[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 19 (Monday, May 12, 2003)]
[Pages 549-550]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld 
and an Exchange With Reporters

May 6, 2003

Appointment of L. Paul Bremer III as Presidential Envoy to Iraq

    The President. Today it's my honor to announce that Jerry Bremer has 
agreed to become the Presidential Envoy to Iraq. In selecting Jerry 
Bremer, our country will be sending one of our best citizens. He's a man 
of enormous experience, a person who knows how to get things done. He's 
a can-do type person. He shares the same values as the American--most 
Americans share, and that is our deep desire to have an orderly country 
in Iraq that is free and at peace, where the

[[Page 550]]

average citizen has a chance to achieve his or her dreams.
    The Ambassador goes with the full blessings of this administration 
and the full confidence of all of us in this administration that he can 
get the job done.
    So, Mr. Ambassador, thanks for taking this on. I'm proud of you, and 
I appreciate so very much you're willing to sacrifice not only on behalf 
of our country but on behalf of the people of Iraq who deserve a free 
and democratic society. Good luck to you.
    Ambassador Bremer. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. I'll answer some questions.
    Yes.

Resignation of OMB Director Mitch Daniels

    Q. Mr. President, how did Mitch Daniels explain his resignation 
today? And does that departure affect your prospects for a tax package 
on the Hill?
    The President. Mitch told me that he wants to go back home to the 
State of Indiana and perhaps pursue a run for political office. I told 
him, I said, ``Mitch, we're going to miss you a lot in this 
administration.'' He has served us well. He has been a really good 
watchdog of the taxpayers' money. And you know, I'm going to miss him. 
On the other hand, this administration's loss is the gain of the people 
of Indiana.
    And we're going to get a tax package through because it's the right 
thing to do, and I hope Congress acts decisively and boldly. I put up a 
package that will increase the number of new jobs by a million folks at 
the end of 2004. And I expect them to understand, there's a lot of 
people looking for work, and the burden is on them right now. And we're 
going to send a lot of people up there from around the country, and 
we'll be sending our own folks here in the administration to work with 
Members of the Congress to remind them that the size of the tax package 
will depend on them, and the bigger the package, the more likely it is 
that people are going to find a job here.
    Randy [Randall Mikkelsen, Reuters].
    Q. Mr. President, following up briefly on Scott's [Scott Lindlaw, 
Associated Press] question, will fiscal discipline be as high on the 
qualification list for Mitch Daniels' successor as it was when he 
entered office?
    The President. First of all, fiscal discipline was high on my 
agenda. And therefore, anybody that works for me will place a premium on 
fiscal discipline. It turns out that the--that appropriators love to 
appropriate here in Washington. Given a pot of money, they will 
appropriate it, unless there's an administration willing to fight on 
behalf of the taxpayers. This administration is willing to fight on 
behalf of the taxpayers. We will insist upon fiscal discipline here in 
Washington, DC.
    Angle [Jim Angle, FOX News].

Iraqi Weapons Lab

    Q. Mr. President, Defense officials are now saying they are 
confident they have found a mobile biological lab, exactly what 
Secretary Powell described before the United Nations. Are you aware of 
the details? What can you tell us about that? And has Secretary Rumsfeld 
given you any details?
    The President. I'm not surprised if we begin to uncover the weapons 
program of Saddam Hussein because he had a weapons program. I will leave 
the details of your question to the experts, but one thing we know is 
that he had a weapons program. We also know he spent years trying to 
hide the weapons program. And over time, the truth will come out and the 
American people will see that when we rid Saddam Hussein from--got him 
out of power, we made America more secure.

Note: The President spoke at 1:19 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of these remarks.