CLINTON LAYS OUT 2ND TERM OBJECTIVES.Byline: Robert A. Rankin Knight-Ridder Tribune tribune, in ancient Rome, one of various officers. The history of the office of tribune is closely associated with the struggle of the plebs against the patrician class to achieve a more equitable position in the state. From c.508 B.C. News Wire President Clinton outlined his goals for a second term Wednesday and challenged the Republican Congress to work with him to balance the budget, reform Medicare and Medicaid Medicare and Medicaid U.S. government programs in effect since 1966. Medicare covers most people 65 or older and those with long-term disabilities. Part A, a hospital insurance plan, also pays for home health visits and hospice care. , help welfare recipients and overhaul campaign-finance laws. In a speech that the White House billed as a preview to his State of the Union address “State of the Union” redirects here. For other uses, see State of the Union (disambiguation). The State of the Union is an annual address in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of Congress (the early next year, Clinton told the Democratic Leadership Council's annual convention that ``this is an irreplaceable moment'' for bipartisan cooperation now that ``the era of big government is over.'' Clinton said that his post-election talks with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., leave him convinced that ``they share this mission.'' That may overstate realistic possibilities, however. Since the election, Lott, Gingrich and other congressional leaders from both parties have said they hope to strike deals with Clinton to balance the budget and to rescue Medicare Medicare, national health insurance program in the United States for persons aged 65 and over and the disabled. It was established in 1965 with passage of the Social Security Amendments and is now run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. from imminent financial instability instability /in·sta·bil·i·ty/ (-stah-bil´i-te) lack of steadiness or stability. detrusor instability . But when it comes to working in bipartisan harmony to advance the rest of Clinton's long agenda - from tinkering tin·ker n. 1. A traveling mender of metal household utensils. 2. Chiefly British A member of any of various traditionally itinerant groups of people living especially in Scotland and Ireland; a traveler. 3. more with welfare to overhauling campaign-finance rules - the lawmakers have made clear that they don't necessarily share his goals. Clinton declared that ``our first task is to finish the job of balancing the budget.'' In virtually the same breath, he added that reform of Medicare and Medicaid is equally essential - and indeed, is integral to any balanced budget Balanced budget A budget in which the income equals expenditure. See: budget. balanced budget A budget in which the expenditures incurred during a given period are matched by revenues. plan. Many of the president's goals echoed proposals from his campaign - expanding health insurance for poor children; encouraging national standards of excellence for schools while leaving them under local control; and modestly expanding the family-leave law to permit parents to visit teachers and take children to doctors. But he gave new emphasis to two goals - creating jobs for welfare recipients and revamping campaign-finance rules. GOP lawmakers have said they are content with the welfare-reform law they passed last summer, but Clinton said the government has a ``moral obligation'' to help former welfare recipients find jobs. He will ask Congress for more money for cities where unemployment is highest and for job-training subsidies for companies that hire welfare recipients, Clinton said, ``but the main answer'' must come from private businesses. The president commended a Missouri Missouri, state, United States Missouri (mĭz  r`ē, –ə), one of the midwestern states of the United States. program that gives private
employers ``the welfare check as a wage and training subsidy''
for up to four years for every
former welfare recipient hired. He called on all states to emulate em·u·late tr.v. em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing, em·u·lates 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated. 2. it, and for businesses of every size to take advantage of it. As for campaign-finance reform, Clinton said ``there simply is too much money in our politics,'' and ``anyone who has been part of this system . . . must accept some responsibility for this.'' He said that Senate filibusters have killed six efforts at reform just since he's been president. Clinton called for ``a bipartisan coalition of business and community leaders'' to demand real reform from Congress. ``There are no more excuses. The people are finally focused on it. Let's get the job done.'' Interest in campaign-finance reform has been triggered, in large part, by reports of questionable donations received by the Democratic Party in the recent campaign. Clinton's second-term vision rests heavily upon people taking responsibility for social reforms in states, localities and in private groups rather than looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. Washington to do it. Quoting himself from 1991, Clinton summed up his philosophy this way: ``We said that this era requires a government that neither attempts to solve problems for people nor leaves them alone to fend for Verb 1. fend for - argue or speak in defense of; "She supported the motion to strike" defend, support argue, reason - present reasons and arguments themselves. Instead, we envisioned a government that gives people the tools to solve their own problems and make the most of their own lives.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion