2001 US press briefings
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
1:40 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. The President today called Silvio Berlusconi to congratulate him on his election victory in Italy. They had a warm, friendly call, and both said they look forward to close cooperation between the United States and Italy. Mr. Berlusconi said he hoped to see the President at the June 13th NATO leader meeting and in Gothenburg at the U.S.-EU leaders meeting. And of course, they both look forward to the meeting of the G-8 in Genoa. The President congratulated Mr. Berlusconi and his coalition on their apparent victory in the Italian Parliamentary elections.
And on personnel, there are several announcements today. It's a busy personnel day. The President intends to nominate P.H. Johnson to be federal cochairperson of the Delta Regional Authority. The President intends to nominate Joseph M. DeThomas to be Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. The President intends to nominate Theodore Kattouf to be Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic. The President intends to nominate Maureen Quinn to be Ambassador to the states of Qatar. The President intends to nominate Arlene Render to be Ambassador to the Republic of the Ivory Coast. The President intends to nominate Marcelle Wahba to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. And the President intends to designate John Higgins as Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. And finally, the President has designated Peter Hurtgen to be Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board.
We'll have an abundance of paper for you shortly, if you don't have it already.
Q Mr. Fleischer, when did the White House realize that the report contains some short-term relief for people paying high energy prices?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President has been very concerned all along about the prices that the American people pay for energy. And that's why, going back to September of last year, the President said that the United States needs a comprehensive energy plan. One of the reasons prices are high today is because our nation has not had one for so many years. So in the plan that the President will propose tomorrow, the focus will be a comprehensive solution that helps consumers, now and in the future, by creating incentives for conservation, by creating incentives for more supply and for modernization of the infrastructure.
Q And what is the "now" part? How does it help consumers now who are paying high gas prices or aren't getting --
MR. FLEISCHER: One of the reasons, again, that prices are high is because our nation does not have a policy to deal with energy prices. By, for the first time in years, focusing on a comprehensive solution, the President is confident that markets will see that more supply is on the way, conservation is starting to be emphasized, and the combination of more conservation and greater supplies has an effect on markets; as those markets are effected, has a ripple effect that benefits consumers, benefits the economy and helps to lower prices.
Q Ari, I talked to a market analyst today who said it will take at least a year or two to expand refinery capacity or do any of the things that address what's causing the problems now. If you're referring to the gasoline market, it's the fact that there isn't a refinery capacity, there are local shortages and so forth. So how do you address that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me give you an example of ways to help get prices down as quickly as is possible. And that is one of the steps that the President has directed, is for the federal government to do its part in conserving energy by directing the Department of Defense facilities, for example, to reduce demand by 10 percent. That helps relieve pressure on prices and it does so immediately.
And the government is going to be looking at other options it can take, and the plan will create incentives for individuals to conserve. And, certainly, the more the President talks about the need for people to conserve, the more conservation there will be. That clearly is an immediate step. Many of the other steps have an effect on prices over time, and that's why the President has had this focus on a comprehensive plan.
Q Are you going to streamline the gasoline formulation rules for the reformulated gasoline? People say that's a big problem.