Perot Plans Attacks on Clinton’s Economic Program : Politics: Billionaire vows a barrage of TV appearances to condemn the plan. White House says his opposition will change few votes in Congress.

Ross Perot declared Wednesday that President Clinton’s deficit reduction package would “damage the country” and vowed to wage an aggressive campaign to defeat it.

The Texas billionaire declared in a telephone interview that he will launch a television blitz and direct his organization, United We Stand, America, Inc., in a concerted campaign to kill the President’s plan.

A House-Senate conference committee is expected to complete work on the plan soon, with final action scheduled for next week before Congress recesses for the summer on Aug. 6.

An active campaign by Perot could deal a crushing blow to the Clinton plan, which is on shaky ground in Congress, and could, in turn, damage the President politically.

Clinton has identified dealing with the nation’s health care problems and its sluggish economy as the most important initiatives of his presidency, and he has said that his package of new taxes and spending cuts is a critical step toward improving the nation’s long-term economic prospects.

White House counselor David Gergen, after being informed of Perot’s campaign, insisted that the Texas billionaire’s arguments will have little effect.

“His opposition has been clear for a long time,” he said, “and at this stage, I’ll be surprised if he changes any votes.”

Perot said his organization will oppose the plan “because it doesn’t balance the budget. United We Stand will go in every congressional district and meet with all the senators. The American people have no interest in a tax increase unless it balances the budget eventually, and this one doesn’t.”

The organization, he said, is “already gearing up around the country” and he is planning to speak at a series of rallies.

Pointing out that the entire House and a third of the Senate will face reelection campaigns next year, Perot said it will be a tough campaign for anyone who votes for the package.

“I would hate to be campaigning after voting for the plan,” he said. “That’s not a threat, it’s based on an enormous amount of contact with the American people.”

Perot said that he supports Sen. David L. Boren (D-Okla.), in calling for a bipartisan meeting to draw up a new plan. “Since people are willing to sacrifice to balance the budget, there’s a simple solution,” he said. “Put together a bipartisan coalition, stop playing politics, stop trying to have a Democratic victory or a victory for the President and have a victory for the American people.”

Boren, after being personally lobbied by Clinton for support of the plan, harshly attacked it on the Senate floor Tuesday and called for a bipartisan solution.

Although no Republicans have supported the plan, Boren demanded that they be brought into the process, a suggestion that prompted White House Budget Director Leon E. Panetta to declare: “The Republicans have sat on the sidelines and thrown grenades as we try to tend to the country’s business.”

However, Boren’s criticism, together with Perot’s opposition, bolsters Republican chances of handing Clinton a defeat that would be much worse than the one he suffered when Senate Republicans filibustered his economic stimulus package to death in April.

Democratic congressional leaders have insisted that they will pass the deficit-cutting proposal, arguing that it is sound and that its failure could deal a devastating blow to Clinton. As recently as Wednesday, Democratic leaders, unaware of Perot’s plans to campaign against the Clinton package, said they believe that Congress will pass a final version of the legislation.

“This is not an easy bill to pass, but I’m confident we’ll pass it,” said House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.).

Perot said he will begin a series of TV appearances this morning on CBS, where he will focus on “raising money for the flood victims.” The budget plan may not come up, he said, but it will be the subject of appearances he has scheduled on ABC and NBC on Friday morning, two CNN weekend programs and NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

“And that’s just warming up,” Perot said. “There’s more coming later.” If necessary, he said, he’ll also purchase time on television and “do whatever we need to do to get a huge audience.”

Beginning during the 1992 presidential campaign, Perot has spent millions of dollars from his personal fortune to purchase air time on television networks for a series of half-hour appearances in which he has railed against Washington and the federal budget deficit.

Gergen said that while the White House remains optimistic about the budget plan, “no one here underestimates the difficulty of getting it passed with or without Ross Perot’s opposition.” He said the White House will not change its strategy because of Perot.

Perot said he will also be looking for television time in September to voice his opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement--which would create a free-trade area among Canada, Mexico and the United States--and several other proposals supported by Clinton.

Asked if he generally is opposed to Clinton’s programs, Perot said: “No, that’s not it at all. Sorry if I’ve given that impression. But we can’t sit here passive and let programs that damage the country pass.”

Clinton, in a recent interview with The Times, was asked if he thought Perot could kill the trade pact by campaigning against it.

“I don’t know,” the President said. “I hope not. I hope not. But I think . . . it’s not so much him, it’s the fact that there are millions of people out there who want this system to work but are deeply cynical about whether it will, or skeptical. And what I have to do is to try to reach them.”