[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[May 11, 2001]
[Pages 517-524]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference
May 11, 2001
The President. Good afternoon. First, let me begin by talking about
how pleased I am that a budget has been agreed upon. And it's now time
for the Congress to act quickly. It's time for the Congress to pass
meaningful, real tax reform, and I urge them to do so before Memorial
Day. Tax relief will be good for our economy, but tax relief is also a
very important way to help deal with high energy prices. And so the
Congress needs to act. I'm confident if they have the will to do so,
that they can, that they can get this done before Memorial Day.
And secondly, I believe strongly that the Attorney General made the right decision today. Any time we're preparing
to carry out the death penalty, we have a solemn obligation to make sure
that the case has been handled in full accordance with all the
guarantees of our Constitution. The very foundations of our democracy
depend on our ability to assure our citizens that in all criminal cases,
and especially in the death penalty, defendants have been treated
fairly. This decision is going to create some frustration amongst people
whose lives were destroyed and turned upside-down by Mr.
McVeigh. But it is very important for our
country to make sure that in death penalty cases, people are treated
fairly.
I'll be glad to answer some questions, starting with Mr. Fournier
[Ron Fournier, Associated Press].
Timothy McVeigh
Q. Mr. President, thank you, sir. Attorney General Ashcroft, on the
topic you were just talking about, said, ``There is no doubt in my mind,
or anyone's mind, about the death of Timothy McVeigh.'' First, as
someone who signed 152 death warrants in Texas, do you agree that there
is no doubt that McVeigh is guilty? And secondly, did Louis Freeh know
about these documents when he tendered his resignation?
The President. Mr. Freeh, Director Freeh
never brought this up to me. I found out about this last evening. My
conversation with Mr. Freeh, when he came and said he was leaving--the
subject never came up.
Secondly, Mr. McVeigh himself has admitted to the crime. Mr.
McVeigh, as I recall, said he did it, and I take him for his word.
Q. Mr. President?
The President. Actually, I've been given an order. You're second,
Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
Gasoline Prices
Q. Mr. President, thank you very much, sir. A lot of families are
struggling to pay for gasoline at record prices. What can you do to help
them in the short term? Will your energy report address that? And do you
agree with your Energy Secretary that OPEC bears some responsibility for
these prices?
The President. The price of crude oil has got something to do with
the price of gasoline, but not nearly as much as the fact that we
haven't built a refinery in years. What this Nation needs to do is to
build more refining capacity. And we're prepared to work with the
industry to encourage capital development, capital to be deployed to
develop more refining capacity. And that
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may require us to analyze all regulations that discourage development.
But the best way to make sure that people are able to deal with high
energy prices is to cut taxes, is to give people more of their own money
so they can meet the bills, so they can meet the high energy prices.
I'm not so sure you're it next. Gregory [David Gregory, NBC News].
You're soon.
Q. Mr. President, can I follow up on that point?
The President. Yes.
Q. Your party in the past has argued in favor of either suspending
or rolling back the Federal gasoline tax. Will you consider doing
either? And secondly, what would you say to American families who may
pay as much as $3 at the pump this summer, at the same time that oil
companies in this country are experiencing and enjoying record profits?
The President. What I say is, I worry about the fact that hard-
working people are paying high prices at the pump. It concerns me a lot.
And therefore, the Congress needs to cut taxes as quickly as possible to
give people money to be able to deal with this situation.
I also say, we need to build more refining capacity. We need more
supply. We need to meet the increasing demands with better supply. I'm
optimistic, in the long term, not only will we increase supplies but
that our automobiles will become more technologically adept at dealing
with the energy situation now. In other words, we'll have new types of
automobiles, hybrids. And in the energy plan I'm going to be discussing,
you'll see some incentives for hybrid automobiles. But the quickest way
to get money in people's pockets to deal with prices is tax relief.
Bill Plante [CBS News].
Q. Mr. President, are you really going to let Republicans in
Congress go home for the next recess without some kind of other short-
term relief? You know the Democrats are after you and the Vice
President, saying you're a couple of former oil men protecting the
industry. Would you at least support the Republican bill in the House
which would ease some emission standards in California?
The President. Back to David's question, I'll listen to everybody's
suggestions. But I want to remind the Members of Congress, both
Republican and Democrat, all of us are concerned about high energy
prices and prices at the gas pump being too high. Let's get the tax
relief done and do it quickly.
I hope there is no intention to delay. There needs to be money in
the pockets of our consumers as quickly as possible. We've got the
wherewithal to do so. But as to suggestions, I'm open minded for any
suggestions somebody may have.
Q. What about that emissions----
The President. I'll look at all options. But the clearest way to get
things done quickly is tax relief.
Now, the American people have got to understand that this is a
situation that's going to require some long-term planning to get the
situation in hand for the--to have a stable future. There is no such
thing as immediate supply. This is a situation that's been developing
over the years, and it's going to take a while to correct.
The quickest way to help people with their energy bills is tax
relief. That is the quickest, surest way to do so.
Q. All options, including the gas tax, sir?
The President. If anybody thinks they've got a good idea, I'll
listen. But for certain, what needs to happen is additional refining
capacity, as well as tax relief.
Yes, Terry [Terry Moran, ABC News].
Death Penalty
Q. Mr. President, 51 percent of the American people now, according
to a recent poll, support a moratorium on executions; and support for
the penalty in general has dropped considerably over the past couple
years. Does what happened in the McVeigh case, coupled with the more
than 75 people now who have been released
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from death row when evidence of their actual innocence came to light,
does all of that lead you to reflect at all on the fairness and the
accuracy of the death penalty and the way it's actually administered day
to day?
The President. Well, I am pleased to be able to report, as for the
first case that came to my desk at the Federal Government, that my
administration is going to take its time to make sure that justice has
been administered fairly.
Q. But do you reflect at all on the general accuracy and fairness of
the death penalty, and the way it actually works day to day?
The President. As Mr. Fournier brought up, I was the Governor of a
State that had a death penalty, and as far as I was concerned, I
reviewed every case, and I was confident that every person that had been
put to death received full rights and was guilty of the crime charged.
Q. So no second thoughts about the death penalty?
The President. Not as far as I'm concerned, so long as the system
provides fairness. And today is an example of the system being fair.
Major [Major Garrett, Cable News Network].
Gasoline Prices
Q. Mr. President, on the question of repealing the gas tax, even
some Republicans have questioned the leadership and the clarity of voice
from this White House about what they should do. I've talked to several
Republican leaders who have said the White House has said, ``Look, if
you can figure out a way to pass it, we'll say it's okay, but we're not
going to propose it.'' And what they say is, ``If the White House would
say they're for it, it would be easier for us to pass it.'' Can you tell
the American people right now----
The President. Major, I can tell--let me say it again, see if I can
be more clear. To the Congress, who is interested in helping consumers
pay high gas prices: Pass the tax relief as quickly as possible. We've
set aside $100 billion to help consumers with high energy prices. That's
the quickest way to help consumers. I am deeply concerned about
consumers. I am deeply concerned about high gas prices. To anybody who
wants to figure out how to help the consumers: Pass the tax relief
package as quickly as possible.
Jim [Jim Angle, FOX News].
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Q. Mr. President, there are a number of people, including Senator
Leahy, who was here today, who are suggesting that there needs to be
much tighter oversight of the FBI. Aside from the McVeigh matter, there
have been a number of things over the years--the FBI labs, the Hanssen
case, and a number of other things. Do you believe it's time for a more
sweeping look at what is going on at the FBI?
The President. There are two looks at what's happening in the FBI.
One, of course, is the commission that Louis Freeh put together, headed by Judge Webster. I'm confident that that commission will take a full look
at the proceedings within the FBI, as to regards to security matters.
And secondly, the Attorney General is
going to be conducting an investigation as to why the documents were not
given to Mr. McVeigh's lawyers. And I look
forward to seeing what those findings reveal.
Yes, ma'am.
Energy Resources
Q. Mr. President, to follow up on energy. You're developing closer
relations with Nigeria, Mexico, and Canada. Could you use your leverage
with these countries to have them convince Saudi Arabia to open the
spigots and provide more fuel?
The President. The reason why we have a problem at the gas pump at
this particular moment in history is because we haven't built any
refining capacity. When you don't increase supplies of a commodity
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and demand continues to increase, the price is going to go up. And so
our Nation must expand refining capacity. And we've got to do that
within our hemisphere. Otherwise, when you transport refined product
from far distances, it doesn't meet market tests. So we need more
refining capacity.
I am working with Canada and Mexico to increase the supply,
particularly of natural gas. We have a serious situation in the State of
California, as you're very aware. We've been working with the officials
of California to expedite the development of new electric generating
capacity. We're also doing our part as a good citizen to reduce demand
for electricity in peak hours. But the new plants that are being brought
on stream in California are going to be driven by natural gas. And we
need more natural gas to make sure there is fuel for those plants. So I
am working with Mexico and I am working with Canada to try to figure out
ways for us to encourage exploration in our own neighborhood.
I had a good discussion today with the President of
Nigeria, who is talking about increasing
their amount of production, coming from Nigeria. That is positive news
for U.S. consumers. The more supply on the market, the lower--the less
pressure there will be on price.
Ron [Ron Hutcheson, Knight Ridder].
National Economy
Q. Given what's going on with energy prices and the difficulties in
the economy, can you assure the American people at the start of your
term that they'll be better off at the end of it than they are today?
And if they're not, should they blame you?
The President. Well, I certainly hope they're better off. There's no
question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon
were getting nearly directly overhead. In other words, the economic news
started to deteriorate.
The truth of the matter is, the market started to adjust March of
last year. In other words, the so-called downturn has been in the making
for a while. I believe with good policy from the Fed, as well as good
fiscal policy, that we can recover, that that robust growth we all hope
for will come back. I wish I could tell you when. I'm not an economist,
but if I were, I'd probably say there's a 50 percent chance it would
happen soon and a 50 percent chance it wouldn't.
Q. And if it doesn't work out, does that mean it's not your fault?
The President. Listen, Presidents, whether things are good or bad,
get the credit or blame. I understand that.
But Ron, I'm not really that concerned about standing in polls. I am
doing what I think is the right thing to do. And the right thing to do
is to have proposed a tax relief package that is an integral part of a
fiscal policy that makes sense.
I proposed the plan. I campaigned on the plan. Many of you, the
truth be known here, didn't actually think it was going to happen. Now
there's a budget in place, $1.25 trillion of tax relief, coupled with
100 billion of immediate stimulus that's now available.
If I had my way, I'd have it in place tomorrow, so that people would
have money in their pockets to deal with high energy prices, so people
would have money in their pockets to be able to plan for the future. The
Congress needs to act. I'm confident that that will help an economic
recovery.
Q. Mr. President?
The President. Bob [G. Robert Hillman, Dallas Morning News].
Federal Bureau of Investigation Nomination
Q. Sir, how are the recent controversies in the FBI affecting your
search for a new Director? Just what kind of person are you looking to
head the FBI?
The President. We've just started, Bob. I look forward to seeing
what the Webster report says. I look forward to hearing what the
Attorney General says about the--about
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the reason why Mr. McVeigh's attorneys did
not get--did not see certain documents.
And I am looking for somebody who will do a couple of things: One,
enforce the law; two, keep morale high at the agency; somebody who is a
good manager; and somebody who can work with the Attorney
General in my administration.
Q. What's your timetable?
The President. As soon as possible. I'm not sure what that means,
though, to be perfectly frank with you. I mean, we're beginning to look
at different candidates, and it's a--obviously, it's a process that's
going to take a while. Director Freeh assured
me that the number two person there could do a good job if we took us a
while to find a replacement.
Glen [Glen Johnson, Boston Globe].
Timothy McVeigh
Q. Mr. President, some of those who have interviewed Tim McVeigh say
that he will actually revel in what happened today----
The President. Really?
Q. ----that it will be a sign of FBI incompetence. What message
should he take from this whole episode, in your mind?
The President. He should say--he's lucky to be in America, is what
he ought to say; that this is a country who will bend over backwards to
make sure that his constitutional rights are guaranteed; that as opposed
to rushing his fate, that the Attorney General, with my strong support, said we better make sure that
all guarantees are fulfilled. Mr. McVeigh is lucky to be in a country
like this.
It's unfortunate that he would feel like reveling at all after what
he supposedly has done. There are a lot of people's lives he affected;
there are a lot of people in Oklahoma City--I went to the memorial. I
got to see the faces of people, the pictures of people whose lives were
lost. I talked to relatives who still weep when they think about a
relative. This isn't a time to revel.
Yes, Bruni [Frank Bruni, New York Times].
Q. But to follow up on that, what will those relatives, what will
those families of victims gain? What will--how will they benefit from
Timothy McVeigh's execution?
The President. Frank, you need to talk to them about that.
Q. In your opinion.
The President. Well, I can't possibly put myself in their stead.
Q. Why is his execution so important and the death penalty so
important, then?
The President. Because it needs to send a signal to anybody who
thinks what Timothy McVeigh did was okay, that in this society we're not
going to tolerate that kind of heinous act.
But you need to talk to the--all I can tell you is, I'm sure there's
going to be some frustration by the family members about a decision that
the Attorney General made, supported by me.
I'm sure there will be, and we'll probably hear from them. But they must
understand that we live in a country that protects certain rights. And
the Attorney General did the right thing in this decision.
Mike [Mike Allen, Washington Post].
U.S. Citizens Held in China
Q. Mr. President, what is your level of concern about U.S. citizens
who remain held in China, and what are you doing for them?
The President. We've sent clear signals to the Chinese that we
expect our citizens that have been detained, and/or citizens who have
been detained with U.S. relatives, that we expect them to be treated
fairly. And we'd like for them to have whatever due process the Chinese
can offer. We have expressed our concerns. Sometimes they listen;
sometimes they don't.
Our relations with China are relations that are going to be based
upon a consistent message with the Chinese: One, we expect there to be
trade, and I hope there is trade; but two, that we expect people
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to be treated fairly inside that country. And hopefully they'll respond.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Q. Mr. President, is your confidence in the FBI undermined by this
episode?
The President. I'm obviously concerned about an incident where
documents have been misplaced. But I withhold judgment until I find out
the full facts, to find out what the Attorney General's investigation finds out.
Martha [Martha Brant, Newsweek].
American Justice System
Q. Mr. President, following up on that, do you think our American
justice system is healthy, or does it need fixing?
The President. I think, by and large, the system is healthy. And I
think today proved why it is healthy, that ours is a Government that
when found that documents hadn't been given to the defense attorney,
even though those documents reviewed by our own--by our--Justice
Department lawyers didn't feel like it was going to make the--change the
verdict. But we delayed until Mr. McVeigh's
attorneys have a chance to look at the documents.
Death Penalty
Q. Mr. President, if I can follow up. You know that those documents
could have been discovered days after Timothy McVeigh had been executed.
You also know that there is some concern about a forensic scientist in
Oklahoma City who was involved in a number of death penalty cases, a
number of----
The President. Say that again on the forensic scientist?
Q. ----in Oklahoma City, who was involved in a number of death
penalty cases. Those inmates happened to be executed. What can you say
to the American people----
The President. Well, in this case----
Q. Let me just finish.
The President. Okay, I'm sorry. I beg your pardon. [Laughter]
Q. Thank you, sir. [Laughter]
What can you say or what can you do as President to ensure that at
the Federal, State level, the death penalty is always administered
fairly?
The President. Well, at the State level, I encourage Governors to be
diligent and to look at all the facts and to make sure that people get
full access to the courts and that there is no question about the
person's guilt.
At the Federal level, I'm pleased to report that on the first case
that came toward my desk, my administration reacted the way it should
have, which is, given the fact that documents had been misplaced, the
Attorney General recommended the delay of the
execution until the--Mr. McVeigh's rights
were fully vetted; in other words, his lawyers have a chance to look at
those documents. It was the right thing to do.
And you bring up a hypothetical, but that's not the way it happened.
The way it happened was that the evidence was brought forth, and we made
a decision, and it was the correct decision.
Yes, sir.
Situation in the Middle East
Q. Mr. President, you would not equate the baby that was killed in
retaliatory Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip with the 13- and 14-year-old
Jewish boys, one of them a U.S. citizen, who were tied up, beaten to
death, and mutilated near Tekoa, would you?
The President. I was kind of smiling--it sounded kind of like an
editorial.
But the death in the Middle East is abhorrent, and our Nation weeps
when people lose their lives. And what we must do is work hard to break
the cycle of violence. It's going to be very difficult for us to be able
to bring people to the peace table so long as there is violence. And we
will continue to work to break the cycle of violence.
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Tommy [Thomas M. DeFrank, New York Daily News].
United Nations Human Rights Commission
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Did you speak to Secretary-General
Annan this morning about the United Nations vote to kick the U.S. off
the Human Rights Commission? And if so, what did you tell him?
The President. I did. I told him it was hard
for me to envision a Human Rights Commission without the United States
on it--and Sudan being on it, let me put it that way. We're off, and
Sudan is on. I'm not so sure--you know, that sent an awfully, awfully
strange signal to the world, it seems like to me.
Yes.
Q. A followup. Did you--or do you believe that some U.S. back dues
to the United Nations should be withheld as a result of that vote, as
some in Congress were asking?
The President. I do not. I think we have made an agreement with the
United Nations, an agreement that had been negotiated in good faith, and
I think we ought to pay our dues.
Having said that, the decision was an outrageous decision. To me, it
undermines the whole credibility of this Commission--to kick the United
States off, one of the great bastions of human rights, and allow Sudan
to be on. And I think most reasonable people in the world see it that
way.
But I did bring up the subject. Thank you for pinning me.
Q. Did he agree?
The President. He listened carefully.
Yes, sir.
Energy Policy
Q. Another energy question, if I may, Mr. President.
The President. Please.
Q. What would you tell an American citizen who is suspicious that
your energy policy is going to benefit the oil industry, because of your
background and Vice President Cheney's background in the industry?
The President. I would tell the American people I'm going to tell
the truth when it comes to energy, that we have a serious problem, that
we need to do a couple of things. One, we need to encourage the
development of technologies to help us conserve. We need to be more
conservation minded in America. But I'm also going to say, as plainly as
I can, we won't conserve our way to energy independence. We must also
increase supply. It's in the consumer's interests that we do so. The
more supply there is, relative to demand, the less the price will be.
And I believe that we can have exploration and sound environmental
policy go hand in hand.
The only thing I know to do, sir, is to tell the truth the way I see
it. And we can play like there's not an energy crisis or hope there's
not a problem. There is a problem, and there's a problem that's going to
confront this Nation. And my job as the President is to take the problem
on and propose the solutions I think necessary to solve the problem. And
again, I repeat, it's a combination of good conservation and an increase
in supplies. And I believe we can do both. And so--I think most of the
American people understand that. Thank you.
Yes.
Japan
Q. Mr. President, Japan's new Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has
accepted your invitation to visit the United States as early as
possible. He now enjoys very good support of more than 80 percent,
mainly to his strong commitment to economic reforms in Japan.
The President. Yes.
Q. Mr. President, now are you more optimistic about the future of
the second largest economy of the world, or are you still very
concerned?
The President. Well, I am concerned, but I am optimistic when I read
what the
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Prime Minister has said about reforms.
Now, I believe he's a man who is intent upon reforming the system. I had
a good visit with him on the telephone. I look forward to meeting him in
person. I look forward to discussing ways in which our important
friendship can remain strong. And I look forward to hearing from him
what he and his government intend to do to reform the system.
Japan is a very important partner of the United States. And it's not
only an economic partner, but it's an important partner to keep
stability in the Far East. It's important for us to work closely
together, and I look forward to meeting him soon. And I'm confident
we'll have a very good dialog when I'm able to do so.
Thank you all very much. Have a very good weekend.
Note: The President's news conference began at 2:04 p.m. in the James S.
Brady Briefing Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Judge William H. Webster,
former Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, who led the espionage
investigation of Special Agent Robert Philip Hanssen; and President
Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.