President Bush Speaks to Employees of Boeing
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is in St. Louis today, following up on Tuesday's call for a new tax cut bill. He spoke to employees of the Boeing Corporation, the people specifically that build the F-18 Super Hornet. You saw it live here on CNN. Our Chris Burns is with the president. Hello, Chris.</s>CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. The president has visited this plant here, a very important plant where the F-18 is built. You see a finished product there, but let me show you where they are building them. They're putting together -- the front half is from Boeing and the back half is from Grumman. Thousands of employees involved in this. More than a hundred of these have already been built. There are three squadrons of them on two aircraft carriers that were in the war effort, including the Nimitz and the Lincoln. The president coming here to thank those workers. A thousand of them came to see him as he gave his speech. The president, however, using this as a backdrop to promote his tax plan, which is in very much in trouble on Capitol Hill. He wanted $726 billion; now Congress wants to cut it to perhaps $550 billion over 10 years. The Senate would like to cut it to $350 billion. The president turning up the pressure on Congress in this speech.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have sent to the Congress a jobs and growth package that will reduce the burden on our taxpayers, that will give you more of your money in your pocket so you get to decide how to save or invest and spend. In order for all Americans who are looking for work to find work, the Congress must pass this jobs package as soon as they come back from their recess.</s>BURNS: The president also saying that in Iraq victory is not complete. A lot of work to do, reconstruction. He thanked Congress for passing that aid, the bill that finances the war effort, $79 billion, including aid for Iraq The president, however, also mentioned something very interesting. That meeting in Nasiriya over the last couple of days, where the U.S.-led coalition is trying to build a new government there. The president trying to put a positive spin on what happened amid the dissent.</s>BUSH: An historic gathering occurred in the city of Nasiriya, where Iraqis met openly and freely to discuss the future of their country. They even had some protesters outside the meeting, a sure sign of freedom.</s>BURNS: The president is going on to Crawford, Texas to his ranch to spend the rest of the week and the weekend. He, according to his aids, will be working on his ranch. He'll go to church on Sunday and come back to the White House on Monday -- Miles.</s>O'BRIEN: Thanks very much, Chris Burns.