THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Well, thank you for that warm Iowa
welcome. It's nice to be here. Bill, thank you for your hospitality.
And I want to thank you all for giving me a chance to come and share
some things with you about our great country.
First, I want to thank the folks who work here, who spent some time
talking to me about how much they enjoy working here in the company;
talking about their families, what tax relief meant for them in real
terms. I appreciate the Governor of the State of Iowa, Tom Vilsack,
for coming. Thank you, Governor, I'm honored you're here. (Applause.)
I had the privilege of flying down from Washington with two fine --
I mean fine -- United States Congressmen, Jim Leech and Greg Ganske,
and I'm honored at your presence. (Applause.) I appreciate Mayor Paul
Pate for being here, the Mayor of Cedar Rapids. I want to thank him
for his hospitality today. (Applause.)
And I want to thank my fellow Americans. I want to thank you all
for your patience and your determination and your love for freedom.
This is a fabulous country and I want to thank you all. (Applause.)
Today, as you know, is April 15th -- (laughter) -- tax day. Today,
at least we get to call it tax relief day. (Applause.) It was right
here in the state of Iowa when I was running for President, asking
people for their votes, that I said if you gave me a chance to be
President, I'd work hard to let people keep their own money. I
reminded people that the money we're talking about is not the
government's money; it's the people's money. (Applause.)
And we kept that promise. I say "we," a lot of -- more than one
guy up there in Washington working on behalf of the working people, I
think you noticed that today. I'm going to spend some time talking
about it and why it's important. But we've also got other priorities in
this country. I want to spend a little bit of time talking about those
priorities.
We've got a priority to make sure our homeland is secure. My most
important job is not politicking, my most important job isn't to give
speeches everywhere. My most important job is to make sure people
don't hit America again, is to make sure we're secure. (Applause.)
And I want to assure you that your federal government is doing
everything humanly possible to secure the homeland. We've got a first
responders initiative to work with the police and fire and emergency
medical corps, those brave men and women who serve us on a daily
basis. We've got a bioterrorism response initiative going on that says
if they ever do use a bioterrorist type weapon, that we know how to
respond.
We're doing a better job of understanding who's coming into our
country and who's going out of our country. We need to know who's
coming in and why they're coming in. We're securing our borders in a
better way. And, as well, we're taking every bit of information we
get, every hint and running down every lead to make sure if somebody is
still here in our country, who wants to hurt innocent Americans, we're
going to disrupt their plans. (Applause.)
They're out there. You just need to know that the people we're
dealing with are cold-blooded killers. It's hard for Americans to
understand the mentality of somebody who hates freedom, because we love
freedom. We value our freedom to worship the way we want to worship,
the value of our freedom to raise our families the way we want to raise
our families, the value of the freedom to be able to speak our minds,
or to read a free press. There are people who hate freedom, and
therefore they hate America because we're the bastion of freedom.
I don't know what got in their mind on that day, when they attacked
us. They must have thought this country of ours was so weak, and so
materialistic, so self-absorbed, that all we would do would be to file
a lawsuit. They found out we think a little differently here in
America. (Applause.) They now know that we know the best way to
defend our homeland is to hunt them down one by one, and bring them to
justice. And that's exactly what we're going to do. (Applause.)
In order to make sure America is secure, we must be relentless and
steady and patient. We must find those who want to hurt us, because of
the beliefs we hold dear, and bring them to justice. I want you to
know, I use the word justice. And for the young here, you need to know
our country does not seek revenge. We seek justice. And when we say
we're going to do something, we're going to do it, because the
credibility of our country is at stake.
I said, you know, that the Taliban regime, because they were
feeding these guys, and giving them a nice place to hang out, we were
going to get them. We were going to run them out of business. And
that's exactly what we did, thanks to the United States military.
(Applause.)
But we were not conquerors. We were liberators. We went into
Afghanistan and we routed out one of the most barbaric regimes in the
history of mankind. And as a result of the United States, plus other
nations, young girls were able to go to school for the first time. I
cannot tell you how proud I am of a country that on the one hand is
willing to defend its freedom and, on the other hand, is willing to
fight for the freedoms of others, as well. When those young girls went
to school, I was so proud of the United States military and our
country. (Applause.)
We've got a lot of work to do. Oh, I know there's a certain
impatience sometimes with the commentators and the writers, and all the
people that make our political process whole. But you just need to
know, there's a lot more to go. And I'm not tired. I don't have a
calendar on my desk that says by a certain date, all this business has
got to end. That's not how it works. That's what the enemy wants.
They want us to quit, because we're impatient. But it's not going to
happen. It can't happen. History has called us into action. We must
never look back and say, how come we didn't act when there's called
into action. We must be steadfast in that which we believe, and steady
in our resolve. And I can assure you it doesn't matter whether you're
a Republican or whether you're a Democrat, or whether you don't even
give a darn about political parties. This country is united when it
comes to defending the freedoms we hold dear. (Applause.)
And so we're going to keep them on the run. And I've told world
leaders: either you're with us or you're not with us. And I mean
every word of it. And they now know our country means every word of
it, as well. And so we're in for a long time, but it's worth the
price. For those of you who have got relatives in the military, a son
or a daughter, an aunt or uncle or a mom or a dad, I want to thank you
from the bottom of our heart for not only their sacrifice, but for your
understanding, as well. The cause is noble. And the cause is just.
(Applause.)
And I wasn't kidding when I said that in order for our children to
grow up in a safe world, in order for our children and our children's
children to be able to have the same freedoms that we enjoyed coming
up; that we can't let the world's worst leaders harbor and develop the
world's worst weapons, so that they might try to blackmail us or hold
us hostage or launch one of those awful weapons at us. That we must be
steadfast not only in routing out al Qaeda and terrorist organizations
who would do us harm, but we've got to draw the line when it comes to
nations, for example, a nation that was willing to gas its own people;
a nation willing to assassinate people who speak out in dissent and, at
the same time, develop a weapon that can be used against us.
We're deliberate, we're patient. I'm under no hurry. But you can
rest assured that when it comes time to protecting our freedoms and our
country, this government is going to take action. (Applause.)
I believe strongly the collective will of people who love freedom
can make an enormous difference in this world, and I will continue to
work with the coalition of leaders and countries that share the same
values we share; leaders and countries that understand that if we let
terrorists run rampant they will affect the peace in regions of the
world where we long for peace. I know that one of the good things
that's going to come out of the evil done to America, with the right
leadership and the right focus is a lasting peace all around the
world. I believe that as sure as I'm standing here.
As well, we had problems here at home right after September the
11th. You know it, I know it. I'm sure you were concerned about your
jobs, and when the enemy hit, they not only killed a lot of innocent
people, but they affected our economy. And it's one of the reasons I'm
so proud we cut the taxes on the people who work. Because you see, if
you let people keep their own money, they tend to want to spend it.
(Laughter.) And when they spend it, they're going to buy a good or a
service, and somebody will provide the good or a service. And when
they provide or produce the good and service, it means somebody is
going to find work. The best way to make sure that workers continue to
work in the face of a recession is to cut the taxes on the people who
do the work in America, and that's what we did. (Applause.)
These tax relief plans were fair. To me, that's really important.
It wasn't one of these targeted deals, where some get it, and some
don't. We basically said, if you pay taxes, you get relief. It was
straightforward, everybody understood it, and it's going to be around
for a long time. Tax relief began immediately. And I want to remind
the people about what took place before September the 11th. Tax rebate
checks started coming in the mail. A single payer received up to
$300. Single parent taxpayers received up to $500. Married couples
received up to $600. In the state of Iowa, there were 974,000 refund
checks mailed out, totalling $426 million. And that was an important
part of making sure people could realize their own dreams, and at the
same time, making sure this recession eventually didn't take -- didn't
strangle our economy.
The good news is, is that tax relief is continuing -- this wasn't a
one-time event -- that there is more tax relief coming. And if you
file out your forms -- and I kind of suggest you do here, pretty quick
-- (laughter) -- that you'll see the child credit was increased to
$600, and made available to more lower income Americans. For a single
mom with two children, making $18,000 a year, this one change alone
provides $800 of tax relief.
This year we're beginning a new 10 percent bracket. It lowered the
bracket. We're make it easier for low income workers to stay -- take
their first steps up the ladder of opportunity. Starting this year,
you'll be able to save more of your own money tax free, through
education savings accounts, IRA, or 401(k). And I hope you take
advantage of it. Saving is good for your families, and saving are
important for your future.
You know, one of the interesting things that we discussed today was
how these tax relief actually, I mean, benefits people. Sometimes in
Washington, it's all theory. And, yet, behind every tax -- every check
that went out, there's a true story. Today, the Madsen family shared
with us -- where are you, there he is, right behind me, big John --
(applause) -- shared with us -- two beautiful kids -- talked about how
tax relief helped them with their mortgage payments. He spoke about
owning a home, and how the tax relief helped him do that. It is a
fantastic feeling, I know, when you own your home, John.
It was important for the Galvin family to make improvements on the
house -- there he is, Tony -- make improvements on the house they
brought last August. By the way, they needed to make an improvement on
their house because this good couple has got a huge heart, and they're
willing to adopt children, to provide them a loving and safe and
promising home. And I want to thank them for the love they show for
their kids. (Applause.)
Patty Wignall talked about how tax relief helped her purchase
school supplies, and clothes for her children. She was wondering
whether or not we could crank up the refund checks again. (Laughter.)
No. (Laughter and applause.)
But in the code, the code is going to continually change. I want
to share with you what's going to happen. By the year 2010, the child
credit will increase up to $1,000 per child. It just started this
year, to increase. That's good for moms and dads and families. At the
same time, the marriage tax will be reduced, and the unfair death tax
will be completely abolished.
Small businesses -- maybe some of you all harbor ambition to run
your own business. A small business generally pays tax not at the
corporate rate, but at the personal income rate, because they're sole
proprietorships, or partnerships, or subchapter S corporations. And by
reducing the marginal rate on taxes, we encourage the growth of small
businesses, which is incredibly important for the future of America.
And it's important to make that dream of owning your own small business
vibrant and alive and well. And we have done so through tax reform.
Marginal rates will continue to fall, and that's important. And as
they do, and when fully phased-in -- I want you to hear these
statistics -- 43 million married couples will see their taxes reduced,
on average, by more than $1,700 a year. Eleven million single moms
will be able to keep an average of $770 more of their income each year,
to care for their children. Thirteen million seniors will see their
taxes reduced, on average, by more than $900. And 3.9 million
Americans will have their federal income tax liability changed forever
-- they won't pay taxes.
Tax relief is absolutely right for America. (Applause.) And I
believe one of the reasons why we're seeing encouraging signs in the
economy is because of tax relief. But we need to do more. My attitude
is, so long as somebody is working for work and can't find it, we need
to continue making sure we increase jobs. I worry about people
worrying about their work. I know that's not the case here in General
Mills, because you're a strong, vibrant company.
But there are people out there who are wondering whether or not
they're going to get a paycheck tomorrow. There's still some
uncertainty in our economy. And besides tax relief, there are things
we need and can do. First, in order for the long-term job security of
our country, this country needs to have an energy plan. We need to
have a plan, because if there is a disruption in supply, it's going to
affect jobs. You've got to understand, we import more than 50 percent
of our energy from countries around the world.
And I'll be perfectly blunt with you: some of them don't like
America. Some of the people sending our energy our way really don't
care for us that much. And for the good of our national security, and
economic security, we need an energy plan. Now, an energy plan has got
to start with encouraging conservation. We can do a better job of
conserving energy.
And we must do a better job of developing alternative uses -- for
example, a car. I believe that within a -- the lifetime of -- my
lifetime, and others here, we'll be driving hydrogen powered cars and
trucks; the technology which will enable us to keep our air cleaner,
and technologies that will make us less dependent on foreign sources of
energy. (Applause.)
But we've got to do more than just enhance technology. It's going
to take a while to get these cars to be ready for the market, and the
infrastructure to be able to deal with them. And it's going to take
more than just conservation. We need to focus on renewable sources of
energy, starting with ethanol, produced right here from corn in Iowa.
(Applause.)
And we need to explore for more energy here at home. And we can do
so in an environmentally friendly way. And that is what's important,
that technology has changed to the point where I can confidently say
that exploration for energy in ANWR in Alaska can be done without
leaving a footprint that will affect the environment in a negative,
harmful way.
Oh, I've heard the propaganda. But let me tell you this: when
Saddam Hussein stood up and said he wanted to cut off energy, and we're
importing energy from him, it makes sense to me that we'd better, in
order to make sure he doesn't hold us hostage, that we'd better figure
out a way to explore for more energy at home. (Applause.)
So there's a bill -- one of them came out of the House, and there's
one on the floor of the Senate -- would not only promote ethanol, not
only promote conservation and encourage the development of technologies
that will change our lives in positive ways, but it will also encourage
exploration here at home. We need that bill. It's good for economic
security for those who work in America, and it's important for our
national security, as well.
A second thing we need to do is we need to promote world trade.
You know that Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has got more trade per capita than
nearly any other city in the United States. Let me tell you what that
means. That means when we open up markets for products in the United
States, the good people of this city are working because of that.
Trade equals jobs, and this nation ought not to be afraid to work hard
to open up markets. Listen, we're the best farmers and ranchers in the
world, and we ought to be selling our foodstuffs and our meats all
across the globe. (Applause.)
In order to make sure that our job base continues to grow, we've
got to help small businesses. I just talked about the affect tax
relief will have on small businesses. It's a positive part of
stimulating growth. Most new jobs in America are created by small
business owners. And that's an important fact for people to
understand. And so we need regulatory reform, we need health care
reforms, we need government contracting reforms to make sure the small
business sector continues to grow in America.
In order to make sure the job base remains strong, we've got to
make sure our folks are educated. A good education system will mean
that people are going to be able to find good work in America. And one
of the things we did -- it was Republicans and Democrats, I might want
to remind you -- came together and said, public education ought to be a
top domestic priority. We passed historic reforms which sets high
standards, and at the same time, trusts the governors and local folks
to manage the path for excellence. The people who care more about the
Iowa children when it comes to education, are Iowans, not people in
Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
One thing that's pretty interesting to note is that some of these
tax reforms are going to expire at the end of 10 years, or in 2011.
It's a quirk in the law. I think that doesn't make much sense. It's
going to be hard to plan your future. If you think all of a sudden
these things get kicked in full time and then go away, they need to
make these tax cuts permanent, for the good of the working people in
America, for the good of families, for the good of small businesses,
for the good of farmers and ranchers, we need to make the tax relief
plan permanent in the tax code. (Applause.)
There is a lot of issues facing us. But one of the issues I want
to talk quickly about -- not an issue, just -- I want to remind you
about -- is that if you want to fight the war against terror, and
you're living right here, you want to stand up against evil, love your
neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. (Applause.)
People ask me all the time, people say, what can I do, how can I
help? What can I do to make the country I love as strong as it can
be? And that is, just do some good in your neighborhood. It is these
acts -- millions of acts of kindness and compassion that really define
our country. It's the hearts and generous spirit of Americans from all
walks of life that will help us stand squarely in the face of evil.
When you tell your child you love them, and give them a hug, that's
part of making sure the future of the country is as strong as it can
be. If you ever walk across the street, and tell a shut-in, what can I
do to help you, that is part of defining the great compassion of our
country.
I believe 9/11 was a wake-up for America. It made us realize that
we're vulnerable, that two oceans no longer separate us from terror,
and we've got to do something about it, and we are. But I also know
that 9/11 really made us remember what is important in life, that
families are important and children are important and loving a neighbor
like you'd like to be loved yourself is incredibly important.
To me, one of the most -- the most meaningful of moment -- or one
of the most meaningful moments came when the people on Flight 93 got on
the cell phones, on that airplane, and listened to what was taking
place on the ground. And they called their loved ones, and they said,
I love you. They said a prayer. And they drove the plane into the
ground to save somebody else.
It's the American spirit of sacrificing for something greater than
ourselves. And that thing greater than ourselves is freedom. And that
thing greater than ourselves is a country based upon fabulous values.
And that's why it is my honor, not only to be here today, but to be the
President of the greatest country on the face of the earth, because of
our great people.
May God bless you all, and may God bless America. (Applause.)