President Bush welcomes expanding US population

President George W. Bush welcomed the expanding US population yesterday, which hit the 300 million mark on Tuesday, as fresh evidence the "American Dream" remains a beacon of hope. "Our continued growth is a testament to our country's dynamism and a reminder that America's greatest asset is our people," Bush said in a statement. The population landmark caps four decades of growth fueled mainly by Hispanics and other immigrants, the Census Bureau said. The 300 millionth American clocked in at 7:45am on Tuesday, the bureau said, and could have been a newborn, an immigrant coming across the border or someone flying into the US. When the official population clock hit the big figure, bureau employees cheered, clapped and joked about whether the actual resident was male or female.

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