[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[February 11, 1992]
[Pages 227-228]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters at a Meeting With Republican 
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee

February 11, 1992
    The President. Let me just open with some comments here, and then 
what I want to do is throw this meeting open to discussion. But first, 
thanks for coming down. I know that many of you were just on your way 
back to town. I appreciate your being here.
    With the markup starting in your committee, in Ways and Means 
tomorrow, I just wanted to discuss the prospects for a true economic 
growth package. And as you all know--and I appreciate your support--I 
sent up a comprehensive 49-title bill to Congress the week before last. 
It included both a short-term and a long-term growth agenda. And last 
week, through our leader, Bob Michel, and our leader on Ways and Means, 
Bill Archer, we introduced H.R. 4200, a streamlined package of the seven 
short-term growth items with budgetary offsets. And I've asked the 
Congress to act on that short-term package by March 20th.
    And that package is fully paid for without raising taxes. And I 
don't believe we have to raise tax rates, should raise tax rates. 
Instead we ought to cut wasteful Government spending, and that's what 
our plan does. And we shouldn't ask any American, particularly in these 
economic times, to give more of their money to a system that doesn't 
spend wisely. And I can't understand how people can talk about 
stimulating the economy and then raising taxes in the same breath, just 
totally counterproductive. Raising taxes is not the way to create jobs 
and to foster growth.
    And so once we're alone here, I want to hear from you, Bill, and the 
other able members of your committee the state of play. But what the 
Congress must do is go forward on the seven concise growth measures that 
will get this country back to work,

[[Page 228]]

stimulate real estate, and do things that are totally productive and 
will lead this recovery.
    So thank you all very much for coming down here. I appreciate it. 
Now we will have a chance to discuss these items.

Economic Plan

    Q. Mr. President, would you accept half a loaf, four of these 
measures or five of these measures?
    The President. Well, I want the whole loaf in this case, and I think 
the country does, too. We've been very pleased with the support from 
groups all across it. But I want to hear a little more from our able 
Members here, the leaders on the tax side for the Republicans, tax 
committee side, Ways and Means side, and hear what they have to suggest. 
But I'm grateful for their support on the floor. They've been 
magnificent. I hope we can get these goals accomplished.
    Q. How do you feel going into this reelection campaign, Mr. 
President, with your announcement tomorrow?
    The President. Hey look, Terry [Terrence Hunt, Associated Press], I 
want to get this economic growth package passed. What I really feel like 
is we want to try and help the country and get some people back to work 
here and stimulate this economy. And that's exactly what this proposal 
is about. And that's the best thing for all people involved in politics, 
no matter what side of the aisle they're on right now. Put America's 
interests first, and that's what I'm trying to do here. And then we'll 
have plenty of time for politics after that.
    But I want to get this done by March 20th. And Congress can move if 
they want to. They moved fast on the unemployment compensation extension 
and with the strong support from everybody at this table. And I think 
they ought to move fast on this. There is no reason it can't be done by 
March 20th.
    And these are narrow. And then if they want to add in a lot of tax 
increases or anything else, we'll debate it. And if we have additional 
suggestions, our long-term package, we'll get that debated. But we've 
got a short-term set of proposals that would be the best medicine for 
this economy, and they ought to move on it now. Give it a try, and then 
go into the political dance later on. And that's what I'm going to be 
urging. And again, we're grateful to our members on Ways and Means.
    That's about it because we've got to get to work now.

Health Care Reforms

    Q. Mr. President, are you going to offer any ideas on how to pay for 
your health program, sir?
    The President. We've got some good ones on there. There's 38 pages 
of how to do that. So it takes a lot of reading to get through them all, 
but they're very good suggestions. But the main one I want to see is to 
get rid of all of these frivolous malpractice lawsuits. And you're 
talking about megabucks there. So there's a big one for starters.
    Now, I've got to go.
    Q. How will it pay for it, sir?
    The President. How will it pay for it? Because you won't be 
putting--you'll be reducing health care costs by $20 billion to $40 
billion, depending on whose estimates you believe. So it's a very----
    Q. ----the bill now, right?
    The President. No, not if you don't have to spend. It's a big 
saving. Here we go. Those costs are passed along, you see, to the 
system.

                    Note: The President spoke at 3:25 p.m. in the 
                        Cabinet Room at the White House.