    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [December 5, 2007]
    [Pages 1526-1527]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting on Health Care and an Exchange With
    Reporters in Omaha
    December 5, 2007

        The President. It is a joy to be here at the OneWorld Community
    Health Center in Omaha. I want to thank Andrea and Dr. McVea for the tour.
        I say it's a joy because the spirit here, the spirit of community,
    the desire to help people who are less fortunate is prevalent. People
    here feel a great sense of community and accomplishment. And as well
    they should because community health centers, not only here in Omaha but
    around the country, provide a very vital service. I happen to think
    they're an integral part of a health care system because they provide
    care for the low-income, for the newly arrived, and they take the
    pressure off of our hospital emergency rooms.
        And so I've come to thank the staff and the providers of
    compassionate health care here for their work. I remind the people of
    Omaha that this is a public-private partnership. The Federal Government
    is a--and my administration strongly supports the expansion and the
    extension and the reach of these community health centers. But the
    private sector, the public, needs to support these centers as well.
        We spent a little time talking about whether or not the community
    understands the importance of a community health center. This community
    does. I think there is some awareness of how important OneWorld is, and
    I would hope that other citizens that aren't aware would find out the
    importance of a community health center.
        When I--in 2000, when I was running, I said, look, I believe these
    are important centers because they provide an integral service, and they
    take pressure off of our health care systems around the country. And so
    I laid out a goal of expanding and--the health care centers by 1,200,
    and we're meeting that goal. And I want to thank Members of Congress
    from both parties for understanding the importance and the vitality of
    community health centers. And I look forward to working with Congress to
    continue to expand the reach of these important facilities.
        And so, again, I want to thank you all for your hospitality. I
    really appreciate you giving me a chance to come to--a part of our
    national strategy is to make sure

    [[Page 1527]]

    the uninsured can find good, quality primary care. This center serves--
    85 percent of its people don't speak English as a first language. By
    far, the vast majority are low-income, and yet they're receiving first-
    class quality care. So I thank the docs and the nurses and the social
    workers and all the people who are making this facility such a good one.
        Thanks for having me.

    Iran

        Q. Iran's President said the NIE is a victory for Iran. They want an
    apology from the United States and compensation, sir. Will you do that?
    Is the NIE a victory for Iran?
        The President. [Laughter] You can mark down I chuckled.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:23 a.m. in the Adah and Leon Millard
    Foundation Conference Room at OneWorld Community Health Centers. In his
    remarks, he referred to Andrea Skolkin, executive director, and Kristine
    McVea, medical director, OneWorld Community Health Centers. A reporter
    referred to President Mahmud Ahmadi-nejad of Iran. A portion of these
    remarks could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.