    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [October 26, 2001]
    [Pages 1308-1312]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1308]]

    Remarks to Business, Trade, and Agricultural Leaders
    October 26, 2001

        Thank you for that warm welcome, and welcome to the White House. I
    appreciate you giving us a chance to share with you our strategy on how
    we're going to win the war against terror.
        It starts with assembling a good team, and I put together a fabulous
    administration. I picked a great Vice President in Dick Cheney. [Applause] Some of you may know him. [Laughter] But I
    know him a man who gives solid advice, and he's got great judgment. And
    the Nation's lucky that he left the--left his previous occupation to
    serve our country.
        I'm also pleased to be joined by three members of my Cabinet who are
    all involved with shepherding through an economic stimulus plan through
    the United States Congress. Secretary Paul O'Neill is doing a fabulous job. I've got great confidence in Paul
    and his ability to sell to the American people and to the United States
    Congress that which we're trying to do to make sure our economy grows.
    And I want to thank you, Paul, for your service, as well.
        Bob Zoellick is traveling the world
    promoting free trade. I'll talk a little bit about trade later on. But I
    want to thank his tireless efforts. One thing that we're all hopeful for
    is that we start a new round of WTO talks at Doha, Qatar. And Bob's
    working hard to make that happen. I just have come from China, as you
    know, and he preceded me there, and they were still talking about the
    Zoellick touch. [Laughter]
        And I want to thank Spence Abraham, as
    well, who's helping us shepherd a realistic energy plan through the
    United States Congress. So thank you all for being here.
        We are at the beginning of what I view as a very long struggle
    against evil. We're not fighting a nation; we're not fighting a
    religion; we're fighting evil. And we have no choice but to prevail.
    We're fighting people that hate our values. They can't stand what
    America stands for. And they really don't like the fact that we exist.
    And I want to assure you all that we will fight this fight on every
    front. We will use every resource we have. And there is no doubt in my
    time--in my mind that in our time, we will prevail. There's no doubt.
        And we're fighting this war on a variety of fronts. We've put
    together a vast coalition of nations to slowly but surely encircle those
    who would terrorize and to send the message that their actions will not
    stand. I really appreciate the hard work of Secretary of State
    Powell. He is working endlessly to not only
    keep a coalition together but to broaden it. And it's working--and it's
    working.
        We're fighting them on a financial front. We're choking off their
    money. We're seizing their assets. We will be relentless as we pursue
    their sources of financing. And I want to thank the Secretary of
    Treasury for leading that effort.
        We're sharing intelligence because in order to fight a war, the new
    war of the 21st century, we've got to know more about the enemy, where
    they try to hide, where they may try to strike next. And so we've got
    great cooperation with intelligence services from around the world, as
    well as great cooperation internally between the CIA and the FBI.
        The culture in our agencies have changed. We are now interested in
    preventing attack. We're now interested in finding those who may attack
    America and arrest them before they do. We've had over--nearly 1,000
    people have been detained in America and questioned about their motives
    and their intentions. The FBI is on full alert, and they take
    information garnered from around the world and share that information in
    a way that will make Americans proud.

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        And we've also put our military into action. I've got great
    confidence in the American military. I've also got great confidence in
    our strategy, as we uphold this doctrine: It says, if you harbor a
    terrorist, you're a terrorist. If you harbor anybody who has harmed
    America, you're just as guilty as those who have harmed our country.
        And therefore the Taliban Government, which we gave ample time to
    respond to reasonable demands, are now paying the price for harboring
    the Al Qaida organization, as they should. We're slowly but surely
    dismantling Taliban defenses, Taliban military installations, the
    Taliban command and control structure, all aimed at bringing the Al
    Qaida criminals to justice.
        It is the first battle in the war of terrorism. The American people
    are going to have to be patient, just like we are. They're going to have
    to be determined, just like our military is. And with that patience and
    with that determination, we will eventually smoke them out of their
    holes and get them and bring them to justice. And that's exactly what
    the world demands, and that's what the United States will deliver.
        It's hard for some Americans to realize that this is a two-front
    war. After all, history has basically said there would never be two
    fronts, one abroad and one in America. But we now have a second front on
    this war against terror here at home. We've been struck, obviously, on
    September the 11th, and we're being struck again. Anytime anybody puts
    anthrax in a letter, it's an act of terror.
        The press often ask me, ``Well, is this the--is the evil one hiding from us in Afghanistan, the ones who have
    done this to America?'' I said, ``I don't know.'' We don't know yet. But
    we do know the evil one who hides thinks in ways that we can't possibly
    think in America--so destructive, such a low regard for human life. And
    anybody who puts anthrax, trying to kill American citizens, shares the
    same set of values. Whoever has done it shares that same value of evil
    that we saw on September the 11th. And we'll find them and bring them to
    justice, as well.
        But we've got a strategy to fight the war on the homefront. As I
    mentioned, we're disrupting, as much as we possibly can, any possible
    attack on America. Every day I meet with the FBI Director and the Attorney General and Tom Ridge, who heads the
    Office of Homeland Security, to get a report on the activities that were
    taking place. We take every threat seriously. We respond to every piece
    of information we receive.
        As I mentioned, we have arrested or detained over 1,000 people here
    in America, to determine--to find out what they know. And if they know
    something that is helpful, we will act on it. And we've got a great
    response mechanism in place.
        Today I mourned the lives of two who--two postal officers who lost
    their life in the line of duty. But I can tell the American people that
    because of the hard work of many in our public health offices, I believe
    we've saved a lot of lives, too, by responding as quickly as we have.
        Today, right here in this room, I had the honor of signing a piece
    of antiterrorist legislation widely supported by Members of both parties
    in both Houses. It's needed legislation to help us do the job the
    American people expect, which is to protect the homeland.
        This is a two-front war. It's a two-front war, and it's a war we're
    going to win on both fronts. But make no mistake; the best way to make
    sure we protect our homeland is to succeed by bringing the terrorists
    abroad who try to strike us to justice.
        Now, there's another front on the war, as well, and that's our
    economy. And there's no question the terrorists want to cast a shadow of
    fear on the businesses of America. They understand how important our
    businesses are to our way of life. After all, the entrepreneurial spirit
    is strong in America. It's part of our culture. It's part of a hopeful
    society. And the more

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    that can be disrupted, that spirit of commerce and enterprise, the more
    successful they think they will be. But they're not going to succeed
    there, either.
        In all our wars, the productive power of the economy has been one of
    our Nation's great advantages. And that's true today. But it's clear
    that our economy has been shocked. There's been shockwaves sent
    throughout all parts of the Nation's economic fabric. Obviously, we took
    a huge hit at the financial center of our country, in New York City. Our
    transportation system has been severely disrupted, which has, in turn,
    affected hotels and people who work in hotels.
        This administration is deeply concerned about those who have lost
    jobs. And we know there are a lot of Americans who hurt, and we hurt for
    them. And we're going to work with Congress to take the appropriate
    actions.
        I also know that some in this room have made a tough economic
    decision by delaying any layoffs or have chosen not to lay off workers,
    and I applaud you for that. And I thank you for making that decision, on
    behalf of the workers in America. I believe it's the right thing to do
    during this national emergency.
        But our Government must act wisely, as well. We must understand that
    our job is to help restore confidence in the future of the country in a
    way that is wise and sound. Buildings can be rebuilt, and they will be.
    Transportation systems will be invigorated, and they will be, as well.
    But the vitality of our economy depends upon the willingness of
    Americans to spend and for Americans to start new businesses to purchase
    new equipment and to invest in the future of this country. And I
    understand that. And we're taking practical steps, and let me share some
    of those with you.
        We're supporting American aviation with money and loans, to make
    sure the planes fly. We're also beefing up security at our airports, to
    make sure people feel safe in flying. And we're working with Congress to
    get a long-term law passed that will say to the American consumer and
    the American flyer, this Government is doing everything in our power to
    secure the airways on your behalf.
        As I mentioned, we're--we've spent money in a supplemental to
    rebuild New York City and the Pentagon. It's the right thing to do.
    We've got SBA, the Small Business Administration, helping small
    businesses in the areas impacted by the attacks from the evil ones.
        We're paying for improved security at our post offices. We're just
    beginning to secure the post offices, in a way. You see, the post office
    obviously was set up as a way to efficiently deliver mail, not
    understanding that someone would dare use the mail as a weapon against
    America, and we're adjusting quickly to the new realities that we face.
        All this costs money, and we're spending it here in Washington. And
    when the money we've committed is spent, we believe it will have a
    positive effect on the economy. But we must be careful not to overspend.
    There's a lot of good ideas in Washington, and a lot of them cost a lot
    of money. And we must be careful to assess our needs and make sure we're
    cautious about how we spend taxpayers' money. We believe the best way to
    stimulate and restore confidence to the economy is not through
    additional spending but through tax relief.
        Tax relief arrives quickly. If we can get a bill out of both the
    House and the Senate, it will happen in quick fashion. Unlike spending
    programs, we won't have to wait for plans to be drafted and contracts to
    be let. The tax relief for new investment in the House stimulus package
    will go into effect as soon as the bill is signed, if we can get it out
    of the Senate. New lower tax rates for consumers and entrepreneurs will
    show up in paychecks on the first day of the next year--of the new year,
    if we can get that passed out of the Senate. The tax rebates for low-
    and moderate-income

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    folks would begin to arrive soon, if we can get it out of the Senate.
        Tax relief will put money rapidly into the hands of consumers. Tax
    relief will improve incentives to save and invest and will give a
    powerful boost to our national economy. And tax relief is efficient.
    When we've tried in the past to spend our way out of an economic
    slowdown, we have found that the money has often been spent unwisely.
    Tax relief, on the other hand, lets individuals decide for themselves
    what they need most. Tax relief lets economic resources flow to places
    where they can do the most good for the country.
        The House's tax relief plan accelerates some income tax reductions
    already planned for individuals and entrepreneurs and small businesses.
    This will give people opportunity to make decisions for themselves. And
    we've learned from experience that free decisions are usually the best
    decisions for our economy as a whole.
        And third, and most important, tax relief will expand productive
    investment. The House plan allows businesses to speed up the expensing
    of new equipment. And it reforms the corporate Tax Code, so that
    companies do not face higher effective rates as their profits decline.
    Together, these two changes will persuade many companies that time has
    come to reinvest in America. And when we invest in America, we create
    jobs for American workers.
        Tax relief is an essential step. But it's not the only step we
    should take. We need an energy plan for America. Under the leadership of
    the Vice President, we drafted a comprehensive,
    commonsense plan for the future of this country. It passed the House of
    Representatives. It needs a vote in the United States Senate.
        Oh, I understand energy prices are low right now, thank goodness.
    But that shouldn't lead our Nation to complacency. We need to be more
    self-reliant and self-sufficient. It is in our Nation's national
    interest that we develop more energy supplies at home. It is in our
    national interest that we look at safe nuclear power. It is in our
    national interest that we conserve more. It is in our national interest
    that we modernize the energy infrastructure of America. It's in our
    national interest to get a bill to my desk, and I urge the Senate to do
    so.
        And we can restore economic confidence by expanding trade. More open
    trade is essential to the growth of our Nation's economy. A part of our
    economic recovery program is to give me the ability to negotiate trade
    agreements. I need trade promotion authority to expand opportunity for
    businesses large and small, for entrepreneurs in America. I need trade
    promotion authority to expand the job base of this great Nation.
        I'm the first President who hasn't had trade promotion authority. I
    need it now. It's in our Nation's best interest that we have it. And
    it's in the best interests of our world that we trade in freedom.
        We have a chance to draw all the people into the world--in the world
    into an open market economy, and that will offer better living standards
    and more political freedom and will enhance human dignity all across our
    globe. And it's our Nation's interest that that happen.
        Nobody is disqualified from an open world that trades freely. No one
    will be disqualified by religion, no one by nationality. No one will be
    disqualified by geography. Our enemies fear this world precisely because
    they know how attractive modernization is to the oppressed people around
    the globe. Our enemies fear open societies in which men and women can
    think for themselves, can decide their own destinies, can decently
    support their own families, can educate their sons and their daughters
    in a modern world. Our enemies fear a society which is pluralistic and
    open to worship an almighty God.
        Our enemies are right to fear open societies, because those
    societies leave no room for bigotry and tyranny. The promise of

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    our time has no room for the vision of the Taliban or Al Qaida.
        This is a time of promise for America. I'm incredibly optimistic
    about this Nation's future, because I understand America and I
    understand the people of America. Franklin Roosevelt warned us 70 years
    ago that fear feeds on itself and contributes to the very problems that
    first gave it rise. America has prevailed over fear in a Great
    Depression and in a global war, and we will do so again.
        The character of our country has not changed. Oh, the TV sets have
    changed; the telephones have changed; the cars have changed; but not the
    heart and soul of America. When they struck America, they did not
    understand our Nation. They did not understand our resolve. They did not
    understand our patience. They did not understand our will to win.
        I want to thank the Business Council for coming and for joining this
    war. All of us need to understand, it is now time to plant the flag of
    freedom firmly in our Nation and around the world, because what we do
    today will determine whether or not our children and our grandchildren
    can grow up in a life that we knew. What we do today will determine how
    free America is for the future. And we will not fail.
        Thank you all for coming, and God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Thomas L. Morris, Jr., and Joseph
    P. Curseen, Jr., postal workers at the Brentwood postal facility in
    Washington, DC, who died as a result of anthrax infections contracted
    from contaminated mail processed at the facility. H.R. 3162, Uniting and
    Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required To
    Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, approved
    October 26, was assigned Public Law No. 107-56.