George Bush meets with US governors

George W. Bush has met today with the United States’ National Governors Association. Speaking in the White House after the meeting on Saturday, President Bush said, “I like to tell people I'm going to finish strong, and I want to work with you [governors] as I do so.”

He continued, “We share a responsibility to protect our country. I get briefed every morning about threats we face, and they're real.”

There has been debate recently about the Protect America Act, which was discussed in the meeting. Referring to the Act in a recent radio address, the President said, “The Senate passed a good bill that would have given our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep us safe. But leaders in the House of Representatives blocked a House vote on the Senate bill, and then left on a 10-day recess.”

On Saturday, in the State Dining Room after the meeting, Bush alluded to the challenges facing the U.S. “This is a different kind of struggle than we've ever faced before. It's essential that we understand the mentality of these killers. And so therefore we worked with Congress to protect — pass the Protect America Act, which everybody knows has expired.”