    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [August 3, 2007]
    [Pages 1041-1042]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 3, 2007

        Good morning. Today I'm traveling to Minneapolis to the site of
    Wednesday's tragic bridge collapse. Like millions of Americans, I was
    shocked and saddened when I heard the news that the I-35 bridge gave way
    during rush hour. The bridge was a major traffic artery, and when it
    collapsed, dozens of cars fell into the Mississippi River.
        Laura and I join all Americans in mourning
    those who lost their lives and in sending our thoughts and prayers to
    their families. And we pray that those injured will make a full
    recovery.
        On Thursday morning, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Federal Highway Administrator Richard
    Capka traveled to Minneapolis. They
    announced $5 million in immediate Federal funding for debris removal and
    to help restore the flow of traffic. This is just the beginning of the
    financial assistance we will make available to support the State in its
    recovery efforts. Several Federal Agencies are on the ground aiding
    State and local officials, including the National Transportation Safety
    Board, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the
    Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
        I recognize how important the I-35 bridge is to the State of
    Minnesota, and my administration is committed to working closely with
    Governor Pawlenty and Mayor Rybak to rebuild this bridge as quickly as possible.
        In times of tragedy, our hearts ache for those who suffer, yet our
    hearts are also lifted by acts of courage and compassion. We saw those
    qualities in the residents of a nearby apartment building who rushed to
    the scene to offer their help. We saw them in the divers who fought the
    mighty currents of the Mississippi to reach victims, and we saw them in
    the firefighters who searched car to car for survivors.
        Among the survivors was a group of kids returning from a summer
    field trip. Their

    [[Page 1042]]

    school bus had just passed over the Mississippi River when the bridge
    below them gave way. The bus dropped more than 20 feet and came to rest
    on the guardrail of the collapsed bridge span. A staff member named
    Jeremy Hernandez quickly swung into action.
    He broke open the back door and helped evacuate the terrified children
    to safety. The mother of one of the
    children on board credited Jeremy's presence of
    mind with helping spare her daughter from tragedy. She put it this way:
    ``I don't know what he was thinking, but it must have been something
    really good.''
        Our country is fortunate to have brave and selfless citizens like
    Jeremy, and all those who risked their own
    safety to aid in the rescue. This is a difficult time for the community
    in Minneapolis, but the people there are decent and resilient, and they
    will get through these painful hours. As they do, they know that all of
    America stands with them, and that we will do all we can to help them
    recover and rebuild.
        May God bless those who are hurting in Minneapolis, and may God
    bless our wonderful country. Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on August 3 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 4. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 3. In his address, the President referred to Gov. Timothy J.
    Pawlenty of Minnesota; and Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, MN. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this address.