Home > 2001 Presidential Documents > pd08oc01 Nominations Submitted to the Senate...pd08oc01 Nominations Submitted to the Senate...
Community leaders, health care professionals, teachers, employers,
friends, and neighbors all will play an important role in eradicating
domestic violence.
As we observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I call on
all Americans to commit to preventing domestic violence and to assist
those who suffer from it. These collective efforts will contribute to
peace in our homes, schools, places of work, and communities and will
help ensure the future safety of countless children and adults.
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 States, do hereby proclaim October 2001, as National
Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to learn more
about this terrible problem and to take positive action in protecting
communities and families from its devastating effects.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
sixth.
George W. Bush
[[Page 1404]]
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 3,
2001]
Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press
Secretary on October 2, and it was published in the Federal Register on
October 4.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Remarks Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders and an Exchange
With Reporters
October 2, 2001
The President. I want to thank the leaders of the Congress for
coming down for breakfast this morning. We had a really good discussion,
starting with the progress we're making on the war against terrorism. I
briefed the Members about the fact that we're beginning to make progress
in freezing assets--freezing assets of the Al Qaida organization. I also
talked about that the net we're casting is wide and strong, that we've
put together an international coalition that is impressive, and that the
members of that coalition are staying steady.
It is my desire to make sure that as this war unfolds, that the
leaders of both the Senate and the House are fully informed of what the
Government is doing. I can't think of a better way to conduct foreign
policy than to consult regularly with the leadership.
We also talked about airport security. I told the Members that I'm
going to be going to Reagan Airport today to announce its opening, and
that we need to work together to make sure that the package that's
evolving in the House and the Senate is put together pretty quickly.
We talked about economic stimulus. There is agreement that we've got
to come together with a vision about how big the package ought to be, to
make sure that we affect the economy in the short run in a positive way,
but don't affect it in the long run in a negative way.
We agree on principles, that we've got to make sure that demand for
U.S. products stays strong, demand for products throughout our economy
stays strong. Therefore, we talked about ways to stimulate demand. We
understand that investment has fallen off in the corporate sector, and
we talked about constructive ways to stimulate investments so that the
manufacturing sector, for example, of the United States has got some
added wind in order to grow, to make sure that people find work. We
talked about worker displacement. And we had a good discussion.
And there's one thing that the American people must understand: that
as we work through these important subjects, we will do so in a spirit
of cooperation and consultation.
And finally, all of us want to get a budget done as quickly
possible, get the appropriations process done. We're making very good
progress on coming up with the size of the ultimate budget. And once
that's decided, we pledged to work together to get the appropriations
bills moving as quickly as possible. That would be a welcome relief from
the old budget battles of the past.
And I'm most pleased with the conversations we've had. I admired all
four leaders prior to September 11th; I admire them even more after
September 11th, because they're dedicated patriots, anxious to bring our
Government together to make sure that we respond to the American people
in a positive way.
I'll answer a couple questions.
Situation in the Middle East/Taliban
Q. Mr. President, is the time running out on the Taliban regime? Are
you prepared, sir, to recognize a Palestinian state as a part of a
broader Middle East peace process, itself?
The President. Those are two questions, Major [Major Garrett, Cable
News Network].
Q. It's been a while since I've seen you.
The President. Don't take it personally.
Q. I never do, sir.
The President. The idea of a Palestinian state has always been a
part of a vision, so long as the right to Israel to exist is respected.
But first things first, when it comes to the Middle East, and we've
got to get to Mitchell, the Mitchell accord. Senator Mitchell put
together a viable blueprint that most of the world agrees with as the
necessary path to ultimately solving the problems of the Middle East.
And we are working diligently with
[[Page 1405]]
both sides to encourage the reduction of violence so that meaningful
discussions can take place.
Secondly, there is no timetable for the Taliban, just like there are
no negotiations. I have said that the Taliban must turn over Al Qaida
organization living within Afghanistan and must destroy the terrorist
camps. And they must do so; otherwise, there will be a consequence.
There are no negotiations; there's no calendar. We'll act on our time,
and we'll do it in a manner that not only secures the United States as
best as possible but makes the freedom in the world more likely to exist
in the future.
Q. Mr. President, to follow up on the Middle East, sir. Were you
prepared to support the idea of a Palestinian state before the United
Nations conference that was canceled?
The President. Oh, I read all kinds of speculation about what this
administration was or was not going to do. What I'm telling you is, is
that we are fully committed to the Mitchell process. And we are fully
committed to working with both sides to bring the level of terror down
to an acceptable level for both. And I fully understand that progress is
made in centimeters in the Middle East. And we believe we're making some
progress.
Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
National Economy
Q. How big a stimulus package do you think is needed, sir, and what
do you think is the best way to stimulate demand?
The President. Well, the definition--a stimulus package big enough--
what is needed is big enough to get the economy moving in the short run
but small enough so it doesn't affect long-term interest rates, for
example. We are--all of us are listening to the voices of leading
economists. We're all open for suggestions. The best way to stimulate
demand is to give people some money, so they can spend it.
Domestic Reaction to September 11
Q. Mr. President, out of this terror comes fear.
The President. What? Out of what?
Q. Out of this terror on September 11th comes fear. Many Americans
are still gripped with this fear, and they're buying gas masks in
exuberant numbers. And they're also looking to--for anthrax
vaccinations. What do you say to those people? Is their fear warranted?
The President. I say that America ought to be on alert, but we need
to get back to business. That's why I'm opening up Reagan Airport.
That's why we had Cabinet members get on commercial airlines over the
weekend. The good news is, is that some of the load factors on American
airlines looked like they increased over the weekend. Americans know
their Government is doing everything they can to disrupt any terrorist
activity that may occur. We're following every lead; we're interrogating
every possible suspect. We're on full alert in America.
But the good news is, Americans also realize that in order to fight
terrorism, they're going to go about their lives in a normal way. And
Americans are.
National Economy
Q. Are we in a recession, sir?
The President. Are we in a what?
Q. Are we in a recession?
The President. You let the number-crunchers tell us that. But
there's no question our economy is hurt as a result of September 11th.
And the leaders here understand that. These Members go back to their
districts and hear the plight of families who have been laid off. I, of
course, hear it all the time, as well. And we're going to do something
about it. That's exactly what these discussions are about.
In terms of how you call it, what the numbers look like, we've got
statisticians who will be crunching the numbers and let us know exactly
where we stand. But we don't need numbers to tell us people are hurting.
Note: The President spoke at 8:13 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to former Senator George J. Mitchell,
chairman, Sharm al-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Remarks Announcing the Reopening of Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport in Arlington, Virginia
October 2, 2001
The President. Thank you all. Governor, thank you very much. I am
here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and
airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport.
The ticket counters will be open for business. We will start a
schedule of airplane flights that will reflect the new and tight
security concerns that all Americans share. Ronald Reagan Airport is
very important for our local economy, but it's also a national symbol,
as the Governor mentioned. So Thursday flights will resume.
I want to thank all the captains and flight attendants and
maintenance folks and ticket counter personnel, people who make this
good airport run, for your patience and understanding.
We're doing the right thing. We've taken our time. We can assure the
American public as best as we can, that we're taking the necessary
safety precautions. Now it's time to start flying again.
I want to thank the Governor of Virginia for his hard work and
concern about the working people in this part of the State. I want to
thank Secretary Norm Mineta, the Transportation Secretary, for working
hard to bring people together, to bring sensible policy to airports all
across America. He's been working overtime. That's what we expect from
the Secretary of Transportation during this period of time. And I'm
proud of the work he's done.
I want to thank the Mayor of Washington, DC, for being here. The
Mayor's a good, solid man. I want to thank Delegate Eleanor Holmes
Norton from Washington, DC, for being here, as well. Two United States
Senators from the State of Virginia, John Warner and George Allen, have
been deeply concerned about this airport. Members of the congressional
delegation, Tom Davis, Jim Moran, and Frank Wolf, as well, have been
working hard with us to come up with reasonable, sound policies to get
the Reagan Airport started. I'm glad you all are here, as well as Connie
Morella from the neighboring State of Maryland.
There really is no greater symbol that America's back in business
than the reopening of this airport. After all, this is the airport that
brings our Nation's leaders to Washington to do the people's business.
It's the airport that welcomes millions of tourists to our Nation's
Capital. And of course, the Mayor would want me to say, we want the
tourists coming back to see our great monuments.
But one of the things those of us who live in the area understand,
this airport is really important for the local economy, as well. There's
a lot of people, a lot of small-business people, a lot of people who
service the airport, obviously a lot of people who work here, depend
upon this airport being open. And I understand that. And I appreciate
once again your patience and understanding, as our Nation obviously is
dealing with a tragedy, the likes of which we never envisioned.
I also know full-well that the Nation is asking this question: Are
we taking the necessary safety precautions as we open not only Ronald
Reagan Airport but other airports? The answer is, you bet. We sure are.
We're spending a lot of time consulting with local officials to make
sure that the security that all of us expect is in place. Not only have
we worked with Members of the Congress to develop what we hope is a
security plan that will enhance confidence from the traveling public,
but we work with local officials, as well, to make sure this airport has
got the toughest security measures possible.
We also, as you well know, are increasing the number of air
marshals, armed marshals on airplanes. They'll be undercover--let me
rephrase that--they'll be wearing civilian clothes. [Laughter] They will
blend in. But we'll have many more air marshals on flights. It should
send two signals: One to the American public that there will be
protection; and to somebody who thinks they can disrupt America, we're
watching for you; we're paying attention to you.
Every person who gets on an airplane, who goes to work, who takes
their family to visit relatives, is taking a stand against terrorism.
You see, the terrorists, they want to intimidate America. The
terrorists, by conducting
[[Page 1407]]
their evil deeds, wanted our Nation to stop. But they underestimated our
spirit, didn't they?
Audience member. Yes, they did.
The President. Yes, they made a mistake. And the spirit is strong in
America. Our confidence is strong.
We've put together a coalition of nations that says terrorism won't
stand. We've got our military alert--on alert for a reason: Terrorism
won't stand. We're cutting off their money, because we're saying
terrorism won't stand.
And we're saying that at home, as well. People who travel say
terrorism is not going to intimidate us. Tonight I've asked the Mayor to
go out to dinner with me, on a Washington--here in the District. He said
he's going so long as I pay. [Laughter] You've got a deal. [Laughter]
When people go to ball games, they're sending a signal. I mean, we
got struck hard on September the 11th. All of us know that. But you
can't strike the American spirit. It's strong. It's vibrant. It's
united. And by opening this airport, we're making yet another statement
to the terrorists: You can't win.
Thank you all for being here. God bless you.
Note: The President spoke at 10:52 a.m. at Terminal C, north pier of the
airport. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. James S. Gilmore III of
Virginia, and Mayor Anthony A. Williams of Washington, DC.
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