Posted on 03/09/2006 5:13:17 PM PST by snugs
The President speaks at the National Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in Washington.
After that he returned to the White House and signed the USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005
This evening the President spoke at the Georgia Republican Party's annual President's Day Dinner
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill Thursday, March 9, 2006, to testify on funding for the Iraq war
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk
Former Presidnent Bush is in Portugal to attend the new Portugal's President swearing-in ceremony
Last night Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush received awards for their work in Afganistan.
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Signs USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act
The East Room
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome. Thanks for the applause. Glad you're here in the people's house.
I'm going to sign -- in a few moments I'll be signing the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act. This is a really important piece of legislation. It is a piece of legislation that's vital to win the war on terror and to protect the American people.
The law allows our intelligence and law enforcement officials to continue to share information. It allows them to continue to use tools against terrorists that they used against -- that they use against drug dealers and other criminals. It will improve our nation's security while we safeguard the civil liberties of our people. The legislation strengthens the Justice Department so it can better detect and disrupt terrorist threats. And the bill gives law enforcement new tools to combat threats to our citizens from international terrorists to local drug dealers.
It is an important piece of legislation. And I thank those here who helped get it passed. I particularly want to thank the Attorney General, Al Gonzales. It's good to see former Attorney Generals here, as well. I appreciate Secretary Mike Chertoff, Secretary John Snow, Ambassador Negroponte, Bob Mueller. Thank you all for coming. John Walters, appreciate you being here.
As we wage the war on terror overseas, we're also going after the terrorists here at home, and one of the most important tools we have used to protect the American people is the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act closed dangerous gaps in America's law enforcement and intelligence capabilities, gaps the terrorists exploited when they attacked us on September the 11th.
The Patriot Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. It strengthened our national security in two important ways: First, it authorized law enforcement and intelligence officers to share vital information. Before the Patriot Act, criminal investigators were often separated from intelligence officers by a legal and bureaucratic wall. The Patriot Act tore down the wall. And as a result, law enforcement and intelligence officers are sharing information, working together, and bringing terrorists to justice.
Secondly, the Patriot Act has allowed agents to pursue terrorists with the same tools they use against other criminals. Before the Patriot Act, it was easier to track the phone contacts of a drug dealer than the phone contacts of an enemy operative. Before the Patriot Act, it was easier to get the credit card receipts of a tax cheater than trace the financial support of an al Qaeda fundraiser. The Patriot Act corrected these double standards, and the United States is safer as a result.
The Patriot Act has served America well, yet we cannot let the fact that America has not been attacked since September the 11th lull us into the illusion that the terrorist threat has disappeared. We still face dangerous enemies. The terrorists haven't lost the will or the ability to kill innocent folks. Our military, law enforcement, homeland security and intelligence professionals are working day and night to protect us from this threat. We're safer for their efforts, and we'll continue to give them the tools to get the job done.
And now, it's my honor to sign the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005. (Applause.)
PHOTO OF THE DAY 
President George W. Bush addresses the audience after signing H.R. 3199, USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, Thursday, March 9, 2006 in the East Room of the White House. President Bush is joined by U.S. Congressman Roy Blunt, R-Mo., left, U.S. Senator Larry Craig, R-Id., background-left, and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
Good evening all!
bump
Dose going up please wait till the all clear before posting photos or graphics
top 5??
top 10?
Hello No. 1
Whew, just barely. pant-pant
Good evening
Top 5 indeed
Yay for the Patriot Act!!! So much for the lefties' whining about how our civil liberties are being destroyed.
Well into top 10
Chertoff doesn't look "on his way out" to me...
:0)
Good eveing
Hey there... I did win a toaster once before, but it's been a long time! lol
Being introduced
It certainly looks that way
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