*EPF401 07/18/2002
Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, July 18
(President's day, Poland, Mideast, trade promotion, Freedom Corps, Israel/Palestinian Authority, Quartet talks/New York, SEC/Harvey Pitt) (1170)

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer briefed reporters aboard Air Force One the morning of July 18 as they accompanied President Bush on a one-day trip to Rochester, Michigan.

Following is the White House transcript:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Rochester, Michigan)
July 18, 2002

PRESS GAGGLE BY ARI FLEISCHER

Aboard Air Force One
En route Michigan

9:36 A.M. EDT

MR. FLEISCHER: The President this morning had a CIA briefing, FBI briefing. Then he departed the White House, en route for Rochester, Michigan, where the President at Oakland University will make remarks to the Polish American community. Those remarks will focus on Polish contribution to American life. He'll talk about the war against terrorism and Poland's help for the United States in the effort. And then he'll participate in a luncheon with the President of Poland and Polish American leaders at the Polish Cultural Center. And then depart Michigan for the White House.

The President will arrive back at the White House and will have a meeting in the Oval Office, with pool coverage at the top, with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. And later this afternoon, the President will meet with members of Congress on trade promotion authority. He'll meet with the conferees, the bipartisan conferees on that crucial issue.

QUESTION: Time and coverage?

MR. FLEISCHER: That meeting is 5:00 p.m., Cabinet Room, no coverage, closed. But I anticipate members will likely go to the stake-out afterwards. During the meeting the President will urge the conferees to finish the conference before August recess. Trade promotion authority -- let me put it this way. If Congress has concerns about the strength of the economy, one of the fastest, most effective things Congress can do to give the economy a boost is to pass trade promotion authority.

Many of the items that could help boost the economy are in Congress's hands as we speak, and Congress has the ability to act, it's only a question of whether Congress has the desire to act.

Finally, let me tell you a little bit about the Freedom Corps greeters who will meet the President; we have some interesting stories today. The President will be met by Helen Suchara and Erin Chekal. They are both former Peace Corps volunteers in Poland. And Helen's parents came to the United States from Poland in 1902 and in 1906. She was born and raised in Detroit, and she started a career as a public school teacher and she taught briefly in Boston and she returned to Detroit and spent the rest of her career as a professor at Wayne State University. She then joined the Peace Corps when President George H.W. Bush opened Poland as a Peace Corps country and called for volunteers. She said that she thought it was her chance to do something for her own country, as well as for her parents' country.

Erin was born in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Marquette and joined the Peace Corps right after college. Upon returning from Poland, she served as a recruiter for the Peace Corps in the Detroit area and worked at the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington.

Helen is 83, and Erin is 33.

Q: Erin, E-r-i-n?

MR. FLEISCHER: E-r-i-n. So the President will thank them for their service to the country and of course giving their service to the Peace Corps in Poland.

And with that, I'm happy to take your questions.

Q: Did you by any chance give a ride to, like, locals that were at the State Dinner last night? Cardinal Maida, for example. Is anybody on board?

MR. FLEISCHER: Cardinal Maida is on board.

Q: Anybody else you can think of?

MR. DICKENS: I'll check.

MR. FLEISCHER: Of course, many members of the Polish delegation are on board: the Foreign Minister, National Security Advisor, of course, President Kwasniewski, as you know. They enjoyed a tour of Air Force One this morning. I think it's fair to say that they like the President's --

Q: They didn't get a tour of us.

MR. FLEISCHER: They didn't get to come back here?

Q: No.

MR. FLEISCHER: Let me ask them if they want to. (Laughter.)

Q: Yesterday you expressed great optimism about what was going on behind the scenes in the Middle East. A few hours later, double suicide bombing. What comes out of today's consultations?

MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's important to, one, just in terms of characterization, I also said yesterday the Middle East has been a place where the history is advances and setbacks. In terms of the Quartet's meetings in New York, in terms of focus on reform, focus on humanitarian issues for Palestinian people and focus on security, the President sees avenues for progress.

Progress is threatened by terrorists. Its' the terrorists who present some of the greatest challenges to the creation of a Palestinian state and to the achievement of peace. The meeting the President has in the Oval Office this afternoon with the foreign ministers is focused on how to keep progress moving forward. And this is why despite terrorist acts, the President was determined to continue the process so prospects for peace can be enhanced.

Q: Are there specific points the President hopes to make this afternoon with those foreign ministers, are there specific things he wants to ask them to take back to their leaders?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President's focus with the foreign ministers is going to be on security, it's going to be on reform and it's going to be on humanitarian issues for the Palestinian people.

Q: Is there a new plan, or is there some document on the table for this meeting this afternoon?

MR. FLEISCHER: Document on the table? Not that --

Q: A framework, is there -- are they working on something as a product of the Quartet talks in New York?

MR. FLEISCHER: They're working on those three areas. Those are the three areas of the discussions. And I'll give you a report after the meeting.

Q: Nothing at this point that you could describe as there's a new kind of framework or a new scenario on which they're actually moving?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'll give you a report after the meeting and let you know if there's continued progress on those three points. That's the agenda, is those three points.

Q: Pitt is going to stop recusing himself from matters involving his former clients in cases that come before the SEC. Do you support that move? Is that a smart move?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President, as you know, has strong confidence in Harvey Pitt's judgment and discretion. He's running the SEC in a manner that is wise and in a manner that is tough. And the President supports his judgment and his discretion.

Thank you.

END 9:42 A.M. EDT

(end White House transcript)

(end transcript)

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