For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
May 17, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President at a Luncheon for Congressman Max Burns
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
Pooler, Georgia
12:40 P.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you all very
much. Thank you, Max. That was a great introduction, and it's nice to
be back in Savannah -- although, actually, I guess, we're in Pooler,
Georgia, I'm told. All right. (Laughter.) I never heard of Pooler
till I got here today. (Laughter.) But it looks like a great
community, and it's nice to be back in Georgia with an outstanding
member of Congress, obviously, in Max Burns -- well on his way to a
second term, I might add. (Applause.)
Speaking of people headed for a second term, I'm pleased to bring
you all greetings from our President, George W. Bush. (Applause.)
I want to thank Congressmen Jack Kingston and Joe Wilson for being
here, along with Nancy Coverdell, and our fine candidate for Congress
in the third district, Calder Clay -- who's going to win this time
around. (Applause.) Although your senators couldn't be here today, I
want you to know that Saxby Chambliss and Zell Miller are an
outstanding team for the people of Georgia. (Applause.) And they are
good friends of the President and this administration. We're
particularly grateful to Zell for heading up Democrats for Bush.
(Applause.)
The reason we're all here today is to make certain that Max Burns
gets another term in the United States Congress. I was proud to
campaign for Max two years ago. That was a tough race, and it came at
a critical time in our country. The people of the twelfth district
made a wise decision to send Max to the House, and he has repaid their
confidence by serving an exceptional first term.
Max is a family man. He has strong roots in this area. He shares
your values, and understands your priorities, from low taxes, to a
quality education for every child, to strong national defense. He
brings to Washington the perspective and the wisdom of a dedicated
teacher, an experienced public servant, and a veteran of the Army
Reserve. And he's earned the respect of his colleagues, who made him
the president of the freshman class.
Now, I know a little bit about the business of being a congressman
because I was one for 10 years. I served as Wyoming's congressman.
Wyoming only has one seat in the House of Representatives. It was a
small delegation. (Laughter.) But it was quality. (Laughter.) And I
loved my time in the House. And I think I learned a bit about what it
takes to make an effective member of Congress. I think I know Max
Burns about as well as any member of the freshmen class. You need to
work very hard, stay in close touch with the folks back home, and speak
out on those things that matter most to the folks in your district.
That's exactly what Max Burns does every day. By electing Max, you've
put a good man in a big job. And this November, I'm confident you're
going to send him back to the United States Congress.
These are challenging times for Georgia, and for the nation. Those
of us in public office have serious responsibilities. President Bush
and I have been fortunate to be able to count on Max Burns as an
influential ally on Capitol Hill these past two years. And today, as
we look forward to the election of 2004, I believe we've got a record
of accomplishment to show for the President's efforts. I think the
American people can be confident of a better future, a stronger
economy, and greater security against the dangers of a new era, because
of the character and the leadership of our President, George W. Bush.
(Applause.)
This is a period in history defined by serious challenges, and the
need for decisive action. And the greatest responsibility of our
government is clear: We must do everything we can to protect the
safety and security of the American people.
The attacks of September 11th signaled the arrival of an entirely
new era in our history. We suffered massive civilian casualties right
here on our own soil at home. We awakened to dangers even more lethal
-- the possibility that terrorists could gain chemical, biological, or
even nuclear weapons from outlaw regimes, and use those weapons against
the United States. Remembering what we saw on the morning of 9/11, and
knowing the nature of our enemies, we have as clear a responsibility as
ever fell to government: We must do everything in our power to protect
the American people from terrorist attack, and to keep terrorists from
ever acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
As we saw on September 11th, our homeland is a battlefield in the
war on terror, and we have made improving our defenses here at home a
central part of our strategy. We created the Department of Homeland
Security, and brought together 180,000 federal employees from 22
agencies with a single purpose -- to protect America. We passed
aggressive new funding for cutting-edge defenses against a biological
attack. We also passed the Patriot Act, to give law enforcement the
tools needed to catch terrorists inside the United States.
There is urgent work, as you know here in Savannah, with one of the
largest ports on the East Coast. As a port city, Savannah recognizes
the importance of the administration's work to strengthen cargo
container security through inspections of cargo before it leaves key
foreign ports, to identify and work closely with trusted shippers, to
assess the risk of all inbound cargo and carefully examine all
identified high-risk shipments. More than two-and-a-half years now
have passed since 9/11, yet it would be a grave mistake for us to
assume that the threat our country and the world faced has somehow
faded away. As we've 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 will make further attempts inside the United
States. And every American can be certain this government is doing
everything we can to prevent another terrorist attack on America.
We've also taken decisive action to stop the terrorist threat
before it reaches our own shores. Defense is not good enough. We also
must go on offense. We're dismantling the financial networks that fund
terror, and 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 almost 25 million
people. Today he's in jail. He will never again brutalize the Iraqi
people. (Applause.) He will 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.
Max understands Iraq is a 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 to
the international terrorist movement. We will do what is necessary --
destroying the terrorists, returning sovereignty to the Iraqi people,
helping them to build a stable and 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. (Applause.)
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 shown leadership and
skill in carrying out extraordinary tasks, like the Third Infantry
Division from Fort Stewart, which led the charge into Baghdad. They've
endured the loss of friends and comrades. And they are unwavering in
their mission. They are 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.)
From the very beginning, America has sought -- and received --
international support for our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
the war on terror, we will always seek the cooperation from our allies
around the world. But as the President has made very clear: There is
a difference between leading a coalition of many nations and submitting
to the objections of a few. The United States will never seek a
permission slip to defend the security of our nation. (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. And that same
standard should be applied to the candidate who now opposes him in this
year's election, the Junior Senator from Massachusetts.
A few months ago, Senator Kerry informed America that he has met
with unnamed foreign leaders who support him. Not long after, a voter
asked Senator Kerry directly who these foreign leaders are. Senator
Kerry said, "That's none of your business." 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. (Applause.)
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 support for the troops -- for body armor, hazard
pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, spare parts, et cetera.
Senator Kerry was asked at the time 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 would be
irresponsible." End quote. Within weeks, the legislation passed
overwhelmingly, with a vote of 87 to twelve in the Senate. Senator
Kerry was one of the 12. He voted "no." As a way to clarify the
matter, Senator Kerry recently said, quote, "I actually did vote for
the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Laughter.) End quote.
The Senator is free to vote as he wishes, obviously, but he should be
held to his own standard: It is irresponsible to vote against vital
support for the United States military.
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. As we have
seen, however, that approach was tried before, and it proved entirely
inadequate to protecting the American people from terrorists who are
quite certain they are at war with us.
I leave it for Senator Kerry to explain his 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 country.
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 and shook our economy once again. President Bush took strong,
confident steps to get the economy growing again. Working with strong
allies like Max Burns, 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 we have put the death tax on the way to
extinction.
Since President Bush took office, more than 2.9 million taxpayers
in Georgia have seen their income tax bills reduced. Nearly 900,000
married couples in Georgia are now benefiting from marriage penalty
relief. And over 790,000 families in Georgia have benefited from the
increase in the child credit. More than 650,000 business owners in
Georgia have seen their federal tax burden go down, allowing them to
invest in new equipment, expand facilities, and hire new workers.
Across the nation, the results of the President's policies are
clear. The economy added 288,000 new jobs last month, and some 600,000
new jobs in the last two months, and more than 1.1 million new jobs
since last August. Manufacturing jobs in America have increased now
for the last three months. The unemployment rate in Georgia has
dropped to 3.6 percent in March -- it has fallen 1.3 percent since its
peak last summer. The national unemployment rate is now below the
averages of the 1970s, the 1980s or 1990s. In the first quarter of the
year, the economy grew at a strong rate of 4.2 percent. And over the
last year, it's grown at a rate of 4.9 percent -- the fastest rate
since Ronald Reagan's first term in the White House. The home
ownership rate is now the highest ever. The inflation rate and
interest rates are low. Manufacturing activity is increasing. Real
incomes and real 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 cut program is working.
(Applause.)
Not surprisingly, the American people are using their money far
better than 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 within his first 100 days in office.
That isn't surprising when you consider his record. Over the years,
Senator Kerry has voted over 350 times for higher taxes on the American
people -- including the biggest tax increase in our history. For the
sake of long-term growth and job creation, we ought to do exactly the
opposite of what Senator Kerry proposes. We must make the Bush tax
cuts permanent, and pursue spending discipline in Washington, D.C.
Under the leadership of President Bush, and with the help of
principled legislators like Max, this nation is going to continue
moving forward with an aggressive, pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda.
We start with a clear understanding of the role of government. We
know that America's $10 trillion economy is sustained by the free
enterprise system, and by the hard work of the nation's entrepreneurs
and workers. Government spends a lot of money, but it doesn't build
factories, or meet company payrolls, or do all the work that makes the
economy go. The federal government's job is not to manage or control
the economy, but to remove obstacles standing in the way of faster
growth. (Applause.) The key to more jobs is not more government, but
free enterprise, low taxes, and spending discipline in Washington,
D.C.
Our nation needs legal reform, to protect small business owners and
employees from frivolous lawsuits and needless regulation. We need to
control the costs of health care by passing medical liability reform.
Here in Georgia and across the nation, good doctors should be able to
spend their time healing patients, not fighting off frivolous
lawsuits. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
(Applause.)
And we need to pass sound energy legislation, to modernize our
electricity system, and to make America less dependent on foreign
sources of energy.
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 put forward talented, experienced men
and women who represent the mainstream of American law and American
values. Yet most Senate Democrats have taken to waging filibusters,
denying up-or-down votes for months, and even years. That's unfair to
judicial nominees, and an abuse of the constitutional process. Every
nominee deserves a prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. And
that's another reason we need to send more people like Saxby Chambliss
and Zell Miller 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 American people. Max has been a valuable partner on
these issues. And over the next four years, he's going to help us
achieve even greater goals.
President Bush has a clear vision for the future of our 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 opportunity 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 all share. It's an honor to be here to help Max's energetic,
optimistic campaign. He's going to win a second term as your
congressman this November, and President Bush and I look forward to
working with him for a good many years to come.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 1:00 P.M. EDT
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