[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[October 1, 2004]
[Pages i-xiii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Public Papers of the President, 2004, Book III


[[Page i]]

 P U B L I C     P A P E R S    O F    T H E    P R E S I D E N T S

                              O F   T H E

                      U N I T E D    S T A T E S


[[Page iv]]


               

                            Published by the

                     Office of the Federal Register

              National Archives and Records Administration

 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing 
                                 Office

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                       Fax: (202) 512-2250

              Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20401

[[Page v]]



                                Foreword

    This volume collects my speeches and papers from the second half of 
2004.

    During these 6 months from July to December, I outlined my vision 
for the future of our Nation, and I advocated Government policies that 
put trust and power into the hands of the people. In September, at my 
nominating convention, I presented a clear plan to build a safer world, 
and a more hopeful America. I spoke of our Nation's need to build an 
ownership society where every citizen has a stake in America and all 
have an opportunity to succeed. I described the need to simplify the tax 
code; improve education and worker training; build opportunity zones in 
areas without hope; make health care more affordable; and reform Social 
Security to provide voluntary personal-retirement accounts for all 
Americans.

    During this period, the American economy continued to expand and 
grow. Thanks to the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of the American 
people and the tax cuts of 2001, 2002, and 2003, our Nation added new 
jobs, built new businesses, and led the world in innovation and 
achievement. In the second half of 2004, the American economy gained 
strength--creating almost 1 million new jobs. To sustain this impressive 
economic growth, in October I signed a tax relief bill that helped 
millions of families by extending the child tax credit and marriage-
penalty relief, and helped prevent middle-class families across America 
from being hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax. In addition, in 
December, my Administration hosted an important conference at the White 
House on America's economic future. We heard from business owners, 
workers, economists, and many other Americans who saw hopeful signs of 
growth throughout our country. We also discussed some of the fundamental 
challenges facing our economy--from frivolous lawsuits and burdensome 
regulations to the need for vital reforms in education, health care, 
entitlements, and the tax code.

    To address these and many other issues in my second term, I built 
another outstanding Cabinet. In November, I named Alberto Gonzales to 
serve as Attorney General; Condoleezza Rice to serve as Secretary of 
State; Margaret Spellings to serve as Secretary of Education; and Carlos 
Guttierez to serve as Secretary of Commerce. In December, I named Mike 
Leavitt as Secretary of Health and Human Services; Samuel Bodman as 
Secretary of Energy; Jim Nicholson as Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and 
Mike Johanns as Secretary of Agriculture.

    The second half of 2004 was also a time when we showed the 
compassionate heart and giving spirit that have made America a great 
Nation. In July, America commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Civil 
Rights Act--a day when justice and equality triumphed over 
discrimination and indignity. Later that same month, I announced my 
initiatives to combat human trafficking. By working to provide 
prosecutors with new law enforcement tools and give outreach programs 
more help to sup

[[Page vi]]

port victims of trafficking, we took a stand for the value and dignity 
of every human life. In December, our Nation answered the call from our 
brothers and sisters in need half a world a way. America provided more 
than $850 million in humanitarian relief and reconstruction aid to help 
the people of South Asia whose lives and homes were devastated by the 
massive Bay of Bengal earthquake and tsunami.

    As we worked to fulfill America's highest ideals of compassion and 
justice, we also continued to strengthen our Nation's ability to defend 
those ideals at home and abroad. In July, I signed the Project Bioshield 
Act. The Act was designed to help purchase, develop, and deploy cutting-
edge defenses against catastrophic attack. Later that same month, I 
addressed the 9-11 Commission's recommendations. I discussed how my 
Administration's actions were consistent with the Commission's 
recommendations in detecting and disrupting terrorist cells; building a 
democratic Afghanistan; and improving our intelligence operations. In 
December, I signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention 
Act--the most significant reform of our Nation's intelligence 
capabilities since President Harry S. Truman signed the National 
Security Act of 1947. The intelligence reforms of 2004 created the 
position of Director of National Intelligence; made it easier for law 
enforcement to share information about terrorists; and were designed to 
make all our intelligence efforts better coordinated, more efficient, 
and more effective.

    Throughout the second half of 2004, thanks to our men and women in 
uniform and our international allies, we advanced the cause of freedom 
around the world, and the people of Afghanistan and Iraq continued to 
advance down the path of democracy and self-determination. On October 9, 
the people of Afghanistan held their first presidential election under 
their new constitution with more than 8 million Afghans going to the 
polls. On December 7, Hamid Karzai was inaugurated as Afghanistan's 
democratically elected president. In August, after the Coalition 
transfer of power, Iraqis selected a national assembly to act as a 
parliament until the elections of January 2005. In the months that 
followed, election rules were published, voters were registered, and 
candidates came forward to be elected to a transition government that 
would represent all the Iraqi people.

    In the midst of all these historic steps on the road to freedom and 
peace, the world was reminded of the ruthless nature of our terrorist 
enemies. In Iraq, terrorists and insurgents continued to unleash savage 
attacks on those working to build a free and democratic Iraq. In late 
October of 2004, Al-Qaida released a tape from Osama Bin Laden that made 
further threats against America. I was very clear in my response: 
``Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our 
country.'' On October 31st, I told my fellow Americans: ``Since that 
terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we fought the terrorists 
across the Earth--not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of 
our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear. We've strengthened 
protections for the homeland. We're reforming and strengthening our 
intelligence services. We're transforming our military . . . We are 
fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at 
home. We are determined, we are relentless, and we are succeeding.''

                          B

[[Page vii]]



                                 Preface

    This book contains the papers and speeches of the 43d President of 
the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary 
during the period October 1-December 31, 2004. The material has been 
compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National 
Archives and Records Administration.

    The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates 
shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In 
instances when the release date differs from the date of the document 
itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made 
to ensure accuracy: Remarks are checked against a tape recording, and 
signed documents are checked against the original. Textnotes and cross 
references have been provided by the editors for purposes of 
identification or clarity. At the request of the Office of the Press 
Secretary, the Bush property known as Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, 
Texas, is referred to simply as the Bush Ranch. Speeches were delivered 
in Washington, DC, unless indicated. The times noted are local times. 
All materials that are printed full-text in the book have been indexed 
in the subject and name indexes, and listed in the document categories 
list.

    The Public Papers of the Presidents series was begun in 1957 in 
response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications 
Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the 
Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D. 
Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and 
1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but 
there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record 
or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers 
could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or 
as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the 
establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, 
addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available.

    The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of 
the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under 
section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be 
found in title 1, part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations.

    A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly 
Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a 
broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet 
the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration 
of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to 
include additional material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That 
coverage provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and 
meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by 
the Office of

[[Page viii]]

the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the President's 
nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by the Office of 
the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book, and 
proclamations, Executive orders, and other Presidential documents 
released by the Office of the Press Secretary and published in the 
Federal Register. This information appears in the appendixes at the end 
of the book.

    Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Herbert Hoover, 
Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. 
Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, 
George Bush, and William J. Clinton are also included in the Public 
Papers series.

    The Public Papers of the Presidents publication program is under the 
direction of Frances D. McDonald, Managing Editor, Office of the Federal 
Register. The series is produced by the Presidential and Legislative 
Publications Unit, Gwendolyn J. Henderson, Chief. The Chief Editor of 
this book was Stacey A. Mulligan, assisted by William K. Banks, Loretta 
F. Cochran, Kathleen M. Fargey, Michael J. Forcina, Stephen J. Frattini, 
Alison M. Gavin, Diane Hiltabidle, Alfred Jones, Ashley Merusi, Matthew 
R. Regan, and Michael J. Sullivan.

    The frontispiece and photographs used in the portfolio were supplied 
by the White House Photo Office. The typography and design of the book 
were developed by the Government Printing Office under the direction of 
William H. Turri, Acting Public Printer.

Raymond A. Mosley
Director of the Federal Register

Allen Weinstein
Archivist of the United States


[[Page ix]]



                                Contents

                    Foreword . . . v

                    Preface . . . vii

                    Cabinet . . . xi

                    Public Papers of George W. Bush,
                    October 1-December 31, 2004 . . . 2307

                    Appendix A
                    Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 3147

                    Appendix B
                    Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 3163

                    Appendix C
                    Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 3167

                    Appendix D
                    Presidential Documents Published in the Federal 
Register . . . 3173

                    Subject Index . . . A-1

                    Name Index . . . B-1

                    Document Categories List . . . C-1


[[Page xi]]


                                Cabinet

        Secretary of State

                                          Colin L. Powell.........

        Secretary of the Treasury

                                          John Snow...............

        Secretary of Defense

                                          Donald H. Rumsfeld......

        Attorney General

                                          John Ashcroft...........

        Secretary of the Interior

                                          Gale A. Norton..........

        Secretary of Agriculture

                                          Ann M. Veneman..........

        Secretary of Commerce

                                          Donald L. Evans.........

        Secretary of Labor

                                          Elaine L. Chao..........

        Secretary of Health and Human

        Services

                                          Tommy G. Thompson.......

        Secretary of Housing and Urban

        Development

                                          Alphonso R. Jackson.....

        Secretary of Transportation

                                          Norman Y. Mineta........

        Secretary of Energy

                                          Spencer Abraham.........

        Secretary of Education

                                          Roderick R. Paige.......

        Secretary of Veterans Affairs

                                          Anthony J. Principi.....

        Secretary of Homeland Security

                                          Tom Ridge...............

        Chief of Staff

                                          Andrew H. Card, Jr......

[[Page xii]]

        Administrator of the Environmental

        Protection Agency

                                          Michael O. Leavitt......

        United States Trade Representative

                                          Robert B. Zoellick......

        Director of the Office of 
        Management

        and Budget

                                          Joshua B. Bolten........

        Director of National Drug Control

        Policy

                                          John P. Walters.........


[[Page xiii]]

                    Administration of George W. Bush

                                  2004