    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [December 4, 2001]
    [Pages 1470-1471]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1470]]

    Remarks in a Tour of the Operation Paycheck Center in Orlando, Florida
    December 4, 2001

        I, first of all, understand that the attacks on September the 11th
    affected a lot of people. Not only did we lose a lot of life, not only
    are Americans worried about future attacks, but a lot of people lost
    their jobs.
        And I'm here at this program to assure the American people and
    yourselves that our governments, both Federal and State governments,
    want to help you help yourself. I've just come from a little discussion
    with people who find themselves in the same position you're in, about
    how best to use resources to enable them to retrain for jobs that
    actually exist.
        Today we announced a grant for the State of Florida for over $3
    million to encourage programs in one-stop centers such as this, so that
    they're available for people who are looking for new skills. And the
    other thing that makes it important is, the Federal Government can write
    checks, but it seems like, to me, it makes sense to empower the local
    folks to design the programs to meet the needs so that you can train for
    jobs that actually exist in your neighborhood.
        And that's why I'm so proud of my little brother for seizing this initiative to develop a program that
    will meet your needs and the needs of people that are looking for
    workers. I want you to know that I'm optimistic about the future of the
    country. There's no question in my mind we will win the war on terror.
    There's no question that those who--the evil ones who murdered innocent
    citizens will be brought to justice.
        I believe that we're making--taking everything we possibly can to--I
    know we're doing everything we can to prevent further attacks. It's
    going to be important for the economic vitality of our country to
    prevent future attacks. And we're taking the steps necessary within our
    Constitution to do just that. If we get any whiff or any sniff that
    somebody is going to harm an American again, we're acting--just the way
    you would want us to.
        And I believe that we've got in place the framework for economic
    growth: We've got good fiscal policy; interest rates are low; energy
    prices are reasonable. But I hope the Congress does pass legislation
    that will take care of displaced workers for the short term, provide the
    short-term help necessary for you all--extending unemployment insurance,
    national emergency grants to help with the health care payments, and
    then put other stimuluses in place to encourage job creation. The long-
    term solution is more jobs, and I believe, acting together, we can do
    that.
        There seems to be a little bit of a logjam in Washington, DC, right
    now. And I know that Senators from both parties, if they could hear the
    stories about--and I'm sure they do; I'm sure they listen when they go
    home. But they need to act. They need to stop fussing and stop talking
    and get something to my desk that will take care of the workers and
    provide stimulus to this economy.
        I wish you all the best. I'm an optimist. We live in a great
    country, a resilient country, a country that will rise to the task. And
    I believe that the effects of 9/11 will--when we do our job, will be
    mitigated with job increases for you all. I really wish you the best. I
    hurt, that coming into the holiday season, that you're not working. But
    I admire your courage for going out to try to improve yourselves so you
    can find jobs around here.
        God bless you all. Thank you for letting me come by to say hello. I
    wish you all the best.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:26 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Gov. Jeb Bush

    [[Page 1471]]

    of Florida. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.