[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 32 (Monday, August 13, 2007)]
[Page 1047]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Tour of the Interstate 35W Bridge Damage in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota

August 4, 2007

    On behalf of the citizens of America, I bring prayers from the 
American people to those who suffered loss of life as a result of the 
collapse of the 35W bridge here in the Twin Cities. I bring the prayers 
of those who wonder about whether they'll ever see a loved one again.
    First, I want to thank the Governor and the mayor and the Senators, 
Members of the Congress for working in a coordinated way to respond to 
this tragedy. I have met with the chief of police and the sheriff, 
rescue workers, people who represent men and women who are working as 
hard as they possibly can to save life and to find life, to go under 
these murky waters to find the facts.
    And it's going to take a while, but I have been impressed by not 
only their determination but have been impressed by their compassion. I 
have met people that were on the bridge--I met a man who was on the 
bridge when it collapsed. His instinct was to run to a schoolbus of 
screaming children and to help bring them to safety.
    We have an amazing country, where people's instinct, first instinct, 
is to help save life. There's--a lot of people's first instincts here in 
the Twin Cities was to save the lives of somebody who was hurting. And I 
know the people of this community thank their fellow citizens who did 
that.
    I'm here with the Secretary of Transportation because our message to 
the Twin Cities is, we want to get this bridge rebuilt as quick as 
possible; that we understand this is a main artery of life here; that 
people count on this bridge and this highway system to get to work. 
There's a lot of paperwork involved with government. One of our jobs is 
to work with the Governor and the mayor and the Senators and the Members 
of the Congress to cut through that paperwork and to see if we can't get 
this bridge rebuilt in a way that not only expedites the flow of traffic 
but in a way that can stand the test of time.
    I make no promises on a timetable. I do promise that Mary Peters, 
the Secretary of Transportation, is going to be in charge of this 
project. I do promise she's going to listen to the local authorities to 
find out what the folks here need. I do promise that when she sees 
roadblocks and hurdles in the way of getting the job done, she'll do 
everything she can to eliminate them.
    Out of these tragedies can come a better life. And I, having visited 
with the people here, believe that not only are they committed to a 
better life, not only are they committed to turning something ugly into 
something good, but it's going to happen.
    So I'm proud to be with you. Thank you for your leadership. God 
bless the people of this part of the world. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 10:40 a.m. at the Lower Street Anthony 
Falls Lock and Dam, St. Paul District. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, MN; 
Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Timothy Dolan, 
chief, Minneapolis Police Department, MN; Richard W. Stanek, sheriff, 
Hennepin County, MN; and Gary Babineau, a truckdriver from Blaine, MN, 
who helped rescue schoolchildren trapped by the bridge collapse.