[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[July 1, 2008]
[Pages i-xii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]




Public papers of the President of the United States 2008 BOOKII

[[Page i]]

          P U B L I C P A P E R S O F T H E P R E S I D E N T S

                                O F T H E

                         U N I T E D S T A T E S


[[Page iii]]


          P U B L I C P A P E R S O F T H E P R E S I D E N T S

                                O F T H E

                         U N I T E D S T A T E S

                           George W. Bush






              

                             2008-2009
                           (IN TWO BOOK)

                  BOOK II-JULY 1, 2008 TO JANUARY 20, 2009


                -------------------------------------------
                 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
                          WASHINGTON : 2012


[[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 second half of 
2008, as well as January of 2009--the final seven months of my 
Presidency.

    This period was dominated by dramatic developments in our Nation's 
economy. As autumn began, a crisis in the subprime mortgage market and a 
contraction of global liquidity hit the financial sector hard. Several 
major financial firms failed, entered into mergers, or received 
emergency assistance from the Federal Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac--two government-sponsored enterprises heavily involved in the 
housing market--were placed into conservatorship. And Americans watched 
anxiously as the stock market experienced some of the most severe 
volatility in its history.

    My team of economic advisors warned that without bold action these 
events could lead to a catastrophe rivaling the Great Depression in 
severity. So we launched an initiative known as TARP (the Troubled 
Assets Relief Program) to strengthen the financial sector by purchasing 
assets and equity from struggling financial institutions.

    In September, I explained this plan to the American people in a 
speech delivered from the State Floor of the White House. I said, ``With 
the situation becoming more precarious by the day, I faced a choice: To 
step in with dramatic Government action, or to stand back and allow the 
irresponsible actions of some to undermine the financial security of 
all. I'm a strong believer in free enterprise. So my natural instinct is 
to oppose Government intervention. I believe companies that make bad 
decisions should be allowed to go out of business. Under normal 
circumstances, I would have followed this course. But these are not 
normal circumstances. The market is not functioning properly. There's 
been a widespread loss of confidence. And major sectors of America's 
financial system are at risk of shutting down.'' In October, Congress 
passed critical legislation to help us address the financial crisis.

    Throughout the remainder of my term, my Administration took action 
vital to restoring the health of our economy. In November, we hosted an 
international summit on financial markets and the world economy. At this 
meeting, world leaders discussed efforts to strengthen economic growth 
and reforms to help avoid similar financial crises in the future. They 
also recommitted to the importance of free trade and free markets as 
essential ingredients of successful economies. In December, I announced 
a plan to provide loans for American automakers so that they could 
restructure their businesses without entering into disorderly 
bankruptcies that could harm our entire economy.

    As we faced these challenges to our prosperity, our Nation also 
remained vigilant against threats to our safety. In July, I signed the 
FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a law that allows our intelligence 
professionals to monitor communications of terror-

[[Page vi]]

ists while respecting the liberties of our citizens. In December, the 
United States and Iraq signed two important agreements for the future 
security of our nations. We signed a Strategic Framework Agreement 
committing our countries to partnerships on issues like regional 
security, trade, and building democratic institutions. And we signed a 
Status of Forces Agreement that turned over increased authority to Iraqi 
forces and laid out a plan for withdrawing the American military 
presence in the country. Because the surge had helped lower violence in 
Iraq to levels not seen in years, we were able to embrace a drawdown 
scheduled to bring all American forces home by the end of 2011--a return 
on success.

    This was also a period of extensive travel. In July, Laura and I 
traveled to Toyako, Japan, where I attended the G8 Summit. In August, we 
took another trip to Asia, visiting South Korea and Thailand and taking 
in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In November, we 
traveled to Lima, Peru, where I attended the Leaders' Meeting of the 
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. And in December, I visited Iraq and 
Afghanistan, my final trip overseas on Air Force One.

    In our final months, my Administration also continued the 
compassionate work of fighting disease and poverty throughout the world. 
In July, I signed the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act. This bill set goals of 
providing treatment for at least 3 million people effected by HIV/AIDS 
and preventing 12 million new infections worldwide. In October, we 
hosted the White House Summit on International Development, a conference 
that highlighted our revolutionary new approach to foreign assistance--
linking financial support for developing nations with tangible results 
and good governance.

    As my Administration drew to a close, America began the process of 
political renewal that accompanies the transition of presidential power. 
In November, the Nation elected Senator Barack Obama of Illinois the 
44th President of the United States. This was the first time that an 
African-American had been elected to the presidency. I marked this 
historic occasion the day after the election, saying, ``Many of our 
citizens thought they would never live to see that day. This moment is 
especially uplifting for a generation of Americans who witnessed the 
struggle for civil rights with their own eyes--and four decades later 
see a dream fulfilled.''

    As my days in office drew to a close, my Administration worked 
closely with the Obama team to ensure one of the smoothest transitions 
in presidential history. As the White House prepared for the arrival of 
a new President, I spoke to the American people from the East Room one 
final time on January 15, 2009. In my farewell address, I said 
``President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, `I like the dreams of the 
future better than the history of the past.' As I leave the house he 
occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young 
country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And 
even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon 
ahead.''

    The term of my service was eight years. But the honor of serving the 
American people will endure forever. I will spend the rest of my life 
grateful for the opportunity to have served as President of the United 
States of America.

                          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 July 1, 2008-January 20, 2009. 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 Lois Davis, Michael J. Forcina, Joseph G. Frankovic, Diane 
Hiltabidle, Alfred Jones, Joshua H. Liberatore, Heather N. McDaniel, 
Amelia E. Otovo, D. Gregory Perrin, Matthew R. Regan, 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 
Davita Vance-Cooks, Acting Public Printer.

Michael L. White
Acting 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,
                    July 1, 2008-January 20, 2009 . . . 967

                    Appendix A
                    Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 1583

                    Appendix B
                    Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 1615

                    Appendix C
                    Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 1623

                    Appendix D
                    Presidential Documents Published in the Federal 
Register . . . 1637

                    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 Treasury

                                          Henry M. Paulson, Jr....

        Secretary of Defense

                                          Robert M. Gates.........

        Attorney General

                                          Michael B. Mukasey......

        Secretary of the Interior

                                          Dirk Kempthorne.........

        Secretary of Agriculture

                                          Edward T. Schafer.......

        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

                                          Steven C. Preston.......

        Secretary of Transportation

                                          Mary E. Peters..........

        Secretary of Energy

                                          Samuel W. Bodman........

        Secretary of Education

                                          Margaret Spellings......

        Secretary of Veterans Affairs

                                          James B. Peake..........

        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

                                          James A. Nussle.........

        Director of National Drug Control

        Policy

                                          John P. Walters.........