THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  April 15, 1993


                            PRESS BRIEFING
                       BY GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

                          The Briefing Room



1:04 P.M. EDT
	     
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Good afternoon.  
	     
	     Q	  Could we do this on the lawn?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That would be nice.  Let's go out 
to the cherry blossoms.  We'll do like the President.
	     
	     Q	  Is the stimulus package dead? 
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Absolutely not.  
	     
	     Q	  Can you tell us more about the Dole talks?  You 
said it was a good visit, but no compromise.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.  The President had a good talk 
with Senator Dole last night.  I think that as we said before, there 
were no specific compromises on either side, although it was a very 
good discussion about the jobs package and about other issues as 
well.  As you know, the President first called Senator Dole I believe 
Tuesday night to talk about the Russian aid package.  They did not 
speak -- Senator Dole called him back Wednesday morning -- when the 
President was out.  Instead he spoke with Tony Lake, and at the close 
of that conversation, indicated that he wanted to speak to the 
President about the jobs and stimulus package.  They finally talked 
about that yesterday afternoon.
	     
	     At the close of that discussion they said that they 
would have another talk last night, which they did, when the Senator 
was up in New Hampshire.  And although there were no specific 
compromises made on either side, they did say that they would 
continue to have some discussions.  And that's where we are.
	     
	     Q	  Well, who is giving in?  Where is it standing --are 
both making concessions?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know that it's at that 
phase.  No compromise has been made.  As the President has said 
consistently, he intends to come forward with an adjusted package.  
He believes in the package, but he believes that if it's going to 
take adjustments to get the minority to release it, he's willing to 
make those adjustments.
	     
	     Q	  On the subject of a VAT --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Oh, boy.
	     
	     Q	  Can we stay on this for one more minute?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Sure.
	     
	     Q	  We have a problem with the five minutes --
	     
	     Q	  I know no decisions have been made, but what would 
lead the health group to believe that a VAT might be necessary?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Sorry, Andrea, I'm not going to go 
down that road.  No decisions have been made.  As the President said 
this morning, a number of groups, a number of members of Congress, a 
number of other organizations have recommended that this be looked 
at.  The working group is looking at it, but no decisions have been 
made.
	     
	     Q	  To follow, have they done that directly through 
him?  Have labor and business groups been in touch with the President 
about it?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Not to my knowledge, although 
there's a lot of people who have public decisions in support of the 
VAT.  But the President has not made a decision.
	     
	     Q	  At the meetings that he's had with his own task 
force advisers, have they discussed the funding issue and what the 
possible options would be?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think that that has been 
presented for a decision, no.
	     
	     Q	  Not for a decision, but has it been discussed as an 
option?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, there are a lot of levels of 
briefing.  I do not believe that the VAT has been presented to the 
President as, okay, this is something for you to decide on.  
	     
	     Q	  You're not saying he didn't know it was being 
considered, though, are you?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, he said it's being considered.
	     
	     Q	  He knew that.
	     
	     Q	  But has he discussed that with his advisers?  
That's what I'm asking.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President has said it's being 
considered.  I do not know what level of discussion there has been 
over the VAT.  It is something the working groups are looking at.  I 
don't even know that it's --
	     
	     Q	  But he didn't say he was considering, did he, at 
this stage?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, he is not.  I think we're 
getting into something of a metaphysical debate right here.  What is 
considered -- 
	     
	     Q	  Well, he is the one who said, I haven't reviewed 
it.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That is true.  That is what I just 
repeated. 
	     
	     Q	  George, is there any concern here that as a result 
of the definite statement he made in February and the promise that if 
it were to be considered he'd let us know, and having it trickle out 
the way it did, that there may now be the development of a 
credibility gap on this issue and others?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think so.  I mean, it is 
now public knowledge that this is being considered.
	     
	     Q	  Is he or you at all embarrassed about the absolute 
statements that were made from this platform to the effect that it 
was off the table and was not being considered, and then to have it 
come out not from you people, but --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, wait a second.  It came out 
from the administration.  What are you talking about?
	     
	     Q	  What I'm saying is, though, that the President said 
he would let us know. 
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Right.
	     
	     Q	  You people then said -- you said, I believe, that 
it's not going to be on the program.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  On March 25th.
	     
	     Q	  On March 25th. 
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Circumstances change.
	     
	     Q	  Well, I understand.  But we have to find that out 
by rooting around in the fine print of an interview
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Rooting around -- I know you did do 
a very good job there to read the USA Today article.  But this is --
(laughter) -- the Deputy Director of the OMB and the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services.  I mean, that is common anytime you guys 
write a story that has an unattributed quote from somebody in the 
Clinton administration, the headline is -- I'll look at it right 
here, and AP story -- "Clinton wants more money for spying."
	     
	     Q	  What about his remark that if it were being 
considered, he'd tell us about it?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  And the administration's concerned, 
and he'd let you know.
	     
	     Q	  And did he?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.  Absolutely.  What did he say 
this morning?
	     
	     Q	  It had to be dragged out of you here yesterday.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It didn't have to be dragged out of 
me.  We had the Deputy Director of the OMB, we had the Secretary of 
Health of Human Services say it was being considered.  That is his 
administration.  That is his administration policy.
	     
	     Q	  Were these authorized trial balloons, or were they 
orchestrated leaks?  I mean, what was the --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They were asked questions, they 
answered the questions.
	     
	     Q	  You're saying here that it didn't have to be 
dragged out, that you more or less made it clear yesterday you were 
considering it.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Absolutely.  I was very clear.  
Painfully clear.
	     
	     Q	  Was there a particular political strategy in making 
it clear the administration is considering a new tax increase on tax 
day?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, it was just this issue is being 
considered.  They were asked if it was being considered; they 
answered that it was being considered.
	     
	     Q	  George, The New York Times --
	     
	     Q	  Why do it yesterday?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They were asked.
	     
	     Q	  The New York Times reports today that Secretary 
Reich and the chief economist at the Labor Department used apples and 
oranges numbers in order to portray last month's unemployment figures 
in a way that was supportive of the President's job stimulus bill, 
but which turned out to be totally false.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know if it was totally 
false, but I think -- (laughter) -- the chief economist at the Labor 
Department did grant that it was an inappropriate mixing, and they 
say that. 
	     
	     Q	  The question is, is the President concerned about 
behavior that amounts to corrupting government data?  And what's he 
doing about it, if so?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The chief economist has said that a 
mistake was made, it won't happen again, and that's the end of the 
matter.
	     
	     Q	  Isn't that the same information that goes to the 
President?
	     
	     Q	  If I could go back to the stimulus package --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  There's two separate pieces of 
information.  I think that's where the confusion was.
	     
	     Q	  When did you all first learn about this mistake 
that was made?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I read the article this morning.
	     
	     Q	  And as far as you know, is the President aware of 
it?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think so.
	     
	     Q	  And was he aware of it before he read about it in 
The New York Times?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know.  Not to my knowledge.
	     
	     Q	  Did you ever hear about it before this morning?  
Anything?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I didn't.
	     
	     Q	  Wasn't the President given an erroneous spin on 
this for his own purpose?  For his speeches, for his arguments?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well again, I'm not sure.  Both 
statements are true.  What the Labor Department has granted is that 
mixing them in one sentence, essentially, was misleading.  They said 
it was a mistake.  They said they wouldn't do it again.
	     
	     Q	  Did they drop it -- is this something that you 
choose to spin or make an issue of?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Whenever fewer people are out of 
work, we're gratified.  But that doesn't take away from the need to 
get this jobs package going.
	     
	     Q	  If I could go back to the stimulus package for a 
minute.  You said that the President plans to come forward with an 
amendment.  Is the timetable still what it was -- that the amendment 
would be laid down on Monday and voted on on Tuesday, or did he, in 
the conversation with Dole, talk about the possibility of putting 
that off for a few more days to give more time for the discussion?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think at this point there's no 
changes in the schedule at all.  I don't know that they discussed the 
timing like that.
	     
	     Q	  Do you believe that you're closer or getting closer 
this week than you were last week?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I believe that we're going 
to pass a jobs package.  The President is prepared to make 
adjustments in order to get that to happen.  I don't know where the 
votes are on cloture at this particular time.  I don't know what's 
going to happen until we have a vote.  But the President believes 
deeply in this jobs package and wants to get it done.
	     
	     Q	  Has there been any indication that this situation 
has changed?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We're going to continue to work on 
it.  We'll know when the votes are taken.
	     
	     Q	  George, last week you said that there are -- or 
various people in the administration were saying that you couldn't go 
through Dole, you were going to have to try and go around him because 
he was immovable on this subject of a compromise, or at least the 
compromise he wanted was not anything like the one that you could 
accept.  This week you're talking to him.  Is that because you've 
realized that the peeling off effort wasn't going to work?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That's because Senator Dole wanted 
to talk to the President about the stimulus package.
	     
	     Q	  He initiated the conversation?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Secretary Reich this morning said that, in fact, 
the President is not willing to compromise on this bill at all.  You 
say he's making --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know that that's exactly 
what he said.  I think he said he didn't have any indication that 
there was any compromises yet or that there would be a compromise, 
and the President doesn't want to compromise.  And the President 
doesn't want to compromise.  But if he has to make adjustments to get 
it through, he will.
	     
	     Q	  Officials here yesterday said that Panetta was 
working on a series of adjustments that might be made public before 
the actual vote.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's possible.
	     
	     Q	  Today?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm not sure exactly when that will 
happen, but I think that it's very possible that we'll come forward 
with some sort of a different package, or Senate Democrats will come 
forward with some sort of a different package in order to get it 
passed.
	     
	     Q	  As we understood his conversations with Dole, the 
first one was some discussion of this and I'll get back to you 
tonight with some details or some adjustments, or whatever the phrase 
is.  Did he offer him some details or some adjustments?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think it's a question of how 
detailed.  I mean, I think they had a general discussion about the 
package last night, subsequent to their conversation yesterday 
afternoon.  I believe that there will be follow-up discussions today 
in the Senate, not necessarily between the President and Senator 
Dole.  And let me just reiterate, neither side has made specific 
compromises at this date.  When we have something we'll let you know.  
And I'm not suggesting that Senator Dole has accepted anything that 
we've talked about or that we've offered anything in a hard way.
	     
	     Q	  What are the follow-up discussions if not the 
President and Dole?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think Senator Mitchell is going 
to talk to Senator Dole.
	     
	     Q	  Is that a threat?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     Q	  Did the President say to Senator Dole, all right, 
how about this number as an overall size, or did Dole say to the 
President, I can go as high as this?  Did they talk numbers?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think it was a negotiation 
in that respect.  It was more of a discussion about their positions.
	     
	     Q	  Did they discuss actual numbers?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not sure.  I know they 
talked about the basic outlines of the packages.  I think they talked 
about the programs they cared about.  I don't know if they got to the 
level of this many x-billion dollars. 
	     
	     Q	  Does Dole have to sign off before there is a 
package?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, of course not.
	     
	     Q	  Did the White House have anything to do with the 
protesters who showed up in New Hampshire today where Senator Dole 
was speaking?  Was that in any way organized by --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Not to my knowledge, no.
	     
	     Q	  And has the President been in touch with Senators 
Kohl or Feingold?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think he's talked to them, 
no.
	     
	     Q	  George, is the President considering the more 
palatable fact of having a national sales tax instead of having the 
haves having to continuously pay for the have-nots?  And is he going 
to scrap his proposed tax on the privileged few, with the haves 
having to pay for the have-nots?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President believes deeply that 
the tax rates on upper income Americans, as he presented in his 
budget, should go up.  And I think for the second half of your 
question, I'll refer you to my briefing from yesterday.
	     
	     Q	  George, on the subject of accuracy in information, 
you suggested the other day that the stimulus package included money 
that would solve the water problem in Milwaukee.  Apparently that is 
not true.  It's actually waste water money.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's waste water money for 
Wisconsin, and some could go to Milwaukee. 
	     
	     Q	  But it would not affect the drinking water problem 
because it's waste water money, right?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It would affect the water treatment 
overall. 
	     
	     Q	  But the implication from your statement the other 
day was that it would help fix this disease problem in Milwaukee now.  
Would you agree that's not the case?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm not sure of the specifics.  I 
know that it goes to the overall water treatment in Wisconsin.
	     
	     Q	  A leftover question from this morning, which was, 
when did the President find out that the task force was deliberating 
on a VAT?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm not sure exactly when.  I just 
don't know.  I assume it came up over the last -- certainly between 
the time that we had commented on in the past and two days ago.  
	     
	     Q	  So sometime since March 25th?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think that's right.  I don't know 
the exact date.
	     
	     Q	  George, the President this morning mentioned that 
some labor and business groups are for the VAT tax.  Apparently, the 
National Association of Manufacturers talks about perhaps the VAT tax 
being okay if it replaces the BTU tax.  So does the President feel 
that perhaps this might be in place of some other tax he's proposed, 
or is this totally in addition to the other taxes he's already 
proposed?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think we've said all we have to 
say about the VAT at this point.  I mean, there's just no -- this is 
being considered by the health care working groups, and that is all.  
The President hasn't made any further decisions beyond that. 
	     
	     Q	  But it would be to finance health care, it wouldn't 
be to replace some other tax that finances -- it wouldn't replace the 
income tax, for instance?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  There have been no discussions on 
that.
	     
	     Q	  In terms of getting a VAT tax through Congress, 
Senator Dole's press release today said VAT -- on tax day.  Do you 
think -- does it have a chance of getting through Congress?  Would it 
have a chance?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I have no idea. 
	     
	     Q	  Is that a consideration whether you all put it 
forward?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That would become a consideration 
if the President were to decide to do it.  It's not in consideration 
now.
	     
	     Q	  You said at the beginning of the briefing that 
circumstances had changed and that had caused the VAT to now be under 
consideration.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes, what the President referred to 
this morning.  These groups came forward and said this is something 
that has to be considered.
	     
	     Q	  Those are the circumstances that have changed?  
That's the only difference between now and when he emphatically ruled 
it out that groups have asked it to be considered?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That's what he said. 
	     
	     Q	  Is that true?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Was there, in fact, some understanding that sin 
taxes would not produce enough money for the health care benefits?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm not going to get into the 
deliberations.
	     
	     Q	  But, George --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.  What the consideration is, as 
the President said, groups came forward and said this is something 
you ought to consider.  The working groups are looking at it. 
	     
	     Q	  Is that the only thing that's changed since his 
prior statement and your prior statement on the VAT?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Can you explain how those groups -- how that 
information got to him that groups wanted it?  Was it just reading 
the newspaper or did groups make presentations?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think the groups -- as you know, 
the health care task force has met with dozens of groups.
	     
	     Q	  But this is the President's knowledge that these 
groups had come forward.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think he was referring to what 
was coming to the working groups.  Obviously, there have also been 
published positions in the newspapers.
	     
	     Q	  Have certain groups briefed him on the group's 
presentations to them?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know if they've briefed him 
-- I mean, how detailed the briefings have been.    I know that the 
working groups decided to look into this after being pressed by these 
groups.
	     
	     Q	  What kind of arguments did the groups make that 
were persuasive enough that the President would change the position 
that he had enunciated previously?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know, it's just they've had 
longstanding positions that this would be a good way to finance 
health care.
	     
	     Q	  The President wasn't aware of those longstanding 
positions?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He may have been at some level.  
Obviously, he's been a governor for a long time and he knows the 
basic arguments for and against a VAT tax.
	     
	     Q	  What we're trying to figure out here -- you're 
telling us that the only change, the only thing that affected this 
change in the President's attitude toward the VAT between February 
and now --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President's attitude hasn't 
necessarily changed.  I mean, he has not made a decision.
	     
	     Q	  I know, but the President said that it was off the 
table.  So did you.  And you're saying that the only thing that's 
changed is the positions of these groups, except you're also 
describing them as longstanding positions.  I don't see the change.  
If these groups haven't had any change in their position that's been 
made to the President --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, they've made the 
presentations to the health care task force.
	     
	     Q	  There's no relationship at all between the fact 
that sin taxes that he had said -- suggested in February that he 
favored will not produce enough revenue to finance --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think he ever suggested 
that they would produce all the revenue.
	     
	     Q	  Well, he suggested that he thought that those were 
appropriate ways to finance health care.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He did say that.  I don't know that 
he said anything to refute that.
	     
	     Q	  But, in fact, has the task force discovered that 
there wouldn't be enough revenue from those taxes to finance the kind 
of core benefits --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I don't think that the task 
force ever suggested that there would.
	     
	     Q	  George, if he advocated a VAT tax, would that break 
his promise not to raise taxes on the middle class to pay for his 
programs?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I can't comment on a hypothetical 
situation.
	     	  
	     Q	  But does that promise -- would that promise not to 
raise taxes on the middle class to pay for the programs prevent him 
from seeking a VAT tax?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President has made no decisions 
on the VAT tax.  When he does, we'll tell you and we'll explain the 
implications then.
	     
	     Q	  Which specific groups can you cite -- business, 
labor or otherwise -- whose recommendations to the health care task 
force has prompted this consideration?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't have the specific.  I just 
don't have that.
	     
	     Q	  George, can you tell us to what extend these other 
alternatives, for instance, the employer tax or the sin taxes or 
other financing options are also still on the table and what these 
options are?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, as members of the task force 
and representatives of the working groups have said, they are looking 
at a wide variety of options.  I think that Ira Magaziner said that 
there are 20 different options under consideration.  But I'm not 
going to comment --
	     
	     Q	  What's the scope --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not going to comment on 
them, no.
	     
	     Q	  What's the scope of the need?  How much are you 
talking about that has to be produced by one or a combination of the 
--
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  That's what the health care task 
force is looking at.
	     
	     Q	  Since there's not going to be any briefing on the 
Miyazawa visit, two questions:  One, generally what does the 
President hope to use that meeting for, but more specifically, is his 
task complicated by the Japanese anger over the Vancouver note and 
the remark about market access at the press conference?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The Vancouver note?
	     
	     Q	  Does no mean yes.
	     
	     Q	  Yes and no.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, I don't know.  I saw the 
Prime Minister's press conference where he was asked the question 
about that note and he gave a very gracious and complete answer when 
he was asked the question.  The questions of trade are something that 
certainly will be discussed between the Prime Minister and the 
President.  There is obviously a trade imbalance between Japan and 
the U.S. that we want to do something about.
	     
	     Q	  Also in those comments the Prime Minister made he 
suggested that the United States should come down heavy on him in 
terms of trade.  Are you going to oblige?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:   I think the President will state 
our views on trade very clearly and our views on the trade deficit 
very clearly.  I don't necessarily want to agree with your 
characterization of the Prime Minister's comments.
	     
	     Q	     that we need specific export targets, specific 
numerical targets -- is that what he's going to discuss with 
Miyazawa?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They're going to have a broad 
discussion of a wide range of trade issues.  I don't want to get into 
those specifics until after the meeting.
	     
	     Q	  Why?
	     
	     Q	   That's the crux of the issue, right?  Whether or 
not -- does the President believe that without specific numerical 
targets, it is really, as he said in his press conference, sort of 
hopeless that this is going to change very much?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President believes that we must 
have pressure on Japan to turn the trade imbalance around.  I do not 
want to get into the specifics of how that would be done.
	     
	     Q	  But does the President believe that their stimulus 
package announced yesterday will rectify the imbalance?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think, first, the President wants 
to get a full briefing on the stimulus package from Prime Minister 
Miyazawa himself, and then he'll make the comment on it.
	     
	     Q	  How about the Russian aid package?  There seems to 
be some confusion about how the U.S. views that, Secretary 
Christopher saying -- or Bentsen saying the Japanese may need to do 
more, the Japanese saying that that's not what they heard?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, we're going to continue to 
work with all our allies in the G-7, and we're going to continue to 
press for help for Russian reform, Russian democratic reform.  And I 
think that, so far, we had a very good announcement out of Tokyo and 
we're going to continue to work with our allies for bilateral 
packages.
	     
	     Q	  Do you think the Japanese need to do more?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We're going to continue to work 
with all our allies to do as much as we can.
	     
	     Q	  Secretary Christopher was asked today on the Today 
Show this morning what he thought of Margaret Thatcher's comments on 
the Bosnia policy.  And he said, "It's a rather emotional response."  
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Over an emotional issue.
	     
	     Q	  Right -- to an emotional problem.  Does the White  
House condone that kind of remark?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think that Secretary 
Christopher's remarks speaks for itself.  The President believes also 
that this is a deeply troubling situation that we're trying to find 
answers for. 
	     
	     Q	  But that specific -- "rather emotional response" -- 
specific term?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, it speaks for itself.
	     
	     Q	  In connection with that, doesn't it seem that with 
the numbers of people who are being killed at this very moment, is it 
good American policy to put off some decisions that might be made now 
to help Boris Yeltsin win a referendum?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  For example?
	     
	     Q	  To take stronger action, to take military action -- 
air strikes, anything that can be done?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  The President believes that what 
must be done now is to push harder for sanctions.  He is also -- as 
you know, the administration has been discussing lifting the arms 
embargo.  He believes those are the appropriate ways to increase 
pressure at this time.
	     
	     Q	  What is your response to the critics who would say 
that the U.S. is now stymied by trying to help Boris Yeltsin retain 
the presidency?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They're wrong.  We're pressing hard 
for the Serbs to come to the negotiating table.  We're pressing hard 
for increased sanctions, and we're talking to our allies about the 
arms embargo.
	     
	     Q	  You were putting great store in Vance and Owen 
getting people to agree to that.  Now, Vance and Owen have both said 
that military force to some extent would be acceptable.  Does that 
change your thinking?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Clearly, we're going to listen to 
whatever people who have put so much time into a situation have to 
say.  But at this point, the President is moving forward on sanctions 
and talking about the arms embargo.
	     
	     Q	  A follow-up on a Dee Dee comment this morning.  She 
said she would be able to provide some administration officials who 
could document the effect the sanctions are having in Bosnia.  Are 
you going to be able to do that, or do you have anything --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think that's what she said.
	     
	     Q	  That's exactly what she said.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think that's true.  But 
what she said -- we would look into the situation of what kind of 
evidence can be provided in Bosnia.  Obviously, if there are 
connections between the Bosnian Serbs and the Serbs in Belgrade and 
we are tightening the screws on the Serbs in Belgrade, that will have 
an effect over time.  I do not know day by day, minute by minute, 
what kind of help is being given between the two and what the exact 
effect has been.   But, clearly, we are slowing the shipment of goods 
into Belgrade.  We are having an effect on the Serbs there.  What 
kind of effect that will eventually have on the Bosnian Serbs I don't 
know.  But one thing I would say is if it were having no effect at 
all, I don't know why they'd be fighting it so much.
	     
	     Q	  Are the First Lady's tax returns going to be 
released?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think there's a joint tax return.  
And it will be probably later today.
	     
	     Q	  Is the President considering signing an executive 
order banning discrimination against homosexuals in the federal work 
force as part of the gay rights march here next week?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think there's any proposal 
for that at this time, not that I know of.
	     
	     Q	  It's something that the President promised during 
the campaign that he would do.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I have not seen any -- I don't 
think it's anything that's on his plate right now.
	     
	     Q	  Is he meeting with gay rights leaders at any point 
on this issue?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know about on this issue.  
I assume that he'll meet with representatives of the gay and lesbian 
community sometime soon, as he meets with representatives of lots of 
different groups and communities.
	     
	     Q	  Do you know if that's scheduled --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's probably going to be tomorrow.
	     
	     Q	  Probably going to be tomorrow?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     Q	  It's a good thing you asked.
	     
	     Q	  Who's probably going to be there?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know.
	     
	     Q	  How long --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know.  That's all I know.
	     
	     Q	  Do you know if it's at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow?  
(Laughter.)
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know what time it is.  I 
don't even know for sure if it's going to be tomorrow.
	     
	     Q	  Environmental groups have asked him to make a major 
speech next week of some kind.  Is that going to happen, do you know?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know if they've asked, but 
I think the President has always planned, as he did last year, to 
give a speech on Earth Day and I expect that he will.  If it's not 
exactly on Earth Day, it might be a day before or something like 
that.
	     
	     Q	  Is he planning to sign or announce the signing of 
the biodiversity treaty in connection with Earth Day?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I don't know the specific 
timing of something like that, but it's certainly something under 
discussion and something we've been working on.
	     
	     Q	  Campaign finance reform?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We're working on it.
	     
	     Q	  Do you think it will be next week?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm just not sure.
	     
	     Q	  The biodiversity treaty is something you're working 
on?  I missed the question.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes, something we're working on.  
He asked if it was ready to be signed, and I said I didn't know 
anything about that but it's something we've certainly been working 
on.
	     
	     Q	  Do you know what organizations might be represented 
in this meeting with the gay and lesbian groups?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't.
	     
	     Q	  Do you know if he is going to reconsider being out 
of town on the day of the march?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He's got to be at the Senate 
meeting in Jamestown, and I believe he's also going to be giving a 
speech to the American Association of Newspaper Publishers in Boston 
on Sunday, as he did last year.
	     
	     Q	  Would you have told us if she had not pressed you 
on the question?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  On what?
	     
	     Q	  On the gays.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  When we went through the 
President's schedule for the day, certainly.
	     
	     Q?	    George, what day is the publisher's speech?  Is 
that Sunday?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think it's a Sunday.
	     
	     Q	  And Saturday he'll be in Jamestown?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  So you're just going to be in Jamestown for one 
day?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No, I'm not sure.  I don't know how 
long the Senate thing goes.  It might go overnight.  I just don't 
know.
	     
	     Q	  You would have made the gay meeting public, right?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm certain if we had the meeting 
-- I don't know about open to the press, but we would have told you 
about it.
	     
	     Q	  I mean, because it is, as far as I can tell, the 
first time in history a President has met in the Oval Office with --  

	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I didn't say it was going to be in 
the Oval Office.  (Laughter.)  But I didn't -- I'm not say that it's 
not, but I didn't say that it was.  (Laughter.)
	     
	     Q	     at the White House in the Bush administration 
gay officials were invited to a bill signing ceremony and the White 
House had to repudiate having done that.  So I just wanted to make 
sure --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, the President wouldn't do 
anything like that.
	     
	     Q	  Certainly not.
	     
	     Q	  What marching orders did the President give to 
General Vessey?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  They had a very good discussion for 
about half an hour today.  He wanted -- the most important thing was 
he had a full accounting for American POWs and MIAs.  He will 
obviously look into the circumstances surrounding this new document.  
The President stressed that he wanted the fullest possible accounting 
and said that only when we have that can we even consider any changes 
in our policy towards Vietnam.  He'll be looking at Vietnam's 
response to the questions raised by the document and he'll also look 
into investigations on discrepancy cases, increased efforts on 
remains, implementing trilateral investigations -- and access to 
military archives.  
	     
	     And Ambassador Toon also briefed the President on the 
activities of the joint commission and on the document.
	     
	     Q	  Vietnam says it's a fake.  What is the DOD analysis 
at this stage?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  It's not completed yet, and it's 
also the first thing that General Vessey will bring up with the 
Vietnamese.
	     
	     Q	  A number of Defense officials have been saying that 
they think that the 600 or so prisoners referred to are, in fact, 
non-Americans that the Vietnamese had captured who they referred to 
as Americans from time to time.  Do people -- 
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  We don't have any final 
determination.  We're going to wait for the complete review; when we 
have it, we'll make a judgment.
	     
	     Q	  I know you don't have any final determination, but 
given all of the intense public interest in this, do you think that 
that's a likely possibility?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I just don't want to characterize 
it in any way until the review is complete.
	     
	     Q	  George, was there a topic scheduled for the speech 
in Boston?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No. 
	     
	     Q	  Is the President going to have a press conference 
tomorrow with Miyazawa?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I think so, but I'm not positive.  
Yes, I expect, yes.
	     
	     Q	  Was Toon in with Vessey?  
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes. 
	     
	     Q	  He was in on the meeting?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  What was the question?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Was Ambassador Toon in with Vessey, 
and the answer is yes. 
	     
	     Q	  Do you have any response to The Wall Street Journal 
report this morning the President's distressed about some of his 
press clippings and that perhaps he's distressed with you about that?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  No.  Well, I do have a response.  I 
think the article was highly misleading to the extent that it implied 
that the President has had restricted access to the press.  I would 
point out that he's answered 358 questions on 77 occasions, more than 
any of his predecessors. I would also point out it also --
	     
	     Q	  How many questions?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Three hundred fifty-eight, on 77 
occasions.
	     
	     Q	  How many were while he was jogging?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, no, that's actually a very 
good question, Andrea.  And I would point out further that the 
article also implied that these questions were only answered at 
tightly controlled photo opportunities, which is just patently false.  
He's had 13 press conferences in either the East Room, the Oval 
Office or the Roosevelt Room or the Briefing Room, in addition to 
questions taken at photo opportunities, and that is only the --
	     
	     Q	  Oval Office press conference -- when was that? 
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He's answered questions in the --
East Room.  He's had five in the East Room, he's had one in the Oval 
Office, he's had one in the Rose Garden, he's had one or two in the 
Roosevelt Room.  And this is just to the White House, Washington 
Press Corps.  In addition to that, he's had 17 interviews with local 
television anchors.  He's met with the editorial board of The 
Portland Oregonian.  He's had an hour-long interview with Dan Rather. 
He's had interviews with local press from California, Florida and 
Connecticut --
	     
	     Q	  Can you address the question of the attitude?  The 
article implies that he doesn't --
	     
	     Q	  Why doesn't he like us?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     Q	  Did you really get blamed for that Post story?
	     
	     Q	  The story is that you -- are you held responsible 
for it.
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think I'm going to comment 
about this.
	     
	     Q	  Are you denying that the President has shown 
displeasure publicly?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I am not commenting on the 
discussions between the President and myself.
	     
	     Q	  Did the President write that letter to Chris 
Webber?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  What?
	     
	     Q	  The letter to the University of Michigan basketball 
player?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Oh, yes.
	     
	     Q	  That is an authentic letter?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Since the President first talked about the VAT in 
February, he said at the time that he thought there probably should 
be exceptions made in basic necessities such as food and clothing.  
Does he still hold that position given the impact it could have?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I just can't comment on a 
proposal he hasn't made.
	     
	     Q	  George, does the President have some agenda for 
this meeting with the gay leaders tomorrow?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Well, I think it will just a 
general meeting on the wide range of issues that they care about 
including AIDS and other issues -- civil rights.
	     
	     Q	  The military issue?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I'm certain it will come up.
	     
	     Q	  Is he using this event to name the AIDS --
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't think so.
	     
	     Q	  George, what specifically is the President doing to 
prepare for tomorrow's meeting with the Prime Minister Miyazawa?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  He's had briefing memos.  He's had 
general discussions with members of the Treasury Department, the 
Trade Representative and others.
	     
	     Q	     report yet?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  I don't know if he has the report 
referred to in The Times, but Ambassador Kantor was here to brief him 
today.
	     
	     Q	  He was?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Does he intend to use any of these instances that 
--
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Again, I don't know that the 
report's been presented.  But obviously, the President will press 
hard in any case where he thinks that a violation has occurred.
	     
	     Q	  In terms of the Wall Street Journal, the thrust was 
that there's a real schism here -- a hostility.  Do you think he 
feels that way?
	     
	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  Not at all.  As I said on the 
record in the article, I think the President likes reporters.  Again, 
I think that the thrust of the article was still misleading.  The 
thrust of the article was that in some way, some attitude which the 
President may or may not have is affecting access when, in fact, he 
has the most open, accessible administration than have any in recent 
history.

	     Q	  Can we come up to your office?  (Laughter.)

	     MR. STEPHANOPOULOS:  If you're invited.  
	     
	     THE PRESS:  Thank you.

                                 END                    1:34 P.M. EDT