For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
May 17, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President at a Reception for Congressman Richard Burr
Salem Academy and College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
6:25 P.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much,
Richard, and Brooke, and thank you for that warm welcome. It's great
to be back in North Carolina. Lynne and I actually spent a summer in
this state, many years ago. The last time I campaigned with Richard in
Raleigh, I made the mistake of telling people the name of the college
town where Lynne and I lived that summer. (Laughter.) It's home to
another ACC school -- and it's not the one where Richard played
football. (Laughter.) But today I'll just tell you that it's always a
delight to come to this part of the country, and to come to North
Carolina. And I'm proud to stand with the next senator from North
Carolina, Congressman Richard Burr. (Applause.)
You are part of the strong, energetic organization that Richard has
built all across this state, from here in the Piedmont, to the Blue
Ridge Mountains, to the Carolina Coast. And today I'm honored to bring
greetings to all of you from a man with a friend in every corner of
this great state, President George W. Bush. (Applause.)
The President and I are tremendously grateful for all of our
supporters here in North Carolina, including your excellent United
States senator, Elizabeth Dole. (Applause.) She is doing a superb job
for the people of North Carolina. I might add it was a pleasure
tonight, as well, to have a few minutes to say hello to my old friend
Jim Broyhill, former senator and congressman. (Applause.) Jim and I
worked together many years -- a few years ago when we were both
important. (Laughter.) And I'm glad to see him doing so well.
But we're all here tonight to make certain that Elizabeth Dole has
a smart, principled, hardworking partner in the United States Senate,
and there is no doubt that Richard Burr is the man for the job. Some
people ask, why do you come down to North Carolina, and campaign for a
Senate candidate?
Well, it's important for you to realize that my only real job is as
President of the United States Senate. When they wrote the
Constitution, they created the post of Vice President. And then they
got all the way through the Constitutional Convention and decided
suddenly that they hadn't given him anything to do. (Laughter.) So
they said, well, we'll make him the presiding officer in the Senate.
So that's my job. I actually get paid by the United States Senate,
about half my staff is paid there. And my only official duty is to
preside and also to cast a tie-breaking vote -- 50-50, I get to go in
and cast the tie-breaking vote. So I care a lot about the make-up of
the Senate. And I had the opportunity this last year to cast three
tie-breaking votes: The first was on the budget resolution; the second
was on the tax measure that reduced the tax on capital gains and
reduced the double-taxation of dividends; and the third was on the
final tax bill we passed last fall. (Applause.)
I don't deserve any special credit for the way I voted.
(Laughter.) George Bush gave me some very explicit instructions when I
went to the Hill that day. (Laughter.) The point is that the Senate
is that evenly balanced. But if it hadn't been, if we'd had one less
senator a year ago, we wouldn't have the economic recovery we have
today. So it's absolutely essential that we win this seat and that
Richard Burr be the next Senator from North Carolina. (Applause.)
It's been my privilege over the years to hold a number of different
jobs in government. As White House Chief of Staff, Secretary of
Defense, congressman, I've gotten to know a lot of fine public servants
and candidates for high office. And in this important election year, I
consider Richard Burr one of the absolute, finest prepared Senate
candidates anywhere in the country. He'll do an outstanding job for
the people of his state. He's got the right priorities -- from low
taxes, to creating more jobs, to a strong education, strong national
defense, and he has the enthusiastic support of President Bush and
myself. And next January, I look forward -- as President of the Senate
-- to swearing in Richard Burton as the next -- Richard Burr as the
next senator from North Carolina. (Applause.) Sorry about that,
Richard. I'm not going to go there. (Laughter.)
These are challenging times for North Carolina, and this is a great
country of ours. Those of us in public office have serious
responsibilities. President Bush and I have been fortunate to count on
Richard as an influential ally on Capitol Hill for these last few
years. And today, as we look forward to the election of 2004, we've
got a record, I believe, 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 George W. Bush.
This is a period in history defined by serious challenges, and the
need for decisive action. And the greatest responsibility of our
government is absolutely clear: We must protect the safety and
security of the American people.
The attacks of 9/11 signaled the arrival of an entirely new era in
our history. We suffered massive civilian casualties right here at
home on our own soil. We awakened to dangers even more lethal -- the
possibility that terrorists could gain chemical, biological, or even
nuclear weapons from outlaw regimes, and turn those weapons against the
United States.
More than two-and-a-half years have passed since 9/11, yet it would
be a grave mistake to assume that the threat to our country and,
indeed, to the world has somehow faded away. As we have seen in many
attacks since 9/11 all over the world -- in Riyadh, Casablanca,
Istanbul, Karbala, Mombasa, Bali, Jakarta, Najaf, Jerusalem, Baghdad,
and Madrid, terrorists are determined to intimidate free countries, and
even to try to influence elections. We have to assume they'll make
further attempts inside the United States. And every American can be
certain of this, that this government is doing everything we can to
prevent another terrorist attack on our nation. (Applause.)
But a strong defense is not enough. We also have to go on
offense. We have to take decisive action to stop the terrorist threat
before it reaches our shores. We are dismantling the financial
networks that fund terror. We're going after the terrorists wherever
they plot and plan. In Afghanistan, we have removed the brutal Taliban
from power and destroyed the al Qaeda training camps. In Iraq, America
and our allies rid the Iraqi people of a murderous dictator and rid the
world of a menace to our peace and security. Just over a year ago,
Saddam Hussein controlled the lives and the future of nearly 25 million
people. Today he is in jail. He will never again brutalize the Iraqi
people, never again support dangerous terrorists or pursue weapons of
mass destruction. He will never again threaten the United States of
America. (Applause.)
We still face serious challenges on the ground in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Thugs and assassins in Iraq are desperately trying to shake our
will, and to prevent the rise of a democracy, but they are failing. A
new transitional law has been signed that enshrines the protection of
individual rights, and the path forward is clear. On the 30th of June,
Iraqi sovereignty will be placed in Iraqi hands.
As Richard understands, Iraq is the central front in the war on
terror. The defeat of tyranny and violence in that nation, and the
rise of democracy in the heart of the Middle East will be a crucial
setback for international terror. We will do what is necessary --
destroying the terrorists, returning sovereignty to the Iraqi people,
and helping them to build a stable, self-governing nation. Because we
are strong and resolute, Iraq will never go back to the camp of tyranny
and terror. And America will never go back to the false comforts of
the world before 9/11.
Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength. They are
invited by the perception of weakness. And this nation has made a
decision: We will engage the enemy, facing him with our military in
Afghanistan and Iraq today, so we do not have to face him with armies
of firefighters, police, and medical personnel on the streets of our
own cities. (Applause.)
Our nation is extremely fortunate during these times of testing to
have the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform. The
misconduct of a few does not diminish the honor and the decency that
our servicemen and women have shown in Iraq. They have seen hard duty,
long deployments, and fierce fighting. They've endured the loss of
friends and comrades. And they are unwavering in their mission,
proving every day that when we send them to defend this nation and our
interests, we are sending the very best of the United States of
America. (Applause.)
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another the next. We need a
Commander-in-Chief of clear vision and steady determination, and that's
just what we have in President George W. Bush. (Applause.)
That same standard should be applied to the candidate who now
opposes him in this year's election, the Junior Senator from
Massachusetts. (Laughter.) People always chuckle when I say that.
(Laughter.)
A few months ago, Senator Kerry informed America that he has met
with unnamed foreign leaders who support him. (Laughter.) Not long
after, a voter asked Senator Kerry directly who these foreign leaders
are. Senator Kerry said, "That's none of your business." (Laughter.)
But it is our business when a candidate for president claims the
political endorsement of foreign leaders. American voters are the ones
charged with determining the outcome of this election, not unnamed
foreign leaders.
Senator Kerry has also asserted that our troops in Iraq are not
receiving the material support they need. May I remind you that last
fall, at the President's request, Congress considered legislation
providing funding for the troops -- for body armor and other vital
support, such as hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition and spare
parts. Senator Kerry was asked whether he would vote against the
President's request. He said, and I quote, "I don't think any United
States senator is going to abandon our troops. That's
irresponsible." Within weeks, the legislation passed overwhelmingly,
with a vote in the Senate of 87 to 12. Senator Kerry voted "no." As a
way to clarify the matter, Senator Kerry recently said, and again I
quote, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against
it."(Laughter.) Obviously, te Senator is free to vote as he wishes,
but he should be held to his own standard -- it is irresponsible to
vote against vital support for the United States military. (Applause.)
On the broader picture, Senator Kerry has questioned whether the
war on terror is really a war at all. He said, "I don't want to use
that terminology." In his view, opposing terrorism is far less of a
military operation and more of a law enforcement operation. But as we
have seen, that approach was tried before, and proved entirely
inadequate to protecting the American people against terrorists who are
quite certain they are at war with us.
I leave it for Senator Kerry to explain, or explain away, his
inconsistent votes and his statements about the war on terror, our
cause in Iraq, and the needs of the American military. Whatever the
explanation, it is not an impressive record for someone who aspires to
become Commander-in-Chief in this time of testing for our nation.
The American people will have a clear choice in the election of
2004 -- on national security as well as on policies here at home. When
the President and I took office, the economy was sliding into
recession. Then, just as our economy was ready to recover, terrorists
struck our nation once again and shook our economy. President Bush
took strong, confident steps to get the economy growing again. Working
with strong allies like Richard, the President signed into law
significant tax relief for millions of American families and
businesses. We doubled the child tax credit, decreased the marriage
penalty, cut tax rates across the board, and have put the death tax on
the way to extinction. (Applause.)
Since President Bush took office, more than 2.9 million taxpayers
in North Carolina have seen their income tax bills reduced. 940,000
married couples in North Carolina are benefiting from marriage penalty
relief. And nearly 800,000 families in North Carolina have benefited
from the increase in the child tax credit. More than 650,000 business
owners in North Carolina have seen their federal tax burden go down,
allowing them to invest in new equipment, expand facilities, and hire
additional workers.
Across the nation, the results of the President's policies are
clear. The economy added 288,000 new jobs last month, 600,000 in the
last two months, and more than 1.1 million new jobs since last August.
(Applause.) Over the past year, the economy has grown at a rate of 4.9
percent -- the fastest pace since Ronald Reagan's first term in the
White House, and the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation in
the world. The home ownership rate is the highest ever. Interest
rates and inflation are low. Manufacturing activity is increasing.
Real incomes and wages are growing. Productivity is high. Business
investment and factory orders are rising. There's a simple reason for
our growing prosperity: The Bush tax relief is working. (Applause.)
Not surprisingly, the American people are using their money far
better than the government would have, and Congress was right to let
them keep it. As you know, there are voices in the land who want to
roll back the Bush tax cuts. If elected, Senator Kerry has promised to
repeal most of the Bush tax cuts during his first 100 days in office.
This isn't surprising when you consider his record on taxes. Over the
years, Senator Kerry has voted over 350 times for higher taxes on the
American people -- including the biggest tax increase in history.
Somebody calculated the other day that since he's been in the Senate,
that averages out to one vote for a tax increase every three weeks.
(Laughter.) At least the people of Massachusetts know he was on the
job. (Laughter and applause.)
For the sake of long-term growth and job creation, we ought to do
exactly the opposite of what Senator Kerry proposes -- we should make
the Bush tax cuts permanent. (Applause.)
Under the leadership of President Bush -- and with the help of
principled legislators like Richard Burr -- this nation is going to
continue moving forward with an aggressive, pro-growth, pro-jobs
agenda. Our nation needs legal reform, to protect small business
owners and employees from frivolous lawsuits and needless regulation.
(Applause.)
We need to control the costs of health care by passing medical
liability reform. (Applause.) Here in North Carolina and across the
nation, leaders on health care -- like Richard -- know that good
doctors should be able to spend their time healing patients. No one
has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. (Applause.)
We need to pass sound energy legislation, to modernize our
electricity system, and to make America less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. And it is also time for the United States Senate to
get about the business of confirming President Bush's judicial
nominees. (Applause.)
The President has put forward talented, experienced men and women
who represent the mainstream of American law and American values. Yet
Senate Democrats have taken to waging filibusters, denying up-or-down
votes for months, or even years. That's unfair to judicial nominees,
and it's an abuse of the constitutional process. Every nominee
deserves a prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. And that's
another reason why we need to send Richard Burr to the United States
Senate. (Applause.)
On issue after issue -- from national security, to economic growth,
to improving our schools -- President Bush has led the way in making
progress for the nation. Richard has been a valuable partner on these
issues. And once he's in the Senate, he's going to help us achieve
even greater goals.
President Bush has a clear vision for the future of the country.
Abroad, we will use America's great power to serve great purposes -- to
turn back the forces of terror, and to spread hope and freedom
throughout the world. Here at home, we will continue building
prosperity that reaches every corner of the land, so that every child
who grows up in the United States will have the chance to learn, and to
succeed, and to rise in the world.
Once again, I want to thank all of you for your commitment to the
cause we share. It's an honor to help with Richard's energetic,
optimistic campaign. He'll be an outstanding senator, and President
Bush and I look forward to working with him for a good many years to
come.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 6:44 P.M. EDT
|