(Page 1) SUBJECT: Leadership DATE: March 2, 1993 TIME: 12:15 LOCATION: S-230 REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP Senator Position Invited Yes (Crossed off: No) on time Cochran Conference WCB (Checkmark) (Checkmark) (Checkmark) Dole Republican Leader (Checkmark) (Checkmark) Gramm Senatorial Committee (Checkmark) (Checkmark) Lott Conference Secretary (Checkmark) (Checkmark) Nickles Policy Chairman (Checkmark) (Checkmark) (Checkmark) Simpson Asst. Republican Leader (Checkmark) (Checkmark) (Checkmark) RANKING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Senator Committee Invited Yes No Chafee Environment Cohen Special Aging Danforth Commerce Domenici Budget D’Amato Banking Hatfield Appropriations Hatch Judiciary Helms Foreign Relations Kassebaum labor Lugar Agriculture McCain Select – Indian affairs McConnell Ethics Murkowski Veterans’ Affairs Packwood Finance Pressler Small Business Roth Gov’t Affairs & Jt. Econ Stevens Rules & Administration Thurmond Armed Services Wallop Energy Warner Intelligence [illegible] REPUBLICANS Bennet Gorton Bond Grassley Brown Gregg Burns Jeffords Coats Kempthorne Coverdell Mack Craig Smith Durenberger Specter Faircloth DEMOCRATS Akaka Kerrey Baucus Kerry Biden Kohl Bingaman Krueger Boren Lautenberg Boxer Leahy Bradley Levin Breaux Lieberman Bryan Mathews Bumpers Metzenbaum Byrd Mikulski Campbell Mitchell Conrad Moseley-Braun Daschle Moynihan DeConcini Murray Dodd Nunn Dorgan Pell Exon Pryor Feingold Reid Feinstein Riegle Ford Robb Glenn Rockefeller Graham Sarbanes Harkin Sasser Heflin Shelby Hollings Simon Inouye Wellstone Johnston Wofford Kennedy OTHERS: PF1.020 (Page 2) TALKING POINTS FOR LUNCH WITH CLINTON o Mr. President, this is the first time you have had the opportunity to meet with the Senate Republicans. We welcome you and hope this will be the first of many visits. o You have heard many times, from many of us, the words "we want to work with the President, to help him succeed. " Those are not hollow words, Mr. President. We care about our country, its people, its future. o Should Republicans all stick together, we can frustrate your agenda, we can block bills from passing. That is not our desire. We want to work with you, to be consulted, to help formulate the best possible policies to move this country forward. If we are allowed through the door, in the room, we can and will help. That is the direction we want our relationship with you to take. o We know that it is difficult to get things moving this early in an Administration -- there are so many tasks you are expected to complete -- all at the same time. Consultation with Republicans is one task that has yet to begin. We hope it will commence soon. That would benefit you, it would benefit us, and most importantly, it would benefit the American people. o So, like your predecessor did to the Democrats in Congress, we, the Republicans in the Senate want to extend to you, a Democrat in the White House, the hand of bipartisanship. We hope it will be received in the spirit it is offered, and not in the manner your predecessor's offer was received. o You have asked us to provide you with specific suggestions to your budget outline. I believe we will be able to do that, to try to be helpful and constructive. However, until we have the opportunity to review your proposal, in its entirety, in detail, it will be difficult for us to help. o You will find that a number of us have strong reservations about various parts of your package. However, you will also find that, as a group, we are prepared to make tough choices, to make tough votes to better America. None of us support the status quo. (Page 3) SUGGESTED SPIN POINTS FOLLOWING LUNCH 1) We want to be consulted. We told the President we are willing to be helpful. But, if he wants our help, he should include us in policy development. 2) For all the talk, all the hype, all speeches about the Clinton Budget Plan, it does not exist. President Clinton has given us an outline, but he is required by law to submit a detailed budget. It's now more than a month overdue, and we are still waiting. We cannot be expected to offer alternatives to something we have not seen, we cannot be accused of obstructing something that does not exist. The President and others say give us specifics, yet they have no specifics of their own. 3) The information we do have about the Clinton Plan makes one point clear -- this is a record $360 billion tax increase. Republicans support deficit reduction that emphasizes spending cuts, not tax increases.