Excerpts from the Press Briefing by Scott McClellan, September 2, 2003 (Full Transcript)
QUESTION: Just one more. As a fiscal conservative, is he
proud of his fiscal record?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, if you remember -- absolutely,
the President focuses on our highest priorities and then makes sure
that in other areas that we are showing fiscal restraint. And that's
what he's doing. But remember, remember the situation that we have
faced, the challenges that we have faced when it has come to our
economy. When the President came into office he inherited a recession.
Then, as we were beginning to pull out of that recession, the
terrorists attacked us on our home front. Then we had the corporate
scandals; we worked to address that. We worked to act on getting our
economy growing by passing tax relief. Then we passed additional tax
relief, which is beginning to be realized and the people are beginning
to realize the benefits of that not only in their paychecks, but
through the child tax credit, as well. So there's more money to spend
and put back into the economy.