Lawrence Ari Fleischer

“ You saw the letter that Democratic leaders sent to the White House, to the President a couple days ago. Democrats are saying the President needs to show they use leadership. They feel that in light of the new numbers in the surplus, the slow, sluggish economy, that he really needs to come forward and explain -- not just for this year, but even projections over the next several years to pay for missile defense, prescription drug coverage. And they say you can't just sort of throw it to Congress, that the President is not showing leadership. ”

“ Is it fair to say the President is more concerned about the economy than he was when he took office, and if so, what additional steps does he think he can implement? Irrespective of urging Congress not to boost spending too much, what else can you do, what else is he considering? ”

“ If the President thinks that Congress is setting up the budget in a way that our nation's schoolchildren would suffer, or that our defense will be hurt, then I think he will take a different look at the appropriation bills. ”

“ The President and his Cabinet have been working very closely with Mexican authorities on the issues involving migration. As you remember in the President's visit to President Fox's ranch in February, the two agreed that we need to take a new look at immigration issues between our two countries. From President Bush's point of view, he thinks it's very important that America be a nation that welcomes immigrants. He recognizes the huge contributions to our economy that immigrant workers have made, and the vital role America has in welcoming people who will fulfill that role in our economy. ”

“ The President does believe strongly that he has put into place a plan that will get the economy growing again. And that's shared by a host of private sector forecasters from all stripes, Democrat and Republican, who do believe, as 12 Democrats in the Senate believe, that the tax cut will help get the economy going again. What more can be done? Trade promotion authority. The President believes very deeply that if Congress wants to send a signal to America that it cares about the economy, one, it won't bust the budget, and two, it will pass trade promotion authority. ”

“ Would the President veto any other appropriations bills that reached his desk before defense and education are agreed on? MR. FLEISCHER: It's a complicated matter and, broadly speaking, what the President wants to make certain of is Congress doesn't engage in the usual gamesmanship of pitting defense off against other worthy priorities, or making education come last. As I indicated earlier, the appropriations bills have so far been funded at, generally, the level that was agreed to in the budget resolution. ”

“ The spending goes up, but it goes up at a reasonable level. The risk to the surplus and the risk to the economy, if Congress goes beyond the levels recommended by the President, and squanders the surplus on bigger spending. That's the risk to the economy, and that's why it's so important for Congress to continue, as they have been doing, to honor the budget agreement so far through the appropriations process. Q That spending number is predicated on your budget assumptions which are higher than those of the CBO and higher than those of the median economists. ”

“ I think it's a healthy sign of bipartisanship. I think it's a healthy sign that a Republican President is going to work with and listen to people from across America's political spectrum, not all of whom voted for him. ”

“ But the President believes the greatest contribution America can make to improving the global economy is to get the American economy going. And he believes that he has the proper solution in place. He also believes the global economy will develop and grow faster if we can get trade promotion authority put into law. That will be particularly helpful to nations in South America, which are poised to increase their trade, and have a lot riding on the line if Congress takes the proper action on trade promotion authority. ”

“ Q On the budget, surplus estimates have obviously changed the climate somewhat. Democrats are announcing maybe Congress should consider suspending the tax cut in later years in order to deal with it to try to get everything funded. Where are you on that? MR. FLEISCHER: As I indicated, when the President talks about what is important this fall, he is going to focus on the economy. And he thinks that one of the most important things that Congress can do is not raise taxes. If Congress tries to raise taxes, it will make the economy even worse. ”

“ If the economy doesn't grow, Social Security and Medicare will lose trust fund dollars. If the economy grows as a result of the tax cut, which has bipartisan support, then that's the best solution to help Social Security and Medicare. Q In the broader terms, in the speech he gave this week on the agenda, I mean, he's still kind of making this pitch that you can have it all. But as long as Congress doesn't tack on anything new to the budget, that everything can be paid for, and even Republicans are saying, well, we don't see how this is going to happen. ”

“ Toledo was chosen because it's home to a very large and growing Mexican community of Americans. And I think it's a sign that President Bush has reflected that as somebody who grew up in Texas, as somebody who is a border governor, he has a very deep understanding and a deep appreciation for the role that Mexico plays in America's economy, in America's culture, in America's heritage, and he looks forward to welcoming President Fox in that environment. ”

“ On the question of working together on law enforcement and counternarcotics efforts, President Bush is highly praiseworthy of President Fox's courageous efforts to fight organized crime and to reduce drug trafficking. The level of cooperation between United States agencies and Mexican agencies, which in the past have been strained, is now growing. There is an increased confidence between American officials and Mexican officials as we work together to combat these problems. ”

“ I believe next week, what you can look forward to will be a series of principles that are announced by the two Presidents. The issue of immigration is very important to President Bush. It's also very complicated. It also involves some thoughts by members of Congress, and the President is going to continue even after President Fox departs to work on this issue so that immigrants can be welcomed to America in a way that is legal, safe and humane. ”

“ The President's pets -- Barney, Spot, India and Ophelia, the long-horned cow will be the tour guides for children as they surf the web, taking them to different pages of the White House and different events throughout the White House. ”

“ I remember reading on the front page of yesterday's Washington Post, an economist from a bank in San Francisco was quoted as saying, he believes it's already started to recover. So these are the things economists will differ about. But the principle is the President has a plan in place to get the economy going again. ”

“ President Fox arrives next week. Our relationship with Mexico is unique, of course. We share a very long border with Mexico. The immigration issues with Mexico are different from other nations because the ability of Mexicans to walk across the border in many cases -- but the task force is looking at all those issues. ”

“ Q Ari, on the Labor Day visit, is there any plan to announce any new initiatives? I know there is a report the White House is considering some sort of wage insurance policy for workers that have been displaced by -- MR. FLEISCHER: No. The President's remarks Monday are going to be focused on the concerns that working Americans have at this time of economic softness and his plan to bring about an economic recovery through the plans that he's implemented. ”

“ So I think it's going to be a website that makes the American people closer to their government, as well as help children learn how to read. The President's Radio Address this weekend will focus on education. ”

“ And could you specifically tell us if some of the undocumented people in this country will, at the end of this process, end up with permanent legal status? MR. FLEISCHER: That question, the second part, was really asked earlier. But, no, they have made progress. And I think you'll see that and what is released next week and in the discussions that you hear next week. ”

“ But that's exactly the issue that the task force is working on, shoulder-to-shoulder with their Mexican counterparts. Q Education, since it's the subject of the radio address tomorrow. Where do we stand on education? You know, another month has gone by since the last Congress was in town. Has any progress been made during that time of getting something that the President can sign? MR. FLEISCHER: The reports are that the staff meetings that took place on the education conference were very helpful, that a lot of the underbrush issues, as they're referred to, have been addressed successfully. ”