[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)] [July 1, 2005] [Pages iii-xii] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]Public Papers Of The President Of The United States 2005, BOOK II [[Page iii]] PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES George W. Bush [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] 2005 (IN TWO BOOKS) BOOK II - JULY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2005 _______________________________________ UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 2009 [[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 * Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov * Phone: (202) 512-1800 * 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 2005. As this period began, the world was given a painful reminder of the ruthlessness of freedom's enemies. On the morning of July 7, members of a terrorist cell in England detonated bombs throughout London's public transportation system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. This attack took place as members of the G-8 were meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland. The terrorists' act illustrated the stark contrast between their hateful ideology and the hopeful vision of free nations-which were at the very same time working on a plan for combating poverty and disease in Africa. During these months, America continued to take on the forces of radicalism throughout the world. Our men and women in uniform continued their urgent missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, where their efforts brought the hope of democracy to nations that had spent decades oppressed by tyranny. In Afghanistan, citizens braved deadly attacks and threats of violence to participate in their country's first parliamentary election in more than 30 years. In Iraq, citizens overcame similar threats to ratify a constitution, hold parliamentary elections, and put Saddam Hussein on trial for decades of crimes against his people. At year's end, I spoke to the American people from the Oval Office and said, "I know this war is controversial-yet being your President requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the consequences. And I have never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens and will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren." While we worked tirelessly to defeat our enemies, my Administration also engaged in extensive diplomacy with America�s allies. In August, I met with President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and discussed our mutual efforts to fight drug trafficking and terrorism. In October, I continued America's role in promoting Middle East peace by hosting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. In November, the First Lady and I traveled to Latin America, visiting Argentina, Brazil, and Panama. While there, I spoke about the importance of democracy, freedom, and social justice in our hemisphere. And in my final international trip of the year, Laura and I traveled to Asia, where I attended the leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Eco�nomic Cooperation and visited China, Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea. As America focused on these priorities abroad, we also made progress at home. In July, I signed the `Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005,' a bill aimed at reducing medical errors and injuries through greater information-sharing in the health care industry. The Congress approved-and I was proud to sign-the [[Page vi]] `Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement,' an economic pact that promoted prosperity and sent a strong signal of support to young democracies in the region. In late August, America was shocked and saddened by the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in our Nation's history. The storm did widespread damage throughout the Gulf Coast, striking Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida-an area roughly the size of Great Britain. In New Orleans, the breaching of the levees left much of the city underwater and devastated the population. By the time the storm had passed, it had taken more than 1,300 lives. The Federal response to this catastrophe was unacceptable- and I pledged to reform the Government's emergency management procedures to ensure we were better prepared for future natural disasters. In September, I spoke to the American people from Jackson Square in New Orleans and said that we would help rebuild communities that had been damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. I told the people of the Gulf Coast, `I know that when you sit on the steps of a porch where a home once stood, or sleep on a cot in a crowded shelter, it is hard to imagine a bright future. But that future will come. The streets of Biloxi and Gulfport will again be filled with lovely homes and the sound of children playing. The churches of Alabama will have their broken steeples mended and their congregations whole. And here in New Orleans, the street cars will once again rumble down St. Charles, and the passionate soul of a great city will return.' Finally, the year saw dramatic change at the Supreme Court, with the retirement announcement of Associated Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in July and the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in September. I committed to nominate replacements who would be prudent in exercising judicial power, firm in defending judicial independence, and, above all, faithful guardians of the Constitution. America saw these ambitious goals met with the confirmation of John Roberts as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States in September. And as the year closed, another talented jurist, Samuel Alito, awaited confirmation to our country's highest court. W [[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 July 1-December 31, 2005. 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 meet- [[Page viii]] ings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of 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. The Chief Editor of this book was Stacey A. Mulligan, assisted by William K. Banks, Loretta F. Cochran, Lois Davis, Kathleen M. Fargey, Stephen J. Frattini, Michael J. Forcina, Allison M. Gavin, Gwendolyn J. Henderson, Diane Hiltabidle, Alfred Jones, Joshua H. Liberatore, Heather N. McDaniel, Ashley Merusi, Amelia E. Otovo, Jennifer M. Partridge, D. Gregory Perrin, 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 Robert C. Tapella, Public Printer. Raymond A. Mosley Director of the Federal Register Adrienne C. Thomas Acting Archivist of the United States [[Page ix]] Contents Foreword........................v Preface.........................vii Cabinet.........................xi Public Papers of George W. Bush, July 1-December 31, 2005........1169 Appendix A Digest of Other White House Announcements....1907 Appendix B Nominations Submitted to the Senate..........1943 Appendix C Checklist of White House Press Releases......1957 Appendix D Presidential Documents Published in the Federal Register . . . 1971 Subject Index...................A-1 Name Index......................B-1 Document Categories List........C-1 [[Page xi]] Cabinet Secretary of State ..................... Condoleezza Rice Secretary of the Treasury ..............John W. Snow Secretary of Defense ...................Donald H. Rumsfeld Attorney General .......................Alberta R. Gonzales Secretary of the Interior ..............Gale A. Norton Secretary of Agriculture ...............Mike Johanns Secretary of Commerce ..................Carlos M. Gutierrez Secretary of Labor .....................Elaine L. Chao Secretary of Health and Human Services..Michael O. Leavitt Secretary of Housing and Urban Development..Alphonso R. Jackson Secretary of Transportation ............Norman Y. Mineta Secretary of Energy ....................Samuel W. Bodman Secretary of Education .................Margaret Spellings Secretary of Veterans Affairs ..........R. James Nicholson Secretary of Homeland Security .........Michael Chertoff Chief of Staff .........................Andrew H. Card, Jr. Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency..Stephen L. Johnson United States Trade Representative .....Robert J. Portman [[Page xii]] Director of the Office of Management and Budget..Joshua B. Bolten Director of National Drug Control Policy..John P. Walters Administration of George W. Bush 2005