For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
September 9, 2004
Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at a BC'04 Rally in Saginaw, Michigan
Mahar Tool Supply
Saginaw, Michigan
1:40 P.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: Thank you so much. Barbara, I'm so happy to be here
with you and your family and the employees of Mahar Tool Supply.
You're living a great American success story, and it's not just a story
-- one woman's story, but it's a story that can inspire all Americans,
everybody who might want to own their own business and make it grow.
Barbara's daughter, Carrie and her son Michael have helped their
mother with their business, and they're right over here to the side.
Also, I want to thank the President of Mahar Tool Company, Michael
Kane. Thank you and thank you for the tour of the tool company that I
just got before.
And I'm also really glad that Nancy Camp, who is married to
Congressman David Camp, is here. (Applause.) Congressman David Camp's
mother, Norma Camp, is here as well. (Applause.) And also a very
special recognition to Myrah Kirkwood, who is running for Congress
herself. (Applause.)
Four years ago, when I traveled for my husband, I was close to
Saginaw when I went to Frankenmuth. (Applause.) And I had a wonderful
time there, shopping at the Christmas Store. And actually there was a
meteor shower. It was very, very cold, a Michigan cold winter, but we
all wrapped up in blankets to lie on the ground and look at meteors.
And it was a really wonderful memory for me of traveling around the
United States and visiting all the remarkable parts of our country and
beautiful parts of our country.
As all of you know, I'm in a family business, too. (Laughter.)
And I'll be on the campaign trail for the next eight weeks, talking
about the President's accomplishments. For me, the very best part
about campaigning is meeting remarkable people from across our country,
people like Barbara.
Twenty-six years ago, Barbara's husband passed away suddenly from
leukemia. She had four small children at home and a family business
that her husband had been running. Fortunately, she was also involved
in the business. From chats at the kitchen table and lots of meetings,
Barbara knew something about the business and its customers. So when
her husband died, she formed a group of advisors and went to work as
the company's CEO. In the years since, Barbara has led her company to
success. She started with 19 employees. Today, she employs 120 men
and women in six branches, and the company's sales have increased
substantially.
Small business owners like Barbara are some of the hardest working
people in America, and they teach all of us the values of hard work and
independence. And women like Barbara inspire other women who want to
work toward the dream of owning their own business.
When it comes to entrepreneurship and job creation, today's world
is increasingly a woman's world. Ten million women own their own
business in America, and this sisterhood just keeps growing.
(Applause.)
Women are opening businesses at twice the rate of men, and they
employ more than 19 million Americans. In August, I visited a
women-owned quilt shop in Minnesota and a temporary employment agency
in Wisconsin. I met a mother from Iowa who owns a towing business, and
a woman in Ohio who owns a small construction company, and another in
Colorado who manufactures aerospace equipment. And today, I'm so happy
to be here with Barbara.
Anyone who wonders what women are capable of achieving need only
look at America's women business owners. They are achieving anything
they set their mind to. Women are working hard to strengthen their
communities and their country.
My husband believes that we should all have an equal opportunity to
achieve our dreams, and he has three strong women at home who won't let
him forget it. (Applause.) I'm proud that in my husband's
administration, there are more women in senior positions than in any
other presidential administration in our history. (Applause.)
Dr. Condoleezza Rice advises the President on foreign policy.
(Applause.) Margaret Spellings is in charge of domestic issues. That
means that, in the White House, women are in charge of everything
abroad and everything at home. (Laughter.) That sounds about right to
me. (Applause.)
But we all know that empowered women are vital to a democracy. And
we know that as we look around the world and see countries where that's
not the case, where women are not empowered. And we all know that
women -- empowered women are vital to our economic security.
The President has worked closely with a coalition of 25 women's
business organizations to ensure women's voices are heard. His
administration has hosted women's entrepreneurship summits across the
country and has established a website called women21.gov to provide
easy access to business resources.
In the last four years, President Bush has created an economic
environment in which women entrepreneurs can succeed and small
businesses can flourish and grow. And it hasn't always been easy.
We've been through a lot, from recession to terror attacks to corporate
scandals. But our economy remains the strongest in the world, thanks
to America's small businesses and to the President's commitment to tax
relief. (Applause.)
Because of tax cuts, 25 million small business owners have each
saved an average of $3,000 this year alone. President Bush also
increased the annual expense deduction for equipment to $100,000, so
now more small business owners can invest in new machinery and
technology. And cuts in the capital gains tax and the taxation of
dividends are spurring investment and making it easier for small
businesses to raise capital.
Small businesses are the engines of our economy and entrepreneurs
are helping our economy grow stronger still. In the last year alone,
we've added 1.7 million jobs. That's more than Germany, Japan,
England, Canada and France combined. The unemployment rate has fallen
to 5.4 percent and workers have more money in their pockets and more
opportunities to decide how to spend it.
Since 2001, real after-tax incomes have increased by 10 percent.
Families are also saving more because the child credit was doubled, the
marriage penalty was reduced and President Bush put the estate tax on
the road to extinction. (Applause.)
We see the effects of the President's leadership in our growing
economy. Our goal is to spread more opportunity to every corner of
America, and to give everyone a chance to participate in an ownership
society. Last week in New York at the convention, the President
outlined his agenda for a new term. It recognizes that our families
face new challenges, and the government should respond to these new
challenges and changing times.
While once families were mostly supported by a father, who worked
at the same job for decades, today more and more families have both
parents in the workforce. And single parents have double duty while
trying to keep their families afloat. Time is becoming an ever more
precious commodity for today's families -- time to eat dinner together
or to help their children do homework or to catch a baseball game. The
President believes that flex time and comp time should be available to
more workers to help them meet the demands of work and family.
Today, people also move from job to job more frequently. Even
Barbara's children started out with different companies. Workers who
change jobs need health care and retirement accounts that they can take
with them. My husband signed into law health savings accounts, which
allow individuals to save tax free for their primary health care in
accounts that they own, they manage, and they keep.
The President also wants to strengthen Social Security by giving
younger workers the opportunity -- if they choose -- to save part of
their Social Security taxes in personal accounts. And this money would
belong to each worker. And to help young workers and graduates compete
for the jobs of the 21st century, President Bush wants new reforms in
our high schools, so that every graduate is well prepared for college
and the workforce. (Applause.)
We'll strengthen math and science education and broaden Internet
training so that young people can compete in a technology-driven
world. For workers who want to go back to school to learn new skills,
President Bush will work with community colleges to make career
training more available.
President Bush has stood solidly on the side of workers, families
and entrepreneurs who are working to make life better for themselves
and for all Americans. My husband is optimistic about the future
because he has great confidence in the American people -- and he
believes that together we can overcome any challenge.
As we approach the third anniversary of one of the most defining
moments in our generation, we are reminded of just how far we've come.
The terrible acts of September 11th showed us the face of evil in the
world, but they also called us to the great work of promoting freedom
and democracy in the far corners of the world.
President Bush and I want all of our men and women in uniform and
all of their families to know how much we appreciate their sacrifice.
You are in our thoughts and prayers every day. (Applause.) Because of
the bravery of the men and women of the United States military, our
country is safer and more secure -- and today 50 million more men,
women and children live in freedom. (Applause.)
The last four years have brought us extraordinary challenges, and
no doubt we'll face many more -- challenges that we're overcoming with
hard work, with sacrifice and optimism. We have gained a new
appreciation of the many blessings of America, and we've been reminded
of our responsibilities to the country we love.
I'm so happy to be here today with Barbara. Barbara, you're an
inspiration to every single one of us. Thank you very, very much.
(Applause.) Thank you all so much for joining us today and may God
bless America. (Applause.)
END 1:53 P.M. EDT
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