pd10fe03 Proclamation 7645--National African American History Month, 2003...

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Millions are facing great affliction, but with our help, they will not 
face it alone. America has a special calling to come to their aid, and

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we will do so with the compassion and generosity that have always 
defined the United States.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:43 a.m. on January 31 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February 1. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
January 31 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 151]
 
Pages 149-173
 
Week Ending Friday, February 7, 2003
 
Address to the Nation on the Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia

February 1, 2003

    My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great 
sadness to our country. At 9 o'clock this morning, Mission Control in 
Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time 
later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia 
is lost. There are no survivors.
    On board was a crew of seven: Col. Rick Husband; Lt. Col. Michael 
Anderson; Comdr. Laurel Clark; Capt. David Brown; Comdr. William McCool; 
Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force. 
These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.
    In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is 
easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket and the difficulties of 
navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts 
knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high 
and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and 
idealism, we will miss them all the more.
    All Americans today are thinking as well of the families of these 
men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're 
not alone. Our entire Nation grieves with you. And those you loved will 
always have the respect and gratitude of this country.
    The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the 
darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the 
longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.
    In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than 
we can see, there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet 
Isaiah, ``Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? 
He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by 
name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is 
missing.''
    The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the 
seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not 
return safely to Earth. Yet we can pray that all are safely home.
    May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless 
America.

Note: The President spoke at 2:04 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 151-152]
 
Pages 149-173
 
Week Ending Friday, February 7, 2003
 
Proclamation 7646--Honoring the Memory of the Astronauts Aboard Space 
Shuttle Columbia

 February 1, 2003

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    As a mark of respect for Rick Douglas Husband, William C. McCool, 
Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P. Anderson, David M. 
Brown, and Ilan Ramon who gave their lives during the mission of STS-107 
aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, I hereby order, 
by the authority vested in me as President of the United States of 
America by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff 
at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all 
military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the 
Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United 
States and its Territories and possessions through Wednesday, February 
5, 2003. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for 
the same length of time at all

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United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other 
facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels 
and stations.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of 
February, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:04 a.m., February 4, 
2003]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
February 5. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language version of this proclamation.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 152]
 
Pages 149-173
 
Week Ending Friday, February 7, 2003
 
Memorandum on Declaration Under the Stafford Act for Louisiana: Space 
Shuttle Columbia

February 1, 2003

Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Subject: Declaration Under the Stafford Act for Louisiana: Space Shuttle 
Columbia

    I have determined that the emergency conditions in certain areas of 
the State of Louisiana in connection with the events relating to the 
loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, are of 
sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant an emergency declaration 
under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5206 (the ``Stafford Act''). 
The basis for my decision to make this declaration pursuant to section 
501(b) of the Stafford Act includes the fact that the space shuttle and 
the space program are Federal property and Federal programs. I, 
therefore, declare that such an emergency exists in the State of 
Louisiana.
    In order to provide Federal assistance, you are hereby authorized to 
coordinate and direct other Federal agencies and fund activities not 
authorized under other Federal statutes and allocate from funds 
available for these purposes, such amounts as you find necessary for 
Federal emergency assistance and administrative expenses.
    Pursuant to this emergency declaration, you are authorized to 
provide emergency assistance as you deem appropriate under title V of 
the Stafford Act at 100 percent Federal funding.
    Further, you are authorized to make changes to this declaration to 
the extent allowable under the Stafford Act.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this memorandum.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 152-153]
 
Pages 149-173
 
Week Ending Friday, February 7, 2003
 
Memorandum on Declaration Under the Stafford Act for Texas: Space 
Shuttle Columbia

February 1, 2003

Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Subject: Declaration Under the Stafford Act for Texas: Space Shuttle 
Columbia

    I have determined that the emergency conditions in certain areas of 
the State of Texas in connection with the events relating to the loss of 
the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, are of sufficient 
severity and magnitude to warrant an emergency declaration under section 
501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5206 (the ``Stafford Act''). The basis 
for my decision to make this declaration pursuant to section 501(b) of 
the Stafford Act includes the fact that the space shuttle and the space 
program are Federal property and Federal programs. I, therefore, declare 
that such an emergency exists in the State of Texas.
    In order to provide Federal assistance, you are hereby authorized to 
coordinate and direct other Federal agencies and fund activities not 
authorized under other Federal statutes and allocate from funds 
available for these purposes, such amounts as you find necessary for 
Federal emergency assistance and administrative expenses.
    Pursuant to this emergency declaration, you are authorized to 
provide emergency assistance as you deem appropriate under title

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V of the Stafford Act at 100 percent Federal funding.
    Further, you are authorized to make changes to this declaration to 
the extent allowable under the Stafford Act.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this memorandum.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 153-156]
 
Pages 149-173
 
Week Ending Friday, February 7, 2003
 
Remarks on Project BioShield in Bethesda, Maryland

February 3, 2003

    Thanks for that warm welcome. It's a delight to be here at the 
National Institutes of Health, a center of excellence, a center of the 
brilliance of the American people. It is a place where so many good 
people do work every day to help save lives, and we're thankful for 
that. America is really proud of what you do here. NIH is a great credit 
to America.
    Two days ago, America was yet reminded again of the sacrifices made 
in the name of scientific discovery. The seven brave men and women from 
the Columbia will be remembered for their achievements, their heroism, 
and their sense of wonder. Our prayers are with their families and their 
loved ones.
    Their 16-day mission held the promise of answering scientific 
problems that elude us here on Earth. Columbia carried in its payload* 
classroom experiments from some of our students in America. I hope these 
children, our future scientists, will continue to ask questions, 
continue to explore, continue to discover.
    * White House correction.
    And while we grieve the loss of these astronauts, the cause of which 
they died will continue; America's journey into space will go on. The 
spirit of modern science embodied in our space program can be found here 
at NIH, where each day you make enormous progress against disease and 
suffering--these achievements that come about through the great 
ingenuity and determination and the serious moral purpose of America's 
scientific community.
    Now our scientists have been called to meet a different kind of 
challenge, man's efforts to use diseases as weapons of war and terror. 
This threat has placed research scientists at the center of our mission 
to defend the American people. It has put NIH squarely in the midst of 
our war to defend America and to defeat international terrorism. With 
focus and determination and necessary resources, this Government will 
act before dangers are upon us.
    I want to thank Tommy Thompson for his leadership at the Department 
of Health and Human Services. And I want to thank my friend Tom Ridge 
for taking on the Department of Homeland Security, the new agency 
designed to coordinate Federal assets over State and local assets in 
order to protect--better protect America.
    I'm honored that Members of the United States Congress have joined 
us. Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts is with us--thank you, 
Senator Kennedy--and Chris Cox of California, Jim Turner of Texas, Chris 
Van Hollen of Maryland.
    I want to thank Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who is the Director of the 
Institute--the National Institutes of Health, for his fine, fine 
leadership of this really important institution. He really is doing a 
fine job. You know, when I picked him, I thought he would do okay. 
[Laughter] He's far exceeded my expectations. He's really, really a good 
man who is honoring our country with his leadership.
    Tony Fauci, of course, I've known him for a long time. He is a 
distinguished Director of the National Institute of Allergies and 
Infectious Diseases, one of the generals in the war against HIV/AIDS, 
for which we are really grateful, Tony, for your dedication. I want to 
thank--Mark McClellan is here with us, the Director of the Food and Drug 
Administration. I appreciate your leadership, Mark, on this incredibly 
important agency.
    Gary Nabel is with us. He is the Director of the Vaccine Research 
Center, who just took us on a really interesting tour. I asked him if 
this is the best in the world, and he said, ``You bet. Not only do we 
have the best equipment in the world, Mr. President, we've got the best 
people in the world working there.'' And I want to thank you for your 
leadership, Gary.

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