[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.