For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 17, 2004
President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Luncheon
Grand Hyatt Washington
Washington, D.C.
12:41 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I want to thank you all
for coming. Thanks for being here. Al, thanks for your hard work. I
appreciate your gathering up a little help here, as we're coming down
the stretch. (Laughter.)
I feel great about the election. I want to thank you for your
help. We're making good progress. (Applause.) I want to thank you
all here. I know we've got a lot of Latinos here. Gracias por su
apoyo.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: S. (Applause.) Vamos a ganar, con su apoyo. Thank
you all for coming.
You know, Laura and I are traveling our country a lot. And it's
exciting to get out amongst the people; it really is, I'm enjoying it.
The crowds are big. The enthusiasm is high. Came off a bus trip in
Minnesota yesterday, which was very successful; heading down to North
Carolina today. (Applause.) Yes. My energy level is high. My vision
is clear. And we're going to win. (Applause.)
So I said to Laura -- so when I asked Laura to marry me, she said,
fine, just so long as I don't have to give any political speeches.
(Laughter.) I said, okay, you won't have to give any. Fortunately, she
didn't hold me to the promise. (Laughter.) You know, in New York City
the people got to see Laura. You know, there's a lot of pressure on
and she gave a great speech. She's a compassionate, decent soul.
She's a wonderful mother, a great wife. I'm telling the people around
the country that the reason to put me back in is so Laura will have
four more years. (Laughter and applause.) I'm really proud of her.
She's in -- she's in West Virginia and South Carolina and Pennsylvania
today. So she sends her best.
Dick Cheney is doing a great job. I'm proud to be running with
him. I like to remind people that he doesn't have the waviest hair in
the race. (Laughter.) And then I tell them I didn't pick him because
of his hairdo. (Laughter.) I picked him because he's a man of great
judgment, sound experience, and a person getting the job done for the
American people. (Applause.)
I also want to thank Suzanne Lord. Al gets the credit, Suzanne
probably did all the work. But thank you. (Applause.) Thanks for
being here. I want to thank my friend, Mercer Reynolds, who is the
Victory 2004 National Finance Chairman. This is a Victory Committee
fundraiser. This is -- the money goes to help turn out the vote in key
states. It's really important. And Mercer has done a great job. He
was the finance chairman for Bush-Cheney, did such a fine job that we
deputized him to do the Victory Committee. And I appreciate my
friend's hard work.
I want to thank my friend, Raul Romero -- (applause) -- est,
Raul. All. It's good to see you, friend. Thanks for bringing so many
of your friends here. I'm honored to have your continued support.
Raul is a Tejano. I know him well from Texas. He's a good friend, and
you got to count on your friends in politics, you know. If you don't
have any friends you're not going anywhere in politics. (Laughter.)
And I, fortunately, have got a lot of friends -- many here in people
like Raul. I appreciate you coming. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Jim Langdon. He's a Texan, too. I
appreciate him being here, and his hard work. I want to thank Julie
Finley, Dick Hug and Lois, and Shelly Kamins and Lynne. Thank you all
for putting this good group together, and thank you all for coming.
I'm telling the people where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm
going to lead. That's what I'm doing, and will continue to do so. I
tell people that I believe every child can learn and every school must
teach. And I came to Washington to challenge what I call the soft
bigotry of low expectations. And we've done so, by raising the
standards in schools; by measuring early so we can solve problems
before it's too late; by spending extra federal money, but in return,
insisting upon results. And there is an achievement gap in America
that is narrowing, and we're not going to turn back to the old days of
public schools.
I tell people that I believe we have a moral responsibility to
provide good health care for our seniors. I came to Washington to fix
problems. We had a problem in Medicare -- medicine was modernizing,
Medicare wasn't. People say, what do you mean by that? Well, I'll
tell you what I mean. It means that we can pay $100,000 for heart
surgery, but not one dime for the prescription drugs that would prevent
the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. That didn't
make any sense. (Applause.) We have strengthened and modernized
Medicare, and we're not going to go back to the old days.
I tell people that I believe in the energy and innovation of
America's workers and farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs, and
that's why we unleashed the energy with large tax cuts. And they're
working. Our economy is -- (applause.) I remind people on the
campaign trail that we've been through a lot. The economy of our
country has been through a recession, we've been through corporate
scandals. That hurt, those corporate scandals hurt. It shook the
confidence of the investor class. It shook the confidence of the
consumers. I also tell them that we passed tough laws that now make it
abundantly clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the
boardrooms of America.
We've overcome the attacks. That attack of September the 11th cost
us about a million jobs in the three months after September the 11th.
I say we're overcoming it because our economy is growing at rates as
fast as any in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) We've added 1.7 million
new jobs since August of '03. The national unemployment rate is 5.4
percent, which is below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s.
(Applause.)
I tell the people that my most solemn duty is to protect the
American people, and that if America shows any uncertainty and weakness
in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. It's not going to
happen on my watch. (Applause.) I'm running with a compassionate
conservative philosophy that government should help people improve
their lives, not try to run their lives. And from what I hear and what
I see, the American people want a consistent, steady, principled
leader. And that's why with your help we're going to win. (Applause.)
I understand the world in which we live is changing. It's very
important for me to explain that to the American people, that we are
now part of a changing world and the role of government is to change
the fundamental systems of government to help people. The changing
world occurs because we've got women in the work place today. Fifty
years ago, women were at home. The changing world occurs because
people change jobs or careers often in a lifetime. Fifty years ago,
people only had one job and one career. And, yet, the fundamental
institutions of government -- our health care, our pension plans,
worker training programs or the tax code -- hasn't changed. They were
designed for the days of yesterday; I believe they need to be designed
for tomorrow. And so I will do so over the next four years.
(Applause.)
A hopeful society is one in which government systems help people
realize their dreams. A hopeful society is also one that has a growing
economy. It's an issue in this campaign, is who's got a vision to make
sure this economic recovery is sustained economic growth. In order to
make sure jobs are here in America, America must be the best place in
the world to do business. That means less regulations, it means tort
reform, legal reform for our small businesses -- and all businesses,
for that matter.
We need to get an energy plan to my desk. I proposed a
comprehensive energy plan to the United States Congress. It's stuck.
It's a plan that encourages conservation, encourages the use of
renewables like ethanol and biodiesel. It's got a very important
electricity title that modernizes the -- help modernize the electricity
grid. It says we'll explore for natural gas in environmentally
friendly ways and use coal technology -- clean coal technology so we
can use abundant resources at home. I'm telling the people if we want
jobs here, we must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
(Applause.)
In order to keep jobs here, we've got to have wise trade policy.
We open up our markets for goods from overseas, and it's good for the
consumers we do so. If you're a consumer for a product and you have
more choices, you're likely to get the product you want at a better
price and better quality. And what I'm telling the American people is
over the next four years I will continue to insist others treat us the
way we treat them. I will continue to remind China that they must open
up their markets to our products. And I say so because I know we can
compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are
fair. (Applause.)
To make sure the economy continues to grow, we'll be wise about how
we spend the money, the people's money. And to make sure the economy
grows, we've got to keep your taxes low. And taxes are an issue in
this campaign. My opponent has proposed at least $2.2 trillion in new
federal spending -- so far --(laughter) -- and we've still got the
month of October to go. (Laughter.) So they asked him, how are you
going to pay for it. He said, oh, it's simple, just tax the rich.
Well, first, you can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to pay for
$2.2 trillion in new spending. So there's a tax gap. And guess who's
going to get to fill the tax gap? You are, yes.
And, secondly, we've heard the rhetoric before, "tax the rich."
The rich hire lawyers and accountants so that the middle class gets
stuck with the bill. We're not going to let him tax anybody, because
we're going to win in November. (Applause.)
I'm serious about fixing the tax code. It's a complicated mess.
And I'm going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to make the
code more simple and more fair. In order to make sure jobs stay here,
and to make sure this economy grows, we need to spend less time filling
out tax forms, and more time in constructive work. And so I'm serious
about fixing this tax code. And the people want me to help fix the tax
code. (Applause.)
You know, one of the interesting challenges we face here in this
country during changing times is to make sure the workers have the
skill sets necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. You know,
I'm going down to North Carolina today, and I met textile workers who
lost their job, but who are able to go back to a community college and
gain the skills necessary to become employed in the health care sector,
for example. Because of some education, because they're able to
enhance their skills and enhance their productivity, they're able to
find higher-paying jobs in the jobs of the 21st century. So one of the
real challenges for us is to make sure that worker training programs
are relevant and actually fulfill the need of making -- of matching
skills with people who want to work.
And, as well, we've got to do something about our high schools,
because most new jobs in a changing world require two years of college,
yet only one in four of our students gets there, which means we better
have good remedial education, good intervention programs for at-risk
students in high school. We've got to make sure we emphasize math and
science. You know, as the No Child Left Behind Act gains steam and --
and over time we'll require a rigorous exam before graduation from high
school. See, by raising standards in high school and by increasing
Pell grants for low-and middle-income families, it will mean more
Americans are able to start their career with a college degree.
(Applause.)
Health care is an issue in this campaign. I see Vin Weber there --
he and I spent a little time yesterday in Minnesota, where I was
explaining our health care vision. It's a commonsense, practical plan
to make high-quality health care more affordable and more accessible.
And we have a difference in opinion in this campaign. I mean, it's a
clear difference on health care. My opponent wants government to
dictate -- government to dictate the health care decisions; I want you
to decide the health care decisions. (Applause.)
Here are some of the practical, commonsensical ideas that I'm
talking about on the campaign trail. More than half of the working
uninsured work for small businesses. Small businesses are having
trouble affording insurance. One reason why is because they're in the
marketplace alone. I think small businesses ought to be allowed to
pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can purchase
insurance at the rates big companies get to purchase insurance.
(Applause.) My opponent disagrees with that. Those are called
association health plans, and they make a lot of sense.
Another way to help people with their health insurance is to expand
health savings accounts, tax-free health savings accounts. These make a
lot of sense because it enables a patient and a doc to interface. It
lets a person control his own money. It means a person can take that
health savings account from one job to the next. Remember, people are
changing jobs and careers during the course of a lifetime here in
America today.
I've got a plan to help small businesses better afford health
savings accounts for their working uninsured. We're going to allow
low-income Americans to have a tax credit that they can apply to a
health savings account. Health savings accounts are a practical way of
helping reduce the cost of medicine and making sure people have got
insurance.
We're going to continue to expand community health centers. I think
they make sense, because community health centers are places where the
indigent and the poor can get primary care and preventative care
without having to go to an emergency room of a hospital. I told the
people when I was running we were going to renovate or expand 1,600
clinics. I'm meeting that goal. The goal in a second term is going to
be every poor county in America have a community health center.
(Applause.)
A big issue in the campaign is medical liability reform. People
are now beginning to understand what these junk lawsuits mean for their
health care. The junk lawsuits are running up the cost of health care,
and more and more citizens understand that. And junk lawsuits are
running good docs out of the practice of medicine. If the goal is to
make health care more available and affordable, this country needs
medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to the health care debate. My opponent's plan
is a massive, big government plan. And you can tell by the size of the
price tag it's massive and it's big. (Laughter.) They estimated the
cost of his health care plan to be $1.5 trillion. That's with a "T."
(Laughter.) And that's a lot, even for a senator from Massachusetts.
(Laughter and applause.)
He wants to expand Medicaid. By expanding Medicaid, you're
crowding out families from small businesses, from private health plans
in small businesses. In other words, you're moving people from the
private sector to the public sector. And what's wrong with that is
that all of a sudden you have government officials deciding what
coverage you get, and you have government officials deciding decisions
for you. His plan is the exact opposite of what we believe. We
believe when it comes to health care decisions, they ought to be made
by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats here in the nation's
capital. (Applause.)
I've spent a lot of time talking about ownership in the campaign.
I believe ownership helps bring stability in changing times. During my
administration, the home ownership rate is at an all-time high in
America. We want more people owning their own home. It's a fantastic
statistic. (Applause.)
We're working hard to make sure more Latinos own their own home,
and people from all walks of life own their own home. I can't think of
anything more important than promoting ownership throughout America. I
love the fact somebody opens up the door where they're living and says,
welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property. (Applause.)
And I think in order to make sure the retirement system, Social
Security works well for a younger generation, we've got to incorporate
ownership into Social Security. I tell the people where I go that if
you're on Social Security you don't have to worry about the government
fulfilling its promise. Now, I know there's going to be political
rhetoric trying to say something different than that, but it's not a
fact. Social Security trust is solvent when it comes to those who've
retired.
Finally -- frankly, the Social Security trust is in pretty good
shape for baby boomers. But we've got to worry about the youngsters,
our kids and our grandchildren, when it comes to the solvency of the
Social Security system. That's why I believe younger workers ought to
be able to take some of their own money, set aside a personal savings
account that will help Social Security fulfill its promise, a private
account that they can call their own, a private account they can pass
on to the next generation, and a private account that government can't
take away. (Applause.)
I also spend time out there reminding people that in a changing
world some things don't change, the values we try to live by -- courage
and compassion, and reverence and integrity; The institutions that are
fundamental to our lives -- our families, our schools, our religious
congregations. We believe in a culture of life in which every person
matters and every being counts. (Applause.) We stand for marriage and
family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) And I
stand for the appointment of federal judges who know the difference
between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
(Applause.)
This election will also determine how our country responds to the
continuing danger of terrorism. Since September the 11th, 2001, we've
fought the terrorists across the earth, not for pride, not for power,
but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. It's very
important for me to continue to lay out our strategy. We've got to lay
out our strategy. We've got a clear strategy: we'll continue to
defend the homeland; we'll transform our military to meet the threats
of the 21st century; we'll strengthen our intelligence services; we
will stay on the offensive -- it is best to strike the terrorists
elsewhere, so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
And we will continue to spread freedom and peace. And we're going
to prevail. Our strategy is working. When you're out gathering up the
vote, remind people about what life was like three years ago, compared
to today. Maybe this will help you: Afghanistan was the home base of
al Qaeda; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups; Saudi
Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising; Libya was secretly
pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat, headed by a
sworn enemy of the United States; al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as
it planned its attacks.
Because we acted, Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is
making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs;
Saudi Arabia is after al Qaeda; the army of a free Iraq is fighting for
freedom; and more than three-quarters of al Qaeda key members and
associates have been brought to justice. (Applause.)
America and the world are safer. This progress involves careful
diplomacy, clear moral purpose and some tough decisions. And the
toughest came on Iraq. I knew Saddam Hussein's record of aggression
and his ties to terror. When people say, what ties to terror, remind
them about Abu Nidal, the killer of Leon Klinghoffer, and his
organization. Or Zarqawi. He's the person who beheads people, trying
to shake our conscience and shake our will. He was in and out of
Baghdad, as were some of his cohorts. Or the fact that Saddam Hussein
paid the families of suicide bombers. He had a history of using
weapons of mass destruction. It's important for the President and the
country to always remember one of the lessons of September the 11th is
that we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize.
(Applause.)
My administration saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. I went to the
Congress; they looked at the same intelligence I looked at, remembered
the same history I remembered, came to the same conclusion we came to
-- Saddam Hussein was a threat. And members of Congress authorized the
use of force. My opponent looked at very same intelligence I looked
at, and having looked at it, concluded that Saddam Hussein was a
threat, and voted "yes" when it came time to authorize the use of
force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits the troops into harm's way,
he must try all options before the military. I was hoping diplomacy
would work, so I went to the United Nations. And the United Nations
looked at the same intelligence we did and remembered the same history
we remembered, and concluded, with a 15-to-nothing vote in the U.N.
Security Council, that Saddam Hussein must disclose, disarm, or face
serious consequences. I believe when international bodies speak, they
must mean what they say. I believe when the President speaks, he must
mean what he says. (Applause.)
Saddam Hussein wasn't about to listen to another U.N. resolution.
We hoped he would, we would hope he'd listen to the demands of the free
world. But he didn't. He not only didn't listen to the United Nations
Security Council, but when the U.N. tried to send inspectors in there,
he systematically deceived them. So I have a choice, at this point in
our history: Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and hope
for the best when it comes to a madman, or take action to defend the
country? Given the choice, I will defend this country every time.
(Applause.)
We didn't find the stockpiles we thought would be there, that we
all thought would be there. But Saddam Hussein had the capability of
making weapons and he could have passed that capability on to the
enemy. And that is a risk we could not afford to take after September
the 11th, 2001. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same
decision. (Applause.) And America and the world are safer with Saddam
Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.)
Because we acted to defend ourselves, 50 million people now live in
freedom. Afghanistan three years ago was run by these barbaric
people. When they hear me talk about an ideology of hate, I'm talking
about people like the Taliban. Young girls weren't allowed to go to
school; their mothers were whipped in the public square, or killed in
sports stadiums, if they didn't toe the line of these backward people.
Today, 10 million citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, have
registered to vote in the upcoming October presidential election.
(Applause.) Think about that. It wasn't all that long ago that four
women were pulled out of a bus and executed by some of the Taliban
holdovers because they were trying to -- I think they we're registering
people to vote or just registered to vote. And the world was, "oh, no,
the elections won't be happening, it's too dangerous." People want to
be free. And if given a chance, they will exercise their rights. And
look what's happened in Afghanistan. (Applause.)
Despite ongoing acts of violence in Iraq, that country has a strong
Prime Minister, they've got a national council, and they are going to
have elections in January of 2005. The world is becoming a better
place because freedom is on the march. (Applause.)
We stand for free societies in the Middle East because they'll be
hopeful societies which no longer feed resentments, the resentments
that cause people to kill in the name of a hateful ideology. We stand
for free governments in the Middle East because we know they'll fight
terrorists instead of harboring them. I talk to people a lot about why
freedom will make us more secure -- that's why. Free societies are
hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these
hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat -- at
the drop of a hat.
So the mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear: We'll help these
new leaders train Afghan and Iraqi citizens so they can do the hard
work of preventing the designs of a few from stopping the hopes of the
many. We'll help them train their police, and help them train their
armies so they can defend themselves. We'll help them have these
elections. We'll get them on the path of stability and democracy as
quickly as possible. And then our troops are coming home with the
honor they have earned. (Applause.)
We got a great military. I'm proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of
a fantastic military. It's been my honor to have met many who wear the
nation's uniform. These are extraordinary citizens of great courage
and great decency, and they deserve the full support of the federal
government. That's why, last September, I went to the Congress and
asked for supplemental funding of $87 billion to support our troops in
combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And this was an important
request. It was for ammunition, spare parts, body armor. It was for
fuel, hazard pay, health benefits. This was an important piece of
legislation -- so important, support was overwhelming in the United
States Congress. So strong that only 12 members of the Senate voted
against it -- two of whom were my opponent and his running mate.
(Applause.) Do you realize this? Do you realize that four members of
the Senate voted to authorize the use of force, and then voted against
funding the troops? Only four of 100 -- two of whom were my opponent
and his running mate.
So they asked him why, and he said, I actually did vote for the $87
billion -- right before he voted against it. (Laughter.) And he said
he was proud of the vote. And finally he just said, it's just a
complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing complicated about
supporting our troops in harm's way. (Applause.)
A President must be clear and a President must mean what he says.
During the course of this campaign, my opponent has, I think seven, or
maybe eight different positions on the war in Iraq. He was for it, but
didn't fund the troops. Then he became the anti-war candidate. Then I
think it was at the edge of the Grand Canyon that he said, well,
knowing everything we know today he still would have voted for it.
Then he said we're spending too much money, and he was on a national
talk show earlier that said, we weren't spending enough money. And
then he did a radio interview two days ago to try to clear it all up.
(Laughter.) And here's what he said: There were no circumstances --
none -- under which we should have gone to war, although his own vote
to go to war is the right one and it was right to hold Saddam Hussein
accountable. (Laughter.)
Even the radio talk show guy said, I can't tell you what he said.
(Laughter.)
Mixed signals are the wrong signals to send our troops in the
field, to the Iraqi people, to our allies, and most of all, to our
enemy. (Applause.)
We've got a strong alliance, and during the next term I'll continue
to work with our friends and allies to try to stop proliferation, to
continue to help Afghanistan and Iraq. There are nearly 40 nations in
Afghanistan and some 30 in Iraq. And it's important for the President
to continue to reach out to other nations. But I will never turn over
our national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
(Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I've spent
time with Prime Minister Koizumi. I like to share this with the people
of our country, this little conversation about Koizumi, because it
helps make the point of what I mean by the transformational power of
liberty. Koizumi, of course, runs a country that -- with whom -- with
which we were at war. My dad fought against the Japanese; your dads,
relatives, loved ones fought against the Japanese, too. Japan was the
sworn enemy of the United States of America. Yet, after World War II,
Harry Truman believed that liberty could transform societies.
Fortunately, a lot of Americans agreed with him. I'm sure some
didn't. You can imagine how hard it would be to say, after having lost
a loved one in a war against the Japanese, to say, why do we care? Why
do we want to work to help them become a democracy?
But Truman did. And as a result of doing the hard work, of helping
an enemy transform itself by becoming a democratic society, I now sit
down at the table with the leader of Japan, talking about the peace
that we all want. Think about that for a minute. (Applause.) See,
liberty has the ability to take -- transform an enemy into an ally, so
we can work on the peace together. Some day an American President will
be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, talking about how
to keep the peace in the greater Middle East, and our children and our
grandchildren will be better off for it. (Applause.)
These are historic times. This is a historic moment in history, as
far as I'm concerned. We're helping to change the world for the better
by spreading freedom. And it's hard work. It's hard work for a
society to go from one that had been brutalized by a tyrant who
condoned mass graves, cut off the hands of the guys that came to see me
in the Oval Office because his currency had been devalued. It's hard
work. But it's necessary work, and it's work that will succeed,
because I believe that freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man
and woman in this world. (Applause.)
I tell the people, this young century is going to be liberty's
century. By promoting freedom at home and abroad, we're going to build
a safer world, a more hopeful America. By reforming our systems of
government, more Americans will be able to make their own choices and
realize the dream that are available in this country. We'll continue
to spread ownership and opportunity to every part of our country.
We'll pass the values of our nation on to a new generation, and we'll
work for peace and freedom.
And I want to thank you for giving me a chance to be your
President. (Applause.) I'm excited about this campaign. I'm looking
forward to the next days. I like coming down the stretch.
(Laughter.) And I appreciate your help. We'll put your good hard work
and your help to good use. We're going to turn out the vote, and we're
going to win in November. And I'm honored to have you on my side.
Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. (Applause.)
END 1:20 P.M. EDT
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