For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
January 22, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President
At the 31st Annual Conservative Political Action Conference
Crystal Gateway Marriott
Arlington, Virginia
2:04 P.M. EST
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. (Applause.) Thank you.
Well, thank you very much. Maybe I ought to close on that high note.
(Laughter.) David, thank you.
As always, it's great to be at CPAC once again. I've been here many
times over the years. I've got a good many friends in the audience and
supporters in this room. And, of course, the hard work of many of you
here today, and your strong convictions were heavily involved in 2000,
in making possible that tremendous, very narrow victory that meant so
much -- well, to the President and myself. And I think, also, to the
country. And from the sound of things, I think you're fired up and
ready for victory in 2004, as well. (Applause.)
In addition to thanking, Dave, I want to also thank the members of
the board of directors for CPAC for their tremendous work and the
dedication they give to this conference year after year. And to
everyone here today, who has traveled all across America to come to
Washington, I'm going to thank you for your commitment to the great
cause in this very important year for our nation. It's my honor to join
all of you today, and to convey to you the very best regards of our
President, George W. Bush.
It was just three years this week that the President and I were sworn
in. And I still reflect sometimes on how unlikely it was that I was
chosen Vice President. The odds, I suppose, were roughly similar to
that of a movie action star becoming Governor of California.
(Laughter.) I was in California last week and spend some time with the
Governor. I think Arnold is going to be a worthy successor to another
actor turned governor -- Ronald Reagan. (Applause.)
As Vice President, I have certain official duties -- most of which
involve sitting and saying nothing. (Laughter.) You may have noticed
that was my job two nights ago, during the State of the Union Address.
(Laughter.) You may have noticed me back there, over the President's
shoulder. I tried not to draw attention to myself, but it's not easy:
when you put Dick Cheney next to Denny Hastert, it's hard to contain
all that charisma. (Laughter and applause.)
After hearing that speech, I think we can all agree that the state
of our union is strong -- and that the man who leads the nation is
doing a superb job for the American people. (Applause.)
President Bush and I have now begun the fourth year of our
administration -- a period defined by serious challenges, and hard
choices. When we were sworn in three years ago, no one could have
predicted all that lay just ahead for America. But we came to office
with a clear understanding of our responsibilities. We were determined
to solve problems, instead of simply passing them on to future
generations. The President wanted to seize new opportunities for reform
-- and to get beyond old debates that stood in the way of progress. And
today, as we look ahead to the election of 2004, we have a record of
accomplishment to show for our efforts. The American people can be
confident of a better future, a stronger economy, and greater security
against the dangers of our new era, because of the character and
leadership of our President, George W. Bush.
In this time of testing, our greatest responsibility is the active
defense of the American people. Even though we have gone more than two
years without an attack on American soil, we must have no illusions
that somehow the danger has passed. Terrorists continue to plot against
America and the civilized world. We see them for what they are -- men
who will not be stopped by negotiations, by appeals to reason, or by
the least hint of conscience. In the war on terror, we have only one
option: we must take the fight to the enemy.
Inside our country, where the war began, we must continue to give
homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they need to
defend us. And one of those essential tools is the Patriot Act, which
authorizes federal law enforcement to share more intelligence
information, to track terrorists, to disrupt their cells, and to seize
their assets. We use these very same tools to catch embezzlers and drug
traffickers and organized crime, and we need them to hunt terrorists,
as well. As the President said the other night, parts of the Patriot
Act are set to expire next year, but the terrorist threat will not
expire on that schedule. Our law enforcement needs the Patriot Act, and
Congress needs to renew it. (Applause.)
Today, over 140,000 members of our armed forces are deployed around
the world in the war on terror. In the 28 months since 9/11, we -- and
our friends and allies in many countries -- have inflicted heavy losses
on al Qaeda's leadership and foot soldiers -- tracking them and finding
them in hiding places from Pakistan to Indonesia. Those not yet
captured or killed live in fear, and their fears are well founded. We
are also working with governments on every continent to take down
financial networks that support terror -- the hidden bank accounts, the
front groups, and the phony charities that have help them to function.
And our government is working closely with intelligence services all
over the globe, and our own officers continue to be engaged in some of
the most perilous and sensitive intelligence work ever carried out.
This work has brought many successes -- including the discovery of
terror plots that we were able to stop in their tracks. Americans can
be grateful every day for the skill and daring of our nation's
intelligence professionals.
On the night of September 11th, President Bush declared that the
United States would make no distinction between terrorists and those
who support them. This principle, the Bush doctrine, is now understood
by all: Any person or government that supports, protects, or harbors
terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent, and will be held
to account. (Applause.)
The first to see its application were the Taliban, who ruled
Afghanistan by violence while turning that country into a giant
training camp for terrorists. With fine allies at our side, we took
down the regime and destroyed the al Qaeda camps. Our work there
continues. We have 13,000 soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan, as part
of an international security force that now includes 38 nations and a
major role for NATO. This force is on the hunt for the remaining
Taliban and al Qaeda members. We are helping to train a new Afghan
army, and we are helping to provide security as that new government
takes shape. Under President Karzai's leadership, and with the help of
our coalition, the Afghan people are building a decent and a just and a
democratic society -- and a nation fully joined in the war against
terror.
In Iraq, the United States and our allies rid the Iraqi people of a
murderous dictator, and rid the world of a menace to our future peace
and security. (Applause.) A year ago, Saddam Hussein controlled the
lives and the future of almost 25 million people. Today, he's in jail.
(Applause.) He will never again brutalize his people, never again
support dangerous terrorists, and never again threaten the United
States of America. (Applause.)
Freedom still has enemies in Iraq -- terrorists who are targeting
the very success and freedom that we are providing to that country. But
terror attacks on innocent civilians will not intimidate Americans, and
will not intimidate the Iraqi people. With determined allies at our
side, we are helping Iraqis build a free country, which will make us
all the more secure. We are standing with the Iraqi people as they
assume more responsibility for their own security and move toward self
government. These are not easy tasks -- yet they are absolutely
essential. As the President has said many times -- and no one should
doubt, "We will finish what we have begun, and we will win this
essential victory in the war on terror." (Applause.)
From the beginning, America has sought international support for
our operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have gained a great deal
of support. But as the President said on Tuesday night: There is a
difference between leading a coalition of many nations, and submitting
to the objections of a few. America will never seek a permission slip
to defend the security of our country. (Applause.)
America is a nation that is always ready to work and to sacrifice
for peace. The use of force is always our last resort. And when that
need arises, all of us are extraordinarily fortunate to be defended by
the United States Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines.
(Applause.) In all they have done and continue to do, the men and women
who wear this country's uniform have performed with magnificent skill
and courage.
In Iraq, as in Afghanistan, American forces have struck hard
against the forces of murder and chaos -- conducting raids, countering
attacks, seizing weapons, and capturing killers. Members of the active
duty armed forces, of the National Guard, and the Reserves have faced
hard duty, long deployments, and the loss of comrades. They are
confronting danger every day to protect all of us, and they are earning
the trust of the people they have liberated. They reflect extraordinary
credit on the United States of America, and our entire nation is proud
of each and every one of them.
One of the most important commitments George Bush and I made during
the 2000 campaign was that the armed forces would be given every
resource they need and the respect they deserve. And we've kept our
word to the United States military. (Applause.)
The long-term security of our nation, and of our friends and
allies, has been a principal concern of President Bush's
administration. And so has the economic well-being of our citizens. By
the time we took office, the economy was sliding into recession. To get
it growing again, we have delivered significant tax relief for the
American people. (Applause.) We are leaving more money in the hands
that earned it -- because when Americans have more take-home pay, they
have more to spend, more to save, and more to invest. We're reducing
taxes on dividends and capital gains, to encourage investment. We've
given small businesses incentives to expand and to hire new people.
And now we are seeing the results of the hard work of the American
people, and of the sound policies of this administration. (Applause.)
Americans took those dollars and put them to work, driving the economy
forward. The pace of economic growth in the third quarter of this past
year was the fastest in nearly 20 years. New home construction is at
the highest level in almost 20 years. The home ownership rate is the
highest ever. Manufacturing activity is increasing. Inflation is low.
Interest rates are low. Exports are growing. Productivity is high. The
unemployment rate is falling. And jobs are on the rise.
These numbers confirm that the American people are using their money
far better than the government would have, and Congress is right to
return it. (Applause.)
As you know, there are some voices in the land who want to roll
back the Bush tax cuts. Sometimes I hear these voices on the nightly
news. (Laughter.) But, in fact, the Bush tax cuts were exactly what
the economy needed, and they have now set us on a path to long-term
growth and job creation. And to keep us on that path, Congress needs to
make the Bush tax cuts permanent. (Applause.)
On issue after issue -- from national security, to economic growth
and trade, to improving our public schools -- President Bush is leading
the way in making progress for the American people. He's a man of his
word, who works across partisan lines in a spirit of civility and
respect. And as he said three years ago, he believes he was elected not
to serve one party, but to serve the entire nation. That's exactly the
kind of person we need in the Oval Office.
All of us in this administration recognize that our job is not to
rest on a strong record, but to keep adding to that record. Abroad, the
fundamental interest of this nation requires that we oppose threats to
our freedom and security wherever they gather.
Yet overcoming threats is only the beginning of America's
responsibilities. In the Middle East, we are 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. In that region and beyond, all who strive and sacrifice for
the cause of freedom will have a friend in the United States of
America.
Here at home, we have a full agenda, and, I think, a record of
achievement. This record includes an important measure that reflects
the compassion of this country. Some of you here today are
participating in today's March for Life. And as you do, you can take
heart in the knowledge that the cause of protecting life gained a
milestone victory when President George W. Bush signed a law defending
children from the violence of partial-birth abortion. (Applause.)
Going forward, we must also improve our health care system through
medical liability reform. Doctors should be able to spend their time
healing patients, instead of fighting off frivolous lawsuits for trial
lawyers. (Applause.)
And here in Washington, D.C., it's also time for the United States
Senate to get about the business of confirming President Bush's
judicial nominees. (Applause.) The President has a responsibility to
make sure the judicial system runs well, and he has met that duty. He
has put forward superb nominees to serve on the federal bench --
talented, experienced men and women who represent the mainstream of
American law and American values. Yet Senate Democrats have taken to
waging filibusters, denying some of these nominees up or down votes for
months, and even years. Even though these nominees may have a majority
of senators supporting them, they cannot get confirmed unless they get
a supermajority of 60 votes. That's unfair to the nominees; it's an
abuse of the constitutional process. Every nominee deserves a prompt
up-or-down vote on the Senate floor -- and that's why we need more
Republicans in the United States Senate. (Applause.)
I might add I'm also very proud of the fact that the President
appointed Charles Pickering to a recess appointment in the appellate
court. (Applause.)
The campaign season is on its way -- and President Bush and I will
be proud to present our record to the voters in every part of the
country. We will run hard and take nothing for granted. And we will
continue making good use of every day we have the honor of serving the
American people.
Long before I took my current job, I had the good fortune to work
with other presidents I greatly admire. Along the way, I learned a few
things about the presidency, and the kind of person it takes to do that
job well. It takes the finest qualities of character: conviction,
personal integrity, good judgment, compassion, and courage in times of
testing for the nation. And, ladies and gentlemen, we have all of those
qualities and more in President George W. Bush. (Applause.) I count it
a privilege to serve with a president who has united our nation behind
great goals -- and brought honor and integrity to the White House.
(Applause.)
Once again, I want to thank you all for the commitment to the cause
we all share. The President and I are deeply grateful for our many
friends in this room. And now, together, we are going to see this cause
forward to victory on November 2nd.
Thank you very much.
END 2:24 P.M. EST
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