For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 28, 2001
Remarks by the President in Meeting with House and Senate Leaders
The Cabinet Room
10:46 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank the
leadership of the House and the Senate for coming
up. Today's a big day. The House is going to take
up a budget, a budget that is a common-sense budget, one that meets
priorities, one that grows discretionary spending by 4 percent; a
budget that protects Social Security; a budget that funds
Medicare. It's also a budget that recognizes that this
nation needs a tax relief package to stimulate our economy.
I want to thank you for coming, Mr.
Chairman. I appreciate you, Chairman Thomas, for working
with members of the House to get the package moving
quickly. Later on this week you'll be taking up, as I
understand, the child credit and the marriage penalty, and later on the
death tax. And I appreciate your leadership.
I've been very encouraged to see that members
on both sides of the aisle have been talking about the need not only to
have immediate stimulus to the economy, but certainty in our country,
by having rates reduced. But reducing just one rate is not
enough. In order to encourage the growth of our small
businesses and enhance the entrepreneurial fervor of America we need to
cut all rates, so that there's certainty in our economy when people
plan. And I'm confident we can get this
done. It's in the best interests of our country that we do
so.
I want to thank the Senators who are
here. We've got a big vote coming up next week on the
budget. The Chairman is here of the Budget
Committee. He's a man who understands the importance of tax
relief to stimulate growth. I appreciate you, Mr. Chairman,
for your hard work. And we look forward to working with you.
Thank you all for coming.
Q Mr. President, on
campaign finance reform --
THE PRESIDENT: I'm talking about
the budget today. There will be ample time to talk about
bills in progress. Today I want America to hear, we're going
to get a good budget out of the House and we'll get a good budget out
of the Senate. And it's in the best interests of the working
people that we do so.
Q Will you say if
there's --
THE PRESIDENT: I'm talking about
the budget today.
END
10:49 A.M. EST
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