For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 21, 2004
Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at Victory '04 Rally in Lebanon, New Hampshire
Lebanon Opera House
Lebanon, New Hampshire
11:57 A.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: Thanks everyone. Thank you all so much for coming out to be
with me today, and thank you so much, Senator Gregg, for your
friendship, and for your very warm welcome.
Today is the perfect day for a road trip with a few friends -?
(laughter) -- and I can't think of a better place to do it than here in
New Hampshire with your beautiful fall foliage. It's really great to be
here.
I want to give special thanks Kathy Gregg, my really good friend.
Kathy and I have spent a lot of time together traveling in your state,
in New Hampshire. And also she has been to the ranch with me a couple
of times, and I value her friendship.
Also, Kitty Sununu has been showing your state off to me all day, and
I'm so glad that she's here. Thank you, Kitty, for joining us.
And I'm also happy to be traveling with my friend Cindy McCain. A few
years ago, Cindy and I were on different buses -? (laughter) -- and
their bus nearly knocked us off the road! (Laughter.) But today, I'm so
happy that she and Senator McCain are traveling with us on the road to
victory. Thank you very much, Cindy. (Applause.)
I'm also really happy that Congressman Charlie Bass is with us. And
thank you very much, Congressman. Thank you for your friendship.
(Applause.) And I'm also especially honored to have Cheryl McGuiness
with us. Cheryl has been through so much, and we all admire your grace
and your dignity, Cheryl. Thank you for being here. (Applause.)
And thanks to Mayor Cliff Desrosiers. Thank you so much, Mayor. And to
State Representative Terri Dudley, thank you both for welcoming us here
to Lebanon.
I'm so happy to be back in New Hampshire to talk about why it's so
important to reelect our great President, George W. Bush. (Applause.)
You know, we've been through a lot together these last four years. But
today, our economy is growing, we're closing the achievement gap in our
schools, and America is safer and stronger thanks to the President's
decisive leadership. (Applause.)
In Ohio, I visited with a woman business owner who summed up our
success this way. She said, "President Bush was born for such a time as
this. He never wavers when it comes to doing the right thing. It makes
me feel so secure to know that our leader has such a love for our
country."
These are historic times, and they're also times of change. Just think
about the differences in our lives today and the lives of our parents
or grandparents. Today in most families, both parents work outside the
home, including two-thirds of all mothers. And more single parents are
doing double duty alone.
More entrepreneurs are starting their own business. Workers are
changing jobs often during their lifetimes, rather than going to work
for one company and spending their whole career there. And more people
are going back to school to keep up with our changing economy.
President Bush has outlined an agenda for a new term. Helping families
face the challenges of this changing world are at the heart of the
President's plan.
We know that all opportunity starts with education. And thanks to the
No Child Left Behind Act, our schools are improving with higher
standards, with accountability, and with the most federal funding ever
for elementary and secondary education. (Applause.) As we help our
younger students by making sure they learn to read by the third grade,
we also want to make sure that our students in high schools are well
prepared for the new jobs of the 21st century.
We want high school students to have increased math and science
training, because we know that the new jobs will demand these skills.
We also want to make federal student financial aid more flexible, so
more Americans can go to college, they can earn a degree, or they can
take specialized courses that will help them get a great job.
(Applause.)
And when these graduates go to work, I'm proud to say that a lot of
them will go to work for a woman boss. (Applause.) Ten million American
women own their own business, and this sisterhood just keeps growing.
In fact, women are starting small businesses at twice the rate of men
in the United States. (Applause.)
And millions of families and small business owners are saving more of
their own money because the President worked to pass the largest tax
relief in a generation. (Applause.) And just in case you don't know, a
lot of small businesses are either sole proprietorships or sub-S
corporations, which means they're taxed with regular income tax. So
when you're talking about tax relief, you're also talking about tax
relief for small businesses, so they can expand their operations and
hire more people.
America has added 1.9 million new jobs since August 2003. That's more
jobs than Germany, Japan, England, Canada and France added, combined.
(Applause.)
We know we have more work to do to make sure that every person that
wants to work in America can find a job. This month, President Bush
signed a bill extending the tax relief so that families and small
businesses can stay on the path to greater prosperity. The bipartisan
bill, which Senator Gregg and Congressman Bass supported, extends the
$1,000 child tax credit, the marriage penalty relief, and the expanded
10 percent bracket. Over all, 94 million Americans will have a lower
tax bill this year, including 70 million women and 38 million families
with children. (Applause.)
My husband also believes that every American should have access to the
most reliable and the most affordable health care. And one way we can
reduce the cost of health care is to stop frivolous and junk lawsuits.
(Applause.)
President Bush will work to reform the medical liability system so we
can reduce those frivolous lawsuits. And he'll also make sure that
patients and doctors are in charge of health care, not bureaucrats in
Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
And one of the most promising ways government can help us improve our
lives is by supporting medical research. The President looks forward to
medical breakthroughs that may arrive through stem cell research. You
might not realize that, because people try to distort his record. But
the truth is, George Bush is the first President to authorize federal
funding for stem cell research.
Last year, the federal government invested nearly $25 million in
embryonic stem cell research and over $191 million in adult and other
stem cell research. Many millions more are spent by researchers in the
private sector.
My father died of Alzheimer's disease and I share the President's
eagerness to find a cure for this devastating illness. We're hopeful
that stem cells will yield cures and therapies for a myriad of
illnesses. But we know that the promise of research lies in the
advancement of scientific knowledge and in a greater understanding of
how stem cells can be used to treat illnesses. The President's policy
makes it possible for researchers to explore the potential of stem
cells while respecting the ethical and the moral implications
associated with this research. (Applause.)
Another issue of great importance to all Americans is Social
Security. Once again, during this election season, some people are
trying to scare America's seniors about Social Security. But I want
everyone here to know -- and I think the President made this clear in
the debates -- my husband believes that Social Security is a central
part of our compassionate society. And as long as my husband is
President, America will keep the promise of Social Security to all of
our seniors. (Applause.)
As President, my husband has met the toughest challenges with
courage. He believes that it's his duty, the responsibility of every
leader, to find solutions to problems, not pass them on to future
Presidents and future generations. And his first and most solemn duty
is to protect our country and to protect the people of the United
States.
He has worked to defeat terror around the world. President Bush and I
want the men and women in the United States military and their families
to know how much every American appreciates their service and their
sacrifice. (Applause.) As commander-in-chief, my husband will make sure
that our troops have the support they need, and that the United States
military will remain an all-volunteer military. (Applause.)
As we do the hard work of confronting terror, we can be proud that 50
million more men, women and children have the chance to live in freedom
thanks to the United States of America and our allies. (Applause.)
After years of being treated as virtual prisoners in their homes by the
Taliban, the women of Afghanistan are now able to walk outside of their
doors without a male escort. And the little girls of Afghanistan, who
were forbidden to be educated, are back in school. On October 9th, the
people of Afghanistan voted in the first free presidential election in
their country's history. Despite the threats of violence from
terrorists, millions of Afghans went to the polls. We heard of a bridge
that was blown up, but the Afghan citizens found a ford in the river so
they could cross it to vote.
A 19-year-old woman became the first voter in the election.
(Applause.) And she said, "I cannot explain my feelings, just how happy
I am. I would never have thought I would be able to vote in an
election."
And because we acted, the people of Iraq are free from the tyranny of
Saddam Hussein. (Applause.) President Bush met with Iraq's new leader,
Prime Minister Allawi, at the White House a few weeks ago. Prime
Minister Allawi said that the Iraqi people are determined to exercise
their right to vote, even as they face violence from people who oppose
their democracy.
Already an Iraqi independent electoral commission is up and running,
political parties are planning campaigns, voter registration will begin
next month ?- and free and fair Iraqi elections will be held this
coming January. The Iraqi people are showing that the violent acts of a
few cannot stop the march of freedom. (Applause.)
Americans know that building a democracy takes time. Think of how long
it has taken us in our country. It took almost 100 years after our
founders declared all men are created equal to abolish slavery, and not
until 84 years ago did American women get the right to vote. Building a
democracy isn't easy, but it's right. (Applause.)
This is a critical moment in our history. In just 12 days, voters will
face a choice between an America that is uncertain in the face of
danger, or an America that takes decisive action to defeat terror and
to spread liberty. Americans can choose a leader who understands the
threat we face today. Families and business owners can choose a
President who wants to keep taxes low, so they can keep more of their
own money. We can choose a President who wants a health care system
where patients and doctors are in charge and not the government. And we
can choose a President who will keep us on the path to excellence and
high standards for every child in school. The choice is clear. America
needs the leadership of President George Bush for four more years.
(Applause.)
So with less than two weeks left, I want to encourage you when you
leave here today, tell your neighbors about the President's vision for
making America better. Reach out to Democrats and Independents who
appreciate strong and optimistic leadership. Get an absentee ballot if
you'll be away from home on November 2nd. Then make sure you vote, and
turn out as many people as you can. Everything you do will be a great
help for the President's campaign.
These are times of change for our nation, but they're also years of
promise. George and I grew up in West Texas, where the sky seems
endless and so do the possibilities. My husband brings that optimism,
that sense of purpose, that certainty that a better day is before us to
his job every day. And, with your help, he'll do it for four more
years. (Applause.) May God bless you all. May God bless America. Thank
you all. Thanks, everybody. (Applause.)
12:20 P.M. EDT
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