Wednesday
Oct312007
White House Gaggle
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 3:00AM
By Meredith MacKenzie
Briefer: Dana Perino
The President's Schedule
The president attended his normal morning briefings. He will give a speech at the Grocery Manufacturer's Association. The speech will focus on the topic of health care. In the afternoon he will announce is nominee for Secretary of Agriculture to replace outgoing secretary Mike Johanns. He will also sign the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments passed unanimously yesterday in Congress into law.
Confirmation of Judge Michael Mukasey
Perino defended the president's nominee and said that the White House will continue in active pressuring of Congress to hold a vote for his confirmation. She said that he has already satisfactorily commented on the issue of torture and that Mukasey can not be expected to comment in further detail because he is not able to view classified information regarding the interrogation program.
Karen Hughes
Perino confirmed that Karen Hughes, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the State Department, as well as a longtime Bush advisor, will be retiring from government. Perino said the Hughes expects to be heading back to Texas by the end of the calendar year.
Illegal Aliens
When asked whether the president support driver's licenses for illegal immigrant aliens, a program New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is trying to implement, Perino responded that the White House does not support this policy.
Economic Growth
Shortly after the gaggle, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Ed Lazear, commented on the Gross Domestic Product growth. The economy grew 3.9 percent during the 3rd quarter. Gutierrez said that this is the 24th consecutive quarter of economic growth for the U.S. economy. He also emphasized a 12.7 percent increase in exports and mentioned his hopes that free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and South Korea would continue to help speed up export growth.
Briefer: Dana Perino
The President's Schedule
The president attended his normal morning briefings. He will give a speech at the Grocery Manufacturer's Association. The speech will focus on the topic of health care. In the afternoon he will announce is nominee for Secretary of Agriculture to replace outgoing secretary Mike Johanns. He will also sign the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments passed unanimously yesterday in Congress into law.
Confirmation of Judge Michael Mukasey
Perino defended the president's nominee and said that the White House will continue in active pressuring of Congress to hold a vote for his confirmation. She said that he has already satisfactorily commented on the issue of torture and that Mukasey can not be expected to comment in further detail because he is not able to view classified information regarding the interrogation program.
Karen Hughes
Perino confirmed that Karen Hughes, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the State Department, as well as a longtime Bush advisor, will be retiring from government. Perino said the Hughes expects to be heading back to Texas by the end of the calendar year.
Illegal Aliens
When asked whether the president support driver's licenses for illegal immigrant aliens, a program New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is trying to implement, Perino responded that the White House does not support this policy.
Economic Growth
Shortly after the gaggle, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Ed Lazear, commented on the Gross Domestic Product growth. The economy grew 3.9 percent during the 3rd quarter. Gutierrez said that this is the 24th consecutive quarter of economic growth for the U.S. economy. He also emphasized a 12.7 percent increase in exports and mentioned his hopes that free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and South Korea would continue to help speed up export growth.
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