[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 17 (Monday, May 3, 1993)]
[Pages 710-711]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Members of the House Ways and Means 
Committee and an Exchange With Reporters

 April 29, 1993

    The President. Let me just make a brief remark, and then I'll answer 
your questions.
    First, I want to thank these members of the Ways and Means Committee 
for coming in for this meeting. This morning's economic figures on the 
performance of the United States economy in the first 3 months of the 
year clearly, I think, support the policies of this administration. They 
support filling out and implementing the budget commitment that the 
Congress has made to reduce the deficit and to increase targeted 
investments and to generate jobs.
    It also plainly proves, I think, that the administration was right 
in trying to hedge against this economic slow growth by passing the jobs 
bill that the House of Representatives passed and that the Senate wanted 
to pass. It proves that we were right in both reducing the deficit and 
in trying to create some jobs right now in this economy. But it also 
proves that the long-term interests of the country will be served if we 
fulfill our commitments on the budget.
    The budget, I think, is well under way. The Ways and Means Committee 
had a good day yesterday. And I think we can continue to show our 
commitment to bring the deficit down and to target our investments in 
areas that will create jobs. We'll have a long-term plan that's good. 
But it also proves, I think clearly, beyond any doubt, that the strategy 
of the administration to create some more jobs right now was the right 
strategy. The American people still need more employment, and we're 
going to do our best to give it to them.

The First 100 Days

    Q. Mr. President, 100 days, have there been mistakes? Are there 
things you would do differently? What have you learned, what lessons?

[[Page 711]]

    The President. Well, I learned that things are not going to change 
quite as fast as I wanted them to. But I noticed there was--one 
columnist a day or two ago in one of the major papers pointed out that 
at least the American people know that the Democratic Party is serious 
and the President is serious about deficit reduction. They know we're 
going to do something about health care reform. They know we're going to 
try to be partners with the private sector in rebuilding the economy. 
And they know we're trying to make the Government work again, with the 
national service program that I will announce tomorrow and a whole other 
range of issues to try to give people educational and other 
opportunities. So I feel basically quite good about what's happened.
    But this country has some serious problems, and we're going to have 
to get everybody serious about dealing with the problems. Now, I am very 
impressed so far with the work that we've been able to do with the House 
and with the majority in the Senate in getting the deficit down and in 
focusing on the investment needs of our people. But we've got a lot of 
work to do.
    I don't know that 100 days is a rational category, but if you look 
at how much we've done and how much is well underway now as compared 
with most previous administrations in a similar time period, I think 
we're doing pretty well.
    Q. Did you take on too much, Mr. President?

Bosnia

    Q. Have you reached a decision on Bosnia yet, Mr. President?
    The President. Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International], I 
have not. As you probably know, General Powell was away for most of the 
week in Europe. And I want to see and talk with him personally and have 
some other consultations on some of the military issues. And I have not. 
But we will do so soon, and then we'll begin some pretty aggressive 
consultations with our allies.

President's Agenda

    Q. [Inaudible]--took on too much, Mr. President? Do you have some 
concerns about that?
    The President. No, I will. You know, it's a question of--the Vice 
President has a word for it, sequence and timing, I think he calls it. I 
believe I got hired to try to do something about the economy and the 
health care issue, and to try to promote political reform and many other 
things we're trying to do. When we put all these things out here, I 
don't expect them all to be resolved right away. But I think we're going 
to focus on the budget first. That's what we're doing today. Then we're 
going to take up, we're going to focus on health care.
    But this country still needs to remember that we've got to do these 
things to put people back to work and to solve their economic problems. 
That is the issue, the economy. And that is what we are spending--I'm 
spending two-thirds of my time or more on the economy and health care. 
And that's what I hope we can do in the Congress in the few weeks ahead.
    Q. So you're more optimistic than Mr. Panetta? You're more 
optimistic than Mr. Panetta?
    The President. I have more faith in Mr. Panetta's colleagues than he 
does. [Laughter]
    I think we're going to bring this deficit down, and I think we're 
going to get some investments passed. I think we're going to turn this 
economy around. I wish we could have done it faster. I still think we 
ought to create some jobs now. I think that was a mistake. But I think 
we just keep going. We'll make the progress we can and go on.

Note: The President spoke at 10:20 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.