Text of Bush's comments on report

By The Associated Press

10:22 AM EDT, July 22, 2004

The text of comments from President Bush, Chairman Thomas H. Kean and Vice Chairman Lee H. Hamilton as Bush received the Sept. 11 commission's report:

Bush: It's been my honor to welcome Chairman Kean, Vice Chairman Hamilton to the Oval Office. We just had a good discussion about the 9/11 commission report.

I want to thank these two gentlemen for serving their country so well and so admirably. They've done a really good job of learning about our country, learning about what went wrong prior to September 11th, and making very solid, sound recommendations about how to move forward.

I assured them that where government needs to act, we will.

I want to thank the commission members as well. These people worked really hard, long hours. They took time out of their private lives to serve America and have left their mark in a very constructive and positive way.

These two men bring a common sense approach to how to move forward. They recognize what I recognize, and America recognizes, that there's still a threat and that we in government have an obligation to do everything in our power to safeguard the American people.

And the report that they are about to present to me puts out some very constructive recommendations. And I look forward to studying their recommendations and look forward to working with responsible parties within my administration to move forward on those recommendations.

As well, we look forward to working with the Congress on the implementation of ways to do our duty. And the most important duty we have is the security of our fellow countrymen.

So thank you, gentlemen, for your service. Proud you're here. You did a wonderful job.

Hamilton: Thank you, Mr. President.

Kean: Mr. President, we'd like to present you a copy of our report. I thank you very much for giving me the honor of serving.

And I thank you also on behalf of the commission for unprecedented access to documents and cooperation from your administration. We were able to see things that no commission or no member of Congress has ever seen in doing our work. And we thank you for allowing us to do that.

BUSH: Thank you, Tom. Good job.

Thanks, Lee. Appreciate it.

Thank you all.