President Meets with Bipartisan House Members to Discuss Medicare

President Meets with Bipartisan House Members to Discuss Medicare
President George W. Bush meets with bipartisan members of the House of Representatives on Medicare
The Cabinet Room

Audio

9:53 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I'll take some questions at the end of the EU Summit. I'm so honored that members of both political parties from the House of Representatives have come to discuss our mutual desire to get a Medicare reform package passed. Members of both parties have made up their minds that we can do a good job on behalf of seniors, by making sure that Medicare is a modern system.

We are making great progress on this issue. We have an historic opportunity to seize the moment and get a good bill done. There's good momentum on the side of those of us who believe that we have an obligation to serve something greater than ourselves or our political parties. And I want to thank, again, members of both parties who are working hard to reach a consensus on behalf of our country's seniors.

We've got Nancy Johnson and Congressman Israel here, who are very competent spokesmen for what is necessary to achieve a common objective. And I want to thank the members. I look forward to working with you. Whatever amount of energy and effort is required from the White House, we will provide it, to get a bill done this summer, one that I can sign and then we can all go back to our districts -- in my case, tour the country -- and say we have accomplished a major objective. Together we work together.

Thank you all for coming. Now you're supposed to yell a question so I know what you're going to ask later on. (Laughter.)

Q What are you going to tell the undecided Republicans this afternoon?

THE PRESIDENT: Wrong question. (Laughter.)

Q The economy?

THE PRESIDENT: The economy? Okay, good. We know about that, that's good. (Laughter.)

END 9:55 A.M. EDT

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