President george w. Bush signs a proclamation to create the northwestern hawaiian islands marine national monument at a ceremony wednesday, june 15, 2006, in the east room of the white house. The proclamation will bring nearly 140,000 square miles of the northwestern hawaiian island coral reef ecosystem under the nation's highest form of marine environmental protection. Mrs. Laura bush joined the president and distinguished guests on stage, from left to right, u. S. Rep. Neil abercrombie, d-hawaii; u. S. Rep. Ed case, d-hawaii; u. S. Sen. Daniel akaka, d-hawaii; u. S. Commerce secretary carlos gutierrez; hawaii gov. Linda lingle; documentary filmmaker jean-michel cousteau; marine biologist sylvia earle and u. S. Interior secretary dirk kempthorne. Hanging on the wall in the background is the 1878 posthumous portrait of martha washington by eliphalet frazer andrews.
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