The President. I'm not too good at that kind of thing. But, yes, because you identify with these families. This little girl there, I mean Mrs. Bush. Tell them about the boy with the flag. The President. You tell them. Mrs. Bush. No, I can't. Q. Tell us, sir. Q. The Attorney General of Panama says if you would like the Vatican to release Noriega to them, and they will file charges The President. Well, as I told you yesterday, there's a lot going on and discussions about what'll take place. It doesn't help you all for me just to speculate on this. But we want him brought to justice. It's only fair and right for these kids lying here that that happens, and I'm determined to see that that happens. So, we'll keep working the problem. But I can't help you, because it's just a lot of diplomatic effort going on. But I'm here, year-end, to salute these courageous men and to tell them, as best I could, how proud we are of them and to say that, in a military sense, everything I've heard is that the operation, though some were desperately hurt and some regrettably killed, was a superb operation. And there should be no second-guessing. And the beautiful thing about this visit is I get strength from them about no second-guessing. They're gutsy, courageous young men, and I just wish you could have heard every single conversation. Q. Anything about the boy with the flag? The President. Thank you all. Happy New Year to all of you. Barbara can tell you. Q. Mrs. Bush, could you? Mrs. Bush. Let me just tell you. He thanked George and gave him a little American flag. And he said, "This is from all the men in Panama, and I want you to have this from them. And we thank you for sending us." He's a paraplegic. Q. From this incident? Mrs. Bush. Right there. He's so sweet. But I mean, he met him. He wasn't-you can't fake that. Q. Thank you, Mrs. Bush. The President. You have a Happy New Year! Note: The President spoke at 12:30 p.m. in the Beach Pavilion at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston following a visit with U.S. troops wounded in Panama. In his opening remarks, he participated in the filming of a home video for Pvt. Scott Tout's family. Later, he referred to 8-yearold Noella Almeida, who was visiting her father at the hospital. Prior to visiting the medical center, the President attended church services at the Kelly Air Force Base chapel and visited the wounded at Wilford Hall Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base. Appendix A-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 book. July 5 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush returned to the White House from Walker's Point, their home in Kennebunkport, ME. The President met at the White House with: --John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; and members of the CIA briefing staff; -the Vice President, for lunch; -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President. July 6 The President met at the White House with John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; and members of the CIA briefing staff. In the afternoon, the President and Mrs. Bush hosted a reception in the East Room for members of the Vote America Foundation, an organization that promotes voter registration among young adults. The President transmitted to the Congress a package of fiscal year 1990 budget amendments. These proposals included the following: -$4.4 million for the Executive Office of the -$58.5 million for the Department of the Treasury to enable the Internal Revenue Service to increase tax collections by $150 million, as specified in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. This proposal also includes changes in the appropriations language for the United States Mint and the Secret Service; -$0.3 million appropriations request to pro vide funding at the authorized level for the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday Commission; --appropriations language to enable the U.S. Information Agency to reprogram $16 million to provide for the testing and first year of operations for television broadcasting to Cuba (TV Marti). July 7 -appropriations language for the Department of Agriculture that would avoid any possibility of an end of year funding shortfall in the Food Stamp Program by providing indefinite spending authority. Similar language has been proposed for fiscal year 1989; -appropriations language that removes the cap on spending funds for fish and wildlife management and restoration that are derived from certain user fees and excise taxes; The President met at the White House with John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; and members of the CIA briefing staff. In the morning, the President attended a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office for Adm. Richard H. Truly as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. July 9 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush left the White House for a 9-day tour of Europe. July 10 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at Umschlagplatz. Following the ceremonies, the President and Mrs. Bush greeted Jewish leaders and survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto. In the afternoon, the President met with Prime Minister Mieczyslaw Rakowski at the Council of Ministers Building. terplatte Monument. The President then went to Green Gate in Old Gdansk, where he was welcomed by local officials. In the evening, the President and Mrs. Bush flew to Ferihegy Airport in Budapest, Hungary, where they were greeted by Hungarian and American officials. Later, President Bush met with President Bruno Straub at the National Parliament Building. July 12 In the morning, the President met with Károly Grósz and Rezsö Nyers, General Secretary and Chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, respectively. He also met with Prime Minister Miklos Németh and Speaker of the Parliament Matyas Szuros. In the afternoon, the President met at the U.S. Ambassador's residence with Minister of State Imre Pozsgay. In the evening, the President and Mrs. Bush hosted a reception at the U.S. Ambassador's residence for members of the Hungarian community. July 13 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush greeted members of the American Embassy community at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. They then flew to Orly Airport in Paris, where they were greeted by French and American officials. Later, they attended a ceremony at the Place du Trocadero celebrating the bicentennial of the French Revolution. In the afternoon, President Bush attended a luncheon at the Palais de l'Elysee hosted by President François Mitterrand. Following the luncheon, he went to the U.S. Ambassador's residence for a presummit briefing with administration officials. Later, President Bush returned to the Palais de l'Elysee for a meeting with President Mitterrand and French and American officials. Following the meeting, President Bush participated in a Bastille key ceremony and then returned to the U.S. Ambassador's residence. In the evening, the President and Mrs. Bush attended the opening of the Bastille Opera and then went to the Musée d'Orsay for a dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Mitterrand. Following the dinner, the President and Mrs. Bush returned to the U.S. Ambassador's residence. July 14 In the morning, the President met with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at the U.S. Ambassador's residence for breakfast. The President and Mrs. Bush then attended a Bastille Day parade at the Place de la Concorde. In the afternoon, the President and Mrs. Bush attended a garden party hosted by President and Mrs. Mitterrand at the Ministry of Foreign Af fairs. They then went to the Hotel de Lassay for a luncheon celebrating the French bicentennial. Following the luncheon, they returned to the U.S. Ambassador's residence, where President Bush met with President Felix HouphouëtBoigny of the Ivory Coast and Prime Minister Sosuke Uno of Japan. President Bush then went to the Pyramide du Louvre, where he attended the opening session of the 15th economic summit of industrialized nations. In the evening, the President attended a working dinner for summit leaders at the Hotel de la Marine. Following the dinner, he was joined by Mrs. Bush, and they watched a bicentennial parade from the hotel balcony. They then returned to the U.S. Ambassador's residence. July 15 During the first full day of the economic summit, the President participated in morning and afternoon plenary sessions and attended a working luncheon at the Arche de la Defense. In the evening, President Bush participated in a summit working session at the Louvre. He then toured a medieval fortress and attended a dinner for summit leaders hosted by President Mitterrand. July 16 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush attended a church service at the American Cathedral of Paris. The President then participated in morning and afternoon plenary sessions and attended a working luncheon at the Arche de la Defense. July 17 In the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush flew to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where they were met by Dutch and American officials. Following an arrival ceremony at the airport, they went to Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, where they had tea with Queen Beatrix. The President then met with Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers at Binnenhof, the parliamentary building complex. In the afternoon, the President attended a working luncheon with Prime Minister Lubbers at Catshuis, the Prime Minister's official residence. Later, the President and Mrs. Bush toured the Pilgrim Fathers Exhibition and attended a reception hosted by local officials in Leiden. July 18 In the morning, the President met with opposition leader Wim Kok at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. He then had breakfast with Dutch parliamentary leaders and Foreign Affairs Committee members. Following a departure ceremo Administration of George Bush, 1989 / Appendix A ny at Schiphol Airport, the President and Mrs. Bush returned to Washington, DC. The President declared that major disasters existed in areas of Texas as a result of damage caused by tropical storm Allison that occurred June 25-July 7, and in Connecticut as a result of severe storms, high winds, and tornadoes that struck the western part of the State on July 10. He directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts. July 19 The President met at the White House with: -members of the congressional leadership, to --John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the Presi- The President transmitted to the Congress the annual report on developments in the field of automotive products occurring in 1985. -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; and members of the CIA briefing staff; -North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Ho Joong, to discuss the stationing of U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea; -Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago; -Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney; -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President. In the afternoon, the President had lunch on Capitol Hill with members of the House Ways and Means Committee. -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the Presi- In the evening, the President and Mrs. Bush attended the House Ways and Means Committee bicentennial dinner on Capitol Hill. July 25 The President met at the White House with: -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; and members of the CIA briefing staff; -the Republican congressional leadership; -Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan and Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan, Jr., for lunch; --John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President. In the morning, in an Oval Office ceremony, the President signed S.J. Res. 137, designating National Law Enforcement Training Week. July 26 The President met at the White House with: dent; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the Presi- -the Senate leadership, to discuss the Japan- -Secretary of State James A. Baker III; -John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff to the Presi- In the evening, the President attended the The President met at the White House with: |