White House Gaggle

By Gregory Gorman
July 28, 2005

President’s Schedule

The President had his usual briefings and spoke with Pakistani President Musharraf earlier today. The two leaders discussed US/Pakistan relations and the global war on terrorism. This afternoon, the President will have lunch with Vice President Cheney and will meet with his Management Council. Later today, the President has a meeting and a photo opportunity with the National Future Farmers of America Organization State President’s Conference in the State Dining Room.

CAFTA-DR Agreement

Press Secretary Scott McClellan announced the White House is pleased that the House of Representatives passed the CAFTA-DR agreement last night. McClellan said that the President made eight calls, four in the mid-evening and four later in the evening, while the Vice President was at the Capitol from approximately 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm last night in advance of the House vote. McClellan said that the passage of the agreement "is a real victory for the American people . . . it will help promote peace and prosperity in our own hemisphere and it helps level the playing field for America’s workers, farmers and small businesses". McClellan stated that the agreement now goes back to the Senate for final passage purposes and that the President looks forward to receiving it very soon.

IRA Announcement

In response to a question about the administration’s response to the IRA’s announcement that it is pledging an end to its armed campaign, McClellan said that he would like to defer the question for a while. He said the White House will have more to say on this matter soon.

US Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

McClellan stated that the administration would like to see US troops come home as soon as possible but that the timetable for withdrawal will depend on the ongoing political process, the training of Iraqi forces and the situation on the ground as told the White House by the commanders.

Shuttle Program

McClellan stated that "the culture of NASA is one that is focused on safety first and foremost". He said the experts at NASA are making decisions that they believe are best. NASA is continuing to move forward with looking at all the data and the administration is not going to draw conclusions on the future of the Shuttle program.

Supreme Court Justice Interviews

McClellan confirmed that President Bush had five interviews, including Judge John Roberts, before announcing his pick for Supreme Court nominee. He would not confirm reports of the names of the other four individuals out of respect for the nomination process.