    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [March 1, 1991]
    [Pages 195-197]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the American Legislative Exchange Council
    March 1, 1991

        Thank you so much for that warm welcome, and welcome back to the
    White House. I just had a chat with Ellen Sauerbrey outside and
    delighted to see her and all of you; Sam Brunelli, the executive
    director. And, of course, I'm delighted to be side-by-side today, as I
    have been for the last couple of years and especially the last few
    months, with our very able Secretary of Defense.
        I know Dick feels, as I do, that when you get a nice reception like
    that, people are really expressing their gratitude to the fighting men
    and women of the United States halfway around the world. What a job
    they've done! And nobody, no individual, deserves more credit for all of
    that than the man sitting over here behind me, our able Secretary of
    Defense. I will always be indebted to him, and so will our country.
        I understand that you've heard from Mary McClure and Deb over here--
    Deb Anderson, and Richard Haass will be speaking to you in a minute. He
    has had a key role, is a key member of our National Security Council,
    every step of the way in what's happened over in the Gulf. So, you're
    going to be hearing from one upon whom I have relied heavily, upon whom
    General Scowcroft relies heavily. So you'll get the facts from him, and
    I'm sandwiched in between these two experts. [Laughter] But when I
    mention Deb and Mary, of course, I'm talking about two of your own--two
    State legislators, and both proof, if ever there was, of Finley Dunne's
    rule ``Every now and then an innocent person gets sent to the State
    legislature.'' [Laughter]
        So, I hope that you found these visits with our other--Dick
    Thornburgh and I don't know whether John Sununu has been over yet or
    not. I guess he has. And Jack Kemp is coming on. So we want you to hear
    in detail about our program--our legislative pro-

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    gram, as well as what's transpired in the Gulf.
        Like so many other fine members of our team, most of those you'll
    hear from have something in common with each of the talented people out
    here in the audience. Most of them know what it meant when--Sam Rayburn
    put it this way when he said he knows what it is to run for sheriff. And
    one of his criticisms of a lot of people around Washington was that they
    never ran for sheriff. Well, you know what it's like, and I know what
    it's like. And so I hope that you recognize that we have able people who
    have been elected; many able who have not. But we put great emphasis on
    the elective political process.
        The presence of the veterans that we have, veterans of State
    politics, is important because they kind of remind us all the time of
    the philosophical underpinnings of our administration. And I want to
    just renew in a very few minutes here my own commitment not only to
    federalism but also to the principle that the States are what we call
    the laboratories of democracy, forging ahead at the cutting edge of the
    world's greatest experiment in freedom and diversity.
        It is, of course, an ongoing experiment, a continuing experiment.
    From parental choice in child care and education to tenant ownership in
    housing, from enterprise zones to create jobs to what we call these
    drug-free zones to take back the streets, State and local governments
    are finding the new approaches to solving these problems and looking not
    just at America's problems but also at our possibilities.
        Just a little over a month ago, I went up to the Congress and
    reported on the state of the Union. And I called it then a ``defining
    hour'' for our nation, and I spoke of the promise of a renewed America.
    And I issued a call not merely for new Government initiatives but for
    new initiative in government. And as has been true throughout our
    history, the wellspring of these new initiatives is likely to be the 50
    dynamic State laboratories that are represented by all of you here
    today.
        I've often said that the State legislatures are some of our most
    practical and resourceful leaders. Close to America's roots, close to
    the people--I think that's what does it--close to the concerns of the
    communities.
        And that's why in that State of the Union Address I included a bold
    new proposal to select at least $15 billion in Federal programs and then
    turn them over to the States in one single consolidated grant, fully
    funded, for hands-on management by the States.
        And I want to thank Ellen and Sam, who sent me a letter just 2 days
    later telling us of your strong endorsement, your enthusiastic support
    for this proposal. Over the past months, we've worked with you and with
    the Governors and others in State and local government to select the
    programs that go into this turnover. We are committed to funding these
    programs, Sam, funding them for the next 5 years. And we are committed
    to moving power and decision-making closer to the people. Because at the
    bottom line, our idea of federalism comes down to four simple words:
    ``more flexibility'' and ``fewer mandates.''
        I think John was to speak to you about this earlier, but I did want
    to come by and thank you for your support and for all you're doing to
    make this initiative a success. We're getting some flak from predictable
    places on it, but I think on balance it's been received very, very well.
    And I can guarantee you we're going to fight for it.
        I want to conclude by thanking this group particularly but so many
    people across this country for the tremendous support for our men and
    women serving overseas. And I want to particularly single out those that
    are actually serving in the Gulf or in support of Desert Storm, to click
    off just a few ALEC members like Louisiana's Hunt Downer--was on active
    duty, supposed to be here--right here. Hunt, glad to see you. We're
    delighted you're here. Nevada's Jim Gibbons; and Mike Coffman from
    Colorado; Connecticut's Chris Burnham, a Marine captain who took his
    third oath of office while stationed in Saudi Arabia.
        So, we've got citizen legislators today doing double duty as citizen
    soldiers. And ladies and gentlemen, these are America at its very, very
    best.
        So, thank you. I know you share this won-

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    derful feeling that I have of joy in my heart. But it is overwhelmed by
    the gratitude I feel--not just to the troops overseas but to those who
    have assisted the United States of America, like our Secretary of
    Defense, like our Chairman of our Joint Chiefs, and so many other unsung
    heroes who have made all this possible. It's a proud day for America.
    And, by God, we've kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all.
        Thank you very, very much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 11:08 a.m. in Room 450
                            of the Old Executive Office Building. In his
                            remarks, he referred to Ellen R. Sauerbrey and
                            Samuel A. Brunelli, national chairperson and
                            executive director of the council; Secretary of
                            Defense Dick Cheney; Mary A. McClure, Special
                            Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental
                            Affairs; Debra Anderson, Deputy Assistant to the
                            President and Director of the Office of
                            Intergovernmental Affairs; Richard N. Haass,
                            Special Assistant to the President for National
                            Security Affairs; Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to
                            the President for National Security Affairs;
                            Attorney General Dick Thornburgh; John H.
                            Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President;
                            Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack
                            Kemp; State legislators Hunt Downer, Jim
                            Gibbons, Mike Coffman, and Chris Burnham; and
                            Colin L. Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
                            Staff.