President Praises Lawmakers for ‘Brave and Promising Step’

Following is the text of President Clinton’s statement on the Senate procedural vote on the crime bill:

For six long years, the American people have watched and waited as Washington talked about stemming the tide of crime and violence in this country, but did not act. Today, senators of both parties took a brave and promising step to bring the long, hard wait for a crime bill closer to an end.

I want to salute the senators of both Republican and Democratic ranks who put law and order, safety and security above politics and party.

Ordinary Americans all across our country ought to take heart today. In the last two weeks, members of Congress in both houses and from both parties have thrown off the bonds of politics as usual to do the people’s business. That’s what the people sent us all here to do. I hope this crime bill will now rapidly pass the Senate and that we can move on doing the people’s business across party lines, unencumbered by the labels of the past and the false choices of the past, moving to a better future for all Americans.

Thank you.