*EPF404 06/22/00
White House Report, Thursday, June 22, 2000
(China/trade bill, Colombia, oil prices) (910)

CHINA TRADE BILL

In response to questions about reports of delays in timing for a vote in the Senate on the China trade bill, Clinton told reporters that he "was very concerned when I heard that the delay might run into September.

"I believe we have agreement," the President said, "as you've seen reported and as you have reported, to bring up the China bill shortly after the Fourth of July recess."

"Obviously, I wish we could have voted on it before the Fourth of July recess," he said. "But there are some issues there. There are some members in the Senate that want to offer amendments, just like in the House -- and some work has to be done. I met with a group of senators yesterday, a bipartisan group, and will continue to work it hard.

"But I think we're on schedule now for a timely vote," Clinton said. "And I had a good visit with Senator Lott about it. And I think we're on the same page, we're working together, and I look forward to successful conclusion of this in July."

CLINTON ON FUNDING FOR ANTI-DRUG OPERATION IN COLOMBIA

President Clinton told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House June 22 that he was grateful for the Senate vote late June 21 to fund his anti-drug operation in Colombia.

"As you know, there were some differences in the Senate bill and the House bill; first of all, a not insubstantial financial difference -- I think, about $300 million over two years -- and then some differences in how the money would be allocated. But I'm encouraged that we can maybe get the differences between the Senate proposal and the House proposal worked out."

As for timing on getting those differences worked out, the President said, "sooner is better than later. The quicker we can reach agreement and show that the United States is committed to a democracy and to fighting the drug wars in Colombia and to strengthening the oldest democracy in Latin America, the better off we're going to be.

"And the quicker we do it," he said, "the quicker the Colombians will be able to get Europeans and others who are very sympathetic with them to come in and do their part; the more appealing it will be for the international financial institutions."

Clinton told reporters that Colombians are "in the fight of their lives for their very way of life, with the combined pressure of a guerrilla war that's been going on for decades and the rise of the narcotraffickers over the last two decades.

"I don't think the average American can imagine what it would be like to live in a country where a third of the country, on any given day, may be in the hands of someone that is an enemy, an adversary of the nation state," the President said.

"I don't think we can even imagine what that would be like -- just, you know, driving through Washington, D.C., and you got a one-in-three chance of being in a neighborhood that your government and the law of the land doesn't prevail in. And this is a huge, huge issue.

"And again," Clinton said, "I'm grateful to the Senate, and I'm grateful it was done on such a bipartisan basis. And we just need to get it done as quickly as possible."

CLINTON ON OIL PRICES

On the issue of swiftly rising gasoline prices, Clinton told reporters, "I have a lot of concerns about the speed with which this run-up occurred. I expected some upward pressure on prices because our economy's doing well and because the Asian economy is coming back, the European economy is coming back, so there will be a bigger global demand for oil and there would be some upward pressure.

"But it doesn't explain by a long stretch the dramatic increase in prices," the President said.

Clinton said he thinks "the proper thing to do" is "to have a vigorous inquiry by the Federal Trade Commission.

"The important thing," he said, "is this country should have a bipartisan or a nonpartisan interest in a long-term, stable energy policy. And there are several things that Congress can do right now to help that.

The Congress "still has not reauthorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which ties the President's hands," Clinton said. "It undermines one of the options we have to maintain downward pressure on the oil prices, but also to deal with any emergencies that might crop up.

The President pointed out that "for years now," he has "asked the Congress to fund research and development into alternative energy, into the partnership for new generation vehicles. I have proposed for over two years a $4 billion set of tax incentives for manufacturers and consumers to buy energy-efficient cars, homes and consumer products.

"So there are things that the Congress can do that I would hope they would do on a bipartisan basis, and do quickly," Clinton said, "that would help us to have a better long-term energy policy and would begin to show immediate benefits for a lot of people who could take advantage of these laws, if we could just go ahead and pass them."

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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