For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 6, 2001
Remarks by the President at Visit to Tree Top Toys and Books
Tree Top Toys and Books Mclean, Virginia
1:37 P.M.
THE PRESIDENT: I am honored to be
here, Carole. Thank you very much. The next time my mother
shops, I am going to tell her to double the amount of
purchases. (Laughter.) I want to thank the other
small business owners who are here as well.
One of the unique things about America is the
entrepreneurial spirit of our country. The small business
owner is really the backbone of the nation in terms of job creation, in
terms of hope, in terms of offering dreams for people. I am
here to talk to these entrepreneurs about the benefits of the tax
relief package, the benefits for the small business owner.
First, we'll make the code simpler,
consolidate the rates from five to four. By dropping the top
rate from nearly 40 percent to 33 percent, we really say to the sole
proprietor, the business owner, that there is more capital available
for you to expand your business if need be, your own money in your own
pocket to be able to make sure your small business flourishes.
I strongly believe and know that cuts in
marginal rates will affect capital growth, which is so important for
the growth of small businesses in America. Secondly, the tax
relief package will help the consumers, the customers of the small
business owner.
We have an issue in America right now called
energy, and the energy prices are beginning to affect the purchasing
patterns of the people who come to the shops such as this
one. Many of the Americans have got a consumer debt load
that is significant, and it is important for us to provide meaningful
tax relief for all taxpayers so that they can better manage their own
personal accounts.
There is a lot of talk about paying down
debt. And my budget that I will submit to the Congress does
pay down the national debt. But by cutting taxes on
everybody who pays taxes, by recognizing a family of four earning
$50,000 a year will receive a $2,000 tax cut, it helps people get out
from underneath their own personal debt load. And that's
important. It's important for the families, it's important for the
small business owners.
And finally, as Carol mentioned, part of our
tax plan eliminates the death tax. Small business owners
work hard to have a financial platform from which they can not only
live, but also a financial platform that they can pass on to their
heirs. And the death tax is unfair. The death tax
is a tax that unfairly penalizes people who have worked hard to build
up their own businesses.
So this tax relief package is not only good
for taxpayers, it is also good to stimulate and to help the
entrepreneurial spirit in America, a spirit seen right here with these
good folks who have taken risk, are creating jobs, but most
importantly, realized their dreams of owning their own
business. So it's such an honor to be here. I
appreciate your inviting us. Thank you all for your
hospitality. I'll be glad to answer a few questions.
Q Mr. President, can
you explain your position on a patients' bill of rights, as proposed
today in the Senate? Are you for it, as it was outlined by
Senators Kennedy and McCain and others?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I haven't seen
all the details. But first, I am pleased that Senator
Kennedy and Senator McCain have come together to offer a
plan. Inherent in their plan, as I understand, is some tort
reform. That is a really important ingredient in order to move
patients' bill of rights, as far as I'm concerned.
We can't have a patients' bill of rights that
encourages and invites all kinds of lawsuits. Because the
ultimate effect will be to run up the cost of business, particularly
for small businesses. And so, as I understand, there is some
tort reform language in there.
I'm a little concerned about the size of the
cap on punitive damages. I want to make sure that if there is tort
reform, it's a tight tort reform package, without a lot of loopholes
that will allow trial lawyers to skirt the intent of the
law. But, as far as I am concerned, I am really pleased with
the fact that they are moving legislation in the Senate. It
is a good sign that Republicans and Democrats are getting together.
Q May I just follow on
one point?
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q The administration's
meeting last night with Congressman Norwood -- was that in any way an
effort to stall this effort on a patients' bill of rights for
now? Do you feel like anybody's trying to steal your thunder
as you're trying to talk about tax cuts?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think
so, David. I know the reason why our folks met with Charlie
Norwood like we're meeting with other people is to lay out our
principles, is to talk about an administrative initiative. And our
initiative is going to encompass many of the principles that are
inherent in John's and Senator Kennedy's -- John McCain's and Senator
Kennedy's bill. All these bills, they are going to get
worked out over time.
I just want the people in the House and the
Senate to know that I'm coming with a plan. And as you know
-- and you heard me in the campaign several times -- talk about the
fact that our legislation in Texas, our patients' bill of rights in
Texas was a pretty strong piece of legislation. And one of the things
I am concerned about is to make sure that the federal government law
doesn't override what we did in our state.
There are a lot of details to be worked
out. But I am really pleased with the progress and I am very
hopeful that we can get a patients' bill of rights on my desk pretty
soon. And the fact that, again, John McCain and Senator
Kennedy and others have come together is a good sign.
Q Are you worried about
the possibility of strikes at four major airlines, sir, and what can
you do about it?
THE PRESIDENT: I am worried about
strikes at airlines. I think that could have a harmful
effect on our economy. And I would urge that the parties
settle their disputes. The President has got some
opportunities -- if they are unable to do so -- some opportunities
available and I will explore all options. But I am concerned
about it and so should America.
Q Mr. President, it's
now clear that the continent of Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan
Africa, is very important to you. Colin Powell mentioned
that over the weekend. But what's unclear are the priorities
in Sub-Saharan Africa. We understand that there is a problem
with AIDS and they're a mineral-rich country. What are your
priorities for Africa?
THE PRESIDENT: You
bet. Well, the priorities have got to be the same priorities
we have for our own hemisphere, for example, or for around the
world. Freedom, democracy, opportunity through open
markets. And so the first place to start on the economic
front is to make sure we have free and fair trade with the African
continent. There ought to be significant trade back and
forth and we ought to explore opportunities to do so.
If there are barriers -- and some are worried
about the textile industry barriers for example -- we need to examine
them all, and I will instruct Robert Zoellick to do just that.
In terms of having a peaceful continent, it is
very important for us to work with countries like Nigeria to enable
Nigeria to have an effective peacekeeping force, to keep warring
parties apart on that continent. It's also important for us
not to ignore Africa, so that we can anticipate problems before they
occur. Oftentimes on that important continent, things get
out of hand, and they could have been prevented in the first place,
which means to have the Secretary of State and the National Security
Advisor pay attention to Africa, which we will do.
Q Are you possibly
thinking of going back -- going to Africa?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm -- one
country at a time. (Laughter.) I'm going to
Mexico first. I've got a lot of work to do at
home. Gregory -- David Gregory brought up a very important
issue. It reminds me of about how -- it should remind you
about how involved I'm going to be on pieces of legislation, whether it
be patients' bill of rights or tax relief or education
reform. I've got a lot of work to do here, to work with the
Congress, to make sure that the principles that I think are important
are inherent in these different pieces of legislation. I'll
be making some trips, but I'm not exactly sure when I would be going to
Africa, for example.
Q Mr. President, what
is it you think you're going to need to do to get enough Democratic
support for your tax cut plan?
THE PRESIDENT: Say that again now?
Q What are you going to
have to do to ensure that you get enough Democratic support for your
tax cut plan to make sure that it gets down to your desk for a
signature?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate
that. The thing I'm going to need to do is to remind
Democrats, one, our budget works. That you can set aside
payroll taxes for Social Security, set clear priorities, pay down debt
and there's room for the $1.6-trillion tax cut. It started
off at $1.3 trillion and evidently it's grown to $1.6 trillion.
Secondly, to remind people in Congress that
this tax relief package is fair and positively affects the lives of
people who are standing up here by me. It is a positive
effect on our economy. Thirdly, remind them, we'd better
act. The economy is slowing down, and we need to act, and
act as quickly as we possibly can, including working with Congress to
make sure the tax cuts can take -- as much of the tax cuts as possible
can take immediate effect to help people.
Q If I could follow up,
do you favor doing something retroactively, or would you simply
accelerate the benefits in the first year of your plan?
THE PRESIDENT: We'll work with
Congress on that. The strategy, or the goal -- let me put it
to you that way -- the goal is to get money in the pockets of the
working people as quickly as we can.
END
1:48 P.M. EST
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