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more than 50 developing nations--the American Red Cross is helping to
establish sanitary and healthy living conditions by creating reliable
sources of food and water. The organization's international services
save the lives of people threatened by calamities such as epidemics,
natural disasters, armed conflict, deadly weather, social strife, or
economic collapse.
Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of
America and Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross, by virtue of
the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim March 2001 as American Red Cross Month. I
request, as my predecessor Franklin Roosevelt did 58 years ago, that
each American enlist in the Red Cross ``army of mercy''--and give part
of themselves to advance this organization's noble humanitarian mission.
We have a long way yet to travel, but together, we can save lives. On
behalf of a grateful Nation, we applaud and salute the selfless
dedication of generations of Red Crossers.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth
day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
George W. Bush
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., February 28,
2001]
Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March
1.
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Monday, March 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 9
Pages 335-396
Week Ending Friday, March 2, 2001
Proclamation 7409--Irish-American Heritage Month, 2001
February 26, 2001
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
Beginning from the earliest years of settlement, millions of
Ireland's people have emigrated to America's shores. This immigration
reached a particular peak during the terrible years of the Great Famine
more than 150 years ago. Irish immigrants, from professionals to
laborers, made an enormous contribution to the building of our Nation.
The Irish who came to America endured many hardships but have
prevailed to play vital roles in every chapter of our country's history.
Nine of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Irish
origin, and 19 Presidents of the United States have proudly claimed
Irish heritage--including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, John F.
Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. Irish Americans have served with distinction
in every war this Nation has fought, from Revolutionaries John Barry and
Stephen Moylan to General Douglas MacArthur. Other influential and
renowned figures of Irish descent include pioneers Buffalo Bill Cody,
Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett; authors Flannery O'Connor, Eugene
O'Neill, and John O'Hara; Civil War photographer Matthew Brady; and
entertainers Jackie Gleason, Gene Kelly, and John Wayne. These
distinguished Americans represent only a small sampling of the men and
women whose legacy has forever changed our national identity and who
trace their ancestry to Ireland's green shores.
Today, the more than 44 million Americans who claim Irish heritage
look back with pride on the achievements and contributions of their
forebears. Irish Americans have distinguished themselves in every sector
of American life. We are all enriched, strengthened, and blessed by
their service to our country.
Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United
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States, do hereby proclaim March 2001 as Irish-American Heritage Month.
I call upon all the people of the United States to observe this month
with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth
day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
George W. Bush
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., February 28,
2001]
Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March
1.
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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 348]
Monday, March 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 9
Pages 335-396
Week Ending Friday, March 2, 2001
Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on the Korean
Peninsula Energy Development Organization
February 26, 2001
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I transmit herewith the 6-month report required under the heading
``International Organizations and Programs'' in title IV of the Foreign
Operations Appropriations Act, 1996 (Public Law 104-107), relating to
the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization. The report, which
was prepared by the previous Administration, covers the period from
August 13, 2000, through January 27, 2001.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush
Note: Identical letters were sent to Ted Stevens, chairman, Senate
Committee on Appropriations, and C.W. Bill Young, chairman, House
Committee on Appropriations.
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Monday, March 5, 2001
Volume 37--Number 9
Pages 335-396
Week Ending Friday, March 2, 2001
Remarks Following Discussions With President Andres Pastrana of Colombia
and an Exchange With Reporters
February 27, 2001
President Bush. It's my honor to welcome a friend of our country to
the Oval Office, President Pastrana. We've had a very good discussion
about Colombia--Plan Colombia--the renewal of a Trade Preference Act for
the Andean nations to help their economies grow. President Pastrana is a
courageous leader who is dealing with very difficult problems. I'm
confident that with his leadership, his nation will be better off.
And Mr. President, I can't thank you enough for taking a lead in
your country, for having the heart that you have and the compassion for
the Colombian people, and the ability to make tough decisions.
I explained to the President that we're fully aware of the narcotics
that are manufactured in his country but also told him that many of them
wouldn't be manufactured if our Nation didn't use them, and we've got to
work together to not only help Colombia but help our own country.
So, Mr. President, you're welcome to come--if you'd like to make a
few comments, you're welcome to.
President Pastrana. Thank you, Mr. President. Once again, it is a
great pleasure to be back with now-President Bush. We had the
opportunity to meet in 1999 when President Bush was Governor. So once
again, Mr. President, thank you for this opportunity in which we could
exchange a lot of ideas of what's happening in our country, and how can
we deal with a common enemy that is narcotrafficking; that in the end,
that is the one that is financing the violence in my country and maybe
also in part of your country; and that we are going to put all the
efforts to continue our fight, as we have done in our commitment against
narcotrafficking, trying to reach a peace agreement in our country and
strengthening our economy, creating new jobs and better jobs for our
people.
So I want to thank you publicly, also, Mr. President, for all the
help that you are giving us and the U.S. to get forward in this process.
Thank you very much.
President Bush. A couple questions.
Colombia
Q. Mr. President, would you be part of the negotiation table--will
the U.S. be part of the negotiation table as President Pastrana----
President Bush. No, we will not be.
[[Page 349]]
Q. Why?
President Bush. This is an issue that the Colombian people and the
Colombian President can deal with. We'll be glad to help Colombia in any
way to make the peace. We'll be glad to help the Colombian economy
through trade. But I won't be present for the discussions.
National Debt/Social Security
Q. Mr. President, on the budget, your chief economic adviser is
saying that your administration will not seek to retire all of the
outstanding Federal debt, which is something that President Clinton had
promised. Can you explain why that is----
President Bush. Yes.
Q. ----and what you would suggest doing with the hundreds of
billions of dollars that would be left over in the Social Security
surplus that would have gone to retire it?
President Bush. Yes. Mr. President, I'm giving a speech tonight on
the budget. I don't know if you have to give budget speeches, but
sometimes it's hard to make those budget speeches very poetic.
[Laughter]
It does not make sense to pay down debt prematurely and, therefore,
have to pay a premium on the debt that you prepay. And so we've
calculated the amount of debt that our Nation can pay off over the next
10 years, and that's $2 trillion, leaving about $800 billion unpaid.
The second followup question to that was Social Security. And
tonight during my speech, I will lay out the part of the vision for
modernizing the Social Security system.
We have an issue in this country, Mr. President, because people my
age, affectionately known as baby boomers, will be retiring soon. And in
my case, later rather than sooner, I hope. But anyway, we have trouble
enough--there won't be enough money being put in the system to take care
of the baby boomers when we retire. And therefore, the question is, how
do we make the system work?
And I want to give younger workers the opportunity to manage some of
their own money in the private markets. And to answer your question,
some of that money could be used as part of a modernization plan.
Q. Do you and your economic advisers think that maybe some of this--
[inaudible]--on the table--[inaudible]--short term or long term----
President Bush. No, we don't at all. As a matter of fact, we think
it's the wise, wise thing to do. Again, American people have got to
understand that we'll be paying down the debt as it comes due. But the
idea of prepaying debt at a premium to the taxpayers makes no sense to
do that.
Q. But no impact on interest rates because of the consequent----
President Bush. No, I don't think so. As a matter of fact, the
interest rates would more likely be affected by monetary policy. The
economy would be affected by good, sound fiscal policy because one of
the things--I don't want to give you the whole speech, because I, of
course, want you to pay attention to it. But I do believe we ought to
accelerate the tax relief plan. The sooner we get money into the pockets
of our taxpayers, the more likely it is our economy will even out.
We've got an economic problem, Mr. President, that is of concern. It
should be a concern to our neighbors. I discussed this with President
Fox. We've got a mutual friend in President Fox, the President of
Mexico. And he is concerned about the nature of the U.S. economy, as
well. And we're going to do everything we can to make sure our economy
recovers quickly, which will be beneficial. As our trading partner, it
will be very beneficial.
Si.
Temporary Protected Status
Q. Did you discuss anything about the TPS for the Colombia----
President Bush. We did. And the President made a very strong case.
He was very plain spoken. He brought up the case, the concerns of over a
million Colombians who live here in the United States, mainly in Queens,
New York, and in the State of Florida, and I listened carefully.
[At this point, a question to President Pastrana was asked and answered
in Spanish, and no translation was provided.]
[[Page 350]]
Upcoming Address to Congress
Q. Do you expect Democrats to give your speech a fair chance
tonight? Or do you suspect that they're just ready to pounce? [Laughter]
President Bush. I, of course, will be giving the speech in the
Chamber, and there will be Republicans and Democrats, but I'm really
speaking to the American people. This is a speech--hold on a second--
this is a speech that I want to make it clear to the American people
that I have a reasonable plan for the budget.
I'm going to make it clear we meet priorities, and I'll explain what
many of those priorities are; that we make sure that Social Security,
the money aimed for Social Security goes only to Social Security; that
we pay down debt and it will be the largest repayment of debt ever; that
we've got money for contingencies in the budget; and that there is still
money left over for the tax relief plan.
The problem we have oftentimes in America is that people will be
asked the question, ``Do you want tax relief, or do you want somebody
not to get their Medicare check?'' I'm going to be making the case that
with the right leadership, the right priorities, and the right focus,
that we will fund important programs and have money left over for tax
relief.
And it's important--it's important for the American people to get
some of their own money back. One, it will help the economy. Secondly,
it will help the American taxpayers pay off their own personal debt.
One of the issues we have, Mr. President, in the United States is
high energy bills. The cost of energy is going up because we haven't had
enough exploration relative to demand. And this cash that people will
get back through tax relief will help the American families manage their
budgets.
I really am looking forward to giving this speech. I hope you're
looking forward to listening to it.
Q. [Inaudible]--most important speech so far, sir?
President Bush. Every one of them are important.
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