White House Gaggle

January 29, 2008
Briefer: Tony Fratto
By: Ellen Ratner

Schedule:

The President had his normal briefings. This morning he has an interview with Morton Kondracke. Then he will go to Baltimore to make remarks on faith based program at the Jericho Program. This is the seventh anniversary of the President’s Faith Based Program. Later he will sign the Executive Order on earmarks that he announced during his State of the Union Address last night. Then he will meet with the Joint Chiefs and Combatant Commanders. This is an annual meeting. A list of participants will be coming from the White House later in the day. The House will vote on HR 5140, the Economic Stimulus bill. On Wednesday the President will fly to California and will discuss Free Trade. On Thursday he will go to Las Vegas and will discuss FISA and the Global War on Terror. On Friday he will go to Kansas City. Data will be available on jobs on Friday.

Financial/Budget Package:

In terms of an economic stimulus the White House said that the solution worked out between the Congress and the Administration will provide immediate tax relief and be large enough to make a difference. The budget will be presented on February 4th. The President will deliver a package that creates a budget surplus by 2012.

FISA:

The President will veto a thirty day extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act . When asked why the White House said they needed FISA and could not get a warrant. White House Spokesman Tony Fratto responded that the Senate had six months to pass a bill.

Iraq and North Korea:

Asked why the President did not mention North Korea in the State of the Union Speech, Tony said that there could be a whole briefing on things that were not mentioned in the speech. In terms of Iraq, the President did say that twenty thousand troops would be leaving Iraq by the end of 2008 this is not the entire surge force which added 30 thousand troops to Iraq.