For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 11, 2001
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
Listen to the
Briefing
- Personnel announcements
- Medicare
/ prescription drugs
- Stem cell research
- Faith-based initiative / religious practices
- Hong Kong
/ President's meeting with Chief Executive
- Tax deduction for non-itemizers
- NIH spending increases
- Immigration Service
- Republican Congressional Conference topics
- Cuba
/ Helms-Burton
- Kweise Mfume / visit request
- Press conference
- Week ahead
12:40 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Good
afternoon. I have several personnel announcements to
share. The President intends to nominate William D.
Montgomery as an Ambassador to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. The President intends to nominate Clifford Bond
to be Ambassador to Bosnia and Hercegovina. The President
intends to nominate Mario P. Fiori to be Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Installations and Environment. The President
intends to nominate Mary Peters to be Administrator of the Federal
Highway Administration. The President intends to nominate
Mauricio Tamargo to be Chairman of the Federal Claims Settlement
Commission of the United States at the Department of Justice for a term
of three years. The President intends to nominate Charles
Curie to be Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration. And the President intends to
nominate William Baxter to be a member of the Board of Directors of the
Tennessee Valley Authority for the remainder of a 9-year
term. One final note: The President intends to
nominate Robert Royall to be Ambassador of the United States to the
Republic of Tanzania.
I also want to note that yesterday in the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee
approved the nominations of 16 ambassadors. The President is
thankful to the Foreign Relations Committee for their action on this
large number of diplomats to fill the important posts. He
calls on the Senate to continue to make progress on the nominations by
bringing these votes to the floor, as well. But he is
pleased by the action of the Foreign Relations Committee.
David.
Q Ari, why does the
President think it's a good idea to give senior citizens who don't have
prescription drug insurance a discount card?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is
very troubled about the price of prescription drugs and the lack of
access that senior citizens have to prescription drugs. And
the President is focused on a series of Medicare reform principles that
he will announce tomorrow. And the President believes that
Medicare reform needs to make certain that it takes care of the senior
citizens' needs and gets them prescription drugs within the Medicare
program.
Q Will you comment
specifically on the discount card that is a part of that?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President also
thinks it's very important, even before Medicare reform can be enacted,
to help senior citizens to get the best prices possible so that the
cost of prescription drugs can be lowered.
Q But he does support
putting prescription drugs under the Medicare program, is that right?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President will
have an announcement tomorrow about his principles for Medicare, and
the President does believe that Medicare reform must and should include
prescription drug coverage for seniors as part of the Medicare
program.
Q Is that what he said
during the campaign?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q That is?
Q Why do a band-aid
proposal? Even supporters of this say this is a short-term
measure --
MR. FLEISCHER: David, I think that
any senior citizen that can get the price of their prescription drugs
lowered won't view it as a band-aid, they'll view it as a prescription
drug.
Q Will there be new
government money making it cheaper for them to buy these drugs, or is
it just a card that ties them into private sector plans that are
already there?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President will
make an announcement tomorrow. So on the specifics that
you're asking about, I'm not going to go beyond where I've
gone. The President's announcement will be tomorrow, so from
this podium right now, that's about as far as I can go.
Q The details that are
public, in published reports, are accurate, though?
MR. FLEISCHER: They are accurate,
yes.
Q Ari, is there any
evidence that this will actually lead to a discount? I mean,
if millions of people get a discount, doesn't it get billed into the
price and structure -- I mean, does it really have an impact --
MR. FLEISCHER: There's no question
this is in places where it's carried out a very popular
program. Senior citizens like it and AARP likes it, and
again, it's a part of combining the power of group purchasing in a
manner that lowers prices.
Q But, Ari, the
drugstores and the pharmacists don't like it. They say that
basically the kind of emphasis on reducing prices is really on their
backs for providing these discounts to the consumers, not on the backs
of the pharmaceutical industry or on government providing low-income --
MR. FLEISCHER: That may be the
case. But in all cases, the point of the President is that
it's important to help senior citizens get prescription drugs at as low
a price as possible. Seniors need prescription drugs and the President
is committed to helping them receive prescription drugs and to do so in
a manner that is affordable to senior citizens. And that
means lower prices.
Q Is that fair, if you
don't hit the industry and you hit the regular -- the drugstore
owners?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's not a question
of hitting anybody, it's a question of helping people to get
prescription drugs at lower prices.
Q But the burden falls
-- it doesn't fall on the drug --
MR. FLEISCHER: There are economies
that can be achieved through group purchasing.
Q What happened to your
immediate helping hand proposal, to help those seniors that can't
afford even discounted --
MR. FLEISCHER: The immediate
helping hand proposal is part of the President's budget that is pending
before the Congress. Obviously, the Senate Finance Committee
had some members who thought it was not the best route to
take. The President still is committed to it. The
President has kept it out as an active proposal before the Congress, as
a reminder to Congress that, don't forget our seniors -- they need
prescription drugs. And the Medicare debate will begin most likely
sometime this fall. And the President, tomorrow, will
announce his principles for it.
Q -- would be part of
those principles?
MR. FLEISCHER: The immediate
helping hand? It's already a current proposal.
Q -- talks about the --
MR. FLEISCHER: You'll have to wait
until tomorrow to hear the President's announcement.
Q Ari, given the
shrinking surplus, can you still afford prescription drug coverage
under Medicare or under any other plan?
MR. FLEISCHER: There's no question
you can.
Q Where does the money
come from?
MR. FLEISCHER: From the budget.
Q Ari, one more on
prescription drugs. Is there a concern, though, that if you
provide these discount cards that might provide political cover to some
lawmakers who don't want to go forward and do prescription drug
coverage --
MR. FLEISCHER: Absolutely
not. The President is committed to both
objectives: to a fundamental reform in the Medicare system
that includes prescription drugs, and the President also believes, and
until a reform can be enacted, it's important to help seniors get
prescription drugs at as low a prices as is possible.
Q As the President
considers whether to federally fund embryonic stem cell research, what
impact will the announcement of the Virginia firm creating embryos for
the purpose of destroying them to extract stem cell lines, what impact
will that have on his decision?
MR. FLEISCHER: The revelation that
there are groups that are now creating stem cells for the sole purpose
of research, is a perfect illustration of the deep complexities our
society faces as a result of science and life.
Even scientists who are involved in stem cell
research have raised questions about what took place in
Virginia. And the President views this as a reminder that
this is not a simple matter, that this is a matter that involves very
sensitive and important issues that involve questions that are
fundamental about life, about preserving life with science, on the
other hand. And I think when you read that story, you see
that there are many people who are on the other side of the issue on
stem cell research, who are clear advocates of stem cell research, who
have raised questions.
Q Given the depth of
these issues, what role will the President's personal religious beliefs
play in his decision?
MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, the
President's personal religious beliefs do not influence his government
decisions as a matter of religion.
Q This?
MR. FLEISCHER: As a matter of
religion. No. This is separation between matters
of religion and government decisions. The President approaches these
decisions about all matters governmental on a basis of who he is and
what he believes is best for the country. Who he is, is
shaped by a variety of factors, and that's his background as a
governor, it's his faith, it's his experience in working with Democrats
and Republicans to bring about bipartisanship -- all factors go into
one man's approach. You cannot separate a man's background
from his approach.
But it is a very complicated and nuanced
decision, and it's something the President is approaching in a very
thoughtful and deliberative fashion. And, I think, frankly, it's a
fashion which the American people will take comfort that the decision
the President makes on stem cell research will be based on a careful
thought, careful deliberation and a lot of listening. And he will make
the decision on his own timetable, and he is going to listen to a lot
of parties and face the complexities that this issue raises for
everybody in our American society.
Q Is the President,
like some scientists, opposed to what happened in Richmond?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President views
that as a perfect illustration of the deep complexities that are raised
by this issue.
Q Is he opposed, is he
disturbed by what happened in Richmond?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's the
President's view.
Q Is he opposed to what
happened in Richmond?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President's view
is, this is a perfect illustration of the deep complexities that this
issue raises. And I think when the President makes his
decision on stem cell, and when the President announces it, I think
you'll find all the answers at that time.
Q Ari, following on
that, does what happened in Virginia not speak to the need for federal
oversight of this sort of research, to try to bring everyone under the
NIH guidelines? And if you abandon federal funding for
embryonic stem cell research, are you not, therefore, encouraging more
of this --
MR. FLEISCHER: I give the same
answer as I indicated to Ron, that any questions pertaining to that I
think you'll hear when the President makes up his
mind. You'll hear that expressed from the President,
himself.
Q Ari, I'm interested
in whether the administration would support the denial of any
assistance to anyone by a federally-funded religious organization
because they were not -- they're atheists, they're not of the same
religion? Can any of these charities deny any assistance --
food or whatever -- to someone who is not of the same religion or is an
atheist?
MR. FLEISCHER: If you're asking
about the hiring practices of religious organizations --
Q No, we already got
that --
MR. FLEISCHER: The providing of
services? Let me take that. I think that's a
legal question; let me take that question.
Q A follow-up to
that. The HR-7 bill already overrides the local and state
initiatives which would allow selective hiring. And I want
to know the administration's of, do they support that provision in the
bill?
MR. FLEISCHER: The HR-7
legislation, the faith-based legislation that passed in the Judiciary
Committee by an overwhelming vote last week contains a provision that
is in full support of the nation's civil rights laws as passed in the
1960s, and as affirmed in a 9-0 Supreme Court case that allows
religious institutions to make hiring decisions in accordance with
their faith. To the degree that any federal law has an
interaction with a state law that would differ in any way, that's a
matter for the courts to resolve.
Q Ari, if I can follow
that. The group Alliance for Marriage will propose that the
Defense of Marriage Act be turned into a constitutional amendment --
this act, of course, defining marriage as an union between a man and a
woman, for purposes of superseding state laws like that in Vermont,
which allows same-sex marriages. What is the White House's
position on this?
MR. FLEISCHER: As you know, there
is already a federal law on the books dealing with the defense of
marriage that was signed by President Clinton that states as a matter
of federal law, marriage is an institution that exists between a man
and a woman. The President supports that.
Q What's his view on
the constitutional amendment?
MR. FLEISCHER: I haven't discussed
that with him.
Q Ari, why does the
President favor a provision that basically is going to push something
back into the courts, particularly this --
MR. FLEISCHER: Paula, welcome to
the law. There are all kinds off issues that are state
government issues that involve federalism, that involve different
interpretations of state and local issues, with federal
issues. It's not a one clear-cut system we have; that's the
way our laws work.
Q But in patients' bill
of rights, one of your arguments has been that you don't want this to
protect trial lawyers over patients, that you're trying to keep things
out of the courts. So why are you --
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
believes that people should have the right to sue; it's a question of
which court is an appropriate court, a federal court or a state
court. And that's a matter that deals with ERISA
legislation, as you know, which is a very highly complicated topic
dealing with the rights of insurers to provide
insurance. It's not a statement about whether people have
the right to go to court or not. So the right to go to court
is a guarantee.
What I'm indicating here is that anytime, as
always, that a state law is in conflict with a federal law, courts get
involved.
Q Why isn't it a
preference, though, in this instance, to support a provision that would
just have a federal prohibition against any hiring practices that
discriminate based on gender preference?
MR. FLEISCHER: The federal law is
clear and the President supports the federal law in this matter.
Q The President is
going to meet the Hong Kong Chief Executive. Why is Hong Kong
important to the U.S.? And what is Hong Kong going to do for
China-U.S. relations?
MR. FLEISCHER: There will be a
meeting later this afternoon and we'll have a readout following that
meeting. But the President has invited Hong Kong Chief
Executive Tung Chee-Hwa to meet with him today. The visit is
an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm the friendship and close
ties between the United States and Hong Kong. The President
recognizes that Hong Kong civil liberties and rule of law make Hong
Kong a model of success and stability. And the President is
looking forward to listening and hearing from Chief Executive Tung.
Q Is he happy with the
current situation in Hong Kong?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think you'll get a
readout after the meeting, and that's probably the best way to measure
the meeting.
Q Ari, does the United
States support an IMF-World Bank bailout for Argentina?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me take
that. I have no information for you on that.
Q Mr. Fleischer?
MR. FLEISCHER: Where did that come
from? (Laughter.) Dana, are you throwing your
voice?
Q This is the first
I've asked --
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll go to Mr.
Milbank, and then you.
Q Ari, does the White
House support a reduction in the size of the charitable tax deduction
for non-itemizers, reducing that --
MR. FLEISCHER: As with all the tax
proposals the President has sent to the Hill, he wishes the Hill would
pass his tax proposals exactly as he sent them. Obviously,
that's not always the case. And our nation is now seeing, as
a result of the tax bill that has been signed into law, even though it
wasn't everything the President asked for, it was an awful lot of what
he asked for.
The actions that will be taken in the Ways and
Means Committee to support the President's faith-based initiative
provide for a charitable deduction for people who do not itemize on
their taxes, just as the President proposed. It's not at the
exact levels that the President proposed, but it's a $13-billion
package. And the President is very pleased that for the
first time since 1986, people who do not itemize on their tax forms
will receive a charitable deduction. It's not everything he
asked for, but it's much of what he asked for.
Q The question I had
is, the President proposed more than an 11-percent increase for NIH
spending on science and technology this year, but a net cut in other
areas. There's a report coming out today which says --
agrees basically with the administration's arithmetic on that, but
suggests that there might be an increase due in some of the other areas
in order to help the economy and work in other non-medical research
areas. Has the administration considered accepting any adjustments in
its non-medical -- upward adjustments in its non-medical research or
science and technology?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President was
very pleased to propose the doubling of the budget for the NIH that is
pending in the Congress right now. It looks like it's on
target. And the President will continue to work with
Congress to make certain that all funding issues are resolved
satisfactorily.
Q Ari, the President
announced yesterday he wants to reform the Immigration Service, split
it up into two groups, make one for service and one for
enforcement. When does he intend to push this proposal to
Congress, and who will be the point man in the White House?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, that was also
part of the President's budget that is pending in the
Congress. It's another reminder to Congress that the
Congress needs to get moving and acting on the President's
plan. The President believes very deeply that immigrants add
to the quality of life in the United States and that we need to be a
nation that welcomes immigrants; the Republican Party should be a party
that welcomes immigrants. And that matter is pending before
the Congress.
Jim.
Q On Monday we asked
you when the President believed that life begins, and you e-mailed us
later that day --
MR. FLEISCHER: Correct.
Q -- at
conception. Would it be possible for you to ask him if he
believes that an egg fertilized outside of the womb constitutes
conception, and therefore, a living being?
MR. FLEISCHER: Jim, I think
everybody is asking around about the same questions dealing with stem
cell research and the President's approach to it. As I
indicated, the President will decide this matter on his own
timetable. And when he does, I think the nation will hear a
very thoughtful explanation of what factors the President took into
consideration with whatever decision he makes, and that will all be
shared at the time.
Q Is he on a
timetable?
Q Did this meeting come
up with the House Republican Conference this morning -- did he discuss
stem cell research?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, it did not come
up.
Q Did he present his
Medicare reform plans to --
MR. FLEISCHER: No. The
President's remarks this morning focused on education, focused on
patients' bill of rights, it focused on the faith-based initiative, it
focused on trade, and the President also thanked the Congress --
Republicans in the House -- for their action to give strength to the
economy by cutting taxes.
Q Ari, just one more on
the stem cell. Last night the President met with
bio-ethicists. What was he looking for, what was he
listening for in that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, when I say
that the President is approaching this in a very thoughtful and
deliberative fashion, that's evidenced by several of the meetings that
the President has held this week alone. The President this
week has met with people who represent Americans who suffer from
debilitating diseases. The President has met with people
from the Right To Life community. The President has met with
some of the leading ethicists in our nation. And the
President is going to continue to listen very carefully to all sides of
this issue so that when he makes his decision it will be a very
informed decision, it will be a very sensitive decision, and it will be
a decision that recognizes the deep complexities that this matter
raises for our society. This is not a simple matter.
And the President is very aware that the
ramifications of whatever decision he makes will be with mankind for a
considerable period of time. It is not just a matter for one President
to decide. This is a very fundamental point that involves
some great sensitivities on all sides of a delicate
issue. And that's precisely why the President has been
meeting, and listening. And that will be reflected when the
President makes his decision on it.
Q Well, does he have a
timetable, though, for making a decision? Or is this rumble just going
to continue on indefinitely?
MR. FLEISCHER: As I indicated, the
President will make this decision on his own timetable. And,
again, I think the American people take comfort in the fact that the
President is approaching something that can last mankind for so long,
in such a serious fashion. And he will make up his mind when
he has completed the conversations that he intends to have and when he
is ready and when the timetable is complete.
Q Does he have more of
those conversations scheduled, Ari, in the next few days? Is
he continuing meetings?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President will
have additional conversations.
Q Within the next few
days?
Q Ari, is he devoting
more time to this decision than any other decision so far?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, I was
asked about that previously, and it's hard to put decisions on a linear
path like that. Many decisions are
important. This decision involves very profound and
important ethical considerations; considerations dealing with health,
science, technology and the promise of breakthroughs on health, science
and technology. And it also involves issues involving a
culture of life.
Q Ari, you sent us that
e-mail that he believes that life begins at conception. Does
he continue to believe that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes.
Q And that's not
something that he's wrestling with, in making this decision?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think, again, all
the factors that go into the President's decision, the President,
himself, will explain when he made his decision.
Q So he may be
wrestling with that issue, as well?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to
indicate anything beyond what I've said: if the President
has something to announce, he will announce it and he will share that
with the American people in a manner that answers many of these
questions. But until then, the President is going to
continue to listen to people and to think very carefully about this.
I don't think the American people expect him
to be in any hurry to decide this. But they do expect him to
focus on this in a very careful and deliberative fashion because of the
ethical implications of whatever decision is made.
Q Ari, the President
has mentioned several times in front of Cuban Americans that he is
going to increase the pressure on Fidel Castro's regime. And
this week he's going to impose a new waiver for Chapter 3 of
Helms-Burton -- that is something that the Cuban Americans are not
looking for in this administration. Do you think this
decision will be a danger for his brother's political future in
Florida?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, first of all,
that decision is under review. There is a timetable for it; the
timetable is not yet fulfilled. There is additional time
remaining on the congressional clock, in terms of when that decision
must be made. So I would just urge you to wait until the
decision is made in accordance with the timetable, and there is no need
to decide it today.
Q Ari, two
things. First of all, how can you say that the American
public can understand that the President wants to take his time on
this, when this situation has major medical ramifications?
And, two, Kweisi Mfume wants to meet with
President Bush. He did not come out inflammatory -- with
inflammatory statements -- as inflammatory statements as Julian
Bond. Will he be granted a meeting with President Bush?
MR. FLEISCHER: Number one, I stand
by what I said. I think that's an accurate
description. And, number two, I'm always willing to share
the schedule with you and there is nothing on it at this moment, but if
anything changes, I'll let you know.
Q Is the President
aware of what's been going on with the NAACP?
MR. FLEISCHER: Certainly.
Q What has he said
about Julian Bond's statements?
MR. FLEISCHER: I've expressed
that.
Q The President has
been in office six months now. He's had only three news
conferences here. When can we expect another news
conference, so we can put him on the pan, instead of
you? (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, some days I'm
very much in favor of that -- more so than others.
Q Only two news
conferences.
Q Two? Is it
only two?
MR. FLEISCHER: Three, he's had
three formal news conferences here in the Briefing
Room. And, of course, he had five in a row on the last trip
to Europe, every day of the trip to Europe.
Q That was nice, but --
(laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll keep you
advised when he has news conferences. Will you be joining us on the
trip to Europe? Will you be joining us on the July trip?
Q Will you take me
along on Air Force One?
MR. FLEISCHER: Will you be joining
us?
Q No. (Laughter.)
Q What about new
organizations that don't have enough money to join you on all those
press conferences?
MR. FLEISCHER: I highly recommend
you make more money. (Laughter.)
Q If there was already
language written into the faith-based initiative, the HR-7, that
protected religious organizations from -- protected their hiring
practices, why was the President even considering the bill, the
regulation that the Salvation Army had asked for?
MR. FLEISCHER: Because all kinds of
groups ask for things and they go under review. And the
White House aides who reviewed it, looked at and made their decision as
announced last night.
Q Does the White House
have any reaction to the new criticism from the EU of the President's
position on global warming?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President's
position on global warming remains unchanged.
Q Do you remember my
name?
MR. FLEISCHER: No
sign. (Laughter.)
Q Congressman Chris
Smith --
MR. FLEISCHER: You already got your
question. You said, do you remember my
name? (Laughter.)
Q Well, let me ask a
follow-up.
MR. FLEISCHER: A
follow-up? (Laughter.)
Q Congressman Chris
Smith has a poll that was done several weeks ago that says 70 percent
of the country favors stem cell research, but 70 percent opposes
embryonic stem cell research. Will that --
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me stop you
right there. The President has said this is not going to be
a decision that is made by the polls. This is going to be a
decision that the President makes on the basis of what he believes is
right and wrong, having listened to a great number of people.
I want to just reiterate what I said
before. This is an issue whose implications will last
mankind for an extended period of time. And that is the
manner in which the President is approaching this. Polls
don't matter to him.
Q He is aware that --
MR. FLEISCHER: We need to wrap in a
second, because there is a Presidential event and I do have some
scheduling announcements I want to share with everybody about some
upcoming events. So let me do that.
Q The President is
aware that his decision will not end research, isn't he?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me get to the
announcements. I think we've exhausted the topic.
On Friday, Condoleezza Rice will have a
pre-Europe trip-briefing in this room at 10:15 a.m., on the record, on
camera. And the President will travel to Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore on Friday, to tour and make remarks on the
patients' bill of rights and on Medicare, before he departs for the
weekend to Camp David.
On Sunday afternoon, the President will return
to the White House, where he will host the third T-ball game on the
South Lawn. The teams will come from what's called the
Challenger League. That is a league for mentally and
physically disabled children.
On Monday, the President will present the
Congressional Medal of Honor to Ed Freeman of Boise, Idaho, in a
ceremony here at the White House. Mr. Freeman distinguished
himself as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. I will have
additional information for you later in the week about next weeks
events leading up to the trip for Europe.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
MR. FLEISCHER: Thank you,
everybody.
END 1:12
P.M. EDT
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