[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 30 (Monday, July 30, 2001)]
[Pages 1099-1100]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Congressional Leaders and an Exchange 
With Reporters

July 25, 2001

    The President. It's my honor to welcome to the White House Members 
from the Senate and the House, Members who are concerned about American 
foreign policy, to give them a briefing about my trip to Europe.
    I'm going to talk about how we agreed that we need to expand trade, 
how we also agreed how we need to help nations who are less fortunate 
than our Nation. I look forward to having a very confidential briefing 
about my meeting with President Putin and the hope and promise I see for 
a constructive relationship.
    I also am aware that there are some foreign policy matters in the 
Congress. And I urge Congress to deal fairly with Mexico and to not 
treat the Mexican truck industry in an unfair fashion, that I believe 
strongly we can have safety measures in place that will make sure our 
highways are safe. But we should not single out Mexico. Mexico is our 
close friend and ally, and we must treat them with respect and uphold 
NAFTA and the spirit of NAFTA.
    I also fully understand that foreign policy is best when conducted 
in a bipartisan fashion, and I so very much appreciate the chairman, I 
spoke to the chairman--both chairmen--before my trip overseas this time 
and before my trip last time overseas. And I take their advice very 
seriously and counsel very seriously. It helps for us to continue to 
communicate, particularly when it comes to foreign policy.
    So thank you all for coming. I'll be glad to answer maybe one or two 
questions.

Patients' Bill of Rights

    Q. Mr. President, on the Patients' Bill of Rights there is some talk 
that the House Republicans are now planning to schedule a vote later, 
perhaps as late as September. Is that a recognition on the part of the 
party and its leadership that you don't have the votes to get what you 
want on that issue?
    The President. I am hopeful we'll get a bill I can sign. And I 
appreciate so very much the hard work that's going on, particularly now 
in the House of Representatives, to bring a bill that is fair to 
patients. There seems to be a--there was a lot of negotiations going on 
when I was gone, and there still seems to be a lot of talk. And 
obviously, we'd like to get this bill finished and on my desk and a bill 
I can sign.
    I laid out the principles that would allow me to sign a bill, and I 
still stand by those principles. But I can report we're making pretty 
good progress, it seems like.
    Yes, Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

Oil Prices

    Q. Mr. President, OPEC is about to cut production by a million 
barrels a day. What is that going to do to the already struggling 
economy?
    The President. Steve, it is very important for there to be stability 
in a marketplace. I read some comments from the OPEC ministers who said 
this was just a matter to make

[[Page 1100]]

sure the market remains stable and predictable. Obviously, if it's an 
attempt to run the price of oil up, we'll make our opinions very clear 
and known, that that would hurt America and hurt the marketplace. Our 
economy is bumping along right now and a runup in energy prices would 
hurt. And surely, the OPEC leaders understand that. I think they do.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 11:15 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Vladimir Putin of 
Russia. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.