Press Briefing by Dana Perino

Business Wire, April 14, 2008

WASHINGTON -- James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:40 P.M. EDT

MS. PERINO: Hello. I've got one comment and then we'll go to questions.

The President this morning spent time in his Cabinet meeting talking about his ongoing concern about people who are suffering in the world, especially when it comes to those that are hungry. The United States is the largest food provider for emergency food needed in the world. In fiscal year 2007 we provided more than $2.1 billion of food aid, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide. We usually provide about 45 to 50 percent of all emergency food aid every year.

We are in a process right now of looking at ways to meet some of the ongoing food needs of certain countries, beyond what has already been provided. The President has raised this issue with his national security advisors and has asked that the State Department and USAID look at what can be done in the near term. And then over the long run the source problems will need to be identified, the source of where the food is, so that there's a long-term plan in place that helps take care of the world's poor and hungry.

Over the last several years President Bush has advocated, and did so in the State of the Union address, for use of up to 25 percent of appropriated funds for the local or regional purchase and distribution of food to assist people threatened by a food security crisis. And we would encourage Congress to continue to look at that. This would allow more rapid and more cost-effective responses, and assist in the development of local and regional food markets. And as we continue to have these conversations we will update you along the way.

Thank you. Anybody? You're so polite, Deb, you don't even shout. (Laughter.)

Q In contrast to Terry. (Laughter.)

Q You said this morning that the story that was in The Washington Times pretty much laid out where the administration was in terms of this global warming thing. It said, basically, that, you know, he was ready getting ready to propose something. So where are we, exactly, and --

MS. PERINO: No, I think if you read it carefully that is not exactly true.

Q Well, that's what the lead says --

MS. PERINO: We'll back up --

Q The lead says that "We're poised to change course and announce as early as this week" --

MS. PERINO: Well, I didn't say he got everything right. (Laughter.)

Q Okay. Well, maybe you can sum up more where we are and what we're doing.

MS. PERINO: I will; let me sum up for you, and let me just walk you through --

Q And also is there a change of course?

Q What are you guys working on?

MS. PERINO: Well, for those of you who follow this issue -- and I think that in the White House briefing room, reporters here have to dip in and out of this issue because you cover all the issues that we deal with at the White House. So let me take you back through just a little bit of what we've been doing.

Over the course of several years the President has advocated a range of policies, both legislative and regulatory, to address the global challenges of climate change. Last year in the State of the Union address, the President called for reducing traditional gasoline use by 20 percent in 10 years; it is called 20-in-10 program. In December of 2007 he largely got what he wanted, except it didn't go as far and as fast as he wanted to, to help us wean ourselves off of traditional uses of oil.

Also, last May he gave a speech in which he said that the United States would lead an effort to establish a post-Kyoto discussion for nations of the world to address the global challenges of climate change, and that in this process we would work to include China and India and other developing nations who were excluded from the Kyoto process, and which we believe made it unworkable. So discussions have been ongoing in the administration to follow up on these policy processes.

After that speech in May last year, he went to the G8, in which he presented this to the G8 -- and it was well received. Then in September of 2007 the President hosted a meeting here at the State Department, in which he gave a speech and talked about how the major economies of the world needed to work together to help solve this problem, and that we would all establish a national goal, and that each country would come forward with its own plan as to how they were going to reach that goal.

We are a part of that process as well. And so as we've moved along and to try to follow up and continue to be the leader in the major economies process, we've had ongoing discussions, and we have kept Congress informed along the way. That includes getting ready for this week's major economies meeting, which is being held in Paris and hosted by President Sarkozy.

On a separate track -- or at the same time, I should say -- here in this country we are dealing with what we call a regulatory train wreck. We have several different laws that were never meant to deal with -- to address climate change, heading down a path that we believe is not reasonable, nor sustainable, would hurt our economy, and is not good public policy. This would have the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act all addressing climate change in a way that is not the way that they were intended to.