    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [May 26, 1993]
    [Pages 740-741]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With the
    Congressional Black Caucus
    May 26, 1993

    Budget Proposal

        The President. Let me say, what I'm trying to do is pass this
    program in the House. I do one step at a time. I think it's clearly, of
    all the things that have been presented, the fairest program. It has
    significant budget cuts, reduces the size of the Federal Government by
    150,000, leaves some room for investment, 74 percent of the tax is paid
    by 6 percent of the people. It's a fair program. It will cost the
    average person a dollar a month next year, $7 a month the year after,
    $15 a month the year after for a family. And it exempts people of
    incomes under $30,000. It is a fair, balanced program. I'm going to try
    and pass it.
        Q. Sir, what are you telling Members of Congress who are worried
    that they could lose their seats because of some of the tougher elements
    of this package?
        The President. That all the evidence shows that the more people know
    about the details of the package, the more likely they are to support
    it. And that if it becomes a rhetorical battle where anyone says that
    it's tax-and-spend, well, who's for that? Nobody's for that. But the
    American people are for bringing this deficit down. They are for
    investing in jobs and technology. They are for a fairer tax system that
    asks everyone to pay their fair share. And they are for a system that
    moves people from welfare to work. This program does all those things.
    It is a very good program. There is no evidence that once people know
    the facts that they will do that.
        Q. What are you going to do to make sure they know the facts? Are
    you going to go on nationwide radio and TV before the House votes?
        The President. I don't know that that is possible or that it will be
    done before the House votes. But what I have told them is that the day
    that the people had the most detailed knowledge of this plan was
    February 17th, because I went through the whole thing, chapter and
    verse. So nothing was hidden from the American people. It was all given
    out.
        What has happened since then is--you know, there's a lot of static
    and back-and-forth. And the President can't go on television every night
    for that length of time, but that is clear evidence that the more people
    know about it the more likely they are to support it. Just today I'm
    going to see some more of the business executives, who will pay more in
    this plan, who have supported this. Yesterday, Mr. Rostenkowski listed
    50 major companies who are supporting the program. We have small
    business people all over America who are supporting the program,
    realtors and others, consumer groups. So the people who know more about
    the program, the more you know about it the more likely you are to be
    for it.
        Q. But isn't energy the hangup? Mr. President, isn't energy the
    hangup?
        The President. It is a big hangup. And we're working----

    Senator Boren's Proposal

        Q. And how about Boren? Are you going to be able to work with him?

    [[Page 741]]

        The President. Well, I hope so. We're working through it. I think
    that it is now apparent to everyone that there are only two plans on the
    table in the Senate and that ours is far fairer and better for the
    economy. I mean, the other plan reduces the tax for the oil interest in
    Oklahoma and elsewhere, but it does it at the expense of putting a $40
    billion burden on Social Security recipients and lower income working
    people just above the poverty line. It also would shift massive health
    costs away from the Government on to private employers and employees. I
    don't think they're for that. So now that we've got an alternative out
    there, it shows you that our plan is sound and balanced. We're just
    going to keep working at it.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:52 a.m. in the Old Family Dining Room at
    the White House. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of these remarks.