*EPF202 09/04/01
White House Report, September 4: Fox, Trade, Racism
(Fleischer briefs at morning, afternoon sessions) (810)
BUSH PREPARES TO WELCOME MEXICO'S PRESIDENT FOX
President Bush is looking forward to meeting at the White House September 5 with Mexico's President Vicente Fox, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters.
Their meeting, Fleischer said, underscores the friendship between the United States and Mexico, a relationship that has helped the people and economies of both countries.
Fox is the first foreign leader invited to make an official state visit during President Bush's first year in the White House.
"I think it's a reflection that President Bush, having come from a border state, grown up in Texas, and been governor of Texas, has a very deep and personal appreciation for the importance that Mexico plays in the American way of life," Fleischer said. "And so he looks forward to welcoming the President of Mexico to the United States for his first-ever state visit, and that's the context in which President Fox will be received."
Bush, at the start of a meeting in the Oval Office with Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, was asked by a reporter about the status of immigration reform with Mexico.
"Immigration reform is a very complex subject," Bush said, and it "will take a while to bring all the different interests to the table.
"We'll look at a guest worker program," Bush said, "that will benefit America as well as the Mexicans. There's a lot of work to be done, but we're making good progress."
Bush said he had explained to Mexico's President "that there's no appetite for blanket amnesty in Congress and I've also told him it's our desire to make it easier for an employer looking for somebody that wants to work, and somebody that wants to work, to come together but that in itself is a complex process. So this is a complex issue."
Senator Lott said the fact that President Fox was asked to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress while in Washington "is a show of respect" for him. "It's important that the Congress also hear directly from him, as we're going to hear from you about the plans you are working on. I think this is a very positive development," said Lott.
In addition to meeting with Lott, President Bush also met the afternoon of September 4 with Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle to discuss his legislative priorities for the weeks ahead.
Members of Congress are returning to Washington this week from their August recess.
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said the meetings with Senator Lott and Senator Daschle were "to talk about the fall agenda and the President's hopes that progress can be made on a host of legislative priorities that focus on the economy, education, health security, Social Security, and national security. It's a very busy fall agenda. But there are a lot of strong prospects for bipartisan accomplishment, and that's why the President will meet with these two leaders."
BUSH PUSHES CONGRESS TO GIVE HIM TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY
President Bush "believes that Congress should take up trade promotion authority and pass it this fall," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters September 4.
"The President thinks failure to pass trade promotion authority this fall would be a retreat from the United States' role in the world, that it would hurt the economy, and it would be an unwise delay that could hinder the chances of getting trade promotion authority passed. And I think you're going to see action in the House of Representatives this fall," said Fleischer. "And once the House acts, I think it would be very hard for the Senate to drag its feet on an item that important."
FLEISCHER SAYS DURBAN CONFERENCE "LACED WITH INTOLERANCE''
Discussing the international conference against racism taking place in Durban, South Africa, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said, "There's no question that in a conference that should have been dedicated to fighting intolerance, the language that it has chosen to use in describing Israel is laced with intolerance."
Fleischer said this is "an unfortunate throwback to the old days where these conferences worked in a counterproductive fashion." He said it is "unfortunate that people in this conference brought it to the point where America and Israel had no choice but to leave" the meeting.
The conference "has been a lost opportunity for America and for people from throughout the world who are concerned about racism," the White House Press Secretary said.
Secretary of State Colin Powell September 3 instructed the U.S. delegation to the U.N. World Conference Against Racism to return home, protesting proposed language for the conference's final declaration that singles out Israel for condemnation.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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