[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.