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Case Number: 2006-0459-F
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Folder Title:
Chemical Weapons Convention.Statement 4/2~/97
Staff Office-Individual:
Speechwriting-Blinken ·
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Original OAIID Number:
3388
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�4/24/97 6 p.m.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
STATEMENT ON THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
THE WHITE HOUSE
APRIL 24, 1997
By voting today to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Senate has served our soldiers,
our citizens and our country very well. Now, our troops will be less likely to face poison gas on
the battlefield. Our hand in the fight against rogue states and terrorists will be strengthened. And
.
.
we will end a century that began with the horror of chemical weapons in World War I one step
closer to their elimination-- thanks to American leadership.
These past few months, I have had many occasions to explain why this treaty is good for America.
Tonight, I want to say a few words about why this vote shows very powerfully what is so good
about America. It is an example of leaders working as they should -- not as Democrats or .
Republicans, but as Americans -- putting the interests of our country first. It is a model for how
we must try to move forward to meet the challenges of the new century that will soon begin -reaching across party lines, reaching for the common good.
Two and a half months ago, Majority Leader Lott and I put together a bipartisan process to work
through the concerns of some Senators about this treaty. Our negotiating teams held thirty hours
\
.worth of meetings, and so did groups led by Senator Helms and Senator Bid en. At the end of the
day, because we all went the extra mile, we resolved virtually all of the problems that had been
raised.
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I thank the Majority Leader for guiding these negotiations· so successfully.
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I applaud the efl'o~s bJ-1~
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of Senators on.both sides ofthe aisle, including Minority Leader Daschle, Senator Biden, Senator
Lugar and Senator McCain. And I want to 'say how gratified I have been, these past few weeks,
that so many people put politics aside to stand together behind this treaty-- as we saw just
yesterday at the White House, when Senator Dole, General Powell, Brent Scowctoft and other
prominent Republicans joined me, the Vice President, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and our
military leaders past and present to call for ratification.
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the Marshall Plan, the Urtited Nations, and the international financial institutions that helped keep
the peace, spread prosperity and secure victory in the Cold War. Now, our challenge is to build
the new institutions and understandings --like the Chemical Weapons Convention-- that will
make us all more secure and prosperous for the next fifty years and beyond. We can do it-- ifwe
do it together. .
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together, After a:l},
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concluded~ administration sent it to the Senate.
truly was made in America. It is right for America.
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America. For that, on behalf of the American people, I am profoundly grateful.
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�04/24/97
THU 18:23 FAX
APNSA
141 001
4/24/97 6 p.m.
PRESIDENT W:iLLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
STATEMENT ON TilE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
TilE WHITE HOUSE
APRIL 24, 1997
the battlefield. Our han m the fight against rogue states and terrorists
·u be strengthene
And ·
we will end a century that began with the horror of chemical weapons in World War I !ill: i*'~p
~to their elimination -- thanks t~ American leadership.
These past few months, I have had many occasions to explain why this treaty is good fQr America.
Tonight, I want to say a few words about why this vote shows very powerfully what is so good
about America. It is an example ofleaders working as they should-~ not as Democrats or
Republicans, but as Americans -- putting the interests of our country first. It is a model for how
we must try to move forward to meet the challenges of the new century that will soon begin-- .·
reaching across party lines, reaching for the co!ilinon good.
Two and a half months ago, MaJority Leader Lott and I put together a
~cess to work
through the concerns of some Senators about this treaty. Our negotiating teams held thirty hours
worth of meetings, and so did groups led oy Senator Helms and Senator Biden. At the end of the
day, because we all went the extra mile, we resolved virtually all of the problems that had been
raised.
�04/24/97
THU 18: 2J FAX ·
APNSA
-·
141002
2
i thank the Majority Leader for guiding these negotiations so successfully. I applaud the efforts
of Senators on both sides of the aisle, including Minority Leader Daschle, Senator Biden, Senator
Lugar and Senator McCain. And I want to say how gratified I have been, these past few weeks,
that so many people put politics aside to stand .together behind this treaty -- as we saw just
yesterday at the White House, when Senator Dole, General Powell, Brent Scowcroft and other
prominent Republicans joined me, the Vice President, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and our
military leaders past and present to call for ratification.
Now, our challenge is to build ·
aings -- like the Chemical Weapons Convention -- that will
ecure and prosperous for the next fifty years and beyond. We can do it -- if we
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-lt is fiUiRg that Jgday' s vot~i&.-;
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a 0~ stronger ~
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; be as a nation when we wofk;r- ·
�. .:•
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 24, 1997
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AFTER THE VOTE ON RATIFICATION OF
THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
The Briefing Room
10 : 51 P . M . EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Ladies and gentlemen, the United
States Senate has served America well tonight. Because they have
ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, our troops will be less
likely to face poison gas on the battlefield, 6ur 1 hand will be
strengthened in the fight against terrorists and rogue states.
We will end a century that began with the horror of chemical
weapons in World War I much closer to the elimination of those
kinds of weapons. And once again, America has displayed the
leadership that we must demonstrate as we build a safer world for
the 21st century.
Two and a half. months ago; Majority Leader Lott and I
put together a process to work through the concerns that some
senators had about the treaty. Our negotiating teams held 30
hours of meetings.
So did groups led by Senator Biden and
Senator Helms. At the end of the day, because we went the extra
mile, we resolved the problems that had been raised by the vast
majority of the senators.
·I thank the Majority Leader for guiding these efforts
so successfully.
I applaud the efforts of senators on both sides
of the aisle, including Minority Leader Daschle, Senator Biden,
Senator Lugar, and Senator McCain .. And I've been so gratified
that in these past few weeks so many have put politics aside to
join together behind this treaty, as we saw yesterday when
Senator Dole and General 'Powell, Brent Scowcroft and other
Republicans joined me, as they had previously.
I thank the Vice President, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and so many of our military leaders, past and
present, who also came out strongly in support of this treaty.
�,_
'
2
This vote is an example of America working as it
should, Democrats and Republicans together, putting our country
first, reaching across party lines, reaching for the common goo~.
This vote is vivid proof that we are stronger as a nation when we
work together.
It's true when it comes to our leadership in the
world; it's also tiue when it comes to dealing with our
challenges here at home -- strengthening our education system,
finishing the job of reforming welfare, fighting crime, defending
the environment; and finishing the job of balancing the budget.
The Chemical Weapons Convention truly was. made in
America, under twO of my predecessors.
It is right for America.
Now it has been ratified in America, and it will make our future
more secure.
For that, on behalf of the American people, I am
profoundly grateful to the United States Senate.
Q
Mr. President, Senator Lott said today that; in
light of hi~ support .of this treaty, that you should show -quote -- "similar courage·against your base and make budget
concessions that might upset Democrats." Are you willing to
anger Democrats to balance the budget if that'S what it takes?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, a majority of
Republicans supported this treaty, and all the Democrats. And I
think we can get a balanced budget supported by a majority of
Republicans and a majority of Democrats in both Houses if we work
together in good faith.
This was not some unilateral move. This
was an honest, good-faith negotiation. We put 28 clarifying
conditions on to the treaty that we worked very hard with Senator
Lott and others with.
I am -- what I am willing to do, I'm willing to work
through this process on the budget just the way we worked through
this.
I'm very .encouraged by it, and I think that America should
be encouraged by it.
If we work together in a very practical way
to do what's in the national interest, I think we can get there.
Q
Mr. President, how far apart are you right now
with the Republican leadership and the Democrats in Congress in
achieving a balanced budget agreement?
THE PRESIDENT:
I don't want to characterize it.
They're working hard and they're working iri good faith.
And I
want to leave it like that.
late.
I'm going to --we're going to talk tomorrow.
Let's go to bed.
It's
Q
Mr. President, we're told that two military trucks
are missing tonight, one carrying four unarmed Air Force
missiles, the other said to be carrying machine guns and mortar.
Mr. President, we're told that they are overdue three to four
�•.'.
3
days. What's being done to find these trucks, and is foul play
suspected?
THE·PRESIDENT: I've just been briefed on it. The FBI
is working on it -- working hard on it.
It's my understanding·
that one of the trucks has been recovered, and that the other one
has weapons that are inert and cannot cause any harm. But we're
working on it. We'll have more reports tomorrow.
v
THE PRESS:
END
Thank you.
10:57 P.M. EDT
�
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Speechwriting Office - Antony Blinken
Description
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<p>Antony Blinken served in the Clinton Administration as the chief foreign policy speechwriter in the National Security Council Speechwriting Directorate from 1994 thru 1998.</p>
<p>Blinken prepared remarks for President Clinton, Anthony Lake, Samuel Berger, James Steinberg, and General Donald Kerrick. His speechwriting topics cover a variety of subjects for various audiences including but not limited to: foreign trips or head of state visits, United Nations General Assembly addresses, and State of the Union and weekly radio addresses. As an NSC speechwriter, Blinken produced speeches on major foreign policy actions during the Clinton Administration on Haiti, Iraq and Bosnia. The documents in the collection consist of speech drafts, newspaper and magazine articles, memos, correspondence, schedules, and handwritten notes.</p>
<p>This collection was made available through a <a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/freedom-of-information-act-requests">Freedom of Information Act</a> request. </p>
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Speechwriting Office
Antony Blinken
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1994-1998
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36017" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://research.archives.gov/description/7585787" target="_blank">National Archives Collection Description</a>
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2006-0459-F
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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941 folders in 39 boxes
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Title
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Chemical Weapons Convention Statement 4/24/97
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National Security Council
Speechwriting Office
Antony Blinken
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2006-0459-F
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Box 28
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0459-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7585787" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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7585787