    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 32 (Monday, August 12, 2002)]
    [Pages 1301-1302]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's Radio Address

    August 3, 2002

        Good morning. We've had a month of accomplishment in Washington.
    Congress acted on several important proposals to strengthen our national
    security and our homeland security and our economic security.
    Republicans and Democrats worked in a spirit of unity and purpose that I
    hope to see more of in the fall.
        I requested more money for our military and for our homeland
    security, and Congress provided crucial funding to continue military
    operations, to train and equip medics, police officers, and firefighters
    around America, and to support the Coast Guard operations that protect
    our ports and coasts.
        I proposed tough new standards for corporate executives and
    accountants and increased penalties for fraud and abuse. Congress
    responded with strong corporate accountability reforms, which I signed
    into law on Tuesday. And we are rigorously enforcing the laws against
    corporate crimes with new arrests just this week.
        For nearly a year and a half, I've been pressing Congress for trade
    promotion authority so I can aggressively push for open trade with other
    nations. This week, the Senate followed the lead of the House by giving
    me that authority, which I will sign into law next week. Expanded trade
    will mean more business for America's farmers and ranchers and
    manufacturers, better buys for American consumers, and good jobs for
    America's workers.
        Together, we made significant progress on national priorities. Yet,
    when Congress returns from its summer recess, important work remains. In
    March, I urged Congress in a time of war to pass the defense budget
    first. After 4 months, the House and the Senate have acted on their own
    bills--but they have not sent me a final bill that works out their
    differences. When the Congress returns in September, its first priority
    should be to complete the defense budget so our military can plan for
    and pay for the war on terror and all the missions that lie ahead.
        The Senate should also act quickly to pass a bill authorizing the
    new Department of Homeland Security, which it failed to do before the
    recess. This Department will consolidate dozens of Federal agencies
    charged with protecting our homeland, giving them one main focus:
    protecting the American people. And when we create this Department, the
    new Secretary of Homeland Security will need the freedom and flexibility
    to respond to threats by getting the right people into the right jobs at
    the right time, without a lot of bureaucratic hurdles. The Senate must
    understand that the protection of our homeland is much more important
    than the narrow politics of special interests.
        Congress should also act to strengthen the economic security of all
    Americans. The Senate must pass reforms to protect workers' savings and
    investments and reform Medicare to include prescription drug benefits.
    Both Houses must reach a consensus on final terrorism insurance
    legislation to spur building projects and create construction jobs. And
    they must agree on a comprehensive energy bill that will increase
    production and promote conservation and reduce our dependence on foreign
    energy sources.
        And as we work to strengthen America's economy, we must remember
    Americans who are struggling. The Senate should follow the House's lead
    and pass welfare reform that encourages work and promotes strong
    families. And they should pass legislation to promote the vital work of
    private and religious charities and helping disadvantaged children and
    people struggling with addiction, the homeless and many others.
        I know, in the fall of an election year, the tendency is to focus
    more on scoring political points than on making progress. I hope the
    Congress will reject this approach. In the last

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    month we've proven how much we can get done when everyone in Washington
    works together on behalf of the American people. Come September, I look
    forward to working with the Republicans and Democrats to build on that
    progress.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 10:04 a.m. on August 2 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 3. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 2 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.