Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr11/wh930625.zip/06-25F.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-06-26 | 40KB

From @lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu:[e-mail]  Fri Jun 25 21:39:02 1993
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1993 19:14-0400
From: The White House <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Press Briefing by Dee Dee Myers  6.25.93



                           THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                   June 25, 1993

                            PRESS BRIEFING
                           BY DEE DEE MYERS

                          The Briefing Room

11:40 A.M. EDT

         MS. MYERS:  Just one quick announcement that everyone
already knows; the President will be stopping at the NEA Convention
in San Francisco on the way to Tokyo.  He will speak at 10:45 a.m. on
Monday, July 5th.

         That's it.

         Q      What time does he leave Washington?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't have the specifics on that.  We'll
have a schedule, a briefing schedule, hopefully by Monday which will
outline the briefings that we'll be able to provide pre-Tokyo.

         Q      When did you say you'd have that?

         Q      When does he leave San Francisco?

         MS. MYERS:  There will be a couple hours to file in San
Francisco, and then we'll go from there.

         Q      When did you say you'd have it?

         Q         have an advance text?

         MS. MYERS:  We're going to try real hard.  We'll have an
advance text.  (Laughter.)

         Q      For whatever that's worth.

         MS. MYERS:  Right.

         Q      When did you say the schedule would be available?

         MS. MYERS:  We're going to try to brief on the logistics
either Monday or Tuesday.  That will be a backgrounder, but it will
at least give you a sense of what we're doing for planning purposes.

         Q      When will Bentsen and Christopher brief?

         MS. MYERS:  Latter half of the week.

         Q      Can I ask a question about the budget situation?

         MS. MYERS:  Sure.

         Q      How can the President accommodate these two varying
sides of the Democratic Party in order to come up with enough votes
to get something that will pass ?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, I think the two versions, while they
have some very obvious differences, are closer together than I think
people have given them credit for.  Both of the meet the President's
principles, including $500 billion in deficit reduction; they're both
progressive and they both have a roughly an equal amount of tax
increases and spending cuts.  The conferees will have to sit down and
hammer out the details on the other differences, but I think the
President feels good.

         We've gotten through -- cleared two very high hurdles in
this process so far.  The President is asking for big change and he's
gotten big change from both Houses.  They've shown a lot of courage,
the members have, in making these votes.

         Q      Does not a 49-to-49 vote mean that any concessions
you make to the House conferees will result in something that will
not pass the Senate?

         MS. MYERS:  No, not necessarily.  I think this is
something that can be worked out.  It's going to take some work.  But
I think this process has been difficult all along, and I think that
we feel very good about the victory the President enjoyed last night
and I think we look forward to passing it through the conference.

         Q      Beyond the general principles, now that he's moved
through the Senate, what are the key elements that he will insist on
in conference?  Not just the principles, but what specifics is he now
going to fight for in the conference from either side?

         MS. MYERS:  That's something that we're working on now.
I'm not ready to announce our conference strategy at this point.

         Q      Has he accepted the idea of a gas tax?

         MS. MYERS:  I think there's going to have to be some --I
think what we're hearing from -- what the President believes is that
there will be some compromise, that the two sides are going to have
reach an agreement somewhere between a Btu tax and the transportation
fuels tax.  We'll have to wait and see how that gets worked out.

         Q      You're not neutral on this argument.

         MS. MYERS:  No, we won't be neutral.  I'm just saying
I'm not prepared to announce our conference strategy yet.  This
package just passed last night at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.  I don't
think we're --

         Q         need a nap.

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, exactly.  And I would point out that we
were good enough to let the pool go home at 8:30 p.m.

         Q      Dee Dee, how does the President feel about the
Senate's version on the capital gains version that the Senate
approved?

         Q      The Bumpers and --

         MS. MYERS:  Well, but the Senate didn't -- that would be
that the Senate didn't approve.  I think the President had part of
that, the expensing provision, in his original package.  But I'm not
going to comment on all the specifics other than to say that we'll be
very involved in the conference process.  We think we can reach a
compromise that meets the President's principles.  And we'll have
more to say about it after we've had some time.

         Q      How could you have a -- I'm just trying to see what
kind of a compromise you could have between a gas tax and a Btu tax.
And I'm not trying to tie you all down, I just can't see what you
could have in between there.

         MS. MYERS:  No, I mean, it's something that's going to
have to be worked out.  And I just can't -- the details aren't there
yet.

         Q      I'm really not trying to tie you all down with
this, but could have like both?  A small amount of both?  Or what --

         MS. MYERS:  I think there are a number of options.  And,
again, that's something that we'll have to work through with the
conferees.  We'll have more to say about it later.  But I think
there's a number of options that are somewhere -- that fall somewhere
between a Btu tax and a transportation fuels tax.

         Q      Understanding that you're not endorsing anything at
this point, what would some of those options be?  I'm just trying to
get some sort of idea of what you would have to go to.

         MS. MYERS:  I'm just not prepared to discuss that from
here.

         Q      During the evening, I mean, what kind of a head
count -- were you shocked that it was a tie?

         MS. MYERS:  No, we knew it was going to be close.

         Q      You knew it would be a tie?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, fortunately, we have the silver bullet
in the Vice President.  (Laughter.)

         Q      Is that a wooden bullet?  (Laughter.)

         Q      But, I mean, did you really see that coming?

         MS. MYERS:  No, no.  I think we always expected it would
be one or two-vote margin and so I don't think that we were surprised
at all.  I think that there were a number of people who were prepared
-- there were a number of senators who weren't allowed -- who would
not be willing to let the package go down.

         Q      Would the President really -- does he approve of
the gas tax going into the highway fund?

         THE PRESIDENT:  The President approves of the Senate
getting through this process so we can go back to conference and work
it out.  And again, I'm not prepared to discuss the details of the
conference strategy.

         Q      When is he going to buckle down and know what's in
the -- you know, in both versions and work out a strategy?

         MS. MYERS:  Oh, I don't have a specific timetable, but
given the he didn't go to bed until after 3:00 a.m. last night, he
did stay up for the results of the vote, he hasn't had a lot of time
to focus on it.

         Q      Does he expect to do that before he leaves for
Toyko?

         MS. MYERS:  Oh, I think there will certainly be some
work on it next week, absolutely.

         Q      Did he call anyone at 3:00 a.m. in the morning?

         MS. MYERS:  You know, I don't know.  I'll take that
question.  I did not get an answer to it.

         Q      Did he talk to the Vice President after the vote?

         MS. MYERS:  I just don't know who he -- I think he did,
but I want to double-check.

         Q      Was he in the Oval or --

         MS. MYERS:  No, he was in the residence.  He went back
to the residence last night and monitored the -- I think he cabled
surfed.  (Laughter.)  C-Span, a little movie --

         Q      Did he watch Letterman?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know.

         Q      Dee Dee, was there any insurance from any of these
six Democrats who voted against the bill that if the President was
going to go down to defeat that they would reverse their vote?

         MS. MYERS:  I think that there were a number of senators
who were not prepared to let the bill go down.  But I --

         Q      In other words, it wasn't as close as the 50-to-49
vote -- it wasn't as close as that would suggest?

         MS. MYERS:  I think there was -- again, that there some
-- a number of senators who weren't willing to see this package
defeated -- to see the process blocked --

         Q      Of the six.

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, of the six.

         Q      Which are the six?

         MS. MYERS:  I'm not going to say.

         Q      How many of those?

         Q      So deals were made, actually, weren't they?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, I think that that's part of the
legislative process.  Sure, Senator Mitchell was down there working
his heart out, as were Senator Moynihan and others.

         Q      Did you have an ambulance or something ready for
Patty Murray?  A serious question.

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know that an ambulance was ready,
but we were prepared to do what it took to get the deal done.

         Q      Would you say that the Senate vote, Dee Dee, was as
close or closer or not as close as the House vote?

         MS. MYERS:  I think they were both very close.

         Q      As close?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, I would say that it was as close.  Both
of them were won by close margins.  It was a tough vote for the
members.  It took a lot of courage for them to step up to the plate.
It's a big change.

         Q      Why was --

         Q      Wait, Helen.  And do you think the President can be
as disengaged from the conference as he was from the Senate?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I think we've indicated all along that
we'll take a more active role in the conference process.  This is the
final hurdle.  I think we indicated throughout this process that what
we wanted to see was the process move forward, to get out of the
Senate Finance Committee, to get through the Senate process, as long
as it preserved the President's principles, which it did, and now sit
down with the two sides and try to work out the best possible deal.

         Q      On that issue, can you outline for us what you mean
when you see you're going to take a more active approach?  Is the
President going to personally negotiate with people?  Is he going to
go to the country and make a speech about it?

         MS. MYERS:  I think that we'll do a number of things,
including, I think it's very likely that we'll appeal to the country
at some point and make sure that they know what's in the package,
what the President's objectives are.  But, again, I just am not
prepared to discuss the specifics of a conference strategy.

         Q      Could that come next week, prior to the summit?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know that we'll ever unveil it in
any detail, although I think as this process moves forward it will
become clearer.

         Q      Dee Dee, Secretary Shalala --

         Q      Is there any impatience at all with Senator Nunn?
I mean, is there any feeling that at some point he ought to be
supporting his party's President?

         MS. MYERS:  We'll continue to do what we can to work
with Senator Nunn.

         Q      What will you do?

         MS. MYERS:  Pardon me?

         Q      What will you do?

         MS. MYERS:  The same thing we've doing all along.  We'll
continue to discuss things with him.  Obviously, he's an independent
man and he will vote as he sees fit.

         Q      The President did say this morning that he told
some senators that he would fight to get more investment incentives
back into the package in conference.  Did he make any other such
commitments on any other issues, on any other elements?

         MS. MYERS:  I think that he has said throughout the
process that he would want -- he's very committed to things like the
earned income tax credit and enterprise zones and the other
investments that he -- and perhaps more incentives for small business
-- the expensing provision, which we put into the House version of
the bill.  I think he'll fight for those investments.  He's going to
do what he can to create the incentives we need to get the economy
moving again.  But, again, I can't go into the specific details.

         Q      The President has promised, as I understand, a
number of lawmakers' changes in the conference committee.  I'm
wondering how you feel you'll be able to make these without
threatening the support of others, and precisely what changes --
precisely is -- obviously, you're not going to be able to answer
generally what changes you might look for to make the better bill the
President expects to come up with.

         MS. MYERS:  Well, again, I think it's clear there were
changes in the House, there were changes in the Senate, there will be
changes in conference; there's no question about that.  As the
President pointed out today, there were some elements of the House
bill that members of the Senate preferred and some elements of the
Senate bill that members of the House preferred.  That's what the
conference process is going to be about, working out an acceptable
compromise.

         I think by and large, both Houses want to see this
package complete, they want to see a discipline deficit reduction
program, they want to see new investments for economic growth, new
incentives, they want to see a fairer tax structure.  I think that
there's a lot of desire to see this deal done.  And I think we're
going to work real hard to make sure that it gets done.

         Q      Will the attempt, then, be to be get votes -- get
people who did not vote for the measure to vote for the conference
compromise, or will the attempt be to perhaps work some more
political deals?

         MS. MYERS:  No, obviously, we're going to get as many
votes as we possible can.  If we can get Democrats who weren't with
us in the House or the Senate, or even Republicans, we welcome it.

         Q      You see, the reason I ask because presumably any
change would threaten support you already have.

         MS. MYERS:  But it, I think, it may also create
opportunities for expanded support.  I think that's -- you all know
how this process works.  You go into conference and two sides sit
down and they hammer out a compromise and hopefully we'll get it
through both Houses.

         Q      Exactly where does the gays in the military policy
process stand now?

         MS. MYERS:  The President is still waiting for
recommendations from Secretary Aspin.

         Q      But he's conferred with him already in the past
couple of days, hasn't he?

         MS. MYERS:  They met yesterday afternoon, late afternoon
on a number of issues, but that wasn't the definitive meeting.

         Q      Do you foresee something before we leave for the
summit?

         MS. MYERS:  Unclear.

         Q      Might they be meeting again today?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't -- it's not scheduled and I don't
expect it.

         Q      It wasn't scheduled yesterday.

         MS. MYERS:  It was not scheduled yesterday.

         Q      Would you let us know if he's coming in?

         Q      Question?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes.  I don't expect it.

         Q      What's the hangup at this point?  I mean, this
thing has been discussed and debated and there's been all kinds of
memos.

         MS. MYERS:  Right.  Secretary Aspin has until July 15
under the President's deadline to come back with a draft executive
order, and the President's just waiting for a final version.  I think
it's clear Secretary Aspin is in consultation phase.  He's getting
close to a final decision on this, but it's just not there yet, and
as soon as it's there he'll present it to the President.

         Q      Has the deadline been extended?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't think so.

         Q      Does the President anticipate a lengthy decision
process once he has this memo?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I don't anticipate a lengthy decision
process.

         Q      So you expect that, by the 15th of July, a decision
on this from -- that he will have made a decision on this?

         MS. MYERS:  By the 15th of July we'll have received the
Secretary's recommendations.  I wouldn't rule out a decision before
that, but that wasn't the time line for the President's decision.

         Q      Do gay and lesbian groups have reason to be
concerned that the President will not be in a position to deliver on
his campaign promise on this issue?

         MS. MYERS:  I think that they've made their position
clear.  What the President has said is he still supports it.  He
believes that people who should not be barred from service on the
basis of status alone and we'll have to wait and see what the process
produces.

         Q      How about Sessions?

         Q      Is there any special briefing or any way the
President is being kept up to date on developments in New York in
connection with the arrests for terrorism --

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, he's being kept up to date through his
regular national security briefing and I think periodic other
briefings.

         Q      Are there any special briefings that he's having?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't believe so.

         Q      And are there any plans for him to call any of the
figures that were involved as possible assassination targets?

         MS. MYERS:  Nothing scheduled, but I wouldn't rule it
out.

         Q      Dee Dee, Donna Shalala -- Secretary Shalala said
this morning that the administration would go with the Senate's
Medicare package rather than the House's.  Is that something that she
has cleared with the President, or is that just her own bargaining
position?

         MS. MYERS:  I think that's her own bargaining position.
I don't believe she has had an opportunity to discuss that, and there
were changes in the Senate position last night.

         Q      She's aware of that and she said that that
compromise that she would urge be adopted --

         MS. MYERS:  I just don't believe -- to my knowledge, she
hasn't had a chance to discuss that with the President.

         Q      Dee Dee, when the military first compiled their
list of bases they wanted closed, McClellan   in California was on
that list, and then the President and Aspin stepped in and said no,
they didn't want it.  The base closing commission today sided with
the President and Aspin and voted to keep McClellan open.  Is the
White House gratified at the vote today by --

         MS. MYERS:  First of all, I have to take issue with
something you said.  The President didn't have specific comments
about McClellan, although what he did say was he thought the
aggregate economic impact of base closings should be considered.  And
that's particularly true in California.  Given the economic situation
there, the high unemployment, the number of bases that were
potentially slotted for closure, the President just want to make
sure, and Secretary Aspin wanted to make sure that the aggregate
economic impact was considered.

         As you know, the base closing commission is independent.
They are voting on a number of things now and they will present their
final report to the President July 1st.  He'll then have 15 days to
either accept the recommendations or reject them and send them back
to the commission.  So we'll wait to see what they finally produce.

         Q      What's the White House response to the commission
apparently buying your argument about aggregate economic impact?

         MS. MYERS:  We'll wait to see what the report looks
like, and before that we won't have any comment.

         Q      Can I follow that issue?

         Q      Another California question, I guess.  Bob Hattoy
and Roberta Achtenberg are expected to take part in Sunday's gay
pride parade in San Francisco.  Is their appearance official?  It's
being portrayed as the White House participating for the first time.

         MS. MYERS:  No, they're participating as private
citizens.

         Q      Does the White House take any position on this at
all?

         MS. MYERS:  Certainly, members of the administration are
free to participate in activities as private individuals.

         Q      Can I follow back on the base issue?  What is the
process you folks are going to use here at the White House once you
receive the list from the commission?  Who is going to do it?  How
are you going to weigh the political, economic, and national security
issues that are at stake?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, the President is going to consult
closely with Secretary Aspin, General Powell and others, take a look
at it and make a decision.  Again, he can either accept it in
complete form or send it back.  So it's not a case of accepting or
rejecting specific recommendations.

         Q      Did the President know --

         Q         him walking through the list base by base with
those advisors?

         MS. MYERS:  I think they'll look at the overall
soundness of the plan and make a decision based on that.  Again, he
can't, under the statute, accept or reject specific proposals.

         Q      What goal will the National Economic Council play,
Dee Dee?

         MS. MYERS:  I'm sure that their advice will be
considered in this process.

         Q      Is there an informal role for them at this point?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't think there's been a formal process
set up, although once the report is produced there will be,
certainly, a number of factors considered and a number of the
President's advisors will participate.

         Q      Did the President know at any time in advance that
the FBI was investigating this organization in New York, the
terrorist group that was planning these bombings?  And did it at all
affect his plans to travel to the New York City area or the First
Family's plans at all?

         MS. MYERS:  As I think I said yesterday, he was informed
about the FBI's action -- planned actions the day before they
occurred.  And beyond that, I can't comment on the content of -- I
can't comment on the content of what he may or may not have known.

         Q      Do you expect the President to have a face-to-face
meeting with gay rights groups as he did before -- before he made a
final decision on gays in the military?

         MS. MYERS:  We just don't have any plans for that.  I
wouldn't rule it out, but it's not planned.

         Q      Have they asked for such a meeting with the
President?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know that they've formally asked.
They've asked for a number of meetings.  As you know, they were at
the White House last week.  They may have put in some kind of a
request.  I'm not sure.

         Q      Has he read the letter from -- just following on
that, has he read Mixner's letter?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know whether he's received it.  I'll
have to take that.

         Q      Can I follow up on the base closings?  How will he
receive the report next week?  Will there be a meeting with the
commission members?  What's the process in that respect?

         MS. MYERS:  They'll certainly submit a written report.
And whether he meets with the members to go through the rationale, I
don't know.  It's not scheduled yet.

         Q      But that will come July 1st.

         MS. MYERS:  It's due Thursday, July 1st, yes.

         Q      And what about the timber report next week?

         MS. MYERS:  That's still in process.  I don't have a
final time line on that.

         Q      Has he chosen an option on that?

         MS. MYERS:  No final decisions have been made.

         Q      On the budget, without getting into what you're
finally going to accept on it, does the President still prefer Btu
tax to the energy tax that was passed in the Senate?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, the President has said all along that
he feels that that is the fairest tax.  It also -- it promotes
conservation and other things.  He believes that's the best option.
That's why he presented it after a great deal of debate during the
process.

         Q      On the need for more small business incentives, is
the White House open to the possibility of possibly changing the
current rule for a subchapter S corporation, to tax them?

         Q      Yes, about that?  (Laughter.)

         MS. MYERS:  God, I thought I was going to get out
without having to take that one.  (Laughter.)  I just can't comment
on that.

         Q      And New Zealand nuclear --

         Q      How about Sessions?  Do you have a report yet?

         MS. MYERS:  No.

         Q      Why not?  I mean --

         Q      Excuse me, though.  I mean, really, though.  I
mean, Dole has raised this as an issue --

         MS. MYERS:  I'm just not going to -- I'm not prepared to
comment on something that specific today.

         Q         certain members of the --

         Q      Dee Dee, who's going to take the lead for the
administration in the conference?

         MS. MYERS:  Yet to be determined.

         Q      On Sessions, Sessions was quoted as saying it's now
in the President's hands.

         MS. MYERS:  That's not the case.  We're still waiting
for a report from the Attorney General.  And I think that she's had a
couple of conversations with him about it.

         Q      You're sure that the --

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, I'm sure.

         Q      She's had conversations with whom?  With the
President?

         MS. MYERS:  With Judge Sessions.

         Q      Has she talked to the President about it?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I don't believe so.

         Q      Dee Dee, what's the President's understanding about
what's happening in Baghdad?  And can you go beyond what he said this
morning earlier?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I think he commented on that and said we
are -- remain committed to seeing that Iraq obeys all relevant U.N.
resolutions, and that the U.N.'s handling it.

         Q      Does the President support the resolution being
considered in the Security Council today to lift the arms embargo on
the Bosnian muslims?

         MS. MYERS:  As you know, the President's preferred
policy was to lift the arms embargo and use air strikes in the
interim while the Bosnians were rearming.  The resolution as
currently structured doesn't necessarily reflect that policy.  I
think we'd be prepared to support a resolution that reflected U.S.
policy and the President's preferred options in that regard.

         Q      Would you vote against -- are you going vote
against the resolution?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't think that the -- I think that
they're still debating.  They're formally debating that in the
Security Council today.  So we'll see what comes out of it.  I mean,
we'd be prepared to support a resolution that reflected the
President's position on it.

         Q      Have you taken an active effort to trying to shape
the resolution --

         MS. MYERS:  Well, certainly Madeleine is there, as she
was yesterday during the informal discussions.  She's there today.

         Q      Dee Dee, is there any comment on the swearing-in in
Canada this morning of a new Prime Minister Kim Campbell, the first
woman Prime Minister that?

         MS. MYERS:  No, other than the President wishes her well
and looks very much forward to meeting her at the G-7.

         Q      Any letter on its way or anything that you know of?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know.  I'll have to take that
question.  I know he hasn't spoken to her yet, but he is looking
forward to meeting her.  And he'll have a bilateral meeting with her.

         Q      Is the U.S. government going to declare any
Sudanese diplomats persona non grata?

         MS. MYERS:  I think we're waiting for the results of the
investigation at this point before we decide what to do.

         Q      I didn't understand your answer to an earlier
question about whether you're contemplating a presidential speech to
the nation next week.

         MS. MYERS:  I don't think -- not necessarily next week,
but at some point during the conference process, I think it is very
likely the President will address the nation in some form.

         Q      And would you be thinking about an address to a
Joint Session, or would it more likely to be an Oval Office address?

         MS. MYERS:  I think a lot of options are still on the
table.  I don't think we've made a final decision on that yet.

         Q      But probably after the Asia trip then?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, I don't think it would -- the
conference process doesn't look it will start before the July recess.

         Q      Is there a live radio address tomorrow?

         Q      Dee Dee, on gays in the military, Barney Frank
outside indicated that a don't ask, don't tell sort of rule might be
an acceptable compromise if enforcement of the military code is
applied equally to heterosexuals as well as homosexuals on certain
prohibited sexual acts.  And he said the rationale for accepting less
than an outright ban might be -- I'm trying to word this correctly --
if it's based on a way that is -- the rationale being not political
terms, but -- that's practically feasible because society can't
accept more at this point.

         MS. MYERS:  Certainly the President has great respect
for Congressman Frank and for his opinion, but we're going to wait
until Secretary Aspin makes his recommendations and the President
will have a policy announcement after he's had a chance to review it.

         Q      How does the President feel about the way it's
progressing?  He was briefed by Aspin yesterday.  Aspin is meeting
with the Joint Chiefs on it today.

         MS. MYERS:  I think the President said today he's just
not prepared to comment until the process has a chance to move
forward.

         Q      Did he give Aspin any guidance?  What  you've
brought me so far on --

         MS. MYERS:  I'm not going to comment on the content of
that meeting, other than to say that a number of topics were
discussed.

         Q      Has he talked to his half-brother?

         MS. MYERS:  No.  (Laughter.)

         Q      Alleged half-brother.  Who's he sending to the Pat
Nixon --

         MS. MYERS:  Vernon Jordan.

         Q      What was that question?

         Q      Question?

         MS. MYERS:  Vernon Jordan will be attending Mrs. Nixon's
funeral on behalf of the President.

         Q      Why?

         MS. MYERS:  He's a friend of the Nixon family from years
ago and the President asked him to go.

         Q      He couldn't get anyone else from higher up --

         Q         the silver bullet.  (Laughter.)

         Q      There's some indication that there's some
disagreement among the chiefs about who is more willing to deal with
-- than others.  Under Goldwater-Nickles, the President has a right
to hear from a chief who disagrees with a recommendation that would
come to him from the Secretary and Powell.  Would the President
listen to a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who vigorously
disagrees with the policy?  Would he meet with him directly?

         MS. MYERS:  I think certainly the President has met
periodically with the Chiefs and regularly with General Powell.  I
think he's going to take their concerns into consideration,
absolutely.

         Q      But would he hear out the concerns of an
independent Chief who does not agree with that policy?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know whether he'd schedule a
meeting, but I think he's certainly open to hearing their views.  I
think he's pretty familiar with what they've had to say about it so
far.  I think he's going to certainly consider very seriously the
military's views on this.

         Q      When do you expect a decision on nuclear testing?

         MS. MYERS:  Soon.  I think --

         Q      Over the weekend perhaps?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't have a particular time line on it.

         Q      Doesn't it have a July 1st deadline?

         MS. MYERS:  No. July 1st is when the ban expires, but it
doesn't necessitate immediate action.  I think it'll be soon.

         Q      And the FBI report on the assassination attempt
against President Bush?

         MS. MYERS:  Again, we hear that it's in its final
phases, but it's not complete.

         Q      Travel office?

         MS. MYERS:  Radio address is -- it's being pretaped
today at 3:30 p.m.  I think we'll probably release an embargoed text
for 10:06 a.m. tomorrow.  So it will not be live.

         Q      AIDS czar?

         MS. MYERS:  AIDS czar?  No final decisions on that.
(Laughter.)

         Q      Did you say that the FBI report on the Bush
assassination thing is expected in the next few days?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I said I understand it's wrapping up,
but we don't have it yet.

         Q      When do you expect --

         MS. MYERS:  We're told -- soon.

         Q         within days?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know.

         Q      Dee Dee,  will the findings of that report be the
guide for which the President will decide how to respond or will it
be depending upon the outcome?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I think he'll -- I don't think the
outcome of the trial is a factor, but I think that will be --
certainly the report will be a serious factor in his decision.

         Q      Will you let us know who he called both before and
after the vote -- taking that question?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, I don't know if I'll give you a whole
list of all the senators that he talked to yesterday, but I can
certainly tell you who he talked to in the middle of the night.
Sure.  We'll post that later.

         Q      Schedule for next week.  Do you have any
information?

         MS. MYERS:  No, I don't other than there's a Cabinet
meeting Monday and a joint congressional leadership meeting Wednesday
morning.  He'll spend a lot of time preparing for Tokyo.  And we
haven't figured out the rest of the schedule yet.

         Q      What about the pre-summit briefing schedule in
here?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, I said earlier I hope to announce that
on Monday.  We'll do, probably, logistical briefings early in the
week; more substantive briefings later in the week with people,
everyone from Secretary Bentsen, Secretary Christopher, people like
that.

         Q      Can we have those on the record for camera and
sound, please?

         MS. MYERS:  We'll take that request.  We'll see.

         Q      Do you expect any travel next week?

         MS. MYERS:  No.

         Q      What time will that leadership meeting be on
Wednesday, is that 9:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.?

         MS. MYERS:  I don't know yet.

         Q      That will be bipartisan?

         MS. MYERS:  Yes, bipartisan.

         Q      Dee Dee, now that the President has budget
reconciliation bills through the House and the Senate, should the
tracking of the Clinton economic recovery begin now?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, I think that we're already happy to
take credit for -- (laughter).  I think you have -- I mean, certainly
the seriousness of the proposals has had an impact on things like
interest rates; and I think there's been some job growth -- 755,000
new jobs.  But I'm not sure it's -- we're happy to point out those
changes in the economic situation, but the plan is not finally
passed, and I think it's important see the final form before I think
businesses can react and sort of respond to it.

         Q      May I follow this question?  I understood the
rationale for why you -- the administration claimed that interest
rates had gone down after the President's proposal.  But since George
Stephanopoulos went from saying it was a jobless recovery to taking
credit for the jobs that were created in about 48 hours, I would like
someone to explain to me the mechanism by which these proposals
created jobs in your minds?

         MS. MYERS:  Well, lower interest rates puts literally
millions, perhaps -- I think the estimate is that a one point
reduction in the long-term interest rates has put $10 billion back
into the economy.  That makes capital available for all kinds of
business creation and other things.  Also, we've seen interest rates
at their lowest point in 20 years.  There's a seven-year high in new
home sales.  That has created about 140,000 jobs just in the
construction industry in the last four months.  So I think the
connection is indisputable between commitment to deficit reduction,
lower interest rates and job creation.  That's not to say that we're
out of the woods.  I think the President is not satisfied with the
economic performance.  He doesn't believe the economy is working for
everybody, but he thinks we're at least starting to move in the right
direction.

         Q      That all in one breath.

         MS. MYERS:  All in one breath.  Thank you.

         THE PRESS:  Thank you.

                                 END                   12:10 P.M. EDT

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