For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 23, 2004
Remarks by the President to the Republican Governors Association
Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
7:18 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. It is always an honor to welcome fellow
governors to Washington, D.C. I'm a proud former member of the RGA.
And tonight we're proud to welcome the newest members of this growing
organization -- Olene, Ernie, Haley, and Arnold. (Applause.) The
Governor of California is new to politics, so he's still getting used
to all the cameras and lights. (Laughter.) I used to think the
coolest governor was from Florida. (Laughter and applause.)
The most distinguished former member of the RGA is a predecessor of
Governor Schwarzenegger, and a predecessor of mine. President Ronald
Reagan had his 93rd birthday this month --(applause) -- and tonight we
want Nancy and his family to know we are thinking of this great
American. Ronald Reagan's leadership revived America's economy,
renewed America's strength, and lifted America's confidence. And that
spirit of optimism and faith in fundamental American values is the
spirit we will carry to victory in November of 2004. (Applause.)
I married really well. (Laughter.) I am so honored -- (applause.)
I appreciate you coming tonight, Laura. She's a great First Lady for
our country. I'm really proud of the job she's doing. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Bob Taft, for being the chairman of this
August group. I appreciate Kenny Guinn from Nevada for being the
vice-chairman. I thank Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for
hosting this reception. I want to thank all the other Republican
governors who are here. I'm proud to call you, friend.
I want to thank all of you who are here to support these
governors. They're making a significant difference in their states.
They bring such optimism and hope. (Applause.) I appreciate the
members of my Cabinet who are here.
I also want to acknowledge a man who is not here -- Vice President
Dick Cheney spent the day campaigning in Minneapolis and Wichita, but
he's recently completed another important assignment. Once again I put
him in charge of my vice presidential search committee. (Laughter.)
He tells me he's reviewed all the candidates, and he's come back with
the same recommendation as last time. (Laughter and applause.) In
fact, I made the choice myself, and I have taken the measure of this
man. They don't come any better, and I am proud to have Dick Cheney by
my side. (Applause.)
We meet during the presidential primary season. We're witnessing a
clear trend -- it looks like we have a winner in the Republican
primaries. (Laughter and applause.) The other party's nomination
battle is still playing out. The candidates are an interesting group,
with diverse opinions: For tax cuts, and against them. For NAFTA, and
against NAFTA. For the Patriot Act, and against the Patriot Act. In
favor of liberating Iraq, and opposed to it. And that's just one
senator from Massachusetts. (Laughter and applause.)
The other party is still not finished selecting its nominee. Yet
this much is already certain: Come November, the voters are going to
have a very clear choice. It's a choice between keeping the tax relief
that is moving the economy forward, or putting the burden of higher
taxes back on the American people. It is a choice between an America
that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that
is uncertain in the face of danger. The American people will decide
between two visions of government: a government that encourages
ownership and opportunity and responsibility, or a government that
takes your money and makes your choices.
I will set these alternatives squarely before the American people
in a spirited campaign. I look forward to the contest. (Applause.)
We have a record of historic achievement. And most important, we have
a positive vision for the years ahead -- for winning the war against
terror, for extending peace and freedom, and creating jobs and
opportunity here at home. We'll leave no doubt where we stand -- and
we will win our second term in November. (Applause.)
The last three years have brought serious challenges. We've given
serious answers, and the strong leadership these times of extraordinary
change demand. We came to office with an economy heading into
recession. We delivered historic tax relief, and the consumer spending
and investment that resulted helped lift our economy back to growth, so
that people are getting hired again. At a time when competition is not
just across town, but across borders and continents, America's
productive workers have made this economy the fastest growing of any
major industrialized nation. (Applause.)
We had to confront corporate crimes that cost people jobs and
savings. So we passed the strongest corporate reforms since Franklin
Roosevelt, and made it clear that we will not tolerate dishonesty in
the boardrooms of America. (Applause.)
We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning -- and
from that day to this, we have pursued terrorists across the world.
We've captured or killed many of the key leaders of the al Qaeda
network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. There is no
cave or hole deep enough to hide them. (Applause.)
We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror, and the spread
of weapons of mass destruction. We have used the power of this country
to end forever two of the most violent and dangerous regimes on Earth.
More than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq are reclaiming the
rights and dignity of free men and women -- and America has been proud,
once again, to lead the armies of liberation. (Applause.)
When Dick Cheney and I came to Washington, we found a military that
was under-funded and under-appreciated. So we increased the defense
budget to give our men and women the tools and training they need to
win the war on terror. And today, no one in the world can question the
skill, the strength, and the spirit of the United States military.
(Applause.)
We learned that on September the 11th our homeland is no longer
protected by vast oceans. So we reorganized our government and created
the Department of Homeland Security to safeguard the ports and borders
and to better protect the American people.
When we came to office, people in this city had gotten used to
gridlock, old problems were used to score points; old problems were
politicized, debated, and just passed on from year to year. We didn't
come here to this Nation's Capital to do things the Washington way. We
chose to lead and to get things done. (Applause.) We passed major
reforms to raise the standards of public schools. We passed reforms in
Medicare to give prescription drugs and choice to our seniors. We're
showing that with big goals and clear principles, you can get past old
differences and make progress for all of the American citizens.
It's the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
to future Presidents and future generations. (Applause.) It's the
President's job to seize opportunities, and not let them slip away. A
President needs to step up and make the hard decisions and keep his
commitments. And that is how I will continue to lead our country.
(Applause.)
Great events will turn on this election. The man who sits in the
Oval Office will set the course of the war on terror, and the direction
of our economy. The security and prosperity of America are at stake.
Our course is clear.
In the next four years, we'll keep our enemies on the run, and
extend the frontiers of liberty. In the next four years, we'll help
more Americans to find their opportunities in a changing economy. In
the next four years, we will stand for the values that make us a good
and decent country. (Applause.) Our opponents have not offered much
in the way of strategies to win the war, or policies to expand our
economy. So far, all we hear is a lot of old bitterness and partisan
anger. Anger is not an agenda for the future of America. (Applause.)
We're taking on the big issues with strength and resolve and
determination, and we stand ready to lead this nation for the next four
years. (Applause.)
A big issue for every family in America is the federal tax burden.
With the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was President, we have
left more money in the hands of those who earned it. By saving and
spending and investing and to help create new jobs, the American people
have used their money far better than the federal government would
have. (Applause.)
Our opponents have their own plan for these tax cuts -- they plan
to take them away. They will use that money to expand the federal
government. I have a better idea: To keep this economy growing, we
will have fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C. To keep this economy
going, the tax cuts must be permanent. (Applause.)
We must do more to keep this economy growing. We need to protect
small business owners and employees from frivolous lawsuits and
needless regulation. We need to control the costs of health care by
passing medical liability reform. No one has ever been healed by a
frivolous lawsuit. (Applause.) We need to pass sound energy
legislation, to modernize our electricity system, and to make America
less dependent on foreign sources of oil. (Applause.)
Our opponents talk about job creation, but they're against every
one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about jobs won't get
anybody hired. The way to create jobs is our pro-growth,
pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business owner agenda. (Applause.)
This economy of ours is going through a time of challenge and
change. In the new economy, many workers change jobs several times, or
start their own businesses, or work out of their homes as contractors.
They often don't have pensions, or health care through their jobs.
Many have had to learn new skills. It's our responsibility to help
people gain the skills and security to make a good living and to look
forward to their retirement.
All skills start with education. My administration has put
education at the top of the agenda. We passed the No Child Left Behind
Act -- (applause) -- we passed the No Child Left Behind Act, a good
law that is bringing higher standards and accountability to every
public school in America. (Applause.) We have a plan to help high
school students who fall behind in reading and math. We have a plan to
help community colleges train workers for the industries that are
creating the most new jobs. We are strongly committed to education
because we believe everyone in America should have a chance to learn
and to succeed, and to realize the great promise of our country.
My administration understands the importance of ownership in our
society. We've set a great goal: We want every worker in America to
become a saver and an owner. And we have an agenda to meet this goal.
We'll help more people, of every background, to own their homes and
build their own savings. We'll encourage more people to own their own
small businesses. We'll help more people to own their own health care
plans. We want younger workers to own and manage their own retirement
under Social Security, so that one day, every worker can have the
security of a personal account. When people have solid assets to call
their own, they gain independence and security and dignity, and more
control over their future. I believe in private property so much, I
want everyone in America to have some. (Applause.)
On issue after issue, the American people have a clear choice. Our
opponents are against personal retirement accounts, against putting
patients in charge of Medicare, against tax relief. They seem to be
against every idea that gives Americans more authority and more choices
and more control over their own lives. We'll hear them make a lot of
promises over the next eight months -- and listen closely because
there's a theme: Every promise will increase the power of politicians
and bureaucrats over your income, over your retirement, over your
health care, and over your life. It's that same old Washington
mind-set -- they'll give the orders, and you'll pay the bills.
(Applause.) I've got news for them: America has gone beyond that way
of thinking, and we're not going back. (Applause.)
I trust the people, not Washington politicians, to make the best
decisions for their own money, their own health, their own retirement,
and their own lives.
Our future also depends on America's leadership in this world. The
momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face serious
challenges. Al Qaeda is wounded, but not broken. Terrorists are
testing our will in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and
Iran are challenging the peace. The actions we take and the decisions
we make in this decade will have consequences far into this century.
If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward
tragedy. That will not happen on my watch. (Applause.) This nation
is strong and confident in the cause of freedom -- and no friend or
enemy today doubts the word of the United States. (Applause.)
America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in
Afghanistan. The Taliban chose defiance, and the Taliban are no longer
in power. (Applause.) America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the
terror regime in Iraq. The dictator chose defiance, and now the
dictator sits in a prison cell. (Applause.)
September the 11th, 2001 taught a lesson I have not forgotten.
America must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq,
my administration looked at the intelligence and saw a danger. Members
of Congress looked at the intelligence, and they saw a danger. The
United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw
a danger. The previous administration and Congress looked at the
intelligence, and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our
country. We all knew Saddam's history well. He waged aggressive wars
against neighboring countries, and aspired to dominate the Middle
East. He cultivated ties to terrorists. He built weapons of mass
destruction. He hid those weapons. He used chemical weapons against
thousands of Iraqis and Iranians.
In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a
full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for
over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. So we had a choice to
make: Either take the word of a madman, or take action to defend
America and the world. Faced with that choice, I will defend America
every time. (Applause.)
Others would have chosen differently. They now agree that the
world is better off with Saddam Hussein out of power; they just didn't
support removing Saddam from power. (Laughter.) Maybe they were
hoping he'd lose the next Iraqi election. (Laughter and applause.) We
showed the dictator, and a watching world, that we mean what we say.
Because our coalition acted, Saddam's torture chambers are closed.
Because we acted, the Middle East is more peaceful. Because we acted,
Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we acted, nations
like Libya have gotten the message and renounced their weapons
programs. Because we acted, an example of democracy is rising at the
heart of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world is more free,
and America is more secure. (Applause.)
We still face thugs and terrorists in Iraq who would rather go on
killing the innocent than accept the advance of liberty. They know
that a free Iraq would be a major defeat in the cause of terror. This
collection of killers is trying to shake the will of America and the
civilized world. They don't know us very well. America will never be
intimidated by thugs and assassins. (Applause.)
We're aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
there so we do not have to face them in our own country. We're
calling other nations to help Iraq build a free society, which will
make us all safer. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume
more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These
aren't easy tasks, but they're essential tasks. We will finish what we
have begun, and we'll win this important victory in the war on terror.
(Applause.)
On national security, Americans have the clearest possible choice.
Our opponents say they approve of bold action in the world, but only if
no other government disagrees. I'm all for united action, and so are
the 34 coalition partners we have in Iraq right now. But America must
never out-source America's national security decisions to the leaders
of other governments. (Applause.)
Some of our opponents are skeptical that the war on terror is
really a war at all. They view terrorism more as a crime -- a problem
to be solved with law enforcement and indictments. Our nation followed
that approach after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The
matter was handled in the courts, and thought to be settled. But the
terrorists were still training in Afghanistan, plotting in other
nations, and drawing up more ambitious plans. After the chaos and
carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies
with legal papers. With those attacks, the terrorists and their
supporters declared war on the United States -- and war is what they
got. (Applause.)
The men and women who are fighting the war and who have seen the
enemy understand the stakes. Last year, in a letter home from the
Iraqi theater, a Navy Corpsman named Lonnie Lewis wrote this: "We have
to remind ourselves of what this country stands for: life, liberty and
justice for all. In order to maintain those rights, we have to stop
the threat of terrorism." Corpsman Lewis's letter concludes: "My
family is first. My country is where they live. I will defend it."
This is the caliber of the people who are defending America. We
are counting on them. The people of Iraq, and people across the Middle
East, are depending on them. And I assure you, ladies and gentlemen,
the cause of freedom is in good hands. (Applause.)
This nation is prosperous and strong, yet we need to remember the
sources of America's greatness. We're strong because we love freedom.
America has a special charge to keep, because we are freedom's home and
defender. We believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of
every human heart. We believe that freedom is the future of every
nation, and we know that freedom is not America's gift to the world, it
is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
(Applause.)
We also know that the greatest strength of this country lies in the
hearts and souls of our citizens. We're strong because of the values
we try to live by -- courage and compassion, reverence and integrity.
We're strong because of the institutions that help to give us direction
and purpose -- families, and schools, and religious congregations.
These values and institutions are fundamental to our lives, and they
deserve the respect of our government. (Applause.)
We stand for the fair treatment of faith-based groups, so they can
receive federal support for their works of compassion and healing. We
will not stand for government discrimination against people of faith.
(Applause.)
We stand for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen
marriage, which have helped millions of Americans find independence and
dignity. We will not stand for any attempt to weaken those reforms,
and send people back into lives of dependence.
We stand for a culture of life in which every person counts, and
every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life
as a commodity to be experimented upon, or exploited, or cloned.
We stand for the confirmation of judges who strictly and faithfully
interpret the law. We will not stand for judges who undermine
democracy by legislating from the bench, and try to remake the culture
by court order. (Applause.)
And we stand for a culture of responsibility in America. We're
changing the culture of America from one that said, "if it feels good,
do it," and "if you've got a problem, blame someone else," to a culture
in which each of us understands we're responsible for the decisions we
make. If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're
responsible for loving your child with all your heart. If you're
concerned about the quality of the education in your community in which
you live, you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a
CEO in America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your
shareholders and your employees. And in this new responsibility
society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like
we'd like to be loved ourselves. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation, when little is
expected of leaders -- this is not one of those times. You and I are
living in a period when the stakes are high, and the challenges are
difficult, the choices are clear and resolve is needed.
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On September 14, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
Towers. I remember a lot that day. Workers in hardhats were shouting,
"Whatever it takes." One man pointed at me and said, "Don't let me
down." As we all did that day, these men and women searching through
the rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I've a
responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in bringing justice
to our enemies. I will defend America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
In these times I've also been witness to the character of this
nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American
character -- our capacity to meet serious challenges, to serve a cause
greater than self-interest. But Americans have given their answer.
I've seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the heroism
of Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of service
and compassion renewed in our country. We've all seen our nation unite
in common purpose when it mattered most.
We will need all of these qualities for the work ahead. We have a
war to win, and the world is counting on us to lead the cause of
freedom. We have a duty to spread compassion and opportunity to every
part of America.
This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it.
And we know that for the United States of America, the best days still
lie ahead.
God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 8:00 P.M. EST
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