    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [May 22, 2003]
    [Page 527]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 527]]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders
    May 22, 2003

        The President. I just had a great meeting with Members of the House
    and Senate. The Vice President and I came up to
    congratulate the Speaker  Dennis and the
    leader on a season of accomplishment. We've got
    an obligation to help those who suffer. America's a great, strong
    country. We're also a compassionate country.
        And I thank the Members of the House and Senate for passing an AIDS
    bill that will help the people of Africa, a really good piece of
    legislation, a great piece of work by the Speaker and the leader and
    other Members.
        I also came to congratulate them on the soon-to-be passage of an
    economic jobs-and-growth bill. This is a Congress which is able to
    identify problems facing the American people and get things done. These
    are can-do people, and I'm real proud of the work they've done.
        I look forward to signing the economic recovery bill soon. The
    principle of the bill is pretty simple, that we believe the more money
    people have in their pockets, the more likely it is somebody is going to
    be able to find work in America. In other words, the more money somebody
    has, it means somebody is more likely to demand a good or a service,
    which means somebody will produce a good or a service, which means
    somebody is likely to find work.
        This bill I'm going to sign is good for American workers. It is good
    for American families. It is good for American investors, and it's good
    for American entrepreneurs and small-business owners. These two bodies
    are fixing to go on a well-deserved break. And when they come back,
    we're going to work together on reforming of Medicare.
        Q. Mr. President?
        The President. And furthermore--[laughter]--thank you for your time.
    [Laughter] Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:34 a.m. outside the House Chamber at the
    Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Senate Majority Leader Bill
    Frist of Tennessee.