THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _____________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release April 26, 1994 PRESS BRIEFING BY DEE DEE MYERS The Briefing Room 2:38 P.M. EDT MS. MYERS: That's right -- cut to live coverage. Big news today. A couple of quick things. First, a statement from the President on South Africa: "On behalf of all Americans, I want to congratulate the people of South Africa on the start of the three-day elections now taking place in their country. Today's image of South Africans, black and white, going to the polls in the face of intimidation by vicious opponents of democracy inspire the imagination and are a stern rebuke to the cynics of the world. South Africans are taking control of their own destinies, preparing to tackle the fundamental challenges of establishing a government of national unity, restoring stability and prosperity, and improving the lives of the South African people. I'm proud of the role so many Americans have played in the struggle against apartheid. I can assure South Africans that we will be just as involved in helping to build the nonracial democracy that can come in its wake." Funeral arrangements. All of the former Presidents will be at the services. None of them will fly with the President on Air Force One. We're continuing to build the list of foreign dignitaries. The Nixon Library will release a more complete list later today. We will get that as soon as they release it and make it available here. At least 55 delegations will be represented; most will send their resident ambassador. Some have already announced who they're sending, and then the Library will announce additional names today. No heads of state at this moment are attending. The schedule remains the same. The President leaves here around noon, leaves Andrews at 12:25 p.m. and returns here at 3:30 a.m. in the morning. A quick look at some of the people who will be flying -- Q Ooh. MS. MYERS: I know. You can tell who is going, because the people shaking their heads are the people who will actually be flying with us. In addition to the President on Air Force One will be: Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili, Strobe Talbott, Carol Browner, Administrator of the EPA, which was created by President Nixon; Speaker Foley, Senator Mitchell, Senator Hatfield, Senator Moynihan. I'll go slower. Gephardt, Gingrich, Mack McLarty, Henry Kissinger. All of the former Cabinet members from the Nixon administration were invited. Many are attending. Their wives were invited; some are bringing their wives. So, Henry and Mrs. Kissinger will be there. Senator Robb, actually, and his wife, Mrs. Lynda Johnson Robb -- Q Dee Dee, could you delineate which ones are going to be on Air Force One? Q These are all on here? MS. MYERS: These are all on -- yesterday we were taking a backup plane; today, we've consolidated it. There will be just one plane. So we're talking about the manifest on Air Force One. Q That many? MS. MYERS: Yes, it's a big plane. Peter Brennan, former -- from Labor, Frederick Dent, of Commerce, James Lynn -- HUD; Elliot Richardson -- HEW; William Rogers -- State; William Saxbe, who was Attorney General -- he's tentative, I guess; James Schlesinger; Caspar Weinberger; and then Alexander Haig, who was a friend of the late President's; Bob Strauss; Brent Scowcroft; Vernon Jordan; Herb Stein -- Q Is Haig going to fly the plane? (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: And George McGovern will also be flying with us. (Laughter.) Q White house staff? MS. MYERS: White House staff, in addition to -- (laughter) -- Q Will they all be magged, Dee Dee? (Laughter.) Q Will you have them in different sections of the plane? Q The Republicans on the right, Democrats on the left? (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: This will be an integrated trip. Q Do you have any on-board security? Q And an empty seat for Deep Throat. (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: That's right. (Laughter.) Q Who's Air Force One pool? MS. MYERS: That's a good question. I don't have it broken down on the list. The White House staff will include: Chief of Staff Mack McLarty; Deputy Chief of Staff, Phil Lader; the ubiquitous Bruce Lindsey; David Gergen; Tony Lake -- both Mr. Gergen and Mr. Lake, as you know, worked in the Nixon administration -- Mark Gearan; myself; Pat Griffin and Don Baer and Wendy Smith. Q You will be on Air Force One? MS. MYERS: That's the staff flying on Air Force One, correct. Q Iron-clad rule, nobody comes back? MS. MYERS: We promise to send back as many people as we can to keep you busy all night -- Q We don't want to -- Q Yes. (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: -- just on the way back. We -- Q Are they all going to coming back? MS. MYERS: Most of them are, yes. I think there's a few that are staying out, but the majority of them are coming back. Q One more funeral thing: Do you have details on the government shut-down, what it affects or anything? MS. MYERS: Not much to add to what's in the paper today, but I will give you what they've provided to us. I hope I have it. Q Banks are going to be open. The Fed won't close. MS. MYERS: No, I actually don't have any additional details, other than to say that according to the Office of Personnel Management -- this was reported today -- there is an additional cost to the federal government of $23 million in premium or holiday pay to compensate employees deemed essential who have to report to work, so health services and emergency-type employees. And then, of course, there's just the daily payroll. Q Why is the President doing this? MS. MYERS: It's tradition. There have been national days of mourning for Presidents Johnson, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. And it's a tradition; something the President decided to do in keeping with that tradition. Q How much will the whole funeral cost the U.S. government? MS. MYERS: I don't have a break-down on the cost of the funeral. I have no idea. You can check with the State Department office that handles state funeral arrangements. They may have a better estimate. Q Has the President had any contact with the family, with Tricia or Julie? MS. MYERS: I don't believe so. He did speak to -- he placed a call on Thursday, before President Nixon died and spoke to Ed Cox. He's obviously we've been in contact on the staff level with the family and he will meet with the family upon arrival in Yorba Linda on Wednesday. Q Could I segue to a Bosnia question? MS. MYERS: Sure. Q What the situation is -- are they withdrawing with tonight's deadline approaching? MS. MYERS: They appear to be complying; withdrawing heavy weapons from the exclusion zone. There has been movement there today. Again, we expect them to comply by the deadline, and they will be subject to air strikes if they do not. Again, all indications are that they are complying -- the situation is a little difficult to tell; we're monitoring it closely. Q Do you know the order of speakers tomorrow? Where does the President speak in the program? MS. MYERS: Do we have that from them? MS. TERZANO: We'll release it. I haven't -- MS. MYERS: Okay. Is President Clinton last? MS. TERZANO: He's before Reverend Graham. MS. MYERS: Okay. Q Dee Dee, is the President ruling out any taxes at all to pay for welfare reform? MS. MYERS: Yes. Q Why? MS. MYERS: Because he always said that he'd prefer to do it without taxes. After reviewing his options and looking at the financing options, he decided that he could do it without taxes and therefore, decided to go forward. Q What about gambling tax? MS. MYERS: So it will be funded through -- no, there will be no new taxes; it will be funded through existing -- through cuts in existing programs. Q Which means it'll be a scaled back welfare reform package? MS. MYERS: Well, it'll still meet the President's primary objections, which is to require people who can work, to work after two years, and to increase enforcement of child support. The program will still include things the President talked about, which is expanded education and training, child care, health care and, eventually, work. And if they can't find it in the private sector, there will be some money to create jobs in the public sector. The President has not yet made final decisions about the specifics of the package; other than that it will include the options that he always expected to include, in terms of program support. Q Given all the discussion that's taken place so far, it would not be possible to meet those goals because there was so much opposition to big cuts in other programs. MS. MYERS: The program -- I think today's reporting is essentially accurate; the program is going to be in the range of $9 billion to $10 billion, and we believe that there are enough cuts in existing programs to fund those. Obviously, there's a lot of interest in both Houses and in both parties in Congress. We expect to have an announcement of the program by sometime probably late May. And then it will be up to Congress to work through it. But the President believes that there is a program that will meet his objectives that Congress will pay for. Q Will you recommend cuts -- specific program cuts? MS. MYERS: Yes. There will be a specific financing plan. Q Arms subsidies? MS. MYERS: I don't want to get into the details of -- the President has not yet made -- Q Why did he exactly rule out the gambling aspects? MS. MYERS: He ruled out all new taxes, including gambling tax. Q Because he didn't think he could get them through? MS. MYERS: Well, because -- I think the President believes that not every new program needs to include new taxes. He believed that the welfare reform package could be paid for through cuts in existing programs without new taxes, and will put forward a plan that does that. Q Does that mean that once it goes -- Q from the industry make it just appear unsalable on the Hill -- the casino tax? MS. MYERS: No. Again, I think after reviewing his options, the President decided that this plan could be funded without new taxes, and decided to go forward that way. Q Does that mean that once it went to the Hill, if someone up there were to try to pay for the plan with taxes, the President would oppose such a move? MS. MYERS: Well, I think, again, this is a plan the President will outline and we'll send it up to the Hill, and then it will be up to Congress to work through the details. But, again, the President's going to send forward a package that does not include the taxes. Q Dee Dee, how many people from the Hill are coming to see the President this afternoon? MS. MYERS: It's about 15. I don't think I have the list out here with me; I think I gave it this morning. If anybody wants it, we can certainly provide it. It's bipartisan from both Houses. And, again, it's focusing on South Africa. Congressman Lewis led a delegation to South Africa; he's coming back to report on his trip there and to discuss what next steps we'll take there. Q In terms of what? They don't need our money, do they? MS. MYERS: Everybody does. I'm sorry? Q Dee Dee, given what's happening in South Africa, is there any hint that the President might call up Randall Robinson and ask him to end his hunger strike on Haiti, given what's happening in South Africa? MS. MYERS: I don't know that there have been any discussions about that, or in connection with South Africa. I'm happy to take it, but I don't know of any plans. Q What did you find out about the FBI-CIA? MS. MYERS: In the wake of the Aldrich Ames arrest --you remember the President and we said that the President had asked the National Security Council to conduct a review of counterintelligence measures. That is in process. It's something that's been worked on at an interagency level. It's going to the principal level now. There will be congressional hearings on it, and we're just not yet prepared to talk about the details. Q But there is such a plan? MS. MYERS: There is -- a plan is in development, per the President's request in the wake of the Aldrich Ames arrest. Q Will those be open hearings or closed hearing? MS. MYERS: I believe they're open, and I think they'll take place next week. Q Today's figures show that in the last 12 months, wages and benefits of workers went up 3.2 percent. That's the lowest increase since records have been kept on that score. Is that good news or bad news? MS. MYERS: Obviously, there's a lot of good news in the economy. There's been a lot of jobs created -- 2.3 million jobs created since this administration took office. I think the President continues to be somewhat concerned about the slow growth in wages, and it's something that we'll continue to work toward. I think the President would like to see increases in wages as something that -- wages have been stagnant for over a decade now, and that is something that concerns the President. At the same time, there's a lot of other good news. There's job growth in the economy and continued expansion. Q But in terms of pushing wages up, is the President, for instance ready, finally, to recommend an increase in the minimum wage? MS. MYERS: It's something that's been discussed, something that he's expressed support for. But there's no specific proposal that we're ready to take up at this time. Q Do you expect one to be ready this year? MS. MYERS: I don't know. I'll have to take that. I'm not sure what the timing on it is. It's something that both the President and Secretary Reich, though, have talked about and have talked about supporting. Q Also, on this same point, in recent months corporate profit levels have increased fairly nicely, and there are some economists who have pointed out that it's really the workers who have not shared in renewed prosperity that the President talks about. Is it perhaps some time for the President to start jawboning that the workers deserve a bigger piece of the pie? MS. MYERS: I think the President has done -- talks consistently about workers and about trying to create an economy that works for them. He's done a number of things. First of all, I think that there has been an increase in jobs, which is a good sign. There has been a small, but perhaps not large enough increase in wages. He's continuing to work to keep the economy expanding. I'd point out that, today, the consumer confidence figures were also up at a four- year high, which is encouraging, and the economy continues to grow. I think the President will continue to do everything from worker retraining programs to improving education to -- like through programs like Goals 2000 -- and other things to increase the skills of American workers and to create better opportunities for them and to try to create a high-wage economy by encouraging technology and other things. So it's something that he's concerned about and something that he's working very hard on. Q Is there a specific aid package for South Africa that they'll be discussing at today's meeting? MS. MYERS: There is an aid package. I think Secretary Brown mentioned it yesterday. I don't have the details with me, but I expect that that will come up at the meeting today. Q Do you know how much? MS. MYERS: Secretary Brown said, I think it $140 million. Q Can you quantify the -- MS. MYERS: He outlined a number of things -- education, humanitarian assistance, a few other things. Q Can you quantify the welfare reform package in terms of how many people it will help or by what percentage you expect to be able to reduce the welfare rolls? MS. MYERS: I don't know that we have specific -- particularly because the plan is not done, that we can quantify that. I think in terms of the target, what we have said is that we'll apply to people who were born after 1972, and that we expect that it will help decrease the welfare rolls. Q What's your timetable for enacting this package after you submit it next month? MS. MYERS: That's something that we'll have to work out with Congress. Again, there's a lot of interest in both parties in Congress to see welfare reformed. We'll send the legislation up. Hopefully, we'll announce the details of the package, hopefully send the legislation up this spring, and then work with Congress as to timing. Q Do you think that it will get enacted this year? MS. MYERS: I think we'd like to see action taken on it this year. That will depend in many ways on Congress and whether they -- how they decide to approach it. Q Would you say that this package is still going to end welfare as we know it, or is it really a lesser -- a scaled-down version of what the President originally intended? MS. MYERS: No, the objective of this package is still to end welfare as we know it -- to move people from welfare to work; to redesign incentives to reward work; to give people the skills and the support services they need, including child care, to move from welfare to work. And I think one of the major initiatives that the President has undertaken that will support that is health care reform. There are a tremendous number of people who go from welfare to minimum wage jobs that don't include health benefits or child care that then end up sliding back onto welfare because they have better benefits. The President's working hard on a number of fronts to eliminate that -- to reward work and to change welfare as we know it. Q Is it because you don't have a final figure on the program itself -- if you don't have a projection for either how many people it would help, or how much it would cut the welfare rolls? MS. MYERS: Correct, and I don't know exactly what projections will accompany the final package, but until we have final decisions on the package in terms of exactly what pieces it will fund, I think it's a little premature to say what the projected -- what our expectations are. Q But once you do present a program to Congress, you will then -- MS. MYERS: I think there will be a lot more information available on specifically what impact we expect from it once we have the final details. Q I have a question on another subject. On Randall Robinson, to get back on him, I wonder if you can tell me whether it is a calculated political decision on the White House not to have contact with him during the hunger strike? MS. MYERS: I had said last week that I didn't know of any contact, and there has been none at the NSC. Alexis Herman has spoken to people at TransAfrica, including Randall Robinson. And so, no, it's not a calculated move not to have contact with him. I think the President admires the depth of his commitment on this issue and shares his ultimate goal, which is the restoration of democracy in Haiti. Q Will not, I presume, the means of attempting to -- MS. MYERS: Well, I mean, that's Mr. Robinson's choice. Again, the President, I think respects the depth of his commitment on this issue. Q Does the President feel it's a fair tactic for Randall to take? MS. MYERS: I don't think the President has a comment on that. Q What specifically is the White House doing to push passage of the assault weapon ban in the House this week? MS. MYERS: Well, the President talked about it yesterday. Certainly our Congressional Liaison people and others are working very hard with members of Congress to get that passed. It's an uphill battle. But banning assault weapons is something that's been passed in the Senate, and something that every major law enforcement in this country supports. And the President is going to continue to push for passage. Q Who is heading the lobbying effort? MS. MYERS: Pat Griffin, who is our chief lobbyist, plus the other members of the Congressional Liaison Office are working on it as well. Q Has the President talked to David Boren? MS. MYERS: Not that I know of, but I'll take that because I'm not sure. Q Is the administration getting ready to go to the U.N. and ask for tougher sanctions in Haiti? And when? MS. MYERS: Yes, it's been under discussion among the four friends this week -- expect that a proposal for sanctions could go up as early as the end of this week. Q When did Ms. Herman talk to Randall Robinson, and what was the nature of the conversation? Was she trying to talk him into stopping the fast? MS. MYERS: No, I don't think so. Q Expressing concern about his health, or what? MS. MYERS: She is in regular contact with TransAfrica and has known Randall Robinson for many years. I think she talks to him periodically about a number of things and has talked to him since he began his hunger strike, I think to find out what his views are on Haiti policy, generally. But I wouldn't make -- I don't want to say that -- she's not a member of the National Security Council and is not a policy-maker, but I think she is the contact person for many groups, including TransAfrica. Q So again, what was the nature of her conversation with him? MS. MYERS: She talks to him regularly about -- I mean, she did talk to him about Haiti. Q Did she not attempt to get him to end the hunger strike? MS. MYERS: No. Q Why wouldn't she do that? MS. MYERS: I think it's up to him. She's not going to try to talk him out of taking action that he feels fit. Now, what I think she will do is keep him updated on changes in policy, which she's done. Q On the welfare, just to clarify -- I've been told that this no new tax is not necessarily apply to technical changes, for instance, increasing the withholding on jackpots, which actually just would be a revenue -- slight change, but up front as opposed to -- is that your understanding as well, that it could be some minor changes as far as, say, withholding things? MS. MYERS: Yes, I think that's correct. But I don't know if it's specifically in reference to jackpots. I don't mean to imply that -- Q winnings -- take out -- MS. MYERS: I don't know if there's anything specifically with reference to gambling. Q Does the President favor making the Social Security Administration an agency? MS. MYERS: Yes. He believes that will increase the confidence of the American people in the Social Security system generally, and he plans to work, or the administration plans to work with Congress. Both Houses have passed different versions of that to come up with a workable way to separate the Social Security Administration from HHS. Q Have people been losing their confidence? Q increase of American people in Social Security. Why? MS. MYERS: I think to have an independent agency that's strictly dedicated to managing the Social Security system. There are a number of members of Congress, including Senator Moynihan, who believes that that would be the net result, would be increased confidence. Q Does that mean that Shalala will end her efforts to try and keep SSA as part of HHS? MS. MYERS: She supports the President's decision. Q As of when? Q Does that mean that the Social Security funds could no longer be applied to the federal deficit? MS. MYERS: I don't know. I'll have to take that question. Q I don't understand. Is there a loss of confidence in the Social Security system? MS. MYERS: I think that over the years the American people have expressed some concern that the system remains solvent in the coming years, sure. Q But will it be more solvent when it's separate -- MS. MYERS: I think there are a number of members of Congress, and the President shares their view, that feel that if the Social Security Administration were an independent agency without the kinds of constant staff changes at the top, that that might, in fact, help increase people's confidence in the system. Q Dee Dee, if we have an independent Social Security agency, then is it true that they could not then take the Social Security money, which they do now, to run the rest of the government? MS. MYERS: That's a question that Jim Miklaszewski just asked, and I will take it, because I don't know the answer. I'll have to take it because I don't know the answer. Q And make a bigger deficit. Q Dee Dee, what, if anything, are we doing in that situation in Rwanda -- some sort of -- playing any kind of role? MS. MYERS: I think we're continuing to monitor the situation -- Rwanda -- a small U.N. presence there. A lot of the U.N. has left. We're continuing to do what we can. I think the Ambassador may go back there sometime to see if there's a way to help start the peace process, and we'll do what we can to facilitate talks there. Q Have there been discussions with them about facilitating talks, about a negotiated settlement -- MS. MYERS: I'm not sure at what level the talks have taken, but, yes, Ambassador Rawson may head back there sometime in the near future to see if he can facilitate talks. Q And are we pressing the U.N. to stay, as opposed to get the hell out, which is what they seem to be -- MS. MYERS: We're working with them to make sure that we can protect -- they will remain there to protect the people who are under their protection. I guess there have been some incidents where U.N. forces have protected certain groups of people. They are continuing to draw down their forces there. I expect that'll continue, but we hope to provide some -- the U.N. hopes to provide some protection for the people who are there. Q Following that, Dee Dee, is the White House sure the view of a number of human rights groups, which says that -- who say that the 100,000 deaths there are not genocide, which means that the international community has an obligation to do something about it? MS. MYERS: I don't have a specific answer on that. Obviously it's a problem that we're concerned about -- the level of it is a humanitarian crisis. No matter how you look at it, it's something that we're concerned about and looking at what we can do to help the situation. I think the international community has an obligation there to try to facilitate some kind of a peace settlement, which we're looking at ways to do. Q Dee Dee, is the President aware of the criticism that former President Nixon made of him in his -- the book that's about to come out now, "Beyond Peace," made of his policies, both his foreign policies and his domestic policies? MS. MYERS: I think he's seen reports to that effect. Q Has he said anything about it or -- MS. MYERS: I don't know that he has any particular comment about it. The comment was, was President Clinton familiar, aware of the criticism in President Nixon's latest book. And the answer is, I think he's aware of it. I think he's seen news accounts of it. And I don't think he has any comment on it. Q One more question on welfare reform. If it's such a priority, why wait until the end of May to propose it? Why not do it now, within the next week or so? MS. MYERS: Well, there's been a task force, a large task force, that's been working on this for a year, gaining input from a number of different sectors. I think it's a good plan. And the President said at the State of the Union that we'd have it by sometime this spring, and he's going to make that commitment. Q On the crime bill, what is the administration's position on the racial justice act? MS. MYERS: The position on the racial justice act is that the President wants -- he's against anything that would -- or against having cultural or racial factors weigh in or increase somebody's likelihood of receiving the death penalty. At the same time, I think he wants to guard against making the death penalty ineffective. So we will work with Congress to find some kind of a solution to that. Q Well, what is his position on the racial justice act -- MS. MYERS: Hasn't taken -- Q as contained in -- MS. MYERS: He hasn't taken a position on that particular amendment. His position on the idea generally as I stated. Q Does that amendment in the House version and the House bill comport with his general concept, because it does not comport -- MS. MYERS: Again, he hasn't taken a position on that, and we'll work with Congress to see that something that meets the President's concerns is passed. But he hasn't taken a position on that specific amendment. Q again, you said yesterday that Prime Minister Hosokawa would come, but -- MS. MYERS: Right. I believe the Japanese government announced today, because of the situation there, that former Prime Minister Kaifu would come in his place. Q Schedule? MS. MYERS: Schedule? Well, the bad news is, is that there's still a schedule on Thursday. The President will attend, make a speech at the National Council on Aging at 11:00 a.m. And that will be open press. On Thursday. Q Where's that held? MS. MYERS: It's at a hotel in Washington. Q Why don't we just overnight there? MS. MYERS: That's not a bad idea, actually. Q Dee Dee, what about tomorrow morning? MS. MYERS: Nothing public tomorrow morning. He'll be here for his usual briefings and meetings, and then leave here around noon. Following the -- Q Is that a health care speech? MS. MYERS: Yes. Q Dee Dee, tomorrow morning, does he plan to say anything on departure? MS. MYERS: There are no plans to. I wouldn't rule it out. Q Is the White House taking a holiday tomorrow? MS. MYERS: Yes, it is a federal holiday tomorrow. However, we will all be here. Q Do you get overtime? MS. MYERS: Would that it were true. Q When is our check-in tomorrow? MS. MYERS: Check-in, there should be schedules in the bins right after this that will tell you. It's -- no, it can't be that early. The President doesn't leave until 12:30 p.m. Q The press plane takes off at 10:30 a.m. MS. MYERS: Takes off at 10:30 a.m., so check in is what? 9:30 a.m., nine-ish, 10:00 a.m.? Okay, the only other event on the President's schedule Thursday is the Take Your Daughters To Work Luncheon, which is on the South Lawn. He will be there at approximately 12:30 p.m. The White House is again participating in this National Take Our Daughters To Work Day. It's the second year, it's sponsored by the Ms. Foundation. This year, more than 130 girls, ages nine to 15, are expected to participate. There will be daughters of White House staff, daughters of Cabinet members, plus young girls from the community at this event. Q What about Chelsea Clinton? MS. MYERS: Chelsea Clinton will be going to school. She comes home to her father's place of work, but she will not be at this luncheon. Q Is this something for coverage? Is he going to make remarks about Take Your Daughters To Work Day, or -- MS. MYERS: We're still working out the coverage arrangements on it. I think it will probably be a photo. I don't know, if his remarks will be open, we'll let you know. Q Are reporters' daughters invited? MS. MYERS: Reporters' daughters are definitely invited to here. They can come as far as the Briefing Room, but no further. (Laughter.) No, we should check and see if we can't have -- Q So they can really see what it's like -- Q They can see firsthand why they shouldn't be reporters. MS. MYERS: Because there is a very high degree of reporters following in their reporter-parents footsteps. I think we need to put an end to that practice. No, but we'll check and see if -- because Emily Hunt -- Q Better talk to the Gores. Their daughter's going to be a reporter. MS. MYERS: Is that right? Emily Hunt and others, I think, Wolf's daughter. We'll let you guys know, but I think we should invite all of your daughters, nine to 15, to our luncheon. Q There's a very noted man who's -- described as a great constitutional lawyer. He teaches at Harvard. His name is Larry Tribe. Has the President talked to him anything about the Supreme Court? MS. MYERS: Larry Tribe is a fine lawyer. The President -- we have not said who the President is talking to, however, about the Supreme Court; or whether, in fact, he's talked to any of the potential candidates. All we've said is that he received a list of about a dozen names which he was considering. I think we reserve the right to expand or contract that list, and we're not going to provide any further details. Although I did say earlier today that the President did have a meeting today on the issue of the Court. Q Has he -- MS. MYERS: He has one, it's not happened yet. It's a little later today. Q What's the schedule for Friday? MS. MYERS: Let me give the schedule for Friday. The only public event on Friday is a 3:00 p.m. event with tribal leaders on the South Lawn. Then on Saturday, he's scheduled to make the Radio Address live. Q Why is he -- Q What's the purpose of that -- Q Native Americans? MS. MYERS: Right, Native American tribal leaders; to discuss with them issues such as health care and other federal issues involving the Indian nations. There will be representatives of over 400 different Indian nations will be represented. It's the first time a President has ever sat down and had a meeting like this with a representative group of the tribes. Q Did they request this, or is this a -- MS. MYERS: Yeah, this is something that's been under discussion for a while. Q Four hundred representatives, or 400 tribes? MS. MYERS: Four hundred representatives from 400 different tribes -- federally recognized tribes. Q How much time does he spend with them? MS. MYERS: There's a meeting and then there's a public event on the South Lawn, right? Two separate events. Q Dee Dee, if there are no heads of state showing up for the Nixon funeral, who are these receptions for? I understood that he was going to be with some foreign leaders. MS. MYERS: No, no foreign leaders. The receptions are for, I think, family members and then other VIPs. Q Well, I mean, after the -- MS. MYERS: Right, expanded family, then VIPs. Q So there are no unilaterals? MS. MYERS: No. Q Why are Perry and Shalikashvili coming? MS. MYERS: I think just to pay their respects. Secretary Christopher, is, as you know, is in Europe, or on his way to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. Q Is there any travel next week besides the Atlanta trip on Tuesday? MS. MYERS: Not at this point. Q Do you know if he's going out Thursday night? Is there any official functions that you know of? MS. MYERS: Thursday. He does? MR. LEAVY: A fundraiser. MS. MYERS: He has a night from hell -- a drop-by fundraiser for Governor Dean. This is all Thursday night, and there's no time -- they're still working out the times. Another event at the Omni Shoreham, and then an event for mayors at the Frederick Douglass House. Q At the Frederick Douglass House? MS. MYERS: Yes. So that's three events. He leaves here at about 6:00 p.m., so you're looking at sort of a late-ish evening. Q Dee Dee, the President said the other day to the South African press that he's planning three trips to Europe -- one in Normandy, the second will be the G-7. And what's the third one? MS. MYERS: I think he -- the third one we already did in January. Q No. MS. MYERS: CSCE? When's that? Q Surprise. Q November. MS. MYERS: November? So we have APEC and CSCE in November? Q It's in the fall. MS. MYERS: That's in Indonesia. Q Bali. Q Is Marion Barry going to be at the Frederick Douglass event Thursday night? MS. MYERS: I don't, no, I don't have a list. We can check. END 3:10 P.M. EDT