Transcript: The President's Press Conference

(Bush covers UN Dues, human rights, China, FBI) (5160)



President Bush criticized the U.S. House of Representatives May 11 for
voting to withhold $244 million in U.S. back dues to the United
Nations in retaliation for the vote last week in which the United
States lost its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission -- a seat it
had held since the panel's creation in 1947.


Regarding the dues payment, Bush said, "I think we have made an
agreement with the United Nations, an agreement that had been
negotiated in good faith, and I think we ought to pay our dues."


Bush made clear at a May 11 White House news conference that he thinks
the removal of the United States from the Human Rights Commission "was
an outrageous decision."


"It undermines the whole credibility of this commission -- to kick the
United States off, one of the great bastions of human rights, and
allow Sudan to be on. And I think most reasonable people in the world
see it that way," he said.


The 54-member U.N. Economic and Social Council, the main U.N. body
responsible for economic and social issues, cast the ballots that led
to the U.S. ouster from the Human Rights Commission.


Bush said he had brought up the subject earlier May 11 with U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan, who was at the White House for the
President's announcement of a new Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS,
Malaria and Tuberculosis.


On China, asked about his level of concern for, and his actions to
help U.S. citizens who remain held in China, Bush said:


"We've sent clear signals to the Chinese that we expect our citizens
... to be treated fairly and we'd like for them to have whatever due
process the Chinese can offer. We have expressed our concerns.


"Now, sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't. Our relations with
China are relations that are going to be based upon a consistent
message with the Chinese. One, we expect there to be trade, and I hope
there is trade. But two, that we expect people to be treated fairly
inside that country. And hopefully, hopefully, they'll respond."


Asked about the recent violence in the Middle East, Bush said "the
death in the Middle East is abhorrent, and our nation weeps when
people lose their lives. And what we must do is work hard to break the
cycle of violence. It's going to be very difficult for us to be able
to bring people to the peace table so long as there's violence." But
he made clear that the United States will "continue to work to break
the cycle of violence."


Asked about his energy policy, Bush said "we won't conserve our way to
energy independence. We must also increase supply. It's in the
consumers' interest that we do so. The more supply there is relative
to demand, the less the price will be."


In an opening statement, Bush urged the U.S. Congress to "pass
meaningful, real tax reform" before Memorial Day, May 28. "Tax relief
will be good for our economy, but tax relief is also a very important
way to help deal with high energy prices," he said.


He also said he "strongly" supports the decision announced earlier in
the day by Attorney General John Ashcroft to put off until June 11 the
execution of Timothy McVeigh so that McVeigh's attorneys can review
FBI material that had not been made available to them until May 10.
The FBI has launched an investigation into why the lawyers were not
given the material sooner.


McVeigh was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection May 16
for the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in
Oklahoma City, in which 168 people lost were killed by a bomb
explosion triggered by McVeigh.


"Any time we're preparing to carry out the death penalty, we have a
solemn obligation to make sure that the case has been handled in full
accordance with all the guarantees of our Constitution," the President
said. "The very foundations of our democracy depend on our ability to
assure our citizens that in all criminal cases, and especially in the
death penalty, defendants have been treated fairly.


Bush said he was "obviously concerned about an incident where
documents have been misplaced, but I withhold judgment until I find
out the full facts, to find out what the attorney general's
investigation finds out."


Following is the White House transcript of the President's Press
Conference:


(begin transcript)



THE WHITE HOUSE



Office of the Press Secretary



May 11, 2001



PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE PRESIDENT



The James S. Brady Briefing Room



2:04 P.M. EDT



THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. First, let me begin by talking about
how pleased I am that a budget has been agreed upon. And it's now time
for the Congress to act quickly. It's time for the Congress to pass
meaningful, real tax reform, and I urge them to do so before Memorial
Day.


Tax relief will be good for our economy. But tax relief is also a very
important way to help deal with high energy prices. And so the
Congress needs to act. I'm confident if they have the will to do so,
that they can, that they can get this done before Memorial Day.


And, secondly, I believe strongly that the Attorney General made the
right decision today. Any time we're preparing to carry out the death
penalty, we have a solemn obligation to make sure that the case has
been handled in full accordance with all the guarantees of our
Constitution. The very foundations of our democracy depend on our
ability to assure our citizens that in all criminal cases -- and
especially in the death penalty -- defendants have been treated
fairly.


This decision is going to create some frustration amongst people whose
lives were destroyed and turned upside-down by Mr. McVeigh. But it is
very important for our country to make sure that in death penalty
cases, people are treated fairly.


I'll be glad to answer some questions, starting with Mr. Fournier.



QUESTION: Mr. President, thank you, sir. Attorney General Ashcroft, on
the topic you were just talking about, said, "There is no doubt in my
mind, or anyone's mind, about the death of Timothy McVeigh."


First, as someone who signed 152 death warrants in Texas, do you agree
that there is no doubt that McVeigh is guilty? And, secondly, did
Louis Freeh know about these documents when he tendered his
resignation?


THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Freeh, Director Freeh never brought this up to me.
I found out about this last evening. My conversation with Mr. Freeh,
when he came and said he was leaving, the subject never came up.


Secondly, Mr. McVeigh himself has admitted to the crime. Mr. McVeigh,
as I recall, said he did it, and I take him for his word.


Q:  Mr. President?



THE PRESIDENT: Actually, I've been given an order. You're second,
Steve.


Q:  Mr. President, thank you very much, sir.



A lot of families are struggling to pay for gasoline at record prices.
What can you do to help them in the short-term? Will your energy
report address that? And do you agree with your Energy Secretary, that
OPEC bears some responsibility for these prices?


THE PRESIDENT: The price of crude oil has got something to do with the
price of gasoline, but not nearly as much as the fact that we haven't
built a refinery in years. What this nation needs to do is to build
more refining capacity. And we're prepared to work with the industry
to encourage capital development, capital to be deployed to develop
more refining capacity. And that may require us to analyze all
regulations that discourage development.


But the best way to make sure that people are able to deal with high
energy prices is to cut taxes, is to give people more of their own
money so they can meet the bills, so they can meet the high energy
prices.


I'm not so sure you're it next.  Gregory.  You're soon.



Q: Mr. President, can I follow up on that point? Your party in the
past has argued in favor of either suspending or rolling back the
federal gasoline tax. Will you consider doing either? And, secondly,
what would you say to American families who may pay as much as $3 at
the pump this summer, at the same time that oil companies in this
country are experiencing and enjoying record profits?


THE PRESIDENT: What is say is I worry about the fact that hard-working
people are paying high prices at the pump. It concerns me a lot. And,
therefore, the Congress needs to cut taxes as quickly as possible, to
give people money to be able to deal with this situation.


I also say we need to build more refining capacity. We need more
supply. We need to meet the increasing demands with better supply. I'm
optimistic in the long-term, not only will we increase supplies, but
that our automobiles will become more technologically adept at dealing
with the energy situation now. In other words, we'll have new types of
automobiles, hybrids.


And in the energy plan I'm going to be discussing, you'll see some
incentives for hybrid automobiles. But the quickest way to get money
in people's pockets to deal with prices is tax relief.


Bill Plante.



Q: Mr. President, are you really going to let Republicans in Congress
go home for the next recess without some kind of other short-term
relief? You know the Democrats are after you and the Vice President,
saying you're a couple of former oil men, protecting the industry.
Would you at least support the Republican bill in the House, which
would ease some emission standards in California?


THE PRESIDENT: Back to David's question, I'll listen to everybody's
suggestions. But I want to remind the members of Congress, both
Republican and Democrat, all of us are concerned about high energy
prices and prices at the gas pump being too high. Let's get the tax
relief done and do it quickly.


I hope there is no intention to delay. There needs to be money in the
pockets of our consumers as quickly as possible. We've got the
wherewithal to do so. But as to suggestions, I'm open-minded for any
suggestions somebody may have.


Q:  What about that emissions --



THE PRESIDENT: I'll look at all options. But the clearest way to get
things done quickly is tax relief.


Now, the American people have got to understand that this is a
situation that's going to require some long-term planning to get the
situation in hand for the -- to have a stable future. There is no such
thing as immediate supply. This is a situation that's been developing
over the years and it's going to take a while to correct.


The quickest way to help people with their energy bills is tax relief.
That is the quickest, surest way to do so.


Q:  All options, including the gas tax, sir?



THE PRESIDENT: If anybody thinks they've got a good idea, I'll listen.
But, for certain, what needs to happen is additional refining
capacity, as well as tax relief.


Yes, Terry.



Q: Mr. President, 51 percent of the American people now, according to
a recent poll, support a moratorium on executions; and support for the
penalty in general has dropped considerably over the past couple
years. Does what happened in the McVeigh case, coupled with the more
than 75 people now who have been released from death row when evidence
of their actual innocence came to life, does all of that lead you to
reflect at all on the fairness and accuracy of the death penalty and
the way it's actually administered day to day?


THE PRESIDENT: Well, I am pleased to be able to report, as for the
first case that came to my desk at the federal government, that my
administration is going to take its time to make sure that justice has
been administered fairly.


Q: But do you reflect at all on the general accuracy and fairness of
the death penalty, and the way it actually works day to day?


THE PRESIDENT: As Mr. Fournier brought up, I was the governor of a
state that had a death penalty and, as far as I was concerned, I
reviewed every case and I was confident that every person that had
been put to death received full rights and was guilty of the crime
charged.


Q:  So no second thoughts about the death penalty?



THE PRESIDENT: Not as far as I'm concerned -- so long as the system
provides fairness. And today is an example of the system being fair.


Q: Mr. President, on the question of repealing the gas tax, even some
Republicans have questioned the leadership and the clarity of voice
from this White House about what they should do. I've talked to
several Republican leaders who have said the White House has said,
look, if you can figure out a way to pass it, we'll say it's okay, but
we're not going to propose it. And what they say is, if the White
House would say they're for it, it would be easier for us to pass it.


Can you tell the American people right now --



THE PRESIDENT: Major, I can tell -- let me say it again, see if I can
be more clear. To the Congress, who is interested in helping consumers
pay high gas prices, pass the tax relief as quickly as possible. We've
set aside $100 billion to help consumers with high energy prices.
That's the quickest way to help consumers. I am deeply concerned about
consumers, I am deeply concerned about high gas prices.


To anybody who wants to figure out how to help the consumers, pass the
tax relief package as quickly as possible.


Q: Mr. President, there are a number of people, including Senator
Leahy, who was here today, who are suggesting that there needs to be
much tighter oversight of the FBI. Aside from the McVeigh matter,
there have been a number of things over the years -- the FBI labs, the
Hanssen case and a number of other things. Do you believe it's time
for a more sweeping look at what is going on at the FBI?


THE PRESIDENT: There are two looks at what's happening in the FBI.
One, of course, is the commission that Louis Freeh put together,
headed by Judge Webster. I'm confident that that commission will take
a full look at the proceedings within the FBI, in regards to security
matters.


And, secondly, the Attorney General is going to be conducting an
investigation as to why the documents were not given to Mr. McVeigh's
lawyers. And I look forward to seeing what those findings reveal.


Q: Mr. President, to follow up on energy. You're developing closer
relations with Nigeria, Mexico and Canada. Could you use your leverage
with these countries to have them convince Saudi Arabia to open the
spigots and provide more fuel?


THE PRESIDENT: The reason why we have a problem at the gas pump at
this particular moment in history is because we haven't built any
refining capacity. When you don't increase supplies of a commodity and
demand continues to increase, the price is going to go up.


And so our nation must expand refining capacity. And we've got to do
that within our hemisphere. Otherwise, when you transport refined
product from far distances, it doesn't meet market tests. So we need
more refining capacity.


I am working with Canada and Mexico to increase the supply,
particularly of natural gas. We have a serious situation in the state
of California, as you're very aware. We've been working with the
officials of California to expedite the development of new electric
generating capacity.


We're also doing our part as a good citizen to reduce demand for
electricity in peak hours. But the new plants that are being brought
on stream in California are going to be driven by natural gas. And we
need more natural gas to make sure there is fuel for those plants.


So I am working with Mexico and I am working with Canada to try to
figure out ways for us to encourage exploration in our own
neighborhood. I had a good discussion today with the President of
Nigeria, who is talking about increasing their amount of production,
coming from Nigeria. That is positive news for U.S. consumers. The
more supply on the market, the lower -- the less pressure there will
be on price.


Q: Given what's going on with energy prices and the difficulties in
the economy, can you assure the American people at the start of your
term that they'll be better off at the end of it than they are today?
And, if they're not, should they blame you?


THE PRESIDENT: Well, I certainly hope they're better off. There's no
question that the minute I got elected the storm clouds on the horizon
were getting nearly directly overhead. In other words, the economic
news started to deteriorate.


The truth of the matter is, the market started to adjust March of last
year. In other words, the so-called downturn has been in the making
for a while. I believe with good policy from the Fed, as well as good
fiscal policy, that we can recover, that that robust growth we all
hope for will come back. I wish I could tell you when. I'm not an
economist; but if I were, I'd probably say there's a 50 percent chance
it would happen soon and a 50 percent chance it wouldn't.


Q:  And if it doesn't work out, does that mean it's not your fault?



THE PRESIDENT: Listen, presidents, whether things are good or bad, get
the blame. I understand that.


But, Ron, I'm not really that concerned about standing in polls. I am
doing what I think is the right thing to do. And the right thing to do
is to have proposed a tax relief package that is an integral part of a
fiscal policy that makes sense.


I proposed the plan. I campaigned on the plan. Many of you, the truth
be known here, didn't actually think it was going to happen. Now
there's a budget in place, $1.25 trillion of tax relief, coupled with
$100 billion of immediate stimulus that's now available.


If I had my way, I'd have it in place tomorrow, so that people would
have money in their pockets to deal with high energy prices, so people
would have money in their pockets to be able to plan for the future.
The Congress needs to act. I'm confident that that will help an
economic recovery.


Q:  Mr. President?



THE PRESIDENT:  Bob.



Q: Sir, how are the recent controversies in the FBI affecting your
search for a new director? Just what kind of person are you looking to
head the FBI?


THE PRESIDENT: We've just started, Bob. I look forward to seeing what
the Webster report says, I look forward to hearing what the Attorney
General says about the -- about the reason why Mr. McVeigh's attorneys
did not get -- did not see certain documents.


And I am looking for somebody who will do a couple of things: one,
enforce the law; two, keep morale high at the agency, somebody who is
a good manager; and somebody who can work with the Attorney General in
my administration.


Q:  What's your timetable?



THE PRESIDENT: As soon as possible. I'm not sure what that means,
though, to be perfectly frank with you. I mean, we're beginning to
look at different candidates and it's a -- obviously, it's a process
that's going to take a while. Director Freeh assured me that the
number two person there could do a good job, if it took us a while to
find a replacement.


Q: Mr. President, some of those who have interviewed Tim McVeigh say
that he will actually revel in what happened today.


THE PRESIDENT:  Really?



Q: That it will be a sign of FBI incompetence. What message should he
take from this whole episode, in your mind?


THE PRESIDENT: He should say he's lucky to be in America, is what he
ought to say; that this is a country who will bend over backwards to
make sure that his constitutional rights are guaranteed; that as
opposed to rushing his fate, that the Attorney General, with my strong
support, said, we better make sure that all guarantees are fulfilled.


Mr. McVeigh is lucky to be in a country like this. It's unfortunate
that he would feel like reveling, at all, after what he supposedly has
done. There are a lot of people's lives he affected, there are a lot
of people in Oklahoma City -- I went to the memorial, I got to see the
faces of people, the pictures of people whose lives were lost. I
talked to relatives who still weep when they think about a relative.


This isn't a time to revel.



Q: But to follow up on that, what will those relatives, what will
those families of victims gain, what will -- how will they benefit
from Timothy McVeigh's execution?


THE PRESIDENT:  You need to talk to them about that.



Q:  In your opinion.



THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I can't possibly put myself in their stead.



Q: Why is his execution so important and the death penalty so
important, then?


THE PRESIDENT: Because it needs to send a signal to anybody who thinks
what Timothy McVeigh did was okay, that in this society we're not
going to tolerate that kind of heinous act.


But you need to talk to the -- all I can tell you is, I'm sure there's
going to be some frustration by the family members, by the decision
that the Attorney General made, supported by me. I'm sure there will
be, and we'll probably hear from them. But they must understand that
we live in a country that protects certain rights. And the Attorney
General did the right thing in this decision.


Q: Mr. President, what is your level of concern about U.S. citizens
who remain held in China, and what are you doing for them?


THE PRESIDENT: We've sent clear signals to the Chinese that we expect
our citizens that have been detained, and/or citizens who have been
detained with U.S. relatives, that we expect them to be treated
fairly. And we'd like for them to have whatever due process the
Chinese can offer. We have expressed our concerns. Sometimes they
listen, sometimes they don't.


Our relations with China are relations that are going to be based upon
a consistent message with the Chinese: one, we expect there to be
trade, and I hope there is trade; but, two, that we expect people to
be treated fairly inside that country. And hopefully they'll respond.


Q: Mr. President, is your confidence in the FBI undermined by this
episode?


THE PRESIDENT: I'm obviously concerned about an incident where
documents have been misplaced. But I withhold judgment until I find
out the full facts, to find out what the Attorney General's
investigation finds out.


Q: Mr. President, following up on that, do you think our American
justice system is healthy, or does it need fixing?


THE PRESIDENT: I think, by and large, the system is healthy. And I
think today proved why it is healthy. That ours is a government that
when found that documents hadn't been given to the defense attorney,
even though those documents reviewed by our own -- by our Justice
Department lawyers didn't feel like it was going to change the
verdict. But we delayed until Mr. McVeigh's attorneys have a chance to
look at the documents.


Q: Mr. President, if I can follow up. You know that those documents
could have been discovered days after Timothy McVeigh had been
executed. You also know that there is some concern about a forensic
scientist in Oklahoma City who was involved in a number of death
penalty cases, a number of --


THE PRESIDENT:  Say that again on the forensic scientist?



Q: In Oklahoma City, who was involved in a number of death penalty
cases. Those inmates happened to be executed. What can you say to the
American people --


THE PRESIDENT:  Well, in this case --



Q:  Let me just finish.



THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, I'm sorry.  I beg your pardon.  (Laughter.)



Q:  Thank you, sir.  (Laughter.)



What can you say or what can you do as President to ensure that, at
the federal/state level, the death penalty is always administered
fairly?


THE PRESIDENT: Well, at the state level, I encourage governors to be
diligent and to look at all the facts and to make sure that people get
full access to the courts, and that there is no question about the
person's guilt.


At the federal level, I'm pleased to report, that on the first case
that came toward my desk, my administration reacted the way it should
have. Which is, given the fact that documents had been misplaced, the
Attorney General recommended the delay of the execution until the --
Mr. McVeigh's rights were fully vetted; in other words, his lawyers
have a chance to look at those documents.


It was the right thing to do. And you bring up a hypothetical, but
that's not the way it happened. The way it happened was, was that the
evidence was brought forth and we made a decision and it was the
correct decision.


Q: Mr. President, you would not equate the baby that was killed in
retaliatory Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip with a 13- and 14-year old
Jewish boys, one of them a U.S. citizen, who were tied up, beaten to
death and mutilated near Tekoa, would you?


THE PRESIDENT: I was kind of smiling, it sounded kind of like an
editorial.


But the death in the Middle East is abhorrent, and our nation weeps
when people lose their lives. And what we must do is work hard to
break the cycle of violence. It's going to be very difficult for us to
be able to bring people to the peace table so long as there is
violence. And we will continue to work to break the cycle of violence.


Q: Thank you, Mr. President. Did you speak to Secretary General Annan
this morning about the United Nations vote to kick the U.S. off the
Human Rights Commission? And, if so, what did you tell him?


THE PRESIDENT: I did. I told him it was hard for me to envision a
Human Rights Commission without the United States on it and Sudan
being on it -- let me put it that way. We're off and Sudan is on. I'm
not so -- you know, that sent an awfully, awfully strange signal to
the world, it seems like to me.


Q: A follow-up. Did you -- or do you believe that some U.S. back dues
to the United Nations should be withheld as a result of that vote, as
some in Congress were asking?


THE PRESIDENT: I do not. I think we have made an agreement with the
United Nations, an agreement that had been negotiated in good faith,
and I think we ought to pay our dues. Having said that, the decision
was an outrageous decision. To me, it undermines the whole credibility
of this commission -- to kick the United States off, one of the great
bastions of human rights, and allow Sudan to be on. And I think most
reasonable people in the world see it that way.


But I did bring up the subject.  Thank you for pinning me.



Q:  Did he agree?



THE PRESIDENT:  He listened carefully.



Q:  Another energy question, if I may, Mr. President.



THE PRESIDENT:  Please.



Q: What would you tell an American citizen who is suspicious that your
energy policy is going to benefit the oil industry, because of your
background and Vice President Cheney's background in the industry?


THE PRESIDENT: I would tell the American people I'm going to tell the
truth when it comes to energy; that we have a serious problem; that we
need to do a couple of things. One, we need to encourage the
development of technologies to help us conserve. We need to be more
conservation-minded in America.


But I'm also going to say, as plainly as I can, we won't conserve our
way to energy independence. We must also increase supply. It's in the
consumer's interests that we do so. The more supply there is, relative
to demand, the less the price will be.


And I believe that we can have exploration and sound environmental
policy go hand in hand. The only thing I know to do, sir, is to tell
the truth the way I see it. And we can play like there's not an energy
crisis, or hope there's not a problem; there is a problem. And there's
a problem that's going to confront this nation. And my job as the
President is to take the problem on and propose the solutions I think
necessary to solve the problem. And again, I repeat: it's a
combination of good conservation and an increase in supplies. And I
believe we can do both.


And so, I think most of the American people understand that. Thank
you.


Q: Mr. President, Japan's new Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has
accepted your invitation to visit the United States as early as
possible. He now enjoys very good support of more than 80 percent,
mainly to his strong commitment to economic reforms in Japan.


THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.



Q: Mr. President, now are you more optimistic about the future of the
second-largest economy of the world, or are you still very concerned?


THE PRESIDENT: Well, I am concerned, but I am optimistic when I read
what the Prime Minister has said about reforms. Now, I believe he's a
man who is intent up on reforming the system. I had a good visit with
him on the telephone. I look forward to meeting him in person. I look
forward to discussing ways in which our important friendship can
remain strong. And I look forward to hearing from him what he and his
government intend to do to reform the system.


Japan is a very important partner of the United States. And it's not
only an economic partner, but it's an important partner to keep
stability in the Far East. It's important for us to work closely
together, and I look forward to meeting him soon. And I'm confident
we'll have a very good dialogue when I'm able to do so.


Thank you all very much.  Have a very good weekend.



(end White House transcript)



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