For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 2, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at California Victory 2006 Rally
William Jessup University Rocklin
California

6:12 P.M. PST

MRS. BUSH: Thanks, everybody. Thank you all so much. Thank you, John. Thank you very much. I'm so happy to have this chance to stand with you. I see your sign over here, and I'm really happy to be here with you. And thanks to each and every one of you for the warm welcome to California. (Applause.)

I want to recognize a few people. Duf Sundheim, the Chairman of the California Republican Party, thank you for your great work. (Applause.) Bryce Jessup, the President of William Jessup. (Applause.) And Julie Doolittle, who is out here in the crowd -- Julie, I know what it's like to be the wife of a spouse. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be with all of you tonight to support John Doolittle's campaign for the United States Congress. (Applause.) John cares deeply about the people of California, and during his 11 years in Washington, he's distinguished himself as a passionate advocate for the 4th district.

Congressman Doolittle is a leader in the House of Representatives, where he serves as Secretary of the House Republican Conference. For the 15 years John has been in Congress, he's increased employment opportunities for people here in his district. He's improved the business climate in your state, so California entrepreneurs can expand their companies and create more jobs. (Applause.)

On the House Appropriations Committee, which is a very important committee, by the way, John has worked to bring fundraising dollars to improve the 4th district's infrastructure. These resources will widen Interstate 80, they'll fund construction of the Folsom bridge, they'll improve water treatment facilities in Georgetown and Lake Davis, and they'll finance flood control projects in the Sacramento area. (Applause.) These very important infrastructure improvements will improve the quality of life for John's constituents, and create good construction jobs throughout the 4th district. (Applause.)

John Doolittle brings to Congress the principles of efficiency and accountability that have defined his public service. He makes sure California tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports the Presidential Line Item Veto, which will help eliminate unnecessary spending from the federal budget. (Applause.) And he supports President Bush's tax cuts. (Applause.) These tax cuts have fueled our economy, and they've helped add 6.6 million new jobs since 2003. And that means 6.6 million more Americans wake up every morning with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes with a job. (Applause.)

Something else Congressman Doolittle and the President have in common -- and something that's close to my heart -- is a commitment to natural preservation.

Congressman Doolittle is an enthusiastic steward of our country's natural resources. In the House, John has served on the Resource Conservation, Research and Forestry, National Parks, and Forests and Lands subcommittees. Congressman Doolittle has sponsored legislation to promote the use of hybrid vehicles in California. He authored the Tahoe Restoration Act -- (applause) -- which provides $100 million in funding to preserve the lake's crystal clear waters, and to protect it's surrounding area's forest ecology.

After Yosemite National Park sustained devastating flooding in 1997, John authored the Yosemite Restoration Act. This legislation helped revive one of the most majestic expanses of wilderness in our country. And I know that, because I love to hike in Yosemite. Thank you, John, for this vital preservation work. (Applause.)

One of the benefits of natural and historical preservation is that it gives our children more opportunities to learn about our country. Visits to national parks, to museums, to aquariums, and to monuments are great activities for young people, offering them healthy and positive ways to learn and spend time with their families.

Congressman Doolittle has a strong commitment to young people. John co-sponsored legislation to curb the spread of methamphetamines, which will keep harmful drugs out of California's communities and away from California's young people. (Applause.)

John co-sponsored the Parents Tax Relief Act, which would change our country's tax code to increase support for families raising children. (Applause.) And John co-sponsored legislation that ensures that rural schools in Northern California and throughout the United States have the resources they need to provide excellent education for all children. Thank you, Congressman Doolittle, for your commitment to California's children. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people in California and throughout our country depends upon our government's ability to protect them -- by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad. In Congress, John Doolittle is a champion of the men and women of the United States military. (Applause.)

And thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are now free from the oppression of Saddam Hussein, and they're working to build a democracy. (Applause.)

And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be educated. (Applause.) It's hard for us to imagine a government that would prohibit half of its citizens from being educated. But now, Afghanistan has a new elected government, and little girls are in school all over Afghanistan. (Applause.)

With us tonight is Major Eric Egland from the U.S. Air Force Reserves. (Applause.) Eric earned a degree from the Air Force Academy, and then he served in Korea and Saudi Arabia, and then he volunteered to go to Iraq. During his time there, he trained units in Baghdad to identify, defuse, and avoid roadside bombs. Now that he's home, he's a contributing author to "Blog of War: Frontline Dispatches from Iraq and Afghanistan." He also participates in rallies hosted by moveamericaforward.org, which is a non-profit committed to supporting America's efforts to defeat terrorism and supporting the brave men and women of the United States military. Thank you very much, Eric. (Applause.)

All of us are proud of the men and women deployed around the world defending our country. Every day, thousands of these men and women risk their lives overseas to make sure their families, and all of our families, are kept safe here in the United States. Their love of our country, and of liberty, never wavers, and neither does their belief in their cause.

Many of these men and women have given their lives for this belief. Around the country, President Bush and I meet with their families. In military hospitals, we meet with their fellow soldiers who've been wounded in combat. And from our troops and their families, the President and I hear the same request: that we honor the sacrifice of these men and women by seeing their mission through. (Applause.) They ask the American people to stand with our troops.

John Doolittle stands with our troops. (Applause.) He understands that this election is critical to the future of our country. And he knows that America faces challenges too big to be reduced to just politics.

President Bush has an ambitious agenda for the rest of his time in Washington, and he takes his responsibility to the American people very seriously. Ending our dependence on foreign oil, reforming our immigration system, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and keeping our country safe from terrorism -- (applause) -- they're not easy tasks, but they are absolutely vital goals. And to accomplish them, we must have serious national conversations, conducted with civility and respect. The right to have these conversations is part of what makes our country great and our democracy strong.

We must be mindful that people around the world are listening to these discussions. Responsible candidates understand that the men and women of our military are risking their lives for us overseas, and that we must conduct our debate here at home in a way that does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way. (Applause.)

John Doolittle understands his responsibility to you and to our country. So it's so important that we stand with John during this important time in American history. (Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting John Doolittle. Thanks especially to all of the volunteers here who are making the phone calls and knocking on doors. We're looking forward to Election Day. This is a spirited contest, but we have great candidates. We've got the best grassroots volunteers, too. (Applause.)

Our candidates are depending on you, so be sure to get everyone you know to the polls. Go to the phone banks, knock on all those doors, and talk to your friends and neighbors about John Doolittle and all of California's great Republican candidates. They need your support, and our country needs them. (Applause.)

Thank you all very much. Thank you for coming out today. Thank you for your strong support for John Doolittle. Thanks for working hard to make sure he's re-elected on November 7th. Thank you all so much. (Applause.)

END 6:26 P.M. PST

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