MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. Hello to my mom in the back, my mom and my sister -- friends. (Applause.) I don't usually get that reception in here. (Laughter.)

MS. PERINO: Hi. I don't have anything to start with. Sorry I'm late.

MS. PERINO: Hello. One announcement for you. Tomorrow President Bush will deliver remarks at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives National Conference. During his speech he will highlight the Initiative's record of helping millions in need across the country and around the world. We are working on getting you excerpts that will be released later this afternoon. I have two, though, that I can give you now.

MS. PERINO: One announcement. President Bush continues to call on the Senate to swiftly clear the pipeline of all pending nominations. Currently there are 394 nominations pending in the Senate. These nominations cumulatively represent more than 50,000 days of missed opportunity in roles that are critical to our nation's security and prosperity. Most of these nominations are for military promotions, career promotions, or non-controversial appointments whose terms expire at the end of this administration. And before leaving for its 4th of July recess the Senate should fulfill its constitutional obligations to provide these pending nominees a fair up or down vote. The President believes it's time for the Senate to finally judge the President's nominees by their qualifications and not by the political calendar.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. I don't have anything to start off with, so --

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon. I just have just one quick announcement for you on a -- FEMA will be hosting a conference call this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. to talk about the federal response to flooding. This will be at 2:00 p.m, and if you just check in with FEMA and they'll get you the information for call-in and they'll tell you about the whole federal response to the region affected by the flooding.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. A quick schedule update, announcement, and then we'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: All right. Let me give you one update. The President called Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt today. He wished him a happy Swedish National Day, and also thanked him for hosting a successful International Compact of Iraq meeting in Stockholm.

MS. PERINO: Good morning -- afternoon. One quick announcement. President Bush wanted to thank Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake today for participating in a groundbreaking of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. This Center is a state-of-the-art facility that will treat American troops and veterans who are suffering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health issues. The project is being funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides assistance to our nation's military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of duties.

MR. HADLEY: Good afternoon. On Monday, the President and Mrs. Bush will travel to Europe to participate in the summit between the United States and European Union in Slovenia. They will also make bilateral stops in Germany, Italy, the Holy See, France, and the United Kingdom.

MS. PERINO: A quick announcement: The President met this morning with a group of preeminent economists to highlight the passage of two tax cuts that have proven to help lift our economy out of recession in 2001, and following the economic slowdown after the 9/11 attacks. Those tax cuts led to a long period of economic growth and to the longest unbroken run of job growth on record, which was 52 consecutive months, and only recently ended when we started experiencing the slowdown in the housing market and in the high energy prices that we continue to experience.

MS. PERINO: Okay, I've got two things for you -- I said I would have the radio address preview and tomorrow's commencement address. In this week's radio address the President will outline several important legislative matters pending in front of Congress and note the dwindling number of days they have left in session to get this work done.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have one announcement. First of all, we wish Deb Riechmann a happy birthday. (Applause.) So I guess I have two announcements.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I do not have anything to lead off with, so questions?

MR. STANZEL: Good afternoon, everyone; let's go right to questions.

MS. PERINO: Hello. A couple of announcements. First of all, President Bush called Russian President Medvedev today to congratulate him on his inauguration. The two leaders underscored the importance of the U.S.-Russia relationship, and they look forward to working together, with the recent Sochi agreement being used as a basis for future cooperation. They discussed briefly the recent 123 Agreement regarding nuclear energy that was signed last week in Moscow. And President Bush raised his concerns about the situation in Georgia, and hope that all sides were working to reduce tensions. The two Presidents said they look forward to seeing each other at the G8 in Japan.

MS. PERINO: Hi, how is everybody? Two announcements for you. First of all, the President is pleased that the U.S.-Russian Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy -- also known as a 123 Agreement -- was signed today in Moscow, Russia. The conclusion of this agreement, which advances U.S.-Russia non-proliferation and civil nuclear energy cooperation goals, has been a priority for both President Bush and President Putin.

MR. STANZEL: Good afternoon. I have one brief announcement and then I'll take your questions.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. I actually have nothing to lead off with, so we can go straight to questions. Terry, you ready?

MS. PERINO: Good morning. One quick statement. This morning the Commerce Department gave its first estimate on first quarter GDP. They estimate that the economy grew by 0.6 percent in the first quarter. This represents a small but positive growth in the United States economy, and it is about what you have heard us say we were expecting in this quarter.

MS. PERINO: A couple of announcements. As I mentioned last week, the President will travel to St. Louis, Missouri this Friday; the topic will be on the economy, and then more details to come on locations and logistics.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everyone. I don't have anything to start with, so we'll go straight to questions.

MS. PERINO: Hello. Three announcements for you, and then I'll go to questions. Today, as you saw, with the concurrence of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary Gates has recommended, and the President has approved and will nominate, General David Petraeus as the new Commander of Central Command. In addition, he will withdraw the nomination of Lieutenant General Ray Odierno to be the Army Vice Chief of Staff, and nominate him instead to return to Baghdad as the new Multi-National Force Iraq Commander, replacing General Petraeus. And finally, the President will also nominate Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.

MR. FRATTO: Sorry to make you wait on this beautiful Friday afternoon. The reason for waiting is because we were going to get this picture up here. Let's see. Now? Now? One more. "I'm going to get Pete Seat." (Laughter.) Well, technical difficulties in the White House Press Briefing Room. We'll see if we can get it working -- there we go, all right. (Applause.)

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. Rowdy crowd. A little bit on today's activities, and then I'm going to turn it over to Jim Connaughton before I finish up with other questions.

MS. PERINO: Let me start off just with a couple of comments about the President welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to America today. Tomorrow in his remarks, the President will say to the Holy Father that millions of Americans have been praying for his visit. He will also say to the Holy Father that the nation he will visit is a nation of prayer that welcomes the faithful. He will tell him that the hearts of the American people are open to the Holy Father's message of hope. And he will hear from the President that America and the world need to hear his message that God is love, that human life is sacred, that we all must be guided by common moral law, and that we have responsibilities to care for our brothers and sisters in need at home and across the world.

MS. PERINO: The President this morning spent time in his Cabinet meeting talking about his ongoing concern about people who are suffering in the world, especially when it comes to those that are hungry. The United States is the largest food provider for emergency food needed in the world. In fiscal year 2007 we provided more than $2.1 billion of food aid, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide. We usually provide about 45 to 50 percent of all emergency food aid every year.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. I said earlier today I would try to get you details on the logistics for tomorrow, and I have. It's quite simple -- the President will make remarks at 11:30 a.m. at the -- in the Cross Hall. We'll do expanded press pool.

MS. PERINO: Here at the White House today, obviously we're paying attention to the General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testimony. And the President said that he would try, if possible, to watch a bit of it in between his appointments today. He has quite a full schedule. And so we'll give you more information about that in a little bit.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. You saw the President's remarks earlier -- about an hour ago -- announcing that he was sending up a Colombia trade promotion agreement, or the pre-trade agreement to Congress, signing the transmittal documents for that today. We invited the President's Trade Representative, Sue Schwab, here with you today.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have one scheduling update for you. Well, actually -- I'm sorry -- two. Tomorrow, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley will do an on-camera briefing at 3:15 p.m. on the President's upcoming trip to Ukraine, Romania and Croatia. Again, that's tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. So that will be our on-camera briefing tomorrow.

MS. PERINO: Hello. As you know, we have the Easter Egg Roll going on, on the South Lawn at the moment. And then this morning I told you President Bush met with his National Security Council, including General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, who beamed in from Baghdad, regarding Iraq and their upcoming testimony in the way forward. He will be getting additional briefings on Wednesday, at the Pentagon, from the Joint Chiefs and Secretary Gates, among others. And that is all in the lead up to April 8th and 9th, when Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus will provide Congress an update on Iraq.

MS. PERINO: It's one of those days I have nothing to start with.

MS. PERINO: Okay, a couple of announcements. As you may have seen, there is severe weather hampering the middle part of the country -- hammering the middle part of the country, I should say. The administration continues to monitor the severe weather in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and Texas. And FEMA has activated regional response coordination centers and it has liaisons working with the affected states.

MS. PERINO: I don't have anything to start with, so I can go straight to questions.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. I have just a couple of quick announcements, and then we can get to questions. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee this morning voted out legislation to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. That's the PEPFAR program. The President, on his trip to Africa a few weeks ago, talked extensively of this program. We commend the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for moving this bill quickly, and certainly want to see it enacted into law so the President can sign it. This is a wonderful program where American tax dollars and American ingenuity in how we designed this program are saving lots of lives in places like Africa and other PEPFAR focused countries. So we certainly want to see this move quickly.

MS. PERINO: Hi. A couple of announcements. President Bush has asked Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates to travel to Moscow on March 17th and 18th for two-plus-two consultations with their Russian counterparts. The Secretaries held similar consultations with those individuals back in October -- October 12, 2007. And as in October, the agenda will cover a broad range of bilateral, strategic issues, including missile defense, post START arrangements, cooperation on nonproliferation, as well as counterterrorism.

MS. PERINO: A quick readout. The President and Prime Minister Tusk discussed defense issues this morning, including missile defense, air defenses there in Poland, Iraq and Afghanistan. And the President reiterated the United States' commitment to Polish security as a friend and NATO ally, and they discussed concrete cooperation in this regard.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have one scheduling announcement for you for next Friday: The President will travel to New York City, where he will make remarks on the economy to the New York Economic Club; so we give you that update.

MS. PERINO: Hello. Just a few -- couple of announcements for you. Today USA Freedom Corps launched the Financial Literacy Volunteer Initiative, to mobilize volunteers who can help homeowners improve their financial literacy and avoid foreclosure in the wake of America's transitioning housing market. The new initiative provides tools and resources for Americans who are interested in sharing their financial services, nonprofits in need of skilled volunteers, and homeowners who are seeking financial guidance. And more information can be found at their website, at volunteer.gov.

MS. PERINO: Hello, welcome everybody. One quick note about the Middle East peace process. The Israelis and the Palestinians have said that they will return to talks, and we are encouraged by this development. We know there's a lot more work that needs to be done, but the President is pleased that Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas are not going to be deterred from the potential to achieve peace and security by establishing a framework for what a Palestinian state would look like before the end of his term.

MS. PERINO: Hi. Sorry getting started late, but you had the President making comments and they had to feed the tape back. Not a lot of people here. Since you had the President, I'll take any questions you have.

MS. PERINO: Two statements for you. Today we learned that William F. Buckley has passed away and that has saddened everyone here at the White House. Mr. Buckley was a longtime friend of the Bush family. I informed the President of Mr. Buckley's death at 11:45 a.m., while the President was in the Oval Office.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. A couple of announcements. One, the statement on housing, just an update. As the housing market continues to transition, President Bush is helping responsible homeowners across America through a series of targeted actions. This past fall, you may remember, he announced the creation of FHASecure, which is a program giving HUD's Federal Housing Administration greater flexibility to help Americans by offering more home mortgage financing and also refinancing options for people who need it.

MS. PERINO: Hello. A couple of announcements. One thing, earlier today the Treasury Department issued sanctions against some elements of the regime in Burma. And the President will have a statement about that after this. I won't read it for you here because it's quite long -- I'll spare you that -- but it will be released soon.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. One note: On the schedule, as you know, the President, at 3:00 p.m., is going to have remarks on the African American History Month. Because of the -- the speech is happening a little bit later in the day, at 3:00 p.m., soon we will be able to release the remarks as prepared for delivery, so you'll have those.

MS. PERINO: This morning, as you all know, Congressman Tom Lantos passed away. The President spoke to Mrs. Annette Lantos to express his sorrow about the passing of her husband this morning. He also called Speaker Pelosi, since he knows how very close the two of them were. And here is a statement by the President that we will release in text right after this.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have a short opening statement for you.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have one update on the President's schedule this morning. He was able to connect with four members of the New York Giants. He called co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch; and then the Coach, Tom Coughlin, and Quarterback Eli Manning. He called each of them separately and he wished them his congratulations for the historic victory last night.

MS. PERINO: Hello. A little bit of a longer opening, since we're doing a combo gaggle and briefing since the President is traveling today, so bear with me. And in this opening I will give you the preview that I promised yesterday about the State of the Union.

MS. PERINO: First, a note for Connie Lawn, who is celebrating 40 years in the business. And she brought treats for everybody in our office, which you're welcome to partake in. (Applause.) Yea for Connie.

MS. PERINO: Good morning. Two schedule updates for you. The President, this morning at 10:00 a.m., met with his economic advisors, including Secretary Paulson, to discuss the global financial markets and the economic growth package that Secretary Paulson is negotiating with Capitol Hill on behalf of the President.

MR. FRATTO: Hello, everyone. I don't have anything for you. I can go straight to questions.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon. Actually, I have nothing to lead with, so we can go straight to questions.

MS. PERINO: Happy New Year. Good to see you. I have nothing to start with. I'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have an update for you on the fire. Today, at 9:15 a.m., the D.C. Fire Department received a call about smoke in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building -- that's also known as the EEOB. Firefighters arrived and found that the second floor through the fifth floor of the EEOB was fairly filled with smoke. They located an area on the second floor of the EEOB. Initial reports is that it appears to be an electrical room, a closet -- or a telephone bank, they're not quite sure and we'll get more information from the U.S. Secret Service and D.C. firefighters later, I'm sure. But they do believe that that area is the origin of the fire.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have two for you, first the news that you've been asking for for a while, and we tried to get to you, but we can do it today, which is details, as many as we can give you today, on the President's trip to the Middle East.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I realize I don't have anything to start with, because we released the President's statement on Lebanon. So I'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Two quick announcements. Last night, Republican candidates in Virginia and Ohio won strong victories in elections for the United States House of Representatives. And this morning, President Bush called Rob Wittman and Bob Latta to congratulate them on their victories and tell them that he looked forward to working with them in Washington.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. This morning I told you about the federal response in helping deal with the severe winter storms impacting the Midwest, and I wanted to provide you an update on the federal response. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families who've lost loved ones because of the storm. This morning, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff briefed the President about the storms, and provided him an update on our efforts to assist state and local authorities with the response. The President will continue to receive updates as appropriate.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have one quick statement. Today is International Human Rights Day, and last week the President met with Syrian and Belarusian democracy activists. And this morning Mrs. Bush held an event on Burma. Today, Secretary Rice is going to be making an announcement on some awards that the President called for in his speech on freedom when he was in Prague, so look for that; and then there will be a statement from me following.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I don't have anything to start with on this Friday, so I'll go straight to questions. Jennifer.

MS. PERINO: Hi, everybody. Just a quick comment. The President, as you know, at 1:40 p.m., is going to make a statement after getting a briefing from Secretaries Paulson and Jackson on housing. In August, the President proposed legislative reforms to assist struggling homeowners. Among the President's reform proposals was Federal Housing Administration modernization. The President actually proposed that first in April of 2006. He's also proposed tax reform, endorsing one of Senator Sabenow's proposals on that regard.

MR. HADLEY: Good afternoon, I'm Steve Hadley, the President's National Security Advisor. I want to talk a little bit about the recent National Intelligence Estimate that was released to the executive branch and to the Congress today. There was an earlier briefing this afternoon by the Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Don Kerr, and also by the Director of Central Intelligence, Mike Hayden. And I wanted to give a little bit more context and set the findings of the NIE in a broader historical perspective.

MS. PERINO: It's been our great pleasure to work with Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News. And today is her last day covering the White House full-time, and so we wish you the very best in your -- (applause.)

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have one statement for you. This is a statement from the President, so in his voice, and then we'll release it: Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of former Congressman Henry Hyde. From his service in the Navy during World War II, until his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives last year, Henry Hyde led a life devoted to public service.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have two statements. Today the President will release a statement regarding the Energy Information Administration's Final Report, which includes U.S. greenhouse gas emissions for 2006.

MS. PERINO: Hi, everyone. Sorry for the late briefing again, but we've had a couple of busy days, as you know. The President had his normal briefings at 8:00 a.m., and then he went to Annapolis, as you know, and he gave a speech -- we'll have more on that in a moment. And you already heard from the President.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Sorry to be a little bit later today, but it was for good reason. I have a couple of statements by the President -- these are in his words -- one on Russia, and one on Senator Lott. And then I'll have a little bit of information for you about the meetings he's had today.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. I'll lead with a couple things, and then we'll go to questions. I talked a little bit about this at the gaggle this morning, but I'm going to -- as we saw now, the votes in the Senate this morning, Congress has now left for a two-week vacation without appropriating the necessary funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once again, they tried to pass a bill that provides incremental funding, tries to micromanage the war from the halls of Congress. It includes an arbitrary withdrawal date, an aim that has absolutely no relevance to the significant successes we're seeing on the ground in Iraq.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. A couple of announcements for you that I mentioned earlier today. In advance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, when millions of Americans travel to see loved ones, the President is announcing measures the federal government can take to help alleviate potential congestions and address the concerns of air travelers. As you all know, airline delays can cause significant headaches for American travelers. Delays and cancellations cause people to miss meetings and family gatherings.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have two announcements. The first one is that President Bush welcomes the agreement by the International Monetary Fund shareholders to finance debt relief for Liberia. The United States, in partnership with the G8 and the management of the IMF, the World Bank, and African Development Bank, worked hard to secure the funding necessary for 100 percent multilateral debt relief. This follows our commitment to provide $391 million in bilateral debt relief for Liberia. And collectively, this will unlock significant resources in support of the economic turnaround begun by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. We'll have a statement out on that shortly.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have one statement and then I'll introduce our guest briefer.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. In about an hour, President Bush will meet -- in less than an hour, President Bush will meet with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey. He will there talk about our important relationship and longstanding partnership with our ally in the Middle East. They will discuss the challenge posed by the PKK terrorists, and the President's commitment to working with Turkey to eliminate that risk. They will also discuss the Iraq Neighbors Conference that was held in Istanbul over the weekend. And the President plans to bring up his support of Turkey's aspiration to join the European Union.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. I do not have anything to start off with, so I'll go straight to your questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. One announcement before questions. Today at 2:00 p.m., the President will announce, in the Roosevelt Room, his nominee for U.S. Department of Agriculture. Governor Ed Schafer has a record of leadership, business and government, agriculture leadership, a fantastic governor who was reelected by wide bipartisan margins in North Dakota. He has strong bipartisan support in his state. He's well-known throughout the agriculture community. The President believes he has the right experience for the job. And if confirmed, he will work on passing responsible legislation to advance the President's trade agenda, he will work on the farm bill, and also on the President's conservation efforts, including both land use as well as ethanol and biodiesel development.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have three announcements. First of all, President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Washington on November 5, 2007. The Prime Minister's visit underscores the important relationship and friendship and the alliance between the United States and Turkey. The President looks forward to continuing discussions with the Prime Minister on a range of issues on our common agenda, including the fight against terrorism, in particular our joint efforts to counter the PKK, and the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and the broader Middle East. The President and the Prime Minister will also discuss U.S. support for Turkey's ascension to the European Union and Turkey's efforts towards that goal.

MS. PERINO: Happy Friday. I do not have anything to start with.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have two announcements and then a scheduling update, and then we'll go to questions. First of all, this is a statement by the President that we will release, so this is in his words: The confirmation of Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is a victory for America's judicial system and for the citizens of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Today's bipartisan vote resolves a longstanding judicial emergency and will help the people of the 5th Circuit operate more effectively. Judge Southwick is a man of character and intelligence who will apply the law fairly. And I appreciate the Senate's approval of his nomination.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have three things to go over with you before we go to questions. First of all, the President continues to monitor the situation in southern California regarding the wildfires. He's being provided updates by senior staff. And Secretary Chertoff and FEMA Administrator Paulison are on their way to southern California as I speak. Tonight they will provide the President with an update on ongoing federal efforts and the situation on the ground in southern California.

MR. FRATTO: Good afternoon, everyone. As you know, the President and the President of Mongolia signed the MCC Compact today. And the President is in lunch with the President of Mongolia now.

MS. PERINO: It's Friday; I have two announcements and then will take your questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Welcome back to the briefing room after a long weekend. A couple of announcements, and then we'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have a couple of announcements -- well, three announcements. Shortly you'll hear from the President about the deficit numbers that have come in. It is significantly narrowed from last year. And today's results are further proof that tax relief, combined with spending restraint, leads to economic growth. You'll hear from the President about that, as well as his commitment to making sure that we keep good economic policies going, and don't allow Democrats in Congress to run wild with the nation's checkbook as we go through the appropriations bills fights this fall.

MS. PERINO: I forgot one schedule update that I needed to give you this morning, so -- sorry, I should have done it before I came out here. On Monday, October 15th, the President will leave Crawford and travel to Rogers, Arkansas. He'll have a full day of events there, and he will underscore the importance of pro-growth economic policies and spending restraint to ensure continued economic prosperity and lowering of the federal budget deficit. We'll have details on that trip for you later today.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have nothing to start with, so --

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. One statement on Burma and another statement on a domestic issue, and then we can go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I do not have anything to start with, so we can go to questions.

MS. PERINO: A quick readout and then a preview of tomorrow. President Bush and Iraqi President Talabani met today for about an hour in the Oval Office. The two leaders had a very good meeting. They covered a range of subjects. They spoke about the importance for Iraq to move forward on national reconciliation, including following through on the Leaders Agreement that was signed on August 26th in Iraq.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have a statement on Burma, before taking your questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Happy Friday. I have nothing to begin with; go ahead. Kelly.

MS. PERINO: Hi, everybody. Welcome back to the briefing room. I have a statement by the President on Burma that I will read out for him, and then a statement about the FAA actions, and then I'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Happy Friday. Sorry I'm a little late. I have nothing to start with, so we'll go to questions. Does anyone have a question? (Laughter.) If not, I've got plenty of other things to do.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have two statements, and then I'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Brief opening statement, and then we'll go to questions. Congress is starting this week another discussion, a series of hearings looking at the FISA reforms that we passed early in August. That's the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The DNI, Mike McConnell, is testifying today. Those reforms we enacted were critical to closing the intelligence gap that was preventing our intelligence community from fully protecting us from those who wished to do us harm. And we are seeking to make those reforms permanent.

MS. PERINO: Greetings everybody. (Applause.) Let me start off just by reiterating something that took place this morning. The President has nominated his intention to send up the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey. He is a federal judge from New York. He's got a wealth of experience. He will be our 81st Attorney General if he is confirmed. He was first appointed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. He served 18 years as a federal judge, six of those as the chief judge. He possesses a tremendous amount of experience as a prosecutor, as a judge, and has handled some of the nation's most complicated terrorism-related cases.

MR. SNOW: (Enters to applause.) Well, let me say, back at you. Let me start on an unusual note for a press briefing, just to give a lot of thanks to a lot of people, and I want to start with you.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon all. The President's schedule: at 7:30 a.m., he, the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney attended a service of prayer and remembrance at St. John's Episcopal Church. The President and Mrs. Bush, and the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney participated in a moment of silence on the South Lawn at 8:46 a.m. Normal briefings this morning.

MR. SNOW: Hello, everybody. Before questions, just one little piece of news. The President had a regular SVTS with Prime Minister Maliki this morning. They discussed the Anbar trip. The President thanked the Prime Minister for coming out and for meeting with him there. The Maliki government subsequently has brought nearly $120 million to Anbar, which is part of the Anbar forum that they held last Thursday. They discussed regional politics and making clear that -- and also the Prime Minister's visits to Syria and Iran, made it clear that -- both sides made it clear that they're looking for actions, not words. They discussed meetings just held in Baghdad with all the neighbors, the Arab League and so on.

MR. SNOW: Hello, everyone. A quick announcement before I take your questions. President Bush will welcome Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates to the White House on September 17, 2007, in the Prime Minister's dual role as Prime Minister and head of the European Union presidency. President Bush looks forward to discussing a broad range of issues of shared interest, including Afghanistan, the Middle East, transatlantic relations, advancing peace and security in Afghanistan and the Middle East, ending genocide in Darfur, enhancing cooperation on international trade, counterterrorism, energy security and climate change. The President welcomes the opportunity to discuss with the Prime Minister ways to build on our strong relations with the European Union under Portuguese leadership.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. A few things up front. This afternoon we're going to give you the results of the President's physical exam. It's actually been conducted in a series of exams over the last couple of weeks. Doctors have determined that the President remains in superior fitness for a man his age -- anybody who has seen him on the bike or out and about certainly knows that -- and that he is fit for duty.

MR. STANZEL: Good afternoon, everyone. I don't have anything off the top, so I'll take your questions.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. Let me begin by just summarizing some of the points the President made today in his comments after the Cabinet meeting. Much of the Cabinet meeting was, in fact, devoted to talking about future priorities for this administration, the President saying that he's certainly eager to continue the work between now and the end of this administration.

MR. SNOW: Hello, good afternoon. I've got a fairly lengthy opening here. I'll apologize, but it's packed with information so I'm sure you'll be grateful.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. A couple of preliminary notes, and then I'll take your questions. First, the President had a call today with Canadian Prime Minister Harper. They talked for 20 minutes. The two leaders, along with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, will meet on August 20 and 21st, in Montebello, Canada. It will be the third time that the three North American leaders have met during this administration.

MR. SNOW: Here we go. Questions.

MR. SNOW: Hello, everybody. As you probably know, the House Judiciary Committee has just voted along partisan lines to have a criminal contempt of Congress referral against White House legal counsel and the White House Chief of Staff. For our view, this is pathetic. What you have right now is partisanship on Capitol Hill that quite often boils down to insults, insinuations, inquisitions and investigations rather than pursuing the normal business of trying to pass major pieces of legislation, such as appropriations bills, and to try to work in such a way as to demonstrate to the American people that Congress and the White House can work together.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. First we'll begin with an announcement about the President's health. Microscopic evaluations of the polyps discovered and removed during the President's colonoscopy confirmed the preliminary diagnosis, tubular adenoma. There were five such polyps. The President's next colonoscopy should be in three years, the rule of thumb is if you have more than three such polyps you do your surveillance periods for three years.

MR. SNOW: As Bill Plante just said, let's begin by welcoming back Bret Baier. You've been in a lot of our thoughts and prayers, and very happy to hear the Bret's son has come through some very testing surgery, coming through with flying colors. Applause. There's no fear like a parent worrying about a kid. So, God bless you. Just very happy to hear it.

MR. SNOW: All right. First, one announcement, a war on terror-related announcement, before we get to questions.

MS. TOWNSEND: Good morning, everybody. Earlier today, the Director of National Intelligence briefed the President and senior staff on the new National Intelligence Estimate on the terrorist threat to the homeland. The DNI has delivered the NIE to Congress and has released the unclassified key judgments, which you should now have. The Office of the DNI has already briefed the media this morning on the report and the key judgments and so I will not go into much of that detail.

MR. SNOW: Okay, a couple of things to read out for you before we go to questions.

MR. SNOW: All right. Questions.

MR. SNOW: All right, welcome, everybody. Before we get started, I thought maybe it would be a nice time to honor some of the people who made this new briefing room possible, and I asked them to come forward. We'll do some quick introductions for those who are in the room, and then we will get about our daily business of doing the briefing.

President Bush on Wednesday said, "The relationship between the President and the press is a unique relationship, and it's a necessary relationship. I enjoy it. I hope you do. As I say, sometimes you don't like the decisions I make, and sometimes I don't like the way you write about the decisions. But nevertheless, it's a really important part of our process."

MR. SNOW: All right, good afternoon. Questions.

MR. STANZEL: Good afternoon, everybody. Happy July 5th. Hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. I don't have anything off the top, so I'll take your questions.

MR. SNOW: Good morning. Good to see you all. Couple of notes, first on the President's day. The President had his normal briefings in the morning. At 10:30 a.m. he'll have a visit with wounded military personnel at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

MR. SNOW: Feeling nostalgic?

MR. SNOW: Hello. How may I help you?

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. A schedule update for you from this morning. The President spoke this morning with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki via secure video teleconference from the Situation Room. The Prime Minister provided an update on the status of several important measures before the Iraqi parliament, and he reemphasized the importance of advancing these measures and of making progress on political reconciliation within Iraq.

MS. PERINO: Happy Friday. One quick announcement. Today the governor of Wyoming appointed John Barrasso to fill the vacancy caused by the unfortunate death of U.S. Senator Craig Thomas. The President looks forward to working with Mr. Barrasso as he begins his work on behalf of our nation and the people of Wyoming. I should say Senator Barrasso. If there is more to update on that later, we'll get it to you.

MR. SNOW: Just getting organized. Hello. Questions.

MR. SNOW: As you all know, nine firefighters in Charleston, South Carolina died last night while fighting a blaze. A building collapsed upon them. It was the deadliest such incident in 35 years, and once again calls into memory the heroism of people who, on a routine basis, place their lives at risk so they can save others.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon.

MR. SNOW: All right, a couple of notes up front. Is Chris here?

MR. SNOW: Hello, everybody. Questions.

MR. SNOW: Good morning, everybody.

MR. HADLEY: Good afternoon. On Monday, June 4, the President and Mrs. Bush will depart for the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Bulgaria. The President is looking forward to this opportunity to meet with friends and allies and strengthen the transatlantic relationship, as well as attend the G8 summit.

MR. SNOW: Welcome. As you heard just a few minutes ago, the President gave extensive remarks on international development and the international development agenda leading up to the G8. Among other things, he described his ideas that will be presented to the G8 ministers about the environment, and I figured the best person to answer any questions and all questions about it is Jim Connaughton, who is the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, and the President's top environmental advisor, somebody who has been deeply involved in the crafting of this policy.

MR. SNOW: Helen, to answer your question from this morning, the President met this morning by secure video teleconference with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and two members of the Presidency Council, Vice President Tariq Hashimi and Vice President Adel Mahdi. It's the first time the President has met this group, the Prime Minister plus the Presidency Council, via secure teleconference. He thanked the leaders for joining him and looks forward to future such meetings, which also will include President Jalal Talabani, who, as you know, has been in the United States for medical treatment. The President will, however, meet tomorrow with President Talabani here at the White House.

MR. SNOW: Ready for questions.

MR. SNOW: I am at your interrogatory disposal.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. Before we start, been a lot of debate about the supplemental on Capitol Hill and we've talked about some of the funding dislocations that have been taking place. Let me just have a couple of note here.

MR. SNOW: Hello. One additional item before we get to questions. The President this morning had a call with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. Prime Minister Abe gave the President a readout of the Prime Minister's visit to the Middle East, including visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar.

MR. SNOW: Before we get to questions, let me read out a couple of foreign leader calls, and then we'll get to questions.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon.

MR. SNOW: Good afternoon. We have one addition to what I read out this morning. The President had a secure video teleconference this morning with Prime Minister Maliki, 25 minutes with staff in, the remainder, and I don't know how long that lasted, was a one on one. I can tell you that at least during the conversations in front of staff the President congratulated the Prime Minister on the conferences in Sharm el Sheikh. The Prime Minister, in turn, thanked the President for his support.

MS. PERINO: Hello, good afternoon. A few announcements, and then we'll go to questions

MR. SNOW: Questions.

MR. SNOW: Fire away. Questions.

MS. PERINO: Eighty days after President Bush submitted his troop funding bill, the Senate has now joined the House in passing defeatist legislation that insists on a date for surrender, micro manages our commanders and generals in combat zones from 6,000 miles away, and adds billions of dollars in unrelated spending to the fighting on the ground.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have no opening statements, I'll just go straight to questions. Terry.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I'm going to start off today with a statement by the President that will be released after I provide it to you here, about the death of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

MS. PERINO: I have a few announcements, and then we'll get ready to answer your questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have several announcements and then we'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. Happy Friday. Okay, I don't have anything to announce. I'll just go to questions.

MS. PERINO: You heard from the President this morning. The United States strongly condemns the attack on the Iraqi parliament against the democratically elected government of Iraq. This attack demonstrates that the terrorists and extremists will go to great lengths to disrupt the Iraqi government, one that is working for peace and stability in not only their own country, but in the region. The United States and Iraq cannot and will not let those terrorists succeed. We continue to monitor the situation, and we are a part of the investigation to find out how it happened, and we will provide you as many updates as we can as the day continues.

MS. PERINO: I have two announcements, and then I'll take questions. It has been 65 days since the President requested emergency funding for our troops. Our military leaders have said they need this funding by mid April to avoid significant disruptions and hardships. Yet the Senate's Majority Leader insists that they will be fine until June, and yesterday said the urgency is only in the President's head.

MS. PERINO: Welcome back, everybody. I don't have any opening announcements, so we can go straight to questions.

MS. PERINO: One announcement, and then we'll go to questions.

MS. PERINO: Good morning. Good Friday afternoon, I'm sorry. It's been 53 days since the President requested funding for the troops. We sent up the budget on February 5th, and in addition to sending up the budget we sent the supplemental, as well. You may recall in years past we had been somewhat criticized by members of Congress that they wanted more information sooner, that they didn't like the supplementals coming sort of mid year. And so Rob Portman, having heard that criticism, addressed that concern, and we released them at the same time, on February 5th. And every day that the Congress fails to act on this request causes our military hardship and impacts readiness. And you heard from General Pace on that yesterday.

MS. PERINO: Just a couple of announcements, and then we'll go to questions. You heard the President this morning. He had a meeting with the House Republican Conference, in which they talked about a range of issues, and the President took some questions from the members. Two of the main things the President talked about was the Iraq war supplemental and the 2008 budget resolution that the House is currently debating. The President said he would veto a bill that restricts his commanders on the ground in Iraq, and a bill that doesn't fully fund our troops, and a bill that has got too much spending in it.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I'll start with an opening statement, and then I'll take your questions. As you heard the President today, he talked about, in his speech to the Cattlemen's Association, the Iraqi war supplemental.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. As I was able to tell you this morning, you know that Tony Snow went into surgery yesterday. He told everyone last Friday that he was going to have this surgery. You remember that he said that the doctors had found a small growth, that they had seen over a series of CAT scans and MRIs, that had been identified on his abdomen. It was in the area where his previous cancer had been located.

MS. PERINO: Good afternoon. I have a readout for you this afternoon of the President's meeting with the Big 3 automakers. They had a very good meeting.

MR. SNOW: Questions.

MR. SNOW: A couple of things up top. As you probably know, Senator John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have announced that she has a recurrence of cancer, and that they will still continue a full and vigorous campaign. First, our thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth Edwards.

MR. SNOW: Questions.

MR. SNOW: Hello, all. Three items to open up, and then I'll be happy to take questions.

MR. SNOW: Well, welcome one and all. Several preliminary items of business. First, a couple of foreign leader calls from earlier today. The President spoke to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. They discussed the effort to advance toward a Palestinian state and also peace between Israelis and Palestinians. They talked about Iran, the situation in Lebanon, and, also, the President thanked the King for Saudi Arabia's participation in the recent conference in Iraq.

MR. SNOW: Hello. The President this morning had a good meeting with the Iraqi Vice President, Adil Abd Al-Mahdi. Among other things, the Iraqi Vice President noted that the ongoing security plan in Iraq is going, as he said, better than expected.

MR. SNOW: All right, let me begin with a quick readout of a couple of main, do we have audio on? Is this the mic up? Okay.