Wednesday
Dec212005
White House Gaggle
Wednesday, December 21, 2005 at 3:00AM
By Wendy Wang
The White House Gaggle
December 21, 2005
President's Schedule
The President has his usual morning briefings. The President travels with the First Lady to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD where they will visit with wounded Marines and their families. The President is expected to visit with 5 marines in the intensive care unit and awarding Purple Heart before visiting with 17 more wounded marines and awarding three Purple Hearts. This afternoon, the President will participate in a meeting on developing a Skilled Trades Workforce to Rebuild the Gulf Coast. He later signs the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005
At 10:30, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary Chertoff will hold a joint press conference on the reauthorization of the Patriot Act as the Senate work to finish the bill. The President is once again urging the Senate to pass both the reauthorization of the Patriot Act and to pass the Defense Appropriations Bill.
Patriot Act
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan reiterates the President's plead to the Senate to finish this bill, saying that it is the needed tool for connecting the dots. McClellan says Democratic Senators, under the leadership of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who claimed to have "killed the Patriot Act" need to stop the obstruction of this bill. He says that intelligence officials cannot go without this bill which provides them with the necessary tools to do their job.
McClellan ignored a question on why the White House refused to take up a suggestion to extend the Patriot Act so that certain provisions could be explored further. McClellan stated that he spoke about that the previous week and once more urged Senate Minority to stop the obstruction of this bill, and accused them of playing politics with a bill credited for tearing down the wall between intelligence officers and law enforcement officials.
Wiretapping
Asked about the letter of resignation sent to Chief Justice John Roberts by US District Court judge James Robertson, McClellan responded that he read the papers on this story and had nothing more to add.
Referring to a Monday briefing on wiretapping, reporters asked what is known about foreign government's involvement in these surveillances. McClellan referred back to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' response of no knowledge, and said that he had did not know any more than the Attorney General. McClellan did refer to General Michael Hayden's response that the physics of the interception guarantees that one party is always outside the U.S. Asked if mistakes could have been made and could interception involve parties within the U.S. McClellan stated that Hayden made the assurance that should the source of an interception be questionable, the surveillance is moved off right away. He was asked if he is confirming that mistakes were made with that comment, McClellan said that he was not confirming that at all.
New York Transit Labor Dispute
McClellan was asked if there is a federal role to resolve the New York Transit debate, to which McClellan stated that the Administration is prohibited from intervening in labor disputes but that there are means within the federal government to mediate so that New Yorkers can go where they need to. Reporters asked McClellan where he feels New Yorks should go. McClellan did not respond and took a question on the security concerns this may raise. He said he would check into the security concerns
The White House Gaggle
December 21, 2005
President's Schedule
The President has his usual morning briefings. The President travels with the First Lady to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD where they will visit with wounded Marines and their families. The President is expected to visit with 5 marines in the intensive care unit and awarding Purple Heart before visiting with 17 more wounded marines and awarding three Purple Hearts. This afternoon, the President will participate in a meeting on developing a Skilled Trades Workforce to Rebuild the Gulf Coast. He later signs the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005
At 10:30, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary Chertoff will hold a joint press conference on the reauthorization of the Patriot Act as the Senate work to finish the bill. The President is once again urging the Senate to pass both the reauthorization of the Patriot Act and to pass the Defense Appropriations Bill.
Patriot Act
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan reiterates the President's plead to the Senate to finish this bill, saying that it is the needed tool for connecting the dots. McClellan says Democratic Senators, under the leadership of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who claimed to have "killed the Patriot Act" need to stop the obstruction of this bill. He says that intelligence officials cannot go without this bill which provides them with the necessary tools to do their job.
McClellan ignored a question on why the White House refused to take up a suggestion to extend the Patriot Act so that certain provisions could be explored further. McClellan stated that he spoke about that the previous week and once more urged Senate Minority to stop the obstruction of this bill, and accused them of playing politics with a bill credited for tearing down the wall between intelligence officers and law enforcement officials.
Wiretapping
Asked about the letter of resignation sent to Chief Justice John Roberts by US District Court judge James Robertson, McClellan responded that he read the papers on this story and had nothing more to add.
Referring to a Monday briefing on wiretapping, reporters asked what is known about foreign government's involvement in these surveillances. McClellan referred back to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' response of no knowledge, and said that he had did not know any more than the Attorney General. McClellan did refer to General Michael Hayden's response that the physics of the interception guarantees that one party is always outside the U.S. Asked if mistakes could have been made and could interception involve parties within the U.S. McClellan stated that Hayden made the assurance that should the source of an interception be questionable, the surveillance is moved off right away. He was asked if he is confirming that mistakes were made with that comment, McClellan said that he was not confirming that at all.
New York Transit Labor Dispute
McClellan was asked if there is a federal role to resolve the New York Transit debate, to which McClellan stated that the Administration is prohibited from intervening in labor disputes but that there are means within the federal government to mediate so that New Yorkers can go where they need to. Reporters asked McClellan where he feels New Yorks should go. McClellan did not respond and took a question on the security concerns this may raise. He said he would check into the security concerns
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