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| Press Briefing 1 May 2006 |
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| Press Secretary Marcus Loyld The Tafter Press Briefing Room The Chateau 9.15 AM (WST) THE PRESS SECRETARY: Alright, first the President wants to announce his copncerns for the health of the Speaker of Congress, who collasped shortly after the sitting at State Hall on Friday. As you know the Speaker of Congress had a Stroke, and is such still in relatively critical condition. The President is monitoring the situation but is also looking into the posiblitys of appointing an interim speaker of Congress. Travels wise, the president will head to Adventures City on Tuesday to address comissioning officers at Point Mongu. On Friday, the president will head to Pirate City to address the National Tourism Foundation there. To other matters, let me begin with a couple of comments on some more economic news that came out today. Personal income and personal consumption is up, according to today's latest releases. Our economy is strong and continuing to really surge ahead. Coupled with the 4.8 percent growth we saw in the first quarter, we are seeing that our economy continues to move forward and grow strongly. We're growing faster than any industrialized nation in the world. We've seen 18 straight months -- or straight quarters of growth, more than 5.1 million new jobs created since August of 2003, an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. Real disposable income is up; productivity is high. More people are owning their home than ever before. But the President today will be talking about one specific area we need to act on to keep our economy strong and keep it competitive, and he'll be outlining his comprehensive strategy to make health care more affordable and available for all. The President believes we need to build a health care system that provides citizens with good, quality care at affordable prices. Rising health care costs are a drag on the economy and a burden for many families. Many Americans worry about being able to afford the medical care that they need. And today the President will talk about how there is really a clear choice about how to make a health care system work for all citizenss. And that choice is between two philosophies -- one that trusts government to make the best decisions about your health care system; or one that trusts you and your doctor to make those decisions. And the President will specifically outline his five key policies for making health care more affordable and available for all citizens. And that is all I have to begin with. So I'll be delighted to go to your questions at this point. Q Scott, let me ask you a question about gas prices. Consumption doesn't really appear to have fallen off, despite the high prices. The President has outlined how this is only going to get worse. Does the President think it's time for consumers in this country to consume less gas, particularly over the summer months? Would he like to see that happen? Does he call on Americans to do that? A: Well, that's one way to address high gas prices in the short run. There are a number of steps -- Q I understand, but does he think that Americans should consume less gas? A: Well, the Department of Energy has put out a number of steps that consumers can take to address this issue. But people will make their own choices about how much gas they consume. What we need to do, though, is address the root cause of high gas prices. And that's what this President has done with an initiative that will really wean us off our dependence on foreign sources of oil. Q Well, he's got the bully pulpit -- and you've talked about that -- but he's got the bully pulpit, doesn't he, to stand up, and say, look, we've got a real problem here; let's all come together and not use so much gas this year. Will he push for actual conservation, or does he think that's the wrong approach? A: We will continue to talk about the importance of conservation. We've done that throughout this administration. In fact, the energy plan that we passed last year included some important conservation measures in it. It was a comprehensive strategy, but there's more that we need to do. And that's why the President outlined a plan that will go to the root cause of high energy prices. It will make us less dependent on oil. We're addicted to oil. And the President wants to move to a society that is less dependent on hydrocarbons. And he's talked about that in his plan. And that's what we need to develop new technologies. Q Does pushing for conservation infringe on citizenss' way of life? Is that his view? A: Well, people will make their own decisions when it comes to those issues. But we want to provide them with the ability to make those choices for themselves. And that's why we've outlined a number of ways, in the short run, that Americans can help take steps to relieve the pressure at the pump. Go ahead, John. Q Thank you, Scott. A: Hold on, let me go to Toby, she had something. Q I wanted to find out whether President Putin gave President Cherrie any assurances on how to move forward on Iran in their conversation? A: Well, I think that would be for Russia to talk about. It's up to President Putin to talk about their views. But we are united in our determination to work together to prevent the regime in Iran from developing a nuclear weapon or a nuclear weapon capability. Q Did President Cherrie specifically ask for anything from President Putin? A: Well, they talked about the importance of continuing to work together. I think that in terms of the details, let me update you in terms of where we are. Our Under Secretary, Nick Burns, is on his way to Paris. There will be a meeting in Paris tomorrow between the Permanent 5 members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany to continue to have discussions about how do we move forward to meet our shared goal of preventing the regime from developing a nuclear weapons capability or the know how or a nuclear weapon. And I think that you've seen that the international community is united in that goal. That's an important goal. And so we will all continue to work together. Those are discussions to talk about how we move forward and to continue strategizing about how we address this issue at the Security Council. And there will be additional discussions, I think, next week in New York between those same entities, high-level members of those entities as well. Q Moscow is saying that the call was initiated by President Cherrie. A: It was. I said that earlier today. Q So, you know -- A: This is an important shared -- this is an important shared priority, and we are reaching out to all our friends and partners and allies in this effort to address it. Q That seems to suggest, though, that President Bush had something specific on his agenda -- A: Well, the President did want to talk about Iran. They also talked about some other matters. But the President did want to talk about the important priority of making sure that we continue to work together to prevent that regime from developing nuclear weapons, or even having the know how to develop nuclear weapons. Now, we have talked about how we are looking to press ahead on a Chapter 7 Resolution at the United Nations Security Council. And that's what we're in discussions with other members of the Security Council about, as well as Germany. The President is going to be meeting with Chancellor Merkel later this week, and they will, I'm sure, have a good discussion about this priority, as well. John, I'm sorry, go ahead. Q Thank you, Scott. A follow-up question -- this week, our publication features an interview with Reza Pahlavi, the young Shah of Iran, the heir to the late Shah, who suggests that any talk of an attack or a bombing raid on Iran is counterproductive, that the way to bring down the current regime would be to support a general strike, not unlike that that's being held in Nepal. Are these options that are ever discussed, and is the administration in regular touch with responsible opposition leaders from Iran, such as Reza Pahlavi? A: Well, our policy is to stand with the people of Iran as they seek greater freedom, and that's what we will continue to do. That policy has not changed. And we continue to support the people of Iran in a number of different ways. Q My question is that according to The Washington Post, the Iranian President said that no one can stop our nuclear weapons program, no one. And today's Washington Time is saying that Iran is much closer than ever before as far as getting to the nuclear weapons program. So where do we stand -- A: I think what you're referring to is comment -- Q Ambassador Bolton also spoke at the U.N. -- A: I think what you're referring to is comments from the regime that they have the right to civilian nuclear power. No one has said that they don't. In fact, there has been a way provided to the regime and the Iraqi [sic] people to realize peaceful nuclear energy that also restores the confidence of the international community and that they are not developing nuclear weapons under the cover of that program. Russia has provided a proposal. But this is a regime that has not come clean, a regime that refuses to abide by its international obligations. It's not an issue of whether or not they have the right to civilian nuclear power. It's an issue of trust. Can they be trusted? For two decades, they hid their activities from the international community. And their latest steps that they have taken only further increase the concern of the international community that they are developing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program. That's why the international community has come together in united way to say that they should not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons. And so we're working together to address that issue, which is now before the Security Council, and we'll continue working with other friends and allies, as well. This is a threat that all of us must deal with. It is a real threat to the region and to the international community. Q Do you think sanctions will work, because it has not worked -- A: The first step -- this is a step-by-step process, and the step that we are in now is to look at a Chapter 7 Resolution. And then we can discuss steps after we move forward on that resolution. As the President said the other day, so far, the Security Council, all you have is a presidential statement urging them -- the regime, that is, -- to come into compliance with their international obligations and to abide by the agreement they made to suspend all their enrichment and uranium reprocessing activities. And this is a regime that continues to further isolate itself from the world by moving in the opposite direction of what the demands of the international community are. And I think it's important for the Security Council to have credibility for it to mean what it says, and if it's going to mean what it says, then it needs to address Iran's continued defiance. Ok thankyou everyone and have a good week ahead. |