Presidential News and Speeches

Watch Thursday's Press Briefing with White House Press Secretary Dana Perino.

President Bush on Wednesday said, "John showed incredible courage and strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment. And that's exactly what we need in a President: somebody that can handle the tough decisions; somebody who won't flinch in the face of danger."

President George W. Bush today announced his nomination of five individuals to serve in his Administration: James B. Cunningham, Neil Suryakant Patel, Alexander Passantino, Donald G. Teitelbaum, and Frank Urbancic, Jr.

Nominations sent to the Senate: James B. Cunningham, Kerry Kennedy, Ikram U. Khan, Stephen D. Krasner, Alexander Passantino, Neil Suryakant Patel, Donald Gene Teitelbaum, Frank Charles Urbancic, Jr., and J. Robinson West.

President Bush on Wednesday said, "...[L]et me start first by telling you that America has got to change its habits. We've got to get off oil. And the reason why is, first, oil is -- dependency on oil presents a real challenge to our economy. As economies grow -- and we want all our economies to grow; we want people to be prosperous, we want people who are living in poverty to be able to grow out of poverty. We want there to be general prosperity, but as economies grow, until we change our habits, there is going to be more dependency on oil."

The crisis constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved. These actions and policies pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue this national emergency and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat.

Because the actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003, and the measures adopted on that date and on November 22, 2005, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2008. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions.

President Bush on Tuesday said, "Your Majesty, I value your friendship and I value your leadership. And I appreciate you coming back. America has got no stronger friend in the Middle East than Jordan. And we appreciate the -- we appreciate your firmness when it comes to dealing with terror and extremism. We appreciate the heart when it comes to people -- your heart when it comes to people who suffer."

President Bush on Tuesday said, "The President told me that the people across the region are watching to see what the United States will do. So Republicans and Democrats in Congress need to come together and approve this agreement. By acting at this critical moment, we can show the Colombian people and millions across the region that they can count on America to keep its word, and that freedom is the surest path to prosperity and peace."

President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Rudd of Australia to the White House on March 28, 2008. The President welcomes the opportunity for productive exchanges with the Prime Minister on ways to further advance the close bilateral cooperation with Australia in a broad range of areas, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, climate change, and regional economic integration. The U.S.-Australia Alliance is grounded firmly in shared values of freedom, security, and prosperity, and the President looks forward to discussions with Prime Minister Rudd on ways to further enhance our strong partnership in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate five individuals, appoint two individuals, and designate one individual to serve in his Administration.

President Bush on Monday said, "The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor a President can bestow, and I'm honored recipients of the Medal of Honor have joined us. Thank you for coming. During my time in office, I've had the privilege of performing this duty on nine separate occasions. Every ceremony has been inspiring. Many have been joyful. Some have been poignant. But I'm not sure I can remember many ceremonies quite like this one."

President Bush on Monday said, "I also know that you're dealing with a wide variety of issues. I was the governor of Texas. I see the Attorney General of Texas here. It's been -- it was a great joy to work with Greg when I was the governor. We have a solemn responsibility together, and that's to protect the country. You do it in a variety of ways, and we've got a responsibility here. As a matter of fact, there's no greater responsibility at the federal government than to protect the American people, which means that we must make sure our professionals have the tools they need to do the jobs we've asked them to do."

President Bush on Monday said, "General Ray Odierno served for 30 months in Iraq. He's nominated to Vice Chairman of the Army. And I asked him to come in for several reasons. One, I wanted to thank him. And in thanking the General, I'm really thanking everybody who has worn the uniform and served in this war against the extremists and terrorists. And in thanking the General, I'm also thanking Mrs. Odierno, and every wife or every husband whose spouse has been far away from home and is serving."

President Bush on Saturday said, "I want to share with you some of the things we talked about. First of all, we talked about the war on terror and ideological struggle of the 21st century. I appreciate your clear vision of the threats we all face -- and the opportunities that, by working together, we can help young democracies survive, and help people realize the blessings of free societies."

DIRECTOR WALTERS: Welcome to everybody on the call. I will just give a brief summary, and then I'll be happy to take your questions on any of the topics we touch on, or others related to the drug control strategy.

With the release of his first National Drug Control Strategy in 2002, the President set the ambitious goal of cutting drug use among young people by 25 percent over five years. Through a balanced approach that emphasized prevention, education, and treatment, as well as enhanced law enforcement and international cooperation, youth drug use has declined 24 percent since 2001 - 860,000 fewer young people using drugs today than six years ago. In addition, teen marijuana use is down 25 percent, Ecstasy use has dropped by more than half, and youth use of methamphetamine has plummeted 64 percent.

In his weekly radio address, President Bush said, "Today, my Administration is releasing our 2008 National Drug Control Strategy. This report lays out the methods we are using to combat drug abuse in America. And it highlights the hopeful progress we're making in the fight against addiction."

Sec. 3. Establishment of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. (a) There is hereby established, within the Executive Office of the President and exclusively to advise and assist the President as set forth in this order, the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB).

Since the earliest days of our Republic, Irish Americans have enriched our culture with their faith, values, and hard work. During the month of March, we celebrate the contributions of Americans who trace their ancestry back to Ireland's shores.