[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[October 23, 1994]
[Page 1847]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum in Seattle
October 23, 1994

    I've been--when I gave my statement over there, one of you asked me 
a question--and I left--about Mr. Gingrich's charge that it was 
hypocritical for someone to have a memo which speculated about the 
recommendations that the Kerrey commission and others might have.
    Now, I've told you what my position is. And my position is, I 
haven't and don't support cuts in Social Security, and I would support 
savings in the Medicare program only if they're used to advance the 
cause of health care.
    Now, Mr. Gingrich has leveled a charge which is not right. It 
doesn't have anything to do with how the list came about. But he can 
solve this whole problem if he would say what I said. So just ask him if 
he and Senator Dole will say what I said. Will they say they support--
they don't support cuts in Social Security, and they won't support using 
Medicare savings for anything other than helping health care?
    If they have the same position, they can make this issue go away. 
Then they have to answer, what about their trillion dollar contract, 
because they will explode the deficit by a trillion dollars and start 
sending jobs overseas again.
    The answer to this is for him to say what I have said to you today. 
So ask him if he'll take the same position. And then the only question 
is whether he's going to abandon his contract for all these tax cuts and 
spending increases.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 3:45 p.m. at the King County 
Airport. In his remarks, he referred to House Republican whip Newt 
Gingrich. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.