Excerpts from Speech by President Bill Clinton, May 16, 2000

Excerpts from Speech by President Bill Clinton, May 16, 2000

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 16, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT FOR MILITARY RETIREES

The Rose Garden

2:09 P.M. EDT

Q Mr. President, are you worried about Colombia aid? Mr. President? The aid to Colombia?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's funny, I talked to General McCaffrey about it this morning, actually. At this time I'm not worried about it, but I think it's important, given the continuing difficulties and challenges the government in Colombia is facing, that it pass as soon as possible. We need to send a signal to those people down there who are fighting for democracy, fighting for freedom, fighting for the rule of law, fighting against the narco-traffickers, fighting against terrorism, that we're on their side.

And we also need to signal to them that there is an alternative economic way that the people can make a living who've been caught up in the drug trade kind of at the grass-roots farmer level. And this bill does that, so that I think in the end, Congress will pass this bill. But I hope it can be put on some bill I'll get as quick as possible so we can send the right signal in a very timely fashion. I just don't want it dragged out another three or four months. I think it would be a really bad mistake in terms of our national security interests, not just in Colombia, but throughout the Andean region. People are looking at us to see if we're really going to make a serious commitment.

It also will help Colombia to get the other support it needs from the international institutions, from other countries, to make a stand there, and in the process, hopefully, to see victory there for a democratic government and the rule of law, a reduction in drug production and exports, and a stabilization of the democracies that surround Colombia in the Andean region.

As of May 19, 2000, this document was also available online at http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/5/16/12.text.1