[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 33 (Monday, August 19, 2002)]
[Pages 1336-1337]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

August 10, 2002

    Good morning. On Tuesday, I will host an economic forum at Baylor 
University, in Texas, to meet with people on the frontlines of the 
American economy. Small-business owners, working people, investors, 
corporate leaders, economists, farmers, and Government policymakers are 
coming together to discuss where our economy stands, the impact of the 
policies we have put in place, and the steps we are taking as we move 
forward.
    After a recession that was beginning as I took office, the terrorist 
attacks of September the 11th, and the corporate scandals that have 
recently come to light, the American economy faces challenges. Yet, the 
great strengths of America are more than equal to its challenges. 
American workers are productive. American entrepreneurs are visionary. 
And we are acting to reach the full potential of our economy.
    These efforts began last year with a tax cut that boosted our 
economy at just the right time and continues to put more money into the 
hands of consumers. I have just signed into law trade promotion 
authority, which I will use to open foreign markets to American goods, 
creating high-paying jobs at home. I worked with Congress to enact new 
laws designed to keep corporate executives and auditors honest and to 
punish those who are not. And we are actively investigating, arresting, 
and prosecuting corporate wrongdoers. And this week, hundreds of 
companies will submit signed statements to the SEC, either verifying 
that their financial records are accurate or letting investors know if 
there are any problems.
    Yet, there is more we must do, more to promote long-term growth and 
create jobs in our economy; more to enforce budget discipline in 
Congress, so we can focus on urgent priorities like the war on terror; 
more to guarantee pension security and improve access to affordable 
health care; more to educate every child for economic and personal 
success.
    At next week's economic forum, we will discuss all these topics. 
Economists will provide their latest ideas and analysis of the economic 
recovery. But I'm also eager to hear from Americans from all walks of 
life who are working hard to make ends meet during these uncertain 
economic times. And I expect I will get a wide variety of suggestions on 
strengthening the economy.
    Let me tell you about some of the Americans participating in this 
forum. Xavier Teixido, a restaurant owner from Delaware--he immigrated 
to this country from Paraguay when he was 2 years old and worked his way 
up in the restaurant business. He was recently elected chairman of the 
board of the National Restaurant Association. Maria

[[Page 1337]]

Sobrino is another entrepreneur who will attend the forum. In 1982, she 
brought her mother's traditional Mexican desserts to the U.S. market. 
Twenty years later, she owns a successful food production company in 
Southern California. Mr. Teixido and Mrs. Sobrino will tell us about the 
obstacles small-business owners face and offer opinions about how the 
Federal Government can help small businesses thrive and create more 
jobs.
    Robert London and Jimmie Morgan will also join us at the forum. 
Robert is a driver for UPS down in Waco and a member of the Teamsters. 
Jimmie works for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, and he has held a number of 
jobs in the company, from factory worker to management. Robert and 
Jimmie know that more trade means more jobs, and they want to be sure 
our Nation continues to open foreign markets to American goods.
    With the help of Xavier Teixido, Maria Sobrino, Robert London, 
Jimmie Morgan, and other participants, the economic forum will generate 
ideas to strengthen our economy and make workers and investors more 
secure. I look forward to participating in the discussions and sharing 
our findings with the American people.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 10 a.m. on August 9 at the Bush Ranch 
in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 10. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
August 9 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.