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President Bush Signs H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 30, 2008

President Bush Signs H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008
Oval Office

˙ /news/releases/2008/06/20080630.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio


9:48 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. A few moments ago I signed legislation that
funds our troops who are in harm's way. Our nation has no greater
responsibility than supporting our men and women in uniform -- especially
since we're at war. This is a responsibility all of us in Washington share
-- not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. And I want to thank
leaders of the House and Senate for getting this bill to my office.

America remains a nation at war. There are enemies who intend to harm us.
Standing in their way are brave men and women, who put on the uniform, who
raise their right hand, and took an oath to defend our freedom. They
volunteered to deploy in distant lands, far from their families, far from
their homes, and far from comfort of America. And every day, they risk
their lives to defeat our adversaries and to keep our country safe.

We owe these brave Americans our gratitude. We owe them our unflinching
support. And the best way to demonstrate that support is to give them the
resources they need to do their jobs and to prevail. The bill I sign today
does exactly that. It provides necessary funds to support our troops as
they conduct military operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in other
theaters in the war on terror.

I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide
these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders, and without an
artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq. Our troops have driven the
terrorists and extremists from many strongholds in Iraq; today violence is
at the lowest level since March of 2004. As a result of this progress, some
of our troops are coming home as result of our policy called "return on
success." We welcome them home. And with this legislation we send a clear
message to all that are servings [sic] on the front line that our nation
continues to support them.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's military families. They
endure sleepless nights, and the daily struggle of caring for children
while a loved one is serving far from home. We have a responsibility to
provide for them. So I'm pleased that the bill I sign today includes an
expansion of the GI Bill. This legislation will make it easier for our
troops to transfer unused education benefits to their spouses and children.
It will help us to recruit and reward the best military on the face of the
Earth. It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support
our troops every day -- America's great military families.

The bill also includes agreed-upon funding for other critical national
priorities. This bill includes $465 million for the Merida Initiative -- a
partnership with Mexico and nations in Central America to crack down on
violent drug trafficking gangs. The bill includes nearly $2.7 billion to
help ensure that any state facing a disaster like the recent flooding and
tornadoes in the Midwest has access to needed resources. This bill includes
a measured expansion of unemployment insurance benefits with a reasonable
work requirement. And this bill holds overall discretionary spending within
the sensible limits that I requested.

The bill is a result of close collaboration between my administration and
members of both parties on Capitol Hill. I appreciate the hard work of my
Cabinet -- especially the leaders of Defense and State, and Veterans
Affairs, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as well as OMB. I want
to thank House and Senate leadership and leaders of the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees. I am particularly grateful to Congressmen
Boehner, Hoyer, Obey, and Lewis. And I want to thank members who worked
hard for the GI Bill expansion -- especially Senators Webb and Warner,
Graham, Burr, and McCain.

This bill shows the American people that even in an election year,
Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and
their families.

Thank you for coming.

END 9:53 A.M. EDT
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