For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 28, 2002
President's Remarks at Connie Morella Luncheon
Remarks by the President at Friends of Connie Morella for Congress Luncheon
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, D.C.
12:04 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: I hate to disagree with our distinguished honoree,
but the reason people are here, Connie, is because they love you, they
trust you and, like me, want you reelected to the United States
Congress. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much the Morella boys for being here. That,
of course, is Tony, the husband, Mark the son, and Michael the grandson
who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. (Applause.)
It's good to be here with the Morellas. It's clear that they love
each other, they value their family, they understand that in family you
can find strength of purpose and love and compassion and comfort. And
I want to thank the Morella men for allowing Connie to serve our nation
and encouraging her to serve our nation. She makes an important
contribution and, therefore, you do as well.
I regret that my wife wasn't here today. But I want you to know
she's doing fine. I can't tell you how proud I am of the First Lady.
(Applause.) She really wasn't interested in politics when I asked her
to marry me and, frankly didn't care for politicians, if the truth be
known. (Laughter.) But now the people of the country are figuring out
why I asked her to marry me. She's calm and steady and a gracious
lady. A lot of people wonder why she said "yes." (Laughter.)
But we're doing great. Many of you have said -- some of you have
said you pray for me and my family. It is the greatest gift you can
give a President and his family and, for that, I'm grateful.
(Applause.)
I appreciate Governor Ehrlich being here today as well.
(Applause.) I meant Congressman Ehrlich. I thank Congressman
Gilchrest, Wayne Gilchrest -- there you are, Wayne -- thanks for
coming. I appreciate you being here. (Applause.)
So here's what I like about Connie: she speaks clearly. After
all, she was an English professor. (Laughter.) A lot of people think
I probably need to spend a little quality time with her. (Laughter and
applause.)
But she's an independent soul. She's a highly intellectual person
who is with you if she thinks you're right, and is gracious enough to
explain to you when she thinks she's wrong -- when you're wrong. And
I respect that a lot. And I hope the people of this district respect
that about Connie. She's an incredibly thoughtful soul, with a big
heart, who cares deeply for the constituents she represents, and loves
her country, too.
You know, I like to tell people, when you find somebody who's good
and decent and honorable, you have a civic duty to make sure that that
person remains in the halls of Congress. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much her focus on homeland defense, and so
should you. I mean, the defense of our homeland is an incredibly
important part of the national life these days. And after all, Connie
represents the National Institutes of Health -- and does it well, I
might add. She understands the important role that the National
Institutes of Health can play in fighting off bioterrorism, preparing
response for our nation. She's an advocate of doing what is right in
the budget for the National Institutes of Health. For no other reason,
people ought to send her back, because she's got a clear vision of the
importance of research for our country.
But as well, she worked hard right after September the 11th to
secure emergency funding for the Montgomery County's local police
forces and emergency response teams, those who worked so hard to help
rescue and repair lives in the wake of that tragedy.
As you know, I've asked the Congress to think boldly about how best
to protect the homeland. I mean, after all, we've got 100 different
agencies involved with homeland defense. They're scattered all over
Washington. And it seems like to me that we ought to align authority
and responsibility under one Cabinet office, so that we can affect the
culture of the agencies that protect the homeland, as well as make sure
that we can affect the results.
And fortunately, Connie understands that. And she is on the House
Science and Government Reform Committees, two important committees that
will be dealing with this important initiative.
I have been pleased with the response so far out of Congress. Both
Republicans and Democrats alike understand that defending the homeland
is not a partisan issue. It has nothing to do with political parties;
it has everything to do with doing what's right for the American
people. (Applause.)
And the good news is, Connie understands that for the good of the
country, some are going to have to give up what they call "turf." You
know, some people are going to have to say, well, this -- I no longer
have oversight on this jurisdiction, and that's going to be hard and
it's going to be difficult for some members of the Senate and the
House, and I understand that.
But fortunately, we've got allies who understand the nation comes
first, and that leaving behind a legacy that will make it easier for
future administrations and future Congress to deal with the true
threats that face this country is more important than turf, and I want
to appreciate Connie Morella's leadership on this issue. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much her strong commitment to Medicare and
seniors who rely upon Medicare, and the need for us to have
prescription drugs in Medicare. As well, I appreciate her strong
commitment to making sure that we fulfill the promise of Social
Security.
As well, I love her passion for education. We worked closely on an
education bill that I'm convinced will make a significant difference in
the lives of thousands of our fellow citizens. I mean, this was a good
piece of legislation. After all, it had to be pretty good, since
Senator Edward Kennedy and I traveled around the country signing the
bill. (Laughter and applause.)
I know people in the Crawford coffee shop are wondering, what the
heck's he doing? That guy gets up there and -- must've drank the
water or something. (Laughter.) But nevertheless, it's a good piece
of legislation, and Connie poured her heart and soul into making sure
it's good.
Let me explain it right quick. It says we ought to have high
standards for every child in America -- not just a few children, not
just children from one demographic group, but every child. We ought to
believe in our heart that every child can learn.
She understands, and I understand, that if you set low standards,
you're going to get lousy results. If you believe certain children
can't learn, guess what's going to happen? Certain children won't
learn. And so we started kind of trying to change the mentality of
public education by insisting on the fact that every child can learn.
And then we said something unique. We said, if you receive federal
money, you've got to measure to see whether or not the children are
learning. See, if you've got high standards and high expectations, you
want to know. If you've got low standards and low expectations, you
don't care.
But if you've got high standards, you want to know. And so for the
first time, the federal government says, the State of Maryland, you get
to measure to show us whether or not children are reading and writing
and adding and subtracting. And you see, if they are, then we'll
praise the teachers, and praise the plans, and herald the curriculum
that's working. But if not, we expect something else to happen. We
expect there to be a change. We expect for people to say, wait a
minute, this is unsatisfactory to allow certain children to learn and
other children not to learn.
You see, the idea of measuring and holding people accountable is to
save lives, it's to enforce this belief that every child can learn.
It's to make sure we have the highest of high standards.
And, finally, in the bill, we say we trust the people of Maryland
to chart the path to excellence. We understand that trying to run the
public schools out of Washington isn't going to work. We believe in
local control of schools. (Applause.) And I appreciate Connie's
commitment to education reform.
And, finally, she has been a champion of the strong economy. We
need to make sure that above all else here domestically, people can
find work. You know, this is a town where people love to talk about
statistics. Here's my attitude about the work force: if somebody's
looking for work, who wants to work and can't find work, we've got a
problem. We've got to continue to work to expand the job base.
I appreciate the members of Congress here who supported the tax
relief plan last year. It made sense to let people keep their own
money because when people keep their own money, they get to spend their
own money. (Applause.) And we'll continue to work to open up markets
for products manufactured right here in Connie's district, so that we
can sell overseas.
You see, fearful people build walls around America. Confident
people open -- tear them down, and open up markets. And I'm
confident that the entrepreneurs in the state of Maryland and all
across the country can compete if given a level playing field. And
Connie understands that, and I want to -- I appreciate her support
for trade measures that the Congress has been working on.
I'm a little concerned about -- I'm not concerned about the
fundamentals of our economy; I think they're very strong. I think
we've got the right fiscal policy in place, the right monetary policy,
seems like it's good. People are concerned, however, about whether or
not the balance sheets of corporate America are open, whether or not
the numbers are real.
Let me tell you how strongly I feel about this. I believe if
somebody is running a corporation, if somebody has got responsibilities
to shareholders and employees, they have the responsibility to be
aboveboard at all times, to be frank and honest with all numbers.
(Applause.)
We can have all kinds of rules, and we will. I laid out some
initiatives in March of this year that will hold people accountable.
And our Justice Department will hold people accountable. But corporate
America has got to understand there's a higher calling than trying to
fudge the numbers, trying to slip a billion here or a billion there and
may hope nobody notices -- that you have a responsibility in this
country to always be aboveboard.
We expect high standards in our schools, we expect high standards
in corporate America as well. And I intend to enforce the law to make
sure that there are high standards. (Applause.)
It is important for our fellow citizens to understand that the
foundation for economic growth is strong in America, that our free
enterprise system is strong, vibrant, that there's a lot of
entrepreneurship that takes place across the country. And it's
important for our fellow citizens to understand that, by far, the vast
majority of our leaders in the business community are honest and
upright people. That's important for them to hear. Just as important
for them to hear when we catch people doing wrong, there will be
consequences for those who have done wrong.
So I feel good about our work on the economy. But we won't tire
until we kind of boost the confidence of the country and, at the same
time, work to continue to expand the job base so people can find work.
And Connie Morella has been an advocate for this kind of approach, and
I appreciate her leadership in the Congress. (Applause.)
One issue that affects our economy besides the competence and
corporate profits, which are improving, is also the American people and
the investors are worried about another attack on America. And as you
know, we're doing everything we can here at home to button up the
homeland.
Connie Morella's a huge supporter of the federal workers, those who
work hard to help America. And I've got to tell you, people are
working overtime on behalf of our citizens. I'm proud of the effort
people put in. Listen, we're running down every hint. If we get any
kind of hint that somebody's thinking about doing something to this
country, we're on it -- "we" being hard-working federal employees like
the FBI. People analyze data; there's a lot of people in this town who
spend a lot of time on the -- now the number one mission of the
country, which is to protect our homeland. And I'm proud of their
efforts.
But the surest way to protect the homeland, the best way to make
sure that America is safe and secure, is to hunt the killers down one
by one and bring them to justice, which is precisely what we're going
to do. (Applause.)
And we're after them. We're after them. Sometimes you might not
know it. After all, this is a different kind of war. This war doesn't
have the old troop movements of the past, where you could watch lines
of infantry march here or squadrons of airplanes fly there. We're
facing a shadowy bunch of killers -- and that's all they are,
cold-blooded killers who hide in caves and send youngsters to their
death; who meld into big cities, you know, hide in the buildings hoping
nobody knows they're there.
And so it takes a while to achieve the battlefield victories,
because we've got to change our mind set about what it means to achieve
a battlefield victory. Battlefield victories come one person at a time
in this war.
So I'm pleased to report, as I did the other day when I spoke to
the nation, that we've got about 2,400 of them so far. These are
hardcore killers and their supporters and money raisers -- part of
their army. And it's not just America; it's our friends and allies who
are -- like the courageous leader of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo,
who we believe brought to justice the guy who was running this Abu
Sayyaf group who managed to kidnap at least two Americans, the
Burnhams, and the husband died unfortunately on the rescue attempt.
But these people need to be got and we've got our friends and allies
getting them. And that's what we're going to spend our time doing in
this administration.
We made great progress in Afghanistan, obviously. I mean, we've
still got a lot of work there, no question about it, because we want to
leave behind a legacy of -- that's safe and stable and secure. And
there's still a lot of people there kind of in caves and moving around
that eventually we're going to bring to justice.
But you've got to tell your sons and daughters that this great
nation went into that country not as conquerors, but as liberators.
(Applause.)
In the midst of all the talk about war, it's important to reassure
our youngsters that we don't seek revenge; we seek justice. And that
this compassionate nation want to help people. That we believe in
freedom. When people attack our freedoms, we'll respond. I don't know
what got into the minds of the enemy. They must have thought we were
so self-absorbed and materialistic that, after September the 11th, all
we might do is file a lawsuit or two. They don't understand the
character of this nation, and how much we love freedom. And when it
comes to our freedoms, we will spend the time necessary to defend our
freedoms.
And that's why I've submitted to Congress a significant increase in
the defense spending, because I want our troops to have the best pay,
the best equipment, the best training possible, and I want to send a
message to the world that America is in this fight for freedom for the
long pull. (Applause.)
And the House of Representatives passed the defense appropriations
bill overwhelmingly, and I want to thank both Republicans and Democrats
for voting on that bill. And I expect the Senate to get the defense
appropriations bill to my desk quickly, for the good of our planning
for this war, for the good of understanding what money is going to be
available. Instead of playing politics with the defense appropriations
bill, they need to do what the House did and get it passed in a
bipartisan fashion so I can sign it as quickly as possible.
(Applause.)
We're making great progress. Like the American people, I'm a
patient man. And we're deliberate. I think the American people fully
understand the new -- the nature of this war.
I believe history has called us into action. I mean, I believe
history has shined the spotlight on this country, and people are
wondering, are we going to blink? Or are we going to lead? That's
what they're wondering. And there's only one course, and that's lead
toward freedom.
There are some true threats that face us, beyond, obviously, this
al Qaeda network. And you've heard me speak about them. I believe,
for the sake of our children's future, we've got to deal with, and be
realistic about, these countries which develop, harbor the desire to
develop weapons of mass destruction.
You see, we cannot let America and our friends and allies become
blackmailed by the world's worst leaders who harbor the world's worst
weapons. And so for the sake of our future, you just need to know that
we'll use every tool at our disposal -- every tool at our disposal
-- to make sure that our children can grow up in a free world.
(Applause.)
Now, we've been given a chance to show the world what we're made
out of, and we are. This is a fantastic nation. And I believe that
out of the evil done to America will come some incredible good. It's
hard for people to probably realize that, but I believe it. I believe
we can achieve peace. I believe that if America is tough, and firm,
and resolved, we can achieve peace. We can achieve peace if we speak
clearly; no doubt of where we stand. We can achieve peace in parts of
the world where people have no hope for peace, where people might have
given up.
No, I believe out of the evil done to America can come some
incredible good. Not only abroad, but I believe here at home, too. I
believe here at home. This country is so compassionate and decent and
kind, that out of the evil done to us can come some incredible good.
We've got to understand in this country, in this land of plenty,
there are pockets of despair and hopelessness and addiction. There are
people who say, this American Dream has absolutely nothing to do with
me. And that bothers me, and it bothers Connie, too.
But you know what I know? I know that our society can change one
heart, one soul, one conscience at a time. And I know there are
thousands and millions of Americans who understand that to fight evil,
you can do some good by loving your neighbor just like you'd like to be
loved yourself.
And it doesn't take much. It doesn't take much. It doesn't take
much to be tolerant to your neighbor, it doesn't take much to mentor a
child, or to go into a shut-in's house and say, I love you; to deliver
food out of your church or your mosque or your synagogue. It doesn't
take much.
It takes a commitment to something greater than yourself, is all it
takes. It takes a desire to serve your nation not only as a patriot
who is willing to put his hand over his heart on the Pledge of
Allegiance, but understands that patriotism is serving that person in
need. And that's happening in America.
You watch. Out of the evil done to America will come some
incredible good in this country. And you know why? Because we are the
greatest nation on the face of the earth. And it is my honor to be
your President. And it's Connie's honor to be representing Maryland in
the United States Congress.
Thanks for coming, and God bless you all. (Applause.)
END 12:27 P.M. EDT
|