President Bush Meets with Republican Members of Congress - 2004-05-20

On Thursday, President Bush met with Republican members of Congress and urged them to support his policies as the November election approaches. In a rare meeting with Congress, he engaged in discussions with about 200 Republican lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Journalists were not allowed into the meeting, and President Bush did not speak to them upon leaving. However, lawmakers reported that the President sought to encourage them to support his strategies for Iraq and the economy. They noted that Mr. Bush reiterated his commitment to restoring sovereignty in Iraq to a transitional government by June 30. Nonetheless, he only briefly mentioned the scandal regarding the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners and did not answer any questions. Some Republicans in Congress have criticized the Bush administration's handling of this issue, which has damaged its image both domestically and internationally. Republicans in the House and Senate also disagree with the size and shape of the tax cuts proposed by Mr. Bush. Journalists were not present at the meeting, and the President did not respond to any questions. This meeting comes at a time when violence in Iraq is escalating, and global public opinion is outraged by the scandal of prisoner mistreatment. Meanwhile, the latest polls regarding public satisfaction with President Bush's performance indicate that his approval rating has dropped to its lowest level, around 46%.