    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [January 21, 1997]
    [Pages 48-49]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to a Meeting With the Economic Team and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    January 21, 1997

    Budget Proposal

        The President. Are we all here? Are we all awake? [Laughter] Are we
    all cogent?
        Q. How about you?
        The President. Yes, I'm fine. I got a good night's sleep last night.
        Yesterday was a great day of celebration for us, but it's time to
    get down to work. I told everyone at all the balls yesterday that I felt
    better at the second Inauguration than the first because the country was
    better but that I wanted us to see it not as a reward for the first 4
    years but a mandate for the next 4. And that's what I want to be working
    on today.
        I wanted to begin this second term by meeting first with our
    economic team to discuss finishing the job of balancing the budget. I
    said yesterday that we need a new Government for the new century ahead,
    and that means a Government that lives within its means, that our
    parties must work together, and that we have to be repairers of the
    breach that has developed in our partisan system over the last 4 years
    and too often among our people.
        To that end, on February 6th I will submit a balanced budget. As I
    said yesterday, we have to do--what I will do--maintain our commitment
    to a balanced budget and the balance of our values. That's why we will
    also expand education, research, and technology, protect the
    environment, and preserve health care for our parents and our children.
        The only way we can actually balance the budget is if we seize this
    moment to work together. And I'm going to do my best to reach out to the
    Republicans. So today I want to announce that our balanced budget will
    contain Medicare reforms that will make the program work better and will
    meet my goal of securing the Medicare Trust Fund for 10 years. It will
    save $138 billion over 6 years. And it should bring us much closer to
    bipartisan agreement, because based on the scoring of the Congressional
    Budget Office last year, this means that we're meeting the Republicans
    halfway. I want to meet them halfway on this and on many other issues.
    And I hope they'll meet me halfway.
        I'm determined that if we'll do that, we can resolve our remaining
    differences and reach agreement to balance the budget and do a lot of
    other good things for the American people as well. I'm looking forward
    to it, and I hope this first gesture is one that will be treated in good
    faith and responded to in kind.

    Reprimand of Speaker Gingrich

        Q. Mr. President, what effect do you think today's House vote on Mr.
    Gingrich will have on your stated effort yesterday and today to repair
    the breach?
        The President. Well, of course, it depends on how everyone reacts to
    it. But I believe I said what I needed to say in the Inaugural. I think
    the House should do its business, and then we should get back to the
    people's business.

    Budget Negotiations

        Q. Mr. President, on the $138 billion, what does that come to over 5
    years, since you're going to be submitting a 5-year balanced budget
    proposal, not a 6-year balanced budget proposal?
        The President. It's about a hundred. But the point is that the
    Republicans will be, too. In other words, the ratio will be about the
    same.
        Q. And do you expect them to simply accept that or to see that as an
    opening bargaining position, going forward in the negotiations to try to
    find some sort of common ground, given the history of the so-called
    Mediscare tactics that were used against them during the campaign?
        The President. Well, first of all, as you know, I dispute that. I
    vetoed a budget that had $270 billion in Medicare cuts. Throughout the
    campaign and in the debates, I pointed out that the Republicans and I
    had moved closer together at the end, but that if we adopted a 15
    percent across-the-board tax cut it would push the Medicare number back
    to a number I vetoed. I don't think that's Mediscare. So I just dispute
    that.
        But the main thing is we've got to get up today and do the work of
    the country. There are lots of elements to this budget. Medicare is not
    the only one, but it's a very important one. And I do believe,
    obviously, if we adopt

    [[Page 49]]

    a balanced budget plan in a bipartisan way, then we all have to take
    responsibility for the decisions, and we all have to take
    responsibility, therefore, for complimenting those in the other party
    who take the same decision we do. And so I'm just trying to create the
    conditions in which we can do that, and I think meeting them halfway on
    this and perhaps a number of other issues is the way to go.
        Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--will the cuts come from providers or
    beneficiaries?
        The President. You'll be briefed on all that, I think, as soon as
    this is over. But we believe there are substantial savings to be made in
    the Medicare program, and we're going to offer our ways of doing it.

    Campaign Finance Practices

        Q. Mr. President, the Democratic National Committee has decided to
    stop taking even legal--what are now legal contributions from
    foreigners. Can we ask you--I assume you've had a lot to do with that,
    and is it a sign that perhaps there were problems in the past?
        The President. We're going over there in a few minutes, and I'll be
    addressing all that then.

    White House Access

        Q. Mr. President, you're making announcements on new, tighter
    restrictions on access to the White House later today as well?
        The President. Well, I'm going over there in a few minutes, so I'll
    have more to say about it.

    Balanced Budget Amendment

        Q. You heard Alan Greenspan--[inaudible]--constitutional amendment?
    [Laughter] He says he has reservations about that.
        The President. Good for him.
        Q. Is that a result of the meeting you had with him the other day?
        The President. No, I think Mr. Greenspan makes his own conclusions.
        Q. What about----
        The Vice President. Everyone but Wolf [Wolf Blitzer, CNN] leaves.
    [Laughter]
        The President. [Inaudible]--makes his own--[inaudible]--but I was
    very pleased to hear him say that.
        Press Secretary Mike McCurry. Wolf, Greenspan is still on the access
    list. [Laughter]
        The President. We've got new rules on access to the press. You guys
    are staying here. [Laughter]

    Note: The President spoke at 2:24 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Federal
    Reserve Board. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because
    the tape was incomplete.