THE PRESIDENT: Hector, thank you. One of the
best decisions I made was I asked you to come and be the SBA
Director. And he's doing a fine
job. (Applause.) One of the reasons I asked
Hector is because he understands that the role of government is not to
create wealth, but to create an environment in which entrepreneurs from
all walks of life have a chance to succeed.
I'll never forget going to the Hispanic Chamber banquet in
California, and I was given the information about the number of
Latino-owned small businesses in the state of California. It
was a staggering number. And I can remember telling friends
of mine in Texas and other states what a magnificent statistic it is,
to be able to read about the thousands of businesses started by
Latinos, which means the American Dream is spreading her wings in every
single neighborhood, which is precisely the vision I have for
America. I want everybody who wants to start their own
business to feel comfortable in doing so, and have an opportunity to
succeed in America. And Hector understands that.
I want to thank you all to the Casa Blanca tambien. I
want to thank Fidel Vargas for being here. He's on the
Social Security Commission -- I put two Latinos
on the Social Security Commission. The Social Security
Commission spent a lot of time analyzing the Social Security system,
and came back with a solid recommendation of allowing younger workers,
if they so choose, to have their own money invested in a personal
savings account.
Again, I can't think of anything better for the future of our
country than for people to own a piece of the future of
America. After all, it is not the government's money we're
talking about; it is the workers' money. And I want to thank
the hard work of Fidel, y nosotros and the Commission of the Social
Security.
I want to thank George Herrera, the President of the
Chamber -- el Presidente. (Laughter
and applause). I want to thank Liz, as well, for being
here. E tambien me
abogado. (Applause.) Al has been my lawyer since
when I was the governor. He's been mi abogado quando estoy
el presidente, and his advice has always been sound. He's
really a smart guy and a very close friend.
And finally, I want to recognize Miguel
Estrada. Miguel. (Applause.) Miguel is
a really bright attorney who I've named to the
U.S. -- nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals,
D.C. Circuit. They're playing too much politics in the
United States Senate on our judge nominees. This man
deserves a hearing and he deserves a vote. This is a good,
solid jurist who ought to be on that bench. And I'm calling
on the United States Senate to move quickly on Miguel's nomination, so
that we can have a good, young Latino; smart, brilliant man represent
our nation. Thank you for being here,
Miguel. (Applause.)
I first want to tell you that -- this is an
incredible time for our country, and I want to assure you all, as
leaders in your communities and moms and dads and as concerned
citizens, that our nation is doing everything we can to protect
America; that we've got a homeland security strategy that is working
with first responders and bioterrorism; that we want to modernize our
borders. We want to make sure we do everything to protect
the American people, and we are.
But you've also got to understand my view, and it's
this: that the best way to protect the American people is to
find a terrorist wherever they hide and bring them to
justice. You know, when this first got started I told the
American people that we would be in for a long and difficult
struggle. And after nearly six months, the American people
still understand that -- that in order to fight
for freedom, in order to win for freedom, we've got to be determined
and strong and not relent. History has called this great
nation into action, and so long as I'm the President, I will pursue the
opportunity to protect freedom -- any time,
anywhere.
And as you know, I've laid out a doctrine that said if you harbor a
terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist. And
that's what the Taliban found out. And I like to remind my
fellow Americans, not only am I proud of how our United States military
has performed, that our military were not conquerors, they were
liberators. We freed women and children from the clutches of
one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of
mankind. I cannot tell you how proud I am of our
troops. (Applause.)
And obviously, there is still work to be done in the first theater
in the war against terror. This is
a -- I told people and I've been saying this for
a long time, and I will continue to say
so -- Afghanistan is still a dangerous
place. There are still people in Afghanistan who either want
to disrupt the Karzai interim government, want to make
sure -- or try to cause Afghanistan to revert
back to being a sanctuary for murderers and terrorists, so they can do
one thing, and that is attack us again. And so, as you know,
our military, combined with the military of our friends and allies,
including the Afghans, are still on the hunt.
And we encountered a large group of al Qaeda-type
terrorists. And we're bringing them to
justice. There's a fierce battle waging, and
it's -- but we're winning that
battle. I'm so sad we lose life. My heart breaks
when I think about the moms and dads or wives or children of those who
have lost their life. But we defend freedom, and we're
fighting for freedom, and we must continue to fight for
freedom. And so where we find these killers, we'll bring
them to justice.
This nation is determined, we're united, we are patient, and we're
resolved to defend the values we hold dear to our
hearts. And that's the way it's going to be, so long as I'm
the President of the United States.
I also want you to know we've got a lot of work to do at
home. I was really proud earlier this year to travel the
country touting the fact that I signed a significant piece of education
legislation. It was a landmark piece of
legislation. I don't remember the exact words I said when I
spoke to the Hispanic Chamber in California in one of my first
speeches, but I can assure you I talked about
education. Because it is a passion of mine, and it was a
passion of not only mine, but of both Republicans and Democrats.
I got a good bill on my desk because both people, leaders in both
parties decided that there's something more important than political
party in America, and that's the education of our
children. (Applause.)
This is a really good piece of legislation because, first and
foremost, it sets high standards and high expectations for every
child -- por todos. It refuses to
accept a system that quits on children early. As you know,
in some neighborhoods in America, it's so much easier just to move the
kids through; so much easier to say, you know, a Latino child can't
read very well because his or her parents may not speak English, so
let's just move them through the system. Those days have got
to end if we want the American Dream to extend to all neighborhoods.
And so I signed a bill that says we're going to measure for every
child. We want to know if every child can read or write and
add and subtract. And if not, we'll correct the problems
early, before it's too late. Every child matters in America,
and no child will be left behind.
We put significant resources into Title I programs. But
for money, we want results. We want
to -- because, you see, I believe every child can
learn. I don't accept excuses that say certain children
can't learn. Every child in America can learn.
Now, we also have passed power out of Washington, D.C. I
don't believe all the wisdom in the world exists in
Washington. As a matter of fact, I think by empowering
teachers and principals and parents and school districts, we're more
likely to achieve a common objective, which is high standards for every
single child.
I also have unleashed a reading initiative that I truly believe is
going to change America for the better. I like to say
reading is the new civil right. If you can't read, it's hard
to understand other subjects, it's hard to excel, it's hard to be part
of this fantastic future we have. And so we've spent a
billion dollars on reading.
And I want to assure you the reading programs are going to be aimed
toward teaching that which works, not that which sounds
good. There is a science to reading. We've got
some of the best scientists in the world now analyzing what works for
all kids. And so rather than just spending money, we're
going to make sure we spend money on what works. And, you
mark my words, as we stay focused and energized on this important
subject, more and more children will read. And as more and
more children will read, more and more children will realize the
fantastic future in America. And so I'm proud of this piece
of work we've done.
I also want to thank you all for supporting tax
relief. We cut taxes at exactly the right
time. In order to encourage the economy to grow, it was very
wise to give -- let people keep their own
money. Some up here don't understand
that. They're reading the wrong textbook. You
hear talk about making sure the tax relief doesn't
continue. It's like raising taxes. You don't do
that when times are slow; you encourage the vitality of the private
sector by letting people keep their own money.
And not only that; I heard from many of you all about the
unfairness of the death tax. And we've now put the death tax
on its way to extinction. It's so important for people to be
able to build up their own assets and their own businesses and have the
capacity to pass that on to whoever they choose, a son or a daughter,
without the government getting in between the entrepreneur and the
family member.
So we're making good progress. I think the economy is
still -- has still got problems. But
we put the right fiscal policy in place. I still think we
ought to do more. We ought to not only take care of those
who have been unemployed because of 9/11, we ought to help them with
their unemployment benefits as well as their health
benefits. But I like to tell people Americans don't want an
unemployment check, they want a permanent paycheck.
And there needs to be a stimulus bill. The House passed
a good bill. Part of it was a small business incentive bill,
recognizing that the small businesses create more new jobs in America
than any other sector of our economy.
I want to continue to push for trade. I believe trade
makes sense. Yesterday, I made a tough decision on
steel. But I will tell you, in order to be a free trade
advocate, in order to be consistent on free trade, we better make sure
we enforce the laws on our books. The two go hand in hand,
free trade and fair trade.
And so I obviously put a temporary plan in place to allow the steel
industry to restructure. But I also want to remind you all I
honored the agreement of NAFTA, so that Mexico and Canada are exempt.
And let me talk about Mexico right quick. My attitude
toward Mexico is that I want Mexico to succeed. I want our
neighbors to be successful. The best kind of neighborhood to
live in is one where everybody is successful. And so our
public policy ought to recognize Mexico as an incredibly important part
of the American future. And, therefore, I look forward to
working with el Presidente Fox on how best to make sure our
relationship is strong.
One thing we can do is doing what we're doing, which is encourage
our economy to grow and to recover. That will help
Mexico. But the other thing is to honor NAFTA, which I have
done as the President. I did so in the steel decision
yesterday; I will continue to do so. Because I believe NAFTA
is not only good for Mexico; as importantly, it is good for American
workers, as well.
I believe -- and I know we've made great
progress. We've got a spirit of amistad. We've
got a relationship that is open and strong. I told the
Congress that I want to make sure that the Mexican citizen here is
well-respected. And we will, we respect people in our
country. And one way to do that is to pass 245I, which will
allow for families to be reunited. If you believe in family
values, if you understand the worth of family and the importance of
family, let's get 245I out of the United States Congress and give me a
chance to sign it.
I also want to talk about energy. Energy is incredibly
vital for our economic vitality. And you've got to
understand, as the President, somebody who's concerned about our
national security, as well, the fact that we import over 50 percent of
our energy from around the world is an indication that we're not as
strong from a national security perspective as we could be, or should
be.
And so we need to have an energy plan -- one
that, on the one hand, encourages conservation, and the modernization
of our infrastructure, electricity infrastructure; but we've also got
to explore for more energy. And we can do so in an
environmentally friendly way, starting in Alaska, where there's a lot
of oil and gas.
Those of you in California know full well that we had a little
scare out there, about a year -- less than a year
ago. And the state has responded by building more power
plants to increase the supply of energy. And that's good.
Except what's interesting is those plants are powered by natural
gas. And the fundamental question is where is that gas going
to come from in the long term? We ought to be exploring for
more natural gas, and a good place to start is Alaska.
I want you to know that Mexico imports gas from the United
States. In other words -- and it's a
hemispheric issue, and we've got to think long-term on behalf of the
American citizens. And so I put out a comprehensive energy
plan; it passed the House of Representatives. It needs to
get out of the Senate, and get to my desk, for the good of the national
security of the country, as well as for the good for jobs.
As you may know, I'm headed down to Mexico, for my second visit
since I've been the President, to Mexico. There's going to
be a conference on development. I look forward to
participating in that. I will proudly remind people that we
are the most generous nation in the world when it comes to developing
nations.
I don't know if you know this -- just for
example, I was recently, as you know, in the Far East. And I
reminded the people out there that we provide 300,000 tons of food to
North Korean citizens. I'm not so sure the President, or the
head of North Korea gives us any credit for having provided the food,
but we're a compassionate nation, and we should be proud of our record
on helping people.
I then go to Peru, and I look forward to working with the Andean
nations not only on issues of trade, but on the cultivation of coca
leaves for drugs. But I'll also remind them that so long as
there's a demand for drugs, somebody's going to supply them, and it's a
two-way street -- that, one, we'll help reduce
supply, but we in our nation have an obligation to work with our young
to reduce the demand. We must tell them clearly that drugs
can ruin their life. We must educate the youth about the
dangers of drug use. We must reduce demand if we
expect our neighborhood to help clean up drugs.
And then I'm going to El Salvador to meet with the Central American
nations. We've got the beginnings of a free trade pact with
them. President Flores is going to be the host, a remarkable
young leader. Like Peru and Mexico, these are strong
democracies, they're continuing to reform their
process. It's important for me to herald the fact that they
are embracing democratic institutions which make their country so much
stronger and so much more vibrant. So I'm really looking
forward to spending time in the neighborhood.
I believe the best foreign policy begins in making sure your own
neighborhood is free and democratic and peaceful. So I'm
looking forward to spending time there, as well.
You know, I like to remind people that I truly believe that out of
this evil that was done on us on September the 11th will come some
great good. I believe that. I believe if we stay
the course and are strong and determined, and if the Congress passes
the Defense budget I sent up there, which prioritizes national defense
to make sure our military gets all the best equipment and best training
possible, that we'll have the staying power to make the world more
peaceful. And I believe it will be if we're strong, and we
will be strong.
I also know that at home that people are taking an assessment of
what's important in life. And I believe as a result of that,
some positive things will happen. I think the culture can
begin to change from one that has said in the past, if it feels good,
go ahead and do it, to a culture that says each of us are responsible
for the decisions we make in life -- the
responsibility era, where moms and dads are responsible for loving
their children.
The most important job any American will ever have, if you're
fortunate to have a child, is to love your child. But it
goes beyond that, where neighbors will love neighbors. I
tell my fellow citizens that if you're interested in
fighting -- joining the war against terror, do
some good. I mean, if you really want to stand squarely in
the face of evil, help a neighbor in need. Mentor a
child. Help a shut-in. You know, support your
schools. Give to charity. Help to start a
faith-based group that will help change people's hearts.
It's this -- it's the collection of the
kindness of America. It's the collection of all the acts of
kindness that take place which not only define our nation, but will
stand squarely in the face of evil. And it's happening, and
I'm so proud of the way the American people have
responded. Many in this room have, as well, and I want to
thank you for that.
I do believe that America understands there's a new responsibility,
that this is a new era. That, on the one hand, we've got to
be diligent and alert. And on the other hand, we can make a
difference in people's lives. After all, it was Flight 93
that set a new tone for America. People on an airline
thought they were going on a business trip or thought they were going
home. They heard the Nation's Capital was under
attack. They got on their telephones, they told their wives
they loved them. They said a prayer, and they sacrificed
their life to save somebody else's.
To me, that's one of the most defining events of September 11th and
on. It shows me what a great nation we have. It
reminds me of the character of the American people. And
that's why we're so unique -- not because of our
government, but because of our people.
Thank you for coming to Washington, and God
bless. (Applause.)