For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 13, 2004
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Scott Mcclellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Portland, Oregon
9:58 P.M. PDT
MR. McCLELLAN: All right, good morning. Let me go through the
President's day. As usual, he had his morning briefings. Secretary
Ridge, during the briefings, also updated the President on Hurricane
Charley, and talked about how we have deployed federal resources and
put them in place to be in position to respond to Hurricane Charley
when it hits Florida. We've got disaster supply kits in place. We've
got response teams in place. So the President received an update about
all that we're doing at the federal level to respond to Hurricane
Charley.
Following the briefings, the President taped his radio address.
It'll be on the Olympics, a message to our Olympians. I expect he'll
talk about how proud we all are of all our athletes who are competing
in Greece. I expect he will also touch on the Iraqi soccer team's
victory over Portugal the other day.
When we arrive in Portland, the Freedom Corps greeter is Chris
Dudley, who started the Dudley Foundation in 1994, to help children
succeed, regardless of their economic, education and health
liabilities. And one of the foundation's key projects in the creation
of the first basketball camp for boys and girls with diabetes.
And then from there, the President will go to the Port of Portland,
where he will announce his proposal to deepen the Columbia River
Channel. This will deepen a 104-mile section of the Columbia River
Channel from the mouth of the river on the Pacific to Portland, Oregon
and Vancouver, Washington. We'll have a fact sheet on this, so we'll
get you the information -- we should have that on the ground when we
arrive, we don't have the final version on the plane right now. But
he'll talk about how this is important to expanding economic
opportunity and important to the conservation of the environment there
along the Columbia River Basin. He'll talk about how this will help
expand export opportunities for farmers and manufacturers in the area,
as well.
Then following that, the President will depart for Seattle, where
-- no, I'm sorry, the President will depart for Beaverton, where he
will participate in an "Ask President Bush." And, again, I think this
will focus a lot on small business and supporting small business. And
there will be -- some of the conversation participants will include
small business owners.
And from there we go to Seattle, where the Freedom Corps greeter
upon arrival is Jeanne Robertson, who has joined the Lunch Buddy
Mentoring program, and participated in that for the last 12 years.
And in 2004, she was named the Outstanding Member of the Year in King
Country. This is a volunteer program with the school district in --
the Washington School District -- the Lake Washington School District.
And then from there, the President will go to the Boeing Delivery
Center, where he'll meet with some Boeing workers. And then following
that he's going to make some brief remarks to the pool. And then from
there --
Q Topic?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he'll obviously visit with the Boeing workers
and talk about the important work that they're doing for keeping our
manufacturing sector competitive. I expect he might touch on the
importance of making sure we have a level playing field for
manufacturers to compete on. And he might touch some on some of what
we're doing to address the European subsidies, as well.
Q Is this an opportunity where he will make remarks and perhaps
take questions?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he'll make remarks and you'll be there to
cover it. You'll see.
Q After the "Ask President Bush" event, you said?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, this is at the Boeing facility. This is in
Seattle.
And then this evening he has a Victory 2004 dinner, where he'll
make remarks. That's at a private residence, that's why it's closed.
And we overnight in Redmond. And that's what I've got.
Q Scott, there are figures out from the CBO that say that
one-third of the benefits of the tax cuts are going to the top 1
percent. And I'm wondering, what does the President think about this
and what does it say about the argument that he makes, that the tax
cuts are benefiting everyone?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, they are. The largest percentage reductions
are going to those in the middle and lower income tax brackets.
Q But in dollar figures the difference is quite --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, they pay more at the higher income levels.
But the largest percentage reductions are going to those in the middle
and lower income brackets. This President acted to get our economy
growing by reducing taxes on all those who pay federal income taxes.
And our economy is moving in the right direction because of the action
that we took. And at the same time, those in the higher income --
those higher income Americans are paying a greater share of the federal
income tax burden because of the actions that we took.
Q Can you just expand a little bit on this channel? You said
this will be his -- you used the word "proposal" to deepen --
MR. McCLELLAN: He's going to be talking about a budget amendment
that we're going to be adding to the fiscal year`2005 budget to get
this program -- to get this proposal underway.
Q Fifteen million, I've read?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, that's correct. It will all be in the fact
sheet.
Q Scott, the Democrats are circulating a memo that says that
there were some reports that people had to serve as volunteers to the
campaign to get into the Bush event today, and that these Bush events
are very exclusive, while Kerry's are open to the public up there. Do
you think that's a fair comparison?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me defer to the campaign, because I don't
know the specifics about the people that are participating in these
events. We'll have a campaign person on the ground for you, to talk
more about that.
Q There's one on the plane, I think.
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. He'll be able to talk to you on the ground.
We're landing here momentarily.
Q I assume you'll do a week ahead?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I've got the week ahead. Do you want it now?
Q I don't want to step on my colleagues, but I'm ready for it.
MR. McCLELLAN: Let's see. Monday, we already announced the
Cincinnati remarks and then the Michigan rally. On Tuesday, the 17th,
the President will make remarks in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. And then
he will make remarks at a Hedgesville, West Virginia rally. Then on
Wednesday, the 18th, he will participate in a bus tour in Wisconsin,
where he'll make remarks at a Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin event. Then
he'll participate in an "Ask President Bush" event in St. Croix,
Wisconsin, and then he will make remarks at a St. Paul-Minneapolis,
Minnesota rally.
And then we go to the President's ranch, where we will be from
Thursday the 19th -- well, we overnight that night, and then we'll be
there Thursday the 19th through Wednesday the 25th. And then on
Monday, August 23rd, the President will meet with the Secretary of
Defense and I think it includes the Joint Chiefs, or at least Chairman
Myers, I believe. This will continue to talk about the transformation
efforts. This is something he's done every year, you all will recall.
Q Is there any travel between --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- you'll see some coverage of that.
Q Travel -- first of all, 25th, not 26th, departing the ranch?
MR. McCLELLAN: I have Wednesday, the 25th.
Q Travel in there?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I expect he will be in Crawford during that
time period.
Q Not even day trips?
MR. McCLELLAN: I do not expect any.
Q Is that because you don't want to compete with the Olympics,
or is this a last vacation?
MR. McCLELLAN: Probably a number of reasons, but the President
will be spending that time tending to official business. I expect
he'll also be using some of that time to work on his convention
remarks. I also expect he'll be watching our athletes competing in the
final period of the Olympics during that time period, as well.
Q Has he had anything to say about the governor of New Jersey
situation?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think he views that as a matter between the
governor and the people of New Jersey.
Q Has he been at all in contact with the Republican Party in
New Jersey since this happened?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think so, no. I mean, the President
hasn't.
Anything else? Thank you.
END 10:07 A.M. PDT
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