    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 9, 2001]
    [Pages 1371-1372]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1371]]

    Remarks at the Signing Ceremony for the National Employer Support of the
    Guard and Reserve Week Proclamation
    November 9, 2001

        Welcome to the White House. Thank you all for coming.
        I am pleased to be here today to salute the national guardsmen and
    reservists and their employers for serving their country and to announce
    some important new measures to make air travel more secure over the
    holidays.
        America is engaged in a long and difficult struggle. At a key moment
    in our history, an important moment in the history of freedom, members
    of the National Guard and Reserve are answering their country's call.
    They are performing their duty with skill and with courage. And by
    supporting their mobilization, many employers are demonstrating their
    own patriotism.
        In a moment, I will sign a proclamation naming next week National
    Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. It is a way to express
    our appreciation to these employers and to thank them for their selfless
    devotion to our great country.
        I want to thank the Secretary of Transportation, who is here, Norm
    Mineta. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary,
    for your hard work. I appreciate Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul
    Wolfowitz for being here as well. Thank
    you, Paul. And of course, I want to thank John McHugh, Representative from New York. Thank you for coming, John.
        America faces an evil and a determined enemy. They committed mass
    murder against innocent citizens, and they have brought misery and
    terror to the people of Afghanistan. They persecute women. They destroy
    great monuments of human culture and religious faith. They execute
    people who convert to other religions. They steal food that we send to
    help starving people. They hope to spread their terror around the world,
    but we're not going to let them.
        The Al Qaida terrorist network and every nation that supports it are
    enemies of liberty and human dignity. We will oppose them. We'll find
    them. And we'll defeat them.
        The American people have responded magnificently to this challenge.
    The terrorists thought they could break the spirit of this country. They
    really didn't understand America. Their attacks have had the opposite
    effect, for we're strong. We're united. We are patient. We're
    determined. And all of us are ready to serve the great cause of freedom.
        The National Guard and Reserve are examples of this service. Since
    September the 11th, we have called to active duty nearly 53,000 Guard
    and Reserve personnel. They are guarding energy plants. They are meeting
    the military's intelligence, medical, and supply needs with specialized
    training. And they are securing our airports.
        In order to increase security of airline travelers during the
    holiday season, we will increase by 25 percent the number of National
    Guard personnel who protect our airports and airlines and American
    travelers. We are calling up these guards men and women immediately.
    This increase in security will last through the busy holiday period, and
    it is in addition to more than the 6,000 members of the Guard already
    mobilized at airports since September the 11th. These are temporary
    measures, and we believe they'll help a lot. And we are making
    fundamental changes to airport security as well.
        The Federal Government must take and, I believe, will take control
    of aviation security. I am pleased that both Houses of Congress have
    passed bills that do just that.

    [[Page 1372]]

    And I urge Congress to work hard to resolve the differences between the
    two bills--they're not that far apart--and to get to my desk as quickly
    as possible a bill that will make air travel much safer for the American
    people.
        While Congress finishes its business, I have instructed our good
    Secretary, Secretary of Transportation Mineta, to begin a series of high-level transition planning
    sessions with airport operators, security device manufacturers, airline
    CEOs, and other parties that will play a direct role in the transition
    to the new airport security system.
        There are additional steps we are taking to increase the public's
    safety and its confidence in air travel. The FAA is deploying a core
    team of security professionals to improve oversight of screening and
    other security functions at our airports. I am instructing the Inspector
    General of the Department of Transportation to conduct undercover audits
    of security performance at airports nationwide, to ensure the strict
    compliance of FAA security standards. And in September, I announced a
    $300 million grant program to secure airport--secure cockpit doors on
    airplanes. And I commend the airlines for acting quickly. Major airlines
    have now fortified cockpit doors on 100 percent of their airplanes.
        We're fighting a war on many fronts. It's a diplomatic war; it's a
    financial war. The military is performing brilliantly in Afghanistan,
    and we could not win the war without the help of the Guard and the
    reservists. And they, in turn, could not do their vital work without the
    support of their employers. Many employers are putting the national
    interests above their own self-interest, including the five recipients
    of the Secretary of Defense Employers Support Freedom Award. They have
    representatives with us today: Southwest Airlines, Boeing, EDS
    Electronic Data Systems, BAE Systems, and the City of Bedford, Virginia.
        These employers are supporting the National Guard and Reserve in
    practical and important ways, including providing full pay, benefits,
    and job security to employees who are called to active service.
    Employers do these things because they recognize that their workers are
    fighting to keep America free. They recognize that we have such huge
    stakes. They also know that America's military forces are the best
    trained in the world. And when you hire a member of the Guard or
    Reserve, you bring that training to your workplace.
        Since September the 11th, more than 1,000 State and local chambers
    of commerce have signed statements of support for employees who serve in
    the Guard and Reserve.
        Well, the Federal Government, it turns out, is the largest employer
    of Guard and Reserve personnel in America. And I am proud to sign a
    statement of support on behalf of our Federal Government.
        I am also pleased to sign the proclamation naming next week National
    Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. I would like to welcome
    up to the stage for the signing Paul Wolfowitz, who represents the Defense Department, and the five
    winners of the Secretary of Defense Employers Support Freedom Award.
        I want to thank you all for your service to America. Thank you for
    coming to the White House. And may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:33 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks. The proclamation is listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.