Remarks by the President at 2003 President's Dinner
Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
7:20 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's
always nice to have a nice quiet dinner with a few friends.
(Laughter.) Can't tell you how much we appreciate you coming, though.
First, I want to thank my friend, George Allen, for putting
together this fine event. I want to thank all those who have helped.
I particularly want to thank all of you all for coming from all across
the great country. Thank you for your support. It makes a huge
difference to our "Grand Party." Your participation in the process
makes a great difference to our great country.
All of us who serve this country have important responsibilities.
You've got responsibilities at home -- to love your children with all
your heart and all your soul. You've got responsibilities in your
communities to love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
If you're a CEO in corporate America, you have a responsibility to tell
the truth to your employees and shareholders. (Applause.) And we have
responsibilities here in Washington, D.C. to work together to keep this
nation strong and secure and prosperous and hopeful. And we accept
that responsibility. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much the Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert.
(Applause.) He is such a good Speaker; we want to keep him as the
Speaker. (Applause.) And the same goes for the Majority Leader in the
United States Senate, Senator Bill Frist. (Applause.) It is a joy to
work with these two fabulous Americans.
I'm also honored to be on the -- sharing the stage with the
Senate dinner chairman, Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah -- (applause)
-- the Chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee from the
state of New York, Congressman Tom Reynolds -- (applause) -- the
House dinner chairman, Congressman Dave Camp from Michigan.
(Applause.) I want to thank all the senators and members of the House
of Representatives who are here. America is fortunate to have you --
your service on behalf of all of us.
I want to thank the members of the Cabinet who are here. I want to
thank the Oakridge Boys for sharing their beautiful voices.
(Applause.) And most of all, I want to thank you all for supporting us
and what we're doing for the country.
For the last two and one-half years, this country has faced
incredible challenges, and those challenges brought out the best in
America. (Applause.) The testing of America has revealed the spirit
of America. The world has seen that we are courageous, resolute, tough
when we have to be, and a compassionate people. (Applause.)
The world has seen the strength and the idealism of the United
States military. Thanks to the skill -- (applause.) Thanks to the
skill and courage of our troops, and the technology of our military,
the world has seen that the guilty have more to fear from the United
States of America. Thanks to the skill and bravery of our troops and
coalition forces, because the guilty can no longer hide behind the
innocent, the world will be a more peaceful place. (Applause.)
The terrorists will have fewer places to hide. Tyrants will no
longer be free to enslave their people. Freedom has arrived in far
corners of the Earth. (Applause.)
Every friend of this country, and every enemy of this country, can
be certain America will always work to keep the peace, and we will
always keep our word.
We're working hard to change the tone in Washington, D.C., and I
believe we have. We've raised the debate to focus on results and
progress, and we're achieving great results for the American people.
One reason we're able to do so is because I put together a fabulous
team. (Applause.) To the Cabinet members here, I want to thank you for
your service. But I do want to mention one member of my team that is
not with us tonight, but is doing a fabulous job for America, and
that's the finest Vice President our nation has ever known -- Vice
President Dick Cheney. (Applause.)
Now, my mother may have a different point of view. (Laughter.)
But I got the mike. (Laughter.) The Vice President and members of the
Cabinet, and everybody else who works for me is resolved to keep the
vow we made to restore honor and dignity to the office of the President
of the United States. (Applause.)
And I'm proud of the United States Congress. The Congress is
focused on results, and they have delivered tremendous results for the
American people: major tax cuts so the working people can keep more of
their own money; education reform; Homeland Security Department to
better secure America; trade legislation. No, this Congress, instead
of endless bickering and needless partisanship, has focused on what's
-- doing right for the American people. And I'm proud of what you all
have done. (Applause.)
We've come a long way in two-and-a-half years. But we've got a lot
more work to do. We've got a lot to do. First, America is committed
to expanding the realm of freedom and peace, for our own security and
for the benefit of the world. And second, in our own country we must
work for a society of prosperity and compassion, so that every citizen
has a chance to work and succeed, and realize the great promise of the
United States of America.
Across the world it has never been more clear that the future of
freedom and peace depend on the actions of the United States. This
nation is freedom's home and defender. We welcome this charge of
history, and we will keep it. (Applause.)
As we saw again last week in Saudi Arabia and in Morocco, the war
on terror continues. Our work is not done. The enemies of freedom are
not idle, and neither are we. (Applause.) This country will not rest,
we will not tire, we will not stop until the danger to civilization is
removed. (Applause.)
Our national interests involves more than eliminating aggressive
threats to our safety. Our greatest security comes from the advance of
human liberty. Because free nations do not support terror; free
nations do not attack their neighbors; free nations do not threaten the
world with weapons of mass murder. (Applause.) As Americans, we
believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of every human
heart. And we believe that freedom is the right of every person, and
the future of every nation. (Applause.)
America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. When we see
disease, starvation, and hopeless poverty, we cannot, and we will, not
turn away. On the continent of Africa, America is now committed to
bringing the healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and
children who suffer from AIDS. (Applause.)
I want to thank the United States Congress. I want to thank the
House, once again, for voting for the package today to make sure that
the great compassion of America is felt in some of the most hopeless
corners of the world. I want to thank Henry Hyde, and Dick Lugar, and
Bill Frist who guided this important legislation through both Houses, a
piece of legislation which I look so forward to signing next week
before I go overseas. (Applause.) And when I go overseas, I will
remind our partners in Europe about our great heart, our great
compassion, and call upon them to join us in this great work.
(Applause.)
We have challenges at home, and there's not doubt in my mind we are
equal to those challenges. Our most urgent mission in the months ahead
is to strengthen this economy, to create the conditions for job growth,
and to provide economic security and opportunity for all our American
citizens. Prosperity is the result of hard work, and the dreams of the
American people. The role of government is not to create wealth, but
the environment in which work and entrepreneurship pay off.
(Applause.)
Republican members of the House and Senate understand that. Each
body has now passed additional tax relief to leave more money into the
hands of the American people. See, we understand this -- the money
we talk about in Washington, D.C. is not the government's money. The
money we talk about in Washington, D.C. is the people's money.
(Applause.)
Chairman Thomas in the House, and Chairman Grassley in the Senate
are working hard to reconcile any differences, and I'm confident
they'll be able to do so, and get a package to my desk that I can sign
into law. The members of the House and the Senate are results-oriented
people. When they see a problem, they act. We want everybody in
America who wants to work to be able to find a job. (Applause.)
Economic security also depends on a good education for every
child. I came to Washington with a deep desire to pass fundamental
reforms in education, to bring high standards, accountability, regular
testing to every public school in America. With a solid bipartisan
majority, we passed the No Child Left Behind Act. (Applause.) This is
a good start, but it's only a start. And now we're working with
governors and chief school officers of every state to make reform a
reality. Every child can learn the basics of reading and math, and
every school must teach those basics. The days of excuse-making are
over, and now we expect results in every classroom, so that not one
single child in America is left behind. (Applause.)
We can use our past success as a model for meeting other priorities
currently before the Congress. Members of the Congress are working
with us now to strengthen and modernize Medicare, to give seniors more
health care choices, and access to prescription drugs. All of us on
the federal payroll get a choice in health care plans. Seniors ought
to have the same choices. If choice is good enough for federal
workers, it is good enough for the seniors in America. (Applause.)
Together, we've been working to cut down on frivolous lawsuits and
pass meaningful medical liability reform. (Applause.) People who have
been mistreated by doctors deserve a day in court. Yet the system
should not reward lawyers fishing for large settlements. (Applause.)
The medical liability issue is a national problem that requires a
national solution. The House has passed a good bill, and the Senate
should follow suit. (Applause.)
I also continue to work with the Congress to pass a comprehensive
energy plan to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. (Applause.) We
must also advance our agenda of compassionate conservatism. We have a
responsibility to apply the best, most innovative ideas to the task of
helping our fellow citizens in need. We must continue to work for
meaningful, real welfare reform, to bring work and dignity into the
lives of more and more Americans. (Applause.)
The Congress should finish work on a faith-based bill to support
the armies of compassion -- for mentoring children and caring for the
homeless and offering hope to the addicted. (Applause.)
I appreciate the hard work of Orrin Hatch and Bill Frist to make
sure that our judiciary functions properly. I have submitted superb
nominations to our federal courts. The confirmation process in the
United States Senate should be about justice, not about empty
politics. (Applause.)
We have a full agenda for America, and a clear and optimistic
vision for our future. We believe in an ownership society. We want
Americans to own their own health plan. We want Americans to be able
to start their own businesses. We want more families to own homes. We
want people to be owning a piece of their retirement, so that every
person has the dignity and independence that come from ownership,
assets and property that they can call their own. (Applause.)
We also have a vision for a responsibility society. We're changing
the culture in this country, from one that has said, if it feels good,
just go ahead and do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody
else -- the culture is shifting to one in which people know they're
accountable for what they do. They're responsible for children they
bring into the world. (Applause.) A culture which says, you have a
responsibility to help a neighbor in need.
We can see the culture of service and responsibility is rising
around us in America. We started what's called USA Freedom Corps,
where response has been fantastic. Our fellow citizens from all walks
of life, all political parties, have joined in making sure that people
who hurt receive the love and affection they need.
Our faith-based charities are strong and vibrant in America. We've
got people who are willing to sacrifice on behalf of others -- those
who wear the uniform, the police and the firefighters. We've got
people who are now serving in their communities and being held up as
examples -- positive examples -- so that children can learn the
meaning, the real meaning of hero. No, America's culture is changing,
and changing to the better. (Applause.)
It is such an honor to be the President of a great country. Our
nation has faced mighty challenges over two-and-a-half years. We've
been endured terrorist attacks, yet we have grown stronger. We've led
the world in the fight against terrorism. We freed a great people from
a ruthless dictator, and eliminated the threat posed to world peace.
(Applause.)
We met every challenge, and we will meet every challenge that
comes, because this is the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
And the reason it is, is because of the great strength and compassion
of the American people.
It is such an honor to be here. May God bless you all, and may God
bless America. (Applause.)