Bill Clinton photo

Press Briefing by Dee Dee Myers

January 28, 1993

The Briefing Room

9:15 A.M. EST

MS. MYERS: A couple of quick things. The President is meeting with Chairman Greenspan this morning at 9:30 a.m. Then he'll attend the funeral of Justice Marshall. This afternoon he has a photo session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with local people from around the country. We can get you a list of who is going to be at that later.

And, finally, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the Health Care Task Force is meeting. Most of the members will be there, and Mrs. Clinton will chair it.

Q: Is Tipper on that -- has she been put on that panel?

MS. MYERS: I don't believe so, but I'll double-check.

Q: Is there coverage?

MS. MYERS: We may do a photo. I think we'll probably do a photo of it, but that's it.

Q: Where is it?

MS. MYERS: In the Roosevelt Room. It's from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Q: Why is the meeting closed?

Q: Is the story wrong that Tipper's been --

MS. MYERS: Why is the meeting closed? Because the task force meetings will continue to be closed throughout the development of the policy.

Q: Are there outsiders that are going to this meeting? I mean, people who are not government employees --

MS. MYERS: No. I don't believe in this particular meeting. This is the first formal meeting of the task force. It'll be members of the task force. The President will be there, as will Mrs. Clinton, who will be chairing it. We'll give you guys some kind of readout if there's anything to report.

There won't be a lot of details coming out of the initial meetings. I think this is very preliminary. They're going to work toward some kind of a legislative package to be introduced sometime within the first 100 days.

Q: Well, is The Post story wrong, that Tipper Gore has been asked to serve?

MS. MYERS: I'll have to get back to you on that. I don't know.

Q: Do you know what here involvement will be?

MS. MYERS: No, I don't.

Q: Will you elaborate on the photo session? Is that just --

MS. MYERS: It's something that he's going to do regularly, which is just for people from around the country, different -- you know, citizens that have come and have done something noteworthy of merit, or for some other reason have a photo taken with the President or coming to meet him for some reason. And again, we'll get you a list of who is -- well, that wouldn't be totally far off, but it's a continuation of his reaching out to people across the country, trying to find out what's going on, programs in the local communities that might be working, people that have had successes. It's more of a continuation of the Faces of Hope than anything else.

Q: Who chooses them?

MS. MYERS: They'll be chosen probably through the Scheduling Office. I don't know exactly what the procedure will be, but it'll be a regular thing.

Q: Who pays for their trips here?

MS. MYERS: I don't know the answer to that.

Q: Can we find out?

MS. MYERS: Sure.

Q: Who chooses the people?

MS. MYERS: Yes. I'll get back to you on -- again, it'll be a regular thing. And how people are chosen, who pays for their trips, I don't know any of the details of that yet. But we'll get back to you on that.

Q: Twice weekly, or --

MS. MYERS: Probably weekly. Probably every Thursday.

Q: Who chose these?

MS. MYERS: They came in through the Scheduling Office. Different requests. I think the requests come in through a variety of different offices. Some come in through the Political Office, some come in through the legislative offices, some come in through probably people who worked on the campaign. I think there's a number of different avenues of contact, as there were throughout the campaign and transition.

Q: Is it a chat as well as a photo op? Is it a talk?

MS. MYERS: It's an informal meeting, that the President will meet with them. I don't know how many people are on the schedule for today, but there will be probably an hour a week dedicated to this. It'll be every Thursday -- that's the tentative plan as of now. People will be, I'm sure, selected based on a number of different criteria. The final decision will probably be between scheduling director Marcia Hale and the President and other people who have input.

Q: They come through one at a time, not one whole group?

MS. MYERS: Right. They come in -- right -- and it may be one group at a time or one individual at a time, but it won't be -- they won't bring everybody in from 15 different places.

Q: Can we dare ask how this compares to Points of Light?

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Again, it's a continuation of Faces of Hope, that wildly successful program that was an outgrowth of the campaign. I mean, the President traveled around the country and had more contact with voters during the campaign than I think any president in history. As a result of that contact, he met a lot of people who moved him, who inspired him, who had an impact on his thinking on various issues. You've heard the stories a thousand times from Marianne and Eddie Davis who had to choose between food and medicine every month, to people who overcame tremendous handicaps. One young man that wheeled his wheelchair two miles after his car broke down to meet then-candidate Bill Clinton.

So it's those kinds of things -- people who have done something in their community that's inspiring or noteworthy, or a program that's working, had some kind of success.

Q: Do you have any proof that this is more than any other president in history?

MS. MYERS: It's anecdotal evidence only. (Laughter.) Those of you who watched them work the ropelines won't doubt it.

Q: I don't know. Those who have been on other campaigns might.

MS. MYERS: Oh, I don't know, Helen. You had to see those ropelines to believe them.

Q: Any announcement coming today?

MS. MYERS: It's possible. We don't have any firm plans. There's continuing consultation, I believe. Secretary Aspin is meeting with military leaders this morning. There's continuing consultation between the White House and members of Congress on this, and we'll have an announcement as soon as we're ready.

Q: And will it be this week, as promised?

MS. MYERS: I think so.

Q: Just what is it that is still undecided? It is what the nature of procedures will be between now and a permanent executive order?

MS. MYERS: That was, as Secretary Aspin and Senator Nunn pointed out last night, that's the major issue on the table before the announcement can be made -- just resolving how to handle the interim period.

Q: Is it definite that he will ask that recruiters no longer ask about sexual preference? Is that a given?

MS. MYERS: Yes. And there's broad agreement on that. There is no formal policy that dictates that. It's just a practice that's been ongoing in the military. I mean, there's broad agreement that that policy should be lifted. The question is, once you lift that, how do you handle cases that are pending or cases that might come up in the interim between the time the question stops being asked and the actual executive order is signed.

Q: Let me try one more. Will the President insist that between now and the end of the six months that no active service personnel be discharged because of sexual preference?

MS. MYERS: How that's going to be handled is the issue.

Q: That's the question?

MS. MYERS: That's the -- yes, how best to handle the interim period with both ongoing cases and things that might evolve during that period. I think that they're working toward agreement on it; I think it just needs to be clarified.

Q: Last night, Les Aspin said that it was possibly --it might be illegal to prosecute under the old scheme, once you've told recruiters that you can't ask sexual preference. Is there any clarification of that yet, do you know?

MS. MYERS: Not yet. That's still being worked on.

Q: What happens after six months? Is it then -- there will be an executive order?

MS. MYERS: Correct.

Q: On Saturday you called that a fait accompli. That has not changed despite the fact that Senator Nunn comes out last night and talks about how we're still negotiating this and that. That, in itself, still stands absolute.

MS. MYERS: What -- the two-step process, or the lift on asking the questions?

Q: -- that after six months, there will be an executive order, period. That's not under negotiation?

MS. MYERS: No, that is not under consideration. The President has agreed to move forward on that. That's the plan.

Q: Dee Dee, is the President personally doing anything on this today? Negotiating with anybody? Talking to anybody?

MS. MYERS: He may. He has, as you know, the 9:30 a.m. meeting with Chairman Greenspan and then Justice Marshall's funeral. I don't know what'll happen this afternoon. There's nothing currently scheduled, but that could change.

Q: But is it working at a staff level, or at the secretary level, as it's supposed to be?

MS. MYERS: Secretary and staff level.

Q: But are you waiting for final agreement between any parties, between the White House and the JCS or the White House and the Hill on anything?

MS. MYERS: No, I think the questions about how to handle the interim period need to get resolved to the satisfaction of both members of Congress and the White House.

Q: When this interim order is issued, will, in effect, the ban be lifted for the next six months?

MS. MYERS: The recruiters will be instructed to stop asking the question. The other details of how to handle the interim period are still being resolved. But the ban itself, the process will not be complete until the executive order is signed in approximately six months.

Q: What's in the air besides the question of prosecution?

MS. MYERS: Current policy says, I think, that if somebody says they're gay that they're separated out, and then a process is begun, a disciplinary process. And I think it has to do with how to handle that whole process.

Q: This doesn't have anything to do with -- you're not now trying to figure out what happens in the six months as far as living quarters and things like that.

MS. MYERS: No. This is simply the -- and all of that will be worked out in the six-month period leading up to signing an executive order. But there's an interim question of, what do you do with people who are currently in the military, either cases that are currently pending or cases that might arise because somebody says that they're gay or something else happens. I mean, there's conduct and there's status questions in that interim period.

Now, I believe that there's broad consensus that the existing rules of conduct will have to be followed. But there's the question of status. If somebody says -- admits that they're homosexual now, then a disciplinary process begins, and they're eventually removed from the military. What do you do now if somebody says they're gay during that interim six-month period?

Q: Are there specific areas in which Nunn has asked for changes or forced changes? The impression is out there that you're backing down in the face of his opposition.

MS. MYERS: I think we're trying to bring him into the process. The President withheld announcing a policy until he felt he had adequate consultation with both military and congressional leaders. This is an ongoing process. I think the questions that Senator Nunn has and Secretary Aspin has about the interim period are legitimate. The President wants to work out the details of that, and then the process will begin towards an executive order, which is going to be a complicated process.

Q: Why, Dee Dee, isn't he in the process now? I mean, why do you have to bring him into the process?

MS. MYERS: He's been consulted throughout -- there's been a great deal of consultation between the White House and congressional leaders on this, from the beginning of the transition. I think George pointed out yesterday there have been more than 40 hours of meetings and consultations already. There's been a great deal in the last two days. I think that the President wants to make sure that congressional leaders have been adequately consulted. Everybody wants to work with Chairman Nunn on this. It's going to be a complicated process between now and working out the questions before an executive order is signed.

Q: Senator Nunn has said repeatedly that the government can't go ahead and change anything unless it hears from the people who are directly involved. Are there any cases in which President Clinton has heard from active military personnel that the ones who will be affected by this in barracks, in trenches, in ships?

MS. MYERS: Well, as you know, he's met with the Joint Chiefs. Other people have met with other military leaders down the chain of command. And during the six-month period when the policy will continue to be developed, I think there will be adequate opportunity for input from people both in the military, on the Hill and in the community at large.

Q: The two-step process first, I think, surfaced in the Aspin memo, giving the impression that it was his idea. Was it his idea to counter the opposition that you were running into?

MS. MYERS: I don't know exactly where the idea first came from. It's one that Secretary Aspin supports. He believes that he needs time to work with the military and others to work out the very complicated questions surrounding an ultimate executive order.

Q: This is not the President's original idea, that you would have to wait six months because of the -- not a question -- I mean, he was going to come in and just do it, was he not?

MS. MYERS: No. The President always said that his intention was to lift the ban on gays in the military based solely on status, that he would work with congressional and military leaders to make that happen. I don't think that he went into it with any preconceived expectation of how exactly it would happen. I don't think he wanted to do that without consulting with people first.

This was worked out as the best way to do it, the way that would allow for the most input and, hopefully, the best resolution.

Q: Has the administration changed its position and its plans on this issue since 6:00 p.m. yesterday evening before that meeting?

MS. MYERS: They're continuing to work out the details of that interim period.

Q: Can you say this interim order won't come today?

MS. MYERS: No. It could come today. It could.

Q: Could it slip to tomorrow?

MS. MYERS: It could.

Q: Could it slip to next week?

MS. MYERS: I hope not.

Q: Would the President himself make this announcement?

MS. MYERS: We haven't made a decision yet about how the announcement will be made. I think that's possible. But the President would make it himself.

Q: New subject.

MS. MYERS: Is there another subject?

Q: Zoe Baird.

Q: Some of the Democrats on the Hill say that the end result of all of this is going to be to force them into a politically difficult mode at a time when they need to be reserving political capital for difficult votes that they anticipate on the economic program. Why this issue at this time?

MS. MYERS: Well, I think that there was going to be a vote on this issue one way or another. I don't think it's something that the President went out of his way to put into the environment. It's something that's been discussed, and there were certainly conversations on the Hill among members of Congress about adding a resolution to or an amendment to a bill to make the ban permanent. And I think that it was coming. A vote on this issue was coming, and I think the President made a commitment during the campaign to lift the ban. He wants to move forward with that. He said he'd do it early and I think that he wanted to follow through on that commitment.

Q: Nothing he hears in the next six months will change his mind?

MS. MYERS: I think there's a lot of details that will be worked out. But he's committed to lifting the ban.

Q: Dee Dee, whatever compromise is reached in the next day or two, do you still expect next week, the week after, that Gingrich is of the will to try to vote on this at some point?

MS. MYERS: I think with Senator Nunn's support, it will be easier to keep that from happening. I don't think anybody knows for sure what's going to happen, but I think our congressional liaisons feel that that's less likely in the next six months, that the process will be worked out and people will have input into it.

Q: Dee Dee, in the Aspin memo, he said that George Mitchell told him that he could only get 30 votes on this issue. Do you have a better vote count now? Because you seem to be pretty confident that that's not going to be a problem.

MS. MYERS: Well, it may come up. I don't think anybody knows for sure. But I think that the way that the issue has not been framed, that the President will direct the Secretary to stop asking the question about status with new recruits and work toward through a process that will allow for congressional input, as well as input from the military and other people -- civilians and interest groups. I think that it creates a process that -- people didn't understand before, I think, how the President intended to move forward with this. He never intended to just issue an edict without consulting adequately with the people who would be affected. Now that there's a process and a framework in place for moving forward, I think people feel that there is a process that they can access. And I think it's a lot less likely.

Q: But in the end, I mean as a practical matter, you still need the votes. I'm wondering if George Mitchell came up with a new head count that made you feel better about --

MS. MYERS: I think that now that there's a process, he -- the Congressional leaders feel that there's a better chance that they can move forward with hearings and other consultations rather than a vote right away.

Q: Dee Dee, will this topic come up at the retreat this weekend as well?

MS. MYERS: I'm sure it will. The retreat is really an opportunity for members of the President's Cabinet to discuss his legislative agenda. I think it will be a lot broader. I think they'll talk about things like the economy and health care, as well as national service and perhaps political reform. It's an opportunity for them to work out a working relationship that will be productive and to talk broadly about the President's legislative agenda.

Q: -- logistics for this weekend? Will they go up Saturday, spend the night? Will there be a press conference Sunday? Or will you -- do we have to make phone calls here?

MS. MYERS: Yes, there's no scheduled press conference. They'll leave Saturday morning, spend the night, and come back sometime Sunday -- probably back in Washington before the Super Bowl starts.

Q: Will they all come back together? Are they all coming back to the White House together?

MS. MYERS: I believe they will.

Q: Is there coverage Saturday? Any kind of photo op or anything like that?

MS. MYERS: Not currently scheduled.

Q: Are they all going to watch the Super Bowl together?

MS. MYERS: I don't think so.

Q: When is the President going there, Dee Dee?

MS. MYERS: He's either going to go Friday night or Saturday morning.

Q: Will there be somebody here Sunday for a readout when the President gets back in the Press Office? Otherwise you're going to get thousands of phone calls.

Q: I hope not.

MS. MYERS: Yes, we'll probably do some kind of readout.

Q: Dee Dee, on this six-month period for resolving the other issues, who's the point for that? Is it the White House that's going to work for those six months to draft a bill, or are you expecting Nunn to come up with something out of his hearings? Who takes responsibility during that period for putting this all together?

MS. MYERS: Well, I think Secretary Aspin will be the point person on it.

Q: So it will be a White House bill that gets then sent up to the Hill?

MS. MYERS: Correct.

Q: Dee Dee, what's the format for this weekend? Are the members of the Cabinet supposed to bring ideas with them? Are they being assigned to do tasks to bring to this retreat, or is it just --

MS. MYERS: No, it's largely informal. It's an opportunity, again, for the members to discuss the President's legislative agenda, for them to offer ideas, solutions, whatever perspectives they might bring to it. There is no -- they're not being assigned anything to bring with them.

Q: There's nothing specific on the agenda? There's no --

MS. MYERS: There won't be an agenda, but it is -- again, the broad goal here is for them to have an opportunity to work together, to build a working relationship, to discuss the President's legislative agenda.

Q: Dee Dee, can you tell us what --

Q: The gross domestic product was up 3.8 percent, but analysts caution that it's kind of spurred by credit card spending during Christmas. What's the administration's readout on those figures?

MS. MYERS: Well, it's encouraging; yet the recovery has not been accompanied by job growth -- necessary job growth. And I think Chairman Greenspan's comments yesterday were encouraging. I know the President -- that they share the view that there needs to be investment in job growth.

Q: On Dr. Lee. Was he dismissed by the President?

MS. MYERS: Yes.

Q: Why was he dismissed?

MS. MYERS: Because the President always intended to bring his own personal physician.

Q: Who is that going to be?

MS. MYERS: He hasn't made that announcement yet.

Q: Was he dismissed because he refused to give the President an allergy shot?

MS. MYERS: Absolutely not.

Q: What happened?

MS. MYERS: He just -- the President was always going to bring his own personal physician. And I don't know why Dr. Lee felt he'd been dismissed for that reason, but it's absolutely not true.

Q: Did he refuse to give the President a shot and did the President get the shot administered by somebody else?

MS. MYERS: I don't believe so. As of yesterday afternoon, the President had not received his allergy shot yet. As you know, he receives it about once a week. He did so throughout the campaign -- probably a little less regularly than once a week. But the shot was administered by doctors around the country. It's very routine.

Q: Why fire the doctor before you have another one on, and when will he get the --

MS. MYERS: The doctor wasn't fired. It's just that the President's going to bring in his own personal physician. That is the prerogative of every President.

Q: Why dismiss him before you have a doctor on board?

MS. MYERS: Because there's a White House -- there's a staff of White House physicians here. There are three physicians in the White House, a very able group of doctors. And I think that the President just chose to move forward with plans to hire his own personal physician.

Q: Do you know when he will get his shot?

MS. MYERS: I don't know. He may have already gotten it. I just -- when I checked yesterday afternoon, he had not yet received it. The allergy shot is just a routine practice.

Q: How does he pay for that? I mean, does he bring his own doctor on the staff or does he pay with government -- how does that work?

MS. MYERS: I'll have to get back to you on that. I don't know.

Q: I mean, does he move here and abandon his practice in Little Rock or what?

MS. MYERS: That's been the practice of past Presidents. Again, President Clinton has not appointed a personal physician. He's working on that. I'm sure he'll have --

Q: Does he have a personal physician now?

MS. MYERS: He has several in Little Rock for different things -- a voice doctor, an allergy doctor.

Q: Is it going to be one of those doctors?

MS. MYERS: I don't know. (Laughter.)

Q: A spin doctor.

Q: She's here already.

Q: Dr. Myers -- (laughter.)

Q: There are too many of those.

Q: Do you know what medications besides the allergy shot the President is taking regularly?

MS. MYERS: I don't -- I'll have to get back to you on that, too. I don't know. He occasionally takes antihistamines for his allergies. He takes -- as you know, he receives an allergy shot. And beyond that --

Q: Anything for his throat these days?

MS. MYERS: No. Although he works -- his throat doctor is Dr. James Suen, of Little Rock -- his voice doctor, who's an --I believe it's called an otolaryngologist. I mean, most of the work that he does with Dr. Suen is exercises and trying to speak differently to preserve his voice as opposed to taking any medications.

Q: When will he release the results of the last round of physical examinations that he had a couple of months ago?

MS. MYERS: He released most of the --

Q: -- last year, though. I'm talking about the ones --

MS. MYERS: No, he had some recently. I guess it was technically last year. It was a couple of months ago -- October -- when he had --

Q: Yes, but those were letters that referred to his --

MS. MYERS: No, there was subsequent -- there was new bloodwork with those. He had several tests right before the results of those were released just to make sure that it was complete. And there was new bloodwork and a few other things done, if you refer back to those documents.

Q: But since then he's had stress test, he's gone to the cardiologist, he's had a more complete physical exam for this year. Are those results going to be released this year?

MS. MYERS: I don't believe there's any plans to. He finished some of the tests for a physical.

Q: Dee Dee, can you tell us what President Clinton and Chairman Greenspan are discussing today? And is this going to be a normal meeting or is this just an introductory type of meeting?

MS. MYERS: Well, as you know, they met in Little Rock shortly after President Clinton was elected. This is -- I think the President was encouraged by Chairman Greenspan's comments yesterday and I think they're broadly discussing the President's economic plan -- or their ideas for the economy and how best to create jobs and spur long-term growth, which is the goal of both President Clinton and Chairman Greenspan.

Q: Does he have a plan yet?

MS. MYERS: He's working on it.

Q: I mean, what are they really discussing?

MS. MYERS: I think they're talking about their ideas -- the best ways to create jobs and spur long-term economic growth.

Q: Dee Dee, we have a poll that shows that -- I think the majority of people are happy with the way the President generally is doing business, but that people are very unclear -- one quarter of the people think they understand what his economic plan will be and 73 percent -- three-quarters -- don't have any idea where he's going on an economic plan. Does that concern you? I know it's still early, but we've had a lot of issues that have come up and people still seem confused.

MS. MYERS: Well, I think people broadly know that the President's goal is to create jobs and get the economy moving again. In the next few weeks, he'll continue to work on that plan with his advisors. On February 17th, he'll address a joint session of Congress and lay out his economic plans. And then, I think, work very hard to get those plans passed through Congress. And I think the American people will know exactly what he's trying to achieve very shortly.

Q: Are we going to have a new AG this week?

MS. MYERS: Soon.

Q: This week?

MS. MYERS: Soon.

Q: Has he interviewed people personally at this point? Anyone?

MS. MYERS: Not that I know of.

Q: What is soon? Is it this week or next week --

MS. MYERS: We don't have any particular time line. I think the President is working on it. He's making progress on it. But he's not going to make any announcements before he's ready.

Q: Can you rule out today on an attorney general?

MS. MYERS: Yes, it won't happen today.

Q: Could you also rule out tomorrow? If he hasn't interviewed anybody, there's no precedence for him --

MS. MYERS: I think it's unlikely.

Q: Are there -- unlikely this week?

MS. MYERS: Yes, -- right, unlikely this week.

Q: Are there any women on the short list?

MS. MYERS: I can't comment on who's on or off the short list. But he's considering a wide variety of people.

Q: The President's first week as President is over now. Does he feel that he's been able to devote enough of his attention and enough of the national attention on the issues that he lists -- those four issues that he lists as the bedrock of his job this year?

MS. MYERS: I think he feels he's making good progress on all those fronts; the economic team has met regularly; he's met with economic advisors, Congressional leadership; today, Chairman Greenspan and he's making good progress on the economic plan; he appointed Mrs. Clinton as chair of the Health Care Task Force and that organization met once and is meeting again today to begin the real work of putting together a health care reform package; on National Service Eli Segal is moving forward, has had a number of meetings on the Hill; is working making good progress on putting together that program, and the political reform plans are moving along as well. I think he feels he's made good progress, in addition to signing the memoranda that overturned the Bush and Reagan era restrictions on choice.

So I think all things considered -- plus he had a terrific inaugural week which opened his presidency -- I think he feels very good about the progress he's made in his first week. He's had great consultation with Congress and with members of his staff, and things are moving forward.

Q: Is it his intention to include a national service component in that address in February? Or is that something that needs to be looked at later down the road?

MS. MYERS: I think he wants to move forward on it quickly, but I don't think it will necessarily be included in the economic package on the 17th. I mean, he may make some mention of it, but that's --

Q: Dee Dee, on the --

Q: Is there any comment from the President on the decision of the Supreme Court -- Israeli Supreme Court on the deportation of the Palestinians?

MS. MYERS: We'll have more on that later today.

Q: This morning, or --

MS. MYERS: Probably at George's briefing, which I believe is at 2:00 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m.

Q: Dee Dee, during our confirmation hearings, Secretary O'Leary said that she didn't foresee any broad-based energy tax this year. Does that reflect the President's thinking, or was she referring to a possible effective date?

MS. MYERS: The President -- as the President has said a number of times, everything is on the table. He hasn't made any decisions one way or another about those things.

Q: Is there a reason that she was saying she didn't see it this year?

MS. MYERS: Well, she'll be working with the President to make decisions about that, but as of right now there haven't been any decisions -- final decisions made about that.

Q: Can I go back to the health care task force? Earlier when Mrs. Clinton's name was announced as the Chairwoman, they said that she wouldn't be signing any ethics types of legislation. Is that because she's not considered a government employee?

MS. MYERS: She's not required to. I think she'll be abiding by all of the ethics guidelines the President outlined and is requiring from the rest of his staff.

Q: Is she considered, let's say, a government employee?

MS. MYERS: Technically -- and I'll have to double-check this, but I believe the way the executive order is worded is that somebody who is paid -- hired by and paid by the Clinton administration is how the universe is defined. But Mrs. Clinton will certainly abide by all of the restrictions in those --

Q: She's not paid -- so thus she is not officially an employee?

MS. MYERS: I believe that's technically correct. But she will abide by all of the guidelines the President outlined in his executive order.

Q: Do you know whether or not the lawyers have doublechecked all the various types of law -- sunshine law, things like that -- to make sure that her presence on the task force meets all of these laws?

MS. MYERS: White House Counsel has looked at that and I think they're very comfortable with this -- her role.

Q: A housekeeping matter. Is this going to be a regular thing that we do here?

MS. MYERS: If you guys find it useful, we'll continue to do it.

Q: Yes.

MS. MYERS: As long as you don't torture me too much.

Q: So at 9:00 a.m.?

MS. MYERS: What I said yesterday was 9:00 a.m., or as close to 9:00 a.m. as I could get here, if that's -- suggest a better time and I'm happy to comply.

Q: 9:30 a.m.

Q: 9:30 a.m.

Q: You can see how many questions we have and you can see how --

MS. MYERS: If 9:30 is better, I'm happy to do it at 9:30. So until further notice --

Q: 6:15 a.m.

MS. MYERS: Yes. Until further notice, we'll do this at 6:15 a.m. --

Q: Good. Good.

MS. MYERS: -- at Susan Spencer's house. She'll serve coffee and danish.

Q: How about 9:00 a.m.? That's better for us.

MS. MYERS: Okay, we'll keep it at 9:00 a.m.

Q: 9:30 a.m.

MS. MYERS: We have an 8:30 a.m. --

Q: How about 9:15 a.m.?

Q: Never throw this --

MS. MYERS: I know, this is bad. I have -- we have an 8:30 a.m. policy and planning meeting -- the communications staff meeting. That usually lasts a half an hour to 45 minutes. I will come down as soon as that is over, so it will be between 9:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. And probably closer to 9:15 a.m., Spencer.

Q: Thank you.

END 9:48 A.M. EST

William J. Clinton, Press Briefing by Dee Dee Myers Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/269222

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