    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [June 28, 2002]
    [Pages 1075-1080]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Luncheon for Representative Connie Morella
    June 28, 2002

        I hate to disagree with our distinguished honoree, but the reason
    people are here, Connie, is because they love you, they trust you, and
    like me, want you reelected to the United States Congress.
        I appreciate so very much the Morella boys for being here. That, of
    course, is Tony, the husband, Mark, the son, and Michael, the
    grandson, who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. It's good to be here
    with the Morellas. It's clear that they love each other. They value
    their family. They understand that in family you can find strength of
    purpose and love and compassion and comfort. And I want to thank the
    Morella men for allowing Connie to serve our Nation and encouraging her
    to serve our Nation. She makes an important contribution, and therefore,
    you do as well.
        I regret that my wife wasn't here today. But
    I want you to know she's doing fine. I can't tell you how proud I am of
    the First Lady. She really wasn't interested in politics when I asked
    her to marry me and frankly didn't care for politicians, if the truth be
    known. [Laughter] But now the people of the country are figuring out why
    I asked her to marry me. She's calm and steady and a gracious lady. A
    lot of people wonder why she said yes. [Laughter] But we're doing great.
    Many of you have said--some of you have said you pray for me and my
    family. It is the greatest gift you can give a President and his family,
    and for that, I'm grateful.
        I appreciate Governor Ehrlich
    being here today as well--[laughter]--I meant Congressman Ehrlich. I
    thank Congressman Gilchrest, Wayne Gilchrest. There you are, Wayne. Thanks for coming. I appreciate you
    being here.
        So here's what I like about Connie: She speaks clearly. After all,
    she was an English professor. [Laughter] A lot of people think I
    probably need to spend a little quality time with her. [Laughter] But
    she's an independent soul. She's a highly intellectual person who is
    with you if she thinks you're right and is gracious enough to explain to
    you when she thinks she's wrong--when you're wrong. And I respect that a
    lot. And I hope the people of this district respect that about Connie.
    She's an incredibly thoughtful soul, with a big heart, who cares deeply
    for the constituents she represents and loves her country too.
        You know, I like to tell people, when you find somebody who's good
    and decent and honorable, you have a civic duty to make sure that that
    person remains in the Halls of Congress.
        I appreciate so very much her focus on homeland defense, and so
    should you. I mean, the defense of our homeland is an incredibly
    important part of the national life these days. And after all, Connie
    represents the National Institutes of Health and does it well, I might
    add. She understands the important role that the National Institutes of
    Health can play in fighting off bioterrorism, preparing response for our
    Nation. She's an advocate of doing what is right in the budget for the
    National Institutes of Health. For no other reason, people ought to send
    her back, because she's got a clear vision of the importance of research
    for our country.
        But as well she worked hard right after September the 11th to secure
    emergency funding for the Montgomery County's local police forces and
    emergency response teams, those who worked so hard to help rescue and
    repair lives in the wake of that tragedy.
        As you know, I've asked the Congress to think boldly about how best
    to protect the homeland. I mean, after all, we've got 100 different
    agencies involved with homeland defense. They're scattered all over
    Washington. And it seems like to me that

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    we ought to align authority and responsibility under one Cabinet office,
    so that we can affect the culture of the agencies that protect the
    homeland as well as make sure that we can affect the results. And
    fortunately, Connie understands that. And she is on the House Science
    and Government Reform Committees, two important committees that will be
    dealing with this important initiative.
        I have been pleased with the response so far out of Congress. Both
    Republicans and Democrats alike understand that defending the homeland
    is not a partisan issue. It has nothing to do with political parties. It
    has everything to do with doing what's right for the American people.
        And the good news is, Connie understands that for the good of the
    country, some are going to have to give up what they call turf. You
    know, some people are going to have to say, ``Well, this--I no longer
    can have oversight on this jurisdiction.'' And that's going to be hard.
    And it's going to be difficult for some Members of the Senate and the
    House, and I understand that. But fortunately, we've got allies who
    understand the Nation comes first, and that leaving behind a legacy that
    will make it easier for future administrations and future Congress to
    deal with the true threats that face this country is more important than
    turf. And I want to appreciate Connie Morella's leadership on this
    issue.
        I appreciate so very much her strong commitment to Medicare and
    seniors who rely upon Medicare and the need for us to have prescription
    drugs in Medicare. As well I appreciate her strong commitment to making
    sure that we fulfill the promise of Social Security.
        As well I love her passion for education. We worked closely on an
    education bill that I'm convinced will make a significant difference in
    the lives of thousands of our fellow citizens. I mean, this was a good
    piece of legislation. After all, it had to be pretty good, since Senator
    Edward Kennedy and I traveled around the
    country signing the bill. [Laughter] I know people in the Crawford
    coffee shop are wondering, ``What the heck's he doing? That guy gets up
    there and--must've drank the water or something.'' [Laughter] But
    nevertheless, it's a good piece of legislation, and Connie poured her
    heart and soul into making sure it's good.
        Let me explain it right quick. It says we ought to have high
    standards for every child in America, not just a few children, not just
    children from one demographic group but every child. We ought to believe
    in our heart that every child can learn. She understands and I
    understand that if you set low standards, you're going to get lousy
    results. If you believe certain children can't learn, guess what's going
    to happen? Certain children won't learn. And so we started kind of
    trying to change the mentality of public education by insisting on the
    fact that every child can learn.
        And then we said something unique. We said, ``If you receive Federal
    money, you've got to measure to see whether or not the children are
    learning.'' See, if you've got high standards and high expectations, you
    want to know. If you've got low standards and low expectations, you
    don't care. But if you've got high standards, you want to know. And so
    for the first time, the Federal Government says, ``The State of
    Maryland, you get to measure to show us whether or not children are
    reading and writing and adding and subtracting.''
        And you see, if they are, then we'll praise the teachers and praise
    the plans and herald the curriculum that's working. But if not, we
    expect something else to happen. We expect there to be a change. We
    expect for people to say, ``Wait a minute. This is unsatisfactory to
    allow certain children to learn and other children not to learn.'' You
    see, the idea of measuring and holding people accountable is to save
    lives; it's to enforce this belief that every child can learn; it's to
    make sure we have the highest of high standards.

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        And finally, in the bill, we say we trust the people of Maryland to
    chart the path to excellence. We understand that trying to run the
    public schools out of Washington isn't going to work. We believe in
    local control of schools. And I appreciate Connie's commitment to
    education reform.
        And finally, she has been a champion of the strong economy. We need
    to make sure that above all else here domestically, people can find
    work. You know, this is a town where people love to talk about
    statistics. Here's my attitude about the workforce: If somebody's
    looking for work who wants to work and can't find work, we've got a
    problem. We've got to continue to work to expand the job base.
        I appreciate the Members of Congress here who supported the tax
    relief plan last year. It made sense to let people keep their own money,
    because when people keep their own money, they get to spend their own
    money.
        And we'll continue to work to open up markets for products
    manufactured right here in Connie's district, so that we can sell
    overseas. You see, fearful people build walls around America. Confident
    people open--tear them down and open up markets. And I'm confident that
    the entrepreneurs in the State of Maryland and all across the country
    can compete if given a level playing field. And Connie understands that,
    and I want to--I appreciate her support for trade measures that the
    Congress has been working on.
        I'm a little concerned about--I'm not concerned about the
    fundamentals of our economy. I think they're very strong. I think we've
    got the right fiscal policy in place, the right monetary policy--seems
    like it's good. People are concerned, however, about whether or not the
    balance sheets of corporate America are open, whether or not the numbers
    are real.
        Let me tell you how strongly I feel about this: I believe if
    somebody is running a corporation, if somebody has got responsibilities
    to shareholders and employees, they have the responsibility to be
    aboveboard at all times, to be frank and honest with all numbers.
        We can have all kinds of rules, and we will. I laid out some
    initiatives in March of this year that will hold people accountable. And
    our Justice Department will hold people accountable. But corporate
    America has got to understand there's a higher calling than trying to
    fudge the numbers--trying to slip a billion here or a billion there and
    may hope nobody notices--that you have a responsibility in this country
    to always be aboveboard. We expect high standards in our schools; we
    expect high standards in corporate America as well. And I intend to
    enforce the law to make sure that there are high standards.
        It is important for our fellow citizens to understand that the
    foundation for economic growth is strong in America; that our free
    enterprise system is strong, vibrant; that there's a lot of
    entrepreneurship that takes place across the country. And it's important
    for our fellow citizens to understand that, by far, the vast majority of
    our leaders in the business community are honest and upright people.
    That's important for them to hear. Just as important for them to hear,
    when we catch people doing wrong, there will be consequences for those
    who have done wrong.
        So I feel good about our work on the economy. But we won't tire
    until we kind of boost the confidence of the country and, at the same
    time, work to continue to expand the job base so people can find work.
    And Connie Morella has been an advocate for this kind of approach, and I
    appreciate her leadership in the Congress.
        One issue that affects our economy besides the competence and
    corporate profits, which are improving, is also the American people and
    the investors are worried about another attack on America. And as you
    know, we're doing everything we can here at home to button up the
    homeland.
        Connie Morella's a huge supporter of the Federal workers, those who
    work hard to

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    help America. And I've got to tell you, people are working overtime on
    behalf of our citizens. I'm proud of the effort people put in. Listen,
    we're running down every hint. If we get any kind of hint that
    somebody's thinking about doing something to this country, we're on it--
    ``we'' being hard-working Federal employees like the FBI. People analyze
    data; there's a lot of people in this town who spend a lot of time on
    the--now the number one mission of the country, which is to protect our
    homeland. And I'm proud of their efforts.
        But the surest way to protect the homeland, the best way to make
    sure that America is safe and secure, is to hunt the killers down one by
    one and bring them to justice, which is precisely what we're going to
    do.
        And we're after them--we're after them. Sometimes you might not know
    it. After all, this is a different kind of war. This war doesn't have
    the old troop movements of the past, where you could watch lines of
    infantry march here or squadrons of airplanes fly there. We're facing a
    shadowy bunch of killers, and that's all they are, coldblooded killers
    who hide in caves and send youngsters to their death, who meld into big
    cities, you know, hide in the buildings hoping nobody knows they're
    there. And so it takes a while to achieve the battlefield victories,
    because we've got to change our mindset about what it means to achieve a
    battlefield victory. Battlefield victories come one person at a time in
    this war.
        So I'm pleased to report, as I did the other day when I spoke to the
    Nation, that we've got about 2,400 of them so far. These are hardcore
    killers and their supporters and money raisers, part of their army. And
    it's not just America; it's our friends and allies who are--like the
    courageous leader of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo, who we believe brought to justice the guy who was
    running this Abu Sayyaf group who managed to kidnap at least two
    Americans, the Burnhams. And the husband died, unfortunately, on the
    rescue attempt. But these people need to be got, and we've got our
    friends and allies getting them. And that's what we're going to spend
    our time doing in this administration.
        We made great progress in Afghanistan, obviously. I mean, we've
    still got a lot of work there, no question about it, because we want to
    leave behind a legacy of--that's safe and stable and secure. And there's
    still a lot of people there, kind of in caves and moving around, that
    eventually we're going to bring to justice.
        But you've got to tell your sons and daughters that this great
    Nation went into that country not as conquerors but as liberators. In
    the midst of all the talk about war, it's important to reassure our
    youngsters that we don't seek revenge, we seek justice, and that this
    compassionate Nation want to help people, that we believe in freedom.
    When people attack our freedoms, we'll respond.
        I don't know what got into the minds of the enemy. They must have
    thought we were so self-absorbed and materialistic that, after September
    the 11th, all we might do is file a lawsuit or two. They don't
    understand the character of this Nation and how much we love freedom.
    And when it comes to our freedoms, we will spend the time necessary to
    defend our freedoms.
        And that's why I've submitted to Congress a significant increase in
    the defense spending, because I want our troops to have the best pay,
    the best equipment, the best training possible. And I want to send a
    message to the world that America is in this fight for freedom for the
    long pull.
        And the House of Representatives passed the defense appropriations
    bill overwhelmingly, and I want to thank both Republicans and Democrats
    for voting on that bill. And I expect the Senate to get the defense
    appropriations bill to my desk quickly, for the good of our planning for
    this war, for the good of understanding what money is going to be
    available. Instead of playing politics with the defense appropriations
    bill, they need to do what the House did and

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    get it passed in a bipartisan fashion so I can sign it as quickly as
    possible.
        We're making great progress. Like the American people, I'm a patient
    man. And we're deliberate. I think the American people fully understand
    the new--the nature of this war. I believe history has called us into
    action. I mean, I believe history has shined the spotlight on this
    country, and people are wondering, are we going to blink, or are we
    going to lead? That's what they're wondering. And there's only one
    course, and that's lead toward freedom.
        There are some true threats that face us, beyond, obviously, this Al
    Qaida network, and you've heard me speak about them. I believe, for the
    sake of our children's future, we've got to deal with and be realistic
    about these countries which develop--harbor the desire to develop
    weapons of mass destruction. You see, we cannot let America and our
    friends and allies become blackmailed by the world's worst leaders who
    harbor the world's worst weapons. And so for the sake of our future, you
    just need to know that we'll use every tool at our disposal--every tool
    at our disposal--to make sure that our children can grow up in a free
    world.
        No, we've been given a chance to show the world what we're made out
    of, and we are. This is a fantastic nation. And I believe that out of
    the evil done to America will come some incredible good. It's hard for
    people to probably realize that, but I believe it. I believe we can
    achieve peace. I believe that if America is tough and firm and resolved,
    we can achieve peace. We can achieve peace if we speak clearly, no doubt
    of where we stand. We can achieve peace in parts of the world where
    people have no hope for peace, where people might have given up.
        No, I believe out of the evil done to America can come some
    incredible good, not only abroad, but I believe here at home too--I
    believe here at home. This country is so compassionate and decent and
    kind that out of the evil done to us can come some incredible good.
        We've got to understand in this country, in this land of plenty,
    there are pockets of despair and hopelessness and addiction. There are
    people who say, ``This American Dream has absolutely nothing to do with
    me.'' And that bothers me, and it bothers Connie, too. But you know what
    I know? I know that our society can change one heart, one soul, one
    conscience at a time. And I know there are thousands and millions of
    Americans who understand that to fight evil, you can do some good by
    loving your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
        And it doesn't take much. It doesn't take much. It doesn't take much
    to be tolerant to your neighbor. It doesn't take much to mentor a child
    or to go into a shut-in's house and say, ``I love you,'' to deliver food
    out of your church or your mosque or your synagogue. It doesn't take
    much. It takes a commitment to something greater than yourself, is all
    it takes. It takes a desire to serve your Nation not only as a patriot
    who is willing to put his hand over his heart on the Pledge of
    Allegiance but understands that patriotism is serving that person in
    need. And that's happening in America.
        You watch. Out of the evil done to America will come some incredible
    good in this country. And you know why? Because we are the greatest
    nation on the face of the Earth. And it is my honor to be your
    President. And it's Connie's honor to be representing Maryland in the
    United States Congress.
        Thanks for coming, and God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:04 p.m. in Salon 3 at the Marriott
    Wardman Park Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to President Gloria
    Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines; and Abu Sabaya, a leader of the Abu
    Sayyaf terrorist group who was killed June 21 by Philippine military
    forces. Representative

    [[Page 1080]]

    Morella was a candidate for reelection in Maryland's Eighth
    Congressional District.