Statement by the President: Signing of the "Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2001" (11/6/00)
                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                            November 6, 2000


                        STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT


     Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 4811, the Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2001.  As I have
often said, there is a right and a wrong way to conduct budget
negotiations.  When we have worked together, we have unfailingly made
progress.  When there is a genuine spirit of cooperation and compromise, we
can accomplish great things for our people.  This Act, the result of just
such a bipartisan effort, supports our efforts to promote peace and
stability around the world, in turn helping to make our Nation more safe
and secure.

     I am particularly pleased that this legislation funds our landmark
initiative to provide debt relief to the poorest of the world?s nations.
By fully funding our commitment to debt relief, the bill supports this
historic effort to give these poorest countries a critical opportunity to
effect reform while using funds to reduce poverty and provide basic health
care and education for their people.  I commend the bipartisan efforts in
the Congress to fund this vital program, as well as efforts of all those
across the political spectrum who joined forces to secure this critically
important funding.

     Likewise, I am pleased that this legislation dramatically increases
funding to fight HIV/AIDS.  In nations around the world, HIV/AIDS is a
leading cause of death and is undermining decades of effort to reduce
mortality, improve health, expand educational opportunities, and lift
people out of poverty.  The funds provided by the bill will significantly
expand our prevention and treatment efforts in Africa and other regions of
the world to turn the tide against this deadly pandemic.

     This legislation also helps strengthen our efforts to support
democracy and stability in Southeastern Europe, the Newly Independent
States, and other key regions.  In particular, it includes increased
funding for our continued efforts to support democracy and reform in
Kosovo, and to support the new, democratically elected government in
Yugoslavia.  It also includes additional resources to combat terrorism and
nuclear proliferation.

     Certain provisions of the Act could interfere with my sole
constitutional authority in the area of foreign affairs by directing or
burdening my negotiations with foreign governments and international
organizations.  Several sections, including 514 (Surplus Commodities), 564
(Sanctuary to Indicted War Criminals), and 577 (Kyoto Protocol), purport to
specifically direct the Executive on how to proceed in negotiations or
discussions with international organizations and foreign governments.  I
will not interpret these provisions to limit my ability to negotiate and
enter into agreements with foreign nations.  In order to avoid intrusion
into my negotiating authority and my ability to maintain the
confidentiality of sensitive diplomatic nego-tiations, I will not interpret
section 566(b) (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) to require me to disclose either
the contents of diplomatic communications or specific plans for particular
negotiations in the future.

     The legislation provides increased funding for a number of other
programs that support our global interests.  It provides additional funding
for our Greening the Globe Initiative, which protects biodiversity habitats
around the world, and for the Global Environment Facility.  It also
provides increases for our Peace Corps volunteers around the world, and for
the Export-Import Bank, which supports the export of American products
overseas.  I am also pleased that the Act provides $135 million for
emergency disaster assistance for Southern Africa, including Mozambique.

     Finally, I am pleased that this legislation commits additional
critical funding for international family planning organizations and lifts
the restrictions hampering their work, restrictions I have strongly opposed
in the past.





                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON





THE WHITE HOUSE,
    November 6, 2000.





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