For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
September 5, 2003
Remarks by the Vice President at a Reception for Senator Lisa Murkowski
Dallas, Texas
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much.
(Applause.) Thank you all very much for coming out today. And it's
great to be back in Dallas. Lynne and I think of Dallas often. We
lived here for five wonderful years and have a lot of fond memories of
so many friends here. I'm glad to see a lot of you came out today. I
see Earle Nye (ph) and Bobby Allison, Caroline Hunt (ph), Charles
Simmons (ph), Sid Bass (ph) and company -- a lot of folks who've been
big friends and supporters over the years and who've done yeoman work
on behalf of those things that I think all of us believe in and share,
whether we're Texans or from Wyoming or Alaska.
I think the most important thing I can say about today, Lisa
mentioned that I served in the House of Representatives from Wyoming,
which many of you know. And of course, Wyoming had a small
delegation. We only had one seat in the House of Representatives.
(Laughter.) And it was a small delegation, but it was quality.
(Laughter.)
But I appreciate very much being here today and having the
opportunity to make certain that Lisa Murkowski gets elected to the
United States Senate come next November. She's done a tremendous job
in the months that she's been in the Senate now. I've had the
opportunity to work with her often. A lot of people don't realize that
as Vice President I've got very close ties to the Senate. I'm actually
paid by the Senate. That's where my paycheck comes from. About half
my staff is funded by the Senate.
When they wrote the Constitution and created the post of Vice
President, at the end of the convention, they decided they hadn't given
him anything to do, so they made him the presiding officer of the
Senate. And that's my only official duty and responsibility.
Actually, there's no formal job downtown with the executive branch.
That's all sort of by arrangement with the President. My only real job
is to preside over the Senate.
And my predecessor, John Adams, who was our first Vice President,
he was also given floor privileges. He was allowed to go down into the
well of the Senate, participate in the debate, engage in the arguments
and discussions of the day. And then he did a couple of times, and
they withdrew his floor privileges. (Laughter.) And they've never
been restored.
But I do get to vote on tie votes. And I've been there now in the
Senate when it was 50-50, and my vote made the difference between
whether or not we Republicans controlled the majority leadership and
therefore controlled the flow of legislation on the floor of the
Senate, controlled all of the committees -- the chairmen of all the
committees. I was there then for that brief 18-month period of time
when it switched and it went 51-49 the other way, and I served in the
minority. And that was no fun. And then I've been privileged since
last November, when we switched back and we took control, and we're
back now 51-49. I think of it as the right way.
But as Lisa said, it has enormous consequences. So all of us, all
across the country have a vital interest in what that line-up is like
in the Senate. And this race is as important as any of them anyplace
in the country next year in terms of ensuring that the President and I
have the kind of support we need in the United States Senate so that we
can get done the job that I think all of you want us to do for you.
I'm delighted, of course, to be here today with Kay. Kay and I've
known each other since Ford administration days. And she and John
Cornyn do a superb job for Texas, really, and for all Americans in the
Senate. And we've been associated many times over the years and
campaigned together and worked together prior administrations and now
in the Senate. And I'm delighted to have the chance to share with her,
too.
The President and I, as I say, we're absolutely committed to the
proposition that it's vital that Lisa be reelected to the United States
Senate next year. She embodies all those Alaskan values that Kay
mentioned, and Texas values. She's a third-generation Alaskan and the
first senator from Alaska who was actually born there. In December of
2002, since her appointment, she's worked closely with the President
and with me and all of the others in the administration on behalf of
the state she loves, the state of Alaska, as well as the nation.
Before joining the Senate, Lisa served three terms in the Alaska
House of Representatives, where she was the majority leader. And as
Alaska's junior senator, she's focused on those issues that are most
vital to Alaskans. During her tenure in Washington, she's worked to
create new jobs in our economy, determined to ensure that America keeps
its commitments to our seniors, to our veterans, and to our children.
And she understands how important it is to strengthen our energy
supplies and our infrastructure and improve our transportation
infrastructure, as well. Senator Murkowski knows that we can make sure
that America's industries are good environmental stewards without
bogging them down with unnecessary government regulations. I look
forward to working with her in the Senate for a good many years to
come.
It's been about three years now since the President asked me to
become his running mate. When he asked me to sign on, he said it
wasn't because he was worried about carrying Wyoming. (Laughter.) He
got 70 percent of the vote in Wyoming. And I remind him from time to
time, though, that those three Wyoming electoral votes turned out to be
pretty darned important. (Laughter.)
I think some of the pundits expected that given the closeness of
that election, that we would trim our sails, that we'd move forward
with a timid agenda. We were told, obviously, with a five-week
recount, there's no way you can go forward with as aggressive a program
as you've run on. And of course, that's the last thing you wanted to
suggest to George Bush. He said we were going to do absolutely
everything we could to move ahead on our priorities. And that's
exactly what we've done.
That first year, we achieved two of our biggest goals with major
tax relief and fundamental reform of the education system. We lowered
tax rates, and significantly reduced the marriage penalty, eliminated
the death tax, and also moved aggressively to build a bipartisan
coalition that supported fundamental reform of our education system.
But I think the defining moment for the President and for the
administration, of course, was the sudden attack that occurred on
September 11th, just two years ago next week. I think that's a day
that none of us will ever forget. Suddenly, we understood how
vulnerable we all are as a nation; how it was possible for terrorists
to take advantage of our open borders and open society and use them
against us. It was, without question, a real watershed in American
history.
We discovered that it was relatively easy for a small number of
terrorists to launch an attack and kill almost 3,000 of our fellow
citizens in a couple of hours in New York, and Washington, and
Pennsylvania. We also began to understand -- particularly from the
evidence that we subsequently uncovered in the caves and tunnels and
training camps in Afghanistan -- that our enemies are determined to
acquire weapons of mass destruction -- chemical, biological and nuclear
weapons. And we have every reason to believe that if they succeed,
they will use them, launching attacks far more deadly than anything
we've ever experienced to date.
To counter these threats we've been forced to think anew about
national security strategy, about how to defend the nation. We've come
to realize that if we are to protect the American people against
determined enemies, we cannot rely on old Cold War strategies.
The kind of strategy that we used vis-a-vis the Soviet Union
during the Cold War, where we held at risk the things that they valued
in order to deter them from ever launching an attack against the United
States, simply doesn't work where terrorists are concerned. There's
nothing they value highly enough that we can put at risk to keep them
from launching an attack against the United States.
So no treaty, or arms control agreement, or strategy of deterrence
will end this conflict. We needed a new strategy, and that's precisely
what we've developed. We've begun working aggressively to toughen our
defenses here at home. We created the Department of Homeland Security,
the most impressive and massive reorganization of the federal
government since the Department of Defense was created in the 1940s.
But good defense is not enough. The problem with terrorist
organizations is that even if you build defenses that are 99 percent
successful, the 1 percent that gets through can kill you. We need a
strategy that puts us on offense, that lets us go after those who pose
a threat to the United States, or to our friends and allies, a strategy
that allows us to destroy the terrorists before they can launch further
attacks against the United States. We cannot wait to act until after
another day like 9/11 or a day far worse.
And a good part of our new strategy is based upon the President's
determination to change the way we think about states that sponsor
terror. Prior to 9/11, all too many nations, including our own,
oftentimes drew a distinction between terrorist groups and the states
that provided these groups with support. They were unwilling to hold
terror-sponsoring states accountable for their actions. After 9/11,
President Bush declared that the distinction between the terrorists and
their sponsors could no longer be permitted to stand. The Bush
doctrine makes clear that those states which support terrorists or
provide sanctuary or safe harbor for terrorists are just as guilty as
the terrorists themselves in the acts they commit. So in addition to
going after the terrorists, in addition to dismantling their financial
networks, and their logistical support, we are also taking on states
that sponsor terror.
I'll never forget that Friday after the attack when the President
went to Ground Zero in New York. He stood up on a pile of rubble with
a bullhorn in his hand. When the men in the hard hats who were working
nearby said they couldn't hear him, he responded, "Well, I can hear
you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked
these buildings down will soon hear from all of us."
He's been a man of his word. In Afghanistan, the Taliban regime
harbored al Qaeda and brutalized an entire population. That regime is
no more. In Iraq, where a brutal dictator threatened the peace and
gave support to terrorists, the United States launched one of the most
extraordinary military campaigns in history. And that regime is no
more.
Some have questioned our strategy. They suggest that perhaps it's
wrong for the United States to strike before the enemy strikes us. But
I would argue that on 9/11, we were struck. We lost more people that
day than we lost at Pearl Harbor. And I ask you, if we'd been able
with preemptive military action to defeat that attack before it ever
occurred, would we? And the answer has to be, you bet we would have.
And make no mistake, this President is acting to protect us against
further attacks, even when that means moving aggressively against
would-be attackers.
So the war on terror continues. It is a war being fought all
around the globe. Just look at the attacks that have already occurred
in New York, and Washington, and Pennsylvania, in Bali, Mombassa,
Riyadh, Casablanca, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Bombay and Baghdad. And the
war will continue, perhaps as long as we're in office, perhaps even
longer. In this global war on terror, U.S. forces are heavily engaged
when and where they need to be -- especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We will stay in Afghanistan and Iraq to make absolutely certain that
job is done before we move on. We will stay until we've wrapped up all
the weapons of mass destruction and eliminated all of those who are
enemies of peace and freedom.
This war is not without sacrifice. More than 300 of our troops
have already given their lives during the war on terror. And there will
surely be more casualties. But remember, we lost some 3,000 Americans
here at home on 9/11. And we're going to be in much better shape if
we're aggressively going after the terrorists overseas, and after the
nations and the mechanisms that support them, than if we lay back and
wait for them to strike us once again here at home.
In the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, and in other fronts in war
on terror, we've depended on the skill and the courage of our men and
women in uniform. They've faced enemies who have no regard for the
rules of warfare or morality. They've carried out urgent and difficult
missions in remote and hostile areas of the world. And they've done
all of this with the bravery and the honor we've come to expect of
them. As a former Secretary of Defense, I've never been prouder of our
men and women in uniform than I am today. (Applause.)
Waging and winning the war on terror is only part of our
responsibility. There is great work in this world that only America
can do. In the Middle East, we're encouraging free markets, democracy
and tolerance because these are the ideas and the aspirations that
overcome violence and turn societies to the pursuit of peace.
Under President Bush, America acts in the world according to both
our fundamental interests and our founding ideals. We believe in the
dignity of life and the right of all people to live in freedom. And
all who strive and sacrifice for the cause of freedom will have a
friend in the United States.
Here at home, we will continue to pursue an active and aggressive
agenda. We've made major progress on the economy. When we took
office, America was sliding into recession. Too many people who wanted
to work couldn't find a job. To help create jobs and to get the
economy growing again, we've cut taxes each of the three years that
we've been in office. In the bill we passed this year, not only did we
cut income tax rates, we also significantly cut taxes on dividends and
capital gains, fundamental reforms in the tax system that will help our
economy to grow in the long-term. We've delivered the largest tax
relief since the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
Some in Congress want to repeal the tax relief, raise taxes on the
American people. But raising taxes will hurt the recovery and
encourage more wasteful spending. The best way to reduce the deficit
is to encourage growth and generate more revenues for the federal
government. Now is exactly the wrong time to be increasing taxes.
(Applause.)
And as the Senators mentioned, we've also had action both in the
House and the Senate on an energy bill. And as the people in New York,
Ohio and Michigan experienced firsthand during the recent blackouts,
our nation's electricity grid needs repair, upgrade, and expansion.
We're hopeful Congress will work swiftly to move the bills through the
conference committee and produce a plan that will improve our nation's
energy infrastructure, conservation, develop cleaner technologies to
help us explore for more energy in an environmentally friendly way, and
reduce our dependence on foreign oil, a must for the sake of our
national security.
After many years and inaction, we're making progress on bringing
Medicare into the 21st century. Last January, President Bush submitted
a framework for Medicare reform to Congress that would give seniors
access to prescription drug coverage and offer better choices under
Medicare. Both houses have taken historic action, and the President
and I appreciate Lisa Murkowski's support for including prescription
drug coverage as part of a modernized Medicare system. Now, Congress
must complete its work and send a bill to the President that provides
seniors with better health coverage and relief from the rising cost of
prescription drugs. We're also looking forward to working with
Congress to help small businesses provide affordable health care for
their employees.
We also need to fix the judicial confirmation process. (Applause.)
Right now, far too many nominations to the federal bench are held up by
the threat of filibuster. Our friends on the other side of the aisle
refuse to allow nominees of great merit to even have a vote on the
Senate floor. Well qualified nominees like Priscilla Owen,
distinguished justice of the Texas Supreme Court, who received the
highest rating from the American Bar Association, have waited nearly
two-and-a-half years without ever being allowed to have an up-or-down
vote on the floor of the Senate. This is unfair, not only to the
nominees and their families, but also to Americans who are forced to
deal with courts handling a growing caseload without the judges they
need. It's time to restore dignity and civility to the judicial
confirmation process by making certain that every person nominated to
the federal bench gets a timely up-or-down vote. (Applause.)
I believe we've achieved a great deal in these two-and-a-half
years, but there's much left to do in Washington and around the world.
We need to enact Project BioShield to help protect the American people
against the threat of biological weapons. We need legal reform because
the strength of our economy is undermined by frivolous lawsuits. And
while there are encouraging signs the economy is picking up steam, the
President and I will not rest until everyone who wants a job can find a
job. (Applause.)
The campaign season will come in due course. And when it does, we
will run hard and take nothing for granted. President Bush and I know
the key to victory is to do the work we've been given and to do it
well. We intend to make good use of every day we have the honor of
serving the American people.
Long before I took this job I had the good fortune to work with
other Presidents I greatly admire. As White House Chief of Staff in
the aftermath of Watergate, I saw Gerald Ford restore confidence in
government by the sheer decency and force of his character. As a
congressman during the decisive years of the Cold War, I saw the
conviction and the moral courage of Ronald Reagan. And as a member of
the Cabinet under former President Bush, I saw the ideal of public
service in its purest form and came to know a leader of honor and
integrity.
Along the way, I learned a few things about the presidency and the
kind of person it takes to do it well. It takes the finest qualities
of character, conviction, personal integrity, good judgment, compassion
and courage in the times of testing for the nation. And that, ladies
and gentlemen, is exactly the kind of man we have in the White House
today. (Applause.)
I'm honored to work with George W. Bush as President. And he and I
are both honored by your confidence in us and by your support for
outstanding leaders like Lisa Murkowski and Kay Bailey Hutchison, who
serve Alaska and Texas and America so well, and by your commitment to
this great and good country of ours, the United States of America.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 1:50 P.M. CDT
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