[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[July 2, 1992]
[Pages 1075-1077]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters on Departure for Camp David, 
Maryland

July 2, 1992
    The President. I have two subjects I want to address very briefly 
before we leave here.
    First, on the unemployment extension bill. This afternoon the House 
passed an unemployment bill, and the Senate is expected to act shortly; 
it may have already moved. But the bill that came out of the House-
Senate conference is a good one. It took the best of the House and 
Senate positions. It's paid for, and it does not violate the budget 
agreement. And it preserves the fiscal discipline that is so vital to 
our economic recovery. There are no new taxes in the bill. It doesn't 
raise unemployment taxes or raise the unemployment wage-base. Most of 
the objectionable policies were dropped from it. The extra benefits will 
give unemployed Americans as much as 52 weeks of unemployment insurance. 
This is an important safeguard for workers who still can't find jobs as 
the economy continues to grow. And I'm glad that we were able to work it 
out with the Congress in the last couple of days.
    The current program runs out on Saturday. I want to make sure that 
people keep getting these extended benefits. Therefore, I will sign this 
bill as soon as it reaches my desk. And I might say at the end of this 
statement, once again, I was very pleased to see the Fed move to reduce 
the rates because clearly that will have an economic stimulus that will 
help get this country back to work real fast.
    The second subject: I have just concluded another meeting on AIDS. 
And with me is Bishop Swing, who ministers to many AIDS patients, is in 
the forefront of the struggle against AIDS. He comes from San Francisco, 
a friend to Barbara and to me. Also there was Dr. Burt Lee, my own 
personal physician but who's had an active role in AIDS--he was on the 
AIDS Commission before he came here; Mary Fisher, who is personally 
involved with the disease; Dr. Fauci, one of our Nation's leading 
researchers out at NIH. And I mentioned, I think, Dr. Sullivan of HHS.
    But we met in there, and I was asking them, how can I better convey 
the concern that I feel, and what can I do better to convey what we are 
doing? And I believe that I must have the Nation know that we're all 
enmeshed in the pain that people feel about this disease, whether they 
have the disease, afflicted by it, or whether they're people who just 
want to help.
    I think it's important to emphasize that progress has been made. And 
we listened to Dr. Fauci talk about the progress that's been made, the 
hope that he and the other great researchers and scientists in this 
country have for progress on the vaccines, for example; the fact there 
are three different ways now to try to contain this disease.
    And then the third point is the determination that we all feel that 
we must win this battle. And the bishop and Dr. Fauci pointed out to me 
something that I do know and perhaps have not articulated it, and that 
is that the United States has a key leadership role here. It's a 
worldwide problem. And our science is on the cutting edge. Our 
researchers aren't the only ones doing the job, but they are doing a 
superb job. I just want others around the world to know that we share 
their concerns, and we want to share our science with anyone we possibly 
can help. And so it was that area. We talked a little bit, Lou did, Lou 
Sullivan brought up the point he makes about the ADA bill where we are 
opposed to discrimination. And that bill, that forward civil rights 
legis-

[[Page 1076]]

lation, addressed itself to that.
    So it was a good meeting. And I will continue to find ways to take 
to the Nation the concern that I feel, that Barbara feels on this 
dreaded disease. It affects so many families. And we've got to make sure 
that we remain doing everything we can. As we all know, the funding for 
research is substantially up and the requests for next year very strong. 
But I wish there was more even. But we'll keep doing our job. And I have 
learned a lot from my dear friend Bishop Swing, again. And also, I'm 
grateful to those others that attended the meeting.
    Thank you all very much.

Proposed Family Life Executive Order

    Q. Have you received the letter from the Baptists concerning the 
position that you've taken with--their objection to your position on 
``20/20'' about hiring homosexuals? Not making a litmus test?
    The President. I didn't hear anything about that. I didn't see 
anything.
    Q. The Christian Life Commission has sent you a letter that said 
it's too late for meetings and that action is required on this policy. 
They're asking you----
    The President. What is that?
    Q. They're asking you to sign the proposed Executive order on family 
life--the definition, sir?
    The President. Well, I'll have to take a look at what we're talking 
about here.
    Q. What about Magic Johnson's concerns that he's raised?
    The President. I think my position on family life is pretty well 
known to this country.

AIDS Policy

    Q. Have you had any more communication with Magic?
    The President. No, and we've tried to get in touch with him. I asked 
Dr. Sullivan about that again. And I don't know that--I know I haven't 
been. But we have tried to get in touch with Magic Johnson. He's a part 
of the Commission. We know their reservations. But there's no hostility 
here. Anybody that has suggestions as to how I can do my job better in 
expressing the concerns that we feel as a Nation, so much the better. 
But I don't know what his latest position is on this. But I'd be very 
anxious to hear from him and to understand more clearly what his 
concerns are.
    Q. Are you open to a possible change in the immigration law, sir? 
That's been one of the major points of criticism.
    The President. Well, we discussed it a little bit. And I know 
there's some concern on that. But I'd want to get some recommendations 
from our expert before I committed myself on that.

The Economy

    Q. Mr. President, since you've staked so much of your reelection on 
the economic recovery, doesn't the lagging unemployment, if it lags all 
the way to November, doesn't that decrease your chances for reelection?
    The President. I don't know, Jim [Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News]. I 
hear so many things that decrease, or some that increase, my chances. I 
feel that we all have a stake, regardless of the politics, in an 
improved economy. All I know is that we would not have unemployment at 
this level if I could have gotten our investment incentives passed by 
the Congress. And I say that not to blame anybody, but what I've felt 
has been necessary all along is economic stimulus. That's why we had a 
specific program proposed, and most of it is languishing on Capitol 
Hill.
    Having said that, the economy is growing. Having said that, I am 
very much concerned about the unemployment figures. I still maintain 
that unemployment is a lagging indicator because there are other things 
that are quite positive, including the fact that interest rates are even 
lower now than they've been. And that, inevitably, spurs investment and 
jobs.
    So, there are mixed reports. One day we'll get a good statistic; 
another day we'll have one that isn't so good. But when it involves 
human life, when it involves somebody wanting to work that doesn't have 
a job, then of course we're concerned about that. I don't know about the 
political implications, but I am convinced that the economy is 
continuing to improve.
    I've got to go.

[[Page 1077]]

                    Note: The President spoke at 6:05 p.m. on the South 
                        Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Rev. William E. Swing, Episcopal 
                        Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco.