[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[July 1, 2006]
[Pages i-xii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Public Papers Of The President Of The United States 2006 Book II
[[Page i]]
PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS
OF THE
UNITED STATES
[[Page iii]]
PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS
OF THE
UNITED STATES
2006
(IN TWO BOOKS)
BOOK II-JULY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2006
----------------------------------------
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2010
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) 512-2104
Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20401
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Foreword
This volume collects my speeches and papers from the second half of
2006.
This was a period when many important pieces of legislation came to
my desk. In July, I signed the Voting Rights Reauthorization and
Amendments Act, continuing America's commitment to ensure that every
citizen's sacred right to vote is protected by law. The Congress also
sent me a bill that would have overturned my Administration's balanced
policy on embryonic stem cell research and compelled American taxpayers,
for the first time in our history, to fund the deliberate destruction of
human embryos. I vetoed that bill. On the same day, I signed a law
prohibiting one of the most egregious abuses in biomedical research:
trafficking in human fetuses created for the sole purpose of being
aborted and harvested for parts.
This was also a time when Americans joined together to commemorate a
terrible anniversary. On September 11, the Nation paused to remember the
terrorist attacks perpetrated against us 5 years earlier.
On this anniversary, I addressed the Nation from the Oval Office. I
said, ``We look to the day when moms and dads throughout the Middle East
see a future of hope and opportunity for their children. And when that
good day comes, the clouds of war will part, the appeal of radicalism
will decline, and we will leave our children with a better and safer
world. On this solemn anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to this
cause. Our nation has endured trials, and we face a difficult road
ahead. Winning this war will require the determined efforts of a unified
country, and we must put aside our differences and work together to meet
the test that history has given us. We will defeat our enemies. We will
protect our people. And we will lead the 21st century into a shining age
of human liberty.''
The following week, I addressed the United Nations General Assembly
and spoke about the importance of freedom in the Middle East. I said,
``Some have argued that the democratic changes we're seeing in the
Middle East are destabilizing the region. This argument rests on a false
assumption, that the Middle East was stable to begin with. The reality
is that the stability we thought we saw in the Middle East was a mirage.
For decades, millions of men and women in the region have been trapped
in oppression and hopelessness. And these conditions left a generation
disillusioned, and made this region a breeding ground for extremism.''
My Administration acted forcefully against the extremist threat at
home and abroad. In the fall, I signed the ``SAFE Port Act of 2006,''
which enhanced our Nation's ability to help keep our major shipping
centers secure without unduly burdening foreign trade. I signed the
Military Commissions Act, which allowed our intelligence community to
continue questioning suspected terrorists and created the ability to
prosecute these extremists for war crimes through fair trials. I also
hosted
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the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan at the White House to
discuss our continuing efforts against radicalism in their countries.
These months also saw violence increase dramatically in Iraq.
Terrorists waged a brutal effort to keep the people of Iraq's young
democracy from succeeding. Our men and women in uniform performed
valiantly against these challenges--but it became clear that a change in
strategy was required. In November, I traveled to the Middle East, where
I met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and American commanders
on the ground to discuss a new way forward in Iraq. To help carry out
our new strategy, I named a new Secretary of Defense--Robert Gates.
In the closing days of 2006, the Iraqi people made an important
break with their past when Saddam Hussein was convicted and executed for
crimes against his own people. In the early days of 2007, America would
take a decisive new step toward stemming the violence in Iraq and
helping the Iraqi people secure their democracy.
[[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, 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 Michael L. White, 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
William J. Boarman, 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,
July 1-December 31, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . 1313
Appendix A
Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 2231
Appendix B
Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . . . . 2263
Appendix C
Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . . 2275
Appendix D
Presidential Documents Published in the Federal
Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2287
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 and Budget Joshua B. Bolten........
(resigned 4/14).........
Robert J. Portman.......
(confirmed 5/26)........
Director of National Drug Control
Policy John P. Walters.........