Bill Clinton: “Today I am pleased to take an important step in the promotion of democracy by putting in place my proposal for…”

“Today I am pleased to take an important step in the promotion of democracy by putting in place my proposal for strengthening one of the most effective foreign policy tools we have, our international broadcasting programs, for the spread of our values, our ideas, and our democratic way of life can help strengthen our security and support others around the world in their struggle for freedom. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by the Director of the U.S. Information Agency, Dr. Joseph Duffey, and the Chair of the Board of International Broadcasting, Congressman Dan Mica. These programs have been and will be an essential part of our efforts to promote democracy and advance America's interests abroad. Our plan proposes a proud rebirth of America's broadcasting programs to reflect this post-cold-war era. Our proposal preserves Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, which played such an important role in bringing freedom to Central and Eastern Europe and to the states of the former Soviet Union. It retains our other important broadcasting services, such as Voice of America, Radio Marti, and TV Marti, which have played such an important role in bringing truth and hope abroad. And our plan reorganizes our foreign broadcasting services to make them stronger, more efficient, and more capable of meeting this era's new challenges of fostering democracy and civic reconstruction.…”