pd16jn03 Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Deployment of U.S. Military...

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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page i]
 
Monday, June 16, 2003


[[Page i]]

Weekly Compilation of

Presidential

Documents



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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page i-ii]
 
Pages 737-761
 
Contents

[[Page ii]]


 Addresses and Remarks

    See also Meetings With Foreign Leaders
    Cabinet meeting--738
    Connecticut, remarks to senior citizens in New Britain--751
    Illinois
         Departure from Chicago--749
         Illinois State Medical Society in Chicago--745
    No Child Left Behind Act, implementation--740
    Radio address--737
    Terrorist bombing in Jerusalem--749

 Communications to Congress

    Coastal Zone Management Act, message transmitting report on 
        administration--755
    Federal drug and substance abuse programs, message transmitting 
        report--755
    Iraq, letter transmitting report--758
    Liberia and Mauritania, deployment of U.S. military forces in 
        response to security concerns for U.S. Embassy personnel, 
        letter--739
    Russian Federation, national emergency with respect to weapons-
        usable fissile material
          Message on continuation--745
          Message transmitting report--745

Communications to Federal Agencies

    Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act, 
        memorandum--757

Interviews With the News Media

     Exchange with reporters in the Cabinet Room--738

Joint Statements

    United States of America and the Kingdom of Thailand--749

Meetings With Foreign Leaders

    Thailand, Prime Minister Thaksin--749
    Uganda, President Museveni--743

Notices

    Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Risk of 
        Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation of Weapons-
        Usable Fissile Material in the Territory of the Russian 
        Federation--744

Proclamations

    Father's Day--757
    National Homeownership Month--756

Statements by the President

    Deaths
        David Brinkley--755
        Don Regan--744

Supplementary Materials

     Acts approved by the President--761
     Checklist of White House press releases--760
     Digest of other White House announcements--758
     Nominations submitted to the Senate--759

  

  Editor's Note: The President was in Kennebunkport, ME, on June 13, the 
closing date of this issue. Releases and announcements issued by the 
Office of the Press Secretary but not received in time for inclusion in 
this issue will be printed next week.



              WEEKLY COMPILATION OF
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[[Page 737]]




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[Page 737]
 
Pages 737-761
 
Week Ending Friday, June 13, 2003
 
The President's Radio Address


June 7, 2003

    Good morning. This week the House and Senate will be working on one 
of the most important issues facing Congress, improving Medicare to 
offer prescription drug coverage to American seniors. And on Wednesday I 
will travel to Chicago and talk about our responsibility to give seniors 
more choices and better benefits, including help with the rising costs 
of prescription drugs.
    We have a tremendous opportunity to reform Medicare and help our 
seniors. The budget I proposed and which the Congress passed provides 
$400 billion in additional funds over the next 10 years to strengthen 
and improve Medicare, so we have the resources to make reform work. 
We're also seeing a growing consensus, in both houses of Congress and 
both parties, that our seniors need a strengthened Medicare system that 
includes prescription drug coverage. The time is right to make progress.
    Our nation has made a binding commitment to bring affordable health 
care to our seniors. We must honor that commitment by making sure 
Medicare stays current with the needs of today's seniors. When Medicare 
was launched 38 years ago, medicine focused on surgery and hospital 
stays, and that is mainly what Medicare covers. Today, doctors routinely 
treat their patients with prescription drugs, preventative care, and 
groundbreaking medical devices, but Medicare coverage has not kept pace 
with these changes. Our goal is to give seniors the best, most 
innovative care. This will require a strong, up-to-date Medicare system 
that relies on innovation and competition, not bureaucratic rules and 
regulations.
    My views on Medicare are clear. First, those who like the Medicare 
system as it is should be able to stay just where they are and also 
receive prescription drug benefits.
    Second, those who want more coverage for preventative care and other 
benefits should be able to choose from multiple health plans under an 
enhanced Medicare program. This option would be similar to the health 
care coverage available to every Federal employee. If that coverage is 
good enough for Members of Congress and Federal employees, it is good 
for our seniors.
    Third, seniors who want the benefits of managed care plans, 
including prescription drug coverage, should be able to choose from a 
range of plans that best fit their personal needs.
    And fourth, we must provide extra help for low-income seniors, so 
that all seniors will have the ability to choose the Medicare option 
that serves them best, and every senior will have the option of a 
prescription drug benefit.
    In a Medicare system that reflects these principles, every senior in 
America would enjoy better benefits than they do today. And they would 
continue to benefit from the most important strength of American 
medicine, the ability to choose your own doctor. We want seniors and 
doctors, not Government bureaucrats, to be in charge of the important 
health care decisions.
    Members of Congress are working hard on this issue, and I encourage 
their efforts. I also urge Americans to make their voices heard. If we 
work together, Congress will pass a strong Medicare bill, and our 
seniors will finally get the prescription drug benefits and choices they 
need and deserve.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:40 a.m. on June 6 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 7. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 6 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this 
address.

[[Page 738]]


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[Page 738-739]
 
Pages 737-761
 
Week Ending Friday, June 13, 2003
 
Remarks Following a Cabinet Meeting and an Exchange With Reporters

June 9, 2003

    The President. I just met with my Cabinet, had the opportunity to 
brief them about my trip overseas. I talked about the visit to Poland 
and to Russia, where we've got good friends in both those countries, at 
least in terms of their leaders.
    And then I went to the G-8 in Evian, France. The message there was, 
is that America and Europe can do a lot together. We can make the world 
more peaceful. We can make the world more free. We can work together to 
help fight the pandemic of AIDS in Africa. There's a lot we can do 
together. We need to put our differences in the past and combine our 
efforts. We can do--trade together so our people can find work. And I 
left feeling very good about our relations in Europe.
    Then I went to the Middle East and started the--started the march to 
peace. And I'm optimistic about our chances to bring a peaceful, free 
Palestinian state in existence, to live side by side with a secure 
Israel. We've got a lot of work to do, but I was pleased with the 
response of Prime Minister Sharon. He's a courageous leader, dedicated 
to the security of the Israeli people, as are we, but also recognizing 
that life can be better for the Palestinians.
    And I appreciate the leadership of Prime Minister Abbas, the new 
Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, who spoke eloquently and 
clearly about the need for the free world to fight off terror in order 
for a Palestinian state to emerge.
    And then I went over to Qatar, had a very good visit with Ambassador 
Bremer and General Tommy Franks, and we talked about the need for our 
coalition to continue to make steadfast progress in Iraq so that the 
people of Iraq will be able to eventually run themselves. And we are 
making steadfast progress.
    Finally, we talked about domestic matters. Secretary Snow briefed us 
on the economy. And we're optimistic about our economy, but we won't 
rest until we're certain that people who are looking for work and who 
want to work can find a job. The jobs-and-growth package passed by the 
Congress can be very beneficial to those who look for work.
    We also talked about the possibilities of Congress getting a good 
Medicare bill out. I will spend time this week discussing Medicare with 
the American people. Secretary Thompson briefed us on the progress being 
made by the Congress, and I want to thank the congressional leadership 
for showing the determination that's going to be necessary to get a good 
Medicare package out for America's seniors.
    I'm proud of my Cabinet. I want to thank them for their good work 
and really proud of the team we have put together here.
    I'll answer a few questions. Tom [Tom Raum, Associated Press], and 
then Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters].

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, since you left the Middle East, there's been a new 
outbreak of violence; three main Palestinian militant groups have 
claimed responsibility for it. Prime Minister Abbas says he will not use 
force to control these groups, and Prime Minister Sharon has been 
criticized by rightwing members of his own party. Why are you so 
optimistic?
    The President. I'm optimistic because I was able to listen to the 
Prime Ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority talk about the 
need for peace and for a state.
    Listen, I recognize there's going to be extremes, particularly in 
the Palestinian territories, that want to blow up peace. But I think 
people are sick of it. The average Palestinian must understand that 
their lives will improve with the vision of Prime Minister Abbas. And 

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