THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                           (Des Moines, Iowa)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      July 16, 1999

                           REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
                                 TO THE POOL

                           Amos Hiatt Middle School
                               Des Moines, Iowa

Q Mr. President, do you have any reaction to Senator Lott's comments --

THE PRESIDENT: I can understand why he'd be uncomfortable about what he did. He denied the American people the right to the patient protections he has. So they feel uncomfortable -- but it's not too late, they can still change their position. They ought to think about -- it's not a matter of name calling. Their budget office told him it would only cost $2 a month premium. They've ignored their own budget people; they've now ignored everybody and they basically signed up with the health insurance companies against all the doctors and all the nurses and all the patients in America and denied other people what those of us in the federal government enjoy. I don't think it's right. But it's not too late to do right.

END