THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Camp David, Maryland)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      July 24, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Georgia Governor Roy Barnes has exercised great wisdom in selecting former Governor Zell Miller to fill the Senate seat of the late Paul Coverdell. Zell Miller will continue to demonstrate the same devotion to the citizens of Georgia and our nation that was the hallmark of Senator Coverdell's Senate career. Having established himself as one of the greatest governors in Georgia history, Zell returned to his first love, teaching college. He now comes to Washington out of a profound sense of duty to his nation and the people of his state.

His commitment and accomplishments in education have rightly earned him the title, "the education governor." I was so impressed with the HOPE Scholarships he began in Georgia that I took the program national, giving millions of young people the opportunity to pursue their dream of a college education. Zell Miller has also been a leader in the areas of economic development, crime prevention, and social justice. In every job he has ever held - as a U.S. Marine, college professor, lieutenant governor and governor - Zell Miller has put the interest of hard working families first. I believe he will be a great United States Senator, and I look forward to working with him.

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