Home > 2001 Presidential Documents > pd08oc01 Nominations Submitted to the Senate...pd08oc01 Nominations Submitted to the Senate...
numbers there in Washington, DC, and that's fine.
Here's my attitude: One person laid off is one person too many. And
therefore, we've
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got to do what it takes to make sure that that person who got laid off
is able to find work. I'm not going to dwell on the past; I'm looking
forward. And I believe we've got a fantastic opportunity to invigorate
this economy and to assure the business leaders around America that the
Government is playing a very active role and that we will take the steps
necessary to provide growth and stimulus.
And that's why I believe we need additional stimulus beyond some of
the spending that we've already put in place, to the tune of about 60 to
75 billion dollars. We'll let the accountants come up--they call it what
they want; there's no question that the economy has been affected by
September 11th.
Congressional Action on the Economy
Q. [Inaudible]--signed off on that $60 billion to $75 billion----
The President. No, they have not, yet. But they do understand we
need to have a range, that as you go into a debate about, or discussions
about how to stimulate the economy, first and foremost, it's important
to come up with a total figure so that we don't undershoot or overshoot
the mark. And they do recognize that some of the actions that we've all
taken together, including the 40 billion supplemental plus the 15
billion for the airline, will have a positive effect on economic growth,
and I do believe they recognize there needs to be more. And so one of
the things that I'm doing is providing the leadership necessary to try
to set the parameters on what the definition of ``more'' is.
Again, I want to repeat: We've just finished with $40 billion of
rebate from the tax package we agreed upon earlier in the year, plus
we'll have about 70 billion in the rate reductions starting next year.
And so, what we're looking at is how to bridge into next year.
National Economy
Q. Sir, are you confident that the size of the package you're
talking about will do the stimulating you need at this end, without
putting pressure on interest rates----
The President. That's a very good question. I finally got one--no--
anyway--[laughter]--I believe--I think you ought to ask the--I wish you
could have heard the discussion we had, let me put it to you that way,
where I believe people around this table, for example, believe it's
important to be aggressive on the front end; that the risk-reward ratio
is beneficial to be more aggressive on the front end. And obviously, we
agree with that; that's why we've proposed up to 60 to 75 billion. But
we're mindful of the effect on long-term interest rates, and we think
that number is the right number.
Discussions With Business Leaders
Q. Mr. President, can you tell us anything specific about these
discussions with these men and women, specifically about did you speak
about corporate relief?
The President. Yes, we did. I can be very specific, just like I have
been. They do believe we need to stimulate the economy through boosting
consumer confidence with some kind of money in the hands of consumers.
And there's a variety of ways to--excuse me? I'm sorry--there's a
variety of ways to do that. There's rebates; there's acceleration of the
tax cuts--are the two most effective ways to do that, and we discussed
both of those.
Secondly, we discussed a variety of options for corporate relief.
One, we talked about ways to encourage investment through expensing of
depreciation. Some people thought we ought to look at one-time ITCs,
investment tax credits. People talked about the idea of corporate tax
relief. And so we did have specific discussions about ways to make sure
that our economy continues to grow.
And I am most grateful for the input that we have been given here.
It has been incredibly helpful. The thing I come away with is that these
are men and women dedicated to America, first and foremost. They're
dedicated to the workers that work for their company; they're dedicated
to providing the security for their workers so they can go to work
feeling safely. And they love their country, and they're going to do
what it takes to join all of us together to recover from this awful
incident of September 11th.
You only get one question a day.
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Travel
Q. [Inaudible]--ask your average American to do besides spend, to
help?
The President. Well, I think the average American must not be afraid
to travel. We opened Reagan Airport yesterday for a reason: We think
it's safe and that people ought to feel comfortable about traveling
around our country. They ought to take their kids on vacations. They
ought to go to ball games. The mayor wants them to come to the Yankee
games, of course. [Laughter]
Mayor Giuliani. The World Series.
The President. The World Series, yes. [Laughter] No question he's an
incurable optimist. [Laughter] But people ought to--listen, we ought to
be aware in America--we are aware; how can you not be aware that we've
entered into a new era? The imagery is vivid in people's minds. But
nevertheless, Americans must know that their Government is doing
everything we can to track down every rumor, every hint, every possible
evildoer. And therefore, Americans ought to go about their business, and
they are beginning to do so.
The load factors were up on the airlines, which means more people
will be going to hotels and restaurants. I fulfilled my pledge, my
promise last night to take the Mayor of Washington, DC, for dinner. I
did--Morton's Steakhouse. We had a nice slice of beef--plus, I paid.
[Laughter]
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's Visit to the Middle East
Q. Mr. President, why did you send Secretary Rumsfeld over to the
Middle East to visit some countries?
The President. Pardon me, John [John Dickerson, Time]?
Q. Why did you send him, and what is he doing over there, visiting
those countries?
The President. John, he's visiting with our friends. As you know,
we've put together a broad coalition of nations that are interested in
battling, joining us to battle terrorism. And Secretary Rumsfeld went
over to visit with the leaders of a group of nations to share with them
information, to discuss the determination of our Nation.
People need to be able to look us in the eye and know that when we
say that we're in this for the long run, that we're going to find
terrorism--terrorists and bring them to justice, we mean it; that this
is a nation--see, it's hard for people around the world to understand
the resolve of America. They may hear my speech occasionally, but they
need to look at the eyes--in the eyes of members of my administration,
because--and hear them say that not only is this President resolved, but
America is resolved to rout out terrorism, to make sure that legitimate
governments can survive as we head into the 21st century, and to make a
strong stand for freedom.
And Secretary Rumsfeld is going to do a fine job of delivering that
message, because he knows exactly how I feel about the mission we have
ahead of us.
Thank you all for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 11:20 a.m. in the first floor rotunda of
the Federal Hall National Memorial. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor
Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York City and Gov. George E. Pataki of New
York.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Exchange With Reporters in New York City
October 3, 2001
President's Visit
Q. What's your message for New York, sir?
The President. My message for New York is they've got great
leadership--got great leadership with the mayor, got great leadership
with the Governor, and all of America is proud, proud of the resilience
of this city, too. People are coming together. It's an amazing feeling
to be here in New York City. On the one hand, you see the destruction;
on the other hand, you see--feel the compassion of a great city. I'm
real proud to be here with my friends.
See you at the school.
Note: The exchange began at 11:44 a.m. outside the Federal Hall National
Memorial. In his remarks, the President referred to Mayor Rudolph W.
Giuliani of New York City and Gov. George E. Pataki of New York. A tape
was not available for verification of the content of this exchange.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Remarks at DeSoto Elementary School in New York City
October 3, 2001
The President. Okay. Thanks for letting us come. Can I introduce
some people here? Mayor Rudy--do you know the mayor of New York, Rudy
Giuliani? The Governor, George Pataki, of New York. And I'm President
George Bush. And I wanted to come by your school to say a couple of
things.
First, I want to say to the teachers who work in this school, and
all throughout New York, how much we appreciate the courage that New
York teachers showed. There are some--there's a lot of talk about heroes
in our society. A hero is somebody you look up to, of course, and the
teachers of New York City were very heroic.
They were not only heroic in taking boys and girls your age out of
the buildings and helping them find places to stay at night or making
sure nobody got hurt; they're heroic today. You know why? Because they
love you. And if you've got any worries about what took place at the
World Trade Center, they want to help you. Some of you--yes, they do
want to help you, sure. They want to comfort you, and they want to make
sure that you understand what went on. And I want to thank the teachers
a lot. And I know the mayor and the Governor join me, as well.
I also want to tell you, you live in a great country. You know that;
you've been telling me that. The principal's saying that you're
practicing--that they're learning about patriotism. It looks like
they've got--Stephen, for example, ``I love America,'' he writes. Do you
know what? There's a lot of people who love America today.
And one of the things that we're learning out of our sadness is what
a great country this is. And the best way to realize this country is to
learn how to read and write, and that's what you're doing here; is to
study hard, because this country says, if you work hard, you can realize
your dreams. And that's what we're here to say to you.
We want to thank you very much for letting us come by. We want to
thank your principals and thank your teachers. Tell your moms and dads
hello. It's good to see you.
Anybody have any questions for me or the mayor?
Q. Mr. President----
The President. You've already asked your questions. [Laughter] I've
never seen somebody try to ask so many questions in one day in my life.
[Laughter]
Well, anyway, thank you very much--are you planting questions?
[Laughter]
Thanks for letting us come by. A lot of people care for you--they
really do--starting with your moms and your dads and your teachers here.
A lot of people love you, too. Thanks for letting us come by to say
hello. Bye-bye.
Note: The President spoke at 12:14 p.m. in room 204 of the school, which
is also known as P.S. 130. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Rudolph
W. Giuliani of New York City; Gov. George E. Pataki of New York; and
Lily Woo and Howard Epstein, principal and assistant principal of the
school.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Statement on Senate Action on a Bilateral Trade Agreement With Vietnam
October 3, 2001
Today's Senate action to establish a bilateral trade agreement with
Vietnam is a significant step toward strengthening the ties between our
two countries and promoting strength and stability in this important
region. The agreement will provide American companies with access to a
large and growing market and, through the reforms it promotes, it will
help create a more prosperous and engaged Vietnam. The trade agreement
also brings hope for improving human rights. I look forward to signing
this legislation into law.
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Week Ending Friday, October 5, 2001
Proclamation 7477--National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2001
October 3, 2001
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
This October, as we mark the 12th observance of National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, we renew our commitment to the struggle against
breast cancer and salute the courage of Americans living with this
serious disease. The effects of breast cancer have touched many of us,
whether through personal diagnosis or the diagnosis of a family member
or friend.
We may know someone who has survived breast cancer due to early
detection and improved treatment. Unfortunately, we also know that a
cure cannot come soon enough. This year, approximately 192,000 women
will be diagnosed with breast cancer. By increasing awareness about the
importance of early detection and accelerating the use of recent
innovative advances in medical research, we can reduce the incidence of
breast cancer in our Nation.
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