For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 7, 2001
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
- Statement on shooting outside the White House
- Tax families/Republican
voters
- Israeli
election
- AIDS office, Race
office/makeup
- California energy
situation
- Supplemental defense
spending bill
- Tax relief/surplus
projections/triggers
- Patients' bill of
rights
- National Drug
Czar
- NAFTA/Mexico
- Abortion/Virginia law
- Bankruptcy legislation
2:20 P.M. EST
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. At approximately 11:30
a.m. this morning, while the Secret Service was on routine patrol
around the White House, they heard shots fired and proceeded to
surround a subject who was wielding a weapon, a gun. A
10-minute standoff ensued, following at which time the Secret Service
fired a shot into the suspect's leg -- a Secret Service
officer. The suspect, as you know, is in
custody. He's been taken to George Washington University
Hospital, where he's being treated for injuries that do not appear to
be life-threatening.
During this
time, the President was in the residence and was never in any
danger. The Vice President was working in his West Wing
office, also was never in any danger at any point. The Vice
President and the President continue their routine
schedules. Mrs. Bush, during this time, was in Texas.
And that is
the information as far as the shooting is concerned.
Q Ari,
how was the President notified of this? What procedures were
followed to ensure his safety?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President was in the residence at the time.
The Secret Service notified him that there had been an incident on the
South -- outside the gates of the White House, just outside the
southernmost tip of the South Lawn. And he resumed his
activities that he was in the middle of.
Q Can
you give us examples you can describe that were --
MR.
FLEISCHER: The Secret Service took the routine precautions
they always take.
Q Can
you tell us what those routine precautions were? Did it
involve him moving at all?
MR.
FLEISCHER: No. Any other matters that pertain to
the Secret Service's handling or the methods that they use,
we're not going to discuss, of course.
Q Secondly,
can I ask you, did the gunman aim his gun at anybody or himself?
MR.
FLEISCHER: All the specific facts of that matter will be
investigated by the relevant agencies, including the Secret Service and
the U.S. Park Police, and that investigation is underway.
Q What
was the President's reaction to this incident?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President has full faith in the Secret
Service, so the President understood that he was not in any
danger. And the President -- again, we all have full faith
in the Secret Service here. They are professionals, they do their job,
and they do it well. It's unfortunate that it ever comes to
this point, but if it ever does, the Secret Service serves our nation
very, very ably.
Q Two
questions. What was the President doing in the residence at
the time? Was that planned?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President was working out in the residence at
the time.
Q And
also a question for you. We had seen some people leave. Was
there any time where visitors and tourists were asked to leave the
White House, any evacuation, temporary evacuation that went on?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The tourists -- the White House was open at that
moment for tourists, and tourists were escorted out the gates of the
White House as a routine precaution.
Q Can
you confirm this wasn't an act of terrorism?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Again, the whole matter will be under
investigation, but I've seen no evidence that would suggest that.
Q Ari,
was this a handgun that the suspect had? Did he, himself,
fire the shots?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That will be under investigation.
Q Do
you have any idea what his motive or intent was?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Again, it's all preliminary. The
investigation is underway.
Q Do
you know how many shots were fired, Ari?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'll decline to -- that would be part of the
investigation. It was a number of shots.
Q Three?
MR.
FLEISCHER: A number of shots. I'm not going to
indicate a specific number.
Q Fired
at him? Is that what you're saying?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The suspect fired a number of shots.
Q When
he shot at the White House, was the White House hit?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That is a part of the investigation.
Q When
you say he was at the southernmost tip, that means that the part there
where you'd have a clear line of vision.
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct. I've seen a number of
press reports that say it was the Southwest Gate -- that's not
correct. It was very close to the southernmost tip, just
slightly west of the southernmost tip.
Q Ari,
back to this question before. Does the President, in view of
today's shooting incident, have any further thoughts about whether to
reopen Pennsylvania Avenue?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I did not discuss that with the President.
Q What
about jogging on that track? You say that --
Q --
he stated a position?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I talked to the President and the President said
he understood he was never in any danger and he kept up what he was in
the middle of. Again, the President has full faith in the
Secret Service. But we did not discuss the issue involving
Pennsylvania Avenue.
Q About
the jogging track, you say that he's jogged a number of times on that
track. He would be exposed if he were on that track, given
the facts as we know them in this scenario.
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President was at the residence at the time
this incident took place.
Q Is
there any rethinking of whether he should be running on that open-air
track?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think the event just took place a few hours
ago, and as a standard, a review will be done and an investigation will
be done --
Q If
I understand what you're saying, from where he was standing he would
have a clear line of sight of the White House?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The southern tip is very far removed from the
White House; it's quite a distance.
Q But
there is nothing in the way, it was a clear line of sight?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's a very public place down
there. Tourists often gather at the southernmost tip of the
gate to look in.
Q At
the fence?
MR.
FLEISCHER: At the fence, that's correct.
Q Was
he menacing the tourists? Was he menacing himself, the
tourists, or the White House, or all of the above?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, I think it's fair to say that anytime
anybody has a weapon that they're discharging, there's a safety problem
for all concerned.
Q Does
the President or does the Secret Service have any intention to make the
White House less accessible, the President less accessible to the
public or the press after that?
MR.
FLEISCHER: There has been no discussions of that.
Q Ari,
are we under heightened national security here at the White House right
now?
MR.
FLEISCHER: No. E Street remains closed pending
the investigation. Traffic is coming in and out of the White
House. Authorized traffic, of course, is allowed through that
particular Southwest Gate if you're authorized. But
everything else is back to normal. The routine investigation
proceeds, but other than that, the White House is at work.
Q Ari,
do you know if this man was ever a threat, an immediate threat to the
White House, this President, or when he was governor of Texas?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I have no information on that, Kelly.
Q One
aspect of this story is a little confusing. Secret Service
was saying that they were informed by a citizen who had seen the man
with the gun. What light can you shed on the fact that he
did, in fact, fire some shots in the air, according to
eyewitnesses? Is that was Secret Service heard?
MR.
FLEISCHER: A Secret Service vehicle was on routine patrol
around the White House at approximately 11:30 a.m. They
heard shots fired, at which point they exited their vehicle and took
appropriate action.
Q And
that was what?
MR.
FLEISCHER: They surrounded the suspect. And
additional agents arrived, additional officers arrived.
Q What
happened then? Can you describe the standoff?
MR.
FLEISCHER: No, I'm not going to tick-tock the whole
standoff. That was a matter that is going to be part of
their investigation that they engage in.
Q Is
there any indication as to why they fired a shot, after apparently
talking with him for some time?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Because the Secret Service felt it was necessary
to do so in this case.
Q What
did he do?
MR.
FLEISCHER: He was armed with a weapon that he had
discharged.
Q Did
he take any threatening action?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'll refer you to the Secret Service.
Q What
were they were talking about for 10 minutes?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'll refer you to the Secret Service.
Q Why
was he shot in the leg only if it was a standoff and he had a weapon?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Yes, and I think that's a question you should
address to the Secret Service.
Q Ari,
how close does that track come to the southernmost tip of the perimeter
-- the track of the President?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Not very close.
Q But
certainly close enough, right?
Q Are
they looking for where these bullets ended up?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's part of the investigation, John.
Q So
they're investigating around here at the White House or anything like
that?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q Did
they recover any shell casings from the South Lawn?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's part of the investigation.
Q Any
political impact on the happy face of the new administration?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Nobody ever wants to have to go through anything
like this, for anybody -- not for the Secret Service, who guards this
building; not for the people who work here; and of course, the
suspect. Nobody ever in our society wants to have these types of
incidents arise. Unfortunately, as we've seen through history, they
sometimes do. And that's why we're all grateful to the
people who protect this building and protect our President.
Q Ari,
you said the standoff was 10 minutes long. The Park Police
are saying 15 minutes. Can you resolve that discrepancy?
MR.
FLEISCHER: My information is 10 minutes, and that will all
be part -- I would refer you to both Secret Service and to the Park
Service.
Q --
comes from the Secret Service?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'm sorry?
Q Your
10-minute figure comes from the Secret Service?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q Are
you wearing your flak jacket under your suit today?
Q Ari,
was it the Vice President's decision to stay in the West Wing while the
Secret Service was trying to secure the outside area?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I don't know whose decision it was, but he just
kept working as normal. I think that's a reflection of the
threat inside the grounds, that the President continued what he was in
the middle of, the Vice President continued what he was in the middle
of. And of course, the suspect never entered the White House
grounds. It all took place outside of the gate of the White
House, on public property, on a public street -- public sidewalk.
Q Ari,
wouldn't the Secret Service decide to tell the President and the Vice
President where to stay or not move?
MR.
FLEISCHER: As I mentioned, the appropriate precautions were
taken.
Q Did
anyone hear the shots from within the White House?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Not that I'm aware of.
Q Ari,
can you go over any biographical information you have about the
suspect? We hear he might have lived in Baltimore for a
period of time.
MR.
FLEISCHER: I do not have that information. That
will be, I think, addressed by other authorities.
Q Can
you shed any light on reports that his vehicle has been found and there
were some materials inside?
MR.
FLEISCHER: As for any follow-up questions about what the
investigation is finding, I am not an investigator, I would refer you
to the appropriate law enforcement authorities -- in this case, the
Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police.
Q From
what you know initially, was his intent to threaten the President, or
was his intent otherwise, perhaps to hurt himself?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That was asked and that will be a part of the
investigation.
Q Ari,
what you describe as a standoff, might that be interpreted differently,
might have the various officers been trying to coax him out of
committing suicide, for instance? Is that part of what's
being investigated?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'm going to refer that question to the people
who speak for the law enforcement officers. I speak for the
President.
Q But
you used the word standoff.
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct. Well, I think that any
time you have law enforcement officers with drawn weapons and you have
a suspect with a drawn weapon, that's a standoff.
Q Were
the families who came to see the President this morning on the South
Lawn ever in danger?
MR.
FLEISCHER: No, there was never any danger to the people here
in the building.
Q Are
they still here?
MR.
FLEISCHER: If they were taking a tour, they could have
been. There were tourists walking through the White House, as part of
the normal White House tours. But, again, I have no
information that anybody was in any danger at that point.
Q What
time did people go inside from the South Lawn, Ari?
MR.
FLEISCHER: What time did that event conclude? I
think the event began approximately 9:30 a.m., it probably ended
shortly after 10:00 a.m.
Q Did
they hang around at all?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I don't know what each of those families did.
Q Ari,
is it still standard practice to block pedestrian traffic along that
perimeter of the White House while there is an event taking place on
the South Lawn?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I don't know that it's ever been the practice,
John. You would have to address that to the Secret Service.
Q Ari,
going back to Pennsylvania Avenue, I know you didn't talk to the
President about it today, but what's going on with regards to this
administration and keeping it open and keeping it -- or opening it or
keeping it closed?
MR.
FLEISCHER: On the question of Pennsylvania Avenue, the
President has spoken with the Secret Service, the President has spoken
with Mayor Williams. He's going to continue to speak with
relevant parties, and he's made no determination at this moment, at
this time, about what he will do or won't do, what can be done or
cannot be done with Pennsylvania Avenue.
Q Will
today's incident affect --
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think it's -- as I indicated earlier, I have
not talked to the President about that.
Q Ari,
can you talk about the Middle East election or are you still --
Q One
more on this. The people in other countries look at the
United States as a particularly violent society. Do you
think for people watching this in other countries that this says
anything about the character of the United States?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I would not engage in any such
thought. I think many nations on this Earth deal with issues
and the matter of protection of their presidents, and the United States
does not stand alone in having to have people protect the President,
protect the building in which the President resides. That's
common throughout the world. There have been incidents
around the world, unfortunately, where violence has taken place that we
all come to regret.
Q Ari,
can we just get one thing clear? You said a number of shots
were fired.
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q Were
they fired in the air or at anybody or --
MR.
FLEISCHER: That will be part of the investigation.
Q May
I ask a policy question? The tax families who visited the
President this morning, they're all Republican voters. They
were involved in the Republican campaigns or they had changed sides for
reasons such as the abortion issue. Wouldn't it be
reasonable to pick families who are not taking sides politically, for
demonstration purposes?
MR.
FLEISCHER: You mean, like the family we visited yesterday at
the toy store in McLean who began her statement by saying she did not
vote for President Bush?
Q That's
an example, yes, but not this morning. (Laughter.)
MR.
FLEISCHER: That was an example. Perhaps she'll
vote for President Bush in the future.
Q On
the Israeli elections, we know what the President said and what you
said, but how does the President feel now after speaking to Barak and
Sharon? Is he optimistic, pessimistic?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think the President believes very much that the
United States must be committed to the peace process in the Middle
East, and he will endeavor to do so. Obviously, in the wake
of an election that took place yesterday, the Prime Minister now will
be putting together his government, putting together his Cabinet, and
we must allow time for the new Sharon government to form its -- to come
into place.
Q Ari,
what's the status of the AIDS office now? There are
differing reports out there. What is the bottom line?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The White House, in order to fight the scourge of
AIDS, will continue to have an office dedicated to that
mission. It's an important mission, in the President's
opinion. And the manner in which we will do that will be the
following: The Department of Health and Human Services will
be detailing people to the White House. In addition, at our
Domestic Policy Council we will have a White House employee who is
dedicated to fighting AIDS and developing policies that can help us to
fight AIDS. There is also a task force in place, that will
remain in place, that also is concerned with the battle against
AIDS. That will be the entities within the White House that
are dedicated to that cause.
Q Will
there be an AIDS coordinator and will the people -- the number of
people dedicated to this issue be the same or lesser that were in the
AIDS office under Clinton?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I can't speak yet to the exact number of people.
There will be an AIDS coordinator on the Domestic Policy
Council. There will also be, as I mentioned, the question of
the detailees from the Department of Health and Human Services, and
then the task force. So it will be those three entities.
Q A
follow-up on that question, but on the race office -- it's now
changing, we understand, from the President's Initiative on One America
to another office.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Right. The former President had an
initiative that he called One America, that was part and parcel of a
commission that he had set up, that focused on a matter that the former
President brought to the forefront of his agenda. Their work
has basically been completed, as part of the commission that the
President brought forward. I think everybody remembers the
event surrounding when President Clinton concluded his work on that
area. The office was set up in conjunction with that.
What
President Bush intends to do is to broaden that effort. And
that is why we will, as part of our effort to improve race relations in
America, create a working group on uniting America that picks up the
themes and develops the policies that the President talked about in his
inaugural address, the concerns he mentioned about people who don't see
the justice, that we have justice for all. And that will be
conducted also through the Domestic Policy Council, as well as the
Office of Public Liaison.
Q A
follow-up to that. Andy Card said outside today, he said
that it will be dealing with the same issues, but the "bureaucracy"
would be different. Is that what the administration is
thinking of?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q Ari,
could I ask one two-part question, because I have to
leave. First, Israel's new Prime Minister, by a landslide,
has stated with pride, quote, "I have never shaken hands with Yasser
Arafat." Does the President believe this is wrong, or does
he understand General Sharon's reaction, given Arafat's connection to
the killing of so many Israeli civilians, as well as Americans,
including Mr. Klinghoffer and --
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President is going to continue to work for
peace and security in the Middle East, and that means he will be
working with the parties involved to bring peace to the Middle East.
Q As
the President's Press Secretary, could you give us your impression of
Columbia Journalism School's inviting as a guest lecturer a recent
presidential candidate who refused, for 62 days, to answer reporters'
question and whose lecture Columbia Journalism School tried to conceal
from all reporters, including its own alumni, several of whom are
here?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I have full faith that any journalist who
graduates from the Columbia Journalism School will be an excellent
journalist.
Q Will
they learn how to deal with presidential candidates who try to evade
reporters' questions, Ari?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I hope not. (Laughter.)
Q Ari,
a federal judge in Sacramento ruled that Reliant Energy must continue
selling energy to California after the deadline that was set for
emergency action. The judge decided that when it comes to a
weighing between the law of supply and demand and the general welfare
that the law of supply and demand must bend. Is the
President also of that same opinion?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, as you know, Governor Davis has publicly
thanked President Bush for the leadership he showed in helping
California to manage the crisis, and the President is committed to
helping California through whatever tools are available. And
that will continue to be the position of this administration as we
develop our national energy policy. But I'm not going to comment on a
specific judicial ruling.
Q A
follow-up on that, Ari. The deregulation has obviously --
that has been a part of the Republican program and the President's
program -- has led to a lot of problems in California, but there are
also clouds on the horizon in the state of Washington. In
New York this year -- may also have problems. Doesn't this
indicate now that the deregulation policies -- that they have
benefitted only one side, and that is the energy companies, which have
had a surge in profits as a result of deregulation? Given
that these companies were largely in support of --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Is there a question here?
Q Yes,
there is. Given that these companies were in support of
candidate Bush during the election, doesn't this create kind of an
unseemly condition, where they're making the money and people are
suffering as a result of these policies which, as I understand it, are
still policies of the President?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think what it indicates is that America's
supply of energy is not sufficient to meet its demand. And
that is why the President is dedicated to increasing the supplies of
energy, so that we can have supply and demand come into an equivalent
level, which will bring prices down and also provide us energy security
and independence.
Q On
the AIDS and Race Relations offices, what are the current staffing
levels and budgets of those offices, and how might they change?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The AIDS task force is a $250,000 program on an
annual basis, funded by the Department of HHS. There is a
detailee, also, that comes with that. Working out of the
White House Office of the Domestic Policy Counsel is an employee who
will be focused on health care issues and AIDS. There will
be one person in the Public Liaison office also, who has, among their
duties, outreach and liaison; as well as in the Domestic Policy
Council, somebody who will be also focused on policies and can help
advance the cause of civil rights and racial unity. That's
part of our working group.
Q One
question about that, though. Isn't there currently an Office
of National AIDS Policy on Jackson Place, and is that going to be used
or is it all going to be in the West Wing?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's exactly the point. That's why
there is nothing that is closing; that office is open.
Q That
will be where?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's a task force. That's one of the
elements, Kelly,
Q Has
the administration decided not to ask for a supplemental defense
spending bill for this fiscal year?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President has said that he will seek no
immediate supplemental. He has not ruled one out for later
in the year. But his first priority is to make certain that we attend
to America's defense needs. And that is why he has directed
Secretary Rumsfeld to begin the four structure review, so that we can
make certain that we have a military that is prepared to face the
threats that our nation has to deal with. And that process
has now begun.
And that is
precisely what the President said he would do during the course of the
campaign. The President proposed a pay raise for members of
the military, which will be in this year's budget. He
proposed funding to increase housing. He proposed funding
for more R&D.; And he said in his speech at the Citadel,
which I will point you to -- we have copies available for those who
would like to read it -- on September 23, 1999, that he was going to
begin an immediate -- and I'm reading from his speech -- "comprehensive
review of our military, the structure of its forces, the state of its
strategy, the priorities of its procurement, conducted by a leadership
team under the Secretary of Defense." He said, "This will
require spending more and spending more wisely."
So what the
President indicated more than a year ago is exactly what he is doing
now; that he wants to have a strategic review of what our needs are and
once that review is complete, then we will proceed to have a dollar
figure for those priorities, other than the ones I mentioned --
military pay raise, et cetera.
Q Immediately,
there is this shortfall between what the President is willing to give
and what the Pentagon says it needs.
MR.
FLEISCHER: And that's why the President has said that we
need to complete this review and he has sent a signal of fiscal
discipline that there will be no immediate supplemental.
Q If
he is refusing immediately to ask for a supplemental spending bill,
what would cause him in the future to seek one?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think we'll just have to monitor events and to
see what the reviews start to indicate and what the recommendations
are.
Q On
the AIDS question again. The last administration, last year,
declared that AIDS was also a national security problem and, therefore,
had to be dealt with out of a national security
structure. Is that continuing to be the policy of this
administration and is there a plan to deal with that through the NSC,
as well?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, that is an issue that concerns the
President. And, frankly, that's why he brought it up when he
met with the Congressional Black Caucus about the problems of AIDS in
Africa. And so there -- in addition to what people do on
their mission dedicated toward eradicating AIDS, there will be other
people, of course, in the course of their routine work who are going to
concern themselves with AIDS, as events warrant. And I think
that's entirely reasonable that it will come up in that context, as
well.
Q I'm
a little confused on the defense spending issue. I thought
you had indicated a few days ago that the President intended to include
an additional pay raise and additional monies for military housing in
his first budget.
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q But
Rumsfeld told people yesterday that there would be no increase in the
Clinton budget. I don't understand how to reconcile those
two.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, I'm not certain what the Clinton budget is,
and so I'm looking at what the President proposed during the campaign,
which as you know was a $45 billion over 10 years proposed increase in
DOD funding, separate and apart from the strategic review which I
mentioned. And that will be aimed at those issues I just mentioned --
pay raise, housing, et cetera.
Q And
a pay raise over and above what President Clinton had proposed?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q So
it's Clinton's budget plus $4.5 billion for this next fiscal year?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President is proposing $45 billion above and
beyond what was previously appropriated.
Q Over
10 years?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Over 10 years. That was his campaign
proposal.
Q To
be clear about this, he absolutely is adding additional money over the
Clinton budget for military pay raise and military housing, so his
first defense budget will be larger than the Clinton defense budget.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Let me read to you from the President's speech at
the Citadel on September 23rd. "My first budget will go
further, adding a billion dollars in salary increases." And
that was above and beyond what
was appropriated by the Congress last year to help our men and women in
uniform -- $1 billion on the pay raise per year.
Q Is
the White House committing to keep that Jackson Place office open after
the end of the current fiscal year? In other words, will it
stay open?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That is the plan.
Q A
follow-up on that. I guess I'm as confused as Jim is,
because we have this report that Rumsfeld said, we're not going above
the Clinton budget -- we're talking about the review that we all know
the President said in September of '99 we would
undertake. The question is, was Rumsfeld right when he told
the Joint Chiefs and people at the Pentagon yesterday, or will we, in
fact, have an increase?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Let me talk with Secretary Rumsfeld to see the
exact context of what he said. But it is accurate to say, as
far as programs that I did not delineate there in terms of pay raise
and housing, that the President has sent a signal that until the
strategic review is done, the existing budgets will be in
place. I can imagine that that is why you hear
two pieces of information, both of which are correct.
Q How
long is it estimated that review will take?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's a question you need to direct to the
Pentagon.
Q Ari,
the GAO report yesterday was a pretty sober warning about the
uncertainty of the surplus projections. I assume you still
believe the surplus projections, and if so, would the President go
along with the Democratic proposal from the Senate this morning that
would provide some sort of dividend approach that, if and when the
surpluses materialize, a portion of the tax cut would be paid out to
the taxpayers on that basis?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President will propose to the Congress that
which he ran on, and he's going to fight to get it done. And
we already have good bipartisan support and I suspect it's going to get
enacted into law, and that is that we should have marginal
across-the-board rate cuts for all income taxpayers, eliminate the
death taxes, reduce the marriage penalty. That's the program
the President will submit to the Congress.
There's
been this talk about a trigger, that we shouldn't cut taxes unless we
put in a trigger. Well, that's the equivalent of saying that
we're going to reimpose a marriage penalty on people, that we're going
to raise taxes on people. And the President does not
subscribe to that notion.
Q He's
not open to any discussion on that issue?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The President is going to fight for what he
believes in.
Q But,
Ari, wasn't it Chairman Greenspan -- you had said "this talk about a
trigger" sort of sounds like you're denigrating it -- it was Chairman
Greenspan, who everybody was a big fan of here a little while ago. So
the President disagrees with Chairman Greenspan on that point?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I just told you what the President believes in.
Q Does
he disagree with the Vice President as well? Because the Vice President
said that he would consider triggers.
MR.
FLEISCHER: I just explained to you what the President's
position is, and I'll be happy to talk to the Vice President and learn
what he said.
Q And
what you just indicated was that the President would rather go into
deficit spending than to keep the budget balanced.
MR.
FLEISCHER: I indicated no such thing. The surplus
is $5.6 trillion; the tax cut is $1.6 trillion.
Q
But you suggested that even it were necessary to use the trigger, he's
against that because that would be reimposing taxes.
MR.
FLEISCHER: I said the President doesn't believe that you
raise taxes on people.
Q So
what happens if you find out that you can't balance the budget because
your tax cut is putting you --
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'm not going to deal with a hypothetical.
Actually, the pattern for the last five years in a row is that the
estimates have been wrong on the too low side, and that every year the
estimates get adjusted upward. So every year they get
adjusted upward, and every year people say, but what are you going to
do if they go downward? I'll wait for people to be
right. So far they haven't been.
Q The
tax cut is predicated on a hypothetical, which is that there will be a
$5.6 trillion surplus. And what the GAO is saying is it's
not a certainty. So why --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, that's a good reason never to
budget. And that's not possible for any organization,
whether they're government or whether they're private sector, or
whether you're a nonprofit. The way that you make rational
decisions is based on the most recent, most accurate information
available at the time, and that is that this country will have a
surplus projected for $5.6 trillion.
Let me
reiterate something I said yesterday that the President believes very
deeply. The biggest threat to the surplus is government
spending. This town was built to spend, and if you don't cut
taxes, that money will get spent. And the President would
rather cut taxes.
Q Back
on the AIDS and race offices. Was the White House Chief of
Staff misquoted or misunderstood, or just mistaken when he told USA
Today that the administration -- and your office confirmed -- that the
administration intends to close those offices?
MR.
FLEISCHER: The third.
Q The
White House Chief of Staff was mistaken?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q How
did that happen?
MR.
FLEISCHER: He made a mistake. It happens.
Q You
are quoted in that same story. We're you mistaken, too?
MR.
FLEISCHER: What I said in that story is that we will have an
AIDS coordinator working out of the Domestic Policy Council, which is
accurate.
Q Can
you explain, give us any detail exactly how the Chief of Staff was
giving out this information when it wasn't correct? Like,
why wasn't he briefed on --
MR.
FLEISCHER: It's not very complicated. I mean, he
made a mistake. As I indicated this morning, Margaret
LaMontagne, who is head of our Domestic Policy Council, had discussions
with HHS -- actually, it was with the Secretary of HHS -- on Monday
about the detailee who would come in here. And so a mistake
was made.
Q Was
this an option that was being considered? Is that the
genesis of the mistake, that this was an option that was being
considered and the Chief of Staff thought the option was taken?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I have not extensively researched the genesis of
mistakes.
Q Was
this an option that was being considered --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, obviously, if Margaret LaMontagne is
meeting with the Secretary of HHS to talk about who the detailee would
be, we were proceeding with the planning for the White House Office on
AIDS.
Q My
question was, was closing that office an option that was considered and
then --
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'd have to go run around and ask a number of
people, but obviously, you've heard from Margaret LaMontagne and others
that she was making plans to proceed.
Q Were
these efforts on par either on the organization chart or in real world
clout with the office on faith-based and community initiatives?
MR.
FLEISCHER: In terms of the priorities, they are all
important. And as I've said before from this podium, I don't
make a linear delineation among these priorities. Fighting
AIDS is going to be important. Achieving racial healing and
harmony in this country, as the President indicated in his inaugural
address, is going to be important. Having faith-based solutions is
going to be important.
There's an
overlap in some of these areas as well. Faith-based
solutions -- that's the area particularly that many people in the
African American community have participated in the meetings we've had
on that issue. So there's a way to have confluence among
these issues.
Q Isn't
it fair to say, though, that the administration was looking at the AIDS
policy, and also the One America office? Because I know at a
gaggle we had asked you about a week ago about what's going to happen
to these offices --
MR.
FLEISCHER: And I said no decisions had been
made. Well, there are a series of offices that expire in any
White House. President Clinton allowed certain offices to
expire; previous Presidents allowed offices to expire before
that. That's all part and parcel of what new White Houses
will meet when they come into office. There are a series of
events that took place prior to their service -- or to our service --
that have deadlines attached.
Q Ari,
does the President believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger can solve the
energy problem in California if he decides to throw his hand in the
ring?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Is the President speaking to Arnold directly on
this, or --
Q Does
he have any opinion?
MR.
FLEISCHER: He would probably yield if Arnold was
there. No, I have not talked to him.
Q Patients'
bill of rights that he's supposed to send up today -- where are you
with that?
MR.
FLEISCHER: There should be a letter coming out to you with
attached -- with a statement of principles that will be attached to it
shortly.
Q Since
we won't be able to chat with you after this, can you tell us a little
bit about it?
MR.
FLEISCHER: You can always chat with me.
Q Not
on camera. Could we get a little bit from you on it?
MR.
FLEISCHER: On the principles? The President will
send up a letter to Capitol Hill that enunciates his principles for
enacting a bipartisan patients' bill of rights into law. He
believes that this is the year it can be done, and he's going to
dedicate himself to getting it done.
It will say
the patient protections should apply to all Americans; patient
protections should be comprehensive; that patients should have a rapid
medical review process for denials of care; the review process should
ensure that doctors make medical decisions and patients receive care in
a timely manner; federal remedies should be expanded to hold health
plans accountable; and patient protection legislation should encourage,
not discourage, employers to offer health care.
Q So
where are we with the idea of tort caps and --
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think you'll be able to review that in the
letter.
Q Does
it set a cap, specifically, in the principles?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Not a specific dollar amount.
Q Does
he point out any specific differences with the McCain-Kennedy bill?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think the biggest difference is -- a difference
is the question of liability and of whether or not it goes too far in
turning the health care system over to lawyers in such a manner that it
would drive up the cost of health care, that will make it harder for
people to get health insurance because the cost of their premiums go
up.
The
President believes that we can have a patients' bill of rights that
protects people without driving up the cost of health care due to too
much involvement by a lawyers in a lawsuit situation, where the caps
are not set at a reasonable level.
Q You
said federal court, he wants all federal options exhausted, which means
that he has opposed, as McCain-Kennedy spells out, that the area of
medical mistakes could actually be handled in state courts, under their
bill?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct. There is more than a
30-year tradition of federal legislation protecting people against
those type of suits in state court. And the President
believes that this federal legislation should maintain that tradition.
Q So
if he doesn't propose a specific cap, give us some kind of idea what he
thinks is reasonable.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, you know what he did in
Texas. In Texas he proposed to limit that, I think his
original proposal was -- what the original proposal the President made
in Texas? It was either $250,000 or $500,000 was the
President's original proposal to the legislature in Texas. And after
consultations, they agreed to a limit of $750,000.
Q Is
that what he's thinking about here?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Too soon to say, John.
Q How
do you work that out? I mean, if he said there should be
caps. is he saying to Congress, you work it out?
MR.
FLEISCHER: You work it out the way any successful governor
or President works it out -- you meet with Congress and you work it
out.
Q But
I take it it's substantially lower than what is proposed in
McCain-Kennedy?
MR.
FLEISCHER: As I indicated, the President thinks that would
be too high, and that it would drive up the cost of health
care. That would make it harder for employers to provide
health insurance to their workers. It will drive premiums
sky-high.
Q Let
me ask you about the Drug Czar. I think I asked you about a
week ago. Is there going to be a Drug Czar?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I don't have any determination for you on that
yet.
Q But
you will have a drug office --
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q --
you don't know if it's going to be the same way, like General
McCaffrey?
MR.
FLEISCHER: As soon as we have something to announce, we'll
report it to you.
Q Ari,
I'm kind of confused, if you could help me here. If the AIDS
office is on par with the task force on faith or that office or all
these other offices, how is that, when Colin Powell said that it's a
national security crisis and the President has talked about how
important it is, and also, you're talking about funding it at least
through the next fiscal year -- I don't understand the importance, if
you could explain to me --
MR.
FLEISCHER: You can only fund things in this building through
the next fiscal year. This building operates on a one-year
appropriation.
Q I
understand that.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Everything here is.
Q Yes,
but, at the same time, if it's important, you would try to say at least
through this administration we're going to have this office, I would
think.
MR.
FLEISCHER: I do not think it would be appropriate for the
spokesman, 10 months before a fiscal year begins, to say what this
White House would propose in a budget for the following
year. I would invite you to pay close attention at that time
and I think you will see what I indicated come true.
Q Okay. And,
also, the issue of the fact that why is it on par with the other
offices --
MR.
FLEISCHER: I said they were all important priorities of the
President.
Q Ari,
a trade question. Apparently, a trade panel has ruled that
the U.S. violated NAFTA by barring Mexican trucks from its highways.
Will you open the U.S. border to those Mexican trucks, and if so, why,
and to what extent will you open the borders?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Right. That report was just issued, it
was issued yesterday and we're reviewing its findings. The
President is committed to making certain that we have free trade with
Mexico. And he does believe that we need to have borders
that make that possible, fully consistent with safety issues involving
trucks. And that determination of those safety standards
will be made by the Department of Transportation and the USTR, so I
would refer you to them in terms of what the specifics of those
standards will be set at. But the President believes that we
can have both, that we can have safe standards for trucks that enter
this country and free trade with Mexico. He thinks they're
both important.
Q On
abortion, does the President have a particular view about the Virginia
state law that imposes a 24-hour waiting period on abortion?
MR.
FLEISCHER: On that specifically, I have not talked to the
President about Virginia, but I can tell you from previous
conversations from the President and from what he has done in Texas, he
does support steps that make abortion more rare, including parental
notification, including steps to promote adoption, including abolition
of the practice of partial-birth abortion, and 24-hour notice.
Q Ari,
on an economic policy matter, it looks like there's going to be
bankruptcy legislation again. The previous administration
opposed that. Is President Bush likely to support bankruptcy
legislation when it comes up?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think Larry Lindsey has spoken about that
issue. It depends on the exact substance of what the
legislation would say. As you know, every time a Congress is
complete, new legislation gets introduced, and you have to see if the
terms are exactly the same as previous terms. But Larry
Lindsey has spoken favorably about the notion of working with the
Congress to get that enacted into law.
Q Are
you planning to replace the presidential envoy in Cyprus --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Cyprus?
Q Are
you planning to replace the presidential envoy on the Cyprus issue --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Let me refer you to Mary Ellen on that if I may.
Q In
terms of the AIDS office and the AIDS task force, some of the
President's critics during the campaign said they were worried that he
might stack both of them, particularly the commission, with people who
would overturn some of the recommendations of the previous commission,
such as for safe sex, recommending condom distribution and needle
exchange programs and so forth. Can you comment on the
President's thinking on those issues?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I would urge you to await the appointments to
those offices and then we will develop a policy from there.
Q Ari,
I'm a little confused on the numbers. How many full-time
staffers would there be devoted to the AIDS issue?
MR.
FLEISCHER: There will be the task force, which is already up
in place. There will be a detailee from the Department of
Health and Human Services, as well as a person in the Office of
Domestic Policy Council, who is responsible for this issue.
Q --
works exclusively on AIDS, or deals with a variety of health care
issues?
MR.
FLEISCHER: In the Domestic Policy Council, they will be
focused on health care issues.
Q Thank
you.
END 3:00
P.M. EST
#12-02/07
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