The White House of USA

President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Gillani of Pakistan to the White House on July 28, 2008. The President welcomes the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Gillani on ways to further advance bilateral cooperation with Pakistan on a broad range of issues, including counterterrorism, economic development, and regional cooperation. The U.S.-Pakistan strategic partnership is grounded firmly in the shared objectives of promoting democracy and combating extremism.

Last week, Congress once again left town without providing our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep our Nation safe. President Bush strongly supports Congress’ efforts to make necessary updates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The House passed a strong bipartisan bill, and the Senate needs to act as soon as it returns from its recess.

President Bush on Wednesday said, “Next week I’m going to travel to Japan for the eighth and final G8 summit of my presidency. At recent summits, G8 countries have made pledges to help developing nations address challenges, from health care to education, to corruption. Now we need to show the world that the G8 can be accountable for its promises and deliver results. As I said the other day, we need people who not only make promises, but write checks, for the sake of human rights and human dignity, and for the sake of peace.”

More than two centuries ago, bold and courageous visionaries pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in signing the Declaration of Independence. Guided by ancient and eternal truths, our forefathers proclaimed to the world that liberty was the natural right of all mankind and in doing so began one of the greatest chapters in human history. On the Fourth of July, our country commemorates the great achievements of these heroes and reaffirms its unwavering confidence in the power of freedom.