Press briefings

April 16, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. Rowdy crowd. A little bit on today's activities, and then I'm going to turn it over to Jim Connaughton before I finish up with other questions.

I was able to speak to the President for his reaction to what was a great day at the White House, with the Pope's arrival ceremony this morning. After the Pope's departure, I just checked in with the President, and he said that he thought it was a fabulous event on a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. He thought the singing was fantastic, and that the Pope's speech was very good, inspiring, and full of hope, and that they had a very nice visit in the Oval Office. It was a private meeting, and we have issued a joint statement, so you'll have that to use.    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Let me start off just with a couple of comments about the President welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to America today. Tomorrow in his remarks, the President will say to the Holy Father that millions of Americans have been praying for his visit. He will also say to the Holy Father that the nation he will visit is a nation of prayer that welcomes the faithful.

Dana Perino: White house photo    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hello. I've got one comment and then we'll go to questions.

The President this morning spent time in his Cabinet meeting talking about his ongoing concern about people who are suffering in the world, especially when it comes to those that are hungry. The United States is the largest food provider for emergency food needed in the world.

Dana Perino

In fiscal year 2007 we provided more than $2.1 billion of food aid, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide. We usually provide about 45 to 50 percent of all emergency food aid every year.    » read more »

April 11, 2008 -- MR. STANZEL: Happy Friday, everybody. I've got the President's schedule. I do have the week ahead, although I think you've received most of that information. But I'm happy to go through it at the end, if you'd like.

Today the President taped his radio address this morning. In his radio address the President will discuss General Petraeus's and Ambassador Crocker's report to Congress this past week. The President will also discuss the honors and sacrifice of Michael Monsoor, the fourth Medal of Honor recipient in the war on terror, that you heard the President talk about earlier this week as well.    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: All right, let's get down to business here. The President, as I said yesterday, he was going to have breakfast with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. They did that today in the private dining room. Then he had his briefings. At 10:05 a.m., he is going to meet with the Special Envoy to Sudan, Rich Williamson. That will be closed press. I'll see if I can get you anything on that.

At 11:30 a.m., he will make a statement on Iraq, the one that you all have been reporting on. That's in the Cross Hall. And then he will depart today at 12:00 p.m. -- he's going to the ranch through Sunday.    » read more »

April 9, 2008 -- PARTICIPANTS:
Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury
Ambassador Susan Schwab, United States Trade Representative
Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor
Ed Schafer, Secretary of Agriculture
Steve Preston, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

Protesters against the Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Photo by b.wu (CC)

2:19 P.M. EDT    » read more »

April 9, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. I said earlier today I would try to get you details on the logistics for tomorrow, and I have. It's quite simple -- the President will make remarks at 11:30 a.m. at the -- in the Cross Hall. We'll do expanded press pool.

Q Do you want to expand on those remarks? You said earlier today that he is pretty far down the road on his decision.    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Here at the White House today, obviously we're paying attention to the General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testimony. And the President said that he would try, if possible, to watch a bit of it in between his appointments today. He has quite a full schedule. And so we'll give you more information about that in a little bit.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. You saw the President's remarks earlier -- about an hour ago -- announcing that he was sending up a Colombia trade promotion agreement, or the pre-trade agreement to Congress, signing the transmittal documents for that today. We invited the President's Trade Representative, Sue Schwab, here with you today.    » read more »

April 6, 2008 -- MR. HADLEY: In the negotiations of the Strategic Framework Agreement, there was a back and forth on language between us and the Russians. And that language was not agreed going into Sochi. And we really never got agreement on it until finally today, in the presence of the two Presidents. What we were seeking in that agreement -- and we viewed it as an agreement -- was two things: one, an agreement by Russia to work together on a system or architecture for regional missile defense in which Russia, Europe, and the United States would participate equally. That's the first thing we sought.    » read more »

April 6, 2008 -- MR. HADLEY: This has been a fascinating trip and a very successful trip, from a couple dimensions. One, we have a situation where in the same trip both the NATO Alliance at the summit in Bucharest, and President Putin in the strategic framework that was adopted today here in Sochi, and in his comments which were very interesting during the press conference, you have both now the NATO Alliance and the Russian Federation signed on to pursuing missile defense.    » read more »

April 5, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: All right, everyone, we're on our way to Sochi, Russia. The President is looking forward to this meeting with President Putin and meeting with President-elect Medvedev. You have the schedule; it's quite extensive for what we're going to be able to achieve over the next couple of days. When we arrive, we'll do the Winter Olympics briefing for the President, and before we go to the social dinner.    » read more »

April 4, 2008 -- Aboard Air Force One, En route Zagreb, Croatia -- SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: There were two meetings this morning. There was the meeting of the -- and my colleague, you'll give me the name. What was the formal name?

Air Force One, with President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush aboard, departs Sochi Airport in Sochi, Russia: White House photo by Chris Greenberg

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: NATO-Ukraine Commission.    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- Bucharest, Romania -- SECRETARY RICE: Good evening, and welcome to this press availability with the National Security Advisor and with me. We will divide the labor. I'm going to make a few general comments; Steve has a few specifics for you, on particularly Afghanistan and missile defense and a couple of other matters.

First Lady Laura Bush attends a folk music program in Bucharest during NATO meeting.: Photo by Shealah Craighead    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- Bucharest, Romania -- MR. HADLEY: There were a number of issues that were addressed in the morning session. I know [in a briefing this morning my colleague] gave a backgrounder that went through a number of the issues that got adopted and moved forward in the discussions this morning. So it was a fairly rich agenda.    » read more »