Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the National Medal of the Arts September 10, 1990 First, a greeting to the members of the President's Cabinet that are here today. I want to welcome all of you. And I'm very happy to have John Frohnmayer here. As a matter of fact, I'm very happy to have him heading the National Endowment for the Arts. And, of course, Barbara, awake now, after-[laughter]—a kind of rather hectic trip. And I want to welcome the new Chairman of our Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Don Hall, whom I have not seen, but is here someplace-right over here. Don, thank you for undertaking this. And thanks, especially, to our honored guests, the artists and the patrons of a special American tradition who grace us with their presence here today. Welcome to the White House. Welcome to the sixth annual presentation of the National Medal of the Arts. Last year-I'll never forget it-this luncheon was held a week before Thanksgiving and was delayed when I got held up in the Rose Garden doing a photo opportunity with the national turkey. [Laughter] We awarded medals that day to some of the artistic giants of our time: Alfred Eisenstaedt and John Updike, Katherine Dunham, Dizzy Gillespie, among others. And with all that assembled talent, guess which one was pictured standing next to the President on the news that night? The national turkey. [Laughter] So, we've done a little better on the scheduling this year, Helsinki notwithstanding. The people we honor today who have earned a collection of awards with names that have become the world's touchstones of excellence-names like Grammy and Oscar and Tony and the Pulitzer Prize and the Kennedy Center Honors-a collection of awards that would just about fill its own Smithsonian. But where most of these awards were aimed at honoring individual works, today we gather to salute the full body of their work-their contributions to the arts, to the Nation, and really to life in the 20th century. Embracing an era that reaches back as far as George Abbott's birth in 1887 and representing many generations of American talent, our artists stand along side the artists who helped define America, no longer just another sprawling industrial nation but one of the cultural giants of the world. Most had humble beginnings. I think of Jessica Tandy, sewing her own costumes in a backroom theater in Soho. B.B. King, touring backstreet bars and dancehallssomebody had to do that—and on the road for over 20 years before most Americans would ever even hear his name. Even their hometown names read like the very tapestry of America itself: Forestville, New York; Centralia, Washington; Itta Bena, Mississippi; Brooklyn; and Atlantic City. Three were foreign-born, drawn here by freedom and opportunity, seeking not to enrich themselves but to enrich our culture. And today, they are Americans all, striving in the creation of beauty. Taken together, today's honorees represent an apparently inexhaustible reserve of creativity, one that's often defied categorization. But there are at least two characteristics, I believe, that can apply to each. Each is a trailblazer, an authentic pioneer who literally helped to shape his or her art form. And each is an artist who pressed the very limits of his or her particular art form, often crossing over to combine distinct mediums in new and very different ways. Sometimes that cross-fertilization is self-evident, such as with the multidisciplinary approach of landscape architect Ian McHarg; with New York legends like George Abbott and Beverly Sills, who've thrilled audiences with their performances onstage and with their leadership behind the scenes; or with the love and magic of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, whose creations seem to float effortlessly from stage to screen and back again. I probably shouldn't do this, but I might tell you of a frustration-not an overwhelming frustration but a frustration that I have. I think Barbara Bush is secretly in love with Hume Cronyn. [Laughter] There they go again. But you also see it in painter Jasper Johns' collaborative efforts with choreographer Merce Cunningham; and the visual arts, where Frederick Douglass was brought to new life beneath the brush of Jacob Lawrence; and in the cries and hollers and work songs of field hands who labored in another time, once again heard rising on the wind through the guitar of B.B. King. Speaking at Wellesley College back in June, Barbara urged young Americans to go out and seek their own true colors. And that's, of course, exactly what our honorees have done. You've created sights and sounds and characters, crafted anew within the human imagination, and in doing so, enriched the colors on the canvas of our national life. And that's why America continues to need and want and appreciate your creativity, your talent, and your diversity. Indeed, it is your efforts in the arts and humanities and the realm of the spirit that distinguish America as a world leader rather than as merely a world power. And I'm proud that as a people and as a nation we continue to support the arts, both through public agencies and through private champions of the arts-patrons like our old friends Harris and Carol Masterson from Houston, Texas; a Southwestern Bell company in the forefront of all of this, St. Louis; and Washington's own David Lloyd Kreeger. We salute you for the joy you have given to Americans of many ages. Thank you. Congratulations to all of you. And now I'd like to ask John Frohnmayer to assist me in presenting the awards. Well done, each and every one of you. Thank you very much. Note: The President spoke at noon in the East Room at the White House. Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's latest statement is a transparent attempt to deflect the focus of world attention from his blatant aggression against another country. Such maneuvers have not worked in the past and will not work this time. The international community is united in its strong determination to overcome the Iraqi aggression. U.N. Security Council Resolution 661 makes quite clear that all commodities and products originating in Iraq or Kuwait are prohibited from importation anywhere. It does not delineate between free exchanges or those paid for. Sanctions are complete, comprehensive, and binding on all nations. In addition, U.N. Security Council Resolution 665, which calls upon states to use measures as may be necessary to enforce sanctions, would still apply. It is an affront to all countries for Saddam to think that they would sacrifice the principles of freedom and nonaggression for the Iraqi oil or the oil that he has taken through his naked aggression against Kuwait. Saddam's isolation in the world is complete, and the world community will not be deterred from its determination to have sanctions achieve the complete, immediate, and unconditional withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait. Memorandum on the Combined Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Americans who make serving others central to their life and work are part of our kinder, gentler Nation. This commitment is displayed through no better example than Federal employees contributing every year to the Combined Federal Campaign. Public servants working in nearly every corner of the globe not only contribute to the campaign, but many spend countless hours in leadership roles each year to assure that the campaign is a huge success. I am asking you to become part of the team of Federal employees who, voluntarily, give a part of themselves through their leadership of the Combined Federal Campaign. Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan, Jr., has agreed to serve as Chairman of the 1990 Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area. I am asking that you support Secretary Lujan by personally serving as Chairman of the campaign in your agency and appointing a top official as your Vice Chairman. Please confirm with Secretary Lujan your willingness to serve and provide him with the name of your designated Vice Chairman. Your involvement and visible support are essential to a successful 1990 campaign. Please join me in encouraging Federal employees everywhere to become a part of this important effort. George Bush Message to the Congress Transmitting To the Congress of the United States: I hereby submit to the Congress the Annual Report of the Railroad Retirement Board for Fiscal Year 1989, pursuant to the provisions of section 7(b)(6) of the Railroad Retirement Act, enacted October 16, 1974, and section 12(1) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, enacted June 25, 1938. The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) serves over 900,000 railroad retirees and their families and 290,000 railroad employees who rely on the system for retirement, unemployment, disability, and sickness insurance benefits. Beneficiaries depend on the financial integrity of the pension fund for payment of their benefits. Unfortunately, the long-term financial outlook for the rail pension system remains bleak, primarily because of steady drops in rail employment. Time and again, refinancing legislation has been enacted to address the Board's chronic solvency crises, yet the trust funds still have a $34 billion unfunded liability. In 1987, the Congress acknowledged the problems faced by the system, and the rail sector was given a chance to address them with the creation of the seven-member legislative advisory Commission on Railroad Retirement Reform. The Commission was directed to examine different ways to resolve the long-term stability of the railroad pension system that do not include continued general fund subsidies. I urge the Commission to adhere to the Congress' wishes and propose ways to put the total cost of current and future rail pensions on a sound basis financed solely with rail sector re sources. In 1983, the rail sector was granted a limited rail pension subsidy by a diversion of Federal income tax payments to the rail fund. The temporary subsidy expires at the end of fiscal year 1990. Extending the subsidy would set an undesirable and threatening precedent. In the long run, railroad workers will be served best by stable rail sector funding. The condition of our budget calls for restraint on Federal spending. I therefore strongly oppose renewal of the diversion of Federal income taxes to the rail pension. While the Commission has been examining the financial solvency of the Railroad Retirement Board, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been scrutinizing its operations and recently completed a Management Review of programs run by the Board. Based on that review, OMB and the Board are developing a joint plan to address RRB's management weaknesses. I am particularly pleased that the Board's Inspector General has in recent weeks identified $73 million owed the Government. This good management work will benefit both railroad retirees and taxpayers generally. The Congress has also shown an interest in this review, and we would like to work with its Members on solutions to problem areas that could be improved with legislative changes. The White House, September 11, 1990. George Bush Proclamation 6176-National By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Each day, millions of Americans demonstrate by their example that a disability need not be an obstacle to success. In our schools, in our places of business, and in public office, persons with disabilities are not only serving in positions of leadership and responsibility, but also setting standards of achievement for others. These individuals have a wealth of talent and ideas to share. Helping greater numbers of persons with disabilities to enter the mainstream of American life is, therefore, more than a moral imperative-it is also a sound investment in our Nation's well-being. This week we recognize the dedicated professionals and volunteers who-by providing various rehabilitative services-are helping individuals with disabilities to participate more fully in the social, economic, and political life of our country. Through rehabilitative agencies and facilities throughout the United States, these men and women are enabling Americans with physical, mental, and emotional impairments to gain greater independence and self-confidence. On July 26, 1990, it was my privilege to sign into law the world's first comprehensive declaration of equality for persons with disabilities-the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Expanding upon the goals of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this landmark legislation will ensure continued progress in efforts to help Americans with disabilities to live with greater freedom and independence. The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees individuals with disabilities protection against discrimination; access to public accommodations, such as offices, hotels, and shopping centers; and improved access to transportation and telecommunications services. All Americans have reason to celebrate our Nation's progress in eliminating the physical and attitudinal barriers that have, in the past, prevented many persons with disabilities from entering the mainstream of American life. Rehabilitation services and related research and education programs have played an important role in this progress, and, this week, we salute all those dedicated and hardworking men and women who have devoted their energy and skills to this important work. In recognition of the many achievements of Americans with disabilities and in honor of all those who provide rehabilitative services for persons with disabilities, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 279, has designated the week of September 16 through September 22, 1990, as "National Rehabilitation Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week. Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of September 16 through September 22, 1990, as National Rehabilitation Week. I urge all Americans to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including educational programs designed to heighten awareness of rehabilitative services and of the ways such services enrich the lives of persons with disabilities. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth. George Bush [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:47 p.m., September 11, 1990] Address Before a Joint Session of the Mr. President and Mr. Speaker and Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, fellow Americans, thank you very much for that warm welcome. We gather tonight, witness to events in the Persian Gulf as significant as they are tragic. In the early morning hours of August 2nd, following negotiations and promises by Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein not to use force, a powerful Iraqi army invaded its trusting and much weaker neighbor, Kuwait. Within 3 days, 120,000 Iraqi troops with 850 tanks had poured into Kuwait and moved south to threaten Saudi Arabia. It was then that I decided to act to check that aggression. At this moment, our brave servicemen and women stand watch in that distant desert and on distant seas, side by side with the forces of more than 20 other nations. They are some of the finest men and women of the United States of America. And they're doing one terrific job. These valiant Americans were ready at a moment's notice to leave their spouses and their children, to serve on the front line halfway around the world. They remind us who keeps America strong: they do. In the trying circumstances of the Gulf, the morale of our service men and women is excellent. In the face of danger, they're brave, they're well-trained and dedicated. A soldier, Private First Class Wade Merritt of Knoxville, Tennessee, now stationed in Saudi Arabia, wrote his parents of his worries, his love of family, and his hope for peace. But Wade also wrote, "I am proud of my country and its firm stance against inhumane aggression. I am proud of my army and its men. I am proud to serve my country." Well, let me just say, Wade, America is proud of you and is grateful to every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman serving the cause of peace in the Persian Gulf. I also want to thank the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Powell; the Chiefs here tonight; our commander in the Persian Gulf, General Schwartzkopf; and the men and women of the Department of Defense. What a magnificent job you all are doing. And thank you very, very much from a grateful people. I wish I could say that their work is done. But we all know it's not. So, if there ever was a time to put country before self and patriotism before party, the time is now. And let me thank all Americans, especially those here in this Chamber tonight, for your support for our armed forces and for their mission. That support will be even more important in the days to come. So, tonight I want to talk to you about what's at stake-what we must do together to defend civilized values around the world and maintain our economic strength at home. Our objectives in the Persian Gulf are clear, our goals defined and familiar: Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait completely, immediately, and without condition. Kuwait's legitimate government must be restored. The security and stability of the Persian Gulf must be assured. And American citizens abroad must be protected. These goals are not ours alone. They've been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council five times in as many weeks. Most countries share our concern for principle. And many have a stake in the stability of the Persian Gulf. This is not, as Saddam Hussein would have it, the United States against Iraq. It is Iraq against the world. As you know, I've just returned from a very productive meeting with Soviet President Gorbachev. And I am pleased that we are working together to build a new relationship. In Helsinki, our joint statement affirmed to the world our shared resolve to counter Iraq's threat to peace. Let me quote: "We are united in the belief that Iraq's aggression must not be tolerated. No peaceful international order is possible if larger states can devour their smaller neighbors." Clearly, no longer can a dictator count on East-West confrontation to stymie concerted United Nations action against aggression. A new partnership of nations has begun. We stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment. The crisis in the Persian Gulf, as grave as it is, also offers a rare opportunity to move toward an historic period of cooperation. Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective-a new world order-can emerge: a new era-freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony. A hundred generations have searched for this elusive path to peace, while a thousand wars raged across the span of human endeavor. Today that new world is struggling to be born, a world quite different from the one we've known. A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world in which nations recognize the shared responsibility for freedom and justice. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak. This is the vision that I shared with President Gorbachev in Helsinki. He and other leaders from Europe, the Gulf, and around the world understand that how we manage this crisis today could shape the future for generations to come. The test we face is great, and so are the stakes. This is the first assault on the new world that we seek, the first test of our mettle. Had we not responded to this first provocation with clarity of purpose, if we |