For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 6, 2004
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Poplar Bluff, Missouri
4:45 P.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, let me give you a couple of updates on the
President's day. This morning the President called Prime Minister
Gross, of the Czech Republic, to congratulate him on assuming his new
position. The President said he looks forward to working with him in
his new position and meeting with him in the future. The President
thanked the Prime Minister -- well, first, the two leaders talked about
the importance of working together to defeat the ideologies of hatred
in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. And the President thanked the
Prime Minister for the strong support shown by the Czech Republic to
help the Iraqi people build a free and peaceful future.
Following the phone call, the President had his usual briefings.
He also has continued to receive updates on Hurricane Frances and our
response efforts there, as well as updates on Hurricane Ivan. Then, as
you are aware, he went mountain bike riding.
And a short time ago on the plane, the President signed a letter to
Speaker Hastert, this is for the emergency supplemental request we are
sending to Congress. This is a request of Congress to immediately
consider and pass a supplemental emergency request of approximately $2
billion for urgent needs associated with Hurricanes Charley and Frances
in Florida and other affected areas. We previously announced that we
would be doing this, and now the President is sending that to Speaker
Hastert. This will enable FEMA to continue their response and recovery
efforts uninterrupted, and enable FEMA to respond to additional
disasters that may occur. We also anticipate making an additional
request in the coming days, as well.
Q Additional --
MR. McCLELLAN: Additional funding requests in the coming days,
related to the hurricanes.
And, let's see, the President has got his rally tonight in Poplar
Bluff, Missouri. And that's what I've got on his day.
Q Can I ask about the -- you had said $2 million before, after
Charley. Is there going to be additional money for Frances?
MR. McCLELLAN: Approximately $2 billion. Yes, we are -- yes,
that's why I said that we do -- he says this in the letter, we do
anticipate making an additional request in the coming days, as well.
But this is an emergency request asking Congress to move quickly to
pass this so that the response and recovery efforts proceed
uninterrupted.
Q So it's both for Charley and Frances, this money here?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. Yes, it will be used for both. I mean,
obviously, the response teams continue to respond to both these
disasters.
Q Can you give us a sense of how much over $2 billion it might
go, once you put in this additional request?
MR. McCLELLAN: No. like I said, we'll do that in the coming
days.
Q So what's the --
MR. McCLELLAN: We'll have a more comprehensive assessment of
needs.
Q The additional money would be also for Charley and Frances
recovery?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, it will be related to these disasters. The
immediate request is to make sure that the response and recovery
efforts continue uninterrupted.
Q Can you give us a little preview about tomorrow?
MR. McCLELLAN: Sorry?
Q Can you preview tomorrow?
MR. McCLELLAN: He's going to continue to campaign in Missouri
tomorrow. I mean, no, there's not much else to preview right now. We
can do that in the morning, probably.
Q Why those specific stops, though, Scott? Why those specific
stops tomorrow?
MR. McCLELLAN: In Missouri?
Q Yes.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well -- and the campaign might be able to talk to
you more about why they scheduled these specific stops -- but,
obviously, Missouri is a competitive state and the President is
campaigning there because he wants to carry Missouri in November, and
we expect we will.
Q Will he talk about the job numbers in Missouri?
MR. McCLELLAN: He's going to continue to talk about the economy
and the sustained job growth that we're seeing because of the policies
that we've taken. I think if you look at the unemployment rate, you
know, now down to 5.4 percent, that shows that the economy is
continuing to move in the right direction and move forward. We've
seen some 1.7 million jobs created over the last year, and the
President will continue to talk about the importance of making sure
that America is the best place in the world to do business.
Obviously, there are some places where people are still hurting and
looking for work, and the President wants to continue to build upon the
policies that we have implemented so that everybody who is looking for
a job can find work.
Q Is a flat tax one of the options that you guys are
considering for the tax reform that Bush is going to be talking about?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, actually, as you heard from the campaign, the
President will be talking more about the tax code today and the
importance of making it simpler and fairer. We have already taken
steps to do so through the actions -- through the initiatives that we
previously passed. We eliminated the death tax, gets rid of some 90
pages in the tax code, right there. By passing the tax cuts, we made
the federal income tax burden more fair. And if you look back at the
fact sheet that we put out to go along with the President's convention
speech, there will be a bipartisan panel appointed by the President to
look at all the options and make recommendations to the Treasury
Secretary. We want to make sure -- the goal is a simpler and fairer
system, and the President will request that those options be revenue
neutral that we pursue. But you've heard him address those questions,
and so we should look at all the options that will make the tax code
simpler and fairer, and make it less complicated.
Q Last year -- last year on Labor Day, he announced the
manufacturing czar position. Is he going to do anything similar
today?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he's talking about tax reform today and the
importance of reforming the tax code and making it simpler. That's
what he's talking -- that's one of the things that he will focus on in
his remarks.
Q What ever happened to the manufacturing czar, though? Was
that -- was he able to help nurture manufacturing jobs?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you've seen manufacturing activity
has been on the increase. You're seeing jobs created in the
manufacturing sector now for the last several months. The economic
recovery that is underway has been broad-based and we're seeing job
growth across the economy.
Q Was the President invited by the people of Poplar to come?
MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, yes, he was. I guess that's how it
initially started. There was a petition drive -- and the campaign
might be able to talk to you a little bit more about the specifics of
it -- by a couple of residents in Poplar Bluff. And so the President
is pleased that he's able to go there today and talk to them about his
agenda for the future and the clear choices that we face in this
election.
Q Why only one stop today?
MR. McCLELLAN: Why only one stop today? Well, I mean, he's been
tending to other business. You might ask the campaign -- I don't know
if there's any other reason. He's going to be campaigning throughout
the day tomorrow.
Q I know you talked about the national job figures, but in
light of the fact that, unlike other states where you've had job
growth, net growth, in Missouri there's job losses for the last month.
Is he specifically going to talk about the needs of Missouri and how to
change the economic conditions?
MR. McCLELLAN: You'll be there to hear his remarks, Suzanne, today
and tomorrow. As I said, he -- there is more to do to keep our economy
growing and moving in the right direction. Like I said, we're seeing
sustained job growth over the last year. The policies that the
President has implemented are working, and he will continue to talk
about the importance of making sure that everyone who is looking for
work can find a job. But you'll be there to cover his remarks today
and tomorrow.
Q I was just wondering about Wednesday and Thursday. It's
still TBD on the schedule, TBA. Is there any update on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: We are planning to go to Florida on Wednesday.
Q Wednesday?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. They're still working on the details on
that.
Q Will he go directly from Missouri, or will we go back to
D.C.?
MR. McCLELLAN: I suspect we'll be back -- we'll be back in D.C.
tomorrow night, and we would leave from D.C. But we're still working
on -- we're still working on all the details and finalizing the
schedule.
Q The trip will come back to Washington afterwards?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes.
Q Later in the week, Scott? TBD the rest of the week?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll get you Thursday's schedule as it's
finalized.
Q Is there travel on Thursday?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, we are traveling Thursday.
Q Also, about a year ago --
MR. McCLELLAN: We should be getting out the rest of the schedule
for Thursday soon.
Q It was last Labor Day also when the administration started
pushing China to revalue its currency, and Bush, in speeches on -- I
think it was Saturday and Sunday -- mentioned China by name. Why are
you pushing China again? Are you satisfied with the actions they've
taken in the last year since the President started pushing on this
issue?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there's more to do. We've seen some steps
taken by China, but the President wants to make sure that we have free
trade with a level playing field. So you've heard him talk about the
importance of free and fair trade, and he will continue to talk about
the importance of free trade to creating jobs here at home. Because
when you open up markets abroad, it creates -- it helps create jobs
here at home. We believe American workers can compete with anyone in
the world, and it's important that there be a level playing field. And
we've urged China to take a number of steps, and they have taken --
they have taken some steps. There's more we'd like to see them do.
Anything else? Thank you.
END 4:57 P.M. EDT
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