[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 5 (Monday, February 5, 2001)]
[Page 243]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Bipartisan Congressional Leaders

January 31, 2001

Legislative Agenda/Pan Am 103 Trial Verdict

    Thank you all for coming. This is part of our effort to get to know 
each other. And if Thomas and Grassley keep coming up here, we're going 
to get to know them too good, aren't we? [Laughter]
     I appreciate the Members of the Congress for being here this 
morning. Thank you all for coming. We're going to have a good, wide-
ranging discussion, hopefully focused on tax relief. I'm pleased to see 
the CBO members. I think it helps further the case that there is enough 
money to pay down debt, to meet priorities, and to give some of the 
money back to the people who pay the bills. That's the taxpayers.
    I also appreciate so very much the Scottish court has made a 
decision and convicted a member of the Libyan intelligence service for 
the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103. I appreciate the work of the United 
States Government team which contributed to this guilty verdict.
    Nothing can change the suffering and loss of this terrible act, but 
I hope the families do find some solace that a guilty verdict was 
rendered. I want to assure the families and victims the United States 
Government will continue to pressure Libya to accept responsibility for 
this act and to compensate the families.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 9:25 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Representative William M. Thomas, 
chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means; and Senator Charles 
Grassley, chairman, Senate Committee on Finance. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.