*EPF101 08/20/01
White House Report, August 20: Bush VFW speech/nominations
(Speech on U.S. military; choices for USAID, UN posts) (530)

BUSH SPEAKS IN WISCONSIN TO VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

President Bush says he will insist that Congress approve an additional $39,000 million over the original 2001 appropriations that he has proposed for the U.S. military.

"Not only does the budget take care of our people, we give today's military what it needs to operate: equipment, spare parts, advanced training," Bush said in remarks August 20 at the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "In all, I've asked Congress to provide our military an increase of $39 billion over the original 2001 appropriations. This is the largest increase in military spending since Ronald Reagan was the commander in chief."

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld "is charged with developing a strategy to bolster today's military, and he's charged with developing a strategy to develop a military that's ready to defend America tomorrow as well," said Bush. A modern military, the President said, "requires major investment in research and development, so that our military is always the finest in the world. And something I offered last year as a promise is today a commitment: to research, develop, and deploy a defense against ballistic missiles."

Bush flew to Milwaukee from his Texas ranch.

BUSH NAMES CHOICES FOR UNITED NATIONS AND USAID POSITIONS

President Bush intends to nominate William J. Hybl to be United States Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations and Roger P. Winter to be Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Bureau of Humanitarian Response.

Hybl is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the El Pomar Foundation, the largest foundation in the Rocky Mountain Region where he has served since 1973, the White House said in a statement. Winter is presently the Director of the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID.

The White House in an August 20 statement gave additional information about each nominee.

Hybl "additionally is the President Emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee and served as President of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1996 to 2000. His public service includes one year as Special Counsel to the President in 1981 and one term as a Member of the Colorado House of Representatives in 1972 and 1973. Hybl served as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy from 1990 to 1997 and as Rocky Mountain Panel Chair for the White House Fellowship Program from 1986 to 1990. He is a graduate of Colorado College and the University of Colorado Law School," the White House statement said.

Winter "became Director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees in 1981 and Director of Immigration and Refugees of America in 1994. Prior to joining the U.S. Committee for Refugees, his positions included Director of the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, Assistant Secretary for Budget and Assistant Secretary for Human Resources for the State of Maryland.

Winter is a graduate of Wheaton College," the White House statement said.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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