Press briefings

White House Press Gaggle by Dana Perino, Judy Ansley, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Regional Affairs, and Dan Price, Assistant to the President for International Economics

June 11, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hi, everybody. We are on our way from Berlin to Rome. This is the President's sixth trip to Rome.    » read more »

June 10, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: We are en route Berlin and I have one update before I turn it over to Steve Hadley, the National Security Advisor.

This is just for news about an upcoming scheduling event. On June 26th President Bush will address the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives national conference in Washington, D.C. This conference will bring together over 1,000 public and private sector leaders to explore and expand the ways the faith-based and community initiative is transforming government's approach to human need, in partnership with the nonprofit sector, to solve problems ranging from addiction and homelessness to malaria.    » read more »

White House Press Gaggle by Dana Perino, National Security Advisor for Regional Affairs Judy Ansley, and Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs Dan Price

June 9, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hi, everybody. We're on our way to Slovenia. And I'm going to give a -- I have one announcement for you, and then I brought back Judy Ansley, who is Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Regional Affairs, and Dan Price, Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs.    » read more »

June 6, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: All right. Let me give you one update. The President called Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt today. He wished him a happy Swedish National Day, and also thanked him for hosting a successful International Compact of Iraq meeting in Stockholm.    » read more »

June 5, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Good morning -- afternoon. One quick announcement. President Bush wanted to thank Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake today for participating in a groundbreaking of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.

This Center is a state-of-the-art facility that will treat American troops and veterans who are suffering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health issues. The project is being funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides assistance to our nation's military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of duties.    » read more »

June 4, 2008 - MR. HADLEY: Good afternoon. On Monday, the President and Mrs. Bush will travel to Europe to participate in the summit between the United States and European Union in Slovenia. They will also make bilateral stops in Germany, Italy, the Holy See, France, and the United Kingdom.

The President's trip coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Marshall Plan and the Berlin Airlift. The trip will spotlight the historic U.S. role in supporting the transition from a divided, economically depressed Europe after World War II to a prosperous Europe which is increasingly whole, free and at peace. The United States has supported European integration because we need a strong Europe to partner with us in advancing freedom and prosperity around the world.    » read more »

June 3, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hello, everyone. I'd like to start off by mentioning the Food and Agriculture Organization Conference is taking place today in Rome. The United States is represented at the conference by a delegation led by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore.

You've heard us talk a little bit about our commitment and how this year we're going to be providing an additional $1 billion in total U.S. government assistance to address the food price crisis around the world. We are on track to provide a total of nearly $5 billion for 2008 and 2009 to fight global hunger.    » read more »

June 2, 2008 -- Q Is there a veto threat on Warner-Lieberman? The President didn't mention that in his remarks.

MS. PERINO: As it is drafted there will be -- I'm sorry -- not as the SAP is drafted, as the legislation is drafted, if it were to pass in its current form, the President would veto it. But I think that by any measure, by any reporting, if you look at the fate of this bill, it's very unlikely to pass the Senate anyway.

Q Is the President opposed to all cap and trade systems, or just this one?    » read more »

May 30, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Okay, I've got two things for you -- I said I would have the radio address preview and tomorrow's commencement address. In this week's radio address the President will outline several important legislative matters pending in front of Congress and note the dwindling number of days they have left in session to get this work done.    » read more »

May 28, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hi, guys. All right. Well, we are on our way now to Utah, after a great morning -- and the President is running a little bit late because it took a little longer for him to shake 1,012 hands, salute them all and take his picture with them. But he had a really fantastic time at the Air Force Academy and thinks they were great hosts.

And so we'll try and make up a little bit of time in the air so that we can get to Utah and get on with our events today, which are the fundraisers that you know of.

That's all I've got.

Q I know that you said you weren't going to be speaking anything more about McClellan, but could you give us a little sense of who told the President about it, when it occurred and any reaction he had?    » read more »

May 27, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Okay, we are on our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The President had his normal briefings this morning. The first stop of the day is the President will attend a White for Congress and New Mexico Victory Luncheon in Albuquerque.

Then we will go to Mesa, Arizona, where he will visit the Silverado Cable Company. And then we will do there a McCain for President and RNC Victory Reception in Phoenix. We will remain overnight in Colorado Springs, and then he has the commencement address in the morning -- of which I have a preview for you in just a moment.    » read more »

May 23, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hello. Happy Friday before a three-day weekend.

Just quickly, I wanted to let you know a little bit of something about a product that we weren't able really to showcase as much as we were the other ones that you saw on the South Lawn today regarding free trade. The President this morning discussed on the South Lawn the importance of opening markets for the products made by American workers and farmers.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Good morning, everybody. We're en route to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the President will make remarks at a division review ceremony at 10:00 a.m. You got some background on that last night on what the President will discuss, how our troops are returning home from Iraq because of the good work that they did there. He will detail what success will look like in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He will talk mostly about Iraq, but there are some who are in Afghanistan as well, so he'll talk about that. He will stress the importance of Congress giving our troops all the resources they need, and the progress in Afghanistan and Iraq on our moving forward.    » read more »

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have one announcement. First of all, we wish Deb Riechmann a happy birthday. So I guess I have two announcements.

Today the President will sign the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that will prohibit health insurers and employers from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. And I have one update -- this will now be open to pool coverage in the Oval Office. The legislation will ensure that health plans and health insurance insurers would not be able to deny coverage to individuals or charge higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future.    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hi, everyone. I'm going to do the schedule quickly and I'm going to introduce, then, Dan Fisk to you.

The President had his normal briefings at 8:00 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., he will meet the National Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, George Lisicki. He was elected National Commander-in-Chief on August 23, 2007, at the VFW 108th National Convention that was held in Kansas City, Missouri. The President has met with the National Commander-in-Chief of the VFW each year of his presidency.    » read more »