[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 19 (Monday, May 14, 2001)]
[Pages 736-742]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 may require us

[[Page 737]]

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 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.

[[Page 738]]

    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].

Repeal of the Gas Tax

    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].

Oversight of the 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 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

[[Page 739]]

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 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,

[[Page 740]]

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, by the 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 to be 
treated fairly inside that country. And hopefully they'll respond.

Confidence in the 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 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.

[[Page 741]]

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 a 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.
    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.

[[Page 742]]

    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 Prime Minister has said about reforms. Now, I believe he's a 
man who is intent up on 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 sixth 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 is 
leading the espionage investigation of Special Agent Robert Philip 
Hanssen; and President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.