[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.