[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 7 (Monday, February 22, 1993)]
[Page 206]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With Democratic Congressional 
Leaders

 February 15, 1993

Economic Program Presentation

    Q. Are you going to appear before Congress, Mr. President, in 
parliamentary-style Q&A?
    The President. That hasn't been resolved yet. I'm interested, but we 
haven't finalized----
    Q. What would determine it?
    The President. We just haven't resolved it yet. We'll probably know 
by the end of the day.
    Q. Is Wednesday night's speech shaping up as the most important of 
your life?
    The President. Well, I don't [inaudible]. In the sense that every 
one--the ones that are ahead are more important than the ones that are 
behind. [Laughter]
    I think tonight is important. I think Wednesday night is important. 
But you know, we're trying to change a direction of 12 years and take a 
new course. I'm going to offer a program that will create half a million 
or more jobs in the short run; that is highly progressive; that is very 
well balanced; that is faithful to the great middle class of this 
country and good for the things that we care about, jobs and education 
and health care. But I think it's going to be very important that I sell 
it to the Congress and to the American people and that we have a 
partnership here. So yes, [inaudible].

Note: The exchange began at 11:22 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House.