THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _____________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release June 28, 1995 PRESS BRIEFING BY MIKE MCCURRY The Briefing Room 1:40 P.M. EDT MR. MCCURRY: I've got a couple of things that we have got coming out today. I think right about now, Jamie Gorelick is briefing over at Justice on the security review issues that we've talked about from time to time here. And the President has signed an Executive Order. We're putting it out now just in advance of her briefing, implementing several of the recommendations that come as a result of that review. So, be on the lookout for that. Q Can you sum them up for us? Q Building security. MR. MCCURRY: I can if I can find them. This was the title of the study: "Vulnerability Assessment in Federal Facilities." The President is very concerned about ensuring that we have adequate security at federal facilities, not only for federal employees who work there but for those who come in and transact business with the federal government. Obviously, in the wake of Oklahoma City, we know that there's a great deal that can be done, and we've looked extensively at what are the minimum requirements for a variety of facilities to assure us that American citizens, when they are working with their government or working for their government, will have the kind of protection they need. So, the President's got five different directives to sort of instruct the GSA to take a look at what minimum standards should be. The Justice Department's done a pretty good job of defining that -- what kind of upgrades are going to be necessary to meet those minimum requirements, and, more importantly, what type of new risks and what type of threat exists in light of the changes that we've seen taking place in the world as a result of the threat of international terrorism. So, be on the lookout for that. Q How much? MR. MCCURRY: The cost estimates will be briefed by the Deputy Attorney General. I believe that they're estimated in the range just under $1 billion, but that we believe we can handle that in the course of appropriations as they come through the next several fiscal years, using funds that are devoted and already appropriated for building maintenance and upgrades. Q Well, will there be a big difference in getting into the White House and every other building? MR. MCCURRY: Well, the White House is different because there's a security that's secured separately on the facility here as you know. But there may be some changes that the American citizens encounter at various federal office buildings around the country, and those will be designed to protect the American people. And I'm sure that people will be able to deal with -- there may be inconvenience at some point, but it's all in the interest of keeping people a lot safer. ................... THE PRESS: Thank you. END 2:15 P.M. EDT #81-06/28
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