[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.

[[Page 1309]]

    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

[[Page 1310]]

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

[[Page 1311]]

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

[[Page 1312]]

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.