Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents 2001-01-01: Vol 36 Iss 52

57 Pages·16.1 MB·English

Veekly Compilation of
Presidential
Documents
Monday, January 1, 2001
Volume 36—Number 52
Pages 3163-3215
Contents
Addresses to the Nation Communications to Federal Agencies
Christmas greetings nal financial institutions and other
itional organizations grams
Addresses and Remarks
randum on funding
See also Bill Signings memoranaum ¢
Ne Tmunations
Budget 3204
Global | ood tor Ed Executive Orders
Radio adcaress Li 1 ents of Certain Rates ft Pay 3176
Appointments and Nominations shment f the President’s Task Force
erto Rico’s Status 3176
U.S. Court of Appeals judge, remarks on
n of Executive Order 12834—3210
recess appointment 180
‘o Strengthen the Federal Government
Bill Signings University Research Partnership 321]
Assistance for International Malaria Contro Interviews With the News Media
Act, statement—31585
Consolidated Apppprso priatior s Act FY 2001 Exc hanges with reporters
statement 3167 Brieting Room—3204
Education Department appropriations Oval Office —3180
legislation, remarks—3163 Interview vith the New York Times
Health and Human Services Department
Statements by the President
appropriations legislation, remarks—3163
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year See als » Bill Signings
2001, statement 3184 Census 9000. 3209
Labor Department appropriations legislation Death Jase n Robards 3184
remarks—3163 North K rea ettorts to improve re lati
National Moment of Remembrance Act 3209
statement—3210
Supplementary Materials
Omnibus Indian Advancement Act
statement—3185 Acts approve d by the President—3215
Shark Finning Prohibition Act, statement Checklist of White House press releases
IO1A
3179 Ia it
Digest of other White House
Communications to Congress
announcements—3213
Japanese whaling practices, letter 3212 Nominations submitted to the Senate—3214
Editor’s Note: The Weekly ( ompil ition of Presidential Dox uments is also available on the Inter-
net on the GPO Access service at http://www.gpo.gov/nara/nara003.html
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF : 1 by the Admini ttee of the
Federal Regig ai ipproved by the President (37 FR 23607
1 CFR Part 10
PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Distribution is 1 ide on |y by the Superinten lent of Docu
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Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg Weekly Ce mpile on of Presidential Documents will be
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The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub Thi ere ala re no rI estrnicctt ions on nm tthhee rerpeupbublliiccaattiioorn of f mmaatteerniaail
lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg- appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu-
ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under ments
Week Ending Friday, December 2 Y, 2000
Remarks on Signing the health of all Americans by dramatically re-
Departments of Labor, Health and ducing pollution from trucks and buses pow-
Human Services, and Education, and ered by diesel fuel, building on the an-
nouncements last year to reduce pollution
Related Agencies Appropriations
from cars and sports utility vehicles. To-
Act, 2001
gether, these measures will preserve our en-
December 21, 2000
vironment and protect thousands of children
from the agony of asthma and other res-
Sit down. Thank you. You just have to do
what I ask for a few more days. [Laughter] piratory dise:~ ases. By the end of the decade,
First, I’d like to thank the very large dele- because of these steps, every new vehicle
gation from the United States Congress and sold in the United States will be up to 95
both parties who are here: Senator Specter, percent cleaner than those rolling off the as-
Senator Conrad, Senator Dorgan; from the sembly line today.
House, Chairman Goodling, Representative Again, this was the right, real choice, prov-
Obey, Representative Kildee, Representative ing once again that we can grow the economy
Kelly, Re -presentative Talent, Representative and improve the environment at the same
Porter, Lowey, and Clement. Did I get ev- time. And I want to thank Carol Browner
erybody? [Laughter] for her work on this. She’s here. Thank you.
I'd like to thank the mayor of Philadelphia, Now, in a few moments it will be my honor
John Street,f fo r joining us; and our neighbor, to sign the very last budget bill I will sign
the Prince George’s County Executive, as President. And in so many ways, it could
Wayne Curry; and the members of the Cabi- truly be said, we saved the best for last. This
net who are here: Secretaries Riley, Shalala, bill is called the Labor-HHS appropriation
Summers, Herman, Slater; EPA Director bill. But more than anything else, it’s a bill
Browner; SBA Director Alvarez. Did I leave about these children behind me today, about
anybody out? Chief of Staff Podesta and my their hopes, their dreams, their capacity to
Economic Adviser Gene Sperling. And I’d learn, and their need to learn about their fu-
like to thank Jack Lew and Sylvia Mathews ture and the future of our country. Again,
and all the people on the budget team who it is further proof, as the evidence of these
worked so hard at OMB for this. distinguished Members of Congress from
This is a good dé ay for our country. For both parties prove, that when we put
8 years now, we have worked in this adminis- progress ahead of partisanship, there’s no
tration to prepare our country for the new limit to what we can do for America and our
century and a whole new era of human affairs future.
by building a nation in which there is oppor- We are now in the longest economic ex-
tunity for every responsible citizen, a com- pansion in our history. A critical part of our
munity of all Americans, and a nation that strategy to get there was to put our fiscal
leads the world toward greater peace and house in order, to replace record deficits with
freedom and prosperity. Today we have two record surpluses. With this budget, in spite
more examples of that in impleme nting our of the investments—and I would argue be-
strategy of trying to make the right, real cause, in part, of past investments—we are
choices for America and not be trapped in going to be able to pay off another $200 bil-
the old, false choices. lion of our national debt, on track to paying
Earlier today, this morning, we announced down $560 billion of the national debt over
new steps to preserve our environment by the last 4 years and this year. And because
cleaning our air, steps that will protect the together we made the right, real choices, we
3163
3164 Dec. 21 / Administration of William] . Clinton, 2000
were able to increase investment in the more than 2.2 million kids next year, an in-
things that matter most. That’s what this crease in nearly a million just since 1997. By
budget bill does today. over doubling ‘funding for after-school pro-
And let me just begin with education. grams, we are providing 650,000 more stu-
Under Secretary Riley’s le adership, we have dents with a safe place to learn, bringing to
worked hard to make the right, real choice— 1.3 million the number of young people ben-
to have more investment and higher stand- efiting from this after-school initiative, some-
ards, more accountability, and spend the thing that did not even exist 4 years ago.
money on the things that the educators tell With another major increase in the GEAR
us work best. Test scores are up today, with UP program, 1.2 million disadvantaged chil-
some of the greatest gains coming in some dren will now be preparing for college as
of the most disadvantaged communities. early as the sixth grade. Together with one
Two-thirds of our high school graduates are of the largest increases in the TRIO program
going on to college; that’s up 10 percent from ever, we are building greater pathways to col-
1993. In the last few years, there has been lege for economically disadvantaged young
a 300-percent increase in the number of His- people.
panic students taking advanced placement This bill has the largest increase ever in
courses and a 500-percent increase in the Pell grants. We've now increased the max-
number of African-American students doing imum grant by nearly $1,500 since 1993, for
SO. : 4 million young people every year from low
With the largest student enrollment in our and moderate income families. This signifi-
entire history, and the most diverse student cant expansion of Pell grants is part of the
body in our entire history, education must biggest expansion in college aid since the GI
be priority number one for any administra- bill, including the direct student loan pro-
tion. With this budget, while turning the larg- gram, which has saved students $8 billion al-
est deficits in history into the largest sur- ready in loan repayment costs, and the
pluses, we also will have more than doubled HOPE scholarship tax cut, which 10 million
funding for education during the life of this families are benefiting from this year.
administration. This clearly is the biggest and I want to say to all of you who worked
best education budget in our Nation’s his- on this—to Chairman Goodling and Mr. Kil-
tory, and it will make a difference in the lives dee, Mr. Obey, all the other Members of the
of millions of young pe ople. Let me just give House; and to you, Senator Specter, and the
a couple of ee xample S. other Senators who are here; and most of
Our first-ever initiative to renovate class- all to you, Secretary Riley, who is now the
rooms will mean that, over time, millions of longest serving and, I believe, clearly the fin-
children will attend more modern, more dig- est Education Secret ary our country ever
nified, more functional schools. This is about had—I thank you all very much. Thank you.
moving out of housetrailers, and it’s about This education budget is a real tribute to the
going to school in old buildings that provide bipartisan work of this Congress, and I am
modern education. very grateful.
With $1.6 billion on its way to help com- The budget also makes good on our com-
munities with smaller classrooms, we will mitment to help every community share in
help roughly 2 million children learn in our Nation’s prosperity. This is a big deal to
smaller classes. with more individualized at- me, and also to America’s future. About 18
tention in the early grades. With nearly $1 months ago, I began the first of what I called
billion more for Head Start, the largest in- new markets tours, to shine a spotlight on
crease in history, we'll have more than dou- people and places that had been left behind
bled the program, adding 60,000 more kids in this long and remarkable recovery. I want-
to this quality preschool program this year ed every American investor to see the poten-
alone. tial of these communities and the promise
There is a dramatic increase in child care of the people whe live there.
in this budget that, along with the child care I knew that government couldn’t do it
funds provided in welfare reform, will help alone and that, in fact, we would have to find
Administration of William] .C linton, 2000 / Dec. 21 3165
a way to get more private investment into each approach. It’s a terrific idea, and I only
these communities. But I also knew that wish I was going to be around when all the
business could not be expected to go it alone, results come in. [Laughter]
that we had to find some way to bring hope But over the next—sometime over the
and opportunity home to these communities. next, I'd say, 2 to 4 years, probably more like
Now, at the same time, to be fair, there a 4-year period, we'll actually have evidence
were people in the Congress who were inter- of what happened in the 40 empowerment
ested in this who were struggling for some zones, what happened in the 40 renewal
bipartisan consensus to bring free enterprise communities. That Congress will take the
to parts of America that have been left be- evidence and, I hope, as a result of that evi-
hind. Among them, in the House, were 4 dence, will then enact legislation that will
resentative Talent, who is here, and J.C permanently establish a framework for al-
Watts and Danny Davis, who representsC h i- ways encouraging America to invest in the
cago but, like me, was born in Arkansas. And areas that otherwise would be left behind.
there were other groups that were looking And if, like me, you’ve spent a lot of time
at this. in the Mississippi Delta or Appalachia or
So we all worked together to give you a inner-city neighborhoods or on Native Amer-
budget that delivers something that I believe ican reservations, you doubtless have con-
is truly unique and significant. It includes the cluded, as I have, that intelligence is pretty
landmark new markets and community re- equaily distributed throughout this country
newal initiative. It’s the most significant ef- and so is the work ethic. But we have not
fort ever to help hard-pressed areas, both yet equally distributed opportunity and ac-
rural and urban, to lift themselves up through cess to capital. We're trying to figure out how
private investment and entrepreneurship. It to do it. This is a truly historic day, and we
is a triumph of bipartisanship. And again, I did it together, and I am very grateful. Thank
want to thank those whom I just men- you.
tioned—especially you, Mr. Talent—and | This budget also does more to improve
want to thank the Speaker of the House, health care and to strengthen families and
Dennis Hastert, who went to Chicago with community. And again, I want to thank the
me and Reverend Jackson and without whom Members of Congress who are here who had
we could not have passed this important ini- primary responsibility for the health care
tiative. issues, and Secretary Shalala, who has also
Here’s what it does. First, it establishes been with me from day one. And we were
the first-ever new markets tax credit. It sets together yesterday with our sweeping health
up a new market venture capital initiative. care privacy announcement. She may be the
Now, what does all that mean? It basically only one of us that is absolutely convinced
means if we can get people to put money she is getting a promotion, because she’s
into really depressed areas, all the rest of going to become president of the University
America will share part of the risk by giving of Miami—{laughter|—and she gets a foot-
them a tax credit to do it. And it’s a darn ball team, which she does not have in her
good investment. present job. Thank you.
We also expanded and strengthened 40 This budget includes options for States to
empowerment zones; that’s the program our enroll tens of thousands of uninsured chil-
administration has run for the last 8 years dren in the Medicaid program by using
under the able leadership of Vice President schools, public housing, and other sites easily
Gore. And we created 40 renewal commu- acceptable to parents and children.
nities across our Nation; that’s an alternative Let me explain why this is important. We
designed essentially by Republicans in the have got 2.5—since the Congress—in the
House, with the Democrats who worked with balanced budget bill, Congress adopted the
them. And we decided that since nobody CHIP program, the Children’s Health Insur-
knows how to do this, we ought to try in 40 ance Program, 1997. Since then, 2.5 million°
places with each approach and see which one
works better, and see what works better with * White House correction
3166 Dec. 21 / Administration of WilliamJ . Clinton, 2000
kids have been enrolled. And as a result, this The bill provides $11.9 billion in funding
year, for the first time in 12 years, the num- for the Department of Labor, for funding
ber of people without health insurance in the from job training to eliminating abusive child
United States went down—for the first time labor practices and promoting education
in 12 years. But the money is there for five around the world. Nearly 900,000 dislocated
million kids to be enrolled. And we know, workers will receive support and assistance
from the evidence of all of the States that in their efforts to return to work.
have been particularly vigorous, that if we
Secretary Herman’s here. I'd like to thank
can just find the kids, their parents will sign
her for many things, and 8 years of service
up.
in this administration, 4 in the White House
This program provides funds so that we
and then as Secretary of Labor. But one of
can do CHIP enrollment in schools, public
the relatively little noticed but, I think, pro-
housing, and other places where the people
foundly important initiatives that this admin-
are. It also provides options for States to help
istration has undertaken is to try to eliminate
low-income seniors enroll in programs that
abusive child labor in the United States and
cover their Medicare premiums and copay-
everywhere it exists in the world. And I thank
ments. It provides critical support to those
you for your leadership in that regard. I thank
moving from welfare to work by ensuring
you very much.
that working does not mean losing your
health care. It ensures quality health care Finally, the bill would allow nearly 700,000
services for people on Medicare by investing immigrants who have worked, lived, and paid
about $30 billion in hospitals, home health taxes in the United States for years to stay
agencies, hospices, nursing homes, and man- here legally without fear of being separated
aged care plans. from their families.
And this is very important. I admire the When I outlined our budget priorities in
Congress for doing this. We adopted the Bal- the State of the Union last January, I urged
anced Budget Act in "97. We adopted some Congress to work with me to pass a fiscally
substantive changes in our Medicare pro- responsible budget that would be true to our
gram that we thought would produce a cer- values and invest in the capacity and future
tain level of savings. They produced more of the American people. I recall the good
savings than we estimated, at great cost to advice of President Theodore Roosevelt, who
the quality of health care, or the capacity of said that a growing nation with a future takes
our providers to do it. So they asked us to the long look ahead. This budget takes the
make some corrections, and we did. And long look ahead, to educate our children,
that’s what this is. It’s a very, very good thing renew our communities, and build our com-
for America.
mon future. | am very proud of it and very
The other thing this bill does, that I think
grateful. If we stay on this course, our best
will be very important to people for a very
days are ahead.
long time, is that it expands preventive bene-
Thank you very much. Now Id like the
fits like cancer and glaucoma screenings for
Congress and the members of the adminis-
Medicare beneficiaries. It creates a new pro-
tration to come up.
gram to provide people with disabilities with
community-based health care services, and
it increases fundings for AIDS prevention, NOTE: The President spoke at 2:03 p.m. in Presi-
research, and treatment. dential Hall in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Execu-
Also, it includes a $20.3 billion investment tive Office Building. H.R. 4577, the Consolidated
in biomedical research, nearly doubling since Appropriations Act, 2001, approved December
1993 our investment in the National Insti- 21, incorporating H.R. 5656, the Departments of
tutes of Health. And I would like to say a Labor, Health and Human Services, and Edu-
cation, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
special word of thanks to a retiring Member
2001, was assigned Public Law No. 106-554. This
of Congress, Representative John Porter,
item was not received in time for publication in
who’s been a great leader in this. Thank you
the appropriate issue.
very much. ‘
Administrationo f William] .C linton, 2000 / Dec. 22 3167
Statement on Signing the preparation and help train teachers to meet
Consolidated Appropriations higher standards. This funding level is $194
Act, FY 2001 million more than last year’s level. The bill
includes $485 million for Eisenhower Profes-
December 21, 2000
sional Development State Grants, providing
I have signed into law H.R. 4577, the Con- training for as many as 2.3 million teachers
solidated Appropriations Act, FY 2001. I am and strengthening accountability by requir-
pleased that my Administration and the Con- ing that States and districts use new Eisen-
gress were able to reach agreement on the hower funds to reduce the number of
remaining appropriations bills and produce uncertified teachers in their schools. The bill
a hard-won victory for the American people. also provides $44 million for new national-
The legislation reflects my Administra- level activities, including initiatives to train
tion’s longstanding commitment to edu- early childhood educators and measures to
cation, worker training and assistance, and recruit talented mid-career professionals into
medical research, and continued opposition teaching.
to unrelated anti-environmental riders, The legislation provides $846 million for
which have no place in these appropriation 21st Century Community Learning Centers
bills. As a result of extensive negotiations, my to support after school and summer school
Administration was able to secure significant programs that make extended learning op-
funding increases for many programs that portunities available for students and offer
represent signific: ant victories for the Amer- a safe place for “latch-key” children to learn
ican people, including teacher training, class during the after-school hours. At this funding
size reduction, worker protection programs, level, nearly 650,000 more students than last
and mental health programs. year will have access to these services.
I am very pleased that the legislation cre- I am very pleased that Title I Grants to
ates a new $1.2 billion school renovation Local Education Agencies are funded at $8.4
grant program, targeted to high-need dis- billion, an increase of $0.4 billion more than
tricts. It provides $0.9 billion for urgent last year, to continue efforts to help disadvan-
school repairs, including $75 million for pub- taged students catch up with their peers. In
lic schools with high concentrations of Native addition, the bill supports my Accountability
American students, 3 billion for special Fund proposal by providing $225 million, an
education and technology-related activities, increase of $91 million, to help States turn
and $25 million for a demonstration program around the lowest-performing schools and
to assist charter schools in obtaining non- hold schools accountable for results. This
Federal financing for their infrastructure funding level will provide help to 4,500
needs. The initiative will enable schools to schools, an increase of 1,800 over last year.
undertake much-needed renovation, such as I am pleased that the bill provides an in-
repairs to roofs, heating and cooling systems, crease in funding to $286 million for the
and electrical wiring. Reading Excellence Initiative. This program
The bill also provides $1.6 billion for the supports literacy services for children, in-
third installment of my plan to help reduce cluding local reading programs, teacher
class size in the early grades. While the Re- training, tutoring programs, and family lit-
publican proposal did not guarantee funding eracy services. With this funding, all the re-
for the teachers already hired and would maining States and territories will be able to
have instead allowed Class Size dollars to be receive grants, bringing the number of chil-
used for virtually any activity, I am pleased dren served to 3.1 million.
that the bill that I have signed provides $1.6 I am pleased that the budget agreement
billion for Class Size Reduction, enough to provides $872 million for educational tech-
support the over 29,000 teachers already nology that will be used to fund programs
hired, plus an additional 8,000 teachers. that train an additional 110,000 teachers to
I am also pleased that the budget agree- effectively use modern technology in the
ment provides $567 million for my Teaching classroom. The bill also provides a $32 mil-
to High Standards plan to improve teacher lion increase for Community Technology
3168 Dec. 22 / Administration of WilliamJ ].C linton, 2000
Centers, creating up to 650 centers that pro- lion and will help 765,000 disadvantaged stu-
vide access to computers and Information dents attend and complete college.
Age tools to children and adults that cannot [ am pleased that the Congress fully fund-
afford them at home. ed my $1 billion request for Federal Work-
The bill includes $125 million for the Study. This level continues to enable one mil-
Small, Safe and Successful High Schools pro- lion students to work their way through col-
gram, $80 million above the FY 2000 enacted lege.
level. The additional funds will help over I am pleased that the legislation provides
1,000 of the Nation’s high schools implement over $1 billion in increases to programs in-
smaller, more intimate learning environ- cluded in my Administration’s Hispanic Edu-
ments through reforms like schools-within- cation Action Plan (HEAP). These programs
schools and career academies. help to improve overall the educational out-
I strongly support the $190 million pro- comes of Latino and limited English pro-
vided in the legislation for the Charter ficient students by increasing their levels of
Schools program. The additional funds will academic achievement, high school gradua-
support the startup of nearly 500 new or re- tion, post-secondary participation, and op-
designe? schools that offer enhanced public portunities for lifelong learning.
school Choice and the freedom to pursue in- I commend the Congress for including $70
novative educational programs. At the begin- million for my EnglishL La nguage/Ci ivics Ini-
ning of my Administration, there was only tiative, nearly triple last year’s funding. This
one charter school. With this increase, the program helps States and communities pro-
Charter School program will have supported vide recent immigrants and other limited
over 2,800 charter schools. English proficient individuals with expanded
I also support the $644 million provided access to quality English-language instruc-
in the bill for Safe and Drug Free Schools tion linked to civics education, including un-
and Communities programs. Within this derstanding the U.S. Government and public
amount, the bill contains $35 million to ex- education systems, the workplace, and other
pand the Safe Schools/Healthy Students ini- key institutions of American life. Funding for
tiative; $50 million for the middle school this initiative in FY 2001 will provide services
Coordinator Initiative; and $10 million for for almost 250,000 individuals.
Project School Emergency Response to Vio- The bill includes $306 million for Edu-
lence, to provide emergency assistance, such cation Research, Statistics, and Assessment.
as crisis counseling and increased security, The funds will provide additional support for
to school districts that experience a violent the Interagency Educational Research Initia-
or traumatic crisis. tive, the new Birth Cohort of the Early
I strongly support the $7.4 billion for Spe- Childhood Longitudinal Study, and new
cial Education programs, an increase of $1.4 grants for the Initiative on Language Minor-
billion over the FY 2000 enacted level. In- ity Students, a program that seeks better
cluded in this total is $6.3 billion for Special ways to educate children whose first lan-
Education State Grants. The bill also pro- guage is not English.
vides my requested increase for Grants for The bill provides $11.9 billion in discre-
Infants and Families, for a total of $384 mil- tionary funds for the Department of Labor
lion. (DOL), a $0.7 billion increase above the FY
I am very pleased that the bill contains 2000 enacted level. The funding provided
a major increase in funding for Pell Grants. supports my major proposals for job training,
The bill provides $8.8 billion to support a worker protection programs, and grants for
$3,750 maximum award. working with developing countries to elimi-
The bill includes $295 million for GEAR- nate abusive child labor.
UP. Compared to last year, this funding level I am pleased that the legislation provides
provides needed college preparation services $1.6 billion for dislocated worker assistance.
to nearly 500,000 more low-income students. The program will provide training and re-
E qually important is the funding provided in employment services to 883,000 dislocated
the bill for TRIO, which receives $730 mil- workers. Since FY 1993, my Administration
Administration of WilliamJ .C linton, 2000 / Dec. 22 3169
has succeeded in almost tripling funding for, income parents will not get the additional
and participation in, programs that help dis- support to get a job or upgrade their skills.
located workers return to work. In addition, The bill provides $148 million for the Bu-
the bill includes $35 million of the $50 mil- reau of International Labor Affairs, an in-
lion I requested to provide job-finding assist- crease of $78 million, or 112 percent, above
ance to 156,000 unemployment insurance last year’s level. The legislation provides a
claimants to speed their reentry into the total of $82 million for efforts to address
workforce. international child labor issues. I am pleased
The bill provides nearly my full request that my $45 million request to expand the
to expand services to job seekers at One-Stop work of the International Labor Organiza-
centers as recently authorized in the bipar- tion’s International Programme on the Elimi-
tisan Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The nation of Child Labor was fully funded and
bill funds $150 million of the $154 million that the bill provides $37 million to support
requested to provide improved access to my new bilateral assistance initiative to im-
One-Stops as well as continued support for prove access to basic education in developing
countries.
electronic labor exchange and labor market
The legislation also provides $23 million
information. The enrolled bill also fully funds
to establish the Office of Disability Policy,
my $20 million request for work incentive
Evaluation and Technical Assistance. Head-
grants to help integrate employment services
ed by a new Assistant Secretary, this office
for persons with disabilities into the main-
will provide leadership in helping people
stream One-Stop system.
with disabilities enter, re-enter, and remain
The bill provides $55 million for the Re-
in the workforce. In addition, I am pleased
sponsible Reintegration of Youth Offenders
that the bill includes $60 million to admin-
(RRYO) initiative. RRYO will bring roughly
ister the Energy Employees Occupational III-
10,300 young ex-offenders into the work-
ness Compensation Program to help workers
place through job training, placement, and
who have developed illnesses associated with
support services, and by creating new part-
nuclear weapons production and testing.
nerships between the criminal justice system
The bill provides the Department of
and the WIA system. In addition, the en-
Health and Human Services (HHS) with
rolled bill includes $20 million to enable
$49.9 billion in funding, $7.1 billion above
DOL to contribute to the Safe Schools/
the FY 2000 level.
Healthy Students joint initiative with the De-
I commend the Congress for fully funding
partments of Justice, Education, and Health my request of $817 million for the Child
and Human Services that will expand efforts Care and Development Block Grant, bring-
to address out-of-school youth. ing the total level of the block grant to $2
The enrolled bill also provides additional billion in FY 2001 and allowing nearly
funding for other youth job training pro- 150,000 additional children to be served. The
grams. Specifically the bill includes $275 mil- bill also authorizes and provides $20 million
lion for the Youth Opportunity Grants pro- for the Early Learning Opportunities Act,
gram to finance the third year of five-year which is similar to my Early Learning Fund
competitive grants that provide education, proposal. Early Learning funds may be used
training and support services to 63,000 youth to improve child care gm and promote
in Empowerment Zones/Empowerment school readiness through activities such as
Communities (EZ/ECs). In addition, the bill training parents to facilitate cognitive devel-
provides $1.1 billion for the Youth Activities opment and offering training, recruitment,
Formula Grants to provide training and em- and retention incentives for child care pro-
ployment opportunities to an estimated fessionals.
660,000 youth in FY 2001. The enrolled bill provides the largest in-
I am disappointed that the Congress has crease for Head Start in the program’s his-
not provided $255 million as requested for tory. An increase of $93 million over the FY
the Fathers Work/Families Win initiative. As 2000 enacted level will bring total program
a result, 80,000 non-custodial and low- funding to $6.2 billion, adding approximately
3170 Dec. 22 / Administrationo f William] . Clinton, 2000
60,000 new slots for low-income children and tion, $1 billion above the FY 2000 enacted
continuing on the path to serve one million level and $890 million above the FY 2001
kids by FY 2002. request. Increases over the FY 2000 level in-
I am pleased that the enrolled bill fully clude: $100 million to continue funding dem-
funds the Family Caregivers program estab- onstration projects that address health care
lished in the recently reauthorized Older access for the uninsured; $15 million for
Americans Act at $125 million. The program Family Planning; $213 million for Ryan
will provide information, respite care, and White activities; $150 million for Community
other support services to 250,000 families Health Centers; and, $195 million for Chil-
caring for loved ones who are ill or disabled. dren’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Edu-
The enrolled bill increases Low Income cation. In addition, I am pleased that the bill
Home Energy Assistance Program funds by provides $550 million for the Ricky Ray He-
$300 million for total non-emergency pro- mophilia Relief Fund Act so that additional
gram funding of $1.4 billion. These addi- relief payments may be made to hemo-
tional funds will help low-income families philiacs who contracted HIV/AIDS, and their
cope with continued high heating fuel prices. families.
The bill also provides $300 million in contin- The bill provides $2.9 billion for Substance
gent emergency funds. Abuse and Mental Health Services. Mental
I strongly support the increase of $2.5 bil- Health increases over the FY 2000 enacted
lion, or 14 percent, over the FY 2000 level level total $151 million, including $64 million
provided to theN ational Institutes of Health for the Mental Health Block Grant, and $25
NIH) for biomedical research. The $20.3 million in new targeted grants for early inter-
billion will enable NIH to continue to pursue vention and prevention, as well as local ca-
new methods for diagnosing, treating, and pacity expansion. Substance abuse increases
curing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alz- over the FY 2000 level total $135 million,
heimer’s, and HIV/AIDS. The bill also pro- including $65 million for the Substance
vides $130 million for the newly-established Abuse Block Grant, $42 million for substance
Center for Research on Minority Health and abuse treatment grants and $28 million for
Health Disparities, which will coordinate and substance abuse prevention grants.
support NIH’s trans-Institute, billion dollar The bill invests $50 million in Real Choice
research portfolioo n minority health. Systems Change Grants to help States de-
The bill provides $3.9 billion for the Cen- velop comprehensive plans to care for per-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention. The sons with disabilities in the most appropriate
increased funds will support: $163 million for setting. These funds would be used to do the
domestic and global HIV/AIDS prevention following: conduct intensive outreach efforts
efforts; $78 million to improve childhood im- to educate people with disabilities about the
munizations; $67 million for infectious dis- home and community-based options cur-
ease activities; $37 million for the National rently available to them; streamline applica-
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; tion and eligibility processes for home- and
and $18 million for breast and cervical cancer community-based care services; and modify
screening activities. State policy that results in the unnecessary
I am pleased that this legislation provides institutionalization of people with disabilities.
$357 million for the Congressional Black The bill includes $79 million for my Nurs-
Caucus HIV/AIDS initiative, an increase of ing Home Initiative, a $32 million, or 68 per-
$105 million above the FY 2000 enacted level cent, increase over the FY 2000 enacted
of $252 million. This will support an ex- level. This funding provides $66 million for
panded scope of HIV/AIDS prevention, edu- more rigorous inspections of nursing facilities
cation, treatment, and outreach activities for and improved Federal oversight of nursing
minority community-based organizations home quality, and grants to the States to de-
working to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS in velop ways for the disabled to move into
their communities. community-based care rather than nursing
I support the $5.6 billion provided to the homes. Congress also provided $13.5 million
Health Resources and Services Administra- for HHS’ Office of the General Counsel and