White House Gaggle

By Lovisa Frost
March 9, 2006

President’s Schedule

This morning President Bush initiated a call to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. Their discussions covered a wide range of foreign policy issues including the President’s recent trip to Southeast Asia, the shared commitments in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons as well as Hamas renouncing violence and recognizing Israel. Following the call, the President had his usual intelligence briefings. He also participated in a photo opportunity with the national and distinguished principals of the year. Later this morning, he will meet with bi-cameral Congressional leaders including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, House Majority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt. At 10.40 am, the President participates in a television interview with Future TV of Lebanon. Following the interview, he has photo opportunity with United States Senate Youth Program Students. At 11.15 am, President Bush departs the White House for a meeting with faith-based providers following which he will participate in the second annual White House National Conference meeting on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

This afternoon at 2.05 pm, President Bush has a meeting scheduled with bi-partisan House members to discuss the Advance Energy Initiative that was outlined in this year’s State of the Union Address. Following the meeting at 2.40 pm, the President will be signing the renewal of the Patriot Act into law in the East Room of the White House.

At 3.20 pm, the President departs the White House and will make remarks this evening at the Georgia Republican Party’s President’s Day Dinner. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan briefs the press at 12.45 pm today.

President’s Trip to Mexico

The President will be traveling to Cancun, Mexico to meet with President Vicente Fox of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada on March
30-31, 2006. The leaders are expected to discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which was formed by the three nations in March, 2005.

Ports Deal

When asked if the President is rethinking his veto threat on the ports deal, McClellan said, "The lines of communication are open and there are members who are concerned and we believe that it is important to work with Congress and address those concerns. Part of the way forward is
to reform the CFIUS process and we support approving and reforming as we are engaging congressional leaders in that process". He stated that the White House has made it very clear that they will never outsource the control or security of the ports to anyone. Customs and border patrol remain in charge of security of U.S. ports. In regard to the attachment of the ports deal to the emergency spending legislation, McClellan said that this legislation provides critical funds and resources to our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the on-going recovery and rebuilding along the Gulf Coast. McClellan also said that this could slow down vital passage of vital fund of resources. When asked if the President would still veto the legislation, the Press Secretary replied that the President’s position remains unchanged.