PRESS RELEASE
October30, 1996

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON’S FREE AIR TIME REMARKS

President Clinton’s remarks will be broadcast this evening, October 30, 1996, on the following stations: CNN, C-SPAN, NOSTALGIA TELEVISION, NPR, PBS and UPN.

Throughout these televised forums, the American people have seen two very different visions of how to lead our country into the 21st century. Do we work together, to help people have the tools they need to make the most of their own lives? Or do we leave people to fend for themselves? Do we build a bridge together to a brighter future -- or a bridge to the past?

That choice is very important. And that is why I urge every American to participate on Election Day.

After all, it’s your vote which will decide whether we balance the budget while protecting Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment.

Your vote will decide whether we give our children the education that is the key to opportunity, and higher-paying jobs -- whether we help every child learn to read, and log onto the vast new world of the Internet, and meet the highest standards of excellence. Whether everyone who wants to go to college has the chance to go. Whether we even have a Department of Education to stand up for America’s children.

Your vote will decide whether we make our families stronger -- with better, more affordable health care; the tools to succeed both at home and at work; and children that grow up free from gangs and guns, drugs and tobacco.

Your vote will decide whether we keep the Brady Bill and keep guns out of the hands of felons, fugitives, and stalkers. Whether we keep the ban on deadly assault weapons -- and keep putting 100,000 police on our streets, all across America.

This is the last presidential election of the 20th century. But in many ways, it is our first discussion of how we move forward, into the 21st century. I believe more than ever that our best days are still ahead of us. And if we work together -- if we cast that vote for our future -- we can build a bridge to the 21st century that is wide enough and strong enough for all of us to cross.

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