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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 15, 1993

                       REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
      IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS
             
                          The Roosevelt Room

1:45 P.M. EST

Q Mr. President, if I could ask a specific question. What is --

THE PRESIDENT: -- specific -- (laughter).

Q You don't have to get into too much detail, but from your perspective, what's more progressive, a broad-based energy tax based on BTUs or an ad valorem-type of energy tax? What would be more progressive for the middle class?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think, first of all, it's hard to -- you can't evaluate one of these things without seeing the whole package. But I think a BTU tax is, because an ad valorem tax reinforces price changes. In other words, if you have an ad valorem tax and the price of one fuel goes up, then the tax rate goes up. So, it would aggravate whatever price changes are out there in the market, and that would hurt the consumers more.

Q Have you settled on a BTU tax?

THE PRESIDENT: I answered a very specific question in a photo op. (Laughter.)

END1:47 P.M. EST