    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [April 14, 2008]
    [Pages 499-500]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Cabinet Meeting
    April 14, 2008

        I want to thank members of my Cabinet for joining me this morning.
    We discussed a variety of subjects, including the progress being made in
    the freedom agenda around the world. But we also are reminded that
    tomorrow is tax day, and our fellow citizens will be paying taxes during
    a time of economic uncertainty. These are tough economic times.
        This administration anticipated these times. We worked with Congress
    to pass a progrowth package that incensed businesses to invest and a
    progrowth package that will be sending some of your taxpayers' money
    back to you. And the Secretary
    mentioned again that the second week of May, checks and/or credits to
    your account will start coming to you. And that's going to be an
    important part of making sure this economy begins to recover in a way
    that will add confidence and hope.
        One way Congress can act is to make the tax cuts permanent. If they
    really are that concerned about economic uncertainty, they ought to
    create certainty in the Tax Code.
        The other thing we've been very active on is helping people stay in
    their homes, whether it be the HOPE NOW Alliance or FHASecure. Over a
    million people have been helped to renegotiate and/or to find ways to
    stay in a home that they own.
        Now Congress can help. Congress needs to modernize FHA; they need to
    modernize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I mean, there's constructive
    things Congress can do that will encourage the housing market to correct
    quickly by encouraging--helping people stay in their homes. I don't
    think we ought to be bailing out lenders or speculators. I think we need
    to be helping hard-working Americans who are creditworthy stay in their
    homes.
        And I do want to say something about trade. There's big
    disappointment around this table about the action that the
    Speaker took on the Colombia free trade
    agreement. This free trade agreement is good for American workers, and
    it's good for American consumers. And this free trade agreement is in
    our national interests. Yet that bill is dead unless the Speaker
    schedules a definite vote. This is a unprecedented move, and it's not in
    our country's interest that we stiff an ally like Colombia

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    and that we don't encourage our goods and services to be sold overseas.
        Congress recently has been working on legislation for beach
    monitoring and landscape conservation. And those are important issues,
    but not nearly as important as FHA modernization or the Colombia free
    trade agreement or making the tax cuts permanent.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:14 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House.