[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 39 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Pages 1847-1848]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of 
Japan

September 24, 1996

    Q. President Clinton, what do you think about the idea of floating 
offshore facility for a U.S. military base in Okinawa?
    The President. Well, let me say, first of all, I very much 
appreciate the work that the Prime Minister has done in trying to 
resolve this matter to the satisfaction of the people of Okinawa and in 
a way that is consistent with the security relationship between the 
United States and Japan. And I intend to keep working on it, and we are 
prepared to do whatever is reasonable to respond to the concerns of the 
people of Okinawa, consistent with the absolute importance of our 
military readiness. So we'll just keep working on this and hope we can 
come to a satisfactory conclusion.

[At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group 
entered.]

    Prime Minister Hashimoto. We agree on the major point between 
ourselves at the moment that we cannot have a meaningful conversation 
while the microphones are on. [Laughter]

Federal Reserve Board

    Q. Mr. President, the Fed is meeting today to decide whether to 
raise interest rates. Do you think the Fed has any cause to raise 
interest rates at this time?
    The President. Well, I'm going to continue my policy of not 
commenting on their decisions. I will say this: I am very pleased that 
we have strong growth and no sign of inflation. I feel good about that. 
But they have to make their decisions; I can't comment on that.
    Q. Well, do you believe there's any justification whatsoever, 
economic or otherwise, to raise interest rates?
    The President. I don't know what you mean by ``otherwise.''

[[Page 1848]]

United Nations

    Q. Mr. President, you said today that some Americans don't 
appreciate the U.N. and have made it difficult for the United States to 
pay its dues. Were you talking about anybody in particular, maybe like 
Senator Dole and Mr. Gingrich? Did you have them in mind?
    The President. No, I was talking about everybody who believes that 
we--that the U.N. is, in effect, not important to the United States and 
to our future. I believe it is important to our future. I think it's 
also important that the United States and some of our friends, 
especially Great Britain, have pushed the U.N. for reform. And the 
Japanese have supported that.
    We like the idea that the U.N.'s budget has been frozen and that the 
bureaucracy is being reduced. And I think the people in Congress in both 
parties who have pushed for that were right, and they should be 
complimented for that. But I think that having launched this process of 
reform, if we want to continue to have influence over it, at least we 
have to pay what we owe here and pay up our past-due obligations. That's 
the point I was making. I think that we are helped by having a system of 
shared burdens throughout the world, and I think most Americans feel 
that way.
    Q. Mr. President, did you discuss the Secretary-General's term when 
you met with him this morning?
    The President. I didn't, because he and everyone else knows our 
position. They know it's firm. There was nothing to talk about.
    Q. In other words, there was nothing he could say or do, sir, that 
would change your mind perhaps after the election?
    The President. There was nothing to discuss. Our position is clear 
and is set, and there was nothing to talk about.

Note: The President spoke at 11:42 a.m. at the U.S. Mission to the 
United Nations.