractive for corporations to invest in these "new markets,"
where they have rarely, if ever, invested before.
America is in the midst of its longest peacetime expansion
ever. We have witnessed the creation of 19 million new jobs, wages
for ordinary people are on the rise for the first time in 20
years, and we have the lowest minority unemployment rate ever
recorded.
But let me tell you about a family my husband met this week
in Tyner, Ky. Ray Pennington is a self-described "old timer,' who,
at age 69, had never met a President of the United States -- until
this week. Under the shade of a walnut tree, Pennington and his
daughter, Jean Collett, described life in the neighborhood of
mostly dilapidated trailer homes where they live. Pennington, who
recently lost his wife of 51 years, has emphysema and uses a
portable oxygen tank to help him breathe. Collett quit her job at
the local Dairy Queen to care for her father. Now, their primary
source of income is her son-in-law's $6.30 an hour job at Mid-
South Electronics, Inc.
Pennington and his neighbors desperately need better
transportation and housing. Most of their homes have tar-paper
roofs and broken windows covered with cardboard or wood.
Electricity came to the development in 1961, but Collett didn't
have running water in her bathroom until five years ago.
I can't help but wonder: If we can't help families like these
when times are good, when are we going to get around to doing it?
The President's trip this week is designed to be a trade
mission -- a domestic trade mission -- aimed at prompting $15
billion worth of new investments not only in the places he's
visiting -- Tyner, Ky., Clarksdale, Miss., East St. Louis, Ill.,
Phoenix, Los Angeles and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in
South Dakota, much of which is in the poorest county in the nation
-- but also in dozens of other needy communities.
Ray Pennington's story should remind us that, although this
has been a great time for America, not every American has
benefited from our country's success. As we move into the 21st
century, if we don't make a commitment to helping every willing
and hard-working citizen reap the benefits of our prosperity, we
will have failed not only to meet our moral obligation, but also
to make the most of America's promise.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her
past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at
www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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210. US Women's Soccer
Team/ Title IX
July 14, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Convening on Hispanic
Children and Youth
August 4, 1999
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Last Saturday, the U.S. women's soccer team made history
again. In a thrilling final match played before a sell-out crowd
of more than 90,000 fans -- the most ever to watch a women's
sporting event -- the Americans outscored a brilliant Chinese team
on penalty kicks to regain their World Cup title.
One of the great lines to come out of this year's World Cup
is from a TV ad in which a U.S. player is told by her dentist that
she needs two fillings. One by one, each of her teammates stands
up to pledge, "Then, I will have two fillings." This summer,
whenever the American team played, little girls held up signs
proclaiming, "I will have two fillings."
What those pint-sizes fans realized is that this Women's
World Cup was about more than soccer. It was about teamwork and
solidarity. It was about the power of women and how far they've
come in the last quarter-century. And it was about little girls
everywhere, and the doors that are opening for them.
I was lucky enough to attend the quarter-final match between
the U.S. team and Germany. As I looked around the crowd of future
soccer stars, many sporting the jerseys of their favorite players,
it felt great to know that they finally have superstars of their
own to look up to. And as role models, you couldn't ask for a
better group than the women of the U.S. soccer team.
After the Americans defeated Germany in a heart-stopping
battle that night, veteran defender Brandi Chastain had this to
say: "You're going to make mistakes in life. It's what you do
afterwards that counts."
Six minutes into the game, Chastain had passed the ball into
the U.S. net, putting Germany ahead by one. Her reaction: "Now, we
have to score two goals.' She not only went on to score for her
team early in the second half, but then, took the game-winning
penalty kick in the championship match against China.
I couldn't help but wonder how many teams would have stood
behind Chastain after that first mistake or let her take the
deciding kick in the championship game. But over and over again,
this team has exhibited a spirit that's both unique and
unbeatable.
There's 33-year-old Michelle Akers. The only remaining member
of the original U.S. squad, Akers has scored more World Cup goals
-- 12 -- than any other player in the world, despite a dozen knee
operations, multiple broken bones and an eight-year battle with
chronic fatigue syndrome.
Another veteran is Mia Hamm who, when asked what it's like to
be the best in the world, adamantly responds that she's only one
of 11 players on the field. A tenacious and dedicated player,
Hamm's example off the field teaches her young fans important
lessons about life's other challenges. Devastated by the death of
her 28-year-old brother, Garrett, she established a foundation to
educate people about the National Bone Marrow Registry. "His
illness and death gave me the courage to stand up and ask for
help, and to understand I can do some things for people with the
opportunities I've been given, she explained.
Co-captain Julie Foudy also has some lessons to teach about
the responsibility that goes with celebrity. An outspoken opponent
of child labor, two years ago, Foudy traveled to a region near the
Himalayan Mountains, where 90 percent of the hand-stitched soccer
balls in the world are made, to assure herself that children were
not being used to produce the balls. For her work, soccer's
international governing body awarded her its Fair Play Award the
first time the honor had gone to an American or a woman.
Soccer fans around the world marvel at the performance of the
U.S. team, wondering how they've gotten so good in a country
that's come to soccer relatively late in the game and boasts no
professional league for women -- at least not yet.
Part of the answer lies in Title IX, the federal law that, in
1972, began to even the playing field for male and female
athletes. Title IX came along just as the suburban soccer boom was
beginning to sweep the country, encouraging exceptional players
like Chastain, Akers, Hamm and Foudy to dream of becoming world-
class athletes someday -- just like the boys.
But another part of the answer lies in the dedication and
support each team member has for her teammates. Whether baby-
sitting for each other's children or flying overnight to
participate in an annual game to raise funds for bone-marrow
research, this team knows that its success depends as much on its
strength off the field as its ability to perform on the field.
On behalf of soccer fans everywhere, I want to thank the
women of the U.S. team for hosting and winning -- a thrilling
Women's World Cup.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her
past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at
www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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211. Prayers for the
Kennedy Family
July 21, 1999
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July 28, 1999
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TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Let me share with you some of the words John F. Kennedy Jr. said the last time
he was at the White House. It was March of 1998, and he had come to Washington for
a screening of Tom Hanks' 12-hour HBO special, "From the Earth to the Moon," about
the history of the Apollo space program.
"I'm honored to be here at the White House," he said, "just a few yards from where
President Kennedy made the decision to send Americans to the moon and return them
safely back to the U.S. before the decade of the 1960s was over. In hindsight, the
choice looked obvious, but at the time, it was, in a very real sense, President Kennedy's
alone, made against the opposition of conservatives who thought the priority should be
warheads, and liberals who called the project 'Moondoggle' and believed the money
should be better spent on social services
"But today, there is an American flag on a windless plain on the moon, because the
challenge to explore space stirred something deep and indelible in the American
character. And while all the dire predictions never came true, and the technological
payoff can be found in everything -- from computers to freeze-dried foods to scratch-
proof sunglasses -- we are richer as a nation with the vivid memory of that first step on
the moon."
Kennedy went on to call the space program his father's "proudest legacy." This week,
we celebrate that legacy by marking the 30th anniversary of Apollo 11, which landed a
man on the moon for the first time, and we salute Col. Eileen Collins, the first woman to
command a space shuttle mission.
Today, every NASA astronaut recognizes and
remembers President Kennedy's legacy. So, it was with special sadness this weekend
that Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin spoke at the Kennedy Space Center after hearing
the shocking news that John Kennedy's airplane had disappeared over Martha's
Vineyard. "Our hearts," he said, "go out to the family that has started so much, achieved
so much, suffered and sacrificed so much, and now has even further uncertainty."
Indeed, the hearts of the entire nation go out to the Kennedy family, as well as to the
family of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister, Lauren. For just as we have carried
the picture of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon, so, too, have we
carried the picture of John Kennedy Jr., just 3 years old, saluting the cordon that carried
his father's coffin into St. Matthew's Cathedral that bleak November day, 36 years ago.
As an adult, John's public persona was tinged with glamour and adventure. But those
who knew him well knew a man who carried his father's and mother's legacy with grace
-- a man who lived his life according to the Biblical edict so often repeated by his
grandmother Rose: "And from everyone who has been given much shall much be
required." His own legacy surely will include a strong devotion to public service and the
rights of the underprivileged, the underrepresented and the underserved. I met John
and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, many times, but I'll never forget that final visit
to the White House for the HBO screening. Everyone was moved by John's words about
his father's contribution to the space program.
But what I remember most came after all the other guests had gone home, when we
asked John and Carolyn whether they would like a tour of the White House. John, as it
turned out, had not been there since 1963, and had trouble sorting out what he
remembered from what he had seen only in pictures. We showed him the room where
he slept, and we walked around the grounds where he and his sister played. In the Oval
Office, he saw the President's desk -- the same desk under which he was caught by a
photographer playing hide-and-seek as a toddler -- and the garden named in honor of
his mother, Jacqueline Kennedy.
The John Kennedy I met at the White House was elegant and eloquent -- a man who
had lost so much as a child, but who went on to live a life filled with love, adventure,
accomplishment and, as he said, "relative normalcy."
From the Special Olympics to the Peace Corps, from laws that have raised the
minimum wage and extended health insurance to more working families, to promises
that have sent men -- and now women -- into space, the Kennedy family for decades
has inspired us, led us and moved our nation forward. My prayers -- and the prayers of
the entire nation -- are with them today.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the
Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS
SYNDICATE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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212. Americans w/ Dis-
Abilities Act
July 28, 1999
Divider Title:
Noa A. Meyer
07/28/99 10:43:45 AM
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Subject: HRC 7/28/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
No one should be forced to choose between health care and a job, but that is exactly what
happens to millions of people with disabilities in this country every day.
Joann Elliot worked as a food-service worker at St. Elizabeth's Hospital here in Washington for 20 years.
She loved her job, but in 1991, a massive stroke left her paralyzed on her left side. Now, she needs a
wheelchair to get around and help with bathing, dressing and completing other day-to-day activities.
Because she had to give up her job, Joann receives Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare and
Medicaid to cover her personal-care assistant, prescriptions, special equipment, therapy and some
transportation. But she wants to go back to work. "I don't like staying at home," she explains. "I want to get
out and be productive."
Here's the problem: If Joann finds a job -- even a low-paying one -- she'll lose her Medicaid benefits -- the
very health care coverage that she needs to be able to go to work.
Karen
Moore, who is confined to a wheelchair, was thrilled when she found a job as a dispatcher for the River
Cities, S.D., Transit System. When she began working full-time, Karen found that she needed less
medical care, made new friends and was able to reduce her SSDI benefits.
But like Joann, she also found herself in a Catch-22. She depends on an attendant to get ready for work
every day, but lost coverage for that care once she went to work. "I believe in contributing for these
services," she says, "but the current arrangement makes it impossible for me to continue working."
After David Robar sustained a spinal-cord injury in 1990, he learned the same unfortunate lesson.
Determined to return to work, he managed to finish his degree in business administration, but when he
began looking for a job, he found that he would have to give up his health care benefits. "If I were to pay
for my personal attendant services out of pocket," he says, "it would cost me more than I would make
working full-time."
Today, millions of Americans live with disabilities and can bring enormous energy and creativity to our
workforce. Studies show that the vast majority wants to work, yet 75 percent of them are unemployed.
Too often, they find themselves in the same boat as David, Karen and Joann: If they find a job, they stand
to lose the very benefits that allow them to go to work in the first place.
Nine years ago this week, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, opening doors in the same
way that the Civil Rights Act did three decades ago. Whereas, at one time, we presumed that a disability
meant a lifetime of dependence, now, we know that those with disabilities want to -- and can -- lead
independent lives and contribute to our nation's prosperity.
I am proud of the steps this Administration has taken to integrate people with disabilities into the
workplace. Last year, my husband created a National Task Force on Employment of Adults with
Disabilities. He has implemented new regulations that increase the amount of income that those with
disabilities can earn while still receiving critical benefits; taken steps to remove federal hiring barriers for
people with mental illness; and ordered the development of a plan for the federal government to hire more
people with disabilities.
But while these actions have been a source of hope to Americans with disabilities, a major obstacle to
employment remains: Most Medicare and Medicaid benefits are limited to those too disabled to work. That
is why, this week, as we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA, my husband has urged Congress to pass
legislation that would provide new health care options and employment assistance so that people with
disabilities can work.
Last year, when we celebrated the anniversary of the ADA, the President promised to work with Senators
Jeffords and Kennedy to achieve this goal. In his State of the Union Address in January, he urged
Congress to make this legislation a top priority, and he included full funding for it in the budget he sent to
Congress. In June, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 99-0, the Senate passed a bill. But the full
House has yet to act.
In many ways, work helps build our self-respect as well as our nation's economy. But although our nation
is enjoying its lowest unemployment in a generation, too many Americans with disabilities cannot
participate because of the barriers that still stand.
Ignoring the potential of these citizens is not only a missed opportunity for them, it is a missed opportunity
for the entire country. Let's celebrate the anniversary of the ADA by opening the doors of opportunity for
millions of Americans even wider, so that no American has to choose between going to work and paying
medical bills ever again.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate
web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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213. Convening on Hispanic
Children / Youth
Aug. 4, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) US Women's Soccer
Team/ Title 9 July 14, 1999
Subject: Clinton 8/4
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Over the past six and a half years, the President and I have brought many
experts to the White House to talk about the challenges facing our children. We've
talked about school violence and early childhood development, education and Social
Security.
But few issues will affect our children's lives in the next century as much
as the one we tackled this week, at the first-ever White House Convening on Hispanic
Children and Youth.
The Hispanic population is one of the fastest-growing and
one of the youngest in this country. It is also one of the most disadvantaged, with close
to 42 percent of all children living below the poverty line.
Despite this
Administration's efforts to develop and promote programs to improve the lives of our
Hispanic population, too many children are still being left behind. Dropout rates are too
high, health insurance rates are too low, too many teens become pregnant, and too
many consider suicide.
But the message that came through loud and clear at
Monday's meeting was one of hope. Latino children are talented and resilient -- many
are fluent in two languages, an accomplishment that too few Americans, including
myself, can boast -- and Latino families are strong. Successful efforts to raise Latino
children out of poverty build on these strengths.
Let me tell you about two young
people who shared their stories at the White House this week:
Miguel Flores was
born in Tijuana, Mexico. His family moved to a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in
East Los Angeles when he was 5 years old. He showed potential in high school, but he
hung out with a bad crowd -- until he was tapped to join PUENTE Learning Center's
High School Tutorial Program, which I visited in 1996.
Founded in 1985 by Sister
Jennie Lechtenberg, PUENTE is a nationally and internationally renowned educational
center for children, youth and adults. The surrounding neighborhood is marked by
graffiti and broken windows, but inside this vibrant hub of activity, 2,000 students a day -
- ages 3 to 87 -- learn to
read, write and use computers. Adults study English, earn their high-school diplomas,
and receive job training. A UCLA professor became Miguel's tutor and mentor,
guiding him not only through his high-school graduation, but on to Yale University,
where he received his degree with a double major in history and political science. He
hopes to enter law school next fall.
As pleased as Miguel is with his own
accomplishments, I wish you could have heard the pride in his voice as he talked about
two other PUENTE alums -- his sister, a student at Wesleyan University, and his
mother, who has just earned her high-school diploma.
Maria Huerta is a 26-year-
old single mother of two from San Antonio, Texas. The only one of her five siblings to
graduate from high school, she received an athletic scholarship at a local university. But
her studies were interrupted when she became pregnant. And after her second child
was born, she says, she felt "the impossible." In order to return to college, she knew
she needed help -- help that she eventually found at AVANCE, a non-profit family
support and education program. There, she attended parent-education classes, and
received much-
needed services, like child care. "The support from the AVANCE staff and new friends I
made was overwhelming," she remembers. "They believed in me, and, most of all, I
believed in myself again." Last summer, Maria graduated from college, and now she's
working on her master's degree in education. When asked what she's most proud of,
she replies, "Hearing my children say that they would like to graduate from college just
like their mother did."
We know that programs like PUENTE and AVANCE work.
And we know that the President's Hispanic Education Agenda is working to improve
achievement and graduation rates. But we also know that all children -- regardless of
their ethnic heritage -- need the same things: They need to know that adults love them
and expect the very best for and from them. And they need adequate health care,
smaller classes, school buildings that aren't crumbling around them, well-trained
teachers, stimulating pre-school and after-school programs and financial support so that
they can go on to college. With the deficit gone and unemployment at record lows, now
is not the time to step back from these very important promises. Now is not the time for
big tax cuts that will undercut the progress we've made. Now is the time to seize this
historic opportunity and tackle the challenges that remain. Hispanic children aren't
somebody else's children. They are all our children -- our next generation of doctors and
lawyers, teachers and nurses, secretaries and carpenters, computer engineers and
government leaders. They deserve the opportunity to fulfill their own God-given promise
and lead our country into the next century.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham
Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at
www.creators.com. ***
This week's White House Convening is just part of an ongoing effort. To learn
more, you can contact the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans at 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., FB-6 Room 5E110, Washington, D.C.
20202.
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214. Legal Services Corp
Aug. 11, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Congressional Agenda
September 15, 1999
Subject: Clinton 8/11
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
"Equal access to justice under the law" is a phrase too often taken for granted.
But although equal access has always been one of the cornerstones of our democracy,
25 years ago, it was a promise that finally became a reality for millions of Americans.
For it was in 1974 that Congress established the Legal Services Corporation, to provide
legal assistance in civil cases to those who couldn't afford to hire their own lawyer.
I am especially proud of the Legal Services Corporation, because in 1978, when I
was teaching at the University of Arkansas School of Law, I was named by President
Carter to be a member of the LSC's board of directors. Later, I was honored to serve as
its chair.
Today, the LSC funds programs in every county of the nation. It shines as
a beacon of hope and a last line of defense for millions of poor Americans --
mothers seeking child support, and children without access to health care; families
facing homelessness or living in intolerable housing conditions; welfare recipients
seeking training, and nursing home residents deprived of basic care and dignity;
farmers losing their livelihoods, and women seeking protection from abuse.
For
Lucy Johnson, of Syracuse, N.Y., the LSC meant keeping her home. Lucy has been a
resident of the Kennedy Square Building since it opened in 1975. A few years ago, she
and her neighbors were shocked to hear that their electricity was about to be cut off
because their landlord owed over $1 million in unpaid bills. For years, all the tenants of
the building had paid utilities as part of their rent, but for three years, the management
company had failed to pay its electric bills.
With nowhere else to turn, Lucy called a
lawyer at the offices of Legal Services of Central New York. He set up a meeting
between the tenants and the utility company, and negotiated a plan to keep the
electricity on. Lucy and her neighbors feel very lucky. "Very simply," she says, "we
would have been in very big trouble without the help of legal services."
For Dan and
Terry Choat, Legal Services meant keeping the family farm. Dan has been raising pigs
outside of Omaha, Neb., since he was 11 years old. But like so many small family
farmers across the country, he and Terry have faced near bankruptcy as prices have
fluctuated. With the help of a legal aid lawyer, though, they have devised a plan to pay
off their creditors, honor their debts, and save the farm for their children and
grandchildren.
For Karen Brown, Legal Services has meant even more. Karen
grew up in public housing in New Jersey, but she knew she wanted a different life for
herself. In her words, "The people I grew up around just felt it was hopeless and there
was nothing they could do. It's a disgusting feeling, like a disease, and I just said to
myself, 'I want to help my people and give them a sense of power so that they can do
things for themselves." Karen won a scholarship to college, and then, went on to
Rutgers law school. Despite tempting offers from high-
paying corporate law firms, Karen decided to become a legal aid lawyer. Her first clients
were the tenants of the public housing project she grew up in.
Last year alone,
Karen and thousands of other legal aid lawyers just like her handled over 1 million
cases. But even with all their good work, and with the help of tens of thousands of
private attorneys who do pro bono work every day, legal services still reach only a
fraction of those in need. Some things haven't changed in the 20 years since I was on
the LSC board. The LSC still has to fight for every penny it gets from Congress. This
summer, like so many before it, a congressional appropriating committee slashed
funding for legal services. What has changed, though, are the faces of the poor.
Twenty years ago, the majority of poor Americans were elderly. Today, of the 40 million
Americans living in poverty, almost half are children. And without the LSC, many of
those children and their mothers would have no place to turn when facing legal hurdles.
As we come to the end of this century, we find ourselves at a critical point in our
history -- a point when the very notion of what America stands for is being tested. If we
are to meet that test -- if we are to fulfill the promise of equal access to justice under the
law -- then, we must continue to support the work of the Legal Services Corporation.
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215. Ending Gun Violence
Aug. 18, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) HIV / AIDS in Africa
September 8, 1999
TALKING IT OVER
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc081899.html
TALKING IT OVER
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
August 18, 1999
This past Monday, students and teachers at Columbine High School returned to
class, 17 weeks after two teenage boys walked calmly into the building, and
armed with automatic firearms and homemade bombs, killed 12 students and a
beloved teacher.
One month later, on the very day that the President and I traveled to Colorado
to meet with members of the Littleton community, a 15-year-old in Conyers,
Ga., opened fire at his high school. And last week, the nation was stunned yet
again, when a man, apparently wielding a submachine gun, murdered a post
office employee, and then, turned his hatred on three children, a teenage camp
counselor and a receptionist at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles.
Each time a child is the victim of gun violence, it shocks our national
conscience and shakes our national confidence, for the safety of our children is
our single most important responsibility. Neither gun violence nor hate crimes
have a place in our society.
As I have traveled around the country in the weeks since the Littleton tragedy,
talking with students and their parents, it's not helplessness or despair I've
heard, but rather a clear and forceful determination to end the violence that
threatens our children.
Let me share with you part of a letter I received shortly after the Colorado
shootings from a seventh-grader I met in Buffalo, N.Y. She wrote: "Violence is
all around me. There are gangs in my neighborhood. Because of this, I am not
free to ride my bike around the block. My mother fears for my life every time I
leave the house. I have gotten used to it, because violence has been a part of my
life since I was a child." She concluded with this: "I believe the children are the
future, but if we stay on this road of violence and destruction, our children will
lose all hope for tomorrow."
The President and I are determined not to let this child, or any other child, lose
hope.
After Littleton, the Senate passed tough new provisions, proposed by the
President, that would have strengthened our gun safety laws. But even these
most common-sense of measures -- measures that in no way would have
restricted the activities of honest and legitimate gun owners -- were blocked by
House members who, apparently, were more interested in the approval of the
National Rifle Association than in the safety of our children.
The failure of Congress, though, has not deterred action on other fronts. On
May 10, less than a month after the shootings at Columbine, the President and I
hosted a strategy session at the White House to talk about solutions to youth
violence. At the end of the day, we united behind the idea of a national
campaign against youth violence. And this week, the President named an
executive director to head the new nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
As part of the campaign, the President challenged the entertainment industry to
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do its part to combat youth violence. This week, television executives
responded with a sweeping new anti-violence public-service advertising
campaign that every major television network and more than 20 cable channels
will air during prime time. The ad features the President and children talking
about the need for parents to communicate with their kids about violence.
Of course, no ad can make every parent talk with every child about violence,
but each of us has a responsibility to do what we can. This is an important
commitment on the part of the television industry, and it will have a
tremendous impact.
As our children return to school, they will probably be worrying about things
like remembering their new locker combinations, winning a part in the school
play or the band, making a sports team, and, of course, getting good grades.
What they should not be worrying about is becoming the victim of gun violence
in the halls of their schools or on the streets of their neighborhoods.
Before another child dies in a tragic shooting, let's translate our shock into
action. Let's reach out to young people, and let them know that they can talk to
their parents if they are scared or see problems developing in their schools.
Let's provide more help and counseling for angry and alienated kids. And let's
take guns out of the volatile mix that makes up our children's daily lives.
Let's give our children back their childhood.
If you'd like a free booklet on talking with children about violence, you can call
1-800-CHILD44 (1-800-244-5344), or visit this web site:
www.talkingwithkids.org.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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216. Welfare to Work
Partnership
Aug. 25, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) The President's Budget
September 1, 1999
TALK IT OVER
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc082599.html
TALKING IT OVER
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
August 25, 1999
The President took office on a promise to make work pay -- to transform our
system of welfare into a system of work and responsibility.
This month marks the third anniversary of the signing of the 1996 welfare
reform law. Record numbers of people are leaving welfare for work, and new
data show that every state has met the law's work requirements. Welfare
caseloads are at their lowest levels since 1967, and there are half as many
people on welfare as there were when my husband took office -- a decline of
6.8 million. In addition, those still on the welfare rolls in 1998 were almost four
times more likely to be working than they were in 1992.
Since its launch in 1997, 12,000 businesses have joined The Welfare-to-Work
Partnership. These companies have hired an estimated 410,000 people from the
welfare rolls, and employers are finding that former welfare recipients are a
good investment -- they work hard and stay in their jobs as long or longer than
other employees.
It's important to recognize, though, that simply passing a law requiring welfare
recipients to find work would have failed to fulfill the President's promise. Too
many of those on welfare had known nothing but dependency all their lives,
and many would have found it difficult to make the transition to work on their
own.
No responsible American who works 40 hours a week and has children in the
home should be living in poverty. But too many who have minimum-wage or
other low-paying jobs are. That is why it was important, when the welfare
reform law was passed, to make sure there would be continued Medicaid
coverage and nutrition assistance, along with other supports for working
families, including child care and an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.
Here's a story with an important lesson about leaving welfare: Shari could be a
single mother living anywhere in the country. She was on welfare when her
daughters were born, but for the past year, she has worked as a technician in a
veterinarian's office, making $6.50 an hour. Shari loves her job, but although
she still gets some help with child care, she sometimes finds it hard to make
ends meet.
Based on her income, Shari is eligible for about $150 a month in food stamps.
But there's a catch: She has a car. It's not a fancy car, but she needs it get her
girls to school and get to work. The problem is that the value of her car exceeds
the food stamp asset limit of $4,650, so she has lost her eligibility for food
stamp assistance.
Shari, like too many other working parents, is being forced to choose between
feeding her family and owning a reliable car.
Although families of three who earn up to $8.50 an hour are eligible for food
stamps, fewer than half actually apply and receive the benefits. It appears that
many people who move from welfare to work don't realize that they're still
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eligible for assistance. And of course, rules like the one that required Shari to
choose between her car and her benefits worked to reduce the number of
families getting food stamps as well.
That is why, last month, the President made it easier for working families to
own a car and still be eligible for food stamps. In addition, he simplified the
reporting rules that get in the way of serving working families, and launched a
nationwide public-education campaign and a toll-free hot line to help working
families find out if they're eligible for food stamps.
In this country, we must let hard-working Americans know that there is no
indignity in accepting help for which they are eligible, whether in the form of
food stamps, a tax credit for working families, or health care for themselves or
their children. And all of us -- federal, state, and local government, as well as
the private sector -- must do everything in our power to remove any barriers
that stand in the way of working families getting access to these important
supports. In addition, we must further strengthen our commitment to child care,
make continued investments in Welfare-to-Work programs to help long-term
welfare recipients and low-income fathers get jobs and support their families,
increase our commitment to transportation and housing for low-income
working families, and work to raise the minimum wage.
For the past six and a half years, the President has pursued a new approach to
help lift people out of poverty - to make work pay. Now is the time to finish
the job and reward responsible hard-working Americans like Shari.
***
If you'd like to find out more about the food stamp program, you can call
1-800-221-5689, or visit this web site: www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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217. The President's Budget
Sept. 1, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Welfare to Work
Partnership
August 25, 1999
TALKING IT OVER
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc090199.html
TALKING IT OVER
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
September 1, 1999
It's time to start thinking about putting the beach towels and the umbrellas away
and going back to school. For those of us adults who are lucky enough to have
had a vacation, it's time to finish our summer reading and get back to work.
Even members of Congress are preparing to return to Washington to take up the
debate over the budget.
We're living in a time of great prosperity -- of almost unparalleled opportunity.
I'm proud of what we've accomplished over the course of the last six and a half
years, but it's time to look forward, not back. The question now before us is
how do we take advantage of this historic opportunity? How do we strengthen,
rather than weaken, our fundamental commitments, not only to our parents and
our grandparents, but to future generations as well?
The President's budget would do both: It would meet the challenge of our aging
population by saving and reforming Social Security and Medicare, and it would
strengthen and improve our schools, preparing our children for life in the next
century.
For 34 years, Medicare has protected the health of our seniors, but unless we
act now, the Medicare trust fund will be insolvent by the year 2015. While this
should be a major concern for every American, it is a particular problem for
women.
Very simply, women live longer than men. The typical 65-year-old woman
retiring this year can expect to live to be 84. Four out of five of America's
elderly women are widowed, and almost half live out their days alone. And not
surprisingly, elderly women are more likely than their male counterparts to be
poor.
I've talked with women all over the country about their concerns for the future.
Those living alone worry about who will care for them when they can no longer
live independently. Those with limited incomes worry about how to pay for
their prescription drugs, regular checkups and screening tests for osteoporosis
and breast cancer, and whether they can afford Medigap premiums, which
increase with age. Many of those in their 60s and 70s also worry about how to
care for their aging and disabled parents.
Now is the time to save and modernize Medicare -- especially by offering
coverage for prescription drugs and preventive screenings. We owe it to our
parents and grandparents, as well as to those of us in my generation who are
caretakers and are beginning to age. Finally, we owe it to our children not to
make them pay off the debt we've accumulated, or burden them with fixing
Medicare or Social Security, just because we didn't have the discipline to do it
ourselves.
We also owe our children and grandchildren the best education we can afford to
give them.
Since the day he was elected, my husband has made improving our country's
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schools a top priority. He has worked to improve standards, accountability and
choice, and to make a college education available to every American.
He knows, however, that much remains to be done. Before leaving town for the
summer recess, though, Republican members of Congress passed a tax bill that
could force devastating cuts in key programs to reduce class size, modernize
old and crumbling school buildings, support after-school and summer-jobs
programs, help children learn to read, keep schools safe and drug-free, connect
every classroom to the Internet, and expand access to college. Moreover, the
Republican bill devotes no money to saving Medicare.
As our lawmakers return to Washington, and we renew the debate on these
critical issues, let's put partisan politics aside. Let's not squander the
hard-earned surplus we worked so hard to gain. Let's not risk our historic
economic expansion with fiscally irresponsible plans that would raise interest
rates and hurt confidence in our economy. Let's save Social Security and
Medicare. Let's invest in our children and in our future. Let's pay down the
debt. Then, let's decide what we can afford in the way of a tax cut.
And over the course of the next few weeks, let's not forget the real people
whose lives will be touched by what we decide. Let's not forget that the elderly
neighbor down the street or in the apartment next door -- for whom Medicare is
nothing short of a life support -- could be your mother or grandmother. Let's not
forget that the eager kindergartner off to school for the first time -- who
deserves smaller classes and a clean and safe school -- could be your son or
grandson. They're the ones we're seeking to protect and support. Let's not turn
our backs on them now.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns,
visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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218. HIV / AIDS in Africa
Sept. 8, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Mental Health Conf.
June 9, 1999
Elizabeth Johns <[email protected]>
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Subject: Clinton 9/8
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
Twenty years ago, no one had ever heard of the human immunodeficiency virus. Yet, today, it is
the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is the leading cause of death,
killing 5,500 people and infecting 11,000 new victims each day. In our own country, we learned just last
week that the rate of HIV infections is no longer declining. Despite these grim statistics, though, there is
cause for optimism.
Last year, on World AIDS Day, my husband spoke about the growing tragedy of C
hildren orphaned by AIDS, and directed his Office of National AIDS Policy to lead a fact-finding mission to
Africa. What they found is a human, economic, political and social catastrophe that touches each and
every one of us. If we don't take steps to stop it today, what we are witnessing in Africa will most likely be
repeated in India, Southeast Asia and the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union.
Although AIDS kills indiscriminately, the disease is stalking women an
disproportionately. More than half of all new HIV infections are among women, shattering families and
placing extraordinary burdens on the villages that have been the backbone of the child-rearing tradition.
In addition to isolation and stigma, the destruction of families threatens child welfare in unprecedented
ways. In many places, one-quarter of the children are living with an HIV-positive parent, and are destined
to be orphaned by the end of this year. Over the course of the next decade, more than 40 million children
will lose one or both parents to AIDS. An entire generation of Africa's children is in jeopardy. AIDS
is
not only causing unfathomable human suffering, it is also wiping out decades of progress on a host of
development objectives. Life expectancy in Zimbabwe has dropped by an unbelievable 25 years. In the
coming decade, child mortality will triple. In the Ivory Coast, one teacher per day dies of HIV/AIDS. And
despite steady advances in access to education, a rapid
hildren, particularly girls, is dropping out of school to work or care for dying parents. Far too few are
finding their way back. In Zambia, 100,000 children, most orphaned by AIDS, are living on the streets of
Lusaka. In an effort to survive, many are forced into crime, sex and drug operations, and we can only
assume that HIV is spreading rapidly among them.
Not surprisingly, this extraordinary level of
human devastation is jeopardizing economic growth and threatening political stability. Over the course of
the next 20 years, it is predicted that AIDS will reduce the economies of sub-Saharan Africa by as much
as 25 percent. AIDS is not just an African problem. It is a worldwide problem, and it is time to act.
Our efforts in this area must be part of our overall development policy. Leadership, combined with
sustained investment, has made, and can continue to make, an extraordinary difference. Uganda's
President Yoweri Museveni demonstrated bold leadership early in the epidemic by
uce the stigma and transmission as well as to support those who became sick. As a result, infection rates
in urban Uganda have been cut in half. Over the past decade, the United States has invested with the
Ugandan government, other donors and non-governmental organizations to provide HIV prevention, care
and support. When I was in Uganda, I saw the results at the AIDS Information Center I visited and on
billboards exhorting Ugandans to protect themselves against the disease. Now, momentum is building,
and other African leaders are speaking out as well.
In July, the Vice President, calling AIDS in Africa
the "worst infectious disease catastrophe in the history of modern medicine," announced that the
administration would seek the largest-ever budget increase in the global battle against AIDS, an increase
that would allow us to more than double our efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, several new
initiatives, including a UN Conference on Children Orphaned by AIDS and a G-7 deb
ill allow countries to target new resources for combating the disease, will encourage public and private
groups around the world to become involved. As part of this initiative, this week at the White House, I
convened a meeting of senior government officials, corporate CEOs, representatives of the World Bank,
the United Nations, international foundations and community groups to discuss how best to enhance and
coordinate our AIDS efforts in Africa and around the world.
The global battle against AIDS has just
begun, and we know the worst is yet to come. But the faces of the world's children beckon us -- especially
members of Congress -- to act now. It is time to develop the capacity and partnerships we lack, not only to
seek a vaccine, but also to care for those who are suffering from this dreadful disease today.
To find
out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page
at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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219. Congressional
Agenda Sept. 15, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) Americorps 5th
Anniversary Celebration
October 20, 1999
Elizabeth Johns <[email protected]>
09/14/99 11:34:03 PM
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Subject: Clinton 9/15
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
This is an important time for the American people. Congress is back in session, and expected to
tackle many of the issues that affect our citizens in very direct ways -- from taxes, to health care,
retirement, education, campaign finance reform and the minimum wage. We should all pay close attention
to the deliberations, because the decisions made by our representatives will have real and long-lasting
consequences, and will determine whether we continue along the road to security and prosperity, or
return to the short-sighted and ill-advised policies of the past.
Under my husband's leadership, this
country has witnessed the creation of 19.4 million new jobs, the longest peacetime expansion, and the
largest budget surplus in history. The latest economic reports show unemployment dropping to 4.2
percent, the lowest rate since January of 1970. In order not to squander this hard-won, prosperity, we
must commit ourselves to saving Social Security and strengthening and modernizing Medicare. We must
pay down our debt, continue to improve educational and economic opportunity, and inject new investment
in areas still untouched by our recovery. And we must do these things now.
A proposed increase in the minimum wage is a good example. Working 40 hours a week, 50
weeks a year, a minimum-wage worker earns just $10,300 annually -- not enough to makes ends meet for
many families, and below the poverty level for a family of four. The President and Democratic members of
Congress have proposed an increase of $1 -- from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour -- over two years, which would
boost a family's income by an additional $2,000. Although critics traditionally predict that raising the
minimum wage is bad for business and benefits mostly middle-income teenagers, the evidence points in
the opposite direction. Since the last increase three years ago, more than 8 million new jobs have been
added to the economy, and unemployment has declined. And of those who would benefit, 70 percent are
adults, and three-fifths are women, many of whom are the sole breadwinners in their households. Raising
the minimum wage will be considered as the Senate debates bankruptcy reform -- another bill that will
have far-reaching implications for America. Bankruptcy reform is in order, and anyone who can repay a
portion of his debts should be required to do so. Bankruptcy reform, however, should be balanced, and
should require greater responsibility from creditors and debtors alike.
As we approach the end of the
federal government's fiscal year on Oct. 1, lawmakers must pass the 13 appropriations bills to fund the
government for the next 12 months. As I write this, members of Congress are woefully underfunding
programs like education and health care. In other areas, they are cutting key programs altogether.
I am appalled that one of the bills passed by the House cuts entirely one of the great success stories of
the last five years - AmeriCorps. Since 1994, with broad bipartisan support, AmeriCorps has given over
100,000 young people the opportunity to serve. It has enabled Americans from every walk of life to work
together to revitalize our neighborhoods and our schools.
Cutting funding for AmeriCorps sends
exactly the wrong message to our young citizens who want to make a difference in their communities, and
the President has promised a veto if funding is inadequate.
Not only is AmeriCorps in jeopardy, but
other important programs are threatened by another bill the President has vowed to veto -- the Republican
tax cut bill. This risky proposal does nothing to save Social Security or modernize and strengthen
Medicare. Moreover, in 2009, the Republican plan would slash domestic programs across the board by
nearly 50 percent.
Cuts of this magnitude could mean roughly 425,000 fewer children enrolled in
Head Start, over 7,000 fewer FBI agents protecting our streets, and the elimination of funding for all
toxic-waste cleanup projects nationwide. The costs of this tax cut would explode just as the baby boom
generation begins to retire, Medicare is projected to become insolvent, and Social Security begins to
come under significant strain. Now is not the time to abandon our elderly, our children and our future for
the sake of short-term political gain. Now is the time to adopt a budget plan that addresses critical
priorities, such as Social Security and Medicare, and takes action on the other important challenges
facing our country.
Now is the time to pass common-sense gun measures to prevent youth violence
and keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. Now is the time to pass a strong, enforceable
Patients' Bill of Rights. Now is the time to rebuild and modernize America's schools. And now is the time
for Congress to keep its promise to hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class sizes.
We can meet
our most pressing national needs. That's what the American people want, and that's what Congress
should give them.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators
Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED
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220. New Year's Eve 99
Sept. 22, 1999
Divider Title:
(on back of tab) 8ᵗʰ Millennium Evening
October 13, 1999
Eric E. Massey
09/23/99 01:57:54 PM
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Subject: Clinton 9/22
Forwarded by Eric E. Massey/WHO/EOP on 09/23/99 01:57 PM
Elizabeth Johns <[email protected]>
09/23/99 01:12:01 PM
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Subject: Clinton 9/22
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
I'd like to invite you to a party, and although it's still a few months off, I want to be sure you mark it
on your calendars now. This week, at midnight Wednesday to be precise, we'll be just 100 days away
from the year 2000. According to the United States Naval Observatory, the nation's official timekeeper,
the new century and the new millennium won't begin for a full year, but we know, nonetheless, that much
of the world will begin celebrating this December.
Here in Washington, we're having a party to kick
off the millennium year. We're calling it "America's Millennium," and we'd like you to come.
In
anticipation, the President and I created the White House Millennium Council, charged not only with
planning the upcoming festivities, but also with engaging the nation in thinking about the long-term
significance of this historic milestone. From the beginning, the Council's activities have been guided by
this theme: "Honor the Past Imagine the Future."
We know that every commun
of its past worth preserving -- from the crumbling records buried in the town hall, to the beloved statue on
the village green and the favorite son's birthplace. These historic sites and artifacts serve as living
reminders of the ideals and creativity that have shaped the American experience. The goals of the Council
are to educate, inspire and reflect on this creative spirit. To that end, we are awarding the national
designation of "Millennium Community" to each town, city, county and tribe that takes a leadership role in
marking the millennium. We have launched the "Save America's Treasures" program, which is designed
to identify and save many of our endangered American treasures for future generations -- from the
Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the writing of our national anthem, to the Louis Armstrong
House and Archives in Queens, N.Y.
Millennium Trails is a national initiative designed to spark the
creation or enhancement of trails across America. Along with the D
on, we have designated 16 National Millennium Trails, including the Lewis and Clark National Historic
Trail and the Underground Railroad, that tell the story of our nation's past. State and local trails that
provide recreation, protect green space and reflect history and cultural traditions will also receive
Millennium Trails designation. A series of Millennium Evenings at the White House has showcased the
creativity and inventiveness of America. Speakers have included the renowned historian Bernard Bailyn,
noted physicist Stephen Hawking, Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, jazz artists Wynton Marsalis and Marian
McPartland, and the extraordinary writer and thinker Elie Wiesel. The Mars Millennium Project aims to
engage young people by challenging them to design a human community on Mars. The project will help
students consider the scientific components of survival and make choices about culture and governance.
Next month, we will host "Gifts to the Future," a White House Conference on
highlight the unique American tradition of giving, discuss the diverse and changing face of philanthropy,
and explore how we can sustain and expand our generosity for future generations.
Now, to our
end-of-year festivities, which will also be guided by our goal to celebrate the creative potential of America.
Beginning on Friday, Dec. 31, The Smithsonian Institution will host a three-day festival for families and
children. Called "Millennium on the Mall," it will feature special performances and demonstrations of
American heroes from culture, sports, music, entertainment, literature, science and technology. At the
same time, "Main Street Millennium," a Washington, D.C., city block party, adjacent to the National Mall,
will offer a variety of food and entertainment from local chefs, artists and entertainers. All the events are
free, and we invite everyone's participation, especially children. The President and I have asked Quincy
Jones and George Stevens Jr. to produce a spectacular
a," which will bring some of our brightest stars to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday night to
perform with a 100-piece orchestra and the combined bands, choirs and marching units of the U.S. Armed
Forces.
At 11:30 p.m., revelers will enjoy "Unfinished Journey," a 17-minute film created by
Steven Spielberg to capture the highlights of the last hundred years of American life and history. Just
before 12, the President will address the nation. And at the stroke of midnight, we will all be treated to a
spectacular high-tech sound and light display that will light up the sky as we all join in a rousing sing-along
to salute the new year. As you can see, Washington is the place to be this New Year's Eve. It's a
once-in-a-thousand-years happening, and I hope you'll join us. To find out more about Hillary Rodham
Clinton and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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221. Foster Care and
Adoption Sept. 29, 1999
Divider Title:
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October 6, 1999
Eric E. Massey
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Subject: HRC Column 9/29/99
TALKING IT OVER
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1999, AND THEREAFTER
For more than 25 years, as an advocate and an attorney, I have worked to address the
challenges of foster care and adoption. I've represented foster children and their prospective parents in
court, and I've sought changes in laws that discourage adoptions.
I've listened to social workers,
judges, police officers and parents frustrated by the red tape that so often keeps them from sharing their
lives with the children who badly need their love. And I've listened to the children themselves -- children
who have spent the precious years of their childhoods feeling alone and unloved, moving from home to
home. Since my husband was elected, we have worked together to devise a strategy to reform the foster
care system in this country. Giving every child the chance to live in a stable and secure environment -- to
have a permanent and loving home -- has been at the heart of our efforts.
The first bill my
husband signed into law was the Family and Medical Leave Act, which helps new parents, including
adoptive parents, carve out the time they need to care for their new children. The President also signed
and strengthened the Multiethnic Placement Act, which put an end to racial discrimination in adoption.
We have made adoptions more affordable, putting in place tax credits for new adoptive families.
And we're taking steps to use the Internet more effectively to help match waiting children with loving
homes. In 1996, we set an ambitious national goal -- to double the number of children adopted annually,
from 28,000 to 56,000, by the year 2002. In order to meet this goal, we worked with members of Congress
to pass bipartisan legislation that dramatically reduced the amount of time children spend in foster care.
Under this bill, for example, no child waits longer than 12 months -- down from 18 months -- before a court
considers permanent placement. The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 also removed barriers to
adoption, and for the first time, provided financial incentives to encourage states to increase the number
of children adopted each year. Last week, we were pleased to receive a report from the Department of
Health and Human Services indicating that our strategy -- and these laws -- are working. For the first time
since the foster care program was created 20 years ago, the number of adoptions from the system has
risen dramatically. In fact, since 1996, the total number of adoptions has risen 29 percent. Last week, the
President awarded adoption incentive bonuses, totaling $20 million, to 35 states -- including Illinois, where
placements more than doubled -- for their exceptional achievement.
But there's more we need to do.
Under current law, foster children who turn 18 are forced to leave the system, without the support they
might need to make the transition to independence. With broad bipartisan support, the House of
Representatives has passed a bill that would allow these young people to remain on Medicaid until the
age of 21, and give them extra help in finishing high school, going to college, and finding work and a place
to live. It's time for the Senate to pass a companion bill for the President to sign. Every time I need
inspiration for our fight to strengthen and increase adoption in America, I think of Deanna Collins. Four
years ago, with her eyes downcast and her shoulders slumped forward, Deanna stood at a podium in the
East Room of the White House. In a quiet voice, she told the audience about her dream of living in a place
she could call home, with a room of her own, and a family she could love.
Not long after that visit,
Deanna's dream came true, and it's been my privilege to watch as adoption has transformed her life. With
the love of her parents and the confidence that comes from knowing she will always have a place to call
home, she is thriving. A senior in high school, she plans to go to college next year and major in social
work. I think of Sue and Hector Badeau, who have adopted 22 children. I think of Virginia Williams who,
many years ago, opened her heart and her home to a 3-year-
old boy who had been declared unadoptable and was institutionalized by his state. Today, that boy is the
mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams. Finally, I think of Dawn Keane, who with her husband,
Steve, adopted two children last May. Last week at the White House, she said, "Families who have
adopted know that these children are special gifts from God, and that they enrich our lives in more ways
than we could ever have imagined. I know that there are more than 100,000 children in the country still
waiting to find families. Our hope is that all of these children can become someone's special gift." That is
my hope as well.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit
the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE,
INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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