Bill Clinton: “Let me tell you that, generally, I am very favorable to that sort of approach. I must say I was disappointed when we…”

“Let me tell you that, generally, I am very favorable to that sort of approach. I must say I was disappointed when we were trying to pass the emergency jobs package earlier in the year, that there seemed to be so much resistance or at least so little enthusiasm among Members of the Congress in both parties for the community development block grant program. I don't know what your experience has been in Kansas, but in Arkansas, I can tell you that if it hadn't been for the CDBG funds and the flexibility they gave us, it would have been very difficult for us to have the kind of aggressive economic development program we had when I was Governor. So I am generally very favorably inclined toward consolidating specific programs into larger block grants. I will look at the specific proposal; I will review it; I will discuss it specifically with the Vice President about in terms of what role it should have in his final recommendations. But I have to say that we're going to have to do a little work on Members of Congress from both parties to increase their enthusiasm for the block grants. I don't quite know what the problem is, because it seems to me that the evidence is clear, at least based on my personal experience, that Federal money goes farther, does more good, has a bigger impact if we stop trying to micromanage it and overregulate it and instead let it be spent where the people and the problems are. So I'm very sympathetic, but I want to be candid. I think we've got a little work to do to bring the Congress to where we are. Banking and Community Development Mr. Hamilton. Mr. President, our next ques- tion comes from Assemblywoman Gwen Moore of California, who is a majority whip of the California Assembly. [Ms. Moore asked if the President opposed efforts to preempt State laws related to interstate branch banking and community reinvestment.]”