    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 30, 2004]
    [Pages 164-165]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Economists and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    January 30, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for coming. I just had a very
    interesting discussion with some of our Nation's finest economists about
    the state of our economy and how we can work together to make sure that
    the economy continues to grow. Today we received news that indicates
    that the economy is strong and getting stronger. Fourth quarter growth
    in 2003 was at 4 percent.
        We also discussed ways for Congress to make sure we sustain growth.
    We need to make sure the tax cuts are permanent. If Congress doesn't
    make the tax cuts permanent, they will have raised taxes on the working
    people of this country at the exact wrong time. We need to make sure we
    continue to be a nation which trades freely. We need to make sure that
    we have less regulation. We need to do things that are wise to control
    the cost of medicine without nationalizing health care.
        We had a really good discussion. I want to thank you all for coming.
    These economists are optimistic about our future, and so am I. And the
    American people can know that we continue to work hard to make sure this
    economy is vibrant and robust and strong so our fellow citizens can find
    good jobs.
        I'll be glad to answer a couple of questions. Scott [Scott Lindlaw,
    Associated Press], have you got one today, perhaps?

    Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction

        Q. Yes, sir, I do. Thanks, Mr. President. Senator McCain, David Kay,
    among many others, say it's time for an independent investigation into
    weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and intelligence. Why resist this
    kind of inquiry now, when your own weapons inspector says it's needed?
        The President. I want the American people to know that I too want to
    know the facts. I want to be able to compare what the Iraqi Survey Group
    has found with what we thought prior to going into Iraq.
        One thing is for certain, one thing we do know from Mr. Kay's testimony as well as from the years of intelligence
    that we had gathered, is that Saddam Hussein
    was a danger. He was a growing danger. And given the circumstances of
    September the 11th, this country went to the United Nations and said,
    ``Saddam Hussein is a danger. Let us work together to get him to
    disarm.'' He was defiant. He ignored the request of the international
    community, and this country led a coalition to remove him. We dealt with
    the danger, and as a result, the world is a better place and a more
    peaceful place, and the Iraqi people are free. And a free Iraq is in
    this Nation's national interest. A free Iraq will bring a much-needed
    change in a part of the world that has fostered terror.
        Caren [Caren Bohan, Reuters].
        Q. Are you dead set against it?
        The President. Caren.
        Q. Ruling it out?
        The President. I want to know the facts.
        Caren.
        Q. Are you against the idea of a new----

    [[Page 165]]

        The President. Is this a followup to Scott's question?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. Let me repeat, I just--let me repeat what I just
    said.
        Q. Okay.
        The President. I want to know the facts. And I want to know
    exactly--I want to compare what the ISG finds with what we thought going
    in.
        Keil [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

    Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003

        Q. Mr. President, are you concerned at all that the new ballooning
    cost of Medicare bill will get you in trouble, political trouble, with
    members of your own party who voted for it only on the assurance that it
    wouldn't go above $400 billion?
        The President. Well, I, 2 weeks ago, received an estimate about
    Medicare. I asked two questions to the estimators. One, does the
    Medicare reform do what we want it to do still, which is to provide
    modern medicine for our seniors and to introduce competition, which will
    eventually hold down costs of Medicare. And secondly, the new estimate
    of Medicare costs fulfilled my promise to reduce the deficit in half
    over a 5-year period of time.
        And the budget we'll submit on Monday does fulfill that promise,
    that we'll reduce the deficit in half. Now, it's going to require
    Congress to be wise with the taxpayers' money. The Medicare reform we
    did is a good reform, fulfills a long-standing promise to our seniors.
    Congress is now going to have to work with us to make sure that we set
    priorities and are fiscally wise with the taxpayers' money. I'm
    confident they can do that if they're willing to make tough choices. And
    so the budget we submit will show that we can cut the deficit in half
    over a 5-year period.

    Note: The exchange began at 11:34 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, the President referred to David Kay, former
    CIA Special Advisor for Strategy Regarding Iraqi Weapons of Mass
    Destruction Programs, and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. A
    tape was not available for verification of the content of this exchange.