Bush: Country not recession-bound

WASHINGTON – President Bush said Thursday the country is not recession-bound and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth, rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. “We acted robustly,” he said.\n“We’ll see the effects of this pro-growth package,” Bush told reporters at a White House news conference, acknowledging that some lawmakers already are talking about a second stimulus package. “Why don’t we let stimulus package 1, which seemed like a good idea at the time, have a chance to kick in?”\nBush’s view of the economy was decidedly rosier than that of many economists, who say the country is nearing recession territory or might already be there. \n“I’m concerned about the economy,” he said. “I don’t think we’re headed to recession. But no question, we’re in a slowdown.”\nThe centerpiece of government efforts to brace the wobbly economy is a package Congress passed and Bush signed last month. It will rush rebates ranging from $300 to $1,200 to millions of people and give tax incentives to businesses.\nOn one issue particularly worrisome to American consumers, there are indications that paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline is not out of the question when the summer driving season arrives. Asked about that, Bush said “That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that. ... I know it’s high now.”\nBush also telegraphed optimism about the U.S. dollar, which has been declining in value.\n“I believe that our economy has got the fundamentals in place for us to ... grow and continue growing, more robustly, hopefully, than we’re growing now,” he said. “So we’re still for a strong dollar.”\nBush also used his news conference to press Congress to give telecommunications companies legal immunity for helping the government eavesdrop after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.\nHe continued a near-daily effort to prod lawmakers into passing his version of a law to make it easier for the government to conduct domestic eavesdropping on suspected terrorists’ phone calls and e-mails. He says the country is in more danger now that a temporary surveillance law has expired.\nThe president and Congress are in a showdown over Bush’s demand on the immunity issue.\nBush said the companies helped the government after being told “that their assistance was legal and vital to national security.”\n“Allowing these lawsuits to proceed would be unfair,” he said.\nMore important, Bush added, “the litigation process could lead to the disclosure of information about how we conduct surveillance and it would give al-Qaida and others a roadmap as to how to avoid the surveillance.”\nThe Senate passed its version of the surveillance bill earlier this month, and it provides retroactive legal protection for telecommunications companies that wiretapped U.S. phone and computer lines at the government’s request and without court permission. The House version, approved in October, does not include telecom immunity.\nTelecom companies face about 40 lawsuits for their alleged role in wiretapping their American customers.\nSenate Democrats appeared unwilling to budge.\nAs Bush began speaking, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., cast the president’s position as a “tiresome campaign to avoid accountability for the unlawful surveillance of Americans.”\n“The president once again is misusing his bully pulpit,” Leahy said. “Once again they are showing they are not above fear-mongering if that’s what it takes to get their way.”\nBush criticized the Democratic presidential candidates for their attempts to disassociate themselves from the North American Free Trade Agreement, a free-trade pact between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Bush said the deal is contributing to more and better-paying jobs for Americans.