National Issues

The President has said that the United States would continue to review our policies and consider additional measures if Than Shwe's junta did not end its brutal oppression of the Burmese people. Therefore, today and pursuant to Executive Order 13448 signed by President Bush on October 18, 2007, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated additional individuals and entities for sanctions.

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Missouri and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of January 7-10, 2008.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2008, the President signed into law: H.R. 3432, the "Commission on the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act," which establishes a commission to plan activities appropriate to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one individual and designate one individual to serve in his Administration.

MR. HADLEY: For nearly a century, fellows of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace have made contributions to our public debate on international affairs. In the 21st century, your work will continue to be vital. I appreciate your efforts to expand your presence in other parts of the world -- so that Carnegie can offer a truly global perspective on the choices in front of us. As you know, next week the President and Mrs. Bush will travel to Africa. It will be his second visit to the continent since 2001, and Mrs. Bush's fifth visit.

The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Dimona, Israel, today that killed one Israeli citizen and injured many others. We extend condolences to the family of the innocent victim killed in this brutal attack and wish those wounded a rapid recovery.

Consistent with the authorities relating to official immunity in the interdiction of aircraft engaged in illicit drug trafficking (Public Law 107-108, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2291-4), and in order to keep the Congress fully informed, I am providing a report prepared by my Administration. This report includes matters relating to the interdiction of aircraft engaged in illicit drug trafficking.

President Bush on Monday said, "I just met with my Cabinet, where we discussed a lot of issues. And one issue we discussed is the budget. I submitted the budget today to Congress -- it's on a laptop notebook, an e-budget. It saves paper, saves trees, saves money. I think it's the first budget submitted electronically. And it's a good budget. It's a budget that achieves some important objectives."

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Kansas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms during the period of December 6-19, 2007.

During the weekly radio address, Mrs. Bush said, "February is American Heart Month -- a time to start heart-healthy habits, and to learn about the risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors include smoking, being overweight, lack of exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, family history, and age. Heart disease affects more than 80 million people in the United States and claims the life of one American every minute."

President Bush on Friday said, "People need to have screenings and checkups; people need to live healthy lives, to exercise and no tobacco. In other words, the decisions we make will affect whether or not our hearts remain strong."

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. As we observe American Heart Month, we renew our commitment to raising awareness of the serious impact of cardiovascular disease, and we encourage all citizens to take steps to help prevent it.

President Bush will welcome Amadou Toumani Tour of the Republic of Mali to the White House on February 8, 2008. This visit will provide an opportunity for the President to get a progress update from President Tour on key U.S. initiatives including the President's Malaria Initiative, the President's International Education Initiative, and the Millennium Challenge Account. The two leaders will use the opportunity to discuss the shared goal of advancing democracy and human rights worldwide, including through the Community of Democracies. They will also discuss insecurity in northern Mali and the fight against terrorism.

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released new jobs figures for January. The unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent, below the averages for the past three decades, but nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 17,000 jobs. This decline follows 52 months of uninterrupted job growth - the longest period on record. Our economy has added nearly one million jobs over the last 12 months, and more than 8.2 million since August 2003.

President Bush on Friday said, "So I've got an agenda for Congress. I'm looking forward to working with them on how to stimulate the economy in the short-term, but make sure we remain a strong economy in the long-term. And I'm looking forward to working with them. I like the spirit I found up in the halls of Congress. There's still a little politics in Washington, D.C., but that's not to say we can't work for the common good."

On Thursday, January 31, 2008, the President signed into law H.R. 5104, the "Protect America Act Extension," which extends the Protect America Act through February 16, 2008.

President Bush on Thursday said, "We will prevail. We will prevail in this ideological struggle because liberty is powerful. Liberty is hopeful. The enemy we face can only convince people to join their cause is when they find hopelessness. And so our strategy is threefold: one, protect the homeland; two, stay on the offense against these folks; and three, provide an alternative -- a hopeful alternative to despair and doubt and hopelessness."

As he noted in his State of the Union address, the President will be hosting the North American Leaders' Summit on April 21-22 in New Orleans. This fourth meeting of North American leaders since 2005 will continue our work on Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) initiatives. It will also serve as an opportunity for the three leaders to discuss hemispheric and global issues of importance to North America.

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Indiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on January 7, 2008, and continuing.

President Bush on Wednesday said, "I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth quarter growth slowed to .6 percent. In other words, there are signs that our economy are slowing. There's some uncertainty in the economy. But in the long run you've got to be confident about your economy. Inflation is down, interest rates are low, productivity is high. Our economy is flexible, it is resilient. We've been through problems before. As a matter of fact, we've been through problems before since I was your President. We've had a recession, corporate scandals, an attack on the United States of America; we've had major national disasters, and every time we've come through strong. And that what's going to happen this time, too."