Bill Clinton

When it's all said and done, the people of this country are going to have health care, or they're not.

I'm glad you smiled, Heather. You've made me smile, too. You have a wonderful smile. Mr. Jennings. Thank you, Mr. President, for having us in. And thank you all for coming. You can all come and say hello to him in person now.

What do I get when I go there? Normally, an Egg McMuffin or something for breakfast. Those are the big meals that I eat at McDonald's. My daughter and I used to go there sometimes on Sunday morning before Sunday school, and then Hillary…

Well, first I want to thank all of you for coming. I want to thank you for your questions. And I want to thank you for caring enough about all the things you raised. And I just want to encourage you in your lives. You know, we've got a big…

And then I'll try to answer everyone who didn't get to ask a question. When you go through the line or when we go visit, then I'll try to answer your question. Mr. Jennings. One thing I can tell you about the President, once you get him…

I want to talk to you more about the prayer question. Mr. Jennings. Okay. I must say that this year's group is incredibly eager and determined to ask their question. We've only got a minute or so left. Do you want to try to say something…

Kevin, I hope you're watching this, and we're praying for you and pulling for you. The Presidency Mr. Jennings. Mr. President, you know, it occurs to me at least, listening to all these kids ask their questions today, that they're in touch…

That's right. Mr. Jennings. Such a precious room now that everybody's very, very self-conscious about what happens in here.

Is it time to go? Mr. Jennings. Yes. We'll be right back. [The television stations took a commercial break.] Mr. Jennings. Welcome back to our answering children's questions with the President here in the East Room. As it used to look…

Yes. Some things I can do. Some things I can't do. Some things I can do if other people will help me. And it's very--that's why I try to tell you what I can do and what I can't when you ask these questions. Mr. Jennings. We'll be right…

Well, it's better than it used to be, and it's going to get better. If we pass our welfare reform proposal, it will be better, because people should not be able to bring children into the world and just walk off and leave them. They ought…

See, that's a big problem because most of the child support laws are State-by-State laws. If the father lives in a different State from the child, it's easier to get out of. What we're trying to do is to set up some national standards so…

It's a huge problem, billions of dollars a year. There are a lot of children who are forced onto welfare because their absent fathers don't pay child support. And one of the things that we are trying to do is to make it easier to collect…

Oh, well, you know, we've been making a big deal out of that, about the fact that more nicotine has been put into some cigarettes. And we're going to try to get to the bottom of that and tell all of you what's going on. And I really…

Let me just make one other comment. Just like what Cotton said, there are a lot of good people in America who still raise tobacco. And we should have funds set aside for them in the cigarettes tax to help them convert away from raising…

Wyoming? Mr. Jennings. I know you have a question about cattle. Where's the microphone for Cotton there, guys? First of all, hold it, let's show the President a little bit about where you come from. [A videotape was shown in which Cotton…

Sometimes it's very hard, but that's a big part of the test. I mean, this whole job is like a character test; you're always being measured and tested and pushed. And I believe it is my job to keep focused on the things I was elected to do…

Well, what I do is I answer the questions the best I can. And I recognize that the press is like a herd of cattle sometimes, they just get swarming on some issue and they become obsessed with it. But the American people are obsessed with…

This is where they ask me hard questions. [A videotape was shown, and then the television stations took a commercial break.] Mr. Jennings. We have another question on tape from across the country. I'll be curious to know what you think of…

I do. I do that there; sometimes I meet the press here when we have foreign leaders here. And when I have press conferences, we do it here sometimes. Mr. Jennings. We've asked David Dreyer, your Deputy Communications Director, to give us a…

Didn't he do a great job? Give him a hand. He was good. [Applause] Good job. Mr. Jennings. What's your question for the President?

The answer is yes, all schools should offer the same programs and should achieve the same high standards of excellence. One real problem we've had in America--let me just say this real quick, I don't want to get into a long answer--but in…

Well, sometimes. That's why I always try to say, here's what I can do, here's what I can't do, and remind the American people that in a democracy, the people have to do a lot of things. We have to change this country from the grassroots…

Yes, I do. Because I want every American family to have health care. And a lot of them don't now, and millions who have it can lose it. And every other major country in the world with a good economy like ours gives all the families health…

He can stand behind something that's bulletproof, but most of the time he's just out in the open. That's just a funny thing to say. It was a joke. Mr. Jennings. We have a couple questions from around the country. Remember last year, sir…