Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Monday, July 23, 2001 Volume 37—Number 29 Pages 1043–1075 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 09:04 Jul 25, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P29JY4.000 txed02 PsN: txed02 Contents Addresses and Remarks Joint Statements See also Meetings With Foreign Leaders G–7 Statement—1068 Congressional Medal of Honor, presentation to Capt. Ed W. Freeman—1044 Meetings With Foreign Leaders Italy, satellite remarks from Genoa to a tax relief celebration in Kansas City, MO— G–7 leaders—1068 1071 United Kingdom, Prime Minister Blair—1062 Radio address—1043 United Kingdom, departure from Oxford— Statements by the President 1067 Winston Churchill, bust—1045 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, World Bank—1048 Title III—1047 Death of Katharine Graham—1051 Communications to Congress House of Representatives action Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Faith-Based and Community Initiative— (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, letter on review 1061 of Title III—1048 National energy policy, by committees— Sierra Leone, message transmitting report on national emergency—1051 1051 Interviews With the News Media Supplementary Materials Exchanges with reporters Acts approved by the President—1075 London, United Kingdom—1060 Oval Office—1045 Checklist of White House press releases— Interview with foreign journalists—1051 1075 News conference with Prime Minister Blair of Digest of other White House the United Kingdom in Halton, July 19 announcements—1072 (No. 12)—1062 Nominations submitted to the Senate—1073 Editor’s Note: The President was in Genoa, Italy, on July 20, the closing date of this issue. Releases and announcements issued by the Office of the Press Secretary but not received in time for inclusion in this issue will be printed next week. WEEKLY COMPILATION OF regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10). PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. 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VerDate 11-MAY-2000 09:04 Jul 25, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 W:\DISC\P29JY4.000 txed02 PsN: txed02 Week Ending Friday, July 20, 2001 The President’s Radio Address First, for everyone in retirement or near July 14, 2001 retirement, any changes in their Medicare coverage should be up to them. No senior Good morning. This week in Washington, should have to accept something different if we have turned our attention to the goal of they like Medicare just the way it is. better health care for all Americans. I have Second, all seniors should be offered a asked Congress to send me a strong Patients’ range of new Medicare plans, both Govern- Bill of Rights, one that provides immediate ment and private. Every plan offered to sen- access to specialists and an immediate appeal iors should have at least the same benefits to a panel of doctors when an HMO denies as the Government plan. And all plans must care. I hope to sign a bill that gets people offer prescription drug coverage. help when they need it, not a bill adding hun- Third, everyone enrolled in Medicare dreds of dollars to the high premiums they should have the power to choose which plan already pay. works best for him or her. The plans will I am also asking Congress to join me in compete with each other, forcing them to modernizing and strengthening Medicare. offer better service, extra benefits, and lower All of us, young and old, have a stake in the premiums. outcome of this discussion. From its begin- Fourth, reform must provide special help ning 36 years ago, Medicare has represented to seniors with low incomes and unusually a basic binding commitment to our seniors. high medical costs. We must put caps on the That commitment will always stand. And as amount any senior can be asked to pay in medicine advances and the needs of our sen- a year. And since the reformed Medicare will iors change, Medicare must advance and im- cover prescription drugs, low income seniors prove, as well. will no longer have to pay for costly Medigap The most pressing challenge is the lack of insurance. coverage for prescription drugs. To begin And finally, we must strengthen Medi- solving this problem, I am proposing a new care’s finances and make sure that the bene- national drug discount program for seniors. fits promised to our seniors will be always This is a straightforward, nonbureaucratic there. program which can be in place by January. Medicine in America is constantly improv- Everyone in Medicare will be eligible for a ing, and Medicare must improve at the same drug discount card, costing no more than $1 pace. By these principles, we can assure that or 2 per month. Present this card at a partici- Medicare will always offer seniors the care pating pharmacy, and you will receive a sub- they need with the quality they deserve. stantial discount—at least 10 percent. It’s as Thank you very much for listening. simple as that, and it’s convenient, as well. This program will provide immediate help to seniors without destabilizing Medicare’s fi- nances. Yet, my prescription drug plan is only a first step. We need broader reform to bring NOTE: The address was recorded at 11:21 a.m. Medicare into the 21st century. We need to on July 13 in the Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 14. The expand coverage, improve services, strength- transcript was made available by the Office of the en Medicare financing, and give seniors more Press Secretary on July 13 but was embargoed control over the health care they receive. for release until the broadcast. The Office of the And as Congress takes up legislation, they Press Secretary also released a Spanish language should be guided by some basic principles. transcript of this address. 1043 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 09:06 Jul 25, 2001 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P29JY4.020 txed02 PsN: txed02 1044 July 16 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2001 Remarks on Presenting the By all rights, another President from Texas Congressional Medal of Honor should have had the honor of conferring this to Captain Ed W. Freeman medal. It was in the second year of Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency that Army Captain Ed July 16, 2001 Freeman did something that the men of the 7th Cavalry have never forgotten. Years pass, The President. Please be seated. Good even decades, but the memory of what hap- morning, and welcome to the White House. pened on November 14, 1965, has always Today, for the first time, I will present the stayed with them. Medal of Honor. It’s a unique privilege to For his actions that day, Captain Freeman present the Nation’s highest military distinc- was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. tion to Ed Freeman of Boise, Idaho. This But the men who were there, including the moment is well deserved, and it’s been long commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel in coming. Bruce Crandall, felt a still higher honor was Our White House military unit is accus- called for. Through the unremitting efforts tomed to a lot of great events, but I can as- of Lieutenant Colonel Crandall and many sure you they started this day with a great others, and the persuasive weight from Sen- sense of anticipation. After all, they know ator John McCain, the story now comes to how rare this kind of gathering is and what its rightful conclusion. it means. To be in the presence of one who That story began with the battalion sur- has won the Medal of Honor is a privilege; rounded by the enemy in one of Vietnam’s to be in the room with a group of over 50 fiercest battles. The survivors remember the is a moment none of us will ever forget. desperate fear of almost certain death. They We’re in the presence of more than 50 of remember gunfire that one witness described the bravest men who have ever worn the uni- as the most intense he had ever seen. And form, and I want to welcome you all to the they remember the sight of an unarmed heli- White House. copter coming to their aid. It’s an honor, as well, to welcome The man at the controls flew through the Barbara—a name I kind of like—[laugh- gunfire not once, not 10 times, but at least ter]—Ed’s wife, along with his family mem- 21 times. That single helicopter brought the bers and members of his unit from Vietnam.