Bill Clinton: “Wilkes-Barre February 16, 1996 Thank you very much. Well, Jim, I was looking at the pictures behind me while you were…”

“Wilkes-Barre February 16, 1996 Thank you very much. Well, Jim, I was looking at the pictures behind me while you were talking, trying to visualize what you all have been through. And I want to just begin by thanking you and everyone who worked with you for the way you handled this, and also the people of this area for the way they handled it. Governor, Congressman, Mayor, we're all honored to be here with you. I'm here, obviously, along with the James Lee Witt and a number of people from the Federal Government who were privileged to work with you. We have Dave Sharma from the Department of Transportation, a number of people here from SBA, General Genega from the Corps of Engineers, and Martin Lancaster, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Works. And I'll have more to say about them in a moment. I think all of you know that the Governor and your two United States Senators, who had to go back to work, and Congressman Kanjorski and Congressman Holden and I, along with our FEMA Director, James Lee Witt, just toured Parkin Street with the mayor. And I must say I was very moved by the spirit of the people there. They told me some of the stories and I went over to the place where the water came out and I saw the damage there to the canal. I have--I followed this problem with great interest, and of course, even though I was a long way away and not in public life then, I have very vivid memories of that 1972 flood.…”