For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 21, 2001
Remarks by the President to Families Gathered at the Target Retail Store, Kansas City, Missouri
Target Snack Bar
Kansas City, Missouri
10:36 A.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning,
everybody. I'm excited to be here at Target. A
lot of these folks have -- some of the folks have got their rebate
check, some of them are getting them. But I suggest you talk
to the Target people about what the rebate check has meant for their
business. One of the main reasons why we insisted that people get
money back was to provide a second wind for our economy. And
the other reason why is because we recognize that these good folks
spend their money just as wisely, if not more wisely, than the
government can.
I remember in the debate, people said,
well, $600 doesn't mean much. Well, I suggest you ask people who got
the $600 what it means. It seems to mean a lot to a lot of
folks.
* * *
THE PRESIDENT: Okay.
Q Mr. President,
would you like to see Social Security kind of taken out of the budget
equation? You are going to have like a billion dollar
surplus just from general revenues tomorrow. Do you think
that's a fair way of figuring out the surplus?
THE PRESIDENT: I think what I
said in the speech was what I mean, that Social Security ought to be
spent on Social Security and OMB numbers show that that's the way it's
going to be. That hasn't been the case. Seven out of the
last eight budgets have used Social Security for -- they used Social
Security funds for other matters. And we worked with
Congress -- see, here's the problem. A lot in Congress are
upset that we passed money back to the people because they wanted to
spend it on pet projects, on bigger appropriations. And what
I am saying is, that battle's over with.
We cut the taxes, it was the right thing
to do, it was the right thing to trust the people with the
money. It was the right thing for our
economy. And Congress now needs to understand that there are
some new parameters. When you pass money back to the people,
it means there is not that much money available for additional
programs, and they need to be fiscally sound.
We've got a good budget. And
the fundamental question is, will the appropriators stick to the
budget, and I am confident they will if they listen to the
people. And one of the reasons why we came here is to
highlight the fact that the tax relief plan is important to hardworking
Americans.
Some people said, you know, thanks for
giving us the money. Well, it's their money to begin
with. That's the point I keep making. It's not
the government's money; it's the people's money. And these
good folks have got a reason to spend it. A lot of them are
going to spend it on school supplies. But it's not only
important for them, it's important for our economy.
Q Sir, the ad team
for Al Gore's last campaign put out an ad today for the Democratic
National Committee accusing you of raiding the Medicare trust fund and
asking you to take Harry Truman's plain spokenness and tell the people
the truth. Is that fair?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you know,
there's a lot of people still want to politicize the
budget. They like the old-time wars of zero-sum politics.
There are a lot of big spenders, a lot of highly partisan people that
really didn't like the tax cut to begin with. They want the
government to have the people's money. They believe in
bigger government. And all I do is rest my case with the
people.
And the people wanted tax
relief. The people want fiscal sanity in
Washington. The people want all the money going into
Medicare to be spent on Medicare and that's what my budget
does. And people also want a good defense for our
country. And I hope, at the very minimum, the leadership in
the Congress will give us the Defense appropriation number and the
Education appropriation number early in the process so that we don't
rob defense or rob education by holding those appropriation bills
late.
Q Sir, where do you
draw the line in terms of using your veto power this
fall-- Is it sticking to the budget resolution
numbers? Or ?
THE PRESIDENT: The budget
resolution number's a good place to begin. Because if we appropriate,
of course, for the budget, we will not only be able to afford the tax
relief, but we won't touch Social Security and we will be able to fund
the nation's priorities, including education and defense.
As you know, you heard my speech yesterday
-- should have heard my speech or will pay to hear my speech -- and
whether or not you listen to it is another question -- but we have -- I
have requested a good deal of money for defense and it's needed.
Q Sir, you know, in
the Clinton administration, they had some battles up
there. They had to shut down the government from
overspending, they wanted more money.
THE
PRESIDENT: Yes. Right. A new sheriff
in town.
Q If it comes down
to a showdown about closing down government, are you prepared to ?
THE PRESIDENT: I am confident
we won't have to shut down the -- shut down the
government. There are things such as continuing
resolutions. There's ways for us to make sure that the budget -- I mean
the government doesn't get shut down over a budget fight.
You're right, the last administration was
anxious for the government to spend more money. I want the
government to spend the right amount of money. And we have
achieved a good balance. It's not only money to fund
priorities such as education, defense and health care, but it is money
available for the taxpayers. It's their money to begin
with.
And our economy needs -- I love the
discussion, you know, the tax cut means there's less money available to
spend. Well, what the tax cut is, it means that we've been
given an opportunity to revitalize our economy, so that the tax
revenues that have been lost because of economic slowdown come back
into the Treasury.
Q Mr. President, do
you think that the purchasing of school supplies and things people
would buy ordinarily will, in fact, jump start the economy?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I think it's
a cumulative. If you try to look at one isolated incident,
it's easy to belittle $600 in a person's pocket. But $600 of
additional disposable income all across America that amounts to
billions of dollars will provide a part of the equation for economic
recovery. Of course, if somebody buys a pencil, somebody's
had to make it. But it is not just school supplies. That
maybe kind of diminishes the effect of billions of dollars getting into
the economy in a very quick period of time.
I want to remind you all about a year ago,
the discussion about tax relief was sometimes in political circles
belittled as an impossibility. No one would have dreamed that we would
not only have gotten tax relief but this amount of money injected into
the economy as quickly as we did. And it's a part of the
equation.
Q You broke bread
with Governor Graves last night.
THE PRESIDENT: I did.
Q Why Governor
Graves, and what did you talk about?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I was
hoping I could maybe get him to buy my meal.
Q He didn't?
THE PRESIDENT: He didn't,
no. Please record the fact that I paid, much to my chagrin.
We talked about just
politics. He and Linda are friends of mine. He's done a
great job as the governor of Kansas and he's one of my best friends
that I've made in politics amongst the governors. Just had a
nice visit.
Q Have a future
with you some day ?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, we
didn't spend much time talking about that. He has not
finished his term yet. Maybe, you know.
Q Mr. President,
what are you going to do with your tax rebate?
THE PRESIDENT: Charity.
Q Really? Which one?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know
yet.
Q You haven't
gotten it?
THE PRESIDENT: Not to my
knowledge.
Q Why charity?
THE
PRESIDENT: Why? Because it's something people
ought to do. And I believe in supporting
charities. As you know, every year when I put out my income
tax returns, you see the fact that I do give to charities, give to my
church. I haven't made up my mind yet.
Thank you all for your time.
Q Are you going to
talk to us -- you going to talk to us tomorrow? Play golf and maybe
talk to us?
THE PRESIDENT: Do what?
Q You're going to
have the budget review tomorrow. Do you think you might talk
to us from the golf course or someplace?
THE PRESIDENT: I won't be
playing golf tomorrow. Probably -- I may -- just keep loose
this week. I may have a discussion with you on some matters
later on this week
Q Military matters,
perhaps?
THE PRESIDENT: I ain't
telling.
Q Buildings with
five sides?
Q No more hints?
THE PRESIDENT: No, the last
time we -- I'm trying to get a picnic organized so you all can come out
to the ranch. Is this the -- are you the last shift?
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, last
shift. Up until when we go. We're leaving
Thursday now. We're going back Thursday morning, the 30th.
Q Wow, even
earlier?
Q The 30th?
THE PRESIDENT: We're going back
on the 30th. Laura wants to get back a day early.
Q How's the bass
fishing going?
THE PRESIDENT: They've actually
gotten up to about a pound. They're growing. The
lake's evaporating because it's so hot.
Okay, see you there.
END
11:04 A.M. CDT
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