[01/29/1998 - 10/19/1999] — Page 2023

34EDAB55.FIN r Exchange Mail DATE-TIME l/29/98 4: 12:01 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT January 29 McCurry Press Briefing [UNCLASSIFIED] TO Crowley, Philip J. CARBON COPY TEXT_BODY TRANSLATED_ATTACHMENT Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Benjamin, Daniel Blinken, Antony J. Gray, Wendy E. Lafleur, Vinca S. Leavy, David C. Naplan, Steven J. Widmer, Edward L. Miyaoka, Lester H. Press Briefing January 29 McCurry Press Briefing mike0 129 .doc THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 29, 1998 PRESS BRIEFING BY MIKE MCCURRY The Briefing Room 12:50 P.M. EST http ://classified/email/ data_ source/exchange/record/cd008/j an 1998/34edab5 5. html Page 1 of28 1/5/2010 34EDAB55.FIN Page 2 of28 MR. MCCURRY: Good Monday -- what is it? Thursday? Feels like Monday.I haven't been here in a while. When you're having fun, time flies. It feels a couple days away here. What are you going to do? Listen, let me start with a couple of housekeeping items. First, the Presi, placed a call to Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada a short while a� They had a conversation that lasted just over 10 minutes. It was an opportunit obviously, for the President to consult further with the Prime Minister o situation in Iraq. The President and the Prime Minister agreed that relev U.N. Security Council resolutions are very important and that they shou respected; that the government of Iraq's flaunting of those resolutions is acceptable. The Prime Minister also congratulated the President on the State of the Union address, which he apparently had either seen part of or had heard a grea1 about. Q When was this? MR. MCCURRY: Finished just a short while ago. I expect, as I told son you earlier today, I expect additional calls from the President to some of his counterparts in days ahead. Q On Iraq? :NIR. MCCURRY: On Iraq -- correct. Q So far, on Iraq, who has he called besides Chretien? MR. MCCURRY: He's talked to Chancellor Kohl, Prime Minister Blair indicated yesterday he anticipates speaking very soon to President Chirac; and of course, the call to Prime Minister Chretien today. Q Is he trying to build a case for unilateral action? MR. MCCURRY: He's consulting closely with friends, other members< Security Council as we consider next steps necessary to respond to wha1 been the unwillingness of the government of Iraq to meet its international obligations. Q Is he talking with anyone in the Middle East? http://classified/emai1/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl 998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Page 3 of28 t MR. MCCURRY: Yes. Q He will not go beyond that? Q No ultimatum today? Q How much support is he getting? Q My question is, how much support is he getting for an aggressive acti http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 MR. MCCURRY: I expect him to reiterate the very strong passage he h the State of the Union address. MR. MCCURRY: I'm not - that's not the forum that the President plans advance the story at this point. Q Will the President address the question of Iraq in his speech at the National Defense University? Q Will he advance what he has said previously, including in the State ol Union? MR. MCCURRY: Oh, I think we have very strong support in the Securi Council across the board for clear admonitions to the government of Iraq to mee obligations. And that's been stated by governments both within the Seen Council and other governments. MR. MCCURRY: He has not yet, but as you know, Secretary Albright 1 concluded meetings in Paris with her French counterpart and plans to see her Russi counterpart shortly, and then I think she will be in the region. I anticipat Secretary Cohen being in the region as well. MR. MCCURRY: Well, the President hasn't made a decision with respe use of force, but he clearly is discussing what options are available with others so are our senior diplomats. 34EDAB55.FIN r MR. MCCURRY: I don't believe at this time the President wants to add what was obviously a very clear and unmistakable statement Tuesday night. now have very high-level diplomacy, obviously, in place, and at work to further oi own views. Page 4 of28 MR. MCCURRY: Sam, I'll come back. Let's do that after - Q Do you have something for this? Q What about Yeltsin? Does he anticipate talking to him? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q Will you please tell us for purposes of the official transcript whether 1 White House can confirm these reports that Monica Lewinsky -- Q Did the President tape a Voice of America address to the people of In urging cultural exchanges? MR. MCCURRY: Have we given out that passage yet? I can tell you m< about it. He did. This is the President's annual statement on the occasion of the k which is, of course, the end of Ramadan. He did express to the people o Q Basically, he's accepting President Khatami's proposal for these kinds cultural exchanges? that more exchanges between our peoples will bring the day that we can enjoy again good relations with Iran and with its people. 34EDAB55.FIN f MR. MCCURRY: I've got a couple of other housekeeping items. Stay o Iraq, yes. MR. MCCURRY: I would not rule out that. I'm a little more certain thal will talk to President Chirac soon, but I wouldn't rule out that he will talk to President Yeltsin as well. his personal view that the United States regrets the estrangement of our peoples and our two nations. Iran is a country, the President believes, th has a rich and ancient heritage of which the people of Iran are justifiably pre We have got some real differences obviously with the government of In but the President believes that those differences are not insurmountable and he 1 MR. MCCURRY: The President recognizes and appreciates the new tor that President Khatami has set with some of his public comments. We have repeatedly noted - the U.S. government has noted and I think that the American pc have noted - that we do not have differences directly with the people of Iran, we do have differences with respect to the policies of Iran's government. I'n Page 5 of 28 Q That was on the Voice of America? extent to which diplomacy may or may not bear fruit, and the degree to http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 aware that we have formally agreed to any exchange, but I think the President is indicating to the people of Iran in this statement that those kinds of exchanges could be fruitful. MR. MCCURRY: I again stress to you that the President has not made i decision on use of force, so our consultations are about the situation that we are i MR. MCCURRY: This is the annual message that he prepares that is distributed both by - or reported on by the Voice of America and distributed by US Worldnet. Q Mike, a few months ago, Foreign Minister Primakov made the usual rounds — in what was supposed to be a diplomatic solution, but Saddam Hussein kic out the American inspectors, all kinds of problems. It seems that Prime Ministe Primakov is doing the same thing. Ms. Albright is on her way to meet al foreign leaders. Is there any way the U.S. will accept a solution from Primakov at this time? MR. MCCURRY: It's not a solution by any individual government that seek, it's the willingness of the government of Iraq to meet its international obligations, to allow the inspections to take place that are necessary to determine the extent and capacity of his programs in weapons of mass destruction. And it's Iraq's obstinacy when it comes to those inspections that is now i purpose of international diplomacy. And we certainly hope and expect t any diplomacy undertaken by members of the Security Council will be direc at conveying that very strong message to the government of Iraq. We have reason to believe that the Russian Federation has communicated any message tl that. Q Mike, on Russia and Iraq, is the United States making any progress - China, too — on persuading its allies that force might be possible in Iraq military strike might be possible, those who have been most resistant to in the past? 34EDAB55.FIN Page 6 of28 V Q When do you expect the President to make a decision on this? Q Can we turn to the other matter? MR. MCCURRY: One more, Bill, and then we can. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q Well, Mike, are you trying to give the impression that the President is searching for some diplomatic solution to avoid military conflict? other governments of a certain course of action, but it's certainly designt explore the kind of action that is necessary if we are going to achieve th objectives that we have. MR. MCCURRY: I think that it's clear the United States government is consulting on the utility of diplomacy at this point, and whether or not, through diplomacy, we can achieve the objectives that we have. I'm doing this on behalf of Larry Haas, probably his last official act at C before going to work for the Vice President. But just so we have on the record so that people will see it, since we have confusion about this every year, what to do on Monday if you're interested in getting a copy of the Federal Bu 0MB will provide one free copy of each of the five budget documents t we make available every year; in other words, one free copy per news organizatic MR. MCCURRY: I expect the President to continue to participate in the of diplomacy I've described to you and I expect him to await reports in the near future from his two Secretaries who will be consulting on this matt and perhaps from Ambassador Richardson who will pursue his conversation well. which diplomacy is increasingly running out of string, thus bringing the need f other options to at least be in focus as these consultations occur. I don't know I would describe the purpose of our diplomacy at this point to be to com 34EDAB55.FIN On Monday, 0MB will release the President's budget for the Fiscal Yea 1999. Distribution to members of the press will be only to those who display official press credentials, and that will occur between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.« Monday, February 2nd, at the Government Printing Office. Page 7 of28 it very clear that he had no sexual relations with this woman. Q But that is not my question, Mike. Did he meet with Monica Lewinsk Q It's a legitimate question, do you not agree? 1/5/2010 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html Everyone knows where GPO is. If you don't, it's down on 710 North Ca Street. The five documents that we put out in connection with the budge range from the budget itself to the explanatory materials, the analytical perspectives, the historical tables, so forth, ranging in price from $62 for the big bana the appendix; and $2.50 for the very user-friendly Citizen's Guide to the Federal Budget. Q I'd like to renew the question then so we can get an answer on the off transcript. What is the President’s comment, or your comment, to these reports that he met with Monica Lewinsky on December 28th here in the White House to discuss her possible testimony? MR. MCCURRY: The President has made very clear that in answer to questions on this matter, that he has not told anyone to lie about this matter, and he's MR. MCCURRY: You've heard me on this subject in the past several d; I'm not going to piecemeal respond to questions that have been raised. Q Let me ask you this. Monica Lewinsky left the White House employ i April of 1996, and yet we have WAVES records which show that we was here o MR. MCCURRY: And on that specific question, I don't have anything I the Counsel's Office that I can provide. And members of the press may purchase additional copies of the budget documents as well. I think they're restricted to purchasing one additional if I understoc correctly from Larry. And in addition, the documents are going to be available on the Internet 8:00 a.m. And if you want more information on the Internet site and how to a it, please call 202-512-1530; toll free, 888-293-6498. 34EDAB55.FIN Page 8 of28 Q If I could just — I know I'm a visitor, but let me throw this out to you MR. MCCURRY: Welcome. Q The Confederacy lost. (Laughter.) MR. MCCURRY: At that battle, Sam, they did not. MR. MCCURRY: I think the President has asked of the American peop http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q Well, Mike, does the President not feel that by not providing informal he is doing himself a disservice if, in fact, he has a story that will clear all this up? Q If the meeting did not take place, the logs would reveal that. Releasin logs would give us the answer. If it did take place, it obviously begs the question again of the President's relation with Miss Lewinsky. Q Will it concern you if there is a story, a lot of stories that say you're stonewalling? MR. MCCURRY: I do not have any such WAVES records, and if CBS News has them you can report on them. But I don't have those records. MR. MCCURRY: Not if we are rallying around the Arkansan the way t Confederacy rallied around the Virginians at Bull Run. 34EDAB55.FIN r MR. MCCURRY: Again, I think Sam had asked me, I think only intend ask me once — but I'll repeat it for the record that we are not in a piecemeal fash going to try to respond to each and every story that arises on this matter There are no doubt going to be many, many stories in days and weeks al and the Counsel's Office elects to provide the President the opportunity to respond to these types of questions in the proper forum. The proper forum whicf exists at this point now is an inquiry by the Office of Independent Counsel anc whatever other legal venues are available. repeated occasions between then and late last year, including, apparently, Decern 28th. Why was she allowed to keep coming back if she had been removed fro here? Page 9 of28 Q Isn't the court of public opinion a proper forum to discuss these matte Q How can we if we don't have this information? Q This isn't a personal thing. We're not — MR. MCCURRY: I know, I know. But I mean — Q — impugning your personal integrity. MR. MCCURRY: We all saw that, I think, and I know that you know tf http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 opportunity to address these matters in the proper forum, and I think he encouraged that the American people will give him that opportunity. Q Mike, if you don't want us to rely on leaks, then do you expect us to v until there is perhaps a trial before we see the WAVES records? MR. MCCURRY: Well, I think you all know the constraint that I'm lab< under here, and I don't want to belabor the pain and anguish I feel. MR. MCCURRY: No, I just expect you to do what good news organizai would reasonably do, which is to report as accurately as you can based on fact! information that you know. 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: The court of public opinion we hope will rely on fact truth that is developed through reasonable examination, cross-examination, provision of testimony. And we've already seen examples how sometimes allegation: suggestions, leads can out-run the capacity to develop facts. MR. MCCURRY: I know. I understand that, Sam. I'm just saying that tl the judgment is that there has to be a proper forum in which you can bring c and present truth, and we can't do it in a fashion in which we are responding cascade of allegations and stories and developments that — and sources are anonymous — Q Well, let me ask you this, Mike. The President himself said the other • that he would speak to the American people about this at the proper timi The First Lady in her first television interview said that he would do the sam thing. In her second television interview she said, you won't be hearing anymore from him, from my husband. And we're not hearing anymore from you. Page 10 of 28 c Q Without answering the question whether or not -- Q But you know the questions will keep coming. Q — doesn't serve your purpose well, does it? MR. MCCURRY: I'm just not going to be able to do that. MR. MCCURRY: I do not know the answer to the question. Q Does White House counsel know the answer to the question? Q Okay, no follow-ups. (Laughter.) http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 addressed all this yesterday. So I think I'll go back to my transcript yesterday. MR. MCCURRY: Again, you've asked me this several times the last coi of days, and I think I gave you a good answer, and I'll go back to the transcript. Q But help us understand, Mike, why that's such a sensitive, such a diffi question to ask. Did he have a meeting with her, or didn't he? MR. MCCURRY: I do not know whether they know the answer. I woul presume so because they must have reviewed the material, any material that they w( provide responsive to the requests of the independent counsel. Q But, Mike, if on one hand you don't want to present a piecemeal explanation, at what point do you give a complete, overall view? Q Without answering the question, did the President meet with Monica Lewinsky or not on December 28, can you tell us, do you know the answer to the question, yes or no? MR. MCCURRY: You know it's not a difficult question to answer, yes < no, what happened on a particular day. That's not it. It's like, well, then what — if you would be satisfied that I could answer that — if you would let me an that one question and not have any follow-ups, that would be a different matter. I just don't think you're ever going to be in that position. MR. MCCURRY: Well, of course they will. And we will just spend enc time trying to deal with endless questions. And I'm not going to be able to do 34EDAB55.FIN r Page 11 of 28 w Q If we agree - Q She speaks for herself. (Laughter.) Q It's a deal. reporting on that subject, but the White House itself has not taken any ft http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/jan 1998/34edab55 .html 1/5/2010 Q You keep saying that you're constrained. I don't understand what you' constrained by. Q Why is the Clinton administration weighing protecting Secret Service agents from potentially testifying in this case? Q Has the President invoked executive privilege in response to any of tl subpoenas from Mr. Starr? Q May I just follow? Do you feel that it would compromise their ability protect the President if they're exposed to this sort of testimony? position with respect to what position the Treasury or the Secret Service should take on that matter. We have always -- and you've heard me before say 1 MR. MCCURRY: I'd have to ask that you direct that question to the Sec Service. I don't know exactly the reason why. I've seen some reporting I MR. MCCURRY: I have not heard of any request from the independent counsel that MR. MCCURRY: I'm not an expert on that and I think they are in the b< position to address that. MR. MCCURRY: Apparently, someone in the White House did anonymously answer the question. But I'm not in a position to do it and I will tell you, I do not kr the answer. 34EDAB55.FIN deferred to the judgment of those who are professionally responsible foi protecting the President when they look at the technical and specific questions related to what kind of security they provide and what kind of environm they need to provide the most effective security. MR. MCCURRY: Okay, well, David, you asked me that a lot yesterday I answered as best I could. I can't do it better than I did yesterday. Page 12 of 28 1 has engendered any discussion of executive privilege by counsel. Q I'm Jeremy Thompson from Sky News. MR. MCCURRY: Well, welcome, nice to have you here today. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 Q Mike, the President's attorney asked to push up the Jones' trial. Starr t has asked more or less for it to be delayed indefinitely because he claim MR. MCCURRY: There will be tremendous high value in that visit for . number of reason. First and foremost, the President enjoys a very close working relationship with the Prime Minister. Second, we are pursuing at this tin number of very important matters with the government of the United Kingdom, including how we respond to the situation in Iraq, how we make further plans for discovery is interfering with his investigation. Do you have reaction to I moves today that counter yours? Q Thank you very much. British Prime Minister Blair is visiting the President next week. I wondered how much the President is looking forward to th and how concerned he might be that these allegations could prove a distraction ai undermine the value of that visit? Q Mike, I understand you don't want to tell us about the exact nature of relationship between the President and Lewinsky, can you tell us what ti relationship was between Lewinsky and Betty Currie? MR. MCCURRY: I'm just not going to characterize things that might properly be under the venue or the purview of the independent counsel. MR. MCCURRY: I've already indicated I don't have anything for you o either of the stories. 34EDAB55.FIN ♦ MR. MCCURRY: I don't know indeed for a fact that he has done that, b any event that would, I suspect, be a matter that would be adjudicated before judge in that case and I would leave it to the parties in that litigation to express their views. Q Mike, do you wish to dispute any of the facts reported today by The ? York Times and Washington Post? Page 13 of 28 Union address the other night. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 developing a deep peace in Bosnia, how we address all the questions rel to the future of NATO that you heard the President talk about in his State ( Q Mike, I know this issue pales in significance, but the First Lady and F Raines are going to talk about the District today at 2:00 p.m. They're go to provide some economic help. But there has been a denial of democratic 34EDAB55.FIN But they will also discuss personally what goes on and the situations tha they both encounter as they provide effective leadership to their peoples. Am the statement I just read indicates, we have — the President has a great deal admiration for the political courage of Prime Minister Blair. This inquir The President and the Prime Minister have been directly engaged by telephone just in the last several days on the question of Northern Ireland. And by way, on that, we welcome the British government's announcement todaj establishing an official communication to make an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Bloody Sunday, the terrible tragedy that took place, as I think many c you recall, 26 years ago. This is an important and timely initiative to come to terms with the past to help the people of Northern Ireland look to the future and to the reconciliation that they seek as they now negotiate the terms of a peace that we hope v bring an end to the troubles and bring those peoples the peace they fervently desire. The President's work with the Prime Minister on that issue alone is one example of the kind of partnership that they have developed, and that will be something that they will explore at length when they meet next week. he has launched is something that I think was no doubt difficult to do an speaks to his devotion to the peace process and his determination to advance th peace process forward. And I suspect very much the Prime Minister will want talk to the President about the President's situation. I'd be surprised if he didn't. Page 14 of 28 V Q But will that be followed up with pieces of legislation or with contact MR. MCCURRY: Because they are two different situations. In the case http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 Congress. Is the President ever going to speak to the restoration of democracy in the District of Columbia, or is it just going to be more money every y MR. MCCURRY: He no doubt will and I would not be surprised that to when the First Lady and when Director Raines and others talk about the type of assistance that will be available from the federal government for the District, they'1 about the fundamental right that the citizens of the District have to democratic representation. I think these are not disconnected issues. I think that, in fact, making sm that the District can thrive economically is part of the equation of restor sense of democracy and purpose to the governance of the District. 34EDAB55.FIN r rights or a usurpation of democratic rights by legislation by the Republican-contr Mr. Faircloth or Mr. Taylor in terms of - or the Speaker in terms of - if administration, I guess what I'm saying, going to introduce legislation tl will rectify what happens this summer - MR. MCCURRY: I would have to look further and see if that is someth in fact, that the administration is exploring. I have not heard that. But I wil say one thing, that that the type of assistance that we are providing and 1 initiatives the President will propose with respect to the District of Colu are designed to get this city in the shape that the President suggested it should be in Tuesday night, and get this city in a position where it can manage fiscal affairs prudently and wisely, and restore the kind of sense of responsibility that people expect of the leadership of the District so that can have the full-fledged democratic rights to which the citizens of the District are truly entitled. Q Mike, the campaign finance investigation was and is an ongoing crim grand jury investigation. Yet you folks released piecemeal a lot of White Hom records in that case. Can you explain why you didn't feel similarly constrained then as you do now? Page 15 of 28 y Q Charlie Trie has been in town -- MR. MCCURRY: I do not. Q Vernon Jordan has be subpoenaed in this matter and it may be that th< http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 Q Mike, on the issue of Iraq, has the President considered any kind of address to the nation on the issues involved? Q Mike, what you're saying, though, is that the criminal investigation is what's constraining you. And the question is, if the criminal investigation is constraining you now, why didn't it concern you before? he speaks, as he will today, about what next steps we must consider and contemplate. And at any appropriate time, if the President, as Command Chief, deems necessary, I'm sure he'll want to take his case to the American pe Q I wonder, Mike, if you'd care to comment on the story in today's Washington Post about these very graphic allegations involving Kathleen Willey anc President. MR. MCCURRY: David, that's not what I'm saying. And what I said on subject, as I told you a moment ago, I told you yesterday. the campaign finance discussions, there were ongoing procedures on Capitc Hill. There were, I think, fairly combative hearings that were being held in th Senate and then in the House. I mean, it's an entirely different situation, as is probably obvious to you. MR. MCCURRY: I don't have any reaction to that. The Justice Departn has just issued a statement. MR. MCCURRY: I think the President, of course, addressed the nation Tuesday night and made very clear our intent and objective with respect to Iraq a what we seek in terms of our overall objectives. We want to thwart Iraq’s cap. to develop and use weapons of mass destruction. We want to limit Saddarr Hussein's ability to project force and to threaten his neighbors. That will remain th President’s objectives as he pursues diplomacy. It will remain his object 34EDAB55.FIN *> Page 16 of 28 Q Well, not at all. MR. MCCURRY: Mike, despite the President's -- the controversy arour Q Mike, let me follow that if I could. MR. MCCURRY: I don't think --1 don't understand the question I guess http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 President, his poll ratings continue to rise to record levels. Why do you that's so? MR. MCCURRY: I know that they are very close friends and they talk 1 time to time, but the subject of their discussions I do not know. Q Well, do think — would you take the question of the President's — wh< it's proper under the circumstances to continue to discuss this matter wit Vernon Jordan? Q How do you think that will be done? How will it be done eventually? Through his lawyers? How will it be done? MR. MCCURRY: Well, I have no better answer to that then the dozen c times you've asked in the last couple of days. 34EDAB55.FIN «> MR. MCCURRY: That's an entirely hypothetical question that I will no take. President will eventually be asked to give some testimony. In light of th has the President and Vernon Jordan continued to talk about this matter witl each other? Is it proper for them to do so? Q Mike, to what extent, following up on Susan's question, what extent a is your handling of this whole situation driven by poll numbers? MR. MCCURRY: I think in part because he gave a great speech Tuesda night and poll numbers, I think, are very elastic in responding to whatever stimuli come along. But I also think that the American people have thought very cleai about this and heard a lot about it in the last couple days and I think that they 1 the President deserves some opportunity to present his argument in the fashion that will allow the truth to prevail and to emerge. Page 17 of 28 V Q Is that true? MR. MCCURRY: I am out of the loop. I'm not even sure -- Q Which may be the best position for you to be in - MR. MCCURRY: I'm not even sure on this matter there is a loop. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q What they seem to show is the percentage of people who say it doesn matter if he's had a sexual relationship with this young woman has risen. MR. MCCURRY: Very little, if you judge what I read about all the inte deliberations between the political people and the legal people at the W1 House. Q The poll numbers also show, Mike, that over the past week or so, the percentage of people believing the allegations has declined somewhat. I wonder MR. MCCURRY: I don't know that to be a fact. If you -- is that true? Anyone else — I'm not sure that's true. That is true? Good. But anyhow, the poim 34EDAB55.FIN Q Well, to what extent are your decisions about responding to our quest and how the President will ultimately respond, as he said, sooner rather than later, with more rather than fewer answers, driven by what you're reading in tl polls? MR. MCCURRY: I guest the percentage of people who believe me, I he has remained steady. The percentage of people interested in hearing me has surely declined. (Laughter.) Q You've told us very carefully that you don't know things. You have m it clear that you are out of the loop. Q Mike, you had an abortion clinic bombing in Birmingham this mornir Last year, there was a bombing of a clinic in Atlanta. That crime is still unso The two may have nothing to do with one another but does the Presiden it's time to step the federal investigation of these crimes? Page 18 of 28 V Very clearly, one of the reasons that he signed into law legislation that r MR. MCCURRY: I think you actually carried a very good story yesterd exactly that subject. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 Q But you didn't articulate any and you declined to articulate any yester when we asked you on that. Q Mike, can you explain. A sequence of events and a conspiracy are tw< different things. MR. MCCURRY: They had a good story on it, and if you have a copy, provide you one. MR. MCCURRY: Well, I think that there are some facts and some of th have been reported even in your newspaper about sequence of events and things h< come up. 34EDAB55.FIN 4 Q Mike, several times from this podium you've been very critical of the President's opponents for alleging conspiracies on any number of topics from Vince Foster to the Mena airport, on the basis of innuendo and without evidence or facts. Why is it different than the President and First Lady alleging a wing conspiracy, so far on the basis of no facts? it a federal crime to interfere with a woman exercising her constitutiona right to visit a women's health center is so that the full weight of federal law enforcement can be brought in an effective way when a situation arises : which that is called for or entertained or agreed to by federal law enforcement officials, working in close cooperation with state and local officials. An, indeed, federal agents are already in Birmingham to assist local law enforcement officials there to make sure that the perpetrators of this crime are brougl justice. MR. MCCURRY: The President will have a statement shortly that will strongly - it is already? Okay. So, he obviously has strongly condemned the violer that occurred. He thinks that this bombing is an unforgivable act that strikes the heart of the constitutional freedoms and individual liberties that all Americans hold dear and that are protected. Page 19 of 28 Q He's asking you, Mike. That's a fair question. Q - what a conspiracy is. MR. MCCURRY: Sure, why not. MR. MCCURRY: You obviously know the answer to that. Q What is it? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 not just with opponents, but specifically with Ken Starr, but presented n evidence for that. Q Is that what a conspiracy is - a sequence of events, when two people situation might know each other? That's a conspiracy? Q A serious question. You talk about your own pain and anguish. Is this uncomfortable situation where you would like to say more? Q You said that you're out of the loop. Who is in the loop to speak to thi public? MR. MCCURRY: You all have reported in recent days on the chain anc sequence of events that brought some of these allegations to light. I think that's prett clear record. Q But you say you disbelieve some of our reports? Are you saying you believe these reports? Q I mean, the question is that you've condemned people for making statements on the basis of innuendo. And she alleged a very specific right-wing conspi 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: I think when people — that story would, I think, woul have been very well reported in the last couple of days about how things have com about. MR. MCCURRY: There is not a loop available for us to use to respond these questions. And I think that's pretty clear. And I think that if there was - there was going to be that loop, I would be in it. But I think ultimately, people want to hear from the President on this. And the President is not position to do that now, so we play bust the pinata up here every day. Q You talk about a loop that is not available for us to talk to right now.' you give us any sense if there are any more people joining that loop, pec Page 20 of 28 MR. MCCURRY: I don't know what kind of conversations he's had. He Q Do they know each other? MR. MCCURRY: I do not know. Q Do you like the way he's shouting? Q I thought the boy was on speed last night. MR. MCCURRY: Sam. You know our view on that kind of - http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 MR. MCCURRY: I do not know the answer to that. I don't know what 1 of relationship they had. Q Mike, on the relationship — the question of the relationship between Lewinsky and Betty Currie, can you at least say that they had some sort relationship? the President used to deal with and is now bringing in but we haven't yet mentioned? Q Mike, Governor Romer last night said that the DNC plans to depend i more heavily on Gore between now and midterms. Is there any similar plan at White House to put Gore forward a little more? MR. MCCURRY: Yes, he's going to start doing the daily briefing. It's v good. (Laughter.) MR. MCCURRY: No. I am only aware that he has retained Mickey Kar but we told you about that over the weekend. I'm not aware that he has formally added anyone else to his legal team. MR. MCCURRY: He's going to do that. Actually, I wish he'd -- maybe come down here and say, come stand by Mike McCurry. (Laughter.) President's friend and he's been here in recent days, but I don't know wh they've talked about. 34EDAB55.FIN A Q What about Harry Thomason, how can he talk to the President withoi being in danger of having every conversation subpoenaed? Page 21 of 28 vr Q Well, he was energetic. imagine how things will unfold in coming days and weeks. Q — have a press conference? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q Yes, that's my question. Are you still going to have a full-fledged pre: conference with Tony Blair? MR. MCCURRY: I am. But I think that you can all easily imagine that i President is not going to entertain questions on this subject and not goin be able to provide you with many answers if you want to persist in asking. MR. MCCURRY: Ann, that's a question that I'll ask Mr. Lockhart — I'll that question and ask Mr. Lockhart to pursue that. There has clearly bee litigation in front of the courts on exactly that kind of question. I know Chuck Ruff to be a superb attorney and I know that he has worked hard under difficult circumstances on this issue, and I'm sure that whatever work he's done i consistent with his obligations under law and consistent with the desire • 34EDAB55.FIN I* MR. MCCURRY: The way this thing is eight days into this story, and il had asked me nine days ago would we be sitting here talking about this toda would have been impossible to imagine. So I think it is equally impossil Q Wendell spoke of the numbers of people believing the President goin; Also the numbers of people who think that the media has done a poor job or i covering Q On occasion, the counsel here, Mr. Ruff, has been in touch with some the President's personal attorneys. Are those conversations privileged in a client-attorney relationship, or are Mr. Ruffs conversations not subject 1 any kind of privilege? President's other attorneys to protect the privilege rights and the Preside has as a client and as an individual. But how exactly that is done and what tl legal interpretation is is a question I don't want to haphazard a guess at. Q Mike, you say that people want to hear from the President. Given this ongoing criminal investigation, can you envision the President being able to talk the American people until that's over? Page 22 of 28 ■J Q You're not boring us. Q No, this is very enlightening. (Laughter.) Q People would have his word. Q This notion that we're all going to stand up and ask him all these ques might present themselves. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 this too much, that's also gone up, too. Is that part of the White House strategy, to be critical of the media -- Q Mike, the President could come out and say, I did not meet with Mon Lewinsky on December 28. He could end it. next Wednesday or whenever the press conference with Blair is, and he' going to say over and over again, I never told anyone to lie, I never had impropei sexual relations and that's going to - it's like name, rank and serial number. Is i going to be - how is that going to be helpful? MR. MCCURRY: Look, I think that people make their judgments basec what they think is right and what they think is fair, and I'll leave it to them to deck how you're doing your job. 34EDAB55.FIN Q Mike, his refusal to answer questions doesn't mean that he can't answ< them. MR. MCCURRY: Sam, that would not end it, and you know that would end it. That's disingenuous to say that. MR. MCCURRY: Well, it will be of necessity if all the things given tha answered our friend from across the way about what they are going to tt about at this meeting and if you want to persist in asking questions that you kr at the beginning of the news conference he's not going to be able to answe think the question about why the public has some of these concerns about the MR. MCCURRY: Yes. Part of the White House strategy is to have me c out here every single day and bore people senseless with the answers that I give • this matter. (Laughter.) Page 23 of 28 MR. MCCURRY: Why did you have to remind me of that painful mem Q It's seared in my own memory. Q It did work with Blair the last time. Q You're right, it won't work this time. (Laughter.) Q How is Ms. Currie bearing up? MR. MCCURRY: She's an extraordinarily fine person and I think as she http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 swarmed the other day, you saw how she looked, and she looked awfull frightened at that moment. Q Well, now, wait a minute. You've had time to refine it. You could try (laughter.) 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: I could try to do a little better the next time around? I didn't work — let's put it that way. MR. MCCURRY: That's right. Thank you, Sam. I'll stipulate that -- that went in the record — it's D-O-N-A-L-D - Q Mike, the last couple of times the President has had bilateral news conferences in order to keep it from being swamped with sort of scanda related questions — I'm thinking in Brazil and actually when he was in London Tony Blair the last time -- he's come out trying to clear the air a little bit so th; he doesn't have the sort of spectacle of side-by-side - MR. MCCURRY: It clearly didn't work when we tried to do it, so I dou we'll try that again. MR. MCCURRY: Well, it didn't work and I can’t imagine it would worl these circumstances. MR. MCCURRY: You're right, he can't — if he believes that he can't an: them and then is in a position where he does not answer them or refuses to an them, they are not necessarily the same, but they are clearly directly connected. Page 24 of 28 Q Is he back on the job? Q Is she at work? Q Is she back at work? MR. MCCURRY: Yes. Q Did it give you any clues? MR. MCCURRY: Any clues as to what? Q Mike, are you considering limiting your daily briefings? MR. MCCURRY: Limiting in what fashion? Clearly, not. (Laughter.) Q Like not having them every day? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 questions to answer, when to answer them? Does it tell you that stonewalling, while it may not work, is uncomfortable here — MR. MCCURRY: If I could illuminate any of that, I would. It's kind of can't illuminate that right now. Q Mike, how does the obviously enthusiastic response the President got yesterday, how will you factor that into deciding whether or not — how i MR. MCCURRY: I don't think that one speech in middle America or in Wisconsin tells you a whole lot about things like that. I think you have to use the b< judgment that you can bring at the time and move on. MR. MCCURRY: She's a decent person who didn't deserve to be in a position where she was frightened. 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: No. I mean, I've got to be here. There are days where don't do briefings, when we've got something like a State of the Union addres something. But 1 show up here pretty regularly, regardless of the circumstances. That's fair to say, right? Q What's the President's view of the Air Force pilot yesterday who ran i the Q As to what the public wants to know, what the public is demanding tc know, whether or not we represent the public's interest or not. Page 25 of 28 mud? (Laughter.) No, seriously. Q Quite a bit. MR. MCCURRY: Quite a bit. And I suspect he will in the future, neces: Q Monday, Tuesday? In other words, the budget is Monday, right? MR. MCCURRY: That was a hint that I dropped. Q Right. But where is he going on Monday or Tuesday? Q Tucumcari, New Mexico? Roswell? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html 1/5/2010 Q The President did get big and friendly crowds yesterday when he was the road. Do you think he's going to choose to go on the road again? Q — a question on presidential travels. A lot of the travels we've had the pleasure of making over the last year have been for campaign dinners, v the President was raising money for various candidates. Are we going to ha lot MR. MCCURRY: It's always good to let a little rabbit out that people ci chase. You will be especially happy at where he's going. 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: Of course. Look, we travel a lot. This President has b out on the road and out in the country more so than some of his predecessors, I believe. Is that right, Helen? That's fair to say. MR. MCCURRY: He's got an enormous amount of respect for those fol And that particular episode, why it happened, it didn't bother the President and I suspect that the crew involved feel worse about it than the President does, to be constrained by the extensive foreign travel schedule we have this year. I wouldn't be surprised if, for example, when we do something like unvei budget he then goes out and speaks to it on the road. But it's not going t< any different than it would have been this time last year, in which we di> much the same kind of thing. We get out and try to talk to Americans. MR. MCCURRY: I didn't say a thing. No, we don't need to go there bee we were in the flying saucer yesterday. (Laughter.) Page 26 of 28 of these in the future, or are those diminished now because the Presiden MR. MCCURRY: I suspect we will have a lot of them. I haven't heard c Q There's not a decline in interest of - Q Mike, on travel, is the Africa trip still on? MR. MCCURRY: Did we ever announce it? Q Yes, you did. MR. MCCURRY: We finally did? All right. Yes. Q Mike, I didn't understand your question to Wendell a bit back. Charlie http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 MR. MCCURRY: No, I haven't heard of any change. I think Chairman Grossman was reporting on some of that today. You might want to give him a call. MR. MCCURRY: We don't have all of the elements that I can specify a point. I can tell you that they plan to spend a significant quantity of time together. Clearly, it's the arrival, the meetings they will have, the dinner that they have the night before — Thursday night — and obviously they j to speak to all of you on Friday. And I suspect, given how closely they wo together, they will try to find some other settings in which they can sper 34EDAB55.FIN 4* MR. MCCURRY: I'm saying that he has been indicted. That has just be, announced in a statement by the Justice Department, and the White Hou will defer a comment because it is now a legal proceeding and the Justice Department statement will speak for itself. Q Mike, do you have any more on the substance and the format of the B trip? Will there be a Camp David aspect to this thing? And will there also be discussion with Blair as the President of the European Union? was one of the President's closest personal friends, gave a lot of money had to be returned to his legal defense fund. Are you saying the President ha reaction to his indictment? change in our plans. At the same time, I don't know what the specific — were projecting ahead several months, a day here, a day there, in which were going to be taking some outside trips for that purpose. But I haven't heai any — Page 27 of 28 time. Let me do a couple more. You guys can leave any time, like an hour age Q Now that Congress is back, is there any plan for the President to meet the Democratic leaders, either on the Hill or here? MR. MCCURRY: I would suggest that would be done in more of a pers http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 Q Two minutes ago you said that the President probably would discuss i difficulties with the Prime Minister when he's here. If he does, why doe: he talk to the American people about it? Q Are you urging congressional Democrats not to jump to conclusions, to come out against the President? But we are working hard with the Embassy in developing a proper prog) that we can publicly release, and when I can do so I shall consult with the Prime Minister's official spokesman, the PMOS, and see if we can coordinate < statements. Mine will be in the name of the official White House spokes MR. MCCURRY: Not in the immediate future, but certainly we will be working up an agenda with them. I wouldn't be surprised if they get together someti relatively soon. 34EDAB55.FIN MR. MCCURRY: Of course. And I think that they have now seen that i think it's fair to say that is a predominate attitude of the American people, apparently, and I think that that will give members of Congress some comfort, that they can wait for the proper settings in which the truth can be presei Q A related question - is there any effort by the President or by his aide consult with Democrats on the Hill to make sure they feel informed abo side of this controversy and remain supportive? MR. MCCURRY: Yes, I think there is a strong desire to consult with th but I think that the folks who work on that are as necessarily constrained as I in some respects. So I don't know that it's entirely satisfactory for those on Hill, because they're not in any better position to get information that th< seek than many of you. Page 28 of 28 Q Well, wait a minute. What would he talk to the Prime Minister about'' Q Thank you, thank you. END 1:32 P.M. EST 26 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/janl998/34edab55.html1/5/2010 34EDAB55.FIN Q The Prime Minister couldn't be subpoenaed, could he, if it's not a privileged conversation? (Laughter). MR. MCCURRY: If they talk about this, I'm sure we'll give you a splen readout at the proper time. way, but not in any great explication of detail, which is what I think you're most interested in. I don't think you're interested in emotive pronunciations. MR. MCCURRY: Boy, that is a question for the State Department Offic Legal Advisor. Page 1 of 12 Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 2/9/98 4:56:02 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT RBTP on Social Security [UNCLASSIFIED] TO CARBON COPY TEXT BODY TRANSLATED ATTACHMENT Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release February 9, 1998 10:53 A.M.EST http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY Remarks by the President RBTP on Social Security Gaston Hall Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Social Security.doc THE WHITE HOUSE Crowley, Philip J. Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Benjamin, Daniel Blinken, Antony J. Gray, Wendy E. LaFleur, Vinca S. Leavy, David C. Naplan, Steven J. Widmer, Edward L. Miyaoka, Lester H. 34FE5F7E.FIN t 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 2 of 12 to achieve that and why it is so important. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 about. Weren't you proud of her? She did a great job I think. Thank you much. (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Special thanks to those of yc who had to wait all night to get in. (Laughter.) Hope you won't be disappointed. (Laughter.) There is no better example of that principle for the strength of America the opportunity and the duty all of us as Americans have now to save Sc Security for the 21st century. So today I return to discuss what we have Mr. Vice President, Father O'Donovan, to all the groups here who are concerned with Social Security, especially to Congressman Penny and the Concorc Coalition, and John Rother and the AARP, I thank you all for being here. I thank Senator Bob Kerrey, who when he cast the decisive vote for our budget in 1993 said that he would do so only if I were also committed to dealing c the long-term structural problems of Social Security, to heal the deficit then well. I thank Gene Sperling and the members of my staff who worked v* us on this. And thank you, Mannone Butler, for embodying what this struggle Often in the years since I have come back here to discuss our nation's m demanding challenges. And on many occasions, but none more relevant today, I have recalled the assertion of my freshman professor in the history of civilizations course, Carroll Quigley, that the distinguishing characterist Western civilization in general and the United States of America in part is what he called future preference - the idea that the future can be better 1 the present or the past; that each of us has a personal, moral responsibili work to make it so, to plan for it, to work for it, to invest for it. You know, there was a recent poll which said that young people in the generation of the students here felt it was far more likely that they would see a UF( than that they would draw Social Security. (Laughter.) And others may think When I first ran for President six and a half years ago now, I came to thi hall to set out my vision for 21st century America, and a strategy for achievi 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 3 of 12 my goodness, where did all the time go? It seems like it was yesterday t I say that to make this point: It may seem a long way away from the tim restored confidence — the Information Age, a growing global economy, http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 A couple of days ago I went to New Mexico to visit our national labs — may have seen the story. And our national labs at Los Alamos and Sandia an Lawrence Livermore, where we do a lot of the research that not only helps us to preserve the security of our smaller and smaller nuclear arsenal, but helps us to d with our environmental questions and a lot of other fascinating challeng the future. But anyway, after I finished this, I had lunch with a few of my friends, including a man that I went to Georgetown with. And at the end of the 1 he whipped out this photo and gave it to me, and we were sitting in a park together, about a week after I graduated in 1968. And 1 looked at that photo and I now — where you are until you will need retirement. It may seem a long away before most of your parents need retirement -- but it isn't. And great soc Social Security is a lot more than a line in the budget. It reflects some ol our deepest values - the duties we owe to our parents, the duties we ow each other when we're differently situated in life, the duties we owe to our children and our grandchildren. Indeed, it reflects our determination to move for across the generations and across the income divides in our country, as < America. it's a long way off, as Mannone said, and the Vice President said he thoi it was a long way off. plan over long periods of time so that individual lives can flower and tai root and take form. And that is what we have to do today. Social Security has been there for America's parents in the 20th century. I am determined that we will have that kind of security for the American people in the 21st century. We are entering this new millennium, the new century. 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 4 of 12 the real problems. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 And it got so bad in the 1980s that between 1981 and 1992 the total deb the country was quadrupled — quadrupled — in a 12-year period, over and a the previous 200 years. That raised interest rates. It took more and more tax money away from investments in education, for example, or the environment tc interest on the debt. It slowed economic growth and it definitely compromised your future. they're changing the way we live and work. And the scope and pace of change, it may seem commonplace to those of you who have grown up with it, bul people my age it is still truly astonishing. And I can tell you, it is without historical precedent. Five years ago I determined that we had to set a different course, to mo\ past the debate that was then paralyzing Washington and, frankly, didn't haw much to do with the real world, between those who said government was the ene those who said government was the solution and as long as you can fight aboi something, then you don't have to get down to the nitty-gritty of dealing For a long time our country failed to come to grips with those changes a we paid the price in a stagnant economy and increasing inequality among o working families, in higher child poverty, in record welfare rolls, higher crime ra other deepening social problems. Before the present era we had only rur budget deficits, and the deficit I think came to symbolize what was amiss with 1 way we were dealing with the changes in the world. We had only run budget deficits for sound economic reasons — either because there were some overwhel need to invest or because there was a recession that required stimulation of the economy, or because there was a national emergency like war. The idea that we w just simply have a structural deficit and run one year in and year out was uni of. But that is exactly what has happened throughout your lifetime. 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 5 of 12 When the British Prime Minister was here last week, Tony Blair, we stn http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html1/5/2010 Student loans that are guaranteed by the government have been made le; expensive and easier to repay. There are hundreds of thousands of more Grant scholarships, 300,000 more work-study slots. AmeriCorps has alh For five years we have reduced the size of the deficit, reduced the size o government, dramatically reduced the budget deficit by over 90 percent, continued to invest in your future. And in very dramatic ways that's chai the experience of going to college. that we both think, and many other leaders increasingly around the worl beginning to think that this debate is fruitless and that there has to be a t way - that 21st century government, Information Age government, mus smaller, must be less bureaucratic, must be fiscally disciplined and focus on bein catalyst for new ideas and giving you and all other Americans the tools need to make the most of their own lives. 100,000 young people to earn money for college while serving in their community. There are now tax-free IRA accounts for college education. Last year w^ enacted the HOPE Scholarship, which is a $1,500 tax credit for the first two yea college. And then there's a lifetime learning tax credit for junior and sen years for graduate schools and for adults who have to go back for furthe training. For the first time in history, while reducing the deficit by 90 percent, we can honestly say if you're willing to work for it, whatever y< circumstances, you can go on to college in the United States, and that is very important achievement. Now, all of these things have worked together to give us the strongest economy in a generation — almost 15 million new jobs, the lowest unemployment in 24 years, the lowest inflation rate in 30 years, the highest homeownership i history, average incomes rising again. I've submitted to Congress for 19 the first balanced budget in 30 years. All that is a remarkable achievement, as I said, we have to be thinking about the future. And all of you know t greater or lesser degree of specificity, every one of you know that the S( Security system is not sound for the long-term, so that all of these achievements - the economic achievements, our increasing social coherence and cohe our increasing efforts to reduce poverty among our youngest children - all ( 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 6 of 12 Today I want to talk about what it is and how we propose to deal with it deals with that surplus - save Social Security first. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 as the Vice President said, we should use the economic good times. Tha saying that you don't wait for a rainy day to fix the roof is good for us tc it's very sunny outside. And on this sunny day, we should deal with Soc Security. Now, if that's so, it is now estimated that with normal ups and downs in economic growth, over the next 10 years, after 30 years of deficits, that United States will have a budget surplus in somewhere in the range of a trillion dollars in the aggregate over the next 10 years. 1 have said before we sp< them are threatened by the looming fiscal crisis in Social Security. In very specific terms, we've got a great opportunity because it is projec that we stay with the present budget plan, that taking account of the fact we won't always have the greatest economic times as we've had now — 1 will be times when the economy will grow faster, times when it will grow sL we may recessions — but structurally, we have eliminated the deficit, so tha over time we should have a balanced budget, and over time, most times we si be running a surplus now if we stay with the discipline we have now over t next couple of decades. penny of that on new programs or tax cuts, we should save Social Secur first. I think it should be the driving principle of this year's work in the Unitec States Congress — do not have a tax cut, do not have a spending prograr That is our obligation to you and, frankly, to ourselves. And let me expl that. This fiscal crisis in Social Security affects every generation. We nc know that the Social Security trust fund is fine for another few decades, if it gets in trouble and we don't deal with it, then it not only affects the generation of the baby boomers and whether they'll have enough to live when they retire, it raises the question of whether they will have enough to liv by unfairly burdening their children and, therefore, unfairly burdening tl children's ability to raise their grandchildren. That would be unconscion especially since, if you move now, we can do less and have a bigger imj especially since we now have the budget surplus. 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 7 of 12 Now, it's also known, however, that the changes that are underway toda http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html1/5/2010 To give you an idea of the profound success of the program over the las years — as you know, there have been increasing number of children bei raised in single-parent households, where the incomes are not so high — the ch poverty rate in America is almost twice that. But no one can begrudge tl So the first thing we need to say is, Social Security has succeeded in ending stark terror of a penniless old age. And that is a terrific achievement for American society. Now, for more than half a century Social Security has been a dramatic success. If you just look at the first chart over here on the right, you will see that 1959 - I don't see as well as I once did -- (laughter) - the poverty rate among seniors was still 35 percent. As recently as 1959, still over a third of sen lived in poverty. By 1979, it had dropped to 15.2 percent. By 1996, it he dropped to 10.8 percent. place great stresses on the Social Security safety net. The baby boomers getting grey. When my generation retires — and I'm the oldest of the bat boomers; I was bom in 1946, I'm 51 - and the generation is normally h( run for the 18 years after that, that's normally what people mean when they ■ about the baby boomers — it will dramatically change the ratio of worke If you ever have a chance you ought to read some of the books that have thousands of letters that older people sent to President Roosevelt, beggii him, in the words of one typical letter writer, to eliminate — and I quote - "th stark terror of penniless, helpless old age." That's what prompted Presid' Roosevelt to launch the Social Security system in 1935, to create what h called the cornerstone of a civilized society. Let me back up just a minute, mostly for the benefit of the young people the audience, to talk a little bit about the importance of this effort. It's hard for even people in my generation to understand this, much less yours. B early in this century, to be old meant to be poor. To be old meant to be poor.r vast majority of people over 65 in America early in this century were In in poverty. Their reward for a lifetime of work, for doing right by their children, for helping with their grandchildren, unless their kids could take care of them, was living in poverty. 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 8 of 12 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 earners, aggravated by increasing early retirements and other things, off by gradual increase in the Social Security retirement age enacted back in 1 ‘ So if you look at that, that's the second chart here. In 1960, there were 5.1 Americans working for every one person drawir Social Security. In 1997, there's still 3.3 people working for every one person drawing Social Security. In 2030, the year after the Social Security trust fund supposedly will go broke unless we change something, at present projec retirement rates — that is, the presently projected retirement age and san rates - there will be two people working for every one person drawing Social Security. So what's the bottom line? You can see it. Today, we're actually taking i lot more money from Social Security taxes enacted in 1983 than we're spending out. Because we've run deficits, none of that money has been saved for Social Security. Now, if you look at this little chart here, from 1999 forward w be able to save that money -- or a lot of it, anyway. We'll be able to save a of it that will go into pure surplus in the budget. It can be invested. But Now, if you look at that plus the present investment patterns of the fund which are designed to secure 100 percent security and, therefore, get a somewhat lower return in return for 100 percent security for the investments, that's what will cause the problem. So if you look at the presently projected retirem and the presently projected returns, that will cause the problem. It's very important you understand this. Once you understand this, you realize this is not an episode from the X Files, and you're not more likely to see UFO if you do certain specific things. On the other hand, if you don't do anytl one of two things will happen — either it will go broke and you won't ev get it; or if we wait too long to fix it, the burden on society of taking care oi generation's Social Security obligations will lower your income and low your ability to take care of your children to a degree most of us who are your parents think would be horribly wrong and unfair to you and unfair to the future prospects of the United States. 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 9 of 12 other things will have to be done, as well. That will not be enough. whatever. But this is what is going to happen unless we change, if we cl now we can make a big difference. I should also point out that Social Security also goes to the spouses of pi seen in terms of these economic realities. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html1/5/2010 directions to run this 2029 number well out into the future in ways that a keep Social Security's role in providing some retirement security to peoj without unfairly burdening your generation and your ability to raise you children to do that. And I can tell you, I have had countless talks with b; boomers of all income groups and I haven't found a single person in my generation who is not absolutely determined to fix this in a way that does not unfai: burden your generation. But we have to start now. And if nothing is done by 2029, there will be a deficit in the Social Sect trust fund, which will either require — if you just wait until then — a hug tax increase in the payroll tax, or just about a 25 percent cut in Social Security benefits. And let me say today, Social Security — I want to put in, too, because I want you all to start thinking about this — Social Secui was conceived as giving a floor for life. It is not enough to sustain the standard of living of almost any retiree retiring today. Now, again I say, if we act soon, less is more. If we can develop a const as a country to act soon we can take relatively modest steps in any numl We have to join together and face the facts. We have to rise above partisanship, just the way we did when we forced the historic balanced budget agreement. This is — as you can well see, this is reducible to stark mathematical terms. This need not become a partisan debate. Oh, there ( to be a debate, a good debate on what the best way to invest the funds are. There So you also will have to make provisions for your own retirement savin; and you should start early when you go out and go to work, with a 401 (k) pl when their widowed. Social Security also goes to the disabled. There's a Social Security disability program. Cassandra Wilkins, who's here with us, wh< Vice President recognized, ran the Social Security disability program for me I was governor. It's a very important program. But all of these things shoi 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 10 of 12 The first forum, which will set out before the American people the full r of the problem — essentially, what I'm doing with you today with a few http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 America stronger and, again, preserving the ties that bind us across the generations. ought to be a good debate on what the best trade-offs are between the changes that will have to be made. But it ought to be done with a view toward m This national call also will spread to every corner of the country, to evei member of Congress. There are other private groups which have to play role. The Pew Charitable Trust has launched a vital public information campi I have asked the America Association of Retired Persons, the AARP, a leading voice for older Americans, and the Concord Coalition, a leading voice f fiscal discipline, to organize a series of four nonpartisan regional forums this } The Vice President and I will participate. I hope the Republican and Democratic leadership will also participate. I was encouraged that Speaker Gingrich the other day that he felt we should save the surplus until we had fixed t Social Security first. Americans Discuss Social Security. On March 21st, I will help kick off first of many of their town hall meetings and teleconferences. details — will be in Kansas City on April 7th. Then in subsequent ones v will hear from a variety of experts and average citizens across all ages. It is > important to me that this debate involve young people — very important because you have a huge stake in it and you need to imagine where you will be a what kind of investment patterns you think are fair for you and how you think is going to play out over the next 20, 30, 40 years. We want people of all a involved in this. Now, when we go out across the country and share the information and people's ideas — then, at the end of the year in December, I will convene historic White House Conference on Social Security. And then, in a yea will call together the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and S to begin drafting comprehensive, bipartisan landmark legislation to save th 34FE5F7E.FINPage 11 of 12 Keep in mind, most of you who are sitting out here can look forward to Acting today for the future is in some ways the oldest of American tradi http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 Social Security system. expectancy well into your 80s. Most of you, by the time you get to be m age, if you live to be my age, your life expectancy will probably be by then 90 more. We're going to have to rethink this whole thing. But we have to do it wi view towards preserving the principles and the integrity of our society, binding us together across the generations and across the income divides. This national effort will require the best of our people -- and I think it w get the best of our people. It will ask us to plan for the future. It will ask us to be open to new ideas, not to be hide bound and believe that we car the future through the prism of the past. But it will ask us to hold on to the c values that lifted our senior citizen from the burden of abject poverty to dignity of a deserved good, solid old age. We can do this. President Roosevelt often called us to the spirit of bold, persistent experimentation. We will have to do that. But he also remindc that our greatest challenges we can only meet as one nation. And we mu remember that. With our increasing diversity, and the way we work and and our racial and ethnic and other backgrounds — religious backgrounds — still have to be, when it comes to treating people with dignity and fulfilling c obligations to one another, one nation. It's what Thomas Jefferson did when he purchased the Louisiana Territc and sent Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. It's what Abraham Lincoln when at the height of the Civil War, he and the Congress took the time to estal a system of land grant colleges, which revolutionized the future of Amerii It's what we Americans did when, in the depths of the Depression, when pe, were only concerned about the moment, and 25 percent of the American peop were out of work, our Congress and our President still took the time to establish i Social Security system, that could only take flower and have full impact long a they 34FE5F7E.FIN Page 12 of 12 were gone. That is what we do when we do best — what Professor Quigley called "f Thank you very much. (Applause.) END 11:21 A.M. EST 10 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe5f7e.html 1/5/2010 preference." What I prefer is a future in which my generation can retire, those who are not as fortunate as me can retire in dignity, but we can do it in z that does not burden you and your ability to raise our grandchildren. Bei I believe the best days of this country lie ahead of us if we fulfill our responsibilities today for tomorrow. 34FE6299.FINPage 1 of 14 Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 2/9/98 6:14:15 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT TO CARBON COPY TEXT_BODY Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release February 9, 1998 The Briefing Room 1:17 P.M. EST http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html1/5/2010 PRESS BRIEFING BY GENE SPERLING Press Briefing February 9 Sperling Press Briefing February 9 Sperling Press Briefing [UNCLASSIFIED] Crowley, Philip J. Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Benjamin, Daniel Blinken, Antony J. Gray, Wendy E. LaFleur, Vinca S. Leavy, David C. Naplan, Steven J. Widmer, Edward L. Miyaoka, Lester H. TRANSLATEDATTACHMENT Sperling0209.doc THE WHITE HOUSE 34FE6299.FIN Page 2 of 14 Q Is there anything you think we don't know about it already? MR. TOIV: Yes. Q What? And let's start with Gene. MR. SPERLING: Helen, thanks for the rousing reception, enthusiasm. Q There are a few other things on the plate. Q I grant you that. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 MR. TOIV: Good afternoon, everybody. We are going to start off today a briefing by Gene Sperling on the President's Social Security initiative. X MR. SPERLING: Thank you. The President in his State of the Union, essentially announced a three-part announcement which was, number one, that all c future surpluses should be reserved until there was a comprehensive Social Sei MR. SPERLING: Not that are important to more people's lives than Soc Security. solution, until we know how much of those surpluses might be needed t part of that Social Security long-term solution; that secondly, that the following months should be a period in which we elevate the Social Security challenge; ar that, sort of done this once, but nobody was able to pay attention to it, and so we're going to do it again. So Gene ought to be helpful to you on that. MR. TOIV: Well, Gene is going to let you know that. And after Gene g< we're going to have our three-headed monster sort of brief you in place of Mil who, as you all know, is in the Northeast today. And what we're going to try £ do is Ann, of course, will brief on foreign policy stuff; Joe will brief on sor the matters that he's been handling lately; and I'll sort of clean up the res And so we'll try to do the briefing in such a way that we don't keep wall back and forth here. We won't hold you all to that, but let's try and do it in soi sort of order that way. 34FE6299.FIN Page 3 of 14 Q The President didn't say whether he would go to Kansas City. Q Where is he going March 21st to kick off the Pew thing? http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 Today was a kickoff for that second part, the elevating the Social Securi challenge, and doing so through education, through creating public and political pressure for action, and through a careful effort to try to keep this debatt balanced and bipartisan during this time period, so there truly is the capability for the type of bipartisan atmosphere next year that will allow us to have chance of getting Social Security reform completed. MR. SPERLING: He will. The President will attend the first forum in Kansas City. And we are doing outreach and hope that members of the Republic leadership and the Democratic leadership would also attend. The Speakc than $10 million on an effort to elevate this. And March 21st is a 10-city interactive teleconference in 10 cities. And the President will go there ai kick that off. number three, that we have a strong commitment to actually getting legislation done, starting in January of '99. The President at that day - or in our briefings announced that in an effo make sure elevating the Social Security challenge was balanced and fair had asked the Concord Coalition - which is, as many of you know, started initially by Paul Tsongas and Warren Rudman and Pete Peterson, and now also includes Sam Nunn and Tim Penny as leaders and has been a main force for fiscal discipline — would be one of the co-sponsors as well as the AARP. Today we announced that the first of those would be on April 7th in Kai City. The President also announced that he would kickoff the Pew Foundatioi effort - their calling Americans to discuss Social Security. They are spending called for similar types of forums and has spoken supportively of the no of saving Social Security first, or using the surplus first to see how much - saving it to see how much is needed for Social Security. But we have tai with many people and we're hoping to have a very significant turn out, or at 1 support and participation for. 34FE6299.FIN Page 4 of 14 gave a speech where he laid out in detail a coming entitlement challenge http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 That was one of the charts that the President showed, ad that explains w the poverty rate for elderly Americans has gone from 35.2 percent to 15.2 percent in 1979. It was 12.9 percent in 1992, and is now at 10.8 percent. Today, the President also went through a few of the main issues. I think today, in my memory, was the first time a President of the United States MR. SPERLING: It would actually be -- he'd be doing that from satellit from here, which is where the linkage is for the 10 cities. Social Security, and laid out very specifically what the nature of the challenge is. I think that is significant and I think, obviously, in speaking to a colk campus, trying to send the message that this is not about simply the non politics of entitlements that we have seen often over the last decade, but about a real effort at generational equity, at fixing this problem in a way that supports the retirement security of people in the future, but does so in a preventative way so that it's not dealt with in a crisis at a later time in w it may require significant burdens on people trying to both raise their children and support the Social Security system at a later point. Let me mention something I don't know if the President did mention, bu think it shows the power of Social Security. The elderly poverty rate is 10.8 percent. If you were to simply subtract Social Security the elderly poverty rate w jump to 48 percent. So, but for Social Security, the poverty rate of elder Let me just quickly note the things that he mentioned. Social Security ir 1959, one of the charts he had, was at — I'm sorry -- in 1959, the poverty rate 1 elderly Americans in our country was at 35.2 percent. That was largely because Social Security had not really spread to the public in a general way. Not enough people were fully - had fully worked enough to get the benefits, nor hat had the disability protections that we have now. So from 1955, when there v 7.5 million people in Social Security, to 25 million in 1970, there are now 4 million, including 7 million who get help from the disability part of Soc Security. 34FE6299.FIN Page 5 of 14 The President also talked about the fact that essentially that is because S problem that can be dealt with later and that every Congress will kick th issue over the next two years. And the President's speech today will be t http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 And so this is a serious matter and it is a serious issue to try and elevate this debate in a way that we can do this in 1999. Some of the biggest thr to Social Security reform will be the temptation of elected officials to kick can down the road, that no matter what we do, that they will feel that thi down the road another year, another two years, until rather than prevent crisis, we have a crisis. are not enough to cover the benefits going out. Because there is still inte coming into the Social Security trust fund, the Social Security trust fund continues to improve to 2019. At that point, the receipts coming in plus interest are not enough to cover the benefits going out to Social Securitj recipients. So that at that point in 2019, the Social Security trust fund becomes depleted; until 2029 it is not able to pay a benefits or would ha pay out over that period only 75 percent of benefits. The other chart that the President showed showed that the Social Securi becomes insolvent in 2029. Essentially the problem comes even quicker in 2012 in which the receipts coming into the Treasury are less than the be Americans would jump from 10.8 percent to 48 percent, which shows I very powerfully its significance. And if you look at what we have done by making a national effort to ele the challenge, by saying that none of the surplus can be used for other funds sources or priorities until Social Security is dealt with. We are very, I th carefully trying to put pressure on our political system to try to deal witl Security is a commitment of people working today to ensure retirement those retiring now -- on the commitment that the future work force will do the same. And the problem that we have that he tried to show quite graphically on chart is that while in 1960 there were 5.1 percent workers for every person retiring, that has now gone to 3.3 people working per retiree. And by the year 20 there will be only 2 workers for every person retiring. And that is very much 1 heart of the problem and the reason that there is a need to fix that now. 34FE6299.FIN Page 6 of 14 first of many efforts by this administration to push out that message. MR. SPERLING: Well, the President asked us to think through how he http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 think with the President's simple declaration that none of the surplus she be used until we have fixed Social Security, I feel that the debate has very i for either tax cuts or spending programs. You have both Democrats and Republicans looking at the surplus as a way of solving highway needs, i Q How much support do you have from the Republicans, in addition to Gingrich? Q Gene, the President was saying today whaf s wrong with Social Secur talking about the problems. When will he offer his ideas about what a solution to this problem is? A lot of people think he's got a lot of political capital now, maybe he should spend some of that by standing up and offering a And I do think one should not underestimate that prior to the State of th Union we were seeing almost the beginning of a feeding frenzy on how the sur would be used for various different priorities, and that because of the President declaration we now have close to a consensus that our surplus should be saved until we fix Social Security. But the question is will it lead to Social Security reform, or what best w increase the prospect of Social Security reform? It is our opinion — and maybe shifted and, in fact, most of the debate now has been more on what wou happen with a hypothetical tobacco legislation. actually pass Social Security reform. I think that — certainly, I think our economic team would be capable of coming up with a decent plan that I could support. MR. SPERLING: Well, I think, as the Post article and others have show think that the President's announcement at the State of the Union on saving Sc Security first has fundamentally changed the political debate. I think if j look just in the prior weeks, you had a prominent Republican calling foi using $200 billion of the surplus for tax cuts. You have, 1 think several people the Democratic Party as well looking at options, I think, for using the su 34FE6299.FIN Page 7 of 14 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 and I would ask you to ask other people who care about Social Security reform about this - but it is their and our concern that were the President or on< the major leaders to come out with a specific detailed plan prior to the election, that it carries with it the risk that that would become a source o political gunfire prior to the election and that that could actually reduce rather than increase the prospects of Social Security reform. Q You said that in the past you used the budget surpluses to pay down tl national debt while you were waiting for a solution on Social Security. I MR. SPERLING: I'm glad that you asked that because there's been a lot think confusion maybe on that. Partly that's because this topic of the tru: fund is certainly a complex one. But let me try to be clear. right or wrong — but it is our opinion that creating an atmosphere where there could be a bipartisan centrist solution to Social Security is the best hope that happening. And it is our concern and the concern of many, many ot use it to pay down the national debt, how do you then retrieve the surph if you decide you need them to shore up Social Security? Our position was that nobody should pass legislation that drains the surj no one pass legislation that drains or spends the surplus until we know how much of the surplus is needed for a comprehensive Social Security plan. Under o planning, under our prospects, we see that — we don't see a surplus in ar significant form happening during the time period we are trying to get tl done. If our calculation on that were to change at some point, that would chan our view. But right now I think the best thing we could do is use this year to to have the kind of atmosphere we had in '97 in the balanced budget agreement, where we I think helped create an atmosphere where we could get togetl and come up with a bipartisan plan that might be harder for any person to do alone And I'd just say we had $400 billion of Medicare savings over 10 years, don't believe that if either the Democrats or Republicans had made that their platform in '97, that that would have happened. I think what happened is that we able to work together and come up with that at one time in a way that th was significant buy-off. 34FE6299.FIN Page 8 of 14 Q What's your answer to Republican criticism that if the President was i MR. SPERLING: I'm sorry, your question was? Q The question is, Republicans have been critical, saying that if the Pre: http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 was very serious about saving Social Security first that money from the settlement would be devoted to the Social Security trust fund and not to various new programs that you delineated in the budget. very serious about saving Social Security first that money from the tax settlement would be going to Social Security and not to all the various programs that you've delineated in the budget. MR SPERLING: We are being consistent since the '92 campaign -- that believe I guess my answer is, under our projections we're hoping that will not b< necessary. But it is not inconsistent with our view, and if a surplus stark accumulate and people thought that was a reasonable idea, it would cert be something we would be willing to consider. But the important thing is tl under any of these scenarios we shouldn't spend the money. I think if a few bil of that simply goes to paying down the debt while we're solving this probk don't feel that's inconsistent with the President's proposal. But neither de think it's inconsistent if others down the road see a surplus accumulating while we're still debating Social Security reform and want to come up with soi form of legislative device for saving or protecting that. So, in other words, our budget - our hope is to have Social Security ref by the end of fiscal year '99. So it is our -- we are trying to get this done on timetable in which we do not believe - or we do not project that a surpl would have accumulated much at that time. Now, the question is what if, in this time period, prior to the end of fiset year '99 when we're trying to get Social Security reform, you're asking y happens if the surplus does emerge. What would happen if there's no legislation is it just buys down the debt. And the question is if there was a decent amount of a surplus is there some mechanism in which you would try to save th; keep those savings available for the Social Security trust fund. 34FE6299.FIN Page 9 of 14 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 counting on the younger people in generating the momentum or someth significant momentum over all of this? Q Gene, the President made his speech today in front of college student: opposed to a traditional Social Security lobby like AARP or something. We've also always at the same time argued that you need more public investment in areas like education and training. And if you could do that in a fiscall responsible way in which you paid for that, that was the right strategy. 1 that you had to have an economic strategy that increased both public investment and private investment. You increased private investment by reducing tl debt, increasing more savings and, therefore, lower interest rates that spur pri sector investment. the strategy we've had in every single budget. And so what we're saying what the President said at this State of the Union, was that for anybody ’ has new priorities — him or anyone else — they should continue to do it und< that discipline. And that discipline being that the discipline of the budget nil the pay as you go budget rules - that if you're going to spend a dollar, y paid for that dollar somewhere else. That's the discipline what we're livi in. What we can have now is a separate question of additional money comii - not money that somebody got from a budget cut or new revenue increase, bi money coming in because the strategy has been working and because we've hac stronger economy. And what we wanted to say there is let's not break our fiscal discipline and essentially treat that as free money that you now break th< budget rules and start spending that for everyone's priorities. Let's realize that v still have a major commitment on Social Security and reserve the funds we know how much of that may or may not be required to fix long-term So Security. MR. SPERLING: I think it's more that he wants to make clear what he t to say in the speech in the State of the Union when he said whether you're 50, or just starting to put money in Social Security trust fund. I think he wai make sure that when people hear him talking about Social Security that 34FE6299.FIN Page 10 of 14 So I think he very much wants to make sure - and I think he said this to would be hard for them to support their own children. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 So I think you'll see a conscious effort to have a Social Security fix that fair in terms of generational equity, and that as his message goes out, he making sure that he's trying to talk to different age groups and give then very much the same message as to why we should all care about this kind of intergenerational justice. that his message is an intergenerational message and that he speaks to b‘ the young people, to baby boomers, and to older people. And I thought he s eloquently today about the fact that people his age who are looking at th retirement want to make sure Social Security is there for them, but not i) way that would make their children face such high tax burdens in the future 1 Q Gene, it's not clear to me why you think the — or why the President th the American people need a year to understand what the problem is witl Social Security. What is it you're trying to prepare the American people for dui this year? Why not just call in the congressional leaders now and start w on this and not wait a year? don't think that this is just about the temporary battles that people have seen g on back and forth over the last 5-10 years on Medicare, Medicaid, or otl issues, but that this is truly about long-term reform and wants to make s’ that younger people understand that he — that this effort is about helping the and that somebody who is 33 today will turn 65 in 2029 and that they shouk very deeply about this, and that they should not feel that Social Security is as likely to occur for them as seeing a UFO. MR. SPERLING: Look, you have to make your best judgment. I consul I personally consulted with virtually every major group on this issue, and of them felt - the people surveying this, spending a lot of money, people tl thought had good political judgment - that if you went into an issue like and you tried to go forward immediately with reform before the Americ people fully understood the nature of the problem, before they had a chance to i look at that, that if you rushed into that in the middle of a political year, that 34FE6299.FIN Page 11 of 14 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 this could too easily become a subject for political cross-fire and that w< would end up setting the clock back. Q Gene, did you have any misgivings about doing these regional forumi under the imprimatur of the AARP? In the past they've been the ones vigorously opposed to entitlement reform. And although they say this time they're willing to entertain the idea, it may be that they're going to be opposed to the more aggressi attempts at reform that may be necessary. Certainly if a situation created itself earlier, if people came together we certainly would not be opposed to that. We're simply making our best judgment as to what the best chances for getting that done. And I can say that it is a judgment shared by groups across the political spectrum. So I understand that anytime you go out and you make a bold, specific proposal on any area you get nice feedback for a day or a week, but that wasn't th question. The question is how can we actually get long-term Social Sect reform. And it is our judgment that trying to elevate this debate and tryii keep it bipartisan and trying to create an imperative for action and trying keep that atmosphere during the period prior to the election creates the I possibility that after the election there could be a chance for bipartisan a long-term Social Security reform. So instead of one political party or the other putting on one of these fon. in which either people would be suspect that it was being tilted towards a particular agenda or that it was too difficult to confront any of the serioi issues because it would be seen as being read as indicating a position fo against an issue - that if you put this in the hands of two groups that tog people would view as balanced, that it would give people on both sides the aisle and of different views the confidence that these would be balanced fair and someplace they could go talk to. MR. SPERLING: Well, the thing you need to understand is that it's beir done jointly under the AARP and the Concord Coalition. So it is being done jointly under them. And what we were trying to do is to have two organization' I think are familiar to all of you that would be responsible for ensuring th there is a sense of balance there. 34FE6299.FIN Page 12 of 14 forum that you'd see the President or possibly Republican leaders go to. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 Q Can we do this one last question? Gingrich last week asked the administration for specific legislative language on how to handle the reserve. You seen be saying today that, you know, people can suggest that themselves if they Some have suggested that bonds could be — federal debt, rather than bei retired, could be transferred to the Social Security trust fund to help that, you're not going to do it. Why would you not back up your own proposal with legislation? You know, I should say that we will be working with many other group: the National Council of Aging, the Older Women's League, the National Cc of Seniors, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medic; with Martha McSteen and Max Richtman - and certainly other groups that h focused more from the deficit reduction side like CSIS, which has been holding forums on this issue. But no, I think that having two groups that are seen to people as represe: different perspectives and who are committed to trying to make sure thii are balanced, I think that works. Certainly, we've gotten criticism from peoj who don't like the AARP and people who don’t like the Concord Coalition. E our argument is together they're an insurance policy that this will most likel; as balanced and fair as anything that you've probably seen recently in term MR. SPERLING: There's two questions -- let me just say - there's two issues on the surplus. One is if you have long-term Social Security reform, and th« surplus was going to be used as part of that reform — so, in other words, you had a comprehensive Social Security solution and part of the solution w using the surplus, how would the surplus be used. On that, you've already heai from several different people in the political spectrum, different ideas. I don’t think there's any shortage of ideas on how the surplus could be used. 34FE6299.FIN Page 13 of 14 The second issue is, what if while we're waiting for Social Security refo THE PRESS: Thank you. END 1:45 P.M. EST http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html 1/5/2010 few billion dollars of surplus happens. That was the question I was aske where right now, by budget rules it would pay down the debt. And our view is we don't foresee that as being a significant problem because we're trying to this done in the next year and a half, when we do not project there wouL a significant surplus. strengthen the Social Security trust fund. That is one idea that some hav out. I believe that Bob Reischauer and Henry Aaron have at least been talking informally with people about whether money could be used - surplus cc be used for equity investments that could strengthen the surplus. That obviously will be controversial with many people. Others, I think 1 Senator Gregg and others have said the surplus could be used to help a transition towards a partly pre-funded system. I am not — let me make clear — not endorsing nor criticizing any of those. I am just saying that there are ma suggestions already as to the mechanics as to how the surplus could be i Our opinion is that we should wait and see how the surplus or a portion of th surplus fits into a comprehensive Social Security reform. But what I said was that if a surplus were to start accumulating before had a comprehensive Social Security trust fund, and some said it turned out th there was $20 billion or $25 billion dollars accumulating, rather than having t pay down the debt, they wanted to somehow keep that savings in play for lo term Social Security reform. My answer was we don't project that to be neces but if that situation arose it would not be inconsistent with our position. Ant certainly would be willing to consider that that type of option — if the situation arose and people thought it was necessary, to stay consistent w our save Social Security first pledge. 34FE6299.FIN Page 14 of 14 * 12 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/34fe6299.html1/5/2010 3512B34B.FIN Page 1 of 11 Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 2/26/98 6:19:52 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT TO CARBON COPY TEXT BODY For Immediate Release February 25, 1998 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT DCCC DINNER Office of the Press Secretary (San Francisco, California) Private Residence San Francisco, California RBTP at DCCC Dinner (in San Francisco, CA) [UNCLASSIFIED] Crowley, Philip J. Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Benjamin, Daniel Blinken, Antony J. Gobush, Matthew N. Gray, Wendy E. Halperin, David E. LaFleur, Vinca S. Leavy, David C. Naplan, Steven J. Widmer, Edward L. Miyaoka, Lester H. Remarks by the President RBTP at DCCC Dinner (in San Francisco, CA) TRANSLATEDATTACHMENT dccc dinner 0225.doc THE WHITE HOUSE 3512B34B.FIN Page 2 of 11 10:20 P.M. (PST) you, too. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl 998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 I was trying to think of what I ought to say tonight that you haven't alret heard. One thing I thought, when Bill talked about what a meritocracy Silicon Valley was, and it didn't matter where you came from as long as you coi Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for coming here, and thank you for going on Politically Incorrect and sticking up for me tonight. (Laughter.) It's truly strange th that would be politically incorrect to do, but that's all right. (Laughter.) Thank you, Congressman Miller, and thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for bein; here and for your leadership. I told some people — we were just at a larger recept over at the Fairmont, and I told the people there that the thing I really lil about Nancy Pelosi was she'd been in Washington a long time and she s had not managed to become cynical. She's still full of energy and passion and conviction. And we need more of that there. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. You know, that was a better speech thai one I was going to give. (Laughter.) Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Sally. I am delighted to be here - it's a beautiful, beautiful place. It's been a great dinner, interesting people. Thank all of you for being here and supportir these fine candidates. I want to thank Mike and Lois for running for Congress. (Applause.) Th are prepared to make a not insignificant sacrifice in the quality of their life t there and serve you. And they will serve us well. I have a lot of friends here, but I want to say I'm especially glad to see E and Lee Perry. Bill Perry is one of the finest public servants that has ser the United States in my lifetime, one of the greatest Secretaries of Defei we ever had and I thank him for being here. (Applause.) I'd also like to thank all of you in this room who have helped me and Hi and Al and Tipper in our wonderful journey these last several years; anc people of California, and the people of this community, in particular, ha been very, very good to us and I'm profoundly grateful. And to those of you who've helped us, especially on the technology issues over the last five years, I 3512B34B.FIN Page 3 of 11 invest more in education and health care and the environment. homeownership in history. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 But all that means is that more people have good life stories to tell. And yet, if we think about the dynamism of this time - it's not true that the society is changing as fast or as profoundly as the Internet is growing, ft example. But it's changing about as fast or as profoundly as a human organism can change. And, therefore, we need to be thinking always about the fut and what we're doing to prepare for this new century we're about to enter. A The country is in good shape. I hope that doesn't mean that we are feelir complacent or that we're going to take our eye off the ball and become r small minded when we ought to become more large minded and more visiona And that's basically what I was trying to say in the State of the Union. And I feel - glad that my fellow Democrats can go into this election cycle and say w proved that you could reduce the size of government and balance the budget am program a computer - you know, you could become a partner. I thought, my Got had made my career there I'd be starving now. (Laughter.) Never has one so technologically challenged tried so hard to do so much for high technok in America. Our country is in good shape tonight and I'm very grateful for that. Whe you made that crack about how could you still be a Republican, I used to kic Dole about every time the stock market would go up another 100 points I'd sa here I am working to get you more money for your campaign. (Laughter.) It w against my self-interest, but I did it anyway. It was good for the country. We proved that you could have a partnership with business and still be compassionate toward working people. We proved that you could be foi creating more jobs and still for giving people the support they need to succeed w their families at home - with child care and things like that. I'm glad we can that. Or we can just reel the numbers off and say we've got the lowest unemployment rate in 24 years, the lowest crime rate in 24 years, the Ic smallest welfare rolls in 27 years, the lowest inflation in 30 years, the hi 3512B34B.FIN Page 4 of 11 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 First of all, it's important to keep the economy growing. It may be that technology with good economic conditions will permit a higher level of growth for a longer period of time at lower levels of inflation than previously we h< thought. That may be true. It will only be true if we are responsible. Am just like to mention three or four things tonight that I think are terribly important. of the things that to me has been most gratifying has been the public response to my insistence that we not start spending the surplus before it materialize We've had a deficit for 30 years and, you know, as soon as the new year came around everybody had great ideas for how to spend the projected surplu; Now, I do believe we have eliminated the structural deficit and I believe we'll get a balanced budget this year — if not this year, certainly next year. Ar then it's projected that we'll have surpluses for several years thereafter, r than a decade. And I hope that happens. And because there's no structur deficit in the budget — that is, even if the economy slows down, and yot know when the economy slows down you get less tax money and you have to more out because there are more people unemployed — but over time, if there's nc structural deficit we'll still have a balanced budget to a large surplus, depending on how much growing. Now, what my goal is, is to spend this year having a non-partisan natior process by which we discuss all the alternatives that are out there availa and then early next year we pass legislation which will basically take care ol long-term stability of the system. Simultaneously, no matter what optioi choose, by 2029 when the present trust fund is expected to run out of m< and start costing more money than the people are paying in every year in tax we will have to do some significant things. But no matter what we do, not r There are a lot of people who want to start spending that right now in ta cuts or spending programs, and we should do neither. We certainly shouldn't it, A, until it materializes - the bird is not in hand yet. And, B, we should not it until we have dealt with the long-term financial problems with the So< Security system. We have some significant decisions to make. And I thi it's very important. (Applause.) 3512B34B.FIN Page 5 of 11 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl 998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 It is well not to underestimate the good these programs have done. In IS for the first time in the history of our country, the poverty rate among peopl over 65 was lower than the poverty rate of people under 65. When Social Sec was inaugurated, over 70 percent of the American people over 65 were livin; poverty. Many of them were living in abject poverty. This is a terrific achievement for our country. And while I have emphasized putting mon emphasis on the children in this country in poverty and more on their health care, education, their nutrition, their well being, we do not want to give up thi signal achievement that is really a mark of a decent society. And, yet, in order to avoid it we're going to have to plan for it and deal with the fact that rr generation, the baby boomers - and I'm the oldest of them - when everybody from my age to 18 years younger crowds into the Social Security system, the And, by the way, we have a simultaneous effort going on now with Medicare. We have more than a decade of life on the Medicare trust fund. But, again, t pure demographics of the baby boom retirements and the fact that we're livin longer and accessing more high tech medicine mean that we're going to have tc make some changes in Medicare if we expect it to sustain itself well into the next century. and not then will Social Security be enough for most Americans - the vast, majority of Americans - to maintain the standard of living they enjoy o they retire. Therefore, we also have to find ways for people to save more and prepare more for their own retirement. So we're going to be looking at a of interesting ideas in the Social Security system. And I hope all of you wi enter that debate. But as I said in the State of the Union address, it's literally true, there w< a public opinion survey done last year which showed that most people u 25 thought it was more likely that they would see a UFO than that they woi ever draw a penny of Social Security. I don't want to discourage young peopl from watching the X-Files — (laughter) — but I think we have to somehow re^ that perception. So that's the first thing I want to say. 3512B34B.FIN Page 6 of 11 thing I want to say. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 Medicare system, all this is going to change everything substantially. And we owe it - and I don't know anybody - and most of the people I [ up with are middle class people, more than half of them don't have college educations, the people I went to high school with. And I was with a bun them not very long ago and we all sat around the table and every one of is haunted by the idea that when we retire we would have to impose an unwarranted financial burden on our children and on their ability to raise our grandchildren in order to take care of us. Nobody wants that. And we have an opportm now, by acting now, to make relatively modest steps that will have relatively impacts in the years to come if we do it. So that's the first and very impc It's literally true today that if you're willing to work for it, you can go to college. And community college is virtually free now. For people who g community colleges, that $1,500 tax deduction covers all the tuition for about 80 percent of the community colleges in the country. And there's a great se of achievement there. Why? Because people know it really means somethi have higher education in America. And they know we have the best system o higher education in the world. The second point I'd like to make is that we have a lot of work to do in t country on education. And many of you have helped us in our goal of hooking up every classroom and library to the Internet by the year 2000. We're mak good progress on that. But consider the anomaly in the United States -- one ol things that I could just feel during the State of the Union resonating witl people at home was when I went through all the things we'd done to inc: aid to people who go on to college. Basically, now most Americans qualify $1,500 tax credit, tax reduction for the first two years of college and a U credit for junior and senior year in graduate school. And there are more Grant scholarships at higher income levels. There are education IRAs, y can deduct the interest on the student loan. The people that are in our direct program can get cheaper college loans with better repayment terms. The are 300,000 more work study slots out there. 3512B34B.FIN Page 7 of 11 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl 998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 The next issue I'd like to mention that I think has great relevance to the future is the environment. This year the two major — I'm very proud of t the world. Because we're kidding ourselves if we think we can really bu truly meritocratic society if a bunch of people are stunted coming out of blocks. No one believes we have the best system of elementary and secondary education in the world. We just got the results of the Third International Math and Science Survey, which is given to several thousand --1 think about 20,000 -- but representative sample of our high school seniors. And of 21 countries w scored 19th. Now, in the Sth grade were in the middle; in the 4th grade we're n< the top now - we tied for second in the 4th grade test. What happens? There are lots of reasons for what happens. But we've b< trying to unpack that. But I do not believe it is any longer acceptable to well, what do you expect, because we have so many poor kids, 20 perce our kids are in poverty and we have so minority kids and all that. That is all bunch of bull. This is not rocket science. I mean, Sally just introduced u that magnificent young woman who's a student at Stanford. I believe all can learn. I believe 90 percent-plus of us can learn 100 percent of what we r to know to make a society go, otherwise democracies would all fail. And ii would have happened long ago. didn't mention this before, but compared to five years ago the air is clea: the water is cleaner, there are fewer toxic waste dumps and the food sup is safer. And we have set aside more land and trust to be saved than any I have supported the charter school movement and school choice and a 1 other things. But we have got to have also more standards and more emphasis on teaching and a lot of other reforms in the schools. We've got a big progr out there now to lower class sizes and do a number of other things in this se of Congress. But I intend to spend a huge amount of effort in the next thret years to do what I spent the 20 years before I became President working on in public life, and that is trying to give us the best elementary and secondary systc 3512B34B.FIN Page 8 of 11 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html1/5/2010 administration in the history of the country, except the administrations c Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. And I'm very proud of that. We're working on saving Lake Tahoe now and I'm very proud of that. (Applause.) But there is still a great deal to be done, and on two issues in particular which will affect the quality of life in California. The first is with regarc clean water. The Clean Water Act, which was passed 25 years ago, was designed to deal with pollution mostly coming out of sewage systems and out of industrial activities - so-called point source pollution. Bad stuff comes out of a pi goes in the water, clean it up. Forty percent of our waterways in Americ still not pure enough to swim and fish in because of non-point pollution things that run off from the land. We have got to do more on that. So we have a major initiative on that, a new clean water initiative. The other thing that I think is imperative that we get on is — and you're dealing with it right now with El Nino -- the climate change phenomenon is real and we must do what we can t meet America's responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We can de and still grow the economy. Every time we've had to face a clean air or cleai water issues people have said, oh, if you do this it's going to shut the economy down. And every time we've done it, it has given the economy a boost because opened up a whole new area of high tech jobs that we didn't have before Now, basically, a third of all these CO2 emissions come from transporte a third come from buildings, homes and office buildings; and a third corm from manufacturing plants and electric generators. And the technology is nov available, right now, to reduce substantially our greenhouse gas emissio with available technology that pays out in two to three years, with regan buildings, office buildings, homes, manufacturing facilities and electric generators. And with the new fuel injection engines that are being devel for automobiles with the hybrid electric in fuel and gasoline engines and a 1 the other things that are going on, within two or three years you're goin£ look at automobiles that have literally one-fourth to one-fifth of greenhc gas emissions of today's automobiles. This is an imperative thing to do and i hope all of you will support this, because we have a good program going thro Congress and I think we'll pass it. But it's important. 3512B34B.FIN Page 9 of 11 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 The last thing I'd like to say is this: I have tried very hard to change the political culture of Washington with, you would have to charitably say, mixed results. (Laughter.) I don't even understand it half the time. I realize I'm afflicted by the fact that I had a real life for too long. The last thing I'd like to say is, Bill talked about research. Hillary gave i the idea of trying to have a part of our program this year be a gift to the millennium that would be part respecting the past and part imagining th< future. The respecting of the past part, we're going to try to restore the Constitu the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Star-Spangk Banner, and get people in every community in the country to do an inventory of they have. But I will say this: I think that the work we're doing in this Race Initiati1 the campaign for the employment non-discrimination act, the efforts to 1 America together across all the lines that divide us and to have everyboc judged based on their merit, and to give everybody a chance, and to build an America that basically is a stunning contrast to the racial and ethnic and religious conflicts that are beleaguering the world - how much of your time as President - because my time is really your has been spent in my presidency on the problems of my people in Northern Ireland — my people — still arguing over things that happened 600 years ago, or th But we also have to recognize that in the years we were running these hi deficits, we wound up under-investing in a lot of things we should have invested more in, principally research. So we've also offered the biggest research budget in the history of the country in this balanced budget. And I hope we can it and I hope all of you will help us pass it because it's a big part of our fut For example, there's a place called the Old Soldiers Home in Washingto D.C, that was built before the Civil War. And on the Old Soldiers Home then cabin which is almost totally dilapidated now, where Abraham Lincoln': family lived every summer — and other presidents. It wouldn't cost that much t( restore it. It's a Washington, D.C. facility. Every single community in th country has places in it that tell the part of America's story and they hav be preserved. 3512B34B.FIN Page 10 of 11 Thank you very much. (Applause.) END http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/feb 1998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 continuing torment in the Middle East, or what happened in Bosnia, or t to save all those children from the horrible fate they were facing in Rwand all these places. We're supposed to be living in this great modem world, yo hook everybody up to an Internet, but if they still have primitive impuk then they just have modern technology to give greater vent with greater inter) to primitive impulses. I want us to have a strong economy and I want us to always be on the forefront of every new thing that happens. But in the end, we have to prove that v can be one nation together. And I try to end all my talks now by just reminding everybody that the people that came here to start this country came here because they literally deplored the unlimited, arbitrary, abusive exercise of powe over the lives of citizens. And they had a better idea. They said, we want to b free and we want to be free to pursue happiness — not have it guaranteec us, free to pursue it; and in the process, we will work to form a more perfec union. Now these people you're supporting here and the party we represent -- y we've modernized the Democratic Party. Thank you, Bill. And, yes, they can't all those bad things about Democrats they used to say. But if you look at th whole 20th century, if you go right back to Woodrow Wilson forward, our cou has always been for those things. We've always been for more freedom, moi opportunity, and a stronger union. Which means even when we haven't I right on the issues, we've been on the right side of America's history. And I'm proud to be here with you, Mike. I'm proud to be here with my good friend, Lc And I'm proud to be here with a party that I think can lead America to a bette place in the new century. 3512B34B.FIN Page 11 of 11 10:42 P.M. PST 9 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd008/febl 998/3512b34b.html 1/5/2010 Page 1 of 8 ( Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 4/7/98 2:59:04 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT TO CARBON COPY TEXT BODY TRANSLATED ATTACHMENT For Immediate Release April 7, 1998 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO A NATIONAL FORUM ON SOCIAL SECURITY Office of the Press Secretary (Kansas City, Missouri) Remarks by the President Address by the President to a National Forum on Social Security (in Kansas City, Missouri) Penn Valley Community College Kansas City, Missouri social security national forum.doc THE WHITE HOUSE 354980ED.FIN Address by the President to a National Forum on Social Security (in Kansas City, Missouri) [UNCLASSIFIED] Crowley, Philip J. Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Blinken, Antony J. Gobush, Matthew N. Gray, Wendy E. Halperin, David E. LaFleur, Vinca S. Leavy, David C. Widmer, Edward L. Miyaoka, Lester H. 354980ED.FIN Page 2 of 8 11:25 A.M. CDT As the Governor said, this is a good time for America and a time of gre< http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 I thank the members of our administration who have come who will be participating: the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Fn Raines; the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Larry Summers; the Director of tl National Economic Council, Gene Sperling; and the Administrator of Social Security, Ken Apfel. Attorney General Nixon, Treasurer Graeber, Insurance Commissioner Sebelius, thank you all for being here. Mayor Cleaver, thank you for hosting us. I don't know if Mayor Marinovich is here or not, but if she is, hello. (Laughter. I'd also like to thank the leaders of the AARP, including Horace Deets, and the leaders of the Concord Coalition, including Martha Phillips, for their hosting of this forum. The AARP has long been a leading voice for the elderly, the Concord Coalition long a leading voice for fiscal responsibility over the long run and their willingness to work together is very important. I'd also like to than the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the House and Senate Democratic leaders for nominating and being represented here today by the members of Congress who are on the program. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning. Thank you, Governor Carnahan, for your leadership on so many areas and youi friendship. I'd like to thank the leaders of this fine institution for welcoming us here and for the mission they perform every day. I thank Senators Kerrey and Santorum for their concern, longstanding, for Social Security reform and their present here, and Representatives Hulshof and Pomeroy, who are participating in the program, and Representative McCarthy, and also Representative David Dreier fro California, who is a native of Kansas City, who are here. 354980ED.FIN Page 3 of 8 < But this sunlit moment is not a time to rest. Instead, it is a rare opportun http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 For too long, politicians have called Social Security the "third rail" of American politics. That's Washington language for, it's above serious debate. This year we must prove them wrong. This conference, with its wide participation, is a good start. On the political calendar, 1998 is an electic Today we turn to the business at hand -- building public awareness of th nature and scope of the problem, and building public consensus for the best changes. Clearly, we will strengthen Social Security and reform it only if we reac across lines of party, philosophy, and generation. And that is one reason for the broad representation of age groups in this audience today. We have to have op minds and generous spirits. And we all have to be willing to listen and to learn to prepare our nation for the challenges and the opportunities of the 21 si century - or in the words of the old saying, to fix the roof while the sun shining. In the coming century, the aging of our society will present boti great challenges and great opportunities. I hope to live to be one of those peoj and so, to me, it's a high-class problem. hope. Our economy is the strongest in a generation. Many of our social proble are on the mend. Our leadership in the world is unrivalled. Within the next yea we will have a balanced budget. And where once there were deficits project as far as the eye can see, we now have projected surpluses as far as the eye cai see — a trillion dollars' worth over the next decade. But because a higher percentage of our people will be both older and retired, perhaps our greatest opportunity and our greatest obligation at this moment is to save Social Security. In the State of the Union address, I called on Congress to set aside every penny of any surplus until we had dealt with Social Security first. Both parties in both chambers of Congress have joined in this call. That is the good news. 354980ED.FIN Page 4 of 8 So Social Security is also a life insurance policy, and a disability policy. well as a rock-solid guarantee of support and old age. That is why we he http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 million Americans depend upon Social Security, and for two-thirds of o senior citizens it is the main source of income. For 18 percent of our seniors it the only source of income. year. But on the Social Security calendar, we must resolve to make it an education year, when we come to grips with the problems of the system and come together to find the answers. This issues is complicated, so we need the best ideas - whatever their source. The issue is controversial, so we have to have a national consensus on both the nature of the problem and the direction we must take. Missouri's native son, Mark Twain, once said, "I've come loaded with statistics, for I've noticed a man can't prove anything without statistics." So I thou, we would begin today with a few statistics. Today, as the first chart shows, But Social Security is more than just a retirement program. Today you c see that more than one in three of the beneficiaries are not retirees. They are children and spouses of working people who die in their prime. They an men and women who become disabled, or their children. That's why I've asked all the members of Congress to also host town hal meetings in their own districts. I'll be talking with several of them by satellite later today. And we'll hold more additional forums like this one around the country. In December, there will be a White House Conferer on Social Security. In January, I intend to convene the leaders of Congress draft a plan to save it. With this effort we can forge a national consensus and we must. For 60 years, Social Security has meant more than an ID number on a ta form, more than even a monthly check in the mail. It reflects our deepest valui the duties we owe to our parents, to each other, to our children and grandchildren, to those who misfortune strikes, to our ideals as one America. 354980ED.FIN Page 5 of 8 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 Since its enactment over 60 years ago, Social Security has changed the face of America. When President Roosevelt signed the bill creating the Social Security system, most seniors in America were poor. A typical elderly person sei Now, there's something else I want to say about this. Even though most seniors need other sources of income in addition to Social Security to maintain ; comfortable lifestyle: if Social Security did not exist, today half of all American retirees would be living in poverty -- 60 percent of all women Fifteen million American seniors have been lifted out of poverty through the Social Security system. Today the system is sound, but the demographic crisis looming is clear. The baby boomers - 76 million of us - are now looking ahead to their retirement. And people, clearly, are living longer, so that by 2030, there will be twit as many elderly as there are today. All these trends will impose heavy strains on the system. Let's look at th next chart here. You can see that in 1960, which wasn't so long ago, thei were over five people working for every person drawing Social Security. In 1997, last year, there were over three people — 3.3 people — working for every person drawing. But by 2030, because of the increasing average age, if present birthrates and immigration rates and retirement rates continue, there wil be only two people working for every person drawing Social Security. to act with care as we make needed repairs to the program occasioned by t huge growth in retirees. letter to FDR begging him to eliminate "the stark terror of penniless old age." Since then, the elderly poverty rate has dropped sharply. You can look here and see that in 1959 the poverty rate was over 35 percent for retirees. In 197 it had dropped to 15.2 percent. In 1996, the poverty rate is down below 11 percent. Page 6 of 8 If we act now, we can ensure strong retirement benefits for the baby boc http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 Now, here's the bottom line. The Social Security Trust Fund is sufficien to pay all the obligations of Social Security - both retirement and disabilit until 2029, after which it will no longer cover those obligations. Payroll contributions will only be enough to cover 75 cents on the dollar of current benefits. So how should we judge the proposals to change the Social Security system? Here are principles that I believe we should follow, and they're on the next ch generation without placing an undue burden on our children and grandchildren. And we can do it, if we act now, with changes that will be far simpler ai easier than if we wait until the problem is closer at hand. For example, a $100 billion of the budget surplus, if used for Social Security, would add a year or more to the solvency of the Trust Fund with no other changes being made. Othei changes, which could be made, can be phased in over time, and keep in mind, sm changes decided on now can have huge impacts 30 years from now. here. I believe, first of all, we have to reform Social Security in a way tl strengthens and protects a guarantee for the 21st century. We should not abandon a basic program that has been one of the greatest successes in our country's history. Third, Social Security must provide a benefit that people can count on. Regardless of the ups and downs of the economy or the financial markei we have Second, we should maintain universality and fairness. For half a centurj this has been a progressive guarantee for citizens; we have to keep it that wa It was not until 1985 that the poverty rate among seniors was lower than tl poverty rate for the population of America as a whole. It is an astonishing achievement of our society that it is now so much lower, and we should not give it up 354980ED.FIN * Page 7 of 8 to provide a solid and dependable foundation of retirement security. Thank you very much. (Applause.) http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 Fourth, Social Security must continue to provide financial security for disabled and low income beneficiaries. We can never forget the one in three Soci Security beneficiaries who are not retirees. Now, these are the principles that will guide me as we work to forge a consensus. I hope they're ones that all of you can also embrace. This national effort will call on the best of our people. It will require us to rise above partisanship. It will require us to plan for the future, to consider new ide to engage in what President Roosevelt once called "bold, persistent experimentation." It will remind us that there are some challenges that v can only meet as one nation acting through our national government, just as there are others we can better meet as individuals, families, communities. And fifth, anything we do to strengthen Social Security now must maintain our hard-won fiscal discipline. It is the source of much of the prosperity we enjoy today. This is also a challenge for every generation. To the older Americans he today, let me say, you have nothing to worry about. For you Social Security is as strong as every. To the younger people here today who may believe t you will never see a Social Security check - indeed, I saw a poll which purported to be serious that said that Americans in their twenties thought it was more likely they would see a U.F.O. than that they would every draw Social Securit (Laughter.) That skepticism may have been well founded in the past, bu just as we put our fiscal house in order, we can and must put Social Security in order. And above all, to my fellow baby boomers, let me say that none of us wants our own retirement to be a burden to our children and to their efforts to raise our grandchildren. It would be unconscionable if we failed to act, and act nc as one nation renewing the ties that bind us across the generations. 354980ED.FIN ♦ Page 8 of 8 END 11:39A.M.CDT 6 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354980ed.html 1/5/2010 354980ED.FIN ♦ 354F3A35.FIN Page 1 of 12 < Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 4/9/98 7:31:44 PM FROM Wozniak, Natalie S. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT TO CARBON_COPY TEXT BODY Office of the Press Secretary Internal Transcript March 20, 1998 The East Room 6:30 P.M. EST http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3 a35.html 1/5/2010 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION RECEPTION THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Dalton, and thank you, ladie gentlemen. Welcome to the White House. I'm glad to see so many of yo I'm glad many of you brought your children. I'm glad Charlotte came. (Lau£ You know, I tried to get Charlotte to run for Congress a couple years ag she said she had been reading in the newspapers that everybody in Wasl was no good, so she just couldn't do it. (Laughter.) INTERNAL - RBTP at National Newspaper Association Reception [UNCLASSIFIED] Crowley, Philip J. Dehqanzada, Yahya A. Luzzatto, Anne R. Rubin, Eric S. Wozniak, Natalie S. Gray, Wendy E. TRANSLATED_ATTACHMENT int-national newspaper association reception.doc THE WHITE HOUSE 354F3A35.FIN Page 2 of 12 1 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 There's actually a phenomenon now known as airport malaria, where pe going It's a good time for America, it's an interesting time for America. But it': quite important that all of us understand, as I said in my State of the Uni address, that these are not the kind of good times that should make our c want to sit on its lead, if you will, or just relax and enjoy the fact that wc have the lowest unemployment rate and the lowest crime rate in 24 year lowest welfare rolls in 27 years, the lowest inflation in 30 years, the higl homeownership in the history of our country — almost two-thirds of Am now live in homes that they own. That's a good thing. But the world is still changing very, very rapidly. You know the revolut that technology has wrought in your own work. The sheer volume of knowledge is doubling now every five years. I had the Nobel Prize winning head of tf National Institute of Health, Dr. Harold Varmus, in here yesterday; the 1 Lady asked him over. We were talking to him about health developmem Africa, getting ready for my trip there, and especially emphasizing our concern the 21st century one of our security challenges which will affect all of y be the greater potential for global spread of disease, because of the flow food across national borders more and more of us have — America expo to the rest of the world, and more and more people export food to us, and I we're traveling more. I am delighted to have you here again. And I’m glad you've had a good t know the Attorney General has already spoken with you. I don't know il anyone else from the administration has. But I always am glad when you come 1 because I think you represent the heartbeat of America. And in so many the major task of my presidency has been to take these historic, sweeping, g changes that are going on - literally dramatically changing the way peo work and live and relate to each other and the rest of the world - and to try to sure they have a positive impact neighborhood by neighborhood, comm by community, family by family all across the country. So in that sense what you do means a very great deal to me. I still read e day the newspaper from the community I lived in before I came to Wasl and it's very interesting to see the difference in the front page of the commui newspaper and the front page of the political newspapers here. (Laughte say most of you come out pretty well in the comparison. (Laughter.) Bu to do more with the prism through which you view the world. Page 3 of 12 354F3A35.FIN year for the first time since 1969. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 to Europe from different continents meet each other in the airport and m literally gets transmitted. And in Africa it's a particular problem now be< of the climate change, aggravated this year by El Nino, we have mosqui bearing malaria at higher and higher altitudes than ever before, exposing and more people and, in turn, a higher percentage of them get on airplar they go to airports where the rest of us bump into them. What we're attempting to do now in this session of Congress and in this calendar year beyond what happens in Congress, is to lay those foundations with basically the emphasis on, first of all, building an economy that offers opportunity everyone over the long run. And that starts, in my judgment, with sayinj we're glad we're going to have the first balanced budget in 30 years — w get it this year, even though the proposal is for next year. I think if thing stay on track we'll actually have a balanced budget, probably have a surj And there are a lot of people, especially because it's an election year, wl have wonderful ideas about what to do with that surplus. My idea is moi old-fashioned: I don't think we ought to spend a penny of it until we knc we have secured the Social Security system for the onslaught of baby be retirees. I'm the oldest of the baby boomers, I'm 51, and basically the ba boom generation is the generation born between 1946 and 1964, that 18 period, the largest group of Americans ever, except the kids that are nov school. We've finally got a group bigger than the baby boomers. oftentimes you would be reading the community newspaper and sometii when you see the television it's almost like - the national network news — it some resembles like a community news program. And you just have to take a< of the fact that it's a culture that, thank goodness, is very different from tha any other culture in the country in that sense. I say that to make this point, not to scare you or bother you, but this is a very small planet we inhabit. And yet the fundamental reality of our live the life of our community. And sometimes when you think Washington wacky, it would help you to understand it if you just thought of Washington as < community town in which the business — the primary business was poli So the trick is, really, for us, how do we preserve the values, the integrit and the success of communities and their important institutions, starting families and building out, and reap all the benefits of these great global changes. That has been the mission of this administration: to try to prep; this country for the 21st century, or, to use my campaign metaphor, to b that bridge to the 21st century. 354F3A35.FIN Page 4 of 12 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 most of the people I know and most of the people I grew up with at horr middle class people. About half of them went to college, half of them di They live on modest incomes. They are panicked with the thought that e the Social Security system won't be there for them, or, if it is there, the price will be so expensive for our children that they won't have the money the to raise our grandchildren. And we don't believe that should happen. So I cannot overemphasize what I believe is the importance of that. The to have this year, among other things, four big regional, bipartisan, hope nonpartisan, meetings and a whole other series of actions which will res the end of this year, the first of next year, in a proposal that will make th Social Security trust fund viable far beyond the present plan, which is 2< which coincidentally is the year that all the baby boomers get into -- are over. That will take it out there so that young people -- interestingly eno a recent poll showed that young people in their 20s thought it was more that they would see a UFO than that they would draw Social Security. (Laughter.) I like the X-Files, but I don't like that statistic. (Laughter.) So what we want to do is to run the Social Security trust fund out there, how we're going to do it — it may or may not take the projected surplus^ the next 10 years, it may or may not. And then we can decide what to de second thing we've got to do is keep the balanced budget in place. Nothi do - it may vary from year to year. If the economy goes downhill, you kno get less tax dollars and you have to spend more for unemployed people, structurally we have eliminated the deficit; the built-in big deficit that v, from 1981 forward is now gone. So now if you see a deficit come up, yr know it's just because there's been a dip in the economy - if we stay with the pattern of discipline we have now. And when we all retire, there will only be about two people working for one person drawing Social Security if we continue to retire at present ra And keep in mind, a lot of people are retiring well before 65 now. Now, seems to me that we have to understand that at least our generation, the baby b We know that if we make modest changes now to prepare for this, they have almost no destructive impact on us when we retire, but they will guarani our children will be able to enjoy the same sort of opportunities - hopel even greater opportunities than we have. That, I think, is very important for our long-term financial health. You c see in the troubles these other countries are having economically what h if 354F3A35.FIN Page 5 of 12 ads. (Laughter.) But let me say, this 4.6 percent is misleading because the unemploymen http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/apr 1998/35413 a35.html1/5/2010 investors lose confidence in the economy. You can move your money at the ocean in the flash of a computer key. Money is very mobile today. Cour will be rewarded if they have responsible budgetary policies; they will t punished if they do not. You see the unemployment rate that says 4.6 percent. The economists te that there are about 3 percent of the people moving around all the time,; you get the unemployment rate under 3 percent you've got a job shortag know, there are want ads that — it's good for you because more people b So whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, whether you consider y< a liberal or a conservative, you should wish your government to operate v framework of discipline that will, first of all, permit the economy to gro that over 90 percent of the people are always going to be able to do pret by taking care of themselves and working and going forward. So that's t thing I would like to emphasize. I was in Las Vegas where carpenters have fringe benefits worth over $8 hour, in the carpenters union. I'm glad. But they have a vibrant economy that i it possible. In Washington, D.C., we've reduced the size of the govemm part of our prosperity is because we've given you a different kind of government. The government in Washington today is the smallest it's been since Johi Kennedy was President. We've reduced it by 350,000. That's one of the reasons - the only reason, but one of the reasons the unemployment rate in Washi D.C., is above 8 percent, and in some neighborhoods even higher. Nebraska and North Dakota is 1.9 percent. In Omaha you can go to wor fast food place for way above the minimum wage and get guaranteed health benefits, because they have to offer it to get help and because prosperity is such t they can afford to offer it. The second thing I think we have to do is to face the fact that not every American has had a chance to participate in this newfound prosperity. T are still whole neighborhoods and communities, principally in our inner citi in some rural areas, where we don't have the kind of prosperity that Ameri' enjoys, where the unemployment rate is not low. 354F3A35.FIN Page 6 of 12 it out and the gain is not taxable if the money is used for education. And there are a lot of reasons why, but we now have the international m science test for the 4th, Sth, and 12th grade. I'll tell you an interesting http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 The last point I'd like to make about that is I think the most important th we can do is to continue our efforts to preserve education, opportunity, < enhance the quality of education. I believe 30 years from now, when the There are tax credits for the junior and senior year, for graduate school, adults going back to get training, 300,000 more work-study slots. The ir on student loans is finally tax deductible. There are many more Pell Gra You can have an education IRA now; you can save for your kids' colleg education and you can put the money in and it's not subject to taxation. Then you < urban areas where we haven't seen recovery, and will put more investmc other kinds in those areas. And I think it's important. I think all America who are enjoying this prosperity would like to know that their friends ar neighbors in other parts of the country at least have their chance to parti in it. So we have a very strong strategy, which I hope and pray the Congress ’ adopt this year, to go to a community-based economic development model tha put tax incentives for new investment where they ought to be, in the rural ar So we've really worked hard to open the doors of college. Why is that sc important? Because you all know that it's a ticket to a better future. And one questions that America has the finest system of higher education in world. Unfortunately, no one would seriously assert that on the whole o system of elementary and secondary education is the finest in the world. We kn isn't. The HOPE Scholarships give a $1,500 tax credit - not a deduction, a cr for the first two years of college to American families. That covers the c community college tuition in nearly every community college in the cor not every one, but most of them. of this last two years is written and people talk about how we passed the balanced budget in 30 years, the next most important thing about what v that budget is that I believe we can really say now we've opened the doors oi college to everybody who is willing to work for it. 354F3A35.FIN Page 7 of 12 the 12th grade. get home. So this is important. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html1/5/2010 We ought to help more kids get off to a good start. We ought to help ma that we can have better-trained teachers, and we ought to support that sc improvement. thing. We rank near the top in the 4th grade, even though we have the m diverse student body, not only by race and ethnic and national origin, bi income -- more diverse than a lot of wealthy countries. We do great in tl beginning. We are in the middle by the Sth grade. And we're near the be Let me just mention a couple of other things. In addition to an economy offers opportunity for all, we want a society that enables us all to honor responsibilities to our families and to one another. Among other things, proposed a Patient's Bill of Rights that I think is very important to deal ’ the fact that 160 million Americans are now in managed care plans. The been a lot of good out of that. It's cut inflation in health care dramaticall It's helped us to get the economy more healthy. But there are also all kir The other thing I want to say is that these statistics also are misleading because we still have a lot of schools that are as good as any that you co find anywhere. And an awful lot of our problems are concentrated in a f schools, and, again, we need a community approach to that. Well, I think we need smaller classes, more teachers, better-trained teaci The kids should be required to take more difficult courses. We have too children who go all the way through high school and our put in these tes they haven't even had the courses taught by people with the academic background to teach them. And I think that now that we have the money to contribul that, without interfering with the primary role of the states and the local governments for education, we have some funds -- we will have this yei ought to invest in that. One of the most important things in this community budget for educatio substantial new funds to help schools stay open after hours to be commi institutions to give children places to go if the parents are working. The majority of juvenile crime is committed after school closes and before tl I really admire what they're doing in Chicago to try to turn their school: around. Now, in Chicago, if you don't pass exams, you can't get prornot the next grade. But instead of just holding you back, they have mandatory s school - a drastic thing for a big city. But you know what else? The crii rate has gone way down in the summertime in Chicago. (Laughter.) Wh Because the kids are now - they're being given a better future and also somethin 354F3A35.FIN Page 8 of 12 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl 998/35413 a35.html 1/5/2010 Lastly, let me say that I believe that the nation needs to operate more by values that we say we espouse but that you live with in your community But maybe the most important thing we could do in the near term is to f pass comprehensive legislation that would make it possible for us to im] the proposals to reduce teenage smoking. More people die as a result of tobacco-related illnesses every year than virtually every other thing you think of put together — accidents, AIDS, cancer, all of it put together. Tl thousand kids start to smoke every day, even though it's illegal; a thousr have their lives shortened as a result of it. We have the potential now, if we can resolve the honest policy differenc pass a big plan here which will make a huge difference and cut the rate ■ literally save a million lives over the next five years. So I want you to ki that I may have to — you know, it's an election year. There is only about more days when Congress is scheduled to be in session in this town. Bu want them to go home without dealing with the tobacco issue. I just thin wrong. We've had a year to debate this, and it's enough time. We have a major clean water initiative this year that we have the suppoi interestingly enough, most of the agricultural groups in America - I'm r pleased with that. Forty percent of our water is still not clean enough to in, after all of the changes that have been made. We have basically clear the problems of pollution from sewage systems and from factory run-of of And the Patient's Bill of Rights would simply say that you have a right t advice from your doctor on what's best for you from a health care point view, not just whafs most cost effective; if you need to see a specialist, you hr right to see one; if an emergency develops and you have to go to an erne room, that should be covered by your plan. I think it's very important. We also have a commission looking at reforming Medicare for the 21st century, and we plan to come up with a proposal - it's a bipartisan group - next deal with that. We have an enormous opportunity here, I think, to do me help people who are working to cover their child care costs. That's a big of the budget this year. pressures in this new system to sacrifice quality for profit if the going g( tough. it's very important. That means among things that I intend to continue tl initiative I have to try and continue to push the frontiers of closing the g between us across racial lines. I intend to try to get a reauthorization of • national service program, Americorps, this year to give more young peo chance to earn money for college by serving in their communities. 354F3A35.FIN Page 9 of 12 and what it might mean for your community if it's an issue there. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/apr 1998/35413 a35.html 1/5/2010 We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, whicl about a third from vehicles, about a third from buildings - residential and commercial — and about a third from manufacturing facilities and electric power pla So we've got a system here that I think will allow us to continue to grow economy and deal with that. And I urge you to look at the clean water ir sort of erratic weather pattern will become more a normal feature of our We just had horrible tornadoes in northeast Georgia today - a little late season, really, for them normally. The thing I want to say to you is that • believe that if I had time to talk to all of you, I could persuade you one c one. (Laughter.) I'm going to attempt -- and I'm having some trouble -- but I'm going to a to persuade the Congress to pass my initiative so that America can do it: on the global climate change issue. There is no question that the climate is warming, of the whole globe, at a more rapid rate. And if you look at so the things that have happened this year from El Nino, you see what can a more permanent set of extreme weather developments if you have a pen warming. This El Nino just — it warms what it affects, but it's a recurrin phenomenon, interrupted by several years. Imagine what would happen were the condition every year from now on. That's what this is about. the problem we have now is from so-called non-point pollution: develop of all kinds, people building golf courses that I love — (laughter) — agriculture things of that kind. We had one week below freezing in the winter time this year in Washin. until the second week of March, by which time a lot of stuff had bloomed am my tulip magnolias turned brown overnight because it froze again. (Laughte can reduce these greenhouse gas emissions dramatically in ways that do hurt economic growth if we will use existing technologies for everything but and trucks, and technologies that are right on the brink of breakthrough for c We do not have to give up economic growth, but we do have to pursue 1 with some discipline and give some tax incentives and other things for peopL what makes sense over the long run for the value of the economy. So th< 354F3A35.FINPage 10 of 12 just some of the things I wanted to mention to you. going to fix it. http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3 a35.html 1/5/2010 Finally, let me say that the First Lady came up with what I thought was wonderful idea, which is that we ought to try, as we move up on the nev century and a new millennium, to imagine what kind of gifts we'd like to give tc future. And we have a program called Honoring the Past and Imagining Future. In the past, what we're trying to do is to preserve our country's most imj heritage. It's going to cost us at least $13 million to preserve the Star Spangled Banner. It's in trouble. We have to redo how we keep and mai the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence Every one of you has in your community, one or two buildings, one or t monuments, an old cemetery, something, that is a very important part ol heritage. And just as we go crazy over the Internet and the future and all this looking at the future, we ought to think about marking the millennft saving the past for our children and our grandchildren. Then as we look to the future, I think the most important thing we can d invest in research so we that we can accelerate the beneficial impacts of this change. We're going to have to take the heat. It's going to be easier i make biological and chemical weapons and get airport malaria, but it wi more good than bad if we take advantage of it. So I propose to double the rest budget for the National Cancer Institute. The genetic research we are do now offers the prospect in the fairly near future of literally unlocking a genet code that will enable us to deal with most known forms of cancer; to dramatically increase the overall budget of the National Institute of Health and increg overall research, including research in space. I want to build a space stal at three football fields, in the sky. It's a good thing to do. We will learn < lot from doing it that will help us here on earth, and I hope you will sup] that. But let me end where I began. The world is becoming smaller. Technok revolutionizing everything. Knowledge is doubling every five years. Bu we really have to do is make all this work for us by preserving the integrity At the Old Soldier's Home about eight miles north of here, there's a littk cabin where Abraham Lincoln's family stayed every summer when it go hot here in the White House. And for years, the President's family would go up tl and spend the summer because there was no air conditioning. It's crumbling 354F3A35.FIN Page 11 of 12 All over the world today, there are people who want to use the modern > http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 community and the institutions that made this country great at the comn level. And in a funny way, all this technology makes it possible for us tc the benefits of the world home to every community if we have the wisdi the discipline and the determination to do it. I am very optimistic about the future, but I know that it will not be a time free of difficulty. Today I spent my time thinking about my trip to Africa - no American president has ever done a serious trip to Africa. I've talked to the Prime Minister c Great Britain about peace in Northern Ireland. Yesterday, I met with Kii Hussein to talk about peace in the Middle East. And people still find wa behave the way they have for hundreds of years in negative ways. Finally, let me just say this. You try to help people become informed an only have information but perspective. We can have all the information world, but if we can't think, if we can't reason, if we can't respect others we can't agree on what the rules of civilized competition and ideas are, in deep trouble. So you have to remember that you perform a critical fui And in that sense, the more things change, the more they'll be the same. Over 220 years, every challenge this country has met has required us to three things - you think about it. From the beginning to the Civil War, to the Industrial Revolution to the Great Depression, to the Second World Wai Cold War, to the Civil Rights movement to the environmental movemer challenge we've met, we've had to do three things. We have had to wide circle of opportunity to give more people their chance at the American c We have had to deepen the meaning of freedom, whether it was freeing slav giving women the vote, making sure immigrants weren't discriminated against, had to deepen the meaning of freedom. And we've had to strengthen the bon our union to come together instead of being driven apart. draw apart from their neighbors, whether their Hutus and Tutsis killing i other in Africa or what happened in Bosnia that we had to put a stop to < terrible you read about in Kosovo now — you name it. In America, we s; you share our values, you obey the law, you show up for work every day, yo right by your kids, it doesn't matter, you can still be our neighbor. Your differ are not as important as what we share in common. That is the great gift ’ give to our children and to the world in the new century, and you can he 354F3A35.FIN Page 12 of 12 give that gift. Thank you very much. (Applause.) END 6:59 P.M. EST 12 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd009/aprl998/354f3a35.html 1/5/2010 38365469.FINPage 1 of3 Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 10/19/99 5:14:37 PM FROM CLASSIFICATION SUBJECT TO CARBON_COPY TEXT BODY Alien contact would ignite media frenzy http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd018/octl999/38365469.html1/5/2010 BUT WHERE IS FEMA IN ALL OF THIS- MAYBE THEY ARE THE ALIENS... -----Original Message From: Wechsler, William F. (TNT) Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 5:08 PM To: (^TRANSNATIONAL - Transnational Threats Subject: We needaNSSE! [UNCLASSIFIED] By TODD HALVORSON, Florida Today ARECIBO, Puerto Rico The Hollywood scenarios always are the same. Soon after we make contact with aliens, hysteria seizes a panicked public, or paranoid G-men in black suits and dark sunglasses put a lid on the news. But in the real world, scientists expect neither mass pandemonium nor a government cover-up if or when intelligent life is found elsewhere in the universe. A media free-for-all in today's wired world coupled with a carnival-like sideshow is more likely. What happens next will be something that we cannot in fact control or orchestrate at all," said Jill Tarter, chief scientist with the SETI Institute of Mountain View, Calif., which is searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. "It will be a huge circus." The initial news flash will be followed by special TV reports with such catchy titles as "Alien Encounter at Arecibo." News crews will RE: We need a NSSE! [UNCLASSIFIED] Wechsler, William F. (TNT) Green, Charles A. (TNT) Gordon-Hagerty, Lisa E. (TNT) UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of 3 38365469.FIN http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd018/octl999/38365469.html1/5/2010 But do not return ET's call. Any response to an alien message, the protocol says, is a matter for "international consultations" in other words, a worldwide debate over who should say what for humankind. Tarter, who played a major role in putting together the protocol, is one of the many scientists who know full well the announcement won't go by the book. But at the same time, scientists say: Street rioting is unlikely. Without a doubt, a 1938 radio dramatization of The War of the Worlds triggered frenzy when thousands of listeners thought invading Martians were spreading death and destruction in New Jersey and New York. The Sunday night broadcast disrupted households, interrupted church services, spawned traffic jams and clogged telephone lines. Some actually left their homes as wide-eyed mobs took to the scurry to the mountaintop observatory here, and a new genre of "expert" TV analysts astronomers with a knack for snappy sound bites will form a lucrative cottage industry. A human wave made of the UFO crowd, strange cults, religious zealots and enterprising T-shirt vendors will crash onto Puerto Rican shores, swamping the media event to beat all media events. "That's one scenario that just might play out," Tarter said. "What is unsettling is the fact that the situation will get away from us, and it will be very difficult to do our work." A plan, however, already is in hand to try to manage the event. Called the "Declaration of Principals Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence," it's a three-page set of instructions adopted in 1989 by the International Academy of Astronautics. Made up of 1,000 researchers from 65-countries, the academy presumes the detection will come in the form of an intercepted radio signal rather than an alien spaceship visiting the White House. The protocol includes the following: Step One: Confirm, over and over again. The discoverer will not make any announcement until proving beyond a doubt that the radio beacon isn't a stray TV signal from The Sci-Fi Channel. Step Two: Verify, repeatedly and independently. Don't claim an alien contact before scientists at other radio telescopes can unequivocally determine that ET indeed is calling. Step Three: Tell Everybody. Alert the appropriate "national authorities." Advise astronomers through the Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams. Notify the secretary general of the United Nations. Ring up the media. 38365469.FINPage 3 of 3 http://classified/email/data_source/exchange/record/cd018/octl 999/38365469.html1/5/2010 Beyond that, the drill for authenticating a signal from ET effectively spreads the news very fast. Astronomers in countries around the world would be called to work in a harried bid to verify the alien beacon, making leaks to the media unstoppable and a cover-up impossible. In addition, those who think the government successfully could quash the scientific discovery of the millennium "greatly underestimate the urge to share heart-stopping news and the perceptive powers of the press," Shostak said. streets. But scientists say the chances that aliens actually will show up in spaceships, threatening to lay waste to our cities and abduct our women, are slim and none. It's more likely contact will come in the form of a remote radio signal, they say. "The point here is that there would be no immediate danger," said SETI Institute scientist Seth Shostak. "Just because you picked up a radio signal doesn't mean the aliens are hopping in their saucers and coming our way." However the announcement comes - if it does come - it probably will not shock the world. Public opinion polls the past few years show most people already believe life exists elsewhere in the universe. And as for a government cover-up, much to the chagrin of the conspiracy crowd, the international protocol clearly states that a confirmed alien detection "should be disseminated promptly, openly and widely through scientific channels and public media."