1210 Sept. 14 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2007

is still more to be done, and I will work with ‘‘Act’’), attached is a report that assesses the the Congress to improve upon this legisla- status of each of the 18 Iraqi benchmarks tion. contained in the Act and declares whether For example, the bill holds Members of satisfactory progress toward meeting these the Senate and Executive Branch employees benchmarks is, or is not, being achieved. to a much higher standard of conduct than The second of two reports submitted con- Members of the House. The specific bill lan- sistent with the Act, it has been prepared guage is confusing, and I believe these in- in consultation with the Secretaries of State creased restrictions would have a negative and Defense; the Commander, Multi-Na- impact on recruitment and retention of Fed- tional Force—Iraq; the United States Am- eral employees. I urge the Congress to make bassador to Iraq; and the Commander, these standards more uniform and less con- United States Central Command. fusing and to do so in a way that will not George W. Bush discourage public service. In addition, this bill would have the effect The White House, of unreasonably burdening sitting President’s September 14, 2007. and Vice President’s reelection campaigns. I look forward to working with Congress to amend these provisions to provide a reason- able process for allocating the cost of Presi- Digest of Other dential and Vice Presidential campaign travel White House Announcements that is consistent with security needs. I am pleased that the Congress has begun to make progress in bringing greater trans- The following list includes the President’s public parency to the earmarking process. However, schedule and other items of general interest an- this bill falls far short of the reform that nounced by the Office of the Press Secretary and American taxpayers deserve. I am concerned not included elsewhere in this issue. that there are potential loopholes in some of the earmark reforms included in this bill September 8 that would allow earmarks to escape suffi- In the morning, at the InterContinental cient scrutiny. This legislation also does not Sydney in Sydney, Australia, the President address other earmark reforms I have called had an intelligence briefing. Later, in the on Congress to implement, such as ending Club InterContinental Lounge of the Inter- the practice of putting earmarks in report Continental Sydney, he had a working break- language. fast with Prime Minister John Howard of I thank members of both parties who Australia and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of worked on this legislation and look forward Japan. to working with the Congress to further ad- Later in the morning, the President trav- vance ethics, lobbying, and earmark reform. eled to the Sydney Opera House, where, in NOTE: S. 1, approved September 14, was assigned the Concert Hall Southern Foyer, he partici- Public Law 110–81. pated in an official welcome with Prime Min- ister Howard. Then, in the Utzon Room, he participated in the APEC Leaders Dialogue Message to the Congress with the APEC Business Advisory Council. Transmitting the Benchmark In the afternoon, the President partici- Assessment Report pated in a photo opportunity with APEC September 14, 2007 leaders. Then, at the Guillaume at Bennelong Restaurant, he had lunch with To the Congress of the United States: APEC leaders. Later, he participated in the Consistent with section 1314 of the U.S. APEC Leaders official photograph. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Later in the afternoon, in The Studio, the Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appro- President participated in APEC Leaders Re- priations Act, 2007 (Public Law 110–28) (the treat I.

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In the evening, in the Concert Hall, the session for his September 13 address to the President attended a cultural performance. nation. Later, on the Granite level of the Concert In the afternoon, in the Family Theater, Hall Northern Foyer, he viewed a fireworks the President participated in a speech prepa- display and the Parade of Tall Ships. He then ration session for his September 13 address participated in the APEC Official Leaders to the Nation. dinner. The President announced that he has Later in the evening, the President trav- nominated Daniel V. Speckhard to be Am- eled to Hickam Air Force Base, HI, crossing bassador to Greece. the international dateline and arriving in the The President announced that he has morning, where, upon arrival, he met with nominated Thomas F. Stephenson to be Am- USA Freedom Corps volunteer Caroline bassador to Portugal. Tom. In the afternoon, he traveled to Naval The President announced that he has Station Pearl Harbor, where, in the dining nominated William H. Frist and Kenneth room of the Admiral’s residence, he had Francis Hackett to be members of the Mil- lunch with military commanders. He then re- lennium Challenge Corporation. turned to Washington, DC, arriving the fol- The President announced that he has lowing morning. nominated William Delahunt, George E. The President declared a major disaster in Pataki, and Ted Poe to be U.S. Representa- North Dakota and ordered Federal aid to tives to the 62d Session of the United Nations supplement State and local recovery efforts General Assembly. in the area struck by severe storms and a The President announced that he has tornado from August 26–27. nominated Kelly G. Knight and Rodger D. Young to be Alternate U.S. Representatives September 10 to the 62d Session of the United Nations In the morning, the President had an intel- General Assembly. ligence briefing. Later, he had a video tele- The President announced his intention to conference with Prime Minister Nuri al- appoint the following individuals as members Maliki of Iraq. of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Ken- In the afternoon, the President met with nedy Center for the Performing Arts: Judith Secretary of Health and Human Services Mi- Ann Eisenberg; David Girard-diCarlo; C. chael O. Leavitt to discuss the initial report Michael Kojaian; Donna Garff Marriott; Wil- by the Interagency Working Group on Im- liam C. Powers; and Joseph E. Robert, Jr. port Safety. September 11 September 13 In the morning, the President had an intel- In the morning, the President had an intel- ligence briefing. Later, at St. John’s Epis- ligence briefing. Later, in the Oval Office, copal Church, he attended a service of prayer he participated in a photo opportunity with and remembrance to commemorate the sixth the 2007 Secretary of Defense Employer anniversary of the September 11, 2001, ter- Support Freedom Award recipients. rorist attacks. Then, at 8:46 a.m., on the South Lawn, he and Mrs. Bush participated September 14 in a moment of silence to honor the anniver- In the morning, the President had an intel- sary of the attacks. ligence briefing. Later, he traveled to Marine The President announced that he has Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, VA. named Henry C. Lozano as Deputy Assistant In the afternoon, the President returned to the President and Director of USA Free- to Washington, DC. He then traveled to dom Corps. Camp David, MD. The President declared a major disaster in September 12 Iowa and ordered Federal aid to supplement In the morning, the President had an intel- State and local recovery efforts in the area ligence briefing. Later, in the Family The- struck by severe storms and flooding from ater, he participated in a speech preparation August 17–September 5.

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Nominations States of America to the Portuguese Repub- Submitted to the Senate lic. Rodger D. Young, The following list does not include promotions of of Michigan, to be an Alternate Representa- members of the Uniformed Services, nominations tive of the United States of America to the to the Service Academies, or nominations of For- Sixty-second Session of the General Assem- eign Service officers. bly of the United Nations.

Submitted September 12 William Delahunt, of Massachusetts, to be a Representative of Checklist the United States of America to the Sixty- of White House Press Releases second Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The following list contains releases of the Office William H. Frist, of the Press Secretary that are neither printed as items nor covered by entries in the Digest of of Tennessee, to be a member of the Board Other White House Announcements. of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of 3 years, vice Chris- tine Todd Whitman, resigned. Released September 8 Transcript of a press briefing by Deputy Kenneth Francis Hackett, of Maryland, to be a member of the Board Press Secretary Dana Perino, Deputy Na- of Directors of the Millennium Challenge tional Security Adviser Jim Jeffrey, Deputy Corporation for a term of 2 years (reappoint- National Security Adviser for International ment). Economic Affairs Dan Price, and Council of Environmental Quality Chairman Jim Kelly G. Knight, Connaughton on APEC meetings of Kentucky, to be an Alternate Representa- Statement by the Deputy Press Secretary on tive of the United States of America to the disaster assistance to North Dakota Sixty-second Session of the General Assem- bly of the United Nations. Fact sheet: More Than 8.2 Million Jobs Cre- ated Since August 2003 George E. Pataki, of New York, to be a Representative of the Released September 9 United States of America to the Sixty-second Fact sheet: Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera- Session of the General Assembly of the tion (APEC) 2007 United Nations. Released September 10 Ted Poe, Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- of Texas, to be a Representative of the retary Tony Snow United States of America to the Sixty-second Session of the General Assembly of the Transcript of a press briefing by Health and United Nations. Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt and National Economic Council Di- Daniel V. Speckhard, rector Allan B. Hubbard on import safety of Wisconsin, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, to be Ambassador Ex- Released September 11 traordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Transcript of a press briefing by Press Sec- States of America to Greece. retary Tony Snow Thomas F. Stephenson, Fact sheet: The Sixth Anniversary of 9/11: of California, to be Ambassador Extraor- Remembering Lives Lost and Heroic Sac- dinary and Plenipotentiary of the United rifices Made

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