    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [November 21, 2003]
    [Pages 1601-1602]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Arrival From the United Kingdom
    November 21, 2003

        Good evening. Laura and I have just returned
    from Great Britain, where we had a fantastic trip. Her Majesty the
    Queen was a great host. Of course, we
    spent some time today in Tony Blair's
    constituency, which was not only a lot of fun, but it was a chance to
    continue our dialog about how to fight and defeat terror. We've got a
    special relationship with Great Britain. That relationship was
    reaffirmed during the last 3 days.
        Back here at home, I'm pleased that the Congress passed the Healthy
    Forests Initiative, which will help us maintain our national treasure,
    our forests, again providing a commonsense strategy and making sure that
    the fire hazards that we've seen over the last couple of summers are
    mitigated as best as possible.
        Secondly, I was pleased that House of Representatives passed an
    energy bill. This Nation needs an energy bill. It needs an energy plan.
    A minority of Senators are holding it up. For the sake of our national
    security and economic security, the Senate has got to pass this bill.
        And finally, as you know, the Medicare legislation is--will be
    debated tonight in the House of Representatives and eventually in the
    Senate. It is an important time for Members of the U.S. Congress to
    honor our obligations to our seniors by providing a modern Medicare
    system, a system that includes prescription drugs and choices for our
    seniors. I urge the House and the Senate to pass this good piece of
    legislation.
        We're glad to be home. It's good to see you all. Good night. Thank
    you.

    [[Page 1602]]

    Note: The President spoke at 6:27 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Queen Elizabeth II and Prime
    Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom.