[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[January 1, 2006]
[Pages C-8-xii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]




Public Papers Of The President Of The United States 2006 BOOK
I


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          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


                            George W. Bush






                


                                  2006
                             (IN TWO BOOKS)

                    BOOK I-JANUARY 1 TO JUNE 30, 2006 


                   ------------------------------------
                     UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICE
                            WASHINGTON : 2010


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                            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


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                                Foreword


    This volume collects my speeches and papers from the first half of 
2006.

    As the year opened, I appeared before the Congress to deliver my 
annual State of the Union message. In this speech, I called for an 
ambitious agenda to strengthen our Nation's economy and ensure that our 
Nation remained competitive in the world. I proposed the Advanced Energy 
Initiative, a plan to harness the power of technology to reduce 
America's dependence on foreign sources of energy. I presented a 
strategy to reform health care for the 21st century by making it more 
affordable, portable, and efficient. And I introduced the American 
Competitiveness Initiative--a bold plan to support science and 
technology by investing in research and development, education, and 
entrepreneurship.

    During these 6 months, I toured the Nation to promote these 
initiatives and other important domestic priorities. In March, I 
traveled to New Orleans to discuss the Federal Government's continued 
commitment to rebuilding communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. 
During the spring, I visited a variety of States to encourage Americans 
to take part in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. And as 
summer approached, I visited California, New Mexico, Nebraska, and 
Arizona to highlight the need for the Congress to pass comprehensive 
immigration reform.

    On May 15, I addressed the Nation from the Oval Office on this vital 
issue. I said, ``Our new immigrants are just what they've always been--
people willing to risk everything for the dream of freedom. And America 
remains what she has always been: the great hope on the horizon, an open 
door to the future, a blessed and promised land. We honor the heritage 
of all who come here, no matter where they come from, because we trust 
in our country's genius for making us all Americans--one Nation under 
God.''

    During this period, we took decisive action on several key 
priorities for our Nation's future. In March, I signed the ``USA PATRIOT 
Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005''--legislation that gave our 
country's intelligence and law enforcement officials vital tools to 
protect our citizens from threats such as international terrorists and 
drug dealers. In May, I was proud to sign into law a bill that extended 
tax relief for American families and businesses. And in June, I signed a 
proclamation creating the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National 
Monument--the largest single conservation area in the history of our 
country, and the largest fully protected marine area in the world.

    This was a time when many talented and able Americans were appointed 
to the highest levels of the Federal Government. In January, Samuel 
Alito was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Supreme Court's 
newest Associate Justice. Less than a week later, Ben Bernanke was sworn 
in as our Nation's 14th Chairman of the 

[[Page vi]]

Federal Reserve. In May, General Michael Hayden was appointed to be 
the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. And during this 
period, I also welcomed two new members to my cabinet--Dirk Kempthorne 
as Secretary of the Interior and Henry Paulson as Secretary of the 
Treasury.
   As we focused on these key priorities at home, my Administration 
remained engaged in vital issues around the world. In March, the First 
Lady and I traveled to Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan to demonstrate 
America's commitment to strong partnerships in that vital region. While 
in Afghanistan, I was able to witness firsthand how America's men and 
women in uniform were combating radicalism and creating a more hopeful 
future for the Afghan people. After years under the radical Taliban 
regime, Afghanistan was transforming into a country where entrepreneurs 
had the freedom to pursue opportunity, journalists had the freedom to 
ask questions, and, at long last, girls had the freedom to receive an 
education. I praised this progress and let the Afghan people know that 
America's commitment to them remained firm.

    Later that month, I visited Mexico, where I met with Mexican 
President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to 
discuss an agenda of security and prosperity for North America. In June, 
I attended a summit meeting between the United States and the European 
Union. On this trip, Laura and I visited Austria and Hungary, and I 
reaffirmed America's commitment to work with our European allies to 
promote peace, human rights, and democracy worldwide.

    Finally, this period saw both setbacks and successes in the 
continued struggle for Iraq's future. Despite the destruction sparked by 
the terrorist bombing of a sacred Shiite mosque in Samarra, the Iraqi 
people banded together to form their first unity government in April. In 
May, Nouri Al-Maliki became Prime Minister of Iraq and presented his 
cabinet to the new government. And in June, United States military 
forces killed Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the operational commander of the 
terrorist movement in Iraq--a dramatic victory in the War on Terror.

    Less than a week after Zarqawi was brought to justice, I made a 
surprise visit to Iraq, where I spent time with the men and women of our 
Armed Forces and met with the new Prime Minister. Upon my return, I told 
the American people, ``I traveled to Baghdad to personally show our 
Nation's commitment to a free Iraq, because it is vital for the Iraqi 
people to know with certainty that America will not abandon them after 
we have come this far. The challenges that remain in Iraq are serious. 
We face determined enemies who remain intent on killing the innocent, 
and defeating these enemies will require more sacrifice and the 
continued patience of our country. But our efforts in Iraq are well 
worth it, the mission is necessary for the security of our country, and 
we will succeed.'' In the months to come, our country's patience would 
indeed be tested, but our determination to safeguard our Nation and help 
foster a free Iraq would prevail.


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                                 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 January 1-June 30, 2006. 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 

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 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

David S. Ferriero
Archivist of the United States


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                                Contents

Foreword . . . v

Preface . . . vii

Cabinet . . . xi

Public Papers of George W. Bush,
January 1-June 30, 2006 . . . 1

Appendix A
Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 1245

Appendix B
Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 1279

Appendix C
Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 1295

Appendix D
Presidential Documents Published in the Federal Register . . . 1307

Subject Index . . . A-1

Name Index . . . B-1

Document Categories List . . . C-1


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                           Cabinet


Secretary of State ....................Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of the Treasury ..............John W. Snow............
                                          (resigned 6/30).........
                                          Henry M. Paulson, Jr....
                                          (confirmed 6/28)........

Secretary of Defense ...................Donald H. Rumsfeld

Attorney General .......................Alberto R. Gonzales

Secretary of the Interior...............Gale A. Norton..........
                                          (resigned 3/31).........
                                          Dirk Kempthorne.........
                                          (confirmed 5/26)........

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........
                                          (resigned 7/7)..........
                                          Mary E. Peters..........
                                          (confirmed 9/30)........

Secretary of Energy ......................Samuel W. Bodman

Secretary of Education ...................Margaret Spellings

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Secretary of Veterans Affairs ............R. James Nicholson

Secretary of Homeland Security ...........Michael Chertoff

Chief of Staff ...........................Andrew H. Card, Jr......
                                          (resigned 4/14).........
                                          Joshua B. Bolten........
                                          (appointed 4/14)........

Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency ........................Stephen L. Johnson

United States Trade Representative .......Robert J. Portman.......
                                          (resigned 5/30).........
                                          Susan C. Schwab.........
                                          (confirmed 6/8).........

Director of the Office of Management .....Joshua B. Bolten........
and Budget                                (resigned 4/14).........
                                          Robert J. Portman.......
                                          (confirmed 5/26)........

Director of National Drug Control ........ John P. Walters
Policy



                    Administration of George W. Bush

                                  2006