For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 25, 2003
Remarks by the President at Bush-Cheney 2004 Luncheon
The Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada
12:20 P.M. PST
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. Go ahead and please be seated.
I appreciate you coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to
be in one of America's greatest cities, Las Vegas. (Applause.) The
Governor was saying, don't you want to spend a little time here, a
little quality time. And I said, well, I'm on government pay.
(Laughter.) If you know what I mean. But this is a dynamic part of
our country. The growth is amazing; the spirit is great. It's such an
honor to be here. We did really well in the year 2000 here in Nevada.
We're going to do great in 2004, too. (Applause.)
I appreciate you coming. As the Governor said, this is a
successful fundraiser. I'll tell you what we're doing. We're laying
the foundation for what is going to be a great national victory in
November 2004. (Applause.) I'm loosening up. I'm getting ready. But
politics will come in its own time. See, I've got a job to do. I want
you to tell your fellow citizens, this President is going to work on
behalf of everybody to keep this country safe and secure, prosperous
and free. (Applause.)
I appreciate Kenny, who's a good friend, and Dema -- they've been
friends of Laura and mine for a while. We both married above
ourselves. (Laughter.) Dema is doing a great job as the First Lady of
this state. Laura is doing a great job as the First Lady of our
country. (Applause.) She sends her best. I left her this morning in
Crawford; we went for about a three-and-a-half-mile walk together
across the countryside, and had a little time the visit outside the
bubble in Washington, D.C. And we're going to spend Thanksgiving
together. She's a great wife, a wonderful mother, and I'm really proud
of the tone she has set and the job she's doing as our nation's First
Lady. (Applause.)
Darlene Ensign is here. I'm proud to call John Ensign, Senator
John Ensign, a friend and an ally. I appreciate so very much members
from the congressional delegation who are here. You've sent some fine
people from Nevada to Washington, D.C., starting with Congressman Jim
Gibbons. Jim, I thank you, appreciate you. (Applause.) Dawn is with
him. Congressman Jon Porter -- appreciate you coming, Jon.
(Applause.) Laura is with Jon.
Nevada is such a powerful attraction for people around the country,
that you've been able to attract some people from the United States
House of Representatives who aren't from your great state.
(Laughter.) Trent Franks and Josie Franks came over from the state of
Arizona. I want to thank Congressman Franks for joining us today.
(Applause.) Frank LoBiondo, from New Jersey, is with us. I'm honored
that Frank is with us. Thank you for coming, Frank. (Applause.)
I told old Frank, I said, gosh, it's great to see you, thanks for
coming to see me. He said, I didn't come to see you. (Laughter.) I
came to be with my fiance, Tina. (Laughter.) Happens to live here in
Las Vegas.
I'm honored that the Lt. Governor is here, Lorrie Hunt -- Lorraine
Hunt. I appreciate you coming, Lorraine. The Chairman of the --
campaign chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign is your great
Attorney General Brian Sandoval. Thanks for coming, Brian.
(Applause.) I'm honored that Secretary of State Dean Heller is with us
today. Dean, thank you for coming. I appreciate you being here.
(Applause.) State Comptroller Kathy Augustine is with us. Thank you
for coming, Kathy. (Applause.) Got a lot of other state and local
officials. I'm grateful you're here. I appreciate your service to
your state and to your county and to your city.
I'm honored that my friend, Mercer Reynolds, who's the National
Finance Chairman, is with us. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio. He's a
business person taking time out of his life to help make sure this
campaign is adequately funded. He's doing a really good job, thanks to
you all. (Applause.) Larry and Camille Ruvo have done a lot to do
with this event. I'm honored you all are here. Thank you. Appreciate
you, Larry. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the grass-roots activists who are here with us
today. See, it's important to make sure that we're well-funded; it's
also important to make sure people get on the phones and put up the
signs and go to the coffee shops and put out the word that this is an
optimistic and hopeful administration who's getting the job done for
the American people. (Applause.)
In the last three years, our nation has acted decisively to
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems,
instead of passing them on to future presidents and future
generations. (Applause.) I came to seize opportunities instead of
letting them slip away. This administration is meeting the test of our
time. (Applause.)
Declare -- terrorists declared war on the United States of America,
and war is what they got. We've captured or killed many of the key
leaders of the al Qaeda network, and the rest of them know we're on
their trail. In Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror
regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more.
(Applause.) Fifty million people in those two countries once lived
under tyranny, and now they live in freedom.
Three years ago, our military was not receiving the resources it
needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased the
defense budgets to prepare for the threats of a new era, and today no
one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the spirit
of the United States military. (Applause.)
Three years ago, this economy of ours was in trouble and a
recession was beginning. And then our country was attacked, and we had
scandals in corporate America, as well as the war to make America more
secure and the world more peaceful -- all of that affected the people's
confidence. But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold corporate
criminals to account. And to get this economy going again, I have
twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax relief for
the American people. (Applause.)
I believe when Americans have more take-home pay to spend or save
or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more likely to find
a job. And so we're returning more money to the people. Returning
money to help them raise their families. We've reduced taxes on
dividends and capital gains to encourage investment. We've given small
businesses incentives to expand and to hire new people. With all these
actions, we're laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more
jobs across America, so that every single person has a chance to
realize the American Dream. (Applause.)
This economy of ours is reacting to our policy. The American
economy is strong and it is getting stronger. The third quarter
figures were just revised -- upward, to 8.2 percent, the fastest pace
in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) Productivity is high. Business
investment is rising. Housing construction is strong. The job base is
expanding. The tax relief we passed is working. (Applause.)
Three years ago there was a lot of talk about education reform, but
there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called for, and the Congress
passed, the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a
generation. We're now bringing high standards and strong
accountability measures to every public school in America. We've
increased the education budgets at the federal level. But for the
first time in our nation's history, we now expect results in return for
the increased funding. This administration -- (applause.) This
administration is challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations.
We're raising the bar, we're raising the standards, because we believe
every child can learn, and we expect every school to teach, so not one
single child is left behind in America. (Applause.)
We reorganized this government of ours to create the Department of
Homeland Security, safeguard the borders and ports of America, and to
better protect the American people. We passed trade promotion
authority to open up new markets for our country's entrepreneurs and
farmers and ranchers. We passed budget agreements to bring much needed
spending discipline to Washington, D.C. On issue after issue, this
administration has acted on principle, has kept its word, and has made
progress for the American people.
The United States Congress deserves a lot of the credit. I
appreciate working with Speaker Denny Hastert, Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist, the good folks from Nevada who are working with this
administration. You see, what we're doing in Washington, D.C. is we're
trying to change the tone of the Nation's Capital. There's too much
needless back-biting and endless politics. Instead of focusing on
political process, we're focusing on the people's business by focusing
on results. And those are the kind of people I've assembled in my
administration. I've put together one of the greatest teams ever to
serve the American people. (Applause.)
We've got people from all walks of life -- strong, dedicated,
honorable Americans who have come to Washington, D.C. to serve the
people of this country. Our country has had no finer Vice President
than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a different opinion. (Laughter.)
In three years -- in three years, we have come far. But our work
is only beginning. I've set great goals worthy of this great nation.
First, America is committed to expanding the realm of freedom and
peace, for our own security and for the benefit of the world. And
second, in our own country, we must work for a society of prosperity
and compassion, so that every citizen has a chance to work and to
succeed and to realize the promise of America.
It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
actions of America. This nation is freedom's home, and freedom's
defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are keeping it.
The war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle,
and neither are we. This country will not rest, we will not tire, we
will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed.
(Applause.) We are confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam
holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw Iraq
into chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers and innocent
Iraqi citizens.
You see, they know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be a
major defeat for their cause of terror. A collection of killers is
trying to shake the will of the United States. The United States of
America will never be intimidated by a bunch of thugs. (Applause.)
We're on the offensive. We're aggressively striking the terrorists in
Iraq. We will defeat them there so we do not have to face them in our
own country. (Applause.)
Other nations are helping. They're helping to build a free
country, because they understand a free Iraq will make us all more
secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of
their own defense and move toward self-government. These are not easy
tasks, but they are essential tasks. The United States of America will
finish what we have begun and we will win this essential victory in the
war on terror. (Applause.)
Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty,
because free nations do not support terror; free nations do not attack
their neighbors; free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of
mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and
hope of every human heart. We believe that freedom is the future of
every nation. And we know that freedom is not America's gift to the
world; freedom is the Almighty's -- God's gift to every person who
lives in the world. (Applause.)
Also understand that unprecedented influence brings tremendous
responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we see
disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On
the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing the
healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children
suffering from AIDS. This great, strong, compassionate land is leading
the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
(Applause.)
We've got challenges here at home, as well, and we're equal to
those challenges. I just mentioned some nice economic numbers. But
we're going to stay focused on a pro-growth economic agenda until
everyone who wants to work can find a job. And we're keeping our
commitment to America's seniors. Today the United States Senate joined
the House of Representatives and passed strong reform that will
modernize and strengthen Medicare. (Applause.)
For years, seniors have called for a modern Medicare system that
provides coverage for prescription drugs and more health care choices.
For years, Washington simply listened and did nothing. Finally, the
House and the Senate have acted. This historic legislation is the
greatest improvement in senior health care coverage since the enactment
of Medicare in 1965. And I look forward to signing this important
piece of legislation. (Applause.)
For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. (Applause.)
People who have been harmed by a bad doctor deserve their day in
court. Yet the system should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing
for a rich settlement. (Applause.) Frivolous lawsuits drive up the
cost of health care and they, therefore, affect the federal budget.
Medical liability reform is a national issues that requires a national
solution. I have proposed such a solution. I proposed such a
solution, and the U.S. House of Representatives, thanks to the members
here, voted for medical liability reform. The bill is stuck in the
Senate. It is time for your Senator to understand that no one has ever
been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We need medical liability reform
now. (Applause.)
I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial
system runs well. And I have met that duty. I have nominated superb
men and women for the federal courts, people who will interpret the
law, not legislate from the bench. Some members of the Senate are
trying to keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up or down votes.
Every judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up or down vote
on the Senate floor. It is time for some of the members of the United
States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.
(Applause.)
The Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy
plan. Our nation must promote energy efficiency and conservation. We
must work to develop cleaner technologies. We must explore for energy
in environmentally sensitive ways. For the sake of our economic
security and for the sake of national security, this country must
become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate
nation. I'm going to continue to advance our agenda of compassionate
conservatism, which means we'll apply the best and most innovative
ideas to the task of helping our fellow citizens in need. There's
still millions of men and women who want to end their dependence on
government and become independent through hard work. The Congress must
work with the administration to continue to build on the success of
welfare reform, to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of our
citizens. The Congress should complete the Citizens Service Act so
more Americans can serve their communities and our country.
Both Houses should reach agreement on my faith-based initiative to
support the armies of compassion that are mentoring our children, and
caring for the homeless, and offering hope to the addicted. One of the
great strengths of our country, the people of faith from all religions
-- people have heard a universal call to help somebody in need. This
government of ours must not fear faith, but it must welcome the good
works of our faith-based institutions as we reach out as a society to
heal broken hearts, to help the lonely, to say to somebody who wonders
about the future of this country, I love you. (Applause.)
A compassionate society must also promote opportunity for all of
us. And that means the independence and dignity that come from
ownership. You see, this administration is working for, and will
constantly strive to promote an ownership society in America. We want
more people owning their own home. We've got a minority home ownership
gap in America. I presented a plan to Congress to close that gap. We
want people owning and managing their own retirement accounts, owning
and managing their own health care accounts. We want more people
owning their own small business in America, because we understand that
when a person owns something, he or she has a vital stake in the future
of our country. (Applause.)
A compassionate society is one in which people respect one another
and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. The
culture of America is changing from one that has said, if it feels
good, do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one
in which each of us understands we're responsible for the decisions we
make in life. If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father,
you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart. 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. If
you're a CEO in corporate America, you are 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 ourself. The
culture of service and responsibility is strong in this country. It's
truly one of the strengths of America. You know, I started what's
called the USA Freedom Corps, to encourage Americans to extend a
compassionate hand to neighbors in need, and the response has been
strong. A lot of people are interested in helping, helping our country
by helping somebody who hurts. Our charities are strong. And thank
you for helping them. Our faith-based organizations are vibrant.
Policemen and firefighters and people who wear this country's
uniform are reminding us what it means to sacrifice for something
greater than ourself in life. Once again, the children of America
believe in heroes because they see them every day. In these
challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the courage of
America. And I've been privileged to see the compassion and the
character of the American people. All the tests of the last three
years have come to the right nation.
We're a strong country, and we use that strength to defend the
peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in
ideals bigger than ourselves. Abroad we seek to lift up whole nations
by spreading freedom. At home we seek to lift up lives by spreading
opportunity to every corner of America. This is the work that history
has set before us. We welcome it, and we know that for our country,
the best days lie ahead.
Thank you for coming, and may God bless America. Thank you all.
(Applause.)
END 12:50 P.M. PST
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