Bill Clinton: “This is President Clinton. Although I'm in Japan at a meeting of our economic allies, I'm deeply concerned about the…”

“This is President Clinton. Although I'm in Japan at a meeting of our economic allies, I'm deeply concerned about the disaster hitting many of you in the Midwest. As the waters continue to rise, I'm keeping in touch through Vice President Gore and Federal officials in Washington. My direction to them is simple, urgent, and clear: All Federal agencies delivering services to you must coordinate their actions. Teamwork is the order of the day. I want the services you need to be delivered responsibly, efficiently, and without delay. And most of all, I want you to be treated the way every American would ask to be treated if they were on the receiving end of this disaster, with compassion and effectiveness as neighbors and friends. When I was Governor of Arkansas, I worked with farmers in my State through a number of natural disasters, including very serious floods. What I saw in Iowa last weekend when I was there with Secretary Espy were conditions as bad as I've ever seen. That's why I'm determined to have a Federal response that rises to the occasion and deals effectively with the problems you're facing. Before I left for Japan, I asked Vice President Gore to monitor actively the efforts to deal with this disaster. With his leadership and the hard work of a number of dedicated Federal officials, relief and response efforts are already underway. We're organizing the appropriate Federal agencies to ensure that they work together as a team.…”