For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 24, 2003
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One Enroute to Philadelphia
9:55 A.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: Good morning. Sorry for the quick gaggle, but we
have a short flight.
The President had his usual briefings this morning. We're on our
way to Philadelphia, where he will highlight his economic agenda, with
a particular focus on the benefits that families are receiving from his
recently passed jobs and growth plan. He will also talk about --
highlight his economic agenda later in Michigan, where he will visit
with some small business owners and talk to employees of a small
business.
At the first stop in Philadelphia, he will meet with some families
who will benefit from the child credit, when we get there; tour the
Treasury Department's Financial Management Service Facility and then
deliver remarks. This Financial Management Service Facility processed
350 million Social Security checks and direct deposits, 10 million tax
refund checks and direct deposits, 18 million supplemental security
income checks and direct deposits and a number of other checks in
fiscal year 2002. It employs 190 people and partners with a number of
other facilities. This includes the check production machines and the
check wrapping machines that he will be touring.
The second stop, he will be at Beaver Aerospace and Defense in
Michigan. It is a manufacturer of aviation parts for the commercial
and mili8tary aerospace industries, and employs 103 workers at two
facilities.
And then he makes remarks this evening at the Bush-Cheney 2004
reception in Dearborn, Michigan, and then we arrive back at the White
House this evening.
One other thing to highlight. The Vice President is delivering
remarks at 12:20 p.m. today at the American Enterprise Institute, where
he will talk about the progress we are making in the war on terror. He
will also talk about the importance of the action we are taking in Iraq
and how that is central in our efforts to win the war on terrorism.
Q What time?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's at 12:20 p.m., they put out a release on
that previously. And with that, I'm happy to take questions.
Q Scott, are you giving up on the child tax credit for low
income people? Or will the President have --
MR. McCLELLAN: I expect that the President, in his remarks, will
continue to urge Congress to act on expanding the child credit to some
of the low income families that are not receiving it.
Q The President spoke with the South Korean leader earlier
today, one. And, two, is he serious about vetoing the kind of bill
that the House passed on media ownership?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, I think that it's still early in the
process on that legislation. We are going to work with Congress and
try to fix that in conference. So at this point, it's still early in
the process. We'll continue to work with Congress to try to fix that.
Q And the South Korean leader? They spoke today --
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't have an update yet on that.
Q What do you mean by "fix" the legislation? Do you mean
remove the prohibition?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's right.
Q Scott, now that ECOWAS has determined a rough timetable when
troops will be going into Liberia and the nature of that force, can you
update us at all on the President's thinking about what kind of
participation the United States should have and what other --
MR. McCLELLAN: U.S. officials are working with West African
officials in Sierra Leone and we're in discussions with them about how
they are preparing to deploy a vanguard force of West Africans to
Liberia. Again, we continue to be in close contact with ECOWAS and the
U.N. so that we can do what we can to help the West African states get
in there and bring peace and stability to the Liberian --
Q -- for a cease-fire? Or what are the other considerations?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are still some talks going on in those
areas, so that's where things stand.
Q -- redacted portions of the 9/11 report that didn't rise to
classification and that they were only removed because they might be
embarrassing. Without specifying to whom they might be embarrassing,
do you have any comment?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll come back. I'll come back, we're about to
land.
* * * * *
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay. I think today's report confirms the
importance
of the strong aggressive steps we have already taken to better
protect
the American people at home, as well as abroad. Let me --
Q Did you find --
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me -- I'll come back. Let me remind you of a
few
things. We acted to create the first ever effort to integrate
terrorist
intelligence from the key agencies and maximize information sharing
between those agencies. That's in reference to the Terrorist
Threat
Information Center we created. The FBI has been transformed under
Director Mueller, to make prevention of future terrorist attack its
top
priorities. We expanded intelligence capabilities at the FBI,
nearly
doubled agents devoted to counterterrorism and improved information
sharing and expanded joint terrorism task forces. We created the
Department of Homeland Security, whose primary mission is to
protect
America. It is the most significant reorganization of the federal
government in a half century, combining the resources and expertise
of
22 agencies. And we are using new tools, passed by Congress, to
intercept, disrupt and obstruct terrorists and prosecute those tied
to
terrorism. And we are cracking down on terrorist financing by
freezing
assets.
So, again, today's report confirms the importance of the strong,
aggressive steps we have already taken.
Q Why are you keeping secret the Saudi -- the report on the
Saudi
role, the role they may have had in connection --
MR. McCLELLAN: We commend Congress for its hard work on this
critical issue. We were pleased to work closely with the joint
inquiry
on the report. We provided substantial amount of information and
documents, direct access to hundreds of intel and law enforcement
officials, and worked to make sure as much information as possible
could
be shared publicly. I think it's nearly 80 percent of the report.
Only
the most sensitive of national security information, which could
potentially compromise the sources and methods or otherwise harm
our
national security, is not being de-classified.
Q That wasn't Shelby's assessment, though. Shelby said this
morning that it didn't rise to the level of classification and that
he
suspected it was removed because it would be embarrassing. He
didn't
say embarrassing to whom, he just said that it might be
embarrassing.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I described it the way we look at it.
Q Only the most sensitive of national security information --
that's what you're maintaining has been redacted?
MR. M cCLELLAN: That's what I just said.
Q Scott, who's traveling with us today, what lawmakers?
MR. McCLELLAN: Both senators. Okay.
Q What if the Saudis were to --
MR. McCLELLAN: Remember, you know that the President's highest
priority is protecting the American people. That is why he's
providing
strong leadership to win the war on terrorism and make sure we are
doing
all we can to protect the homeland. I think the horrific and
tragic
attacks of September 11th made clear in a very vivid way the
importance
of confronting the new threats we face. And the best way to
protect the
American people is to go after the terrorists where they are and
confront these threats before the killers can carry out their evil
acts
on innocent civilians. And we are making great progress in winning
the
war on terrorism. We commend the joint inquiry for the hard work
it did
in completing this report and we were glad to work -- we were
pleased to
work closely with them.
Q Do you have an estimate on the take tonight at the
fundraiser?
MR. McCLELLAN: That will come from the campaign.
Q And, Scott, the Saudis, apparently, are willing to have that
portion released. If they give you the okay, are you willing to
de-classify that section?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll see.
* * * * *
MR. McCLELLAN: The conversation with President Roh, I wanted to
get
back to you on that. The two leaders spoke this morning for about
15
minutes. They discussed next steps on North Korea policy,
particularly our efforts to make sure that South Korea and Japan
are
included in multilateral talks.
Q Any closer to a next round?
MR. McCLELLAN: No updates from what I said the other day. Again,
we
continue to want to make sure that the next round of multilateral
talks include South Korea and Japan.
Q Do the President and President Roh think prospects are good,
that Japan and South Korea will be in that next round?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, those are discussions we're continuing to
have
with countries in the neighborhood, including China and South Korea
and Japan.
Q And what do we make of the reports that North Korea is ready
to
declare itself a nuclear power on the date of, you know, that day
in
September, September 9th, I think it was?
MR. McCLELLAN: North Korea has said a lot of things in the past.
Our policy remains the same: we seek a peaceful, diplomatic
solution
working with our friends and allies, to make sure that there is an
irreversible end to North Korea's nuclear weapons program and
that's
the way we'll continue to approach it.
Thanks.
END
11:00 A.M. EDT
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