    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [April 17, 1991]
    [Pages 388-389]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the Federal Energy Management Executive Order
    April 17, 1991

        The President. Before we get started on the Cabinet business, I want
    to just conduct another piece of important business. As you know, one of
    our key goals is the implementation of the national energy strategy.
        And I'm very pleased to sign this Executive order today that directs
    all the Federal Agencies to take whatever appropriate action is
    necessary to reduce their energy use by at least 20 percent by the year
    2000 and reduce fuel consumption by at least 10 percent by the year
    1995. This order is a component, an important component, of the national
    energy strategy. And it demon-

    [[Page 389]]

    strates our commitment to a balanced approach for achieving an energy
    future that is secure, that is efficient, and that is environmentally
    sound.
        The savings come from reduced energy use in Federal buildings and
    facilities, fuel savings in the whole Federal vehicle fleet, increased
    reliance on alternative fuels and alternative-fueled vehicles, and use
    of other energy-efficient products. Such actions would then save up to
    an estimated $800 million per year by our target year 2000, the
    equivalent of up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. So, achieving these
    important and ambitious goals is part of our strategy for enhancing our
    overall energy security. And doing so is commonsense business
    management, I might add.
        So, I wanted to do this with all the Cabinet here to ask for your
    support on all of this, hoping that this initiative will also encourage
    the private sector to undertake similar actions. An awful lot can be
    done just by the actions that I've outlined here.
        So now, Jim, many thanks to you for your key role in the energy
    strategy. I will sign this.

    [At this point, the President signed the Executive order.]

        It's all yours. All right. That's done.

    Assistance for Iraqi Refugees

        Q. Mr. President, are you willing to relax the sanctions to allow
    Iraq to sell oil and supposedly to get food and supplies for the Kurdish
    refugees?
        The President. Look, I don't want to take any questions.
        I will say that the priority is, get the relief to these people that
    are suffering. Then we'll talk about that. But this relief effort will
    go and must go smoothly. And then we can consider extraneous matters,
    matters that may be important to Iraq. But our priorities--the world's
    priorities--are set. And they say, let these refugees be settled on the
    flat places temporarily, and let them be fed, let medicine get in there.
        And then when that is done and everything's done peacefully and
    harmoniously, then I might be willing to consider something else. But
    we're not going to--we're going to be sure what comes first. And what
    comes first is taking care of these people that have been deprived of
    their homes and that are terrified and also that are suffering very
    much. So, that's the order in which we will address these problems.
        Thank you all very much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 2:35 p.m. in the
                            Cabinet Room at the White House. In his remarks,
                            he referred to Secretary of Energy James D.
                            Watkins. The Executive order is listed in
                            Appendix E at the end of this volume.