Bill Clinton: “tomorrow, we will convene for a Joint Session of Congress to hear comments by the new Liberian President, Ellen Johnson…”

“tomorrow, we will convene for a Joint Session of Congress to hear comments by the new Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. I hope that we will give her a warm welcome and send her home to the 3.3 million people of Liberia with a simple and strong message: We will stand by you as you work day-by-day to build a safer, more prosperous country. It is an exciting and hopeful time for the people of Liberia. Civil conflict has been replaced by civil discourse. Free and fair Presidential elections have taken place, with dozens of candidates and three-fourths of voters turning out to shape the country's future. Looking back, it is clear what the Liberian people were voting for when they elected President Sirleaf: honest government, economic growth, an expansion of infrastructure, and greater opportunity for all Liberians, regardless of gender. They also chose a leader with three decades of experience. President Sirleaf has served as Finance Minister in Liberia, and she has also held high-level positions at the United Nations and World Bank. It is no surprise that in just 8 weeks in her new job, President Sirleaf is already making progress. She has taken bold steps to reduce corruption, and she has rightly emphasized the need to get ex-combatants into schools and jobs. After more than a decade of conflict, this is vitally important.…”