[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
[January 1, 2007]
[Pages C-7-xiii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES
BOOK I
[[Page i]]
PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS
OF THE
UNITED STATES
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PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS
OF THE
UNITED STATES
George W. Bush
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
2007
(IN TWO BOOKS)
BOOK I - JANUARY 1 TO JUNE 30, 2007
[[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) 512-1204
Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20401
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Foreword
This volume collects my speeches and papers from the first half of
2007.
At the beginning of the year, I delivered an address to the Nation
in which I announced a bold new strategy for victory against the
terrorists and insurgents in Iraq. I ordered a surge of more than 20,000
additional American troops with a clear mission: to help Iraqis clear
and secure neighborhoods, protect the local population, and help ensure
that the Iraqi forces left behind were capable of providing the security
their country needed.
I told the American people ``Victory will not look like the ones our
fathers and grandfathers achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony
on the deck of a battleship. But victory in Iraq will bring something
new in the Arab world--a functioning democracy that polices its
territory, upholds the rule of law, respects fundamental human
liberties, and answers to its peop1e. A democratic Iraq will not be
perfect. But it will be a country that fights terrorists instead of
harboring them--and it will help bring a future of peace and security
for our children and our grandchildren.''
Throughout these months, my Administration installed talented new
leaders to shepherd our new strategy in Iraq and wage the wider War on
Terror. In January, I appointed General David Petraeus as the new
Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. In February,
Michael McConnell became the Nation's second Director of National
Intelligence. And in June, I nominated Admiral Michael Mullen to become
the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
As our new strategy began to demonstrate promising results, I
insisted that the Congress not substitute its judgment for that of our
commanders in the field. In April, the new Democratic majorities in the
House and Senate passed a supplemental spending bill for the war in Iraq
that mandated timetables for troop withdrawal, limited the flexibility
of our commanders in combat, and appropriated billions of dollars to
projects unrelated to the War on Terror. I vetoed this bill and insisted
that the Congress pass responsible legislation that would give our
troops in the field all of the resources they needed to achieve victory.
While we continued to focus on defeating our enemies, the United
States also remained engaged with our allies around the world. In March,
the First Lady and I visited Latin America, traveling to Brazil,
Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico to discuss advancing the cause
of social justice in the region. In Apri1, I hosted German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and European Union President Jose Barroso for the U.S.-
E.U. Summit in Washington. In May, I welcomed Great Britain's Queen
Elizabeth II to a State Dinner at the White House. The Queen's visit
coincided with the 400th anniversary of the British arrival at
Jamestown, Virginia--America's first permanent settlement. And in June,
Laura and I attended the G-8 Summit in Ger
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many and toured Europe, visiting with leaders in the Czech Republic,
Poland, Ita1y, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Vatican.
During this time, we also focused on important domestic priorities.
In my State of the Union Address in January, I urged the Congress to
support greater energy independence by pursuing the goal of reducing
America's gasoline usage by 20 percent in 10 years. I called on the
Congress to reform the tax code to make health insurance more
affordable, as well as to financially support State governments
providing health care for the poor and hard-to-insure. I continued to
press the case for comprehensive immigration reform that would address
the problem of illegal immigration and create a system that was both
secure and fair.
In addition to this forward-looking agenda, my Administration also
continued to hold the line on legislation that threatened America's
deepest moral values. When the Congress once again sent me a bill that
would have compelled American taxpayers to support the deliberate
destruction of human embryos, I vetoed it.
Finally, this was a time when America paused to mourn. In January, I
attended the funeral of President Gerald Ford, who died at his home in
California at the age of 93. In April, I had the sad task of speaking to
a convocation at Virginia Tech University, where students gathered to
grieve 32 victims of an on-campus shooting. And in June, I spoke at the
dedication of a new memorial in Washington to the victims of communism.
As I reflected on the similarities between the struggle against
communism and the modern totalitarian threat of radical Islam, I told
the assembled crowd, ``Like the Communists, the followers of violent
Islamic radicalism are doomed to fail. By remaining steadfast in
freedom's cause, we will ensure that a future American President does
not have to stand in a place like this and dedicate a memorial to the
millions killed by the radicals and extremists of the 21st century.''
As we moved into the second half of 2007, my Administration remained
vigilant to ensure that this pledge would be fulfilled.
B
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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, 2007. 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, Joseph G. Frankovic, 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,
Michael J. Sullivan, and Joseph K. Vetter.
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,
January 1-June 30, 2007 . . . 1
Appendix A
Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 835
Appendix B
Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 867
Appendix C
Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 885
Appendix D
Presidential Documents Published in the Federal Register . . . 897
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 Treasur................ Henry M. Paulson, Jr.
Secretary of Defense.................... Robert M. Gates
Attorney General........................ Alberto R. Gonzales
Secretary of the Interior............... Dirk Kempthorne
Secretary of Agriculture................ Michael O. 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............. Mary E. Peters
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.......................... Joshua B. Bolten
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Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency....................... Stephen L. Johnson
United States Trade Representative...... Susan C. Schwab
Director of the Office of
Management and Budget................... Robert J. Portman
Director of National Drug Control
Policy.................................. John P. Walters
[[Page xiii]]
Administration of George W. Bush
2007