PRESIDENT BUSH AND DEFENSE SECRETARY RUMSFELD TAKE PART IN SIGNING CEREMONY, 2002-10-23 (photo)

President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (R) cross paths during a signing ceremony for a $355 billion military spending bill in the Rose Garden of the White House October 23, 2002. The bill gives the Pentagon a nearly $40 billion boost as it prepares for possible war with Iraq, the White House said. In a written statement last week, Bush said the bill "will provide our troops with the best pay, the best equipment and the best possible training. It also sends an important signal that we are committed to defending freedom and defeating terror." REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque KL