    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [October 1, 2002]
    [Pages 1700-1702]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders and an Exchange
    With Reporters
    October 1, 2002

        The President. Thank you all for coming. All of us here around the
    table are concerned about jobs, concerned about our economy. We want
    people to be able to find work. And we had a very good discussion about
    how Congress and the administration can work together to get a terrorism
    insurance bill done before Congress goes home. I asked the Members to
    get a--to work hard in the next couple of days and get an agreement by
    Friday. They're going to work hard to see if they can't come up with an
    agreement.
        There's over $15.5 billion worth of construction projects which
    aren't going forward because they can't get insurance on their projects,
    can't insure the buildings or the project. And therefore, there's
    300,000 people who--jobs aren't going forward. And this is a way for us
    to work together to put people back to work here in America. It's a
    really important piece of legislation. And I appreciate the spirit of
    both Republicans and Democrats, Senators and Congressmen, to get this
    thing done before they go home.
        I'll answer a couple of questions. Laidlaw--Lindlaw [Scott Lindlaw,
    Associated Press], excuse me. Laidlaw--Lindlaw.

    Alternative Resolution on Iraq

        Q. Thank you, sir. There's a resolution being circulated by Senators
    Biden and Lugar, an alternative resolution on authorizing force in Iraq.
    What's wrong with that alternative?
        The President. Well, I--first of all, I appreciate all the Members
    of Congress working to come up with a resolution. It sends a clear
    signal to the world that this country is determined to disarm Iraq and
    thereby bring peace to the world. Members of both parties are working to
    get a consensus. Secondly--and we'll continue to work with the Members
    of Congress. But I don't want to get a resolution which ties my hands, a
    resolution which is weaker than that which was passed out of the
    Congress in 1998. The Congress in 1998 passed a very strong resolution.
    They wisely recognized that Saddam Hussein is
    a threat--was a threat in '98, and he's more of a threat 4 years later.
        My question is, what's changed? Why would Congress want to weaken
    the resolution? This guy's had 4 years to
    lie, deceive, to arm up. He's had 4 years to thumb his nose at the
    world. He is stockpiling more weapons. So I'm not sure why Members would
    like to weaken the resolution.

    [[Page 1701]]

        But we'll work with the Members, and I'm confident we can get
    something done. And we'll be speaking with one voice here in the
    country, and that's going to be important for the United Nations to hear
    that voice. It's going to be important for the world to hear that voice.
    All of us recognize a military option is not the first choice, but
    disarming this man is, because he faces a true threat to the United
    States. And we've just got to work together to get something done.
        Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters]. No, not Patsy. Holland--yes,
    sorry--Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Longshoremen Labor Dispute

        Q. Sir, does the West Coast longshoremen dispute represent the kind
    of threat to the U.S. economy that might require a Taft-Hartley
    injunction?
        The President. Steven, we're worried about it. We're closely
    monitoring it. This is a--any strike's a tough situation, but this one
    happens to come at a--or a lockout is a tough situation, or no work is a
    tough situation. This is coming at a bad time. And so we're watching it
    very closely.
        There's a Federal mediator on the ground, and I urge both parties to
    utilize the mediator. But we'll continue to pay attention to it. It's a
    problem, and it's something that we're just going to have to get these
    parties to work through and get back to work, open these ports up. It's
    important for our economy we do so.
        Stretch [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

    National Economy/Prospect of War With Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, increasingly, investment fund managers are saying
    that the prospect of war with Iraq has contributed to the third-quarter
    performance this year, the worst since the crash in 1987. Are you
    concerned, first of all, about the shrinking investment and retirement
    portfolios for Americans? And do you think the U.S. economy is strong
    enough to withstand a war with Iraq, should we end up in war in that
    region?
        The President. Of course, I haven't made up my mind we're going to
    war with Iraq. I've made up my mind we need to disarm the man.
        Secondly, yes, I think the U.S. economy is strong. Obviously,
    there's some--some rough spots in our economy. But we'll deal with them.
    Interest rates are low. Inflation's low. Productivity's high. This great
    country is going to recover. And yes, we're strong enough to handle the
    challenges ahead.
        Yes, John [John Roberts, CBS News].

    French Proposal to the U.N. Security Council

        Q. Mr. President, the Permanent Five of the Security Council are
    meeting as you speak, and France is holding fast to its position of
    wanting a two-stage resolution. Are you willing to modify your position,
    sir, and come in line with France's position, in the spirit of
    cooperation, to achieve a tough U.N. resolution?
        The President. What I won't accept is something that allows Saddam
    Hussein to continue to lie, deceive the
    world. He's been doing that for 11 years. For 11 years, he's told the
    United Nations Security Council, ``Don't worry. I accept your
    resolution.'' Then he doesn't follow through. And we're just not going
    to accept something that is weak. It is not worth it. It's--the United
    Nations must show its backbone. And we will work with members of the
    Security Council to put a little calcium there, put calcium in the
    backbone, so this organization is able to more likely keep the peace as
    we go down the road.
        Q. Are you suggesting the French proposal is weak?
        The President. I'm suggesting that the same old stuff isn't going to
    work, John. And we won't accept the status quo. There needs to be a
    strong new resolution in order for us to make it clear to the world--and
    to Saddam Hussein, more importantly--that you
    must disarm.

    [[Page 1702]]

        And I look forward to looking at all their proposals. Just like
    we're dealing with everybody concerned, we will listen to points of
    view. But the final, bottom line has got to be a very strong resolution,
    so that we don't fall into the same trap we have done for the last 11
    years, which is nothing happens.
        Saddam Hussein has thumbed his nose at
    the world. He's a threat to the neighborhood. He's a threat to Israel.
    He's a threat to the United States of America. And we're just going to
    have to deal with him. And the best way to deal with him is for the
    world to rise up and say, ``You disarm, and we'll disarm you.'' And if
    not--if at the very end of the day nothing happens, the United States,
    along with others, will act.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:26 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.