For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 15, 2003
Remarks by the President at Bush-Cheney 2004 Reception
Drexelbrook
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
6:35 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for your warm welcome. Thanks for coming
out tonight. I'm honored so many showed up. Thanks for coming.
Thanks for your friendship, and thanks for your strong support. I
appreciate the generous contributions you have made. The truth of the
matter is what we're doing is we're laying the groundwork for what is
going to be a great nationwide victory in November of 2004.
(Applause.)
I'm going to count on you for more than just contributions; I need
your help. I need you to put up the signs, to mail out the brochures.
When you go to the coffee shop, you look them in the eye and you tell
them this administration has got a hopeful and optimistic vision for
every single American. (Applause.)
There's a lot of talk in the air, a lot of political talk, and the
truth of the matter is I'm loosening up, I'm getting ready. But the
political season will come in its own time. I've got a job to do. I'm
focused on the people's business in Washington, D.C. I've got a lot on
the agenda, and I will continue to work hard to earn the confidence of
all Americans by keeping this nation secure and strong and prosperous
and free. (Applause.)
Most of you probably wish you were at the fundraiser a month ago
when Laura was the keynote speaker. (Laughter.) If so, you've got
great judgment. She's a fabulous First Lady. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: So was your Mom! (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: I'm sorry she's not here tonight. And speaking
about my mother, I'm still listening to her, by the way. (Laughter.)
I want to thank my friend, David, for being a fine chairman. He's
been a longtime friend. I've called upon him time and time again to
help and he's never let me down. David, thank you, and the great team
you put together, for -- (applause.)
We've got two great campaign cochairmen for the state of
Pennsylvania, two fine United States senators, men with whom I work
closely on key issues -- Senator Santorum and Senator Specter. Thank
you all for your -- (applause.) Like me, Arlen married above himself.
(Laughter.) And I'm proud that Joan is with us today, as well. Thank
you for coming, Joan. (Applause.)
I'm also honored that members of the Pennsylvania congressional
delegation are with us today -- Congressman Gerlach, Congressman
Weldon, Congressman Greenwood. (Applause.) Congressman Sherwood is
with us. (Applause.) Good that you brought your family, Don.
(Applause.) From the great state of New Jersey, Congressman Jim Saxton
is with us, as well. (Applause.)
I'm also pleased that Attorney General Mike Fisher is with us
today. General, thank you for coming. (Applause.) We've got another
Attorney General with us, from the state of Delaware, Jane Brady.
Thank you for being here, Jane. (Applause.) I'm so pleased to be able
to say hello to Bill Scranton. He's one of the great Pennsylvania
political families. I'm honored you're here, Bill. Thank you for
coming. (Applause.)
Finally, I have the pleasure of saying hello to a fantastic lady
and her two children, Connie Katz. Connie is here. She is
representing her husband who is running a spirited campaign for the
mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We're proud you're here.
(Applause.)
I want to thank the grass-roots activists who are here. I
particularly want to thank Bob Asher, a national committeeman from
Pennsylvania; and Alan Novak, who is the chairman. (Applause.) I
thank my friend, Mercer Reynolds, who is the national chairman of this
campaign. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio, and he's taken a lot of time out
of his life to help gather the resources necessary to wage a strong
campaign in '04. Finally, I want to thank Bill Kaye, who is the owner
of this establishment. I want to thank Bill and all the good folks who
have worked hard to put on this event. Most of all, thank you all.
(Applause.)
In the last two-and-a-half 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. This administration is meeting the test of our time.
(Applause.)
Terrorists declared war on the United States of America -- and war
is what they got. (Applause.) We have captured or killed many 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.) Fifty million people in those two countries once lived
under tyranny, and now they live in freedom. (Applause.)
Two-and-a-half 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.)
Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession.
And then the attacks came upon our country, as well as corporate
scandals, and the march to war -- all of which affected the confidence
of the American people. But we acted. We passed 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.)
I believe and I know 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. (Applause.) This administration also
understands whose money we spend in Washington. It's not the
government's money, it's the people's money. We are passing more of
the people's money so they can help raise their families. We're
reducing the taxes on dividends and capital gains to encourage savings
and investment. Small businesses now have new incentives to expand and
to hire new people. With all these actions, we're laying the
foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs, so that every single
citizen of this country can realize the great promise of America.
(Applause.)
Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education
reform, but there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called upon, and
Congress passed, the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a
generation. We now bring high standards and strong accountability
measures to every public school in America. We believe every child can
learn the basics of reading and math, and we expect every school to
teach the basics of reading and math. This administration is
challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. (Applause.) The
days of excuse-making are over. We expect results in every single
classroom, so that not one child is left behind.
We reorganized our government and created the Department of
Homeland Security to safeguard the borders and ports, and to make
America more secure. I picked a good man to run that department.
(Applause.) Tom Ridge is doing a great job. You trained him well.
(Laughter.)
We passed trade promotion authority to open up new markets for
Pennsylvania's entrepreneurs and farmers and manufacturers. We passed
much needed budget agreements to bring spending discipline to
Washington, D.C. On issue after issue, this administration has acted
on principle, has kept its word, and has made progress for the American
people. (Applause.)
The Congress gets a lot of credit. I appreciate working with
members of the Congress. Got a great relationship with the Majority
Leader, Bill Frist, and Speaker Denny Hastert. We're going to continue
to work together to try to change the tone of Washington, D.C., to get
rid of the needless bickering and endless politics, and to focus on the
people's business by focusing on results. Those are the kind of people
I've asked to serve in my administration. I put together a great team
on behalf of America -- good, honest, honorable citizens to serve the
people of this country. (Applause.) Our country has had no finer Vice
President than Dick Cheney. (Applause.) Mother may have a different
opinion. (Laughter.)
In two-and-a-half 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, not only for our own security, but for the benefit of the
world. And second, in our own country, we must work for a society of
prosperity and compassion so that every citizen has a chance to work
and to succeed and to realize the American Dream.
It's clear that the future of peace and freedom depend on the
actions of America. This nation is freedom's home. We are freedom's
defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are keeping it.
(Applause.) Our 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 Saddam holdouts and
foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw that country into
chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers and innocent
Iraqis. 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 America and the civilized world. But America will
not be intimidated. (Applause.)
We're aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
so we will not have to face them in our own country. (Applause.)
We're calling on other nations to help to build a free Iraq, which will
make them more secure. And we're standing with the Iraqi people, as
they assume more of their own defense and move toward self-government.
These aren't easy tasks, but they're essential tasks. We will finish
what we have begun. We will win this essential victory in the war on
terror. (Applause.)
Our greatest security, however, comes from the advance of human
liberty, because free nations don't support terror, free nations don't
attack their neighbors, free nations do not develop weapons of mass
terror to blackmail the world. (Applause.) Americans believe that
freedom is the deepest need and hope of every human heart. And I
believe that freedom is the right of every person, and I believe that
freedom is the future of every nation. (Applause.)
America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
tremendous responsibilities. We've duties in the 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. This great, strong, compassionate nation is
leading the world in this important work of human rescue. (Applause.)
We face challenges here at home, and our actions will prove that
we're equal to those challenges. So long as anybody who wants to work
is looking for a job, means that I'll continue to work for an
environment that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit to flourish,
working hard to make sure the environment is such that jobs grow so
people can find work. (Applause.)
We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by
strengthening and modernizing Medicare. (Applause.) The Congress took
historic action to improve the lives of older Americans. For the first
time since the creation of Medicare, the House and the Senate have
passed reforms to increase choices for our seniors and to provide
coverage for prescription drugs. It is now time for both bodies to
iron out their differences, to get a good bill to my desk. It is time
for the Congress to fulfill the promise of our seniors today and those
of us who are going to be seniors tomorrow. (Applause.)
For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
frivolous lawsuits which increase 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. (Applause.) Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of
health care and, therefore, they affect the federal budget. Medical
liability reform is a national issue which requires a national
solution. (Applause.)
I appreciate working with Congressman Greenwood. The House passed
a good bill to reform the system. The bill is stuck in the United
States Senate. Senators must realize that no one has ever been healed
by a frivolous lawsuit in America. (Applause.) Not these people.
(Applause.)
I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb
men and women for our federal courts, people who will interpret the
law, not legislate from the bench. (Applause.) Members of -- some
members of the United States 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. It
is time for some members of the United States Senate to stop playing
politics with American justice. (Applause.)
Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan.
The lessons of last summer ought to be an indication that we need to
modernize our electricity grid. You all know it well here. I have
submitted such a plan that will make the reliability standards
mandatory, not voluntary; that will encourage new investment so we can
say as we head into the 21st century, we're doing everything we can to
make sure power is available to the American citizens.
We need to use our technology to promote conservation. We need to
be able to explore for energy in environmentally friendly way. We need
an energy plan. For the sake of economic security and for the sake of
national security, this nation needs to be less dependent on foreign
sources of oil. (Applause.)
Our strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate
conservatism, applying the best and most innovative ideas to the task
of helping our fellow citizens who hurt. There are still millions of
men and women who want to end their dependence on government and become
independent through hard work. Congress must build on the success of
welfare reform to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of our
fellow citizens. They should complete the citizen service act, so more
Americans can serve their communities and their country.
And both Houses should reach agreement on the faith-based
initiative, to support the armies of compassion that are mentoring our
children and caring for the homeless and offering hope for the
addicted. It's in our churches and synagogues and mosques. It's where
we find Hindus and Jews and Christians and Muslims that we find decency
and compassion. This country should not fear faith in the important
works of saving lives. (Applause.)
A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including
the independence and dignity that come from ownership. This
administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society
in America. We want more of our citizens owning their own home. We
have a minority home-ownership gap in America. I have submitted plans
to the Congress to close that gap.
We want more citizens owning and managing their own health care
plans. We want our citizens owning and managing their own retirement
accounts. We want more people owning their own business, because we
understand that when a person owns something, he or she has a vital
stake in the future of America. (Applause.)
In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take
responsibility for the decisions they make. We're changing the culture
of America from one that 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 we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. If
you are fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad, you're responsible for
loving your child with all your heart and all your soul. 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.)
And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for
loving a neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. We can
see the culture of service and responsibility growing around us here in
America. I started the USA Freedom Corps to encourage Americans to
extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. And the response
has been strong. Charities are strong. Our grass-roots faith-based
organizations are strong all across America. Policemen and
firefighters and people who wear this nation's uniform are reminding us
what it means to sacrifice for 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 of the last
two-and-a-half 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 this country. This is the work that history has set before us, and
we welcome it. And we know that for our country, and for our cause,
the best days lie ahead.
May God bless you all. (Applause.) Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 7:05 P.M. EDT
|