For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 15, 2004
Remarks by the President at Bush-Cheney 2004 Reception
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia
6:12 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thanks for coming. And
thanks for your support. I'm honored -- first let me tell you how
honored I am to be introduced by a best-selling author -- (laughter)
-- and a great American. (Applause.) I am privileged to call Zell
Miller my friend. The people of Georgia are privileged to call him
United States Senator. (Applause.) He is a decent, honorable citizen
of this country.
I'm also proud to be on the stage with your Governor. (Applause.)
Sonny. Sonny said, I want you to meet some of my friends from the
legislature. He said, what's unusual about this bunch is they don't
call themselves Republican. (Laughter.) There's a handful of Democrat
legislators here from the great state of Georgia. I know there's a
handful of Republican legislators, as well. I'm kind of taking you for
granted tonight. (Laughter.) But I do want to say thanks, Sonny -- to
Sonny and the Democrat legislators who've come. I'm proud to have you
on my team. You're welcome on my team. (Applause.)
And I'm proud you all are here. We put together a good team in
Georgia in the year 2000. We're going to do better in the year 2004.
(Applause.) We're laying the foundation for what is going to be a
great national victory in November of 2004. (Applause.) And you're
helping, and I appreciate your help.
I'm loosening up. (Laughter.) I'm getting ready. But I got a job
to do for everybody who lives in this country. When you're going to
your coffee shops and your community centers that say, what is George
W. up to, you tell them this: that I'm doing the people's business in
Washington, D.C., that I'm working hard to earn the confidence of every
single American by keeping this nation secure and strong and prosperous
and free. (Applause.)
I know that Zell's wife, Shirley, is with us today, as well.
Shirley, I'm proud you're here. Zell and I both married above
ourselves. (Laughter.) I regret that Laura hasn't joined us. She is
a fabulous First Lady for this country. (Applause.) I'm really proud
of her.
And I'm proud, as well, of the junior Senator from the great state
of Georgia, a close ally, good friend, good, honorable man, Saxby
Chambliss. (Applause.) I better make sure I mention Mary Purdue, as
well, the First Lady of the great state of Georgia. Governor, I
appreciate what you're doing at the statehouse here. I'm proud of my
friend, Jamie Reynolds. I appreciate the team he has put together to
help make this an incredibly successful fundraiser. Don't go overboard
on Jamie. (Applause.) He's not bad for a country boy. (Laughter.)
I appreciate the members of the congressional delegation who are
here -- Matt Collins and Nathan Deal, Charlie Norwood, Phil Gingrey and
Max Burns. These are good ones, good, honorable citizens who are doing
what they think is right for the country. I appreciate you all coming.
(Applause.) I know my friend, Nancy Coverdale is here. She is just a
great personal friend of our family's. Nancy, thank you for taking
time out of your schedule to be here. (Applause.)
I'm honored that my friend, Mercer Reynolds -- happens to be
related to Jamie -- he's the National Finance Chairman for Bush-Cheney
-- is here. It's important to make sure that you've got plenty of cash
on hand when you're running for President. You want to be
well-financed. We're becoming well-financed. We've got a great
national effort, a great Georgia effort. And again, I want to thank
you all you all for participating in this.
Ralph Reed is with us. He's the Southeast Regional Chairman.
(Applause.) And he's the Georgia Chairman for my campaign, for the
campaign of Vice President Cheney. Alex Poitevint is with us, as well,
who's the party chairman.
And for the grassroots activists who are here, I want to thank you
for what you're going to do. Thank you for the work that you're going
to do as we're coming down the stretch. That's the work that's putting
up the signs and talking the talk, getting on the phone and addressing
the envelopes. I appreciate what you're going to do. You cannot win a
campaign unless hardworking grassroots people get out there and pound
the pavement on behalf of this ticket. And I can assure you, we'll be
right with you.
And when you're out there, I want you to remind everybody that for
the last three years, our nation has acted decisively to confront great
challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not to pass 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 -- (applause) -- we have
captured or killed many of the key leaders of the al Qaeda network, and
the rest of them know that we are 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.) Fifty million people in those two countries 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 prepare for 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 the recession was
just beginning. And then there was attacks on our country, and
scandals in corporate America, and war, which all 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.)
We understand that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend,
to save or to 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, reducing 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 are
laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs, so every
single citizen in this country has a chance to realize the American
Dream. (Applause.)
Today the American economy is strong and it is getting stronger.
(Applause.) The figures for the third quarter of 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 a quarter million new jobs over the
past five months. The tax relief we passed is working. (Applause.)
Three years ago there was a lot of talk about education reform in
Washington, but there just 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 developed the most dramatic education
reforms in a generation. We've increased spending at the federal
level, particularly for Title I students, for poor students. But for
the first time, the federal government is saying, why don't you show us
whether or not the children can read and write and add and subtract.
The reason why we're saying that is because we believe every child,
regardless of their background, can learn to read and write and add and
subtract. We expect every school to teach every child to read and
write and add and subtract. This administration is challenging the
soft bigotry of low expectations. We expect results so that not one
single child is left behind in America. (Applause.)
We reorganized our government and created the Department of
Homeland Security, to better safeguard our borders and ports and to
protect the American people. We passed trade promotion authority to
open up new markets for Georgia's farmers and ranchers and
entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We passed much needed budget
agreements to help maintain spending discipline in Washington, D.C.
And last month, we completed the greatest advance in health care
coverage for America's seniors since the founding of Medicare. The new
Medicare bill that I signed will give older Americans the option of a
prescription drug benefit and more control over their health care.
America's seniors deserve a modern health care system, and this
administration delivered. (Applause.)
On issue after issue -- on issue after issue, this administration
has acted on principle, has kept its word, and has made progress for
the American people. And the Congress deserves a lot of credit.
(Applause.) I enjoy working with Speaker Denny Hastert, Majority Leader
Bill Frist. I enjoy working with Senator Miller and Chambliss and
working with this Georgia congressional delegation. We're working hard
to change the tone in Washington, D.C. There's too much needless
politics up there. There's too much back-biting and back-stabbing.
The best way to fight through that noise is to focus on results, to do
what I call the people's business, and get some things done. And we're
getting a lot done.
We're also getting a lot done because I've surrounded myself with
plenty capable people; good, honorable, decent people from all walks of
life who have come to serve in my administration with one thing in mind
-- to represent the greatest country on the face of the Earth. Our
country has had no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney. (Applause.)
Mother may have a second opinion. (Laughter.)
In three years -- in three years, we've done a lot. We have come
far, 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 every citizen has a chance to work
and to succeed and to realize the great promise of America.
It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
actions of America. We are freedom's home, and freedom's defender. We
welcome this charge of history, and we are keeping it. The war on
terror continues. 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 people can be
certain they will never again have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein.
The Baathist holdouts largely responsible for the current violence now
know there will be no return to corrupt power and the privilege they
once held. All Iraqis who have taken the side of freedom have taken
the winning side.
We still fact 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 of America. America will never be
intimidated by a bunch of thugs and assassins. (Applause.)
We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
there so we do not have to face them in our own country. Other nations
are helping to build a free Iraq because they understand a free and
peaceful Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will make us all more
secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of
their own defense and move toward self-government. These are not easy
tasks, but they're essential tasks. We will finish what we have begun,
and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
(Applause.)
And part of winning the war on terror is to oppose proliferation
around the world. Last month, after talks with the United States and
Great Britain, Libya voluntarily committed to disclose and dismantle
all its weapons of mass destruction programs. Leaders around the world
now know this: Weapons of mass destruction do not bring influence or
prestige; they bring isolation and other unwelcome consequences.
(Laughter and applause.) And nations who abandon the pursuit of these
weapons will find an open path to better relations with the United
States of America.
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 destruction. 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 we know that freedom is not America's gift to the
world, freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in
this world. (Applause.)
America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we
see disease, starvation, and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away.
On the continent of Africa, this great, mighty land is committed to
bringing the healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and
children now suffering with AIDS. This great country of ours is
leading the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
(Applause.)
We face challenges here at home, as well, and our actions will
prove that we're equal to these challenges. This administration will
continue to promote a pro-growth, pro-small business, pro-entrepreneur
economic agenda until everyone who wants to work can find a job.
And for the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on
the frivolous lawsuits which are driving up the cost of medicine.
(Applause.) 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 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.
The House of Representatives passed a good bill. The bill is stuck
in the United States Senate. Senators Miller and Chambliss are working
to get it unstuck. The Senate must act -- (applause) -- the Senate
must act on behalf of the American people. Some of those senators must
understand that no one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit in
America. (Applause.)
I have a responsibility as your President to make sure the judicial
system runs well, and I 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. Yet some members, some members of the
Senate, 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. (Applause.) I appreciate Senator
Miller and Senator Chambliss' strong support for the nominees I've
nominated. It's time for some of the members of the United States
Senate to stop playing politics with American justice. (Applause.)
This country needs an energy plan and Congress needs to complete
the work on that bill and get it to my desk. We must promote energy
efficiency and conservation, and to develop cleaner technologies to
help us explore in environmentally friendly ways. But for the sake of
economic security, and for the sake of national security, we 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 compassionate
conservatism, which means we'll apply the best and most innovative
ideas to the task of helping fellow citizens in need. We need -- there
are millions of men and women in this country who want to end their
dependence on government and become independent through hard work. We
must build on the success of welfare reform, put good job-training
programs in place that help people find work that actually exists, so
that more people can have work and dignity in their lives.
With the help of Congress, we're working to ensure that more
Americans can serve their communities and their country through what's
called the Citizen Service Program. Both Houses of the United States
Congress must pass my faith-based initiative. It is essential that our
government not fear the influence of faith in our society, but welcome
people of faith into serving the difficult problems of heart, the
difficult problems of the homeless, the addiction, mentoring of
children. Faith is one of the great strengths of America, and our
government must welcome faith-based programs. (Applause.)
A compassionate society must promote opportunity for every single
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. In our country today, we have a minority home ownership gap, and
that's not good for America. I have put forth plans, have worked with
Senator Miller and Senator Chambliss to close this gap. We're working
hard to encourage more people in America to own their own home.
We want more people owning their own health care plans and managing
their health care plans. We want people owning and managing 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.
A compassionate society is one in which people respect one another,
respect their religious views, respect their backgrounds, and 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, do
it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in
which each of us understands that we are responsible for the decisions
we make in life. If you are -- (applause) -- 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 are 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.) And in this new responsibility society, each
of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be
loved ourself.
We can see that culture of service and responsibility growing
around us. I went to a church in downtown New Orleans today that was
full of neighborhood healers, people who have heard the universal call,
people from all walks of life, different religions, all aimed at
serving our nation by helping somebody who hurts.
I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage
Americans to extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need, and the
response has been fantastic. The strength of this country lies in the
hearts and souls of our citizens. Policemen and firefighters and
people who wear our nation's uniform remind us what it means to
sacrifice for something greater than ourselves in life. Once again,
the children of this country 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 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 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. God bless you all. Thanks for coming.
END 6:42 P.M. EST
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