Text Of President Bush’s Speech

BUSH: Good morning. We’re now more than halfway through October, and the new leaders in Congress have had more than nine months to get things done for the American people.

Unfortunately, they haven’t managed to pass many important bills. Now the clock is winding down. In some key areas, Congress is just getting started. Congress has work to do on health care. Tomorrow, Congress will hold a vote attempting to override my veto of the SCHIP bill.

It’s unlikely that that override vote will succeed, which Congress knew when they sent me the bill. Now it’s time to put politics aside and seek common ground to reauthorize this important program.

I have asked Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, National Economic Council Director Al Hubbard, and OMB Director Jim Nussle to lead my administration’s discussions with the Congress.

I made clear that, if putting poor children first requires more than the 20 percent increase in funding I proposed, we’ll work with Congress to find the money we need. I’m confident we can work out our differences and reauthorize SCHIP.

Congress has work to do to keep our people safe. One of the things Congress did manage to get done this year is pass legislation that began modernizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

FISA is a law that our intelligence professionals use to monitor the communications of terrorists who want to do harm to our people. The problem is that Congress arranged for the measure they passed to expire this coming February.

In addition, the House is now considering another FISA bill that would weaken the reforms they approved just two months ago. When it comes to improving FISA, Congress needs to move forward, not backward, so we can ensure intelligence professionals have the tools they need to protect us.

Congress has work to do on the budget. One of Congress’ basic duties is to fund the day-to-day operations of the federal government. Yet Congress has not sent me a single appropriations bill.

Time is running short, so I urged the speaker and the leader of the Senate to name conferees for six of the annual appropriations bills that have already passed the House and the Senate.

The two houses need to work out their differences on these bills and get them to my desk as soon as possible. They also need to pass the remaining spending bills, one at a time, and in a fiscally responsible way.

Congress has work to do on education. As we saw from the recent nation’s report card, the No Child Left Behind Act is getting results for America’s children. Test scores are rising. The achievement gap is beginning to close.

And Congress should send me a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes and strengthens this effective piece of legislation. Congress has work to do on housing. Back in August, I proposed a series of reforms to help homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments. We’re into six weeks later; Congress has yet to finish work on any of these measures.

These are sensible reforms that would help American families stay in their homes and Congress needs to act quickly on these proposals. Congress has work to do on trade. Earlier this year, my administration reached out to the Congress and we forged a bipartisan agreement to advance trade legislation.

Now Congress needs to begin moving on trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and South Korea. These agreements expand access to overseas markets, they strengthen Democratic allies and they level the playing field for American workers, farmers and small businesses. Congress has work to do for our military veterans.

Yesterday, I sent Congress legislation to implement the Dole-Shalala commission’s recommendations that would modernize and improve our system of care for wounded warriors. Congress should consider this legislation promptly so that those injured while defending our freedom can get the quality care they deserve.

Congress also needs to complete the Veterans’ Affairs appropriations bill that funds veterans’ benefits and other ongoing programs. We have our differences on appropriations bills. The veterans bill is where we agree. So I ask Congress to send me a clean bill that will fund our veterans, a bill without unnecessary spending in it.

And they need to get this work done. And I hope they can get it done by Veterans Day. It seems like a reasonable request on behalf of our nation’s veterans. Congress has work to do for law enforcement and the judiciary. I want to thank the Senate Judiciary Committee for beginning hearings today on Judge Mukasey’s nomination to serve as the attorney general.

I urge the committee to vote on that nomination this week and send it to the full Senate for a vote next week. The Senate also needs to act on the many judicial nominations that are pending and give those nominees an up-or-down vote.

Confirming federal judges is one of the most important responsibilities of the Senate, and the Senate owes it to the American people to meet that responsibility in a timely way. With all these pressing responsibilities, one thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire.

The resolution on the mass killings of Armenians beginning in 1915 is counterproductive. Both Republicans and Democrats, including every living former secretary of state, have spoken out against this resolution. Congress has more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one that’s providing vital support for our military every day.

There’s little time left in the year, and Congress has little to show for all the time that has gone by. Now is the time for them to act. And I look forward to working with members of both parties on important goals that I’ve outlined this morning. And now I look forward to taking some of your questions, believe it or not.

Transcribed by CQ Transcriptions.