Reagan Press Conf. May 13, 1982
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
Press corps gathered in room; cameras on tripods against back wall, and two adult Caucasian males, one wearing formal U.S. Army uniform, standing by entrance. Adult male voice announces the President of the United States; all stand as President Ronald Reagan walks to podium, two adult Caucasian males lead and follow him. All sit as the President welcomes them, announces a read statement. Reagan says America has been plunged into war four times in his life, which has led him to believe "America's highest mission is to stand as a leader among the free nations in the cause of peace," which is why his administration has been working In Geneva with the Soviet Union for a phased reduction in nuclear and conventional forces. U.S. and Soviet Union each have about 7,500 nuclear warheads that can reach their targets in a matter of minutes.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continues with statement regarding strategic-arms negotiations (START I) with the Soviet Union. The first phase of nuclear arms reduction would focus on lessening imminent threats by reducing the number of ballistic missile warheads to 5,000. The second phase will seek reductions of throw weight. Any new arms agreement with the Soviets must be balanced, equal, and verifiable, must increase stability, and the prospects of peace. "I have already written President Brezhnev and instructed Secretary Haig to approach the Soviet government so that we can begin formal negotiations on the reduction of strategic nuclear arms at the earliest opportunity. And we hope that these negotiations can begin by the end of June and hope to hear from President Brezhnev in the near future." Reagan knows this will not be easy, but assures Americans he will work hard to bring an agreement that will prevent war. Reagan opens the floor to questions.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes questions after giving statement on strategic-arms negotiations talks with the Soviet Union; adult Caucasian male and female press corps in BG. Adult Caucasian male asks: "Mr. President, with business failures reaching the highest numbers in 40 years, and no sign that your modified budget plan is making progress in Congress, what would you say to the nation's 10 million unemployed about their prospects of finding work? And when will their situation improve?" President Reagan states their situation will improve. Unfortunately, the history of recessions show that unemployment is the last thing to improve, but it will. There will be no real improvement for anyone until interest rates come down. That will happen quickly if Congress manages to cut spending and pass the budget that has already passed the Senate. President Reagan advocates a national summer jobs program and $22 billion already in the budget for people in need.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes a question from Helen Thomas, from United Press International; adult Caucasian male and female press corps in BG. Thomas: "Wiping out the nuclear threat is so important to the world, why do you choose to ignore seven long years of negotiation in which two Republican Presidents played a part? I speak of SALT II. We abide by the terms the Soviet Union does. Why not push for a ratification of that treaty as a first step, then go on to a start? After all, a bird in hand..." Reagan replies the bird isn't very friendly and reminds her that the Democratic-controlled Senate refused to ratify it. Reagan goes on to say that the SALT treaty would have placed limitations, but would have allowed the Soviet Union to double their present nuclear capability. It would allow the U.S. to increase their capacity. Reagan believes it legitimizes an arms race; the goal is overall nuclear arms reduction, and the SALT treaty was the wrong course to follow.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes a question from adult Caucasian male journalist; adult Caucasian male press corps in BG. Reporter: "Mr. President, you may know that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said yesterday that your approach might take far longer than the 7 years it took to require to negotiate SALT II. What sort of time-frame do you anticipate it would take to negotiate these limits on warheads?" President Reagan doesn't know if he can put a time frame on that. The difference between then and now is that the U.S. is serious about rebuilding its national defense, which draws the Soviet Union to the negotiating table. "In the past several years, those negotiations took place with them having a superiority over us and us actually unilaterally disarming. Every time someone wanted a little money for another program they took it away from defense. And that isn't true anymore.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male journalist; adult Caucasian men seated in BG. Reporter: "Mr. President, there have been calls in recent days for the United States to renounce the existing NATO treaty under which we would retaliate against the Soviets with nuclear weapons if they attack Western Europe with conventional arms. Under what conditions could we pledge that we will never be the first to introduce nuclear weapons in any conflict in Western Europe?" President Reagan doesn't think there is any useful purpose served by making that declaration, though he certainly believes no one wants to see that happen. The only deterrent the U.S. has are strategic nuclear weapons to counter the buildup of Soviet conventional arms on the western front of NATO. That is why negotiations are underway in Vienna, to try and reduce conventional arms because that is an overwhelming force there.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male, press corps seated in BG. Man asks about progress or lack thereof with negotiated settlement on the Falkland Islands, what role the United States is playing, and to elaborate on the situation with respect to other allies in Latin America and in South America. President Reagan does not think irreparable damage has been done, though South American sympathies would naturally lay with Argentina. Negotiations are underway for a peaceful settlement, with the United Nations and the Secretary-General involved. Some issues have been agreed upon, with the main issues to be resolved (withdrawal and nature of interim administration).
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male, press corps seated in BG. Man asks about balancing the Federal budget, about predictions as to when economic recovery would occur, how will the lenders, who are controlling the interest rates, and the American people be able to believe that any projected set of figures really will come to pass. Reagan believes if they stay the current course, interest rates will come down following the reduction of government spending and a tax program that will spur the economy. In the past, interest rates went up because there was little confidence government would stay the course. He wants to prove that he will stay the course and avoid inflation.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian female; press corps seated in BG. Woman asks about intention to reactivate the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, and if Egypt should agree to hold a meeting at autonomy talks in Jerusalem. President Reagan won't comment on the second part, does say he has faith that both President Mubarak and Prime Minister Begin intend to pursue autonomy talks in the framework of Camp David; adult Caucasian males in the BG, one holding up a boom microphone. Reagan regrets having to suspend the Memorandum with Israel, looks forward implementing it again. Woman asks follow-up question about the U.S. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. President Reagan states the cease-fire has held for 9 months and both sides want it to continue. He can provide a better answer when he gets an assessment of the situation.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from Sam Donaldson of ABC News; press corps seated in BG. Donaldson asks Republican leaders in the House saying they will not support that portion of the Senate Budget Committee's proposal calling for $40 billion 3-year savings in social security. "Will you insist on that portion of the Senate plan, or will you agree to another plan that does not contain any savings from social security? And, second, what do you think of [Robert] Michel's idea that social security and other trust funds be separated from the unified budget?" President Reagan addresses the second question first by stating it is an idea to be looked into because "it's funded by its own tax."
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continues answering question from journalist Sam Donaldson of ABC News on whether he will insist on the $40 billion, 3-year savings, in social security portion of the Senate plan, or if he'll agree to another plan that does not contain any savings from social security. Reagan, addressing the Senate side of the issue: "...the Senate put the number into the budget only because they believed that it was honest to call attention to the fact that that is the figure by which and the amount of which social security is insolvent -- that this must be corrected before the end of next year, or there isn't enough money in the trust fund to carry through. Now, we announced that last year. And it was denied by the Democratic leadership in the House, that there was no such insolvency problem. There has been an actuarial imbalance in social security."
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continues answering question from Sam Donaldson of ABC News, on whether he will insist on the $40 billion, 3-year savings, in social security portion of the Senate plan, or if he'll agree to another plan; press corps listening. Reagan, addressing the House side of the issue: "Now, on the House side immediately when some of their colleagues in the House jumped on this Senate figure and, instead of admitting what it was, said that we were proposing to cut the beneficiaries of social security by all those billions of dollars...Well, I have made a pledge that the benefits due to the people now dependent on social security, they're going to continue to get. And on July 1st, they're going to get their 7.4-percent cost-of-living increase." Reagan thinks that the Republican leadership in the House are trying to do what they can to avoid obscuring the main problem and pass a budget; members of the House and Senate will work this out and come to an agreement.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male journalist; press corps seated in BG. Journalist: “Mr. President, as you know, there is widespread concern in the business community that the recovery from the recession which you expect will occur in the fall will be a short one and a shallow one -- not enough to create too many jobs and stimulate investment. I wonder, sir, whether you share those concerns and whether you have some long-term views or projects in mind to stimulate the economy to ensure that this recovery is a lasting one?" President Reagan believes the recovery will be lasting if the plan, started last year, is seen through. However, he cautions that recovery does not mean the economy instantly returns to normal. It will take time for the tax program to take effect and put money back into the hands of people, who can then decide to spend, save, or invest it.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from Lesley Stahl of CBS News; press corps seated in BG. Stahl: “Mr. President, I'd like to ask you two questions. First off, could you comment on the Braniff situation, a large American company going bankrupt. And secondly, Dun and Bradstreet says that 530 American companies were forced into bankruptcy in the first week of this month alone. Will you take any action to help all these companies that are going under, or will you just do nothing and wait for the interest rates to go up that will eventually help them?” Overall, President Reagan, states his beliefs that government has no place intervening in these matters, other than creating a good business environment and bringing down interest rates. As for Braniff, assets will be sold to pay off debts and there will be restructuring of the company as it begins to recover. Stahl asks when interest rates will come down; President Reagan thinks once the budget passes.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male reporter; press corps seated in BG. Reporter notes that, at first, Reagan's critics attacked him for being too “hawkish and bellicose” in his foreign policy approach. Now, citing allies of the President, he is being called too “moderate and pragmatic”. How does he respond? President Reagan jokes that he doesn’t, but then explains that his previous attack on the Soviet Union and their morality was him simply quoting representatives of the Soviet Union who believe in a morality that solely furthers world socialism, and the only immorality is the opposition to socialism. Reagan states that he’s wanted nuclear arms reduction since his campaign days and hopes to get there. Reagan: "I have not changed my mind. I believe that it would be naïve for us to go into any of these negotiations without complete protection with regard to verification, because I believe that there are two moral standards at issue there."
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from Gary F. Schuster of the Detroit News; press corps seated in BG. Schuster: “Mr. President do you have any position on the flat-rate tax proposal that's now kicking around up on the Hill that many of your economic advisers -- Milton Friedman and others -- are saying that they support? Do you have a position on that?” President Reagan replies that he has not taken a position, but does not think a flat tax is as simple as it sounds. Listing a couple of examples, he asks how the tax work on institutions that exist on contributions, or how would tax two families with equal incomes, but one must deal with serious medical issues within the family.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian male; press corps seated in BG. Man asks: “Mr. President, in your arms proposal, you focus on a central intercontinental missile system to the two sides. If the Soviets were to come back and say they wanted to talk about bombers, about cruise missiles, about other weapon systems, would you be willing to include those, or are those excluded?” President Reagan says nothing is excluded, then proceeds to give his reasoning for focusing on ballistic missiles which amounts to the simple fact that, once launched, they’re on their way. There are other weapons, carried by bombers, ships, and submarines that are deadly as well, but they can be recalled in the event of a miscalculation. Reagan: “And so they don't have the same, I think, psychological effect that the presence of those other ones that, once launched, that's it; they're on their way, and there's no preventing, no stopping them.”
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan listening to male reporter, press corps seated in BG; “Mr. President, there are many arms specialists, however, who say that the multiplication of cruise missiles in particular -- those can be put on land, can be put on sea ships, submarines and so forth -- also have that same effect; you can't call them back once they're launched. They have very short flight time, and there will be thousands of them.” President Reagan: “Well, they have a much longer flight time, actually, a matter of hours. They're not the speed of the ballistic missiles that go up into space and come back down again. But this doesn't mean that we ignore anything. As I said, we're negotiating now on conventional weapons. But I think you start with first things first. You can't bite it all off in one bite. And so our decision was to start with the most destabilizing and the most destructive.”
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult African American male journalist; press corps seated in BG. Journalist: “Mr. President, during the past ten days, black Americans have received a lot of your time -- specifically, your visit to Maryland to the home of the Butler family; your call to the woman with Hodgkin's disease at the request of her husband; and then, of course, your visit to Providence-St. Mel High School in Chicago this past Monday. My question: Why all this sudden attention focused on black Americans, and what's the purpose?" President Reagan rejects the notion that the attention is “all of a sudden”; he's been doing things like this all his life, but got little attention for it. Reagan explains the reason for the visit; their story incensed him, and he wanted to tell them "that their government doesn’t feel that way”. The motivation for the visit was personal, and he didn't want attention, but was told that if he did that, the press wouldn't ever trust him again.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian female, press corps in BG. “Mr. President, why did you tell the students in Chicago that when you made the decision about tax exemptions for segregated schools, you were unaware of court cases, since you had signed off on a memo which cited such cases?” Reagan thought the question of desegregation had been resolved for some time. The memorandum the woman refers to was the first knowledge he had of the court case, which came from Representative Trent Lott. Reagan: “But I came into office bringing with me the question that I had about Internal Revenue agents harassing already desegregated schools just on their own as if they were somehow not doing right. And so, I had spoken to the Secretary of the Treasury long before that notation went on the letter.”
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
Adult Caucasian woman asks follow up question to U.S. President Ronald Reagan: “What you said to the students was that when you made the decision you did not know there were court cases and that was after you had read the memo from Congressman [Trent] Lott.” Reagan explains his actions were a reaction to “activities of Treasury agents who were going into desegregated schools and who were then, on their own, just in their own belief and what they thought ought to be done, harassing the schools and saying they ought to be doing better, they ought to be instituting scholarship programs and so forth.” Reagan then learned how the order was being interpreted and implications to segregated schools and tax exemptions, so he advocated for a change in the law to fix the problem. Reagan: "But now I'm glad you asked me, because now, just like the children, I've told you the truth."
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan takes question from adult Caucasian female, press corps seated in BG. Woman asks about guaranteeing that social security recipients will not only have their current benefits cut, but will get July increase, and will he support any future freeze on cost-of-living increases in social security benefits. She also asks about those in their forties and fifties who've paid into the system, will he guarantee them social security benefits to keep pace with the cost of living. President Reagan says the whole matter is in the hands of the commission he set up when he saw the Social Security program was being used as a political football, frightening those dependent on the program. He doesn’t know what the commission will come up with.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continues answering question about Social Security benefits, says ideas proposed by his administration to ensure long-term solvency was to allow people to begin getting partial Social Security benefits at 62, but not get full benefits until the age of 65. Reagan believes it would help to root out program abuses, worries young people paying into the system today will not receive what they’ve paid into because current tax is only growing. Reagan: “All I know is that I told the people that I appointed to the commission that one thing had to be certain: That whatever plan was selected, those people now dependent on social security must not be deprived of their benefits or have their benefits cut back.”
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continues answering a question about Social Security cost of living increases. Reagan: “With regard to your question about cost of living... I think there are times in which, in the temporary situation such as we are now, that you could temporarily put a ceiling on a cost-of-living adjustment. And remember you're not cutting them back there; you are simply reducing the amount of their increase if you did that. But we have no plans for that, because I'm kind of the mind that once they get this 7.4%, by the time next year rolls around, there maybe won't be any cost-of-living increase ‘cause there won't be any increase in the cost of living.” Reagan jokes with Helen Thomas of United Press International. Adult Caucasian male and female press corps get up from seats, surround President Reagan as he continues speaking with them; adult Caucasian male Secret Service members come in behind him.
Reagan Press Conference May 13, 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaking with adult Caucasian male and female press corps surrounding him as he slowly walks out of room, stopping occasionally; adult Caucasian male Secret Service members and political advisors following him, making room for him to walk. Reagan leaves room as people slowly make their way out after him, creating a bottleneck at door. Camera pans left to line of people waiting to leave; row of cameras on tripods lined up against the back wall. VS East Room with people, men packing up equipment; row of empty, white, foldable chairs.