Presidential News and Speeches

President Bush on Friday said, "People need to have screenings and checkups; people need to live healthy lives, to exercise and no tobacco. In other words, the decisions we make will affect whether or not our hearts remain strong."

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. As we observe American Heart Month, we renew our commitment to raising awareness of the serious impact of cardiovascular disease, and we encourage all citizens to take steps to help prevent it.

President Bush will welcome Amadou Toumani Tour of the Republic of Mali to the White House on February 8, 2008. This visit will provide an opportunity for the President to get a progress update from President Tour on key U.S. initiatives including the President's Malaria Initiative, the President's International Education Initiative, and the Millennium Challenge Account. The two leaders will use the opportunity to discuss the shared goal of advancing democracy and human rights worldwide, including through the Community of Democracies. They will also discuss insecurity in northern Mali and the fight against terrorism.

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released new jobs figures for January. The unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent, below the averages for the past three decades, but nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 17,000 jobs. This decline follows 52 months of uninterrupted job growth - the longest period on record. Our economy has added nearly one million jobs over the last 12 months, and more than 8.2 million since August 2003.

President Bush on Friday said, "So I've got an agenda for Congress. I'm looking forward to working with them on how to stimulate the economy in the short-term, but make sure we remain a strong economy in the long-term. And I'm looking forward to working with them. I like the spirit I found up in the halls of Congress. There's still a little politics in Washington, D.C., but that's not to say we can't work for the common good."

On Thursday, January 31, 2008, the President signed into law H.R. 5104, the "Protect America Act Extension," which extends the Protect America Act through February 16, 2008.

President Bush on Thursday said, "We will prevail. We will prevail in this ideological struggle because liberty is powerful. Liberty is hopeful. The enemy we face can only convince people to join their cause is when they find hopelessness. And so our strategy is threefold: one, protect the homeland; two, stay on the offense against these folks; and three, provide an alternative -- a hopeful alternative to despair and doubt and hopelessness."

As he noted in his State of the Union address, the President will be hosting the North American Leaders' Summit on April 21-22 in New Orleans. This fourth meeting of North American leaders since 2005 will continue our work on Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) initiatives. It will also serve as an opportunity for the three leaders to discuss hemispheric and global issues of importance to North America.

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Indiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on January 7, 2008, and continuing.

President Bush on Wednesday said, "I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth quarter growth slowed to .6 percent. In other words, there are signs that our economy are slowing. There's some uncertainty in the economy. But in the long run you've got to be confident about your economy. Inflation is down, interest rates are low, productivity is high. Our economy is flexible, it is resilient. We've been through problems before. As a matter of fact, we've been through problems before since I was your President. We've had a recession, corporate scandals, an attack on the United States of America; we've had major national disasters, and every time we've come through strong. And that what's going to happen this time, too."

The Public Interest Declassification Board, an advisory group established by the Public Interest Declassification Act of 2000, as amended (50 U.S.C. 435 note), has submitted a report entitled "Improving Declassification." The report addresses 15 issues and makes 49 recommendations relating to declassification of classified national security information.

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one individual and has nominated one individual to serve in his Administration; Elisebeth C. Cook and Marianne M. Myles.

The President spoke today with Prime Minister Harper of Canada to discuss Afghanistan. The Prime Minister outlined his government's response to the recently-released report of the Independent Panel on Canada's Role in Afghanistan, the Manley Panel.

Nominations sent to the Senate: Robert J. Callahan, Elisebeth C. Cook, Heather M. Hodges, Barbara J. Stephenson, and William Edward Todd. Withdrawals sent to the Senate: Dennis W. Carlton and Andrew J. McKenna, Jr.

President George W. Bush today announced that he has asked Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt to serve as his personal representative at the funeral of Dr. Gordon B. Hinckley on February 2, 2008 in Salt Lake City.

The United States condemns the arrest on Monday of democracy activist Riad Seif by the Syrian regime. His arrest, which follows repeated refusals by the regime to allow Mr. Seif to travel abroad for medical treatment, is an escalation of a long series of Syrian efforts to deny its citizens the internationally recognized rights of freedom of expression and association. Through acts such as this, Syrian President Asad has made clear his contempt for the most basic rights of the Syrian people.

President Bush on Tuesday said, "And now I'm going to sign this executive order. Last night I said that it's very important for Congress to earn the trust of the American taxpayer, and one way they should do so is to end the practice of earmarks. Now, I said last year that they should voluntarily cut the number in half -- not only the number, but the amount of earmarks in half. They chose not to do so. So last night I told the Congress that I would veto any bill, appropriations bill, that does not cut the number and the amount of earmarks in half."

President Bush in Tuesday said, "I love our military, and the reason I do is because the character of those who wear our uniform, whether they be the general or the private, is remarkable. We're a nation that has produced people who are willing to volunteer in the face of danger. Thank goodness. And as a result, we are a nation in the lead, helping defend this world against extremists who murder the innocent to achieve an ideological objective."

Laura and I are saddened by the death of Margaret Truman Daniel. The only child of our 33rd president, she supported her father as he confronted the difficult challenges of his presidency, witnessing first-hand the leadership of Harry Truman in both war and peace. An accomplished author and singer, her life was one of tremendous personal achievement. Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret Truman Daniel’s sons and the rest of the Truman family.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: