For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 20, 2001
Remarks by the President and the First Lady to Women Business Leaders
The East Room
Listen to the President's
Remarks
10:50 A.M. EST
MRS. BUSH: Thank you all so
much. I want to welcome you to the White
House. I'm thrilled that such a distinguished group of women
have joined us here today in the East Room. This room, as
some of you probably know, has seen a lot of changes over the
years. In fact, Mrs. Abigail Adams actually hung her family
laundry to dry in this room -- (laughter) -- and there weren't any
paned windows, so the fresh air was abundant in this
room. I'm thankful that times have changed.
I'm especially proud that you all joined us
this month as our nation celebrates women's history. Battles
hard-fought and won by women resulted in improvements in all aspects of
American life, and you all are proof of that.
Abigail Adams, by the way, cautioned her
husband when he was writing the Constitution of the new United States,
to not forget the women. But women didn't get the right to
vote in that Constitution and, in fact, it took a long
time. Our daughters probably don't believe, or find it very
hard to believe, that just 75 years ago, women didn't even have the
right to vote.
I'll never forget one day when George was
governor and we were celebrating the 75th anniversary of women's
suffrage in Texas. We were on the steps of the Texas State
Capitol Building, my mother happened to be there; she was in town, so
she joined me that day. Liz Carpenter was there, and both of
those women were babies when women won the right to vote. My
daughters were also there, much to their chagrin. They
represented the present and the future. They represent the
women, the girls and the women who will benefit fully from women's
struggle for increased inclusion in American life.
Everybody was dressed in historically correct
costumes. We were wearing white gowns, white dresses with
yellow sashes. Everyone was dressed like that, except, of
course, for my teenage girls -- (laughter) -- who would have rather
been anywhere else than on that stage.
But, finally, we came to the part in the
program where, in a great show of unity, my mother, Liz Carpenter and
I, joined hands and raised our hands to give the hip, hip, hooray for
women's suffrage. As we did it, I reached out with my free
hand and found a vacant space where my daughters were supposed to be
standing -- (laughter) -- and in fact, I looked over and they were
totally humiliated, and trying to shrink into their seats. You know
teenagers; they were mortified that we had made such a spectacle of
ourselves.
For our girls, women's suffrage is ancient
history. They've never known the inequalities that women had
to endure and overcome a couple of generations ago. That's
why it's so important for us to be vigilant in our remembrance, and
vocal in our celebration of women's history -- because we owe the great
women in our past for the opportunities that we enjoy today.
And now, I'm proud to introduce the father of
those girls -- (laughter) -- who raised them to believe that every
option is open to them. In fact, he's devoted to making the future
brighter for all Americans. I'm proud to introduce my
husband, the President of the United States, George
Bush. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank
you. Thank you for being here. Please sit
down. First Lady -- it's got a nice ring to
it. (Laughter.) I'm proud of
Laura. She is -- she makes this White House special for
me. She is -- brings a lot of perspective to our
household. She kind of reminds the President where he came
from. (Laughter.) And always makes sure my tie
lies straight. But I'm proud of the job she's doing for
America, and she's going to be a great First
Lady. (Applause.)
And I am proud of the ladies behind me, as
well. We've put together a great
Cabinet. (Applause.) They're not afraid to speak
their mind. They're smart, they're capable, and they represent
America. And they're good, they're really
good. We've got a great Cabinet, and these good folks up
here make a big difference. (Applause.)
And I've got a great staff, as
well. And I appreciate Margaret LaMontagne being
here. Margaret's the Domestic Policy Advisor to the
President. And I've known here a long time. She's
plenty capable, and she's spending a lot of time on education, which is
one of the subjects I want to discuss with you today. And I
appreciate you, Margaret.
I also want to thank Bonnie for your hard
work, and for putting this on. I want to thank you all for
coming. I know you all are going to Capitol Hill
today. I hope you help us deliver a couple of
messages. One is going to be on
education. Another is on common-sense budgeting and tax
relief, and why it's important to all people, particularly those who
have decided to invest capital in the private sector. And I
want to explain why this tax relief package will spur economic activity
and entrepreneurship in America.
First let me talk about
education. I said it was my priority in the
campaign. It is our priority in this
administration. An educated child is one much more likely to
realize his or her dreams. And we've got to do a better job
of making sure every child -- I mean every child -- is educated.
One of things about this administration I
think people will find is that we are consistent. We set out
a set of principles and stand by them, that we don't try to figure out
polls and focus groups -- we don't use polls and focus groups to figure
out where to head.
And there are some solid principles involved
with our education plan. One of them is setting high standards and
high expectations for every child. We believe if you have
low expectations, you get lousy results. If you believe in
the best in every single child, and set high expectations, good folks
will follow.
Secondly, we believe strongly in local control
of schools. We believe in aligning authority and
responsibility at the local level. Many of you, as you run
your own businesses, know full well that when you separate
accountability and responsibility or responsibility and authority, it
creates an excuse for failure. Oh, I would have done it a
different way. And so we align authority and responsibility where it
belongs, at the local level. And I hope you help Congress
understand the importance to pass power out of Washington, to provide
flexibility at the state and local level. (Applause.)
Thirdly, we believe strongly in a
results-oriented system. A lot of times in education people
focus on process. We think the world needs to start focusing
on results. People need to start asking the question, what
do you know -- not how old are
you. (Applause.) In a world that asked the
question, how old are you, oftentimes people just get shuffled through,
regardless of what they know. If you're 12, you're here; if
you're 14, you're here; and let's just move you through. And
those of us who have been involved in public education know full well
who gets left behind.
Children whose parents don't speak English as
a first language, for example. Inner-city kids -- it's so
much easier to quit on children. We strongly believe that by
insisting upon results, it will begin to change the mentality of public
schools all across America.
And so, one, we've asked for more money for
our budgets. We've increased education spending quite
significantly. And we've said, in return, however, we expect
states and local jurisdictions to measure, to show us whether or not
students can read and write and add and subtract; to focus on every
child since every child matters. We've got to end the
process-oriented world of public schools.
And we firmly believe that, through
accountability, not only can we diagnose and solve problems, but
accountability serves as a catalyst for reforms. It's the
accountability system that encourages local folks to say, wait a
minute, the status quo is unacceptable; let's try something
else. It's strong accountability measures that will foster
charter school movements, or public school choice movements, if
necessary, to make sure not one single child gets left behind.
So we've got an education vision that says,
there will be more money in the system, but let's make sure that we
have high standards, local control of schools, and strong,
results-oriented systems. I firmly believe that when we get
the system right, the results will begin to improve
dramatically. And we've targeted some money -- we've set
aside $5 billion for a national reading agenda.
It's not the federal government saying, here's
money available for K through 2 diagnostic tools, so that we can
determine early in a child's career where that child may need extra
help. There's teacher training money. One of the
failures, one of the deficiencies -- I wouldn't call it a failure, but
deficiencies in the system is that oftentimes, our teachers are not
given a -- taught how to teach a curriculum that works.
We need to retrain teachers. So
we've got money available to do that. We've got intense -- money
available for after school programs or schools within schools to help
young readers get up to speed early. We've set a goal that
all children ought to be reading by third grade. And I look
forward to working with the Congress to make sure the program gets
funded, and our Secretary of Education to make sure it gets implemented
in such a way as we don't erode local responsibility of schools.
So that's the education plan. Oh,
there's a lot of discussion you'll hear about, we can't measure, it's
too much government to measure. I just
disagree. If we're spending money, we ought to get results
for the money. But this isn't a national test. This is a
test where local folks will design the test. The great state
of Pennsylvania can design its own test. Texas designs its own test.
But there needs to be a sense of
accountability in the system. And then you'll hear people
say it's racist to test. It's racist not to test. It's
racist not to hold people
accountable. (Applause.) Those who say it's
racist to test must assume that certain children can't
learn. We don't believe that. We believe all
children can learn.
So the principles involved in the education
reform are sound and solid and they reflect what I hope you all agree
with, that there is a better way. We need to challenge the
status quo when we find our children trapped in schools that are just
not going to teach, and won't change.
Secondly, I want to talk about the
budget. There's a lot of talk about the budget, of
course. And I made some people nervous up here, to be frank
with you, because I've decided that instead of increasing discretionary
spending by 8 percent on an annual basis, which is a lot, when you're
talking in terms of trillions, that we'll have spending increase at 4
percent, greater than the rate of inflation, larger than most people's
pay raises last year.
And it's caused some consternation,
because the temptation is for people to appropriate when money's
available. I was in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a grandmother
stood up and she said, you know, she said, I've baked a lot of cookies
in my day. And I've had children and grandchildren go
through the house. And every time I leave them on the table,
they get eaten. And that's kind of what happens to federal
taxpayers' money. (Applause.)
So I've presented a realistic budget to the
Congress. It says, like many of you all do in your
businesses, set priorities. I realize that -- we've got to
realize it's important to set priorities. Education is a
priority. The military is a priority of mine, starting with
making sure people get better pay and better housing.
Now, we have stepped back from some of the big
appropriation requests, because I want Don Rumsfeld to take a full look
at the military, to make sure military spending meets a military
strategy that will help us keep the peace in the
out-years. And it's important to do that. It's
important to make sure taxpayer's money is well-spent and well-focused,
on all areas of concern. And the Defense budget requires a
good scrubbing and a good looking at. And that's exactly
what this administration is doing.
But in the meantime, we need to send a clear
signal to the men and women who wear the troop -- who wear the uniform,
the troops who wear the uniforms, we appreciate what you do on behalf
of America, so we're going to pay you to do better, and house you
better, and have a mission that is more focused, which is to be able to
fight and win war, and therefore prevent war from happening in the
first place.
We've got money in the budget for
Medicare. Our Medicare budget doubles over the next 10
years. And that's part of what's needed, but also --
(applause) -- but we also need to make sure the system is modern, that
it meets the needs of our seniors, it gives seniors a variety of
options from which to choose, and all the options should include
prescription drugs.
So there's money in the budget for
Medicare. It's a doubling. And we set aside all
the money for Social Security for only one thing, and that is Social
Security. Take all the payroll taxes and make sure it's only
spent on Social Security. And, by the way, its system needs
to be reformed as well.
One of the major components of reform is to
allow younger workers to take some of their own money and put it in
safe and secure market-oriented investment vehicles which will yield a
greater rate of return than the paltry 2 percent our money now gets in
the Social Security trust today. (Applause.)
And we pay down $2 trillion worth of debt in
our budget. Somebody said, why don't you take all the excess
money and pay down debt? Well, first of all, excess money
tends to be spent on bigger baselines of the government. And
-- but the $2 trillion is all that's retiring over the next 10 years --
all that's to be retired over the next 10 years. And it
doesn't make any sense to pay a premium to prepay debt. And
so, we're paying down all the debt that's available.
We set aside money for
contingencies. I know this is getting to be quite a long
laundry list, but I'm trying to make a point that you all can help me
make: is that we've increased discretionary spending by 4
percent, we pay down debt, we protect Social Security, we set aside $1
trillion over 10 years for contingencies. And there is still
money left over. And that's where the fundamental debate
comes in Washington, D.C. There are those who want to
increase the size and scope of the federal government. I
believe -- I believe we need to remember who paid the money in the
first place. And I believe we need to pass it
back. (Applause.)
Now, we drop all rates and simplify the
code. Drop the bottom rate from 15 percent to 10
percent. We increase the child credit from $500 to
$1,000. And the purpose of that is to make sure that those
who work hard to get into the middle class are more likely to
succeed. The tax code today penalizes people in the
outskirts of poverty.
The marginal rate for folks coming from -- a
single mom -- the example I like to use is a single mom making $22,000
a year who is struggling to get ahead and trying to raise her two
children -- which I also happen to believe is the toughest job in
America -- for every additional dollar she earns above the $22,000, she
pays a higher marginal rate than someone making
$200,000. And that's just not fair. And so we
address the inequity in the tax code by dropping the bottom rate and
increasing the child credit.
And we also drop the top rate, of course, from
39.6 percent to 33 percent. If you pay taxes, you ought to
get relief. Everybody who -- but everybody benefits, I'm
convinced, when the top rate drops because of the effect it will have
on the entrepreneurial class in America. (Applause.) What
the Congress needs to hear is that most small businesses are
unincorporated businesses, sole proprietorships. Many are
subchapter S corps, who pay at the highest marginal
rate. And when you drop the top rate from 39.6 percent to 33
percent, you encourage the growth of small businesses, whether they be
women-owned small businesses, or any other small
businesses. (Applause.)
People like to deflect the
debate. They like to turn it into a class warfare
debate. And you all can help by explaining clearly to people
that reducing the top rate will help with job creation and capital
formation; and as importantly, will help highlight the American
Dream. And that is, you can own your own business -- that
ownership is not limited to just a few. (Applause.)
And we're going to do something on the
marriage penalty. And we need to eliminate the death
tax. (Applause.) This is a realistic plan with
the people's money. It's a plan that meets
needs. Admittedly, it doesn't grow the budget the way people
are used to in Washington. But it's time to change that
attitude about how prolific we're going to be with the people's
money. There needs to be a focus and a strategy and a
discipline.
It seems like at times, people forgot whose
money it is we're dealing with up here. It's not the
government's money. The rhetoric sounds like, oh, we're
going to -- it's government's money. But the money is here
in Washington because of the hard work of people -- people working
hard, people who care. (Applause.) The cash flow
coming into the treasury of the United States is exceeding
expectations, even though we're in an economic slowdown, which says to
me, somebody is being over-charged. (Laughter.) And I know
who it is.
And so that's what the debate is all
about. And I'd like your help. You can influence members of
Congress and people listen to you. And so I hope you take
folks aside and say, be realistic about our money. Let's
don't balloon the size of the federal government. And let's
also remember that by giving people their money back, it will help
provide a second wind for our economy.
Many of you know better than me that our
economy is slowing down. And we've got some issues with
which we'll deal. Yesterday, the Vice President brought to
me an interim report on energy -- we've got a problem with energy in
America. Our demand is increasing, but our supplies
aren't. And it doesn't take much economics to figure out
what will happen.
And we're going to do something about
it. This is going to be a very practical
administration. We will view problems, analyze them, and
deal with them. We'll be as up front as we can with the
American people. We'll explain when we can get something
done quickly, and we'll explain when we can't get something done
quickly. We're not going to shirk from the problems with
which we're confronted. And one of the problems is an energy
crisis.
Another problem is a slowing
economy. And we're going to deal with it. We'll
deal with it in a forthright way. And part of it is good
fiscal policy, which means when we give people their money back, it
should serve as a stimulus to economic growth.
So this is a plan that not only brings fiscal
discipline to the budgeting process, it's a plan that sets
priorities. But it's also a plan that remembers how America
grows. And it grows through entrepreneurship and the
creation of small businesses and providing capital in the private
sector for the expansion of jobs and the purchase of
equipment. And that's what the plan is.
And I'd like your help. I'd like
your help to sell it on the Hill. (Applause.) Two things I
hope that you notice when you go up there is that I believe the country
is beginning -- or the Capitol is beginning to develop a culture of
respect.
I want the members -- I fully recognize not
everybody is going to agree with me -- or us. And I respect
that. I do. I may not agree with it, but I
respect it. One of my jobs is to change the tone of
Washington. Oh, occasionally, there's the voice out there that sounds
a little disgruntled. But that's okay. That's
part of the democracy. But our administration, or at least
the people in my administration will treat people with respect.
I respect those who don't agree with me on
every single issue. I expect there not to be
unanimity. And I believe by treating people respectfully, it
is possible to do some positive things. This is a Congress
that is beginning to get a sense of accomplishment. There is
a culture of accomplishment in Washington. There's a
bankruptcy bill that's working its way through the House and the
Senate; there's an ergonomics -- change in ergonomics regulations that
I believe is positive, and I intend to sign today. There are
some positive developments. Things are getting done.
And that's important. That will be
a little change from the way people have viewed Washington in the
past. Washington seemed to be a place of bitterness and
acrimony, and it doesn't have to be that way. It's important
to change it not only to get good public policy done, but it's
important to change the tone of Washington so that when people look at
our Nation's Capital they understand that public service can be noble
and positive. Just like these ladies up here understand.
And our job is bigger than just
legislation. Our job is to set a good tone, a tone of
respect, a tone of accomplishment for the nation. And that's
exactly what we're going to do. And I want to thank you all
for being here to help us get it done. Thank
you. (Applause.)
10:56 A.M. EST
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