Bush will speak to the nation at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, the White House said. He will endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq, following their appearance at two days of hearings in Congress. The White House plans to issue a written status report on the so-called "surge" on Friday. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have spent the past two days on Capitol Hill delivering a cautiously optimistic assessment of military progress in Iraq since the surge began in January. On Monday they testified before a joint House committee. On Tuesday, senators hosted the pair. Before both bodies, Petraeus said he saw positive military gains that, should they continue, could make it possible to begin a drawdown. The Associated Press contributed to this story