White House Gaggle

By Gregory Gorman
September 7, 2005

President’s Schedule

The President had breakfast with the Secretary of State followed by a hurricane briefing early this morning. At 10:00 am, he will receive an update from Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt on the delivery of benefits to displaced Gulf Coast residents. This afternoon, the President and Mrs. Bush will attend funeral services for Chief Justice William Rehnquist. The President will make remarks during the ceremony. Press Secretary Scott McClellan announced that the President will welcome Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to the White House on Tuesday, September 13th.

Hurricane Katrina Supplemental Request

McClellan announced that the administration will send its second supplemental request to Congress today asking for additional resources to be used in hurricane relief. McClellan stated, "We are sparing no effort for those in need". McClellan would not speculate on the long term costs of the hurricane recovery, but he said the administration’s first priority is to help people.

International Aid

McClellan stated that all international offers of assistance following Hurricane Katrina are being tracked by the Department of State. When asked about the foreign aid that has been accepted by the United States and delivered to the Gulf Coast region, McClellan said he would check on the status of the aid.

Fidel Castro Offer of Assistance

When asked why the United States has not responded to Cuban President Fidel Castro’s offer of sending doctors and medicine to aid in the hurricane recovery, McClellan said that all international aid requests are being tracked and organized by the Department of State. McClellan also responded, "We certainly hope that Castro would offer freedom to his own people".

Vice President’s Gulf Coast Visit

McClellan announced that Vice President Dick Cheney will visit the Gulf Coast region on Thursday and that the President has asked him to make sure that bureaucracy is not getting in the way of the relief effort. McClellan offered the fuel waiver and food stamp debit cards as examples of ways that bureaucracy is being put aside for the good of hurricane victims.

President’s Second Term Agenda

When asked if some of the aspects of the President’s second term agenda, such as retooling the Social Security system, providing tax cuts and curbing asbestos litigation, will be sacrificed as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the President’s two Supreme Court nominations, McClellan said that the administration’s priority is hurricane relief but that there are other priorities as well.