[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[January 23, 1992]
[Pages 138-139]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Environmental Policy

January 23, 1992
    The President. Let me just say that I've had an upbeat and very 
impressive briefing from Administrator Bill Reilly, from Secretary 
Watkins, and from Chairman Mike Deland on some of our ongoing efforts to 
protect America's precious environment. The budget that I will release 
next week I think demonstrates our continuing commitment to the 
environment in a way that is consistent with efforts to create economic 
growth and to preserve and create jobs.
    In EPA's budget we're providing significant increases for Superfund; 
implementing the Clean Air Act; for enforcing our environmental laws, 
and that's critical; and protecting important resources like the Great 
Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Chesapeake Bay: a strong program. Our 
budget includes specific grants to help clean up the water in some of 
our major coastal cities: Boston and New York on the east coast; Los 
Angeles, San Diego, Seattle on the west coast; and then back to 
Baltimore on the east coast.
    This budget is going to include $200 million, double the amount 
enacted last year, for pollution control in the border area--Bill's just 
back from there, I understand--along from California across to Texas.
    Secretary Jim Watkins and I have tried hard making a major effort to 
clean up the Federal facilities at which his Department, the Department 
of Energy, has manufactured nuclear weapons materials. That's been going 
on now for 3 years. And next week's budget will reflect a major step 
forward in that commitment, a $1.1 billion increase, 25 percent above 
last year's level. The 5.5 billion that I'll put in my budget for 
cleaning up Federal facilities is more than triple the amount included 
in the '89

[[Page 139]]

budget when Secretary Watkins and I arrived.
    And finally, our budget is going to increase funding in our 
commitment to the program known as America the Beautiful, expanding and 
improving our national parks, our forests, our wildlife refuges, and our 
recreation land. The budget is going to increase the program to about 
$1.9 billion, more than double the amount devoted to parks and the 
outdoors in 1989.
    Now, included in that amount is a major expansion, from 23 million 
to 60 million, for our partnership with the States for the creation of 
State parks. Now, this is an innovative partnership approach, one that 
leverages the Federal dollars to get the most for every dollar. And I 
think you'll see this as a wave of the future in terms of guaranteeing 
the precious environment that means so much to our country.
    So, I really want to thank Bill Reilly, thank the Secretary, thank 
the Chairman, Michael Deland, for coming over and to say I look forward 
to working with them and the other members of the Cabinet to win support 
for this budget on Capitol Hill and for continuing to be responsible 
stewards of the environment. I think we've got a positive record. We've 
certainly got able, committed individuals, three of whom are with me 
right here, working this problem. And I think this preview of coming 
attractions on the budget will be good news for all of us who share our 
concern about America's environment.
    So, I think Bill, as I understand the plan, is going to go in and 
take some questions in the press room on this expansion of this, what 
I've announced here today. And I think this will be well received.

Domestic Initiatives

    Q. Mr. President, in recent days you've been busy on many different 
fronts, education, trade, now the environment----
    The President. Recent years, yes.
    Q. Well, recent days also, sir, and recent years, but is this at all 
reflective of the, perhaps, concern about dropping polls? And are you 
concerned about falling polls?
    The President. No. What I think it does is show a continuing 
interest in domestic affairs. I've cited some history here, what's been 
accomplished over 3 years. But we're in an election year, and you get 
all kinds of charges and countercharges. And I think people realize 
there's been this commitment. Some of this commitment to the domestic 
side has been overshadowed by the fantastic changes that have taken 
place around the world. But I think if you take a look at my schedules 
and my own use of personal time, you'll see that this isn't anything 
new, just a continued commitment. We've made great progress. And I keep 
getting reassured by Bill Reilly and by Mike Deland and in his field by 
Jim Watkins. But we're just going to keep on. And polls go up one day 
and down the next.

Unemployment Benefits

    Q. Mr. President, 5 months ago you vetoed one unemployment 
extension, and you blocked the second. Now we're told that you're going 
to back an extension on your extension. Isn't this an election-year 
conversion?
    The President. What we did before is to guarantee that the 
extensions were within the Federal budget because, you see, I think the 
American people are also concerned about the Federal Government spending 
too much. And what I did was stand for a program that would alleviate 
the suffering and would get the checks to individuals, but did it inside 
the budget agreement. So, it wasn't a conversion; it was fighting for 
what was right, the taxpayer as well as those who were hurting. And we 
prevailed. We prevailed in both instances. But you stay tuned for the 
next chapter. It will be coming up.

Disarmament

    Q. How about the disarmament, Mr. President? Can you tell us 
anything about that?
    The President. Maybe I'll have something to say about that in the 
State of the Union Message.

                    Note:  The President spoke at 11:17 a.m. in the Oval 
                        Office at the White House.