This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release June 8, 1998

                   STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE
                 ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSED AID
                FOR THE PORT OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY

I am pleased to announce that President Clinton is sending Congress an amendment to this 1999 budget that provides good news for the future of the Port of New York and New Jersey, as well as for the many businesses and tens of thousands of workers who make the Port a centerpiece of the region's economy.

The amendment will fully funding, in 1999, the deepening of the Kill Van Kull -- the major shipping artery serving this Port -- keeping this project on schedule so that the Port will remain competitive and Port jobs will remain secure.

Nearly two years ago, I was pleased to join Congressmen Menendez and Pallone, and then-Congressman Torricelli, as well as environmentalists, longshoremen, and the shipping industry, in announcing a plan to end gridlock over harbor dredging and to open a new future for the Port. The progress achieved under that plan eliminated a backlog of projects and opened a brighter future for the Port and the Region.

Today's announcement reflects this Administration's continuing commitment to that brighter future, and the persistent leadership of Senator Torricelli and Congressmen Menendez and Pallone in ensuring that the Port of New York and New Jersey maintains its vital role in maritime commerce in the 21st century.

###