For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
May 25, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President at a Reception for 2004 State Victory Committee
Statehouse Convention Center Little Rock, Arkansas May 24, 2004
6:05 P.M. CDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Well, thank you
very much, Win, and let me thank all of you for that warm welcome to
Arkansas. I was in Bentonville just a few weeks ago. Lynne was down
recently. The President has been down in the last few weeks. So we
care a lot about Arkansas. And after that last election -- (laughter)
-- with the 537 votes in Florida, and the -- of course, the President
when he asked me to do this job said he wasn't worried about carrying
my home state of Wyoming. (Laughter.) We got 70 percent of the vote
there. But I remind him every once in a while those three electoral
votes came in mighty handy. (Laughter.)
But it's always great to be back in Arkansas, and a pleasure to
bring you good wishes today from our President, George W. Bush.
(Applause.)
The President and I are tremendously grateful for all of our
friends and supporters here in Arkansas. You worked really hard for us
in 2000. We were proud to carry Arkansas. And with your dedication,
and the strong leadership of the President, Arkansas is going to be
part of a nationwide Bush victory on November 2nd. (Applause.)
This is going to be a critically important election, at every level
on the ballot. And some of you may know that my only job as Vice
President is to preside over the United States Senate. When they wrote
the Constitution, they created the post of Vice President, but they got
down to the end of the convention, and they remembered suddenly they
hadn't given him anything to do. (Laughter.) So they made him the
President of the Senate, the presiding officer.
It's not quite as exciting as it used to be. My predecessor John
Adams actually had floor privileges. He could go down in the well and
engage in the debate. And then he did a couple of times, and they
withdrew his floor privileges. (Laughter.) They've never been
restored.
But I do get to vote when there's a tie. And since the Senate has
been so evenly divided these last few years, I've had the opportunity
to break ties on some important matters, like last year's tax bill.
And I can -- (Applause.)
I don't want you to think I deserve any special credit for the way
I voted -- the President laid some pretty clear preferences on me
before I went to the Hill that day. (Laughter.) But if we'd had one
less senator -- or if we hadn't had control of the House of
Representatives, we would not have been able to pass that tax bill, and
we would not have the healthy, growing economy we have today.
(Applause.)
There's a tremendous amount at stake come November -- from the
direction of our economy, to the conduct of the war on terror. And as
the President campaigns across the country, I believe he's got a great
record to show for his accomplishments. The American people, I
believe, can be confident of a better future, of a stronger economy,
and of a safer, more secure America against these dangers of our new
era because of our Republican majorities in Congress, and because of
the character and the leadership of our President, George W. Bush.
(Applause.)
This has been a period in history defined by serious challenges,
and the need for decisive action. And the greatest responsibility of
our government is clear: We must protect the safety and the security
of the American people.
The attacks of September 11th, 2001 signaled the arrival of an
entirely new era in our history. On that day, we awakened to dangers
even more lethal -- the possibility that terrorists could gain
chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapons from outlaw regimes, and
use those weapons against the United States.
More than two-and-a-half years have passed now since 9/11, yet it
would be a grave mistake for us to assume that the threat to our
country -- indeed, to the world -- has somehow passed. As we have seen
since 9/11 in attacks all over the world -- in Riyadh, Casablanca,
Istanbul, Karbala, Mombasa, Bali, Jakarta, Najaf, Jerusalem, Baghdad,
and Madrid -- terrorists are determined to intimidate free countries,
and even try to influence elections. We have to assume they will make
further attempts inside the United States. And every American can be
certain that we are doing everything we can to prevent another
terrorist attack on America.
But we also understand that a good defense is not enough. Wars are
not won on the defensive -- we have to go on offense. So we are going
after the terrorists wherever they plot and plan. (Applause.)
In Afghanistan, we removed the brutal Taliban from power and
destroyed the training camps where terrorists trained to kill
Americans. In Iraq, America and our allies rid the Iraqi people of a
murderous dictator and rid the world of a gathering threat to our
security and freedom. Just over a year ago, Saddam Hussein controlled
the lives and the future of nearly 25 million people. Tonight, he's in
jail. (Applause.) Because we acted, because of the President's
leadership, Saddam will never again brutalize the Iraqi people, never
again support terrorists or pursue weapons of mass destruction, never
again threaten the United States of America. (Applause.)
We still face serious challenges on the ground in Iraq. Thugs and
assassins are trying desperately to shake our will, and they have made
Iraq a central front in the war on terror. The terrorists understand
the stakes of our mission in Iraq -- and so do we. Democracies do not
breed the anger and radicalism that drag down whole societies -- to
export violence. The defeat of tyranny and violence in Iraq, and the
rise of democracy in the heart of the Middle East, will be a crucial
setback for terror everywhere. As the President will outline in his
speech to the nation this evening, we will do what is necessary to help
Iraq succeed --- destroying the terrorists, transferring sovereignty to
the Iraqi people on the 30th of June, and standing with the people of
Iraq as they build a government based on democracy, tolerance, and
freedom. (Applause.)
From the very beginning, America has sought -- and received --
international support for our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
the war on terror, we will always seek cooperation from our friends and
allies around the world. But as the President has made very clear,
there is a difference between leading a coalition of many nations and
submitting to the objections of a few. The United States will never
seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.
(Applause.)
Our nation is extremely fortunate during these times of testing to
have the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform. The
misconduct of a few does not diminish the honor and the decency that
our servicemen and women have shown in Afghanistan and Iraq.
(Applause.) They are proving every day that when we send them to
defend this nation, we are sending the very best of the United States
of America.
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another the next. We need a
Commander-in-Chief of clear vision and steady determination, and that's
just what we have in President George W. Bush. (Applause.) That same
standard should be applied to the candidate who now opposes him in this
year's election, the Junior Senator from Massachusetts.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: A while back, Senator Kerry informed us that
he has met with unnamed foreign leaders who support him. (Laughter.)
Not long after, a voter asked Senator Kerry directly who these foreign
leaders are. Senator Kerry said, "That's none of your business."
(Laughter.) That's a direct quote. But it is our business when a
candidate for President claims the political endorsement of foreign
leaders. This election will be decided by the American people -- not
unnamed foreign leaders. (Applause.)
Senator Kerry has also asserted that our troops in Iraq are not
receiving the material support they need. May I remind the Senator
that last fall, at the President's request, Congress considered
legislation providing funding for a supplemental appropriation for the
military for body armor and other vital support, such as hazard pay,
health benefits, ammunition, fuel and spare parts. Senator Kerry was
asked at the time whether he would vote against the President's
request. He said then, and I quote, "I don't think any United States
senator is going to abandon our troops. That's irresponsible." End
quote. Within weeks, the legislation passed overwhelmingly, with a
vote in the Senate of 87 to 12. Senator Kerry voted "no."
THE VICE PRESIDENT: As a way to clarify the matter, Senator Kerry
said, and again I quote, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion
before I voted against it." (Laughter.) Obviously, the Senator is
free to vote as he wishes, but he should be held to his own standard.
It is irresponsible to vote against vital support for our men and women
in the midst of a war.
On the broader picture, Senator Kerry has questioned whether the
war on terror is really a war at all. He said, quote, "I don't want to
use that terminology." In his view, opposing terrorism is far less of
a military operation and more of a law enforcement operation. But as
we've seen that approach was tried before, and proved inadequate to
protecting the American people from terrorists who are quite certain
they are at war with us.
I leave it for Senator Kerry to explain, or explain away, his
inconsistent votes and his statements about the war on terror, our
cause in Iraq, and the needs of the American military. Whatever the
explanation, it is not an impressive record for someone who aspires to
become Commander-in-Chief in this time of testing for our country.
The American people will have a clear choice in the election of
2004, on a national basis, in terms of national security, as well as on
policies here at home.
When the President and I took office, the economy was sliding into
recession. Then, just as the economy began to recover, terrorists
struck, and the economy was shaken once again. President Bush took
strong steps to get the economy growing again. Working with our allies
on Capitol Hill, the President signed into law significant tax relief
for millions of American families and businesses. We doubled the child
tax credit, decreased the marriage penalty, cut tax rates across the
board, and put the death tax on the way to extinction. (Applause.)
Across the nation, the results of the President's policies are
clear. The economy added 288,000 new jobs last month. We have added
over 600,000 in the past two months, and more than 1.1 million new jobs
since August. Manufacturing jobs have increased for three straight
months. The home ownership rate is the highest ever. Productivity is
high. Incomes, wages, and factory orders are rising. And over the
last year, our economy has grown at a rate of 4.9 percent -- the
fastest rate of growth since Ronald Reagan's first term in the White
House, and the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation in the
world. (Applause.) There's a simple reason for our growing
prosperity: the Bush tax cuts are working. Don't let anybody tell you
otherwise. (Applause.)
Not surprisingly, the American people are using their money far
better than the government would have, and Congress was right to let
them keep it. There are voices in the land who want to roll back the
Bush tax cuts. Let's choose one at random, the Junior Senator from
Massachusetts. (Laughter.)
If elected, Senator Kerry has promised to repeal most of the Bush
tax cuts within his first 100 days in office.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: This is a good crowd. I may take you home
with me. (Laughter.)
This isn't surprising when you consider his record. Over the
years, Senator Kerry has voted some 350 times for higher taxes on the
American people -- including the biggest tax increase in history.
That's an average of a vote for higher taxes every three weeks for the
last 20 years. (Groans.) At least the folks back in Massachusetts
knew he was on the job. (Laughter.)
For the sake of long-term growth and job creation, we should do
exactly the opposite of what Senator Kerry proposes. We should
continue spending discipline in Washington, D.C. -- and because tax
cuts are the basis of our economic recovery, we should make the tax
cuts permanent. (Applause.)
Under the strong economic leadership of President Bush, this nation
is going to continue moving forward with an aggressive, pro-growth,
pro-jobs agenda.
Our nation needs legal reform, to protect small businesses from
junk lawsuits and needless regulation. (Applause.) America's
entrepreneurs should be able to hire productive workers, instead of
hiring lawyers. (Laughter.)
Our country needs medical liability reform to control the costs of
health care. (Applause.) Here in Arkansas and across the nation,
doctors should be able to spend time healing patients, not fighting off
frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.)
Congress also needs to pass energy legislation. Three years ago,
the President sent Congress a sound energy plan to modernize our
electricity system, increase conservation, expand the use of
alternative fuels, and produce more energy here at home. If Congress
had acted on our energy plan three years ago, today we would be well on
our way to increasing our domestic energy supply. The House has passed
legislation, yet it's hung up in the Senate. It's time for Congress to
pass our energy plan, so we can make America less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.)
It's also time for the Senate to get about the business of
confirming President Bush's judicial nominees. (Applause.) The recent
agreement by Senate Democrats to stop obstructing votes on 25 of the
President's nominees is a welcome step. Yet far too many nominees are
still being forced to spend months, or even years, waiting for a
hearing and an up-or-down vote. A number are still being
filibustered. That's unfair to the nominees, and it's an abuse of the
constitutional process. (Applause.) Every nominee deserves a prompt
up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. And that's another reason why we
should send more Republicans to the United States Senate. (Applause.)
On issue after issue -- from national security to economic growth
-- President Bush has led the way in making progress for the American
people. The President has a clear vision for the future of the
nation. Abroad, we will use America's great power to serve great
purposes -- to protect our homeland by turning back the forces of
terror, and spread hope and freedom throughout the world. Here at
home, we will continue building a prosperity that reaches every corner
of the land, so that every child who grows up in the United States will
have a chance to learn, to succeed, and to rise in the world.
(Applause.)
President Bush and I are both honored by your confidence in us, by
your commitment to the cause we share. We're grateful to our many
friends here in Little Rock and all across Arkansas. And now,
together, we are going to see our cause forward to victory on November
2nd, 2004.
Thank you all very much. (Applause.)
END 6:25 P.M. CDT
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