President Bush Participates in Briefings at the National Security Agency

THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank General Alexander for his hospitality¹ to me and the Vice² President and Director McConnell. We have been here at NSA, which is on the front line of protecting the American people. Every time I come out here I'm impressed by the caliber³ of people who work here, the amount of energy that goes into their jobs, and their deep desire to find an enemy and bring them to justice before they hurt us again.

 Ever since 9/11, the people in this building have done what the country expects them to do, and that is to work as hard as necessary to help protect the United States of America. The work here at the NSA is absolutely vital, and I wish all our citizens could meet the folks that work here and realize how smart they are, how capable⁴ they are, and how enthusiastic they are in doing their duty.

So, General, thank you for your hospitality. We've enjoyed coming out here, and appreciate the efforts you're putting into protecting the homeland.

Thank you all very much.