 On behalf of the American people, I want to thank the members of both parties in the House of Representatives for today's or may today's victory possible. This was a hard choice for many of them, especially in an election year. But when it came to the test, a bipartisan majority bit the bullet and voted for the revenue increases and spending cuts we so urgently need to get deficits and interest rates down and Americans back to work. This vote does not mark the end of the crusade to get our country's economy moving again, but it is an important milestone. Over the last 18 months, we've cut inflation in half. The interest rates are coming down. The latest economic indicators are pointing in the right direction. It hasn't been easy, and I fully appreciate what has been like for millions of Americans who have borne the brunt of this recession and resisted the political calls for quick fixes. We must keep our faith with their patience, their courage, and their resolve. Our duty is clear. We have to keep government spending and deficits moving downward so that prosperity and economic growth can move up. And I pledge my cooperation with the Congress in the days ahead to work tirelessly for these vital objectives. Let me also add a word to those who voted against this measure. Honorable men and women can honestly disagree. They can also leave their disagreements behind them and work together once the issue has been settled by free and open voting. It will take the best efforts of us all to keep the American economy on the road to recovery. Let's leave our differences behind us and all of us get on with the nation's business and economic recovery that will mean more jobs and more opportunity for all of our people. Thank you. Why did you see it as such a squiggly? You had a pretty good marker. Well I have to tell you that right down to the wire there was no one predicting anything but that it would be that close. There were, I know in my own calls and meetings with Congressmen of both parties on this, there were a great many who very frankly stated that they were still in the process of making up their minds so you didn't have a definite commitment on them. That's why there were conflicting reports coming as to which side might be ahead in this. Are you concerned that you will lose conservative support out of all of this? No, not at all because I think there's been a wrong perception. It was made evident the other night after I went on the air and explained this program and immediately afterward in certain surveys that were made and telephone checks that were made it was amazing how many people had totally misunderstood the program or the bill and once they understood it that they said this now made them able to support it. The first thing was we have to think of the economic recovery program as not only just a separate bill that was passed last year, it is this entire ongoing package just as our tax cuts are spread over several years, so are the spending cuts with the idea that each year we would come back in with more that we had to do and therefore to even have referred to this as a tax increase I think was wrong because it was an adjustment of the tax cut that was passed last year and which still continues on in the coming years and the truth of the matter is that even with this past the tax cut over the next three years will amount to $335 billion for the people. Next year they will double the gain that they have already made in their personal fortunes because of the tax cut. I think that there was a perception in the part of some and an alarm that this represented some kind of change in philosophy it does not. I still believe in the combination of incentive tax cuts that will increase productivity in this country and cuts reductions in spending and so I don't think it will hurt the movement at all. Some of the polls that have come out indicate that a majority of Americans oppose this tax increase bill. Are you concerned that by the time election day rolls around and some of these explanations have worn away that all people will remember things like the 8-cent cigarette tax increase? I think what they are going to see and what is going to happen that they are going to be thinking about is I think the economy is going to continue to improve. I think that a failure to have passed this would have been a setback to the improvement of the economy. I think we would have seen probably interest rates going back up and a stagnation of and yet all the indices that we have now are supportive of the idea that things are getting better. You don't think this is going to? No, I don't think it is going to hurt anyone in November frankly. Do you think the Senate is going to be easier than the House Mr. President? Well, I don't know but I think there we are going to see a bipartisan demonstration also. Don't talk like that. You know as an old sports announcer I have to tell you that if a no-hitter is being pitched you never mention that during the game or you will jinx the pitcher. So no, I think this is, there have been a lot of people working on this and it was a great team effort on both sides. Are you glad it's over? You bet. I'd like to please thank you.