Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Attorney General Reno, Mr. Frampton, Mr. Kennedy, Congressman Vento, ladies and…”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Attorney General Reno, Mr. Frampton, Mr. Kennedy, Congressman Vento, ladies and gentlemen. I sure have had a good time this afternoon. You know, this is a wonderful occasion for all of us as Americans. And in many ways it's a very personal occasion. Hillary and I were up here whispering to each other; I said, now, didn't we go to the Dinosaur National Park in Utah and to the Buffalo, and then I started reeling them off. She said, ``Bill, forget it. You will never remember all the parks we have visited.'' [Laughter] And we can't. We can't begin to remember all the ones we have visited and all the things that have happened to us from Florida to northern California and all points in between. I do want to say that I am personally very grateful to the people who have been recognized this year. Ambassador Lane, thank you, sir, for your many contributions. Steve Coleman and Josephine Butler and the other people from Meridian Hill--we were there on Earth Day. And I want you to know that--not that I didn't trust you--but the other day I was in the neighborhood, and I had my car sort of drive by the park again just to make sure there was no false advertising. [Laughter] And sure enough, it was just like it was on Earth Day. And I thank you for that urban miracle of nature. I congratulate the Dade County Public Schools. And Phyllis Cohen, thank you for coming here and for teaching our young people about the importance of our natural resources.…”