    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [April 15, 2000]
    [Pages 722-723]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters in Sequoia National Forest
    April 15, 2000

    National Economy

        Q.  Mr. President--[inaudible]--inflation is becoming a problem
    again that's going to screw up the stock market as it did yesterday?
        The President.  Well, you know, I try never to talk about the
    movements of the market, but let me just say, I think the fact that oil
    prices

    [[Page 723]]

    have come down will make a substantial difference. And whenever we have
    a strong economic boom, it puts some strain on the housing markets, but
    we have open markets, so new products will come in and tend to drive
    inflation down there.
        The projected inflation rate for the year is still quite modest. And
    the projected growth rate for the year is still quite strong. So I think
    if we stay with our economic policy and the American people productivity
    continues to increase, as it's going to, then I still think we'll have a
    very good year. If you look at all the elements of inflation--the fact
    that oil prices are coming down and that open markets will inevitably
    lead to a dampening of the prices of the component parts and the housing
    industry--and that's why the experts say that over the year we'll have
    very modest inflation. And I think, you know, everybody that invests
    their money will tend to look at what it's likely to be like over a
    year.
        So all I can do is try to keep the economy strong, and that's what
    I'll do. And I think the investment climate and markets will take care
    of themselves. They'll go up; they'll go down. But I think the long-term
    trends are quite positive.

    Giant Sequoia National Monument

        Q.  [Inaudible]--who say the visit here is politically motivated and
    say you're trying to build an environmental legacy for yourself and the
    Vice President?
        The President.  Well, first of all, I think that when you can't win
    an argument, sometimes you just attack the person on the other side.
    [Laughter] The only issue here is whether we're doing the right thing. I
    have been doing this kind of thing for 7\1/2\ years now. I've been
    working on these issues. What I'm trying to do is to build a legacy for
    these children. And I think we did the right thing.
        And Secretary Glickman worked very hard to
    preserve all the functions in this area that are going on, except the
    logging. And I believe there will be a net gain economically here,
    because we are protecting these trees for life, forever. That's what I
    believe, and I just think it's the right thing to do. I've always
    believed this. I did this sort of thing when I was Governor. It's not
    something that I woke up last year and decided it would be a nice thing
    to do. I believe that.
        And I think--we don't have to criticize each other's motives. They
    can disagree with my decision, but I think I did the right thing, and I
    think the future will prove us out right.

    Elian Gonzalez

        Q.  Mr. President, what did you tell Janet Reno about the Gonzalez
    case?
        The President.  Well, we just had a conversation about where it is.
    We reviewed where the legal case was and what her plans were. I just
    told her that I strongly supported her efforts
    and that we clearly had to uphold the rule of law.
        Q.  Do you want to see this brought to a swift end?
        The President.  Well, we have to let the court cases be decided. But
    I think the main thing is--I hope that all the people there who say they
    came to the United States because we have freedom and the rule of law
    will observe the rule of law. When this thing finally plays out, in the
    end, the law has to be obeyed. And that's basically what we talked
    about.
        We talked a little about the details and--she
    was the prosecutor there for 12 years, so she knows it very well. And
    she's down there working hard on it, and I think she'll handle it in as
    sensitive but firm a way as possible. That's basically what we talked
    about, just what's likely to happen over the next couple of days.
        But the main thing--my message is simple: She
    has to deal with the day-to-day details, but the thing that we've got to
    do is to make sure that our laws are upheld and enforced. And in the
    end, I'm quite confident they will be.

     Note:  The exchange began at approximately 9:40 a.m. on the Trail of
    100 Giants. A tape was not available for verification of the content of
    this exchange.