President Bush Nominates Alphonso Jackson as new HUD Secretary
Remarks by the President and HUD Deputy Secretary Jackson in Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Announcement
Roosevelt Room
2:40 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I am pleased to announce that I
will nominate Alphonso Jackson, of Dallas, Texas, to serve as Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development. (Applause.)
Since 2001, Alphonso Jackson has given fine service as Deputy
Secretary of the Department, responsible for many of the day-to-day
operations of HUD. In his career, Alphonso has been a senior
administrator of housing agencies in three cities: St. Louis and
Washington and Dallas. He's an experienced executive in the public and
private sectors, a man who knows the issues facing HUD and knows how to
get things done.
I can tell you from personal experience that Alphonso is a man of
great integrity and compassion. We used to live in the same
neighborhood in Dallas. (Laughter.) I used to drop by for an
occasional cup of coffee -- sometimes unannounced. (Laughter.) I'm
pleased that he has agreed to join my Cabinet.
I'm also grateful to former Secretary Martinez, Mel Martinez, for
his outstanding leadership of HUD over the past three years.
(Applause.) These have been years of important progress for the
Department, for its mission and for the families across America that
benefit from its good work. Over the last three years, home ownership
in America has reached its highest level ever, and, in the last 18
months, more than a million minority citizens have become home owners.
As leader of HUD, Mel has repaid my confidence many times over. He
is a good man and a good friend and I thank him for his service to our
nation and I wish Mel and Kitty all the very best. (Applause.)
With the Senate's approval, Mel Martinez will be succeeded by
another man who understands the struggles and hopes of urban America.
Alphonso Jackson grew up in a family with 12 children, a housing
challenge unto itself. (Laughter.)
His dad, Arthur, worked three jobs, educated his children, and
instilled the values that have carried his son far in life. These
values and experiences have also shaped the priorities Alphonso brings
to his new assignment. He believes, as I do, that home ownership is a
source of stability for our communities and a source of dignity for our
families.
He believes our government can provide effective help to our fellow
citizens who are homeless, and he has seen how entire neighborhoods can
turn themselves around with strong local leadership and the help of our
federal government. Alphonso is just the man to carry on the work of
compassionate conservatism in America's cities. Laura and I have known
Alphonso and Marcia for many years, they're close friends -- and I
appreciate you coming, Marcia. I also want to welcome the other
members of your family who are here.
Alphonso is a friend and he's one of the most experienced and
respected authorities on housing policy in America. He will be a
superb Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I want to thank you
for accepting this assignment and congratulate you, my friend.
(Applause.)
DEPUTY SECRETARY JACKSON: Thank you, Mr. President. This is the
highest honor, I think, that can be bestowed on an individual, is to be
asked to serve your country. This would be reason enough to be
grateful for this wonderful opportunity, but this occasion is
especially meaningful to me, because I am being asked to take the
leadership of HUD by a man who is such a great friend and a man who I
hold in high personal and professional regards.
Mr. President, I am humbled by the faith you have placed in me and
I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my service to the
Department in which I have such pride and such high expectations.
Our work at HUD defines the compassionate conservatism the
President talks about often. HUD's mission calls on us to provide new
opportunities and new tools to every American who seeks a better
quality of life. And with our help and encouragement, many families
can lift themselves toward prosperity.
I understand that journey in a very personal way. As the President
said, I came from humble means, the last of 12 kids. My father, Arthur
Jackson, juggled three jobs to keep food on the table. And even though
he was not a high school graduate, he still managed to educate all of
his children. Along with education, my mother and my father instilled
in me early an important -- the importance of giving back. Today, I
have been blessed with an opportunity to give back in a way I could
never have imagined.
I am proud to have served under Mel Martinez as the Deputy
Secretary during the three years of unprecedented strength in the
housing industry. HUD today stands strong and better able to serve
American people than ever before. In the months and years ahead, I
ensure you, we continue the important work of the President; we will
guide more families toward home ownership, financial security,
stability, and the stability that it provides. We will bring new hope
to urban communities through revitalization issues -- initiatives, in
conjunction with cities and states.
Mr. President, you have set an ambitious goal for HUD and one I
look forward to carrying out on behalf of millions of Americans who
look to us in the time of need.
Thank you again for placing your trust in me. I will do my utmost
to serve you, the American people, with distinction. Thank you very
much. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: I thought I would answer a couple of questions.
Jennifer.
Q Yes, sir, thank you. With the Pentagon looking into the
Halliburton contract, are you concerned that that gives some fuel to
your critics that the contract was inappropriate in the first place?
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate the Pentagon looking out after the
taxpayers' money. They felt like there was an overcharge issue. They
put the issue right out there on the table for everybody to see, and
they're doing good work. We're going to watch, we're going to make
sure that as we spend the money in Iraq that it's spent well and spent
wisely. And their investigation will lay the facts out for everybody
to see. And if there's an overcharge, like we think there is, we
expect that money to be repaid.
Randy.
Q Mr. President, Secretary Powell has been meeting with
unofficial Middle East peace negotiators, despite Israel's objections.
And there's other signs of U.S. dissatisfaction with Israel. My
question is, what does Israel need to do to convince you that it's
doing its part in the peace process?
THE PRESIDENT: Randy, you may remember I gave the speech on June
24, 2002. I laid out exactly what I think must happen in order for us
to achieve peace in the Middle East, in order for a Palestinian state
to emerge that is at peace with Israel. And I haven't changed my
opinion. Step one is for all parties to fight off terror, to stop the
few from destroying the hopes of the many. Step two is for the
Palestinians to find leadership that is willing to reject the tired old
policy of the past and lead the Palestinian people to not only a
democratic state, but a peaceful solution of differences.
Israel must be mindful that the decisions they make today will make
it difficult to create -- must be mindful that they don't make
decisions that make it hard to create a Palestinian state. It's in
Israel's interests there be a Palestinian state. It's in the poor,
suffering Palestinian people's interest there be a Palestinian state.
The Arab world has got responsibilities to see that this vision be
implemented.
Q But why these contacts with the unofficial negotiators?
THE PRESIDENT: I'm sure the Secretary of State meets with all
kinds of people all the time. But the policy of this administration
was laid out in the Rose Garden for everybody to see, everybody to
listen to.
You might remember I took that policy to Aqaba, Jordan. I stood
up in front of the world and said this man has -- Abu Mazen -- he came
to the Oval Office and said, I'm willing to join you, Mr. President, to
help fight off terror. Because he understood that terror was what was
preventing progress from being made. He said, I'm willing to work to
put the institutions in place for a Palestinian state. And as we began
to make progress, he got shoved aside. And that's why we're stalled
where we are today.
It is time for a Palestinian leadership to emerge that believes in
peace and believes in the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
April, I see you've got something that you'd like to ask. First,
let me ask you a question. As you're heading into -- my turn to ask
you a question. (Laughter.) So this is your first Christmas season as
a mom.
Q Second, actually; 18 months.
THE PRESIDENT: Exactly right. (Laughter.) Good answer. I was
just trying to check and see if you knew -- if you and I both knew how
old your child was. (Laughter.) Do you have a question to the
President?
Q Yes, I do, sir. Mr. President --
THE PRESIDENT: Do you remember what it is? (Laughter.)
Q You can throw a person, you know that. (Laughter.) Mr.
President, many of your critics are saying that you should distance
yourself from Halliburton, and they say it's an albatross around this
administration's neck, particularly the Vice President and you. What
are your thoughts about that?
THE PRESIDENT: My thoughts are, is that I expect anybody doing
business with the United States government to be transparent and to
give the taxpayers a good return on their money. That's what I
expect. And if anybody is overcharging the government, we expect them
to repay that money.
Wendell.
Q Mr. President, in light of the New York Times editorial
today, tell me why --
THE PRESIDENT: Let me stop you, Wendell. I don't read those
editorials -- (laughter) -- so you're going to have to -- maybe you
ought to ask the question not in that context, but in another context.
Q All right, sir. Tell me why former Secretary of State
Baker's ties with Carlisle Group and with Baker Botts don't pose a
conflict of interest in this new task you have given him of
restructuring Iraq's debt?
THE PRESIDENT: Jim Baker is a man of high integrity. He's a man
of enormous experience. And it makes sense for him to serve our
country on an important mission. And that mission is to encourage
countries to forgive debt so the Iraqi people can more easily grow a
nation that is prosperous and peaceful.
Jim Baker is -- we're fortunate to have Jim Baker agree to serve
our country. We're fortunate he decided to take time out of what is an
active life, but one out of the press, and one that's probably not
nearly as stressful as it has been when he's been involved in public
service, to step forward and serve America. We're fortunate that he is
willing to do that, and I thank him for that.
And I'm really happy that he has agreed to serve. His mission is
to go to Paris and Berlin and Moscow and London to convince these
countries to forgive debt. And I'm hopeful they do forgive debt. I'm
hopeful that they're willing, in some cases, to contribute for the
first time to the efforts of the Iraqi citizens. See, it's in the
interest of their countries that Iraq be free and peaceful. Matter of
fact, it's in the interest of all countries that Iraq be peaceful and
free. It makes us all more secure. Imagine what the effect is going to
have -- a peaceful and free Iraq is going to have in the heart of the
Middle East, where there's so much violence and hatred.
And so Jim Baker is on a noble mission. He'll do a great job. I
didn't mean to dis the New York Times editorial page, but I just didn't
-- I'm not reading it a lot these days. (Laughter.)
Yes, sir.
Q Mr. President --
THE PRESIDENT: Or anybody else's, for that matter.
Q I have no ties with the New York Times. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: You didn't mean to dis it either, then.
(Laughter.)
Q Mr. President, the dollar fell again today, against the
euro. Mr. Snow, your Treasury Secretary says that the decline has been
orderly, boosting exports. Do you plan any intervention to stop the
slide in the dollar?
THE PRESIDENT: My answer to that question about the dollar is that
this government is for a strong dollar, and that the dollar's value
ought to be set by the market and by the conditions inherent in our
respective economies. And our economy is very strong and is getting
stronger. But the policy, the stated policy -- and not only the stated
policy, but the strong belief of this administration is that we have a
strong dollar.
Well, listen, thank you all. Alphonso, congratulations.
DEPUTY SECRETARY JACKSON: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate you coming. (Applause.)