    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [February 1, 2002]
    [Pages 165-168]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the ``Congress of Tomorrow'' Republican Retreat Luncheon in
    White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
    February 1, 2002

        President Bush. Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you. It is
    rare that a fellow can give two 50-minute addresses in the same week.
    [Laughter] I knew you'd be thrilled. [Laughter]
        J.C., thanks for those kind words, and
    thanks for your leadership. One of us didn't get the dress code right.
    [Laughter]
        Audience member. You didn't get the memo.
        President Bush. Yes, I didn't get the memo. [Laughter]
        At any rate, I'm delighted to be here; I am. First, I want to say
    something about the leaders of the two bodies represented here. Your
    Speaker and the majority leader--I call him majority leader--are two really good
    men to work with. I have loved my experience working with Denny and
    Trent last year. I really enjoy the candid discussions. But most
    importantly, what I really appreciate is the desire to work together to
    do what's right for the country. We're lucky to have two such strong and
    good men leading the country. And so it's an honor to be with the
    Speaker and Senator Trent Lott. And I look forward to a fabulous year
    working with the two men in 2002.
        I think this is going to be a great year; I do. I've never been more
    optimistic about anything in my life. In the Oval Office there's a
    painting by a friend of mine named Tom Lea. And when you come in the
    Oval Office, you'll notice it's the western-looking painting right by
    the door where Logan used to sit. By the way, this is Logan's last day working for me, which is--I didn't fire him;
    he voluntarily left. But anyway, if you were to work where Logan used to
    be, there's a painting that shows a great expanse of west Texas. It is
    the--the guy who painted the painting was the person who wrote the quote
    I used at the end of the convention, which I'm sure most of you have
    memorized by now. [Laughter] It says, ``Sarah and I live on the east
    side of the mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is
    the side to see the day that is coming, not to see the day that is
    gone.''
        It's so important for a President to see a day that is coming, that
    is positive. And I do. In clear and vivid ways, I see a day that is much
    better for not only America and Americans but the world. We have an
    historic opportunity to fight a war that will not only liberate people
    from the clutches of barbaric behavior but a war that could leave the
    world more peaceful in the years to come.
        None of us asked for this war. None of us wished that what happened
    on September the 11th happened, and we continue to pray for the victims.
    But now that it's happened, this Nation is ready to seize the moment.
    And I'm so proud that the people in this room and on this podium
    understand the historic opportunity we have, and I want to thank you for
    joining this most noble and just cause.
        We fight for freedom, and we stand for freedom, and we won't relent
    until we defend freedom at its core. And that's why the budget I sent up
    there has got a significant increase in defense spending, because we owe
    it to the defenders of freedom to give them the best equipment, the best
    housing, the best training, and another pay raise.
        Now in my speech, I tried to educate the American people about what
    we're up against. I talked about the fact that thousands of people had
    gone through Al Qaida killer camps, and they're still roaming around.
    And so long as they're roaming around with the intention of hurting us,
    this Nation will hunt them down.

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        I've been traveling the country, as you know, and I'm so pleased
    with the fact that the American people are incredibly patient and
    resolved and share our determination to achieve our noble objective.
    They know that we have succeeded in one phase of our war in Afghanistan;
    we liberated women and children by demolishing the Taliban and its
    repressive government.
        They also know that the stage we're now in, which is hunting down
    the cave dwellers, is going to take a while. They understand that, and I
    am grateful for the people's understanding. They understand that this is
    a dangerous phase of the war. But they have also been assured by me and
    by you all that we're not going to weary. We're not going to rush our
    military. We're going to be steady and relentless until we achieve the
    objective of getting the Al Qaida killers and bringing them to justice.
        But they also understand that we are not preoccupied by one or two
    people, that while bin Laden thinks he can
    hide in a cave or Mullah Omar thinks he
    can run, it's just a matter of time. I don't know how much time, and I
    don't worry about the time about when he is brought--or they are brought
    to justice. That's just not one of my concerns. It's going to happen.
    And you know, we've got them running, and it's just--we'll get them.
        But that's not our--we're preoccupied. And the American people
    understand that, because they understand our goal is broader than just
    two individuals. It is terror wherever terror exists, and it's upholding
    that doctrine, forcefully upholding the doctrine that says if you harbor
    a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you hide a terrorist, you too
    are as guilty as a terrorist.
        But the moment is broader than just destroying terrorist training
    camps or finding terrorist trainers and bringing them to justice. The
    moment that we must seize says that in order for the world to be
    peaceful for our children and grandchildren, we've got to prevent
    nations which develop weapons of mass destruction from mating up with
    terrorist groups that will threaten the United States and our allies.
        Now we've got nations on notice as a result of the speech last
    Tuesday night. Of course, I hope they change behavior on their own. I
    hope they hear the message of not only the United States but a vast
    coalition of freedom-loving countries as we clearly say, get your house
    in order; don't develop weapons of mass destruction. And then people
    say, ``What are the consequences?'' They'll find out in due course, if
    they can't get their house in order. The mighty United States will do
    whatever it takes to defend our security. Make no mistake about it, if
    you threaten us with weapons of mass destruction, if you threaten our
    allies and friends with weapons of mass destruction, we will do whatever
    it takes to protect our people.
        And that's what we're doing at home. And I want to thank you all for
    working with us. There's been some great ideas that have come out of the
    Congress about how best to protect the homeland, and we've incorporated
    a lot of them in the initial strategy that we're outlining, not only in
    our budget but over the course of the last couple of weeks, and we'll
    continue to do so. And Tom Ridge and our team is
    open for more suggestions about how to protect the people.
        And so our bioterrorism initiative is substantial and real. And I
    want to thank you for working on it. Our first-responder initiative,
    where we're working with local governments, through Governors, is going
    to be real and meaningful. Our airport security measures are strong. I
    mean, we're doing everything we can, and the American people need to
    know that.
        And so when you go back to your districts, I thank you very much for
    sharing our mutual concern and our knowledge that the enemy still wants
    to hit us, but our Government is responding forcefully. You need to
    know, and I know you know this, that the FBI, under Bob
    Mueller, has changed its culture.
    It's still after spies and

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    white-collar criminals, and that's important. But the primary focus of
    4,000-plus agents is to disrupt the enemy, is to find out any
    information possible and run it down. We take every lead seriously. We
    take every hint of evidence seriously. We understand the intentions of
    the enemy, and your constituents must know that this Government is doing
    everything in our power to make America safe.
        But the best way to secure the homeland for the long run is to get
    them, get them where they hide, get them where they train, and bring
    them to justice. And you just need to know something about your
    President; I am not going to tarry like I--wary--weary, on this subject,
    like I said in my first speech in September after the war. I understand
    the call. My determination today is as strong as it was when I addressed
    you all in October, and my determination 3 years from now will be just
    as strong then as it is today. I understand the call. I understand the
    mission. And this great country will defend freedom to its core.
        I said in my State of the Union that I stand in awe of the American
    people, and you know what I'm talking about. You've seen it in your
    communities when you go back home. You've seen it in your coffee shops.
    You've seen it in your different clubs. You've seen it when you've seen
    your neighbors. I mean, this country is a country that is not only
    strong and determined, but it's a compassionate country as well.
        People often ask me, ``What can I do to participate in the war
    against terror?'' And as you know, in this particular issue, I see
    things pretty clearly, in just plain terms. Since this is a war of good
    versus evil, those of--who want to participate in the war against terror
    can do acts of kindness to overwhelm the evil done to the country.
    People can participate in the war against terror all kinds of ways. You
    can help serve as eyes and ears; you can alert--be alert. But you can
    love a neighbor. An American, in fighting the war against terror, can
    walk across the street to a neighbor who is shut in and say, ``I care
    for you.'' And it's those millions of acts of kindness on a daily basis
    that define our country and stand defiantly in the face of evil.
        And so one of the things I've tried to do is to capture the
    magnificent spirit of the country. And we've set up what's called the
    USA Freedom Corps. And somebody who is interested in joining can dial 1-
    877-USA-CORPS, or if you happen to be computer-literate,
    usafreedomcorps.gov. And it's a chance for citizens to heed my call,
    which says we'd like you to serve your country for 2 additional years,
    or 4,000 hours over your lifetime.
        Now, I understand many in this room and many of your constituents
    are already--have heard the call. And keep doing--my call is, keep doing
    it. But some don't know where to start, and here is a good place for
    people to start. And if they call the USA Freedom Corps number, they
    will find ways to--if you're a senior citizen, participate in Senior
    Corps; or if you want to teach, Teach For America; or if you want to go
    to the Peace Corps, we're expanding the Peace Corps to take our values
    and compassion into the Islamic world, for example. There's all kinds of
    opportunities to serve. And we're calling on the American people to do
    so. And it's really to help change our culture. That's how I view it.
        A lot of us grew up in a culture which has said, ``If it feels good,
    just go ahead and do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else.''
    See, I believe out of this evil can come a new cultural--a new culture,
    a new assessment of what America is all about. Our hope is that the
    country's culture changes to one of responsibility, that each of us are
    responsible for the decisions we make in life.
        If you are a mom and dad, you are responsible for loving your child
    with all your heart and all your soul. If you're a compassionate
    neighbor, you're responsible for

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    helping a neighbor in need. If you're corporate America, you're
    responsible for making sure you reveal all your assets and liabilities
    to your shareholders and your employees. So part of the ushering in the
    responsibility era, not only from the individual basis but on the
    corporate basis, I have proposed some pension reforms I would like to
    outline briefly for you today and ask you to take them up as quickly as
    possible.
        We are announcing some proposals to protect pensions. My plan will
    strengthen the workers' ability to manage their own retirement funds by
    giving them more freedom to diversify, better access to professional
    investment advice, and quarterly information about their investments.
        Employers should be encouraged to make generous contribution to
    workers' 401(k) plans. It's a positive development when employers give
    stock to people who work for them. About 42 million workers own 401(k)
    accounts with a total of $2 trillion in assets, and that's a critical
    part of retirement security for workers all across America.
        But workers should also have the freedom to choose how to invest
    their retirement savings. And so the proposal I'll submit to Congress
    and work with Members here in this room will allow workers to sell
    company contributed stock and diversify into other investment options
    after 3 years of participation in their company's plan.
        To ensure that blackout periods are fair, the plan will ensure that
    company executives be bound by the same blackout restrictions they
    impose on their workers. If it's okay for the sailor, it ought to be
    okay for the captain. My plan also requires that workers be given a 30-
    day notice before any blackout period begins, so workers can plan to
    make changes in their investments. It's a matter of fairness. It's a
    matter of openness. It's a matter of respect for the process. And I look
    forward to working with you to get something done.
        I also look forward to working with you to continue the progress
    we've made on a lot of issues. I think America appreciates it when
    people come to this body or your respective bodies and work hard for
    what's good for the country. We've made good progress doing that.
        I am so proud of working with you. I'm proud to be able to call you
    a colleague here in Washington, DC. It's been a remarkable experience
    for me. It's a joy to exchange ideas. It's been sometimes a joy to watch
    the legislative process. [Laughter] Generally, it's an amazing
    experience to watch. [Laughter] But I'm looking forward to working with
    you to make sure that the legislation that does come out is positive and
    hopeful for the American people.
        Thanks for your friendship. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:38 p.m. in the Colonial Hall at the
    Greenbrier. In his remarks, he referred to Representative J.C. Watts,
    Jr., of Oklahoma; outgoing Presidential Aide Logan Walters; Usama bin
    Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization; and Mullah Omar,
    former head of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.