Bill Clinton: “Today I approved Secretary of the Navy John Dalton's recommendation to name CVN-75 and CVN-76, Nimitz-class aircraft…”

“Today I approved Secretary of the Navy John Dalton's recommendation to name CVN-75 and CVN-76, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers currently authorized for construction, the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman and U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, respectively. Protecting our Nation's security--our people, our territory, and our way of life--is a President's foremost constitutional duty. It is therefore most appropriate to name two great warships after two former Presidents who exemplified the ideals of patriotism, camaraderie, and courage found in the service men and women they led as they discharged their highest duty. Our military today is the best equipped, best trained, and best prepared fighting force in the world. These two aircraft carriers represent my pledge to ensure our security is underpinned with military forces that are ready to fight. But our Nation can only address this era's dangers and opportunities if we remain actively engaged in the world. The two Presidents we honor today knew that there is no security for America in isolationism, no prosperity in protectionism. They worked with a Congress led by the other party in order to foster the broad, bipartisan understanding and support necessary to sustain U.S. international engagement. As President Truman said, ``We face a clear-cut choice between two courses of action.…”