Digest of Other White House Announcements
The following list includes the President’s public schedule and other items of general interest announced by the Office of the Press Secretary and not included elsewhere in this issue.
February 1
In the morning, at Camp David, MD, the President had an intelligence briefing. Later, after learning of the disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia on its landing approach earlier in the day, he had a telephone conversation with NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe. He and Mrs. Bush then returned to Washington, DC.
On his arrival in the afternoon, the President had telephone conversations from the Oval Office with Administrator O’Keefe and then family members of the seven astronauts killed in the accident. Later, in the Roosevelt Room, he had a briefing with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and Office of Science and Technology Director John H. Marburger concerning the accident.
Later in the afternoon, from the White House Residence, the President had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel to express his condolences concerning the death of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon on the Columbia. He then had a telephone conversation with President Vicente Fox of Mexico, who expressed his condolences. Then he returned to the Oval Office, where he had separate telephone conversations with President Jacques Chirac of France, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada, all of whom expressed their condolences concerning the accident.
February 2
In the morning, the President had separate telephone conversations with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and President Jose Maria Aznar of Spain. He also had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India to express his condolences concerning the death of Indian-born U.S. astronaut Kalpana Chawla aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Later in the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush attended a church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
February 3
In the morning, the President had an intelligence briefing. He also met in the Oval Office with NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe to discuss the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
In the afternoon, the President traveled to Bethesda, MD, where he toured the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institutes of Health. Later, he returned to Washington, DC.
The President announced that he will host President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines for a state visit on April 2.
February 4
In the morning, the President had a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin of Russia concerning the situation in Iraq. He then had intelligence and FBI briefings.
Later in the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush traveled to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, where they met privately with family members of the astronauts killed aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. In the afternoon, they returned to Washington, DC.
The White House announced that Prime Minister John Howard of Australia has accepted the President’s invitation to meet on February 10 at the White House to discuss the situations in Iraq and North Korea and the war on terror.
The President announced his intention to nominate Mark C. Brickell to be Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The President announced his intention to nominate Richard W. Moore to be Inspector General of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The President announced his intention to nominate Joseph LeBaron to be Ambassador to Mauritania.
The President announced his intention to appoint Janice Obuchowski to the personal rank of Ambassador during her tenure as the U.S. Representative to the 2003 World Radiocommunications Conference.
The President announced his intention to appoint the following individuals as members of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board: Douglas Anderson, James Elekes, Denis Pratt, and Gwendolyn Trujillo.
The President announced his intention to appoint the following individuals as members of the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science: Bruce N. Ames, Randolph W. Bromery, Francisco G. Cigarroa, Winfred M. Phillips, Peter H. Raven, Jean’ne Marie Shreeve, and Margaret H. Wright.
The President announced his intention to nominate Stephen A. Cambone to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.
The President announced his intention to nominate Linton F. Brooks to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration at the Department of Energy.
The President declared a major disaster in Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a severe ice storm on December 3-4, 2002.
February 5
In the morning, the President had an intelligence briefing. He also had a breakfast meeting in the Oval Office with bipartisan House and Senate leaders to discuss the situation in Iraq. Later, he watched the television broadcast of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s remarks at the United Nations concerning the situation in Iraq. Also in the morning, in the Oval Office, the President met with Prime Minister Leszek Miller of Poland.
During the day, the President had separate telephone conversations with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and President Ricardo Lagos of Chile.
The White House announced that the President will welcome President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan for a meeting and lunch on February 27.
The President announced his intention to appoint Richard Parsons and Martha Williamson as members of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
February 6
In the morning, the President had intelligence and FBI briefings.
In the afternoon, the President had lunch with Vice President Dick Cheney. Later, he viewed a demonstration on hydrogen fuel cell technology at the National Building Museum.
The White House announced that the President will travel to Ottawa, Canada, for a state visit on May 5, where he will meet with Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada and other officials to discuss bilateral and international issues.
The President announced his intention to nominate Jeffrey Shane to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy.
The President announced his intention to nominate Lino Gutierrez to be Ambassador to Argentina.
The President announced his intention to nominate Jeffrey Lunstead to be Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.
The President announced his intention to designate Eduardo Aguierre, Jr., as Acting Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Service at the Department of Homeland Security.
The President announced his intention to redesignate LaSalle Doheny Leffall, Jr., as Chair of the President’s Cancer Panel.
The President announced his intention to designate Michael F. Duffy as Chairman of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.
The President amended the emergency declaration issued for Texas on February 1 for the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia, to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide Federal Operations Support for debris removal at 100-percent Federal funding in any other State that the Agency determines is impacted by the accident.
February 7
In the morning, the President had a telephone conversation with President Jiang Zemin of China concerning the situations in North Korea and Iraq, and President Zemin’s condolences concerning the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1. He then had CIA and FBI briefings.
Later in the morning, the President had a telephone conversation with President Jacques Chirac of France to discuss the situation in Iraq and peace efforts in the Middle East.
In the afternoon, the President signed the 2003 Economic Report of the President. Later, he traveled to Camp David, MD.
The President announced his intention to designate Hansford T. Johnson as Acting Secretary of the Navy.
The President announced his intention to nominate John W. Snow to be U.S. Governor of the International Monetary Fund.