Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr11/wh930429.zip/4-29G.TXT

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From @lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu:[e-mail] Thu Apr 29 22:20:51 1993
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 19:31-0400
From: The White House <[e-mail]>
Subject: Press Briefing by George Stephanopoulos  4.29.93
To: [e-mail]

                           THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  April 29, 1993

                            PRESS BRIEFING
                       BY GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

                          The Briefing Room

3:19 P.M. EDT

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President will be meeting later
this afternoon with Secretaries Aspin and Christopher and the Joint
Chiefs of Staff.  They will be discussing the situation in Bosnia.
He will also have a principals meeting on Bosnia on Saturday.

         Q      What time Saturday?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm not sure.  It will be Saturday
morning.

         Q      Will he have an announcement to make after that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think so, but he will have
a meeting on Saturday morning.

         Q      Do you expect that he'll announce that Secretary
Christopher may be dispatched to Europe?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I can't comment on that.
But as we've said, the President would make a decision this week and
we expect that to hold.

         Q      What's the timing on this afternoon's meeting?

         Q      Who are these principals?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Principals of the National Security
Council -- Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State Christopher,
Secretary of Defense Aspin; the normal group.

         Q      What do you mean you expect that to hold?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They don't make the decision this
week.

         Q      You mean even when he consults with allies he
expects the decision to hold?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, no.  The announcement that he
would make a decision this week.  I expect that announcement to hold.

         Q      Do you still expect -- do you now expect
Christopher to leave for Europe tomorrow afternoon -- Saturday
afternoon, rather?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I can't speak to that.
We'll have the appropriate consultations with allies once the
President makes a decision.

         Q      The President will make a decision and then try to
sell it and get allied support for it?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes, absolutely.

         Q      And will that decision possibly include a range of
options?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I can't describe the
potential decision in any way until he's made it.  I would just say
that he will make a decision this week.

         Q      Do you see it as a possible menu?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just can't get into what --

         Q      Will it be announced, George, what decision he's
made?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think the announcement will
come until after the work with the allies.

         Q      Is he now consulting with allies?

         Q      What's the purpose of consulting with people after
he makes the decision?  Wouldn't they have some input into it?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, certainly they'll have input.

         Q      There will be appropriate consultations once he
makes his decision?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He'll make the consultations that
he'll need after he makes the decision -- he's going to make a
decision on what he's going to present to the allies; and then, of
course, he's going to want to discuss that with them afterwards.

         Q      The decision will be made after these
consultations, then?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He'll make a decision on the
approach he wants to take towards the allies.

         Q         allies have veto power.

         Q      The allies will be told this before the American
people?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The American people know that the
President is going to be going forward with stronger action in
Bosnia.  And he wants to have a multilateral approach.  In order to
have a multilateral approach, you have to discuss it with your
allies.

         Q      Is there something that the allies could say that
might change his mind?  Is he amenable to altering whatever he comes
up with after he talks with the allies and before he makes --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President's always said that he
wants to have a multilateral approach, and he expects to get a
multilateral approach and we're going to continue to proceed on that
assumption.

         Q      Is the President talking to any of these allies
before he makes a decision?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He has.  He's had several
discussions with Prime Minister Major and President Mitterrand and
others.

         Q      What about today's or tomorrow when he's actually
making this decision?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know what personal
discussions he's having, but clearly the National Security Advisor
has been in contact with his counterparts and Secretary Christopher
has had discussions as well.

         Q      Can you tell us when?  Like today, yesterday,
tomorrow?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, it's been continuous.

         Q      Will he make a decision by the end of Saturday's
meeting with the principals, at the principals meeting?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I can't set the exact time that
he's going to make a decision, but he said he would have decision by
the end of the week.

         Q      Is that the final meeting of the consultation
process prior to a decision?

         Q      No decisions before that meeting?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I wouldn't expect a decision before
that, thank you.

         Q      Is Christopher going to be at the meeting on
Saturday?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Sure.

         Q      George, two quick questions.  First, has any
decision been made whether Secretary Christopher is going to Europe?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, we have nothing to announce
on that at this time.

         Q      Is General Powell back from Europe?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President will be meeting with
General Powell today.

         Q      George, on the Hill yesterday, Secretary
Christopher said that one of the criteria that the administration
will use in deciding on its policy in Bosnia will be that it has the
support of the American people.  How will you gauge that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, the President will obviously
go before the American people and explain what he wants to do and why
he wants to do it.  That is clear.  And we will continue -- one of
the lessons, obviously, of Vietnam is that -- and other conflicts is
that you need the sustained support of the American people in order
to have a successful venture.  But again, I wouldn't want to prejudge
at all what the President's decision would be.

         Q      Has the President made his own decision on what his
objective will be when he goes before the allies or the American
people?  What is it that he wants to accomplish while he's searching
for the means to accomplish it?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, again, that's all part of the
same decision.  I can't get into that until he's ready to make an
announcement.

         Q      You mean to say that the President's objective
there has to be part of the consultation with the allies?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, clearly, one of our
objectives has always been to stop Serbian aggression and to get a
peace agreement on the ground in Bosnia.  Those are the overall
objectives.  As to the specific objectives of any operation, I can't
speak to that until a decision is made.

         QQ       Could you comment on what the President has been
speaking about -- talking with the King of Spain a little bit?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President is looking forward to
good discussions with the King of Spain over a range of issues
between the United States and Spain.  He welcomes the chance to have
this opportunity to speak with the King.

         Q      Do you know whether they've met before?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think they have.

         Q      Back to this point about -- I asked the question:
Why should the Europeans be informed before the American people?  You
said that it's because they want to have a multilateral cooperation
with then.  But it doesn't have to be an either/or.  Why can't the
American people be informed at the same time as the Europeans and the
American people make their judgment about this as the Europeans make
their judgment about this?  Because multilateral -- we're involved as
much as they're involved.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That's true, and the President has
gone before the American people and said that we need to have a new
policy in Bosnia.

         Q      Right, and he's going to tell them the specifics
and not us?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, the policy isn't ready to be
announced until we understand its full nature.  And part of that
scope is the cooperation of the allies.

         Q      So it could change during consultations.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Obviously, something could change.
I don't know what the decision is, so it's hard to say exactly what
will come out of any consultations.  But clearly, the President will
want to communicate his decision to the allies and hear what they
have to say.

         Q      George, how long will these consultations take --
are you talking about hours, days -- before he goes before the
American people to tell them what he's decided?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just don't know.  Again, this
will all be dependent on the decision.

         Q      Is this the first time Mr. Clinton has ever met
with a king?  (Applause.)

         Q      Larry King.  (Laughter.)

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Wolf Blitzer, CNN.  (Laughter.)  I
know he's met with Prince Charles.  I don't know if he's ever met
with a king before.  When he was a prince.  I don't know if he's met
with any -- I assume that he has, but I don't know.

         Q      Do you envision a presidential address to the
American people sometime next week to go over the decision?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I expect the President will fully
communicate any decisions to the American people in the appropriate
way.  I just don't know the timing or exactly what form that would
take at this time.

         Q      Will he be meeting with Congress over the weekend?

         Q      I guess what I'm trying to get at --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm sure he'll talk to people.

         Q         is do you envision a decision of such magnitude
the President will want -- to address the American people, or will he
unveil his decision in a more --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just can't characterize it in any
way right now until the President makes a decision.

         Q      Can I clarify something that came up this morning?
There's a question about the President's rule against any ground
troops in Bosnia.  The question came up this morning about committing
ground troops in Bosnia and to what extent that commitment rules out
U.S. forces going into assist in humanitarian assistance or to
protect safe havens.  Can you clarify that at this point?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, at this point, the President
has said the only situation he's talked about having ground troops at
this time is as part of a peacekeeping operation.  I think that that
stands.

         Q      Does that preclude protecting safe havens or
humanitarian relief in the two parties that have signed on to the
accord?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  If this were part of a formal
agreement I suppose that's possible -- unless it were part of an
agreement by all sides, and I think that that is not something that
the President has contemplated at this time.

         Q         Serbian participation essentially holds a veto
over any commitment of U.S. ground forces --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President is not contemplating
ground troops now.

         Q      For the two missions we're talking about.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Right.

         Q      Since you have talked about the options of air
strikes and lifting the embargo, can we rule in or out safe havens as
an option that he's considering?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  You can't rule anything in or out
until the President makes a decision.

         Q      But you were clear on the others.  Why can't you be
more explicit --

         Q      Is that also on the table?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, we've been clear -- the only
thing the President has ruled out is ground forces at this time.

         Q      It will take ground forces, though, to enforce safe
havens.

         Q      It better be someone else's.

         Q      Someone else's troops.

         Q      Have the allies put pressure on President Clinton
at all?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Pardon me?

         Q      I'm from Spain -- I promise not to ask about the
King of Spain but -- (laughter.)

         Q      Go for it.

         Q      We are Europe, too.  (Laughter.)  Are the allies
putting a lot of pressure on President Clinton?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think so.  I think there's
been a lot of discussions about the proper approach to take in
Bosnia.  The President's been fully engaged in those discussions, and
those will continue over the coming weeks.

         Q      George, can I ask you a logistical question?  Can
you tell us what time this meeting is this afternoon?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's at 4:00 p.m.

         Q      Is there any coverage of it?  And does that mean
that the President is not participating in that other photo op with
the teachers?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think that's what it means.  And
there won't be any coverage.  It's a private meeting.

         Q      Is it 4:00 p.m. or 4:15 p.m.?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It could be 4:15 p.m., I'm not
sure.

         Q      It's important to us.

         Q         the American people will know he's going forward
with a stronger approach to Bosnia.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's late afternoon.  (Laughter.)

         Q         would you care to tell us stronger than what --
stronger than sanctions, stronger than --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, it will be a change from the
current policy.  It will be a strengthened policy, and I just can't
get into the specifics.

         Q      Does the President believe sanctions have achieved
all they can, or does he expect that they can --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, I don't think you're going to
lift the sanctions.  Obviously, the sanctions will continue.  But,
clearly, whatever we would have would be a supplement to that.

         Q      After the meeting with House members today, how
does the President feel about his investment tax credit proposal?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  There was a lot of discussion about
the investment tax credit, but the President pointed out the benefits
that he sees in the proposal.  Obviously, he's willing to listen to
any suggestions that might come from the members of Congress on that
proposal, but he still believes that it would lead to great benefit
and great increases in investment in the private sector.

         Q      Do you know if he will continue to be out front and
urge --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We'll continue to talk about it,
but he would like it to go forward at this time.

         Q      Do you know if you've changed any minds on that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know.

         Q      George, could you bring us up to date on the
anticipated timing of the release of the health care proposal?  Are
you still shooting for May 25th, or is that being pushed back?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know about any specific
date, but we've said that we'd like it in late May.

         Q      You're still planning to present at least the
outline of the --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We're still on the same track we've
been on.  Nothing's changed.

         Q      Rostenkowski said that there was an impression on
the committee that there weren't a lot of cheerleaders for the
investment tax credit.  Does the President feel that way, and is he
going to try and drum up some?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That was a good deal of discussion
today with the Ways and Means Committee.  I think that several
members expressed some concerns about it; others expressed the need
for investments in the private sector as well.  So I think that those
discussions will continue as we go into the hearing and mark-up stage
over the next couple of weeks.

         Q      George, what's the difference between the
announcement that the President's making tomorrow and the speech that
he made up at Rutgers earlier last month?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Tomorrow he will actually be
announcing the legislation that's been developed, that's ready to go.
The formal "dropping in the hopper" in the House and Senate I think
won't happen until next week.  But this is the actual unveiling of
the legislation.

         Q      What was it that he did last -- just the
philosophical thing?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes, the legislation wasn't done
back at Rutgers.

         Q      Is there any difference?  Has there been any
change?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  There will be details.  I mean,
full details of how the income-contingent loan proposal will work and
the details of how the national service program will work.

         Q      What's the total price tag on that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He'll have that tomorrow.

         Q      Is he disappointed that there has been disagreement
on the Hill and he can't proceed on campaign finance reform right
now?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We're going to have an announcement
next week.

         Q      Do you think you can iron out the differences?
There are serious differences, according to the Speaker.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think we'll have an announcement
in the next week for real campaign finance reform.  We're looking
forward to it.

         Q      On the Waco inquiry.  Why isn't there an
independent investigation of the Waco episode instead of having the
two agencies which were responsible --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  There will be independent
participation in that investigation.  They'll bring in outside
experts.  They're going to have the final details on that either
later today or tomorrow, but there certainly will be outside review.

         Q      Is the President satisfied that the agents, because
the inquiry is under the auspices of those two agencies, that they
will hold their own agencies accountable?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think there's no question about
it.  I think he has full confidence that Departments of Justice and
Treasury will conduct a complete and thorough investigation with the
assistance of independent experts and investigators, yes.

         Q      What's the time frame on Bosnia, without pinning
you down to a specific date?  Could this President's announcement
slip beyond next week?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just can't comment on it in any
way.  The next step after a decision is consultation with the allies
and for the members of Congress.  I don't want to put a timetable on
that at all.

         Q      How has the President marked the occasion of the
100th day?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He was going to do a public reading
of "Putting People First."  (Laughter.)  Figured it would go all
night.  (Laughter.)  See how he's doing.

         Q      Was there nothing on his --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Nothing planned.  He's just going
to work and -- (laughter) -- you know, meeting with the Ways and
Means Committee.  That's recreation.  (Laughter.)

         Q         of the Russian factor -- is he going to talk
with Boris Yeltsin?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm certain he'll have further
discussions with President Yeltsin.  He spoke with him this week and
I'm certain he'll have more.

         Q      What's the President going to do different the next
100 days and --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He's not going to count the days,
first of all.  (Laughter.)

         Q      We are.  (Laughter.)

         Q      Has he told you guys?  Has he sat you down and said
I want to do something different?  (Laughter.)

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We go through review every day. And
I think some of the things he's talked about and he said we could
have done some things differently.  I think that we are always trying
to figure out better ways to develop our programs and sell them and
make sure the American people understand everything that we're doing.
But we're also committed in this next phase to working very hard with
the Congress to get the President's economic package passed as
quickly as possible.  And he wants to move forward on that.  That's
why he met with the Ways and Means Committee today and why those
consultations will continue.  And that's what we're committed to
doing right away.

         Q      At the Ways and Means Committee meeting, did
anybody express, any legislators express the same kind of pessimism
that Mr. Panetta had expressed two days ago?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, it was a very upbeat meeting.
And I think --

         Q      Give us an example of how -- (laughter) --

         Q      How upbeat was it?  (Laughter.)

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Mr. Panetta declined to comment at
the beginning of the meeting.

         Q      Another bad day?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, no, it was a very good day.
There were a lot of laughs.  I think it was just -- what the
President heard from the Ways and Means Committee was a commitment to
getting his package passed to the extent they can, as quickly as
possible.  I mean, I think they want it -- they understand the need
to move quickly and the need to move as thoroughly as they can on the
President's priorities.  Obviously, there are some differences and
there will be some give and take as we go through the mark-up
process, but I think what the President was encouraged by was the
commitment on the part of the Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee and the rest of the members, the Democratic members of that
committee to get his package passed as quickly as possible.

         Q      What's the status of -- speaking of the package --
of thinking on another try at some form of a stimulus/jobs package,
and can you talk to us a little bit about the concept of linking that
with Russian aid?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think it's something we're going
to continue to discuss with the Congress in the coming days.
Obviously, the economic growth numbers this morning are cause for
great concern.  And as the President said, it shows, again, why we
need to make sure that we have the proper investments in wealth-
creating sectors of the economy right now.  We need to more forward
and he believes we have to continue to search for ways to get those
investments.  So we'll be talking about that with the Congress in the
coming days and weeks and when we have more we'll let you know.

         Q      Well, is there any indication of any movement with
those numbers or anything else on the part of enough Republican
senators that you could get a version of the jobs package through?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, I think that's what we're in
discussions for.  I don't know that -- that's a question for the
Republicans.  I mean, the President has laid out the kinds of
investments he wants and he's already staked his claim on that.
We're going to continue to talk with them and try and find ways to
get these through.

         Q      And on the Russian aid linkage?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  One of the things we're hearing
from Capitol Hill is that the failure to pass the jobs program and
other investments in the American people complicates the prospects
for Russian aid.  I think that's a fact of life, but the President is
committed to going forward with both packages.

         Q      George, I wanted to get back to the ITC.  If
Chairman Rostenkowski is telling the President that there are no
cheerleaders among the Democrats on the Ways and Means right now, and
the business of the community is telling him that the temporary ITC
is a loser for them and they want a trade off, where are these
cheerleaders going to come from that the President thinks are out
there?  Who wants this?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, I think that this can provide
needed investments.  The President is taking the concerns of the
committee seriously; there is no question about that.  And that's
what we're going to be discussing over the next couple of weeks.  But
he believes that it can provide for real job-creating investments in
this economy.  He's willing to listen to their suggestions and
adjustments.

         Q      Chairman Rostenkowski talked to him about his
interest in maybe substituting more generous depreciation rules.
He's told reporters he wants that this morning.  Is the President
prepared to do a trade-off at this point or does he want to wait and
see if he can build --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think the discussions are just
beginning; there's no trade-offs now.

         Q      One more on Bosnia, if I may.  Is the President
trying to achieve a consensus approach of taking the United States
and its allies for military  action, or is he prepared to assert
American leadership even in the face of allied hesitancy?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President is asserting American
leadership and he will continue to assert American leadership.
That's why he is going to go to the allies once he makes a decision.

         Q      But he seems to be suggesting -- you seem to
suggest that once he makes a decision it possibly could change
dependent upon what the allies do or say.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, again, I mean, that's just
common sense.  But the President's going to stake out a clear
position and do what he can to persuade the allies of the wisdom of
that approach.  He has said he wants a multilateral approach and he
expects to get it.  And we expect he'll have a full and complete and
persuasive accounting of his position.

         Q      I hate to use hypotheticals but --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I probably won't answer them.

         Q?        I understand that, but right now the allies seem
to be undercutting or at least arguing against or opposed to any
further
military approach.  If that persists, as indeed it may, where does
that leave the President?  Can the President still assert his
leadership?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President can and will assert
his leadership.

         Q      So he's simply not looking for consensus approach
--

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, that's just not a fair
conclusion to draw from these statements.  The President is going to
make a decision and he's going to assert leadership and he's going to
move forward going to the allies to convince them of the wisdom of
that decision.

         Q      And if he doesn't convince them?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President has not made a
decision yet.  He's going to go to the allies and he thinks that we
will get a multilateral approach.

         Q      A follow-up to that -- is there a chance there will
be no announcement?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President is going to make his
decision and go to the allies and the announcement will follow.

         Q      There will be an announcement no matter what the
allies say of some sort?  There will be a stronger policy no matter
what the allies say?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President expects that we will
have a multilateral Bosnia policy.

         Q      George, is Yeltsin part of these consultations?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I wouldn't rule it out.

         Q      Has the President called any -- has he yet spoken
to Mitterrand?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.

         Q      Is he planning to after he meets with Powell?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not sure.

         Q      Can I go back to Yeltsin for a minute?  To what
extent is he going to be included in this?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, the President has spoken to
-- he spoke to President Yeltsin this week and I expect that he will
continue to speak with him.  Obviously, the Russians have a role in
the United Nations on the U.N. Security Council.

         Q      Would Christopher be going to Moscow?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know if Secretary
Christopher is going to go anywhere.

         Q      When he spoke to Yeltsin this week we were told
they did not discuss Bosnia.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think they did, but they
have discussed it in the past.

         Q      But he will definitely include Yeltsin once this
decision is made among his various phone calls or visits by
Christopher or whatever --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I would expect that to happen, yes.

         Q        he'll be an equal voice with the others?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I would certainly expect that there
will be some sort of communication.

         Q      The President is about to meet with the Joint
Chiefs.  Is it fair to say that all of the chiefs now have the
consensus on what military options are best for the President to
pursue?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's fair to say that the chiefs
will present their views to the President in an hour.

         Q      No, it's a quarter --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Whenever.  Whatever time it is, I
don't know.

         Q      Will the President seek a vote in Congress on
whatever policy decision that he makes on Bosnia?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Depends on the decision.

         Q      So you're not ruling in that he will definitely get
sanctions for a vote from Congress for his policy?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  If the decision requires a
congressional authorization, he certainly will seek it.

         Q      So do you think at this point that he needs that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I can't comment on that.

         Q      So you don't know or you just --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I can't comment on it.

         Q      Theoretically, does the President believe that a
military -- that military action -- multilateral military action
requires congressional vote?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just can't get into those kinds
of questions now because that would in some way prejudge the
decision.  I just can't do that.

         Q      I'm asking whether the President, in the abstract,
believes that Congress --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President has always in the
past supported -- when military force is used abroad, has supported
the idea that we have to take action consistent with the War Powers
Act.

         Q      Does that mean he will here, though?  Or what are
you saying?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It doesn't mean anything about
here.  It's a statement about the past, and it's a statement about
theory and philosophy.

         Q      George, does lifting the arms embargo require
congressional approval?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Excuse me?

         Q      Does lifting the arms embargo require congressional
approval?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know about congressional
approval; it certainly would require -- I think it would require U.N.
action of some sort.

         Q      George, does the President see a special role for
Spain in the Bosnia problem, since they have some troops on the
ground?  And was he planning to talk to the King about that today?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just -- I'm not sure.  I expect
it will come up in some fashion, but I don't know about any kind of
special role for Spain.  But I'm certain that they'll be consulted.

         Q      Well, there's been talk at the State Department
about meeting of the permanent -- four of the five permanent U.N.
Security Council members.  That would be minus China and then adding
Spain?  Is that on the table?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just don't know anything about
that.  I'll take the question.  I just don't know.

         Q      George, have you any updated information on the
schedule on the tax bill -- the legislative language?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think it's going to be -- I
thought -- I originally thought it was going to be today, but I think
it might be Monday or Tuesday.

         Q      What caused the delay?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not sure.  I know there's
been some small holdup in Treasury, but I don't know what the exact
reason was.

         Q      It has nothing to do with the discussion here this
morning?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.

         Q      George, can you confirm reports out of Tokyo that
the President will be going to Tokyo on the 5th for the summit in
July?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes, that was the first I heard of
that this morning.  At this time we haven't made any final decisions
yet.  We're certainly -- we've announced going out for the summit on
the 7th, 8th, and 9th, but we haven't finalized our schedule beyond
that.

         Q      Is that an invitation that they've put to you
folks?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not sure.

         Q      Any other countries planned?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Nothing at this time, but not to
rule it out.

         Q      George, does the President believe that he has an
authorization by the U.N. to use air power, or is he going to seek --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just can't get into those
questions until he's made a decision.

         Q      Given travel tomorrow, can you tell us anything
about next week's schedule?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.  We'll have an announcement
tomorrow.

         Q      General Powell is going with him tomorrow?

         Q         finance reform, George?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think that's right.

         Q      Question?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'll have to double-check, but --

         Q      What's the question?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Whether General Powell is traveling
with him tomorrow.  I have to double-check on that.  He may be, but I
don't think so.

         Q      Can you update us on where you are on campaign
finance reform?  Is there any update?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I expect to have an announcement
next week.

         Q      Do you have a day yet?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.

         Q      George, I'm a little bit confused, I guess.  When
the economic stimulus package was wiped out on the Hill, what we
heard coming out of here seemed to suggest that you all were going to
come back fast with pieces of it or something.  I think the President
himself mentioned next week when he was talking about it.  He used
the words.  But when I hear you in this briefing here, you're talking
about discussing with Congress over the next weeks and months.  You
seem to be taking a very long --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, that's moving forward.  I
mean, part of --

         Q      I understand.  But you all seemed to be much more
anxious to do something previously and you seem to be much more laid-
back about it now.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We remain as anxious as ever to --
we remain as anxious as ever to move forward on a package of job
creation for the American people.  There's no question about that.
But part of that process is working through the Congress, and that's
how we're going to do it.

         Q      Some of these are pretty time-sensitive,
specifically summer jobs.  When -- next week on that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I just don't have any
announcements right now.

         Q      George, to follow up on Ruth's question, George --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Which one?

         Q      The one on linking Russian aid to stimulus.

         Q      I only asked one.

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It was a two-part question.
(Laugher.)

         Q  Are you considering repackaging the stimulus program
with a supplemental for Russian aid and trying  to push the two
simultaneously?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I wouldn't rule it out, but there's
just no hard and fast decisions of any kind right now.

         Q      George, do you have some insight into the
President's thinking process as he makes this very important
decision?  Is he talking to people from the former Yugoslavia?  Is he
reading histories?  What is he doing as he tries to come to terms
with his decision?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He has spent a fair amount of time
obviously reading different kinds of briefing materials.  I don't
know about history per se.  I assume that's part of some of his
briefing material.  I don't know of any books or anything like that.
He's talked to a number of people, both in and outside the
government.  Obviously, he is consulting with members of Congress,
with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and with other foreign leaders.  And
that's all part of the process.

         Q      What kind of people out of government?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think he has spoken with
Secretary of State -- former Secretary of State Shultz, for example,
and others.

         Q      When was that?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Over the last couple of days.

         Q      In person?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Phone.

         Q      Why did he talk to Shultz?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I believe that Shultz called him.
As you know, he has very strong feelings on Bosnia.

         Q         going on today?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, you can go to Treasury.

         Q      Following on Mike's question, any former Presidents
in that list of people that he consulted?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I know he spoke with President
Nixon early this week, largely on Russia.  But I would expect that
there was probably some discussion on Bosnia as well.

         Q      Has he called Bush?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think he's talked to him
this week, but I expect he will soon.

         Q      Why?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm certain that he'll talk to all
the former Presidents, as he does periodically.

         Q      Has he consulted with Bush before?

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Oh, sure, on Russia.  He talked to
him a couple of times.

         Q      If we name them one by one, will you confirm --

         MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'll probably say, yes, I expect it
at some point.  (Laughter.)

         THE PRESS:  Thank you.

                                 END                    3:47 P.M. EDT

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