[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 10 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Pages 389-390]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Former President George Bush and Former 
President William J. Clinton

March 8, 2005

Tsunami Relief Efforts

    President Bush. Listen, I want to thank former Presidents Clinton 
and Bush for representing our country and showing the best heart of 
America when it came to helping those who suffered from the tsunami 
natural disaster.
    The Presidents presented me with a report. This report basically 
says America cares deeply about suffering people around the world. I 
can't think of two better Ambassadors to carry our message of 
compassion. They reported that progress is being made. Nearly a billion 
dollars of private-sector money has gone to help. Our Government 
requested 950 million additional dollars to help.
    And I want to thank both leaders for really showing the world how 
much we care. I think the world is beginning to see a different 
impression of America. One of the things the Presidents reported to me 
is there was an outpouring of great kindness everywhere they went. I'm 
heartened that the good folks of Indonesia, for example, see a different 
America now when they think about our country. They see a country which 
of course will defend our security but a country which also cares deeply 
about suffering people, regardless of their religion, that when we find 
a Muslim child suffering, we weep just as equally as when we find 
another child that suffers.
    And so I want to thank you all for doing the best. I'd like to ask 
both Presidents to maybe say a comment. They'll be willing to take 
questions after this in the Roosevelt Room.
    Former President Bush. My comment is President Clinton was a joy to 
work with. I was pleased that the President asked me to be a part of 
this. And the only other thing I'd say is that when you see the children 
out there, you count your own blessings, because the devastation was 
real and the generosity of the American people will go a long way to 
making things better in all the four countries we visited.
    Former President Clinton. I'd like to thank the President for giving 
me a chance to work with former President Bush. We had a very good 
experience, I think, on this trip and before and after raising funds. 
We're going down to Florida to raise some more money tomorrow.
    The report basically says that these people have done an 
unbelievable job dealing with their losses and cleaning up but that 
there's a lot of work yet to be done, particularly in the hardest hit 
countries, to restore them to normal life, and that we want America and 
the world to be a part of this all the way through to the end.
    They are very grateful for what the American military did, for what 
USAID did, for what these hundreds of nongovernmental organizations have 
done. But there's a lot of work left to be done, and we want to see it 
through to the end.
    President Bush. By the way, let me--one other point. President 
Clinton and President Bush are going to play golf tomorrow to raise 
money for the tsunami victims--which goes to show how sick he is. 
[Laughter]
    Former President Clinton. We are. [Laughter]
    President Bush. Thank you all.

[[Page 390]]

Note: The President spoke at 1:45 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House.