    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [November 20, 1993]
    [Pages 2034-2035]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Luncheon With APEC
    Leaders in Seattle
    November 20, 1993

    Deficit Reduction Proposal

        The President. Ladies and gentlemen, as you know I'm supposed to be
    hosting a lunch in there, so I can't stay long. But there's one thing
    going on back in Washington I wanted to comment on today, and that is
    the debate over further budget reduction measures and specifically the
    Penny-Kasich amendment. I want to make a couple of points.
        First of all, we have not only passed the biggest deficit reduction
    program in history, which has produced very low interest rates and
    stable growth, we have presented the Congress with another package of
    cuts that includes a procurement reform bill that could save us up to
    $20 billion. I have started the process of appointing

    [[Page 2035]]

    an entitlement commission which could look at the entitlements of this
    country where the real growth in Federal spending is. We are going to
    offer an amendment which will strengthen our own budget reduction
    measure to take it up to $30 billion. And that's what I think we ought
    to do, we ought to focus on those things.
        The Penny-Kasich amendment has a number of problems, but let me just
    emphasize two. First of all, it clearly would take cuts in Medicare and
    Medicaid that we have allocated for health care reform in a way that
    would make national health reform impossible this year. It would take
    away the possibility of getting a comprehensive national health reform
    bill. And secondly, it would run the risk of having further cuts in the
    defense budget that, in my judgment, has already been cut certainly as
    much as it possibly can be, if not a little beyond.
        So because it would cut defense and because it would remove the
    possibility of health care reform and because we have gotten interest
    rates down very low with what we have already done and there is an
    alternative the Congress can embrace--the further cuts we've
    recommended, the procurement reform, and the entitlement commission--I
    hope that that amendment will be defeated and that our approach will be
    embraced. I think it is a far more disciplined approach, far more likely
    to produce good economic results and to leave open the possibility of
    health care reform and to be far more responsible in terms of national
    defense. So that's what I hope will happen today.

    Handgun Control Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, in addition, back in Washington there's also
    been--[inaudible]--on the Brady bill. Could you tell us what is your
    understanding of where the Brady bill stands this evening? And would you
    be willing to accept the compromise, the latest compromise that's put
    forth by the Republicans?
        The President. Well, I'm having an analysis sent to me. I think that
    the Republicans must be very uncomfortable with having once again
    thwarted the will of the majority of the Senate and now over 80 percent
    of the American people. Actually, I'm just surprised. So I want to see
    what changes they want to make. I'm not for watering down the Brady
    bill. The Brady bill is important. Perhaps they have some change that is
    procedural that from their point of view makes it less onerous, that
    doesn't change the substance of it. But I would want to see it and have
    a chance to have it evaluated before I made any comment.
        I think that the American people would think a lot more of the
    Congress if the Brady bill passed both Houses before they left. I am
    genuinely surprised. I can't believe that the Republicans in the Senate
    really want to filibuster this bill to death. I think that surely that
    won't happen. So we'll just have to wait and see.
        Q. So you don't think it's dead?
        The President. Oh, no, no. Not dead for this session, this session
    meaning early next year, too? You mean between now and when they go out?
    I think it depends on when they go out and what else can be offered.
    They may be prepared to hold up the bill over Christmas until early next
    year. I don't know. I'm surprised by this. I have to say I am surprised.
    I thought after the bill passed the House, especially by such a healthy
    margin, that the majority rule would prevail in the Senate. And we'll
    just have to see. We've still got a few hours, and let's just see
    whether something can be broken. We're working on it.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:10 p.m. on Blake Island.