For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 8, 2004
Remarks by the President at Bush-Cheney 2004 Reception
PGA National Resort
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
6:10 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. It's great to
be back in the great state of Florida. (Applause.) We carried it once
and we're going to carry it again. (Applause.)
And I want to thank you all for your help. I appreciate you
showing up today. I appreciate your contributions. I appreciate your
friendship. Appreciate your prayers. I appreciate you laying the
foundation for what is going to be a great national victory in November
of '04. (Applause.)
And I'm getting ready. (Laughter.) I'm loosening up. (Laughter.)
But there's plenty of time for politics. See, I've got a job to do.
I'm focused on the people's business in Washington, D.C. I want you to
remind your friends and neighbors that I will continue to work hard to
earn the confidence of every American by keeping this nation secure and
strong and prosperous and free. (Applause.)
I love my brother, Jeb. (Applause.) He is a great Governor.
(Applause.) He is a great Governor, first and foremost, because he has
a large heart. He cares deeply about the people. He and I share some
things in common. We share the same last name. (Laughter.) We share
the same political consultant -- (laughter) -- Mother. (Laughter.)
And we both married extremely well. (Applause.)
I'm honored to be on stage with a fabulous First Lady for the state
of Florida, Ms. Colomba. (Applause.) And a great First Lady for
America sends her love. I'm sorry Laura is not here. I know she was
Jeb's first choice to be the speaker today. (Laughter.) She's in
Washington. But I'm a lucky man to have married Laura Bush. She is a
great wife, a fabulous mother, and a wonderful First Lady for America.
(Applause.)
I know my friend and former colleague in the Cabinet, Mel Martinez,
is with us. Mel, thank you for being here today. (Applause.) I know
Congressman Mark Foley is with us. Mr. Congressman, I'm glad you're
here. (Applause.) I'm sorry Congressman Clay Shaw is not here. This
is his district, I understand, but he is traveling with Speaker Denny
Hastert. He made a good choice -- when the Speaker calls, it's
probably a pretty good thing to travel with him. (Applause.) I know
the Lt. Governor Toni Jennings is here. (Applause.) Attorney General
Charlie Crist is here. Tom Gallagher is here. Where's Gallagher? I
appreciate you coming. (Applause.)
A lot of members of the statehouse are here; it's a good sign when
state senators and state reps show up. After all, you win campaigns by
energizing the grassroots. I appreciate the members of the statehouse
being here. I'm looking forward to working with you to carry Florida.
I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here. I want to
thank you for what you're going to do, which is to put up the signs, to
man the phone booths, to put out the mailers, and to turn out the
vote.
I want to thank the mayors and local officials who are here. I
want to thank all those who worked hard to make this event such a
successful event. We've had three event co-chairmen, the Guzzettas,
the Gaineses, and Elizabeth Fago. I want to thank you for your hard
work. I appreciate your good work. (Applause.)
My friend, Mercer Reynolds, is here. He's the national finance
chairman. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio. He's taken a lot of time out of
his private life to help make sure we get well funded in what's going
to be a tough campaign. I want to thank my friend, Al Hoffman, from
the great state of Florida, who is doing such a fantastic job as the --
raising money. (Applause.) And of course, there's Tom Petway and Zach
Zachariah, two good buddies, as well, who have been working hard to
make this campaign go well. (Applause.)
In the last three years, our nation has acted decisively to
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems,
instead of passing them on to future presidents and future
generations. (Applause.) I came to seize opportunities, instead of
letting them slip away. My administration is meeting the tests of our
time. (Applause.)
Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is
what they got. 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. In
Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. (Applause.)
The world is better off, and so are the 50 million people in those two
countries who once lived under tyranny, and today they live in
freedom. (Applause.)
Three years ago our military was not receiving the resources it
needed and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased the defense
budgets to meet the threats of a new era. And today, no one in the
world can question the skill and the strength and the spirit of the
United States military. (Applause.)
Three years ago, the economy was in trouble and a recession was
beginning. And I want you to remember what we have come through. Not
only was a recession beginning, but our country was attacked. And then
there were corporate scandals and war, all of which affected the
people's confidence. But this administration acted. We passed tough
new laws to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get the
economy going again, I have twice led the United States Congress to
pass historic tax relief for the American people. (Applause.)
This administration understands that when Americans have more
take-home pay to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy grows,
and people are more likely to find a job. So we're returning more
money to the people to help them raise their families. We reduced
taxes on dividends and capital gains to encourage investment. We've
given small businesses incentives to expand and to hire new people.
With all these actions, we have laid the foundation for greater
prosperity and more jobs across America, so every single citizen has a
chance to realize the American Dream. (Applause.)
Today the American economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
The figures for the third quarter of the year 2003 show the economy
grew at an annual rate of 8.2 percent, the fastest pace in nearly 20
years. Productivity is high. Business investment is rising, housing
construction is expanding, manufacturing activity is increasing, and
we've added over 300,000 new jobs in the last four months. The tax
relief we passed is working. (Applause.)
Three years ago, there was a lot of talk about education reform,
but there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called for, and the
Congress passed, the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a
generation. We've increased spending out of the federal government,
particularly for Title I students, for the poorest of students. But
now, because we believe every child can learn to read and write and add
and subtract, we're insisting that states measure. We want to know.
The state of Florida, led by this great Governor, is on the leading
edge of education reform because he holds people to account. And the
reason he does is because he and I both know every child can learn. We
are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. (Applause.)
We've raised the bar -- we've raised the standards. We expect results
so that not one single child in America is left behind.
We've reorganized our government during the past three years, and
created the Department of Homeland Security to better guard Florida's
ports, better guard our borders, to better protect the American
people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new markets for
Florida's ranchers and farmers and entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We
passed budget agreements, much needed budget agreements, to help bring
spending discipline to Washington, D.C.
And last month, we completed the greatest advance in health care
coverage for America's senior citizens since the creation of Medicare.
The new Medicare law that I fought for and signed -- the bill that I
campaigned for, worked for and signed, will give older Americans the
option of a prescription drug benefit and more control over their own
health care, so they can receive the modern medical care they deserve.
(Applause.)
On issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle,
has kept its word, and has made progress for the American people. The
Congress gets a lot of credit. I enjoy working with Majority Leader
Bill Frist, Speaker Denny Hastert, Congressman Mark Foley. We're
working hard in Washington, D.C., to change the tone of the Nation's
Capital. There's too much politics, endless back-biting, zero-sum
attitudes. And the best way to do that is to stay focused on the
people's business and on results. And we have delivered results over
the last three years. (Applause.)
A major reason this administration has been successful is because I
have surrounded myself with really good, decent, capable, honorable
people; people from all walks of life; people who have come to the
Nation's Capital to serve the United States of America, not a special
or self-interest. This nation has had no finer Vice President than
Vice President Dick Cheney. (Applause.) Mother may have a second
opinion. (Laughter.)
In three years, we have come far, we've done a lot. But our work
is only beginning. I have set great goals worthy of a great nation.
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 that is prosperous and
compassionate so that every citizen -- every citizen -- regardless of
their background, has a chance to work and to succeed, and realize the
great promise of this country.
It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
actions of America. This nation is freedom's home and freedom's
defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are keeping it.
The war on terror goes on. The enemies of freedom are not idle, and
neither are we. This country will not rest, we will not tire, we will
not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. (Applause.)
We are confronting that danger in Iraq, where all the people of
that country can now be certain they will never again have to fear the
rule of Saddam Hussein. (Applause.) The Baathist holdouts largely
responsible for current violence now know there will be no return to
the corrupt power and privilege they once held. All Iraqis who have
taken the side of freedom have chosen the winning side. (Applause.)
We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing the
innocent than accept the rise of liberty in the Middle East. You see,
they know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be a major defeat
for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake
the will of the United States. The United States will never be
intimidated by a bunch of thugs and assassins. (Applause.)
We are on the offensive in Iraq. We're aggressively striking the
terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat them there, so we do not have to
face them in America. (Applause.) And a lot of nations are helping to
build a free Iraq, because they understand a free Iraq is in their
interest. A free Iraq will make the world more peaceful. And we're
standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of their own defense
and more of their own self-government. These are not easy tasks, but
they are essential tasks. And America will finish what we have begun.
We will win this essential victory in the war on terror. (Applause.)
We're working to oppose proliferation of weapons around the world.
Last month, after talks with the United States and Great Britain, Libya
volunteered to disclose and dismantle all its weapons of mass
destruction programs. (Applause.) Leaders around the world now know
weapons of mass destruction do not bring influence or prestige, they
bring isolation and other unwelcome consequences. (Laughter.) And
nations who abandon the pursuit of these weapons will find an open path
to better relations with the United States of America. (Applause.)
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 terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and
hope of every human heart. I believe that freedom is the future of
every nation, and I know that freedom is not America's gift to the
world, freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this
world. (Applause.)
America understands that unprecedented influence brings tremendous
responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we see
disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, 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
suffering with AIDS. (Applause.)
We face challenges here at home, as well, and we will prove that
we're equal to the challenges. This administration will continue to
promote a pro-growth, pro-small business, pro- entrepreneur economic
agenda until everybody who wants a job can find one.
And for the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on
the frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine.
(Applause.) I appreciate Jeb's leadership on this issue. (Applause.)
He and I understand that people who have been harmed by a bad doc
deserve their day in court. Yet, the system should not reward lawyers
who are simply fishing for a rich settlement. Frivolous lawsuits --
(applause) -- frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care and
they, therefore, affect the federal budget.
Medical liability reform is a national issue that requires a
national solution. I put forth a good plan. The House of
Representatives passed it. However, the bill is stuck in the Senate.
And I know two United States senators who keep it stuck in the United
States Senate. And they might happen to be from your state. The
Senate must act on behalf of the American people and pass medical
liability reform, and the senators must understand no one has ever been
healed by a frivolous lawsuit. (Applause.)
I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb
men and women for the federal courts, people who will interpret the
law, not legislate from the bench. Some members of the United States
Senate -- (applause) -- some members of the United States Senate, two
of them from this state -- (laughter) -- are trying to keep my nominees
off the bench by blocking up or down votes. Every judicial nominee
deserves a fair hearing and an up or down vote on the Senate floor. It
is time for some of those members of the United States Senate to stop
playing politics with American justice. (Applause.)
This country needs an energy plan, and the Congress needs to get an
energy plan to my desk. I've been calling for one for several years
now, an energy plan that encourages energy efficiency and conservation,
that uses technology in wise ways to find additional supplies of
energy. For the sake of economic security and for the sake of national
security, this country must become less dependent on foreign sources of
energy. (Applause.)
A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of what I call
compassionate conservatism, which means we'll apply the best and most
innovative ideas to the task of helping fellow citizens who are in
need. There are still a lot of people, millions of men and women who
want to end their dependence on government, become independent through
hard work. We must continue to build on the success of welfare reform,
to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of our fellow
citizens.
With the help of Congress, we're working to ensure more Americans
serve their communities and through their country -- through the
citizen service programs. Both Houses should come together and pass my
faith-based initiative. Our government should not fear the influence
of faith in the lives of our fellow citizens. As a matter of fact, the
great strength of the country is the fact that we're a nation of many
faiths. And faith-based community programs are those that are often
able to change people's hearts. And when you change a person's heart,
you help save a person's life.
We need to rally the armies of compassion, those who mentor our
children, those who care for the homeless, those who offer hope to the
addicted. A compassionate society is a society that promotes
opportunity for every citizen, including the independence and dignity
that come from ownership. This administration will constantly strive
to promote an ownership society in America. We want more people owning
their own home. We have a minority homeownership gap in America, and I
have put forward a plan to close that gap. We want people owning and
managing their own health care plans and their own retirement
accounts. We want more people owning their own small business, because
we understand that when a person owns something, he or she has a vital
stake in the future of America.
In a compassionate society, people respect one another; they
respect their religious beliefs; they respect their opinions, and they
take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. The culture
of this country is changing 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, to a culture in which each of us understands we're responsible
for the decisions we make in life.
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
worried about the quality of the education in the community in which
you live, you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a
CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to
your shareholders and your employees. (Applause.)
In a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving
our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. And we see the
culture of service and responsibility growing around us. You know I
started -- right after September the 11th I started what's called the
USA Freedom Corps. It's a chance for people to find out ways to extend
a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. And the response has been
strong, really strong.
A lot of Americans -- and I'm sure many are here -- understand that
patriotism can mean helping somebody who hurts. Charitable
organizations in America are vibrant, neighborhood healing groups are
really good, faith-based programs are strong. Police and our
firefighters and people who wear the nation's uniform remind us on a
daily basis what it means to serve something greater than yourself.
Once again, the children of America believe in heroes, because they see
them every day.
In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the
courage of America. And I've been privileged to see the compassion and
the character of the American people. All the tests, all the tests of
the last three years have come to the right nation. We're a strong
country, and we use that strength to defend the peace. We're an
optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in ideals bigger than
ourselves. Abroad, we seek to lift up whole nations by spreading
freedom. At home, we seek to lift up lives by spreading opportunity to
every corner of America.
This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it,
and know that for our country, the best days lie ahead. May God bless
you. Thank you for coming.
END 6:41 P.M. EST
|