White House To Release Public Service Announcement
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Awaiting word from the White House. The unveiling, the debut of a new public service announcement coming up momentarily from the first couple to talk about getting Americans, encouraging them more to get out and volunteer. With that, John King's at the White House. Also watching the visit from the Filipino president today. John, hello again.</s>JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Bill. The President focusing on charitable giving, volunteerism, as the the Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season approach. What the White House will release momentarily is a new public service announcement from the president and the first lady, urging Americans of all stripes to volunteer in their communities, whether it be the police department, the fire department, a local hospital or health care center, anything the first couple will say to help. But, they will say that volunteer help will help with the war against terrorism here at home. Mr. Bush also, today, visiting a local shelter for the homeless here in Washington. A program called "So Others Might Eat." It feeds the homeless here in Washington. It is run by a local catholic priest. One of the faith based initiatives, one of the faith based programs the president says the federal government should support. And as the president announced, the amount of funding the federal government will provide to help the homeless this year, $1 billion in grants, he said, that's a record level. He thanked the American people for the outpouring of charitable contributions in the wake of the September 11th attacks, but he also raised concerns there is some evidence that Americans gave all of that money to help the victims, but are now giving less to traditional charities in communities. Mr. Bush says Americans need now, as the holiday season approaches, to dig a little deeper.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope America, I encourage America, that as we head into Thanksgiving, to find a program that needs help. Or if have you been helping a program in the past, continue your help. The generosity of this country will say to the world that we are a nation that will not be effected by terror and evil. In fact, we encourage good to overcome evil through our actions and deeds.</s>KING: Mr. Bush also calling on the Congress, yet again, to pass its so-called faith based initiative, allowing federal government money to go to organizations that tied to churches and other religious groups. In making that call, a reminder of how dramatically the President's domestic agenda has changed since the events of September 11th. That legislation tied up in the Congress, in many ways an afterthought because of the focus on the war against terrorism here at home and in Afghanistan.</s>HEMMER: John, I mentioned the visit from the Filipino president today. There has been talk and we have reported on it for the past couple of months now, Muslims extremists operating in that country in the south of the Pacific there. Do we know just yet how how much the U.S. government is willing to get involved in that operation if the Philippines?</s>KING: The U.S. government already is involved, Bill, in a very quiet way. President Arroyo gets very high marks from the White House and across the Bush administration for her effort to crack down on what is known as Abu Saif (ph) terrorist network. It is born in the Philippines, based in the Philippines. It has some links to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. At least it has in the past. You see here Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with President Arroyo there. She will also see the Secretary of State Colin Powell, and she will meet with President Bush here in the oval office. Three key visits here in Washington. A sign of this administration's thank you, if you will, for her leadership, the administration says, in cracking down against terrorism. And as she does so, using the resources of the Philippines government, we are told that there have been U.S. military advisers in the Philippines assisting with that effort. Much more needs to be done the administration says, but this is an example, the Bush administration says, of a country that is fully cooperating in the war against terrorism in a country that many say, a region many say, could be the next front on this war. Bill.</s>HEMMER: Quickly, John. We talked about it last hour. A symbolic renaming of the department of justice today after the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Often times the president has compared the current war on terrorism, even going back to his speech for the joint session of Congress way back in mid-September, he said it was like fighting the mob -- fighting the Mafia.</s>KING: Like fighting the Mafia. Bobby Kennedy was -- when he was attorney general, was credited with leading an unprecedented effort to fight organized crime in this country. There was a move afoot in Congress already to name the justice department after Mr. Kennedy. The president taking initiative to do it himself. He will attend those dedication ceremonies today, paying tribute to the late Mr. Kennedy, also drawing that parallel to the war on terrorism, much like the war against organized crime some 30 years ago -- 40 years ago, now. Bill.</s>HEMMER: John, thanks. More later today. John King at the White House with more from there. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com