[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

[[Page 500]]

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.