Home > 2001 Presidential Documents > pd05fe01 Remarks in a Meeting With Catholic Charities...pd05fe01 Remarks in a Meeting With Catholic Charities...
Note: The President spoke at 1:35 p.m. in the multi-purpose room. In his
remarks, he referred to Tom Lewis, founder, the Fishing School; John J.
DiIulio, Jr., who will head the White House Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives; and Stephen Goldsmith, who will serve on the
board of the Corporation for National Service.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 5
Pages 231-255
Week Ending Friday, February 2, 2001
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Bipartisan Congressional Leaders
January 31, 2001
Legislative Agenda/Pan Am 103 Trial Verdict
Thank you all for coming. This is part of our effort to get to know
each other. And if Thomas and Grassley keep coming up here, we're going
to get to know them too good, aren't we? [Laughter]
I appreciate the Members of the Congress for being here this
morning. Thank you all for coming. We're going to have a good, wide-
ranging discussion, hopefully focused on tax relief. I'm pleased to see
the CBO members. I think it helps further the case that there is enough
money to pay down debt, to meet priorities, and to give some of the
money back to the people who pay the bills. That's the taxpayers.
I also appreciate so very much the Scottish court has made a
decision and convicted a member of the Libyan intelligence service for
the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103. I appreciate the work of the United
States Government team which contributed to this guilty verdict.
Nothing can change the suffering and loss of this terrible act, but
I hope the families do find some solace that a guilty verdict was
rendered. I want to assure the families and victims the United States
Government will continue to pressure Libya to accept responsibility for
this act and to compensate the families.
Thank you all for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 9:25 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Representative William M. Thomas,
chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means; and Senator Charles
Grassley, chairman, Senate Committee on Finance. A tape was not
available for verification of the content of these remarks.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 5
Pages 231-255
Week Ending Friday, February 2, 2001
Remarks in a Meeting With Catholic Charities
January 31, 2001
Listen, thank you all for coming. It has been my honor and that of
members of my staff and of my Cabinet to have received leaders from the
Catholic Church. During my travels around the country, I have been most
impressed by not only the quality of leadership of the men and women who
make up the great strength of the Catholic hierarchy but also the
unwavering commitment to the poor and to the disadvantaged and to those
who are unable to defend themselves.
America is a loving and compassionate country, and the leaders here
reflect that compassion and that love. Here are folks that have heard
the call from the Lord to love their neighbor and have fostered and
nourished and led programs all intended to help people, to help people
help themselves.
There is no way that Government can create love. Love comes from a
higher calling. Love is inspirational. But what Government can do is
fund and welcome programs whose sole intent is to change lives in a
positive way.
For the last couple of days I've talked about my office's commitment
to faith-based programs; I've talked about initiatives, particularly
mentoring initiatives and after-school programs that will welcome faith-
based programs. Today I do want to talk about one other component of
making sure the initiative is full, and that is that we must reform the
tax code, not in the way that I'm going to be talking to a lot of
Members of Congress about but in an additional way. And that is to allow
non-itemizers to deduct charitable giving off their income.
This is a reform of the tax code that will encourage giving from
people who have received no incentive to do so. There is an independent
study out today that will show that giving in America will increase
significantly when Congress passes this reform and I have the
opportunity to sign it.
Our mission in the White House is to say, we welcome you; we welcome
your love; we welcome your finances; we welcome your compassion. And to
those heroes who live in the neighborhoods all around America who are
literally transforming our country in
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a positive way, we say, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
I'm so honored the leadership came, many of whom I have seen before.
I've now met new friends, and we welcome you here to Washington, DC.
Thank you for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 1:55 p.m. in the Indian Treaty Room at the
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 5
Pages 231-255
Week Ending Friday, February 2, 2001
Remarks Prior to a Cabinet Meeting and an Exchange With Reporters
January 31, 2001
The President. Thank you all for coming. In my first Cabinet meeting
we're going to discuss a variety of topics today. I'm going to remind
all of us, it's an honor to serve the country. I expect only one
standard, and that's the highest of ethical standards. We're putting
together a great team to serve America. That's what we're here for.
I am going to talk a little bit about reminding people that a dollar
spent is a tax--is somebody's money and that we expect there to be lean
budgets, good stewards of the people's money. We'll hear from some of
the Cabinet officers about what may be going on. I suspect the Energy
Secretary may want to brief us. I think the Secretary of Treasury will
give us an update on what's going on, the economy and tax relief.
I want to assure Americans that they're going to be as proud of this
Cabinet as I am. This is a wonderful group of men and women who have
agreed to serve their country, for which I'm grateful.
I'll be glad to answer a few questions.
Tax Cut Legislation
Q. Mr. President, are you beginning to think that Congress might act
more quickly on your tax cuts if you break it up into pieces and seek
across-the-board tax cut first?
The President. I told the Speaker and anybody else who will listen
on the House side, where the legislation must begin, that we're
interested in the results. If that's what it takes to get the bill
through, we'll be willing to listen. This is an administration that's
mindful of the difference between the legislative branch and the
executive branch. We will make suggestions if asked. If the Speaker and
Chairman Thomas and others believe that the best way to get our plan in
place that will help bolster the economy that we believe needs
bolstering, we'll listen and work with them.
Pan Am 103 Verdict
Q. Mr. President, does the verdict in the Pan Am bombing case--
should it leave any doubt that Libya was behind the bombing of Pan Am
103 as an act of state?
The President. This was a high official. We've made it very clear
that this administration is going to hold the Libyans accountable. We
expect them to pay reparations. The Secretary of State is in complete
agreement.
Q. If they pay reparations----
The President. Let's see if they do.
Q. The Government of Tripoli just announced as we were coming in
here that they will accept no responsibility for what happened. What
happens now from the U.S. side?
The President. We'll develop a plan.
Q. Welcome back, Mr. Powell.
The President. He looks pretty good here, doesn't he? [Laughter]
Note: The President spoke at 2:28 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Energy Spencer
Abraham; Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. O'Neill; Representative
William M. Thomas, chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means; and
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. A tape was not available for
verification of the content of these remarks.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 5
Pages 231-255
Week Ending Friday, February 2, 2001
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With the Congressional Black Caucus
January 31, 2001
The President. I want to thank Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
from Dallas, Texas, and you all for coming. I appreciate--Madam
Chairman. I look forward to a good dialog on subjects that are on the
Members' minds and on my mind, as well. I think we'll have a good
discussion about public education. While there may be some discussion
about details, all of us, surely, believe the
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great hope for this country is to make sure every child--I mean every
child--is educated.
I look forward to sharing with the Members who don't know me well
some of my experiences as the Governor of the State of Texas and what
I've tried to do to fulfill that promise and fulfill that pledge.
This will be the beginning of, hopefully, a lot of meetings. I hope
you come back, and I'll certainly be inviting. But thanks for coming.
It's an important part of my job--is to talk to everybody who is in the
legislative body. I will remind you all, I understand the difference
between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I only get to
suggest. You all pass the laws. And that's what we're here to work----
Representative Cynthia A. McKinney. That's right. [Laughter]
The President. I understand that well. But thank you all for coming.
It's an honor for you to be here.
Note: The President spoke at 5:32 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these
remarks.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 5
Pages 231-255
Week Ending Friday, February 2, 2001
Letter to Congressional Leaders on the United States Air Force Operating
Location Near Groom Lake, Nevada
January 31, 2001
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Consistent with section 6001(a) of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) (the ``Act''), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6961(a),
notification is hereby given that on September 19, 2000, President
Clinton issued Presidential Determination 2000-30 (copy attached) and
thereby exercised his authority to grant certain exemptions under
section 6001(a) of the Act.
Presidential Determination 2000-30 exempted the United States Air
Force's operating location near Groom Lake, Nevada, from any Federal,
State, interstate, or local hazardous or solid waste laws that would
require the disclosure of classified information concerning that
operating location to unauthorized persons. Information concerning
activities at the operating location near Groom Lake has been properly
determined to be classified and its disclosure would be harmful to
national security. Continued protection of this information is,
therefore, in the paramount interest of the United States.
The determination was not intended to imply that, in the absence of
a Presidential exemption, RCRA or any other provision of law permits or
requires the disclosure of classified information to unauthorized
persons. The determination also was not intended to limit the
applicability or enforcement of any requirement of law applicable to the
Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake except those provisions,
if any, that would require the disclosure of classified information.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush
Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
February 1.
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Monday, February 5, 2001
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