Informal Exchange With Reporters on the Budget
The President. I have one thing I
would like to say -- a little statement. We are 8 days into the fiscal year. We
do not have a budget. We had a continuing resolution for a few days while the
Congress continued to debate. That expires as of
Q.
Will you be able to get them to compromise at all?
The President. What?
Q.
Are you willing to compromise at all on putting off these amendments until
early next year?
The President. And what good would
that do? The man I'm talking to across the table would know that all he has to
do is wait and the Congress will help him do their
work.
Q.
You really want to scrap SALT II? It means that much to you?
The President. I want a budget, which
I haven't had since I've been here.
Q.
You asked them about this yesterday.
The President. What?
Q.
You made this request yesterday. What did they [congressional leaders] say?
The President. Let me say I did not
get a firm answer.
Q.
Mr. President, was there any
The President. I'm glad you asked. Absolutely not.
Q.
Are you going to get the Americans back?
The President. What?
Q.
Are you trying to get the bodies of the Americans and the live American back?
The President. I don't know what is
going on as of this morning with regard to that. While they're American
citizens, there is no government connection with that at all.
Q.
Was there any
The President. We've been aware that
there are private groups and private citizens that have been trying to help the
contras -- to that extent -- but we did not know the exact particulars of what
they're doing.
Q.
Do you approve of that?
The President. What?
Q.
Do you approve of those flights?
The President. Well, we're in a free
country where private citizens have a great many freedoms -- including the fact
that some years ago, many of you spoke approvingly of something called the
Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.
Q.
Well, did you approve of that?
The President. What?
Q.
Were you for that?
The President. I was busy then.
Note:
The exchange began at