[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 19 (Monday, May 15, 1995)]
[Pages 789-790]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Antiterrorism Legislation

May 8, 1995

    Before I leave on this trip, I want to say a word about the 
antiterrorism legislation that I have sent to the Congress.
    I sent that bill to Congress because it will strengthen our ability 
to investigate and prosecute and to deter--to deter the kinds of 
problems we saw and the kind of horror we endured at Oklahoma City and 
of course at the World Trade Center.
    I applaud the fact that the leadership in Congress has said that 
they will have that bill on my desk by Memorial Day. That is only 3 
weeks away. And so, before I leave, I want to urge Congress again to 
pass this legislation and to do it without delay.
    Nothing can justify turning this bill into a political football. We 
have kept politics

[[Page 790]]

completely out of our fight against terrorism. We kept it out of our 
mourning. We kept it out of our law enforcement efforts. We're going to 
keep it out of the rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma. And we must keep it 
out of this legislative effort.
    The Government needs the ability to deal with the technological 
challenges presented by terrorism in the modern age. This legislation 
does it, and there is simply no reason to delay it. Nothing can justify 
it. And it needs to pass and pass now.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:05 p.m. at Andrews Air Force Base prior 
to his departure for Moscow, Russia.