For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 26, 2001
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
1:53 P.M. EST
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm smiling because
there's been some mischief placed on the podium. A Ravens
fan has left some information up on the podium. I want to
thank this Raven fan for it, as a New Yorker. Sorry about
what's going to happen.
Q Is that an official White House statement?
MR. FLEISCHER: That was as a New
Yorker statement. Let me get into a couple
items with you this morning. I've got a couple of
announcements to make. I'm sorry I'm running
late. The President was actually reading me a very funny
speech he's working on.
Q Alfalfa?
Q Where? When? Tomorrow
night? Can we have a copy after he delivers it?
Q What was it?
MR. FLEISCHER: Alfalfa.
Q Alfalfa?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me read you some
statements this morning. This is a statement by the
President on the earthquake in India.
"I am
saddened by the news of the tragic earthquake centered in India's
Gujarat State this morning. I extend my condolences and
those of the American people to the families of the many victims in the
cities and villages of Gujarat and elsewhere. Earthquakes
know no political boundaries. I send condolences to the
people affected in neighboring Pakistan as well. We stand
ready to assist as needed and as desired by the governments."
I also have a statement from the Press
Secretary on an upcoming visit to Washington.
"President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Tony Blair to Washington
for a working visit February 23rd to 24th. The United States
and the United Kingdom share a broad agenda of common interests and
values in Europe and beyond, and the President looks forward to
reviewing ways in which we can intensify cooperation and pursuit of
common goals. The President and Mrs. Bush look forward to
hosting the Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair at Camp David."
Q Is that a State Visit
or an official visit?
MR.
FLEISCHER: It's an official visit; working visit.
Q Will there be a joint
press conference?
MR.
FLEISCHER: We'll have any details on that a little bit
later, closer to it.
Q And is he here on Friday and go to Camp David
on Saturday; is that the deal?
MS.
COUNTRYMAN: The majority of the events will be at Camp
David.
Q The majority
of the events.
MR. FLEISCHER: Let
me -- as I indicated earlier, I wanted to give you a brief overview of
-- we'll do this at the end, I'll give you an overview of next week at
the end. So let's take some questions, then I'll come back
to this.
Q What about
the number of Democrats that he's met with this week? Are you going to
get that?
MR. FLEISCHER: The
President has met this week with 90 members of Congress, including 29
Democrats. He's had 12 confirmations in the United States
Senate. He has spoken by the phone with 12 foreign
leaders. And he has 17 Governors in town today, 10
Republicans, seven Democrats.
Q Who wrote the funny speech?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me get back to
you on that one, Helen.
Q Did you write it?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll see if he wants publicity.
Q Ari, after a week of
courting Democrats, both prior elder statesman and present members of
Congress and governors, does he think that the so-called "charm
offensive" is going to ameliorate concerns over vouchers and the size
of his tax cut?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, I think the President's approach to how to
get things done in Washington is to begin with the power of
ideas. He thinks that the reason you get legislation enacted
and passed through the Congress is because you offered a good
idea. And he looks at his education proposal and he thinks
that's what's attracting support, because he's offered a sound
proposal. I think it certainly is helpful to have good
relations. It beats the alternative, which is bad relations, with the
Congress, with Democrats and Republicans. But it does -- it
begins with ideas.
Q Does his willingness to listen and to hear
differing views signal a willingness to compromise on vouchers or with
the scope of the tax cut?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, I'm not prepared to start discussing
anything of that nature. We have just introduced these --
the education package this week, sent it up to the Hill. The
Hill, of course, will begin in short order to have its hearings on the
legislation, and they'll let the process begin.
Q He says he doesn't
want to negotiate with himself. You've had a number of
people who have been here to meet with him, including George Miller,
who has praised him in many respects, but said he made clear that
vouchers were going nowhere, that he would lose Democratic
support. Does he consider that part of the negotiating
process?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the
process is just beginning, Jim. The President, as I
indicated, sent the bill up to the Hill this week. People
are going to take a look at it. There are going to be
various provisions in there where people wholeheartedly support, others
that they may oppose, others that they're going to ask to
amend. And we're very encouraged by everything we have seen
so far, and we have good reason to keep being encouraged.
Q Do you think what
you've seen so far is just the cordiality that comes with a honeymoon,
or is there something more substantive and business-like in what you're
hearing from members of Congress, especially Democrats?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, honeymoons don't
spring out of no where. Honeymoons also spring out of good ideas and
good policies. And there would be no good reception if it
wasn't for the fact that the President hasn't proposed good
ideas. And that's what we're seeing. And it's
spreading. It's not just education. We see it now
on tax cuts, where we now have -- are starting to build bipartisan
support for the areas the President believes in. I think you
see President Bush setting the agenda in Washington on the ideas on
which he ran, delivering on the promises he made. And you're
seeing a lot of that this week.
Q Ari, what's he learning about how the
political landscape in Washington is a little bit different than that
in Texas, where he was very successful in charming even his
adversaries?
MR. FLEISCHER: I
think it's too early to make any assessments, frankly. This
has been one week, and I think it has been a strong week. It has been
a week marked by some strong decision making that is being reflected
now in the progress we've made this week.
But
the real tests are going to come also down the road. We're
aware of that. This is week one; there are many weeks to go,
many months to go. And we have to let the Congress, with all respect
for the Congress, take up the legislation and move it forward as they
see fit and work with the Congress at that time. It's a
little early. But it's an encouraging beginning.
Q The Russian President
today made a speech saying, in part, one of his toughest goals this
year will be the talk about the ABM Treaty with the -- negotiate with
the United States which wants the NMD. Does the United
States plan to review relations with the Russians before moving forward
on that and going anywhere towards talking about more arms control and
other --
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me
refer you to State and to Mary Ellen on that, for now.
Q Ari, the President is
not taking questions on foreign policy. Can we expect more from him
soon? Perhaps a major interview on foreign policy?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as you know,
his focus this week was on education. I'll get into this at
the end of the briefing, what his focus next week is going to be on.
But in many of these sessions, people have
asked whatever question was on their mind. And so you've had
several opportunities to ask him a number of questions. The
events he is focused on are, as I indicated, education this week.
Q Can we go back to
what the President has been doing this first week? We talked
a little bit about this earlier. In addition to the public
meetings, what kinds of things has he been doing? How has he
been settling into the new house?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I was just talking to him about
that. He's settling in very nicely. He expressed
his appreciation for the staff of the White House. He told
me how just professional and courteous they are. I think
he's enjoying White House life. He walks his dogs in the
evening. He's been running almost every day, and he's
establishing a routine. He's up, usually, at about 5:45
a.m. He gets into the Oval Office typically between 7:00
a.m. in the morning and 7:15 a.m. in the morning.
So his routine is established and I think he's
enjoying White House life.
Q Is he using any of the amenities that -- you
know, the theater or the bowling alley?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Not yet. He's been a little busy.
Q What time does he
head home?
Q Does he
run outside, or --
Q Where does he run?
MR. FLEISCHER: He's running inside. He's got
exercise equipment and he's been working out with the exercise
equipment. He'll probably start running outside at some
point, but right now he has been running inside.
Q Ari, would the
administration rule in or rule out giving California exemptions so that
plants that have already used their emission credits could stay in
operation?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, of
course, the only way that can happen -- oh, are you talking about
California making a request to relax its --
Q Right. Would you rule in or rule
out giving California an exemption on the emission credit?
MR. FLEISCHER: Our goal is to be
helpful to California in whatever ways we can be helpful to California,
and such a request would first have to come from the State of
California.
Q So if
the state wanted to relax rules so they could get new plants built,
would the administration be willing to help on that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes. I
think it all depends on what the specifics of the proposal are, and
they would have to make such a proposal first. But we would
like to be helpful to California whichever ways we can.
Q Isn't this a
California problem and that they should take care of it themselves?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the bulk of
the solution, as the Californians know and they have been working
diligently on, will come from California, but there may be some other
things the federal government can do, and that's what I was
addressing.
Q So this
isn't a change in tone or policy?
Q Ari, how dismayed is the President about the
vandalism, and what does he want you to do with the cataloging once
it's completed?
MR. FLEISCHER: You
know, I think we really dealt with that question. His focus is on
governing. He's not focused on any of the things that took
place as we arrived here. The cataloging that I mentioned,
frankly, that's one person in their administrative offices who is
really just keeping track in his head about things that may have taken
place. So we've moved beyond it.
Q But, Ari, this is a President who has come in
here, expressed from the very beginning how honored he is to be here,
how he wants to restore honor and dignity to this
office. Doesn't he consider it a personal affront that
taxpayer money must go to replace the vandalized property here?
MR. FLEISCHER: He does not consider
it a personal affront.
Q Ari, could you clarify just a little bit the
schedule for the budget? Is it early February, mid-February,
late-February?
MR.
FLEISCHER: We're leaving some flexibility in that to allow
our policy people to have sufficient time to put it all
together. It's a little bit of a different process any time
you have a new president in office.
In 1981,
1989 and 1993, the dates of those incoming administrations sent their
budgets up to the Hill, their economic blueprints up to the Hill, where
right around, in one instance I think it was February 8th and then
February 17th and February 18th, those were the dates, approximate
dates, in all those instances, those previous presidents -- Reagan,
Bush and Clinton -- had the advantage of a full transition.
So we are working from a shortened transition,
although I think as this week's events indicate, we're able to still do
a considerable amount of work with a shortened
transition. It's a long way of saying that date will be
sometime in February, it could be late February but I'm not willing to
put a specific time on it.
Q Ari, on the Ashcroft nomination, does the
President still have full confidence in his nomination of Mr. Ashcroft,
given the suggestion that he may have lied?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President does not share that
view. I have not heard that allegation. But the
President has full confidence in Senator Ashcroft, thinks he'll make a
superb attorney general, and he looks forward to his confirmation.
Q Ari, yesterday, the
Republican National Committee sent out this seven-page statement on
Ambassador Hormel, including The New York Post editorial saying he's
the worst kind of religious bigot and -- anti-Catholic. The
Weekly Standard's report that Hormel gay and lesbian center in San
Francisco's library includes a children's coloring book of female
genitalia entitled the C word or obscenity, and The Washington Times
report that it also has pro-pedophile tracks, and my question is, why
isn't the President immediately removing this man from being ambassador
to 91 percent Catholic Luxembourg, even though I am reliably informed
Mr. Hormel is defended by, believe it or not, Josh Gerstein of
ABC? (Laughter.)
MR.
FLEISCHER: As always, in the course of any new
administration, all the ambassadors have been asked to submit their
resignations that will be coming in turn, and all the ambassadors are
asked to do so. There may be some instances -- and I'm not
saying anything on this particular case -- where they stay over for an
indeterminate short period of time. I'm not saying that's
the case in this instance, but that's a separate question from anything
dealing with Senator Ashcroft.
Q One final --
Q -- Lester, now you've had your time.
Q Just to close the
loop on the lifestyle, what time has he been leaving the Oval Office
this week and going home?
MR.
FLEISCHER: It varies. Sometimes he's had meetings
in the mansion, which would continue his business day. But
it's been fluctuating. Probably somewhere in the 6:00 p.m.-ish range,
maybe a little bit later. And then, as I indicated, there are meetings
going on in the mansion afterwards. He's had a couple there
along with Trent Lott; one with Speaker Hastert.
Q Ari, why is it a
laughing matter to some to talk about President Clinton's possible
involvement in foreign affairs? There are headlines out
there.
MR. FLEISCHER: A laughing
matter?
Q To
some. Why is it not on the agenda, what role President
Clinton could play in the Middle East or --
MR. FLEISCHER: No one here has indicated it's a laughing
matter, so I think you would have to refer that to anybody who has said
it.
Q Is there talk
about it?
MR. FLEISCHER: We
addressed that yesterday.
Q Congressman Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois,
just told us outside at the stakeout that one of the subjects that came
up at the lunch was the fast track authority. The President
is very interested. He says he will be meeting with Mr. Fox
in Mexico next month, but in Quebec with all the Latin American leaders
in April. Does he intend to bring the subject up between now
and then? I mean, try to get some support in Congress for
it?
MR. FLEISCHER: The exact
timing of fast track and when the President will ask the Congress to
give him fast track negotiating authority has not yet been determined,
but it is a priority. Opening up free trade is vital to
America's agricultural interests, it's in our national interests, and
the President is dedicated to it.
Q Ari, are there -- just a follow-up, please, on
the vandalism. Could you at some point get us a figure, because people
are using wild figures -- $90,000 -- just give us some general ballpark
idea?
MR. FLEISCHER: We're
not. We're just going to focus on doing our jobs
here. Any of the things that took place upon our arrival
here are not in our focus. And I understand it is in the
focus of some others, but it's not in ours. And we're just
going to put our heads down and do our jobs and go to
work. It's in the past.
Q But Ari, the President says this is the
people's house. I mean, don't you folks owe a duty to the
people to tell them what's been done to their house?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think that
whatever took place is passed, and our focus is going to be to just do
the job that the American people elected President Bush to
do. And I can understand -- sometimes in Washington people
want others to fight, and this is part of changing the
tone. We're just going to do our jobs.
Q Ari, some Clinton
folks that we've talked to said, wait a minute, there's sort of a
double standard here. No one says from the Bush White House
exactly what happened. There's this word cataloging, but
there's no specifics ever given. And they're saying in many
respects, they don't think these things ever happened in the first
place. And we don't even know how to respond to allegations
that are as amorphous as these are. And when you say
cataloged, is this a catalogue that's going to be kept within the White
House forever, or at some point are you going to tell the American
people in some sort of way --
MR.
FLEISCHER: Well, as I said, it's one person in an
administration who is just keeping track in his head of the different
things that people have said took place to their desks or offices, and
as far as we're concerned, it's over.
Q Is there going to be an effort to confirm
these things?
Q Can we
download the mental catalogue for the reporters to look at?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's just not our
focus. Q Ari, did the
President specifically give instructions that no kinds of criminal
charges or legal charges should be pursued with respect to any
vandalism or mischief that might have taken place?
MR. FLEISCHER: It is the White
House's position, it is our focus, and obviously that's what we're
doing.
Q No. Did the President give
instructions that there should be no pursuit of this in terms of legal
or criminal charges of the vandalism or mischief, or whatever --
MR. FLEISCHER: My information comes
from Andy Card. If Andy got it from the President, I'm not
aware of it. That's our position.
Q Can I ask you about the Blair visit,
Ari? As you know, there is probably going to be a British
election in May. Was there any concern at the White House
that it might be impolitic to have Blair over so quickly?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. He is
the Prime Minister of Great Britain and we're pleased to have him.
Q And how would you
characterize what you expect to be atop of the agenda?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think we'll have
additional information on the agenda closer to it.
Q To the best of your
knowledge, do you know if any message has been sent or is being planned
to be sent to Russia, like the one that you sent to
Greenland, for instance?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'm going to refer you to Mary Ellen on that.
Q Ari, Super Bowl
weekend. Have you found out anything about his
plans? Is he going to Camp David? What are the
plans?
MR. FLEISCHER: I just asked
him about it, and I think he's going to have a quiet Super Bowl at
home, with his wife.
Q Is she a football fan?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Dallas. So he's going to have a quiet
time watching the Super Bowl at home.
Q Who's he rooting for, other than Dallas, in
this game? (Laughter.)
MR.
FLEISCHER: Other than Dallas, the President will be cheering
for Dallas.
Q Does he
intend to place a call after the Super Bowl?
MR. FLEISCHER: The traditional presidential
call? I haven't asked.
Q One other thing, Ari. You've
described the President, how he's settled in. Has either he
or Andy Card given out any particular instructions to the White House
staff about their general comportment here at the White House -- when
they're expected to be here and how they're expected to conduct
themselves?
If you recall, there was a little
bit of adjustment when the Clintons first came in here, about how they
conducted themselves in this building.
MR.
FLEISCHER: Andy has addressed that with
staff. Andy's guidance to us is very basic: treat
the White House with respect. And that means when you walk
into the Oval Office, you should be properly attired. That
if you're in your offices on the weekend, be properly
attired. We'll see exactly what the dress code is as
established by the President, when he decides to walk around,
particularly on weekends.
But that's how
we'll comport ourselves. There's no hard and fast rule,
Major. It will be a general tone.
Q On nominations, can I ask one quick thing on
nominations? Have you talked further with Daschle's office
about what he either said or intended to say? Are you still
confident that he said that there would be no problem --
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me say on that
point that it is not my practice, and will not be my practice, to
characterize what others say in meetings. I speak for the President --
that's what I should have done and that's what I will do.
We had a question here for the week ahead --
Q Are you saying you
made a mistake, Ari?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I'm saying it was not -- it will be my practice
in the future to only speak for the President and not for anybody
else.
Q Are there any
further details on the President's trip to Mexico?
Q Can you hold on just
a second? Q What would
be on the agenda and the open borders issue, would that be included?
MR. FLEISCHER: The agenda will be
-- we'll discuss the agenda closer to the trip.
Q Anything put out?
MR. FLEISCHER: Not yet.
Q So you're saying you
don't want to quote others, other than the President. But
was it the President's understanding that Daschle had given him some
assurance?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me
just say that based on a lot of information the President has received
from a number of sources, he's confident that all his nominees will go
through.
Q And you
would no longer put that in Daschle's mouth?
MR. FLEISCHER: I will not put anything in anybody else's
mouth. Mr. Fournier?
Q Ari, the flak jacket?
Q Can I ask one more
question before the week ahead, a quick one? Just a
reaction. Do you have any reaction to Jeb Bush's letter to
federal government officials asking that there not be any oil drilling
in the eastern Gulf of Mexico?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's consistent with the President's position
during the campaign, about any drilling off of the shores of Florida.
Q How do you feel about
the first week, Ari?
MR.
FLEISCHER: I think it's been a very strong first
week. I think we've seen a week in which the President has
shown leadership, decisiveness. He's energized as a result
of it, and a strong week.
Q How about next week, Ari?
MR. FLEISCHER: Next
week. (Laughter.) We have a request for next
week. Let me give you an overview of next
week. He's going to do his radio address tomorrow
morning. The topic will be education.
He will give a speech tomorrow night to the
Alfalfa Club Dinner, which is a closed press event. He will
attend church -- yes, a standard pool will go -- he will attend church
Sunday morning at a location to be announced.
On Monday and throughout the week, the President is going to focus next
week on a variety of items. He will send his prescription
drug plan up to the Hill, the immediate helping hand
plan. I'm going to be a little flexible on the days, it will
be early next week.
He will have a series of
meetings with faith-based providers, people who have found innovative
and new solutions to some of the most difficult social problems that
people face in their lives; people who have problem with alcoholism,
drug abuse; families that have parents or fathers in prison; children
who were raised in homes with no fathers. A variety of
programs will be announced next week, all aimed at solving some of our
most intractable social problems, focused on faith-based solutions.
He's going to meet with a wide series of
congressional leaders next week of both parties, so you can anticipate
many meetings here at the White House. He will submit to the
Hill his faith-based programs, his solutions to those social problems I
mentioned. He will have the first Cabinet meeting of the
administration next week.
On Thursday, he
will attend the National Prayer Breakfast. And he will also,
finally, announce the new freedom initiative next week, which is an
initiative aimed at helping people who are disabled have strong and
secure lives.
Q Is
that something he did in the campaign?
MR.
FLEISCHER: That's correct. That's a follow on to
an announcement he made in May -- I mean, I believe it was either May
or early June, in Maine, in the campaign.
Q On Sunday, he'll be making any comments on his
faith-based initiatives when he goes to church on Sunday, or is he just
going like to attend church?
MR.
FLEISCHER: No. It will be a visit to church.
Q Can we request that
your staff have a little bit of information on the church Sunday, why
you picked it, had he talked to a Minister, will it be the church he's
going to all the time?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Yes, let's take that and try to help.
Q Can you give us more
specifics on Monday's -- to look ahead on Sunday?
MR. FLEISCHER: We're going to try
to come out with that a little bit later.
Q Ari, do you know later today, or --
MR. FLEISCHER: Not clear yet.
Q Will you have a duty
officer this weekend?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Yes.
Q Do you know what day the Cabinet meeting is?
MR. FLEISCHER: Cabinet meeting is
scheduled for Wednesday.
Q That's the day he's going to submit the
faith-based legislation as well, on Wednesday?
MR. FLEISCHER: Faith-based will be
early next week. I'm going to withhold on the exact date,
but it will be early next week.
Q Does he expect to have a Cabinet by
Wednesday?
MR. FLEISCHER: As many
are confirmed will be in attendance.
Q In both cases, with prescription drugs and
faith-based, will this be legislative language, or again more broad
proposals and outlines for --
MR.
FLEISCHER: No, it will be specific proposals. It
will not be legislative bill language. It will not be
legislative bill language.
Q Ari, the President's statement, and I quote,
"the promises of our Declaration of Independence are for everyone,
including unborn children" -- presuming you agree with this, and as a
graduate of Middlebury College you understand it as being life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, right?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Go ahead.
Q Can you explain, Ari, how a fetus has either
liberty and how it goes about pursuing happiness?
MR. FLEISCHER: Go ahead.
Q Ari, who is the
administration's point person for the disability
initiative? Is there a disability coordinator in the White
House?
MR. FLEISCHER: In terms of
policy, it's a variety of people who are working on the policy front of
it.
Q The previous
White House had a disability task force, as well as a disability
coordinator in charge of outreach. Do you guys have anything
like that here?
MR. FLEISCHER: If
there is anything developing, I'll let you know.
Q Ari, does he intend
to go to the Republican House retreat at the end of next week, and --
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll have more
information on retreat participation probably next week.
Q And one other
scheduling thing, is he doing any kind of television interviews around
the Super Bowl?
MR. FLEISCHER: He
is. He will be doing an interview with Jim Nance.
Q Ari, did the
President actually have a telephone conversation with Prime Minister
Blair to finalize this visit?
MS.
COUNTRYMAN: He spoke with Prime Minister Blair earlier in
the week.
Q Is that
just the one chat they've had since he was inaugurated?
MR. FLEISCHER: Right.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
MR. FLEISCHER: Thank you.
END 2:19 P.M. EST
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