For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 30, 2004
President's Remarks in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
3:32 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. I appreciate you coming. Sit
down if you've got a chair. (Applause.) I'm proud you're here; thanks
for inviting me. (Applause.) You can't come to Grand Rapids and not
think about a great President, Gerald Ford. (Applause.) What a decent
man. What an honorable citizen. And what a great example for
Presidents. (Applause.)
I appreciate you coming out for our Heart and Soul of America
tour. This is going to be a great campaign; I'm looking forward to
it. And there is going to be big differences. We'll have differences
over taxes, how to keep the peace. And there seems to be a difference
over the heart and soul of America. My opponents think you can find it
in Hollywood. I think you find it right here in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. (Applause.)
I'm excited about traveling the country. I was in Springfield,
Missouri earlier. I'm going to Cleveland, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; on to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tomorrow. I like traveling. I like being
with people. The crowds are big. The enthusiasm is high. And with
your help, Dick Cheney and I will serve this nation for four more
years. (Applause.)
Speaking about my friend, Dick Cheney, I admit, he's not the
prettiest face in the race. (Laughter.) But I picked him because he's
steady and strong and reliable. He's got good judgment. Dick Cheney
is a great Vice President. (Applause.)
And speaking about really fine people, I am sorry that Laura is not
here.
THE AUDIENCE: Awww!
THE PRESIDENT: I know. (Laughter.) Most people feel that way.
They wish she were speaking and I stayed at home. (Laughter.) But I'm
really proud of her. She is a great lady, a fantastic First Lady.
(Applause.) I'm going to give you some reasons why I think you need to
put me back in office, but perhaps the most important reason of all is
so that Laura will be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I want to thank Juan Olivariz, for his leadership of this very
important institution. I appreciate a fellow Tejano serving the
community of Grand Rapids -- that means a fellow Texan. (Laughter.) I
appreciate his warm words of introduction. Gracias, amigo.
(Applause.)
I appreciate Hoekstra -- Peter Hoekstra for his service in the
United States Congress. I'm proud to call him friend. (Applause.)
And I appreciate my friend Vern Ehlers' service to the people of
Michigan in the United States Congress, as well. (Applause.) I'm
honored that Terri Lynn Land, and Mike Cox, and Ken Sikkema are with us
today. I've gotten to know these good souls during my trips here in
Michigan. And they represent the state well. I appreciate Speaker
Rick Johnson joining us, as well; State Senator Bill Hardiman. I'm
honored that these good citizens have decided to serve the people of
the communities in the great state of Michigan. I thank them for the
hard work they have done and are going to do to make sure we carry the
state of Michigan this time. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend Betsy DeVos, and Chuck Yob, and Holly
Hughes, and the ambassador, Peter Secchia. (Applause.) I want to --
does it strike anybody funny, Ambassador Secchia? No? (Laughter.) We
love him in our family.
I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here. I
appreciate your willingness to work in the political process. I
encourage you to get people to register to vote. Make sure people go
to vote on Election Day. We have a duty in our society -- in our
democratic system, we have a duty to participate. And I want to thank
you for getting people to participate. And when you get them headed
into the polls, give them a little nudge our way. (Laughter and
applause.)
Every incumbent who asks for the vote has got to answer one central
question, and that's: Why. Why should the American people give me the
privilege -- the high privilege of serving as your President -- for
four more years. In the past few years we've been through a lot
together, and we have accomplished a great deal. (Applause.) But
there's only one reason to look backward at the record, and that is to
determine who will lead the nation forward, who can do the job for the
American people. I'm asking for your vote because so much is at
stake. We have much more to do to move this country forward.
(Applause.)
I want to be your President for four more years to make our country
safer, to make our economy stronger, to make the future better and
brighter for every single citizen who lives in this ct. (Applause.)
From creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to
protecting our homeland, we've made much progress, and I'm here to tell
you, we have got more to do. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
excellence we know they can be so that no child is left behind in this
country. When we came to office three-and-a- half years ago, too many
children were being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year,
without learning the basics. So we've challenged the soft bigotry of
low expectations. We're setting high standards. We're focusing on
results. We're insisting on accountability. We're empowering
parents. And we're making sure local folks are in charge of their own
public schools. And today, children across America are showing real
progress in reading and math. When it comes to improving America's
public schools, we are turning the corner and we are not turning back.
(Applause.)
We have more to do. This world of ours is changing. Jobs of the
future will require greater knowledge and higher skill levels. We must
reform our high schools to make sure a high school diploma means
something. (Applause.) We will expand math and science education so
young people can compete in a high-tech world. We will expand the use
of the Internet to bring high-level training into classrooms. With
four more years, we will help a rising generation gain the skills and
confidence to achieve the American Dream. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make quality health care available and
affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans could not
afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders
in both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
years. We got it done. (Applause.) Already, more than 4 million
seniors have signed up for drug discount cards that provide real
savings. And beginning in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able
to choose a plan that suits their needs and gives them coverage for
prescription drugs.
We've expanded community health centers for low income Americans.
We've created health savings accounts so families can save tax-free for
their own health care needs. (Applause.) When it comes to giving
Americans more choices about their own health care and making health
care more affordable, we are turning the corner and we're not turning
back. (Applause.)
Most Americans get their health coverage through their work. But
today's new jobs are created by small businesses, which too often
cannot afford to provide health coverage. To help more American
families get health insurance, we must allow small employers to join
together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big
corporations. (Applause.)
To improve health care, we must limit the frivolous lawsuits that
raise health care costs and drive doctors out of medicine.
(Applause.) We will do more to harness technology to reduce costs and
prevent health care mistakes. We will do more to expand research and
seek new cures for terrible diseases. And in all we do to improve
health care in America, we will make sure that health decisions are
made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
(Applause.)
We have more to do to make America's economy stronger. We've come
through a lot together. We've come through a recession and terrorist
attacks and corporate scandals. We overcame these obstacles, because
the hard work of the American people, because the entrepreneurial
spirit is strong, because people like our farmers and ranchers refuse
to buckle. We overcame these obstacles, as well, because of two
well-timed tax cuts. (Applause.) We didn't -- when we provided tax
relief, we didn't try to pick winners or losers. We didn't play
politics. We did it the fair way. We provided tax relief to every
American who pays taxes. (Applause.) For families with children, for
married couples, for small businesses -- and this time, the check was
really in the mail. (Applause.)
Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
as fast as any in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) Because we acted,
America has added more than 1.5 million new jobs since last August.
(Applause.) We still face serious challenges -- especially in places
like western Michigan, where the slow-down hit hard. I understand
that. That's why I'm going to keep working to help all sectors of our
economy recover. We will not rest until every American who wants to
work can find a job. (Applause.)
The cornerstone of our tax relief plan was help for small
businesses. Most new jobs in America are created by entrepreneurs in
small businesses. Today, I met Bob Roth again. He runs a
manufacturing company. He told me that business in this part of the
country is turning around, that people are beginning to add jobs. As a
matter of fact, his small business hired nine workers in the past
year. He tells me the reason why is because he is confident about what
tax relief means. He says, we'll take fair advantage of any relief
that is possible; it helps us feel more confident about investing. The
small business sector of the country is leading the growth for new jobs
in America. (Applause.)
We can do more to make America more job friendly and America's
workplaces more family friendly. To keep American jobs in America,
regulations must be minimal, reasonable and fair. To keep American
jobs here, we must lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
(Applause.) To keep American jobs here, we must end the junk lawsuits
that hurt small businesses. (Applause.) To keep American jobs in
America, we will not overspend your money, and we will keep your taxes
low. (Applause.)
I met Audra and Brian van Haren. They're here today. These good
folks saved about $2,500 on their taxes in 2003 and they're going to
save another $2,500 on their taxes in 2004. That's what the tax relief
provided. It's their own money to begin with, by the way. (Applause.)
It's not like -- we're not passing the government's out. (Applause.)
These people worked hard for that money. They can spend it better than
the government can spend their money. (Applause.) Some of the tax
relief is set to expire, which means they'll have to pay $1,100 more in
taxes next year. Now is not the time to be raising taxes on the
working people of this country. (Applause.)
Over the next four years, we'll offer American workers a lifetime
of learning and help them get training for the jobs of the future at
places like our community colleges. (Applause.) The education and
training community colleges offer can be the bridge between people's
lives as they are, and people's lives as they want them to be.
Today, I met Sarah Soles. She used to work as a part-time
receptionist at a doc's office. She went back to a community college
program. She's now a nurse. She makes more money at steady employment
because she found time to get more training, and to get a new degree.
The community college system of America is vital in making sure America
is a competitive place in the world. (Applause.)
To make sure we continue to grow our economy and people can find
work, we will insist on a level playing field when it comes to trade.
This country can compete with anybody, any time, anywhere with free and
fair trade. (Applause.) And we will help American families keep more
of something they never have enough of, and that's time -- time to play
with the kids, time to go to the little league game, time to take care
of their parents, or to go to class to improve themselves. I believe
that Congress must enact comp-time and flex-time to help America's
families better juggle the demands of work and home. (Applause.)
After four more years, our nation will have more small businesses.
The entrepreneurial spirit will be strong. There will be greater
opportunity, and better and higher wages for the American workers.
(Applause.)
We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror.
America's future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If
America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will
drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: The world changed on a terrible September morning.
And since that day, we have changed the world. Before September the
11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of al Qaeda, which trained
and deployed thousands of killers to set up terrorist cells in dozens
of countries, including our own. Today, Afghanistan is a rising
democracy, an ally in the war on terror, a place where many young girls
now go to school for the first time, and America and the world are
safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
terrorists. Today, Pakistani forces are aggressively helping to round
up the terrorists. They're an ally in the war on terror, and America
and the world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising
money and recruiting and operating with little opposition. Today, the
Saudi government has taken the fight to al Qaeda, and America and the
world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies
have sent a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has abandoned
his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and America and the world
are safer for it. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, the rule of Iraq was a sworn enemy of
America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American
pilots who were enforcing the world's sanctions. He had pursued and
used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He harbored
terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of
suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens.
He was a source of great instability in the world's most volatile
region. He was a threat.
After September the 11th, we had to look at threats in a new
light. The lesson of September the 11th was we must take threats
seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
The September the 11th Commission concluded that our institutions
of government had failed to imagine the horror of that day. After
September the 11th, we could not fail to imagine that a brutal tyrant
who hated America, had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass
destruction might use those weapons or share his deadly capabilities
with the terrorists. We saw a threat. We looked at the intelligence
and saw a threat. The United States Congress, members of both
political parties -- including my opponent -- looked at the
intelligence and they saw a threat. (Applause.)
The United Nations looked at the intelligence and it saw a threat
and unanimously demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons
programs or he will face serious consequences. After 12 years of
defiance, he again refused to comply. When he continued to deceive the
weapons inspectors, I had a decision to make: forget the lessons of
September the 11th and trust a madman, or defend the United States of
America. Given that choice, I will defend our country every time.
(Applause.)
Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell. America and the world are
safer. (Applause.)
When it comes to fighting the threats of our world and spreading
peace, we're turning the corner and we're not turning back.
(Applause.) We have more to do. We will continue to work with friends
and allies around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorist enemy
and the foreign fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. See,
you can't talk sense to them. You cannot negotiate with the
terrorists. They're cold-blooded killers. We must engage the enemy so
we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
We will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help us defeat terror.
There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations
involved in Iraq. I'll continue to build alliances and work with our
friends for the cause of security and peace, but I will never turn
America's national security decisions over to leaders of other
nations. (Applause.)
We will keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
peaceful democratic societies. These two nations are now governed by
strong leaders, people committed to freedom. People in Afghanistan and
Iraq are stepping up for their own security. They're willing to step
up and to fight those who want to stop the advance of a free society.
You know why? Because they want their children to grow up in a
peaceful world. (Applause.) Moms and dads in Iraq and Afghanistan
have great hopes for their children. They want them to be educated.
They want them to realize their dreams. The people of those countries,
the freedom-lovers in those two countries can count on continued help
from America and our coalition.
You see, when we acted to protect our own security, we promised to
help deliver them from tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, and to
set them on the path to liberty. And when America gives its word,
America keeps its word. (Applause.)
In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men
and women of our military. At bases across the country and the world,
I've had the privilege of meeting with those who defend our country and
sacrifice for our security. I've seen their great decency and their
unselfish courage. Ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in
really good hands. (Applause.)
And we must make sure they have the full support of the federal
government. And that's why last September while our troops were in
combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to
support our military in their missions. The legislation provided
funding for body armor, and vital equipment, for hazard pay, for health
benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare parts. In the Senate, only a
very small -- what I would call out of the mainstream minority of 12
Senators voted against the legislation. Two of those 12 senators are
my opponent and his running mate. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Senator Kerry tried to explain his vote by saying
this, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against
it." (Laughter.) End quote. (Laughter.) He's had different
explanations since then. He said that he was proud that he and his
running mate voted against the funding, then he further said: the
whole thing is a complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing
"complicated" about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force, alone.
We will work to change the conditions that give rise to terror:
poverty and hopelessness and resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq, a
free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a
neighborhood that is desperate for freedom. (Applause.) Free
countries do not export terror. Free countries are peaceful
countries. Free countries do not stifle the dreams of their citizens
by serving the ideal of liberty. We're bringing hope to others and
that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're
living out the ideals of this country. America knows that freedom is
not our gift to the world, freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
man and woman in this world. (Applause.)
We are turning the corner toward a more peaceful world that we long
for, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
We have more to do to protect our country. Enemies who hate us are
still plotting to harm us; this is still a dangerous time. I agree
with the conclusion of the September the 11th Commission, our homeland
is safer, but we're not yet safe. We've started the hard process of
reform. We've transformed our defenses, we're creating a new
Department -- we have created a new Department of Homeland Security.
We passed the Patriot Act, to give law enforcement tools needed to
track and bring terrorists to justice. (Applause.) The mission of the
FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism. We've integrated
intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever have before. When
it comes to better protecting America, we're turning the corner, and
we're not turning back. (Applause.)
There's more to do to better secure our ports and borders, to train
first responders to dramatically improve our intelligence gathering
capabilities. Reform won't be easy; it never is in Washington. See,
achieving it requires taking on the entrenched interests in challenging
the status quo. It's not enough to advocate reform -- you have to be
able to get it done --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: -- because when it comes to reforming schools to
provide an excellent education for all our children, results matter.
When it comes to health care reforms to give families more access and
more choices, results matter. When it comes to improving our economy
and creating quality jobs, results matter. When it comes to better
securing the homeland and fighting the forces of terror, results
matter. When it comes to choosing a President, results matter.
(Applause.)
This week, members of the other political party gathered in
Boston. There was a lot of clever speeches, and some big promises.
Listen, my opponent has got good intentions, but intentions don't
always translate to results. After 19 years in the U.S. Senate, my
opponent has thousands of votes, but few signature achievements.
During eight years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, he voted to
cut the intelligence budget. Yet, he had no record of reforming
America's intelligence gathering capability. He's had no significant
record for reforming education or health care. In fact, he and his
running mate consistently opposed reforms that limit the power of
Washington, reforms that would leave more power in the hands of the
people.
My opponent has spent 20 years in the federal government, and it
appears he's concluded it's not big enough. (Laughter.) He's proposed
more than $2 trillion of additional spending, and we're just getting
started. The problem is, he hasn't told us how he plans to pay for
it. But you know how. You can I can guess. It's an educated guess.
After all, he's had a history of voting to raise taxes. But we're
going to make it clear to him that raising taxes to fulfill all his big
promises will be the wrong medicine for America's improving economy.
(Applause.)
We have a difference of opinion. They share the old Washington
mind set: They will give the orders, and you will pay the bills. But
we're turned a corner, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
This is a time of amazing change. It's an exciting period of
time. In our parents' generation moms usually stayed at home while
fathers worked for one company until retirement. The company provided
health care and training and a pension. Many of our government
programs and most basic systems -- from health care, to Social
Security, to the tax code -- were set up based on those old
assumptions.
Yet, our world today is different. Workers change jobs and careers
frequently. Oftentimes, both parents work. Many times there's a
single mom struggling to get ahead. Most new jobs are created by the
small businesses that cannot afford to provide health care, or pension
or training. It is time to make the government work for America's
families. America's workers need their own health accounts that they
can carry with them from job to job. (Applause.) American workers
need pensions and retirement plans that they own, that they control,
that they can pass from one generation to the next. (Applause.)
These reforms that make sure Americans stand on the side of
families and workers are based on this basic conviction: The role of
government is not to control or dominate the lives of our citizens; the
role of government is to help our citizens gain the time and tools to
make their own choices and improve their own lives. (Applause.)
And that's why I'm working to usher in a new era of ownership and
opportunity in America. We want more people owning their own homes.
We want more people owning their own small business. We want more
people owning a piece of their retirement plans. We want people owning
and managing their own health care accounts. When people own
something, they have a vital stake in the future of this great land.
(Applause.)
Our belief in liberty and opportunity and the non-negotiable
demands of human dignity are things that will never change in a rapidly
changing world. In this changing world there are just some things that
will not change: The values we try to live by -- courage and
compassion and reverence and integrity; the institutions that give us
direction and purpose -- our families, and our schools, and our
religious congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental
to our lives and to our future. And they deserve the respect of
government. (Applause.)
We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
foundations of our society. (Applause.) We stand for a culture of
life in which every person matters, and every person counts.
(Applause.) We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the law,
instead of legislating from the bench. (Applause.)
We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Our culture
is changing from one that has said, if it feels good do it, and, if you
got a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in which each of us
understands we're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
(Applause.) If you're a mom or a dad, you're responsible for loving
your child with all your heart and all your soul. (Applause.) If
you're worried about the quality of the education in the community in
which you live, you're responsible for doing something about it.
(Applause.) If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're responsible
for telling the truth to your shareholders and your employees.
(Applause.) And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible
for loving our neighbor, just like we'd like to be loved ourselves.
(Applause.)
The strength of this country is not our government. The strength
of this country is the heart and souls of the American people. That's
the true strength of America. (Applause.)
Today, I had the honor of saying hello to Dr. Peggy Curry. She's
the executive director of Grand Rapids Reach. The reason I bring her
up is one of the most important initiatives over the next four years
will be continue to expand the faith-based program, to have government
stand on the side of faith programs, not against faith programs.
(Applause.)
Dr. Curry's program distributes food to senior citizens. It
mentors. There's after-school programs. There's Christian outreach.
See, it's a program that understands that when you help a person change
their heart, you can help change their lives. (Applause.) For those
of you who are soldiers in the army of compassion here in Grand Rapids
and western Michigan, thank you for your service. Thank you for
helping change America one heart, one soul at a time. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart.
There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected
of its leaders. These aren't one of those times. This is a period
where we need resolve, firm resolve and clear vision. None of us will
ever forget that week when one era ended and another began. On
September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers.
It's a day that I will never forget. There were workers in hard hats
yelling at me, "Whatever it takes." I remember a guy grabbing my arm,
a firefighter or policeman, I don't know which one, he had tears in his
eyes and he looked at me and said, "Do not let me down." (Applause.)
As we all did that day, these men and women searching through the
rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I have a
responsibility that goes on. I wake up every morning thinking about
how to better protect our country. I will never relent in bringing
justice to our enemies, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
We have come through much together. We've done a lot of hard work
together. We're turning the corner. We're moving America forward by
extending freedom and peace around the world, and we're moving our
country forward by expanding opportunity to every corner of this great
land.
During the next four years, we will spread ownership and
opportunity so every single citizen has a shot at realizing the great
dream of this fantastic country. (Applause.) We will pass the
enduring values of our country to another generation. We will
prevail. With your support and your prayers, I will be a leader
America can count on in a time of great change. (Applause.)
Four years ago, as I traveled this great country and came to places
like Grand Rapids, Michigan, asking for the vote, I made a pledge to my
fellow Americans, that if you honored me with this great
responsibility, I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office
to which I had been elected, so help me, God. (Applause.) And with
your help, I will do so for four more years.
Thank you all. God bless you all. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 4:23 P.M. EDT
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