FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

On the heels of the President's Economic forum in Waco, Texas, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill will travel to three Western States to discuss the economy.

During visits this week to Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and Denver, CO, the Secretary will meet with employers and workers to hear about local economic conditions and will discuss President Bush's efforts to strengthen the economic recovery, from cutting taxes last year and enacting a stimulus package this spring to advancing free trade now that the President has trade promotion authority and repeating the President's call on Congress to enact terrorism risk insurance and pension security. 

The Secretary will depart on this three state swing directly from the President's Economic Forum taking place on August 13, in Waco, TX.  At the Forum, the Secretary will chair a panel titled, "Economic Recovery & Job Creation" which will discuss the best ways to sustain economic recovery, promote long-term growth and create new jobs.  The Forum's objective is to meet with people on the front lines of the American economy - small business owners, employees, individual  investors, business leaders, economists and farmers - to discuss where our economy stands, the impact of the policies we have put in place, and the steps we are taking as we move forward.

In all three Western States, the Secretary will meet with local employers and visit a local business where he will speak to employees.  This trip is one of several the Secretary has made and will continue to make throughout the fall to gauge economic growth in localities across the nation and discuss the President's agenda to strengthen the economic recovery and create jobs.