Interview with Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff on CNN April 13, 1995

618 Apr. 12 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 because they thought he cared about them on the Republican agenda that has not either and that their future mattered in common. been defeated or passed, and also the unfin- They were Americans first. They were Amer- ished items on my agenda that will create icans first. That was his contract with Amer- more opportunity and more responsibility in ica. Let it be ours. this country. Thank you, and God bless you. Ms. Woodruff. But it's the Republican agenda. And I think itÐisn't it the case that NOTE: The President spoke at 1:14 p.m. at the throughout American political history, the ``Remembering Franklin D. Roosevelt'' 50th anni- party that is controlling the agenda is domi- versary commemorative service at the Little White House. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. nating the American political scene? Zell Miller of Georgia; Joe Tanner, commissioner, The President. Well, I don't necessarily Georgia Department of Natural Resources; agree that it's the Republican agenda. You Lonice C. Barrett, director, Georgia State Parks know, I brought up welfare reform before and Historic Sites; Anne Roosevelt, grand- they did. I started reducing the deficit long daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt; and Arthur M. before they did and without any help from Schlesinger, Roosevelt biographer. them. We reduced the size of Government before they did. We reduced the burden of Interview With Wolf Blitzer and Judy regulation before they did. We gave relief Woodruff on CNN to the States from Federal rules before they did. April 13, 1995 This can be an American agenda. And in Ms. Woodruff. Mr. President, thank you addition to that, I have tried to make it abso- for being with us. lutely clear that I believe that we must con- tinue to press ahead nationally with the cause The President's Role of education and training and that any tax The President. Glad to do it, Judy. relief must be geared to helping middle class Ms. Woodruff. You are now well over 2 people and to helping people educate them- years into your Presidency. The common, in- selves. creasingly common, perception out there is So I just simply disagree that it's an en- that because of the successes of the center- tirely Republican agenda. It's an American stage role that Newt Gingrich and the House agenda. And there are a lot of things that Republicans have played, that your Presi- are still unfinished on our agenda, but these dency has been somehow diminished, made things were startedÐmany of the things that less relevant because of all the activity and they talk about that will actually affect real the agenda-setting that they've been doing. people in their lives were begun under our The President. Well, they had an exciting administration. 100 days, and they dealt with a lot of issues Ms. Woodruff. But, Mr. President, again, that were in their contract. But let's look at the perception is Newt Gingrich has been what happens now. The bills all go to the out there on the news every day, the Repub- United States Senate, where they have to licans have been out there with headlines in pass, and then I have to decide whether to the newspapers. HowÐÐ sign or veto them. The President. Well, I'm not respon- So now you will see the process unfolding. sibleÐI can't control the perception. All I And I will have my opportunity to say where can do is show up for work every day. But I stand on these bills and what I intend to I'll tell you this: our administration is the first do with the rest of our agenda. I have en- administration in almost 30 years to run an joyed watching this last 100 days, and have operating surplus, that is, without interest on enjoyed giving them the chance to do what the debt. We have reduced the size of Gov- they were elected to do. And also I made ernment. We have done a lot of these things it clear what I would not go along with. that they talk about. But more importantly, Last Friday at the newspaper editors meet- we've focused on creating opportunity for the ing, I went through item by item what's left American people. VerDate 28-OCT-97 10:34 Jan 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P15AP4.013 p15ap4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Apr. 13 619 Now, they are capturing the headlines $25,000 a year or less an average of $1,000 now. They had their 100 days. Now the bills a year. We made 90 percent of the small go to the Senate and the moderate Demo- businesses eligible for a tax cut. We estab- crats, the moderate Republicans, and the lished a capital gains tax for investment, long- President will have a huge say on what be- term and new businesses. We justÐI just comes law. I will have my say as the bills signed a bill passed by this Congress which are debated in the Senate, and I'll decide I tried to pass last time which provides a tax whether to sign or veto them. So there will cut for self-employed people for the cost of be more parity here as the American con- their health insurance. I have proposed a stitutional system unfolds. middle class tax cut in connection with con- And there are other items on our agenda tinued deficit reduction and tied to edu- that I want to see dealt with. I want them cation. That is my record. to raise the minimum wage. I want them to I'm not out there raising taxes. I'm trying do something for education in the tax cut. to lower the deficit and lower taxes. That is I want them to deal with health care in a my record. That is my program for this Con- piece-by-piece basis. The American people gress. That is the future. But on principle, thought I bit off too much at one time, so I think a President runs the risk of breeding let's deal with it on a piece-by-piece basis. cynicism to sign that kind of pledge when I've given them several elements that Repub- you have no idea what will come forward. licans in the past have said they have sup- Let me give you an example. I strongly ported. believe that the Congress made a terrible I think the American people want us to mistake. The only tax break they've given work together. But meanwhile, look at where anybody new this time is to reject my pro- we are now compared with where we were posal to ask billionaires who gave up their 2 years ago. There are more jobs. There is more trade. There is a smaller Government, American citizenship to get out of American and we are moving in the right direction. taxes on money they made as Americans to That's all I can do. That's my agenda. If they pay their fair share. And for reasons I do not are part of thatÐthe American people can understand, the Republican Congress, in later sort out who gets credit for it when the conference, in secret, after being lobbied by elections get underway. a former Republican Congressman and a former Republican Senator, let the billion- Taxes aires off scot-free. Mr. Blitzer. Mr. President, Bob Dole, So if we sign that, am I raising taxes? I who is the Republican front runner right now would sign that in a heartbeat. People ought for the Presidential nomination, has taken Ð to pay what they owe. They shouldn't be able accepted the pledge that he rejected in 1988, to give up their citizenship; pay what they no more new taxes. Are you prepared to ac- owe. cept that pledge in New Hampshire as well, Mr. Blitzer. But you would have signed that you will not go forward with any new that into law after they included it in the dif- taxes? ferent package, the billionaires loophole. The President. As a matter of principle, The President. They didn't include the I think it's wrong for a President to do that. loophole. They refused to impose a tax. So But look at our record. I told the American what I think they ought to do is close the people exactly what I would do. I said the loophole. What I did was to give the small- first time when I go in I'm going to ask the business people and the farmers and the pro- wealthiest Americans to pay more, not be- fessionals whose families are unfairly denied cause I'm for class warfare but because they a tax deduction for their health care costs can afford to. We'll cut spending, raise taxes that tax deduction so they could get it by on the wealthiest Americans, and bring the tax day, which is next Monday. I had to do deficit down. We did that. that. But they ought to put that back in. This Now, what else did we do? We cut taxes is an unconscionable thing which has been on 15 million families with incomes of done. VerDate 28-OCT-97 10:34 Jan 18, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P15AP4.014 p15ap4 620 Apr. 13 / Administration of William J.

Load more