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[Press Guidance] - May 2, 1994
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134760152
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[Press Guidance] - May 2, 1994
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Records of the Office of the Press Secretary (Clinton Administration)
Dee Dee Myers' Files
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FOIA Number: 2011-0587-F
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Press Secretary
Series/Staff Member:
Dee Dee Myers
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
2922
FolderID:
Folder Title:
[Press Guidance] - May 2, 1994
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
94
2
11
2
OMB PRESS OFFICE
ID:202-395-7298
MAY 02'94 12:31 No.003 P.02
TALKING POINTS ON LEGISLATION TO EXEMPT
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FROM FTE CUTS
As Director Panetta wrote in his letter to House leaders, this legislation would make it
virtually impossible to carry out the streamlining that Congress itself mandated just a
few weeks ago.
It exempts one of the largest agencies in government -- one that has 17 percent of
non-defense and non-Postal FTEs. This (a) puts additional pressure on other agencies
to reduce their personnel levels even further and (b) encourages supporters of other
agencies to seek similar protection. As Director Panetta said, this is a zero-sum
game.
The most vulnerable agencies are those with the largest numbers of FTEs, and those
would include the Social Security Agency, the Justice Department, and Defense.
Yesterday's vote was actually a respectable vote, given that most legislation regarding
veterans passes unanimously, and given that most House Members were not available
on Wednesday and so were not aware of our concerns about the bill.
We are very hopeful that as Members of the Senate understand the implications of this
legislation, particularly for other agencies, they will not approve it.
IF ASKED WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WOULD VETO THE BILL: We feel
very strongly that this bill should not be adopted, and at this point, we are hopeful
that the Congress will not adopt it. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but
we are hopeful that we are not even going to come to it.
DOD Helicopter
Per Kathleen DeLaski:
* DOD will review the rules guiding the use of helicopters by Senior Military
staff.
* Currently, if a senior member of the Pentagon is pressed for time to make a
meeting or event due to professional committments than they will take a
helicopter. If not, then they will take ground transportation.
KATHLEEN SAYS USE THIS EXAMPLE:
When Secretary of Defense Perry comes home late from a trip, he will take a
car because he is not pressed for time. But most times the Secretary will take a
helo to the event because it is during rush hour and time committments is hard.
USTR
Intellectual Pro perty
Special 301 - due every yr by statu to
by end of April
Title VII - govt procurement
Req'd congressional report -- but
not press release
- NYT got story wrong
- 17 page packet on Saturday
- mickey backgrounded press on Sat
Peter Behr
LAT AP
conf call w/ 6 reporters
the
taxed out release
60 days consult period on special
Same Evant letter
urging postponement
of GATT enableing legis.
55 members signed:
571 voted against Nofta
- - 43 voted against Fast Track
- - Intens to move ahead this year
Micky's anned letter weat to hill
today
7th page @ bottom
Title Japan
also giving them time
2 reasons
1) made progres in marabesh
of Hata; posture more
open to cont talks
2) Domestic polit st
RESPONSE TO LA TIMES MEDICARE ARTICLE
May 2, 1994
As the President has said from the beginning, baseline Medicare growth is far too
high, and without reform it will be bad both for our longterm deficit and for the financial
integrity of the Medicare program.
Yet, the type of savings the President has called for in the Health Security Act would
strengthen the Medicare program.
Unlike past Administrations, we have accurately built into the baseline the enormous
projected growth in Medicare spending so that we are accurately describing and planning for
the true magnitude of the problem.
From that baseline, we have called for real, specific, scorable measures to reduce
Medicare spending -- which have been validated by the Congressional Budget Office. They
found that the President's plan would get at least $103 billion in program savings in the first
five years and about $344 billion in savings over nine years. So the accuracy of our
projected baseline for Medicare growth and the savings from our specific policies has been
validated by the Congressional Budget Office.
Q: Yet, how can you get these savings if the Medicare system is going bankrupt?
A: You have it all wrong. It is on the path to financial trouble if these plans for
savings are not implemented. The poor path of Medicare financing does not prevent
savings -- it demands them.
Q: How does Medicare savings help the system when you are not using the money for deficit
reduction, but for increased Medicare Drug benefits and other provisions of the health care
plan?
A: Even with the additional health benefits made to the Medicare program to provide
elderly Americans more comprehensive coverage, our plan generates enormous savings
by slowing the rate of growth of Medicare. For example, according to CBO, our
Medicare savings would pay for all of the new Medicare prescription Drug benefit and
still save $212 billion between 1999 and 2004.
U.S. Department of
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Transportation
Washington, D.C. 20590.
Office of the Secretary
of Transportation
May 2. 1994
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Arthur Jones
White House Press Office
FROM:
Richard Mintz
am
DOT Public Affairs
RE:
Proposal to Corporatize the Air Traffic Control System
BACKGROUND
The Vice President's National Performance Review, the National Airline Commission, and
the Clinton Administration's Aviation Initiative all highlighted restructuring of the nation's
air traffic control system as a model of reinventing government and as a key element to
help improve the productivity and financial soundness of the nation's ailing aviation
industry. Tomorrow, the Vice President and Secretary Peña will announce the details of
a
new
the corporatization proposal at a press conference at National Airport. The proposal is the
product of a six-month interagency working group led by DOT.
Previous efforts to modernize the system, begun under the Reagan and Bush
Administrations, have been plagued by FAA cost overruns and delays, bureaucratic
mismanagement and reams of federal procurement regulations. The Administration has
already taken a number of steps to get the program under control including replacing
managers, suspending and reviewing contracts. But only a dramatic and bold step will fix
what is wrong at the FAA, from top to bottom.
TALKING POINTS
0
The Vice President and Secretary Peña will announce the details of the ATC
corporatization proposal tomorrow at National Airport. We cannot confirm details
of the proposal today.
O
The ATC. Corp. is a model of the V.P.'s reinventing government effort and of the
Secretary's initiative to improve the productivity and financial competitiveness of
the U.S. airline industry. Safety oversight
0
The Administration proposes creating a government-owned corporation to manage
air traffic control services. It would have its own board of directors and would have
the authority to raise working capital in the markets. Safety oversight would
remain with the government.
0
The nation's air traffic control system is the safest in the world. But bureaucratic
procurement and personnel rules have thwarted modernization of the system.
Increasing delays cost the airlines and the travelling public billions of dollars a year
and untold inconvenience. 40 year old vacuum tubes and 25 year old computers
cannot support the growth of aviation traffic into the next century.
0
The Clinton Administration believes bold and dramatic steps are necessary to make
the system more efficient and safer. Corporatization will allow new technologies to
be brought in much faster and cheaper. It will cost less to the users and to the
taxpayers. It will mean less delays and better service.
0
There is considerable support for the proposal in the Congress. The V.P. and the
Secretary will work closely with key members to shape and pass legislation this
year.