THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ____________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release August 30, 1993 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY DURING FLOOD RELIEF MEETING The Roosevelt Room 11:13 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Let me say -- I asked that James Lee Witt to come in this morning to provide to me and to the Vice President and to our senior staff a briefing on Hurricane Emily and what provisions we're making to be ready for that, and as well as to give me an update the -- how we're handling the aftermath of the flood damage in the Midwest. And as you know, there was more flooding in Iowa yesterday. So those are the two things we're going to be talking about, and I thought I would maybe just let Mr. Witt say a word or two and then you may have a couple of questions -- MR. WITT: First, we had a meeting this morning at 9:30 a.m. with all the federal agencies to coordinate a response to Hurricane Emily if it does touch inland. We've been in contact this morning -- I have with Dr. Sheets from the Hurricane Center in Miami. He is going to give us an update at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. There is a possibility that it could basically just come in, kind of touch inland and then veer back out northeast away from the inland. We'll all keep hoping and praying that that's what happens. But if not, we are ready; we are prepared. And we have people and equipment in place to respond if it does come inland. Q Mr. President, changing the subject for a second. The Palestinians and the Israelis appear to have some historic breakthrough involving perhaps mutual Israeli-PLO recognition. If the Israelis and the PLO recognize each other, will that result in the U.S. resuming its dialogue with the PLO? THE PRESIDENT: Well, first, let me say I am very much encouraged by what is happening there, and very hopeful. The administration has worked hard to facilitate it. But, ultimately, whatever happens will have to be done by the parties themselves. If there is a new and different landscape in the Middle East, then I might be willing to entertain some questions. But I can't say now. I can't answer your question now. It's hypothetical, and it would only interfere with the discussions now going on. I don't think it's appropriate for the United States even to consider its own position here until the parties have a chance to work out a resolution of this. Q But the U.S. did have intervention in this, didn't it? I mean -- THE PRESIDENT: Oh, absolutely. I don't know if I would call it an intervention, but we've certainly worked hard to be a handmaiden or whatever the appropriate term is -- Q So you are involved. THE PRESIDENT: We are involved, but our position has not been at issue here and should not be discussed until the parties themselves worked out their differences. Q Mr. President, the -- Senator Dole suggested the prospects for NAFTA would be better were you to take it up to the Senate first. Do you agree? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I think I do. At least my preliminary -- I haven't talked to Mr. Daley about this, or to the congressional leadership. But if you mean by that there's a far greater likelihood that today that NAFTA would pass in the Senate than the House, that's clearly correct. Q What's going to be your strategy for winning over the House Democrats? David Bonior says that 75 percent of them right now are against NAFTA. THE PRESIDENT: Well, not all of them have reached a position on it. And I want to do two or three things. First of all, as I told the governors when I met with them in Tulsa, I'd like for all the governors who support this to ask their members of Congress to take no position until they actually read the agreement and see the implementing legislation itself. Remember, my position, going back to 1992 was that I was not for the NAFTA agreement as originally concluded, but that I would support it if certain conditions were met. Those conditions have been met as far as our agreements with the Mexicans. We still have to have a training program, but we're going to have the first trade agreement in history that's got strong environmental requirements and that has Mexico committing to raise its minimum wage as its economy grows. So these are very encouraging and very different things. So my strategy for Democrats and Republicans who have not declared for, but have not adamantly planted their feet in cement against, would be to ask them to read the agreement and wait until they see the implementing legislation, because that will tell them where we're going with the job training, and then make a judgment. And I think if that happens we can prevail because, again I will say, Latin America is the second fastest-growing part of the world. Mexico is just the beginning of this process. And I think it means more jobs for Americans. And I think I'll be able to persuade -- Q Should Bonior remove his hat as your whip, and -- THE PRESIDENT: No. I think that's a decision that the leadership in the House has to make. You know, presidents and their members of Congress are going to differ on some things. I heard the other day -- I don't know that this is true -- but I heard that so far, the Democrats in the Congress have voted for me more consistently than the last two or three Democratic presidents. I have not checked that. That's just what I heard. Q You don't believe that, do you? THE PRESIDENT: I think yes, I think they have with remarkable constituency and very high percentages. But I think the -- I think that we have an honest disagreement here. He has worked his heart out for me. This is the first issue on which we have disagreed. I think he's wrong; he thinks I'm wrong. I think in the end that my position will prevail. Q I want to get this question -- the people in the Carolinas are remembering, still, in their mind not only the devastation, of course, but the response of the federal government after, that they consider that largely a nightmare as well. What do you say to them to let them know that you're prepared, well prepared, in case it does, of course, hit them? THE PRESIDENT: I would say two things. First of all, we're here looking at this map today trying to get ready. That's what we're doing here. And, secondly, if you look at the way FEMA and the Agriculture Department and the other departments handled the flooding in the middle west, it's obvious that while we don't control what Mother Nature does, we're going to be on top of it with all the resources and effort that we can possibly marshall as quickly as possible. END11:20 A.M. EDT