    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 30, 2002]
    [Pages 691-696]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Compassionate Conservatism in San Jose, California
    April 30, 2002

        Well, thank you very much for that warm welcome. I am so grateful
    for the Commonwealth Club and the Churchill Club for inviting me here. I
    appreciate you all coming, and I appreciate your hospitality. I want to
    thank Dr. Gloria Duffy for her generous
    introduction and for her invitation. I want to thank Silvia
    Fernandez, who's the president of the
    Churchill Club, for joining the Commonwealth Club to host this event. I
    want to thank all the elected

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    officials who are here. I want to thank my fellow citizens for coming.
        Whenever I visit California, I'm impressed by the beauty of this
    State and by the spirit of the people. Because of its size, the health
    of the California economy influences every American. And California has
    got a culture of optimism and energy that touches all of us as well.
    This is a vital and a vibrant place, and I'm glad to be back.
        The last time I visited San Jose, the Silicon Valley was still in an
    economic boom, and America was at peace. For many in this valley and
    across our country, those times are a world away. After a recession made
    worse by a national emergency, we have seen some good news. Our economy
    is beginning to grow. Just last week, we had the good news about strong
    growth in the first quarter. Yet, this vital region reminds us that a
    lot of work remains to be done.
        Business investment and job creation are not what they should be. We
    cannot be content with one quarter's news. We cannot be complacent. My
    attitude is that we'll let the statisticians talk about the numbers, but
    so long as somebody who wants to work can't find work, that's a problem
    for America. We have a great task ahead of us. We must turn our short-
    term recovery into long-lasting expansion that reaches every part of our
    country.
        Our economy grows when trade barriers fall. I ask the Senate to join
    the United States House of Representatives in giving me what's called
    trade promotion authority. It's important to be a confident country, and
    I'm confident in the ability of American entrepreneurs and producers to
    compete in the world. I'm confident that our farmers and ranchers can
    compete in the world. And I know American technology companies are the
    best in the world. And we must open new markets so they can sell to the
    world.
        Our economy grows when the tax burden goes down and stays down. Much
    of the growth we have seen this quarter is the result of consumer
    spending, fueled by well-timed tax deductions. To encourage growth in
    job creation, we must protect the lower tax rates we've enacted, and we
    must make them permanent. And to make sure there is economic vitality
    around our country, our Government must control its appetite for
    excessive spending.
        Our economy grows when entrepreneurs are rewarded for their success,
    not hounded by regulations and needless litigation. We must enact
    reforms that free entrepreneurs from pointless regulation and endless
    litigation. And to restore trust in our economy, corporate leaders must
    be held to the highest ethical standards.
        And as your State knows, our economy grows when we have steady,
    stable, and affordable sources of energy. In Washington, we must adopt--
    finally adopt--a comprehensive strategy to conserve more, to produce
    more, and to deliver the energy that keeps our economy running. Both
    Houses have passed a energy--passed energy legislation. I expect them to
    get a bill to my desk soon, for the good of American economy and
    American jobs. By acting in the above way, we confirm that the role of
    Government is not to create wealth; the role of Government is to create
    the conditions for economic growth.
        Since I was last here, America has also accepted a great challenge
    in the world: to wage a relentless and systematic campaign against
    global terror. The security of the American people is the central
    commitment of the American Government. We are in for a long and
    difficult war. It will be conducted on many fronts, but as long as it
    takes, we will prevail.
        In the first phase of our military operation, American and coalition
    forces have liberated--have liberated--the people of Afghanistan from a
    barbaric regime. Our Armed Forces performed with skill and success and
    honor. A regime has fallen, terrorists in that country are now
    scattered,

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    and the children of Afghanistan have returned to school, boys and girls.
    Our work in that country is not over. We are helping the Afghan people
    to rebuild their nation. And in every cave, in every dark corner of that
    country, we will hunt down the killers and bring them to justice.
        We have entered the next phase of the war with a sustained
    international effort to rout out terrorists in other countries and deny
    Al Qaida the chance to regroup in other places. Across the world,
    governments have heard this message: You're either with us, or you're
    with the terrorists.
        And for the long-term security of America and civilization itself,
    we must confront the great threat of biological and chemical and nuclear
    weapons in the hands of terrorists or hostile regimes. We will not allow
    the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten America or our friends
    and allies with the world's most destructive weapons.
        History has called us to these responsibilities, and we accept them.
    America has always had a special mission to defend justice and advance
    freedom around the world. Whatever the difficulties ahead, we are
    confident about the outcome of this struggle. Tyranny and terror and
    lawless violence will not decide the world's future. As Ronald Reagan
    said and as every generation of Americans has believed, ``the future
    belongs to the free.''
        In a time of war, we reassert the essential values and beliefs of
    our country. In the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln pointed toward a new
    birth of freedom. Leading America in a global war, Franklin D. Roosevelt
    defined the four freedoms: freedom of speech and religion, freedom from
    fear and want. Whenever America fights for the security of our country,
    we also fight for the values of our country. In our time, we will defend
    the land we love, and we will act on the ideals that gave it birth.
        In America, we've not always lived up to our ideals, yet we always
    reach for them. We believe that everyone deserves a chance, that
    everyone has value, that no insignificant person was ever born. We
    believe that all are diminished when any are hopeless. We are one
    people, committed to building a single nation of justice and
    opportunity.
        America rejects bigotry. America rejects--[applause]--we reject
    every act of hatred against people of Arab background or Muslim faith.
    We reject the ancient evil of anti-Semitism, whether it is practiced by
    the killers of Daniel Pearl or by those who burn synagogues in France.
    America values and welcomes peaceful people of all faiths, Christian,
    Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and many others. Every faith is practiced
    and protected here, because we are one country. Every immigrant can be
    fully and equally American, because we're one country. Race and color
    should not divide us, because America is one country.
        These American ideals of opportunity and equality come to us across
    the generations, and they have attracted millions from across the world.
    Yet, there are young Americans growing up here, under this flag, who
    doubt the promise and justice of our country. They live in neighborhoods
    occupied by gangs and ruled by fear. They are entitled by law to an
    education, yet do not receive an education. They hear talk of
    opportunity and see little evidence of opportunity around them.
        Every American must believe in the promise of America, and to reach
    this noble, necessary goal, there is a role for Government. America
    doesn't need more big Government, and we've learned that more money is
    not always the answer. If a program is failing to serve people, it makes
    little difference if we spend twice as much or half as much. The measure
    of true compassion is results.
        Yet we cannot have an indifferent Government, either. We are a
    generous and caring people. We don't believe in a sink-or-swim society.
    The policies of our Government must heed the universal call of all
    faiths to love a neighbor as we would want to be loved ourselves. We
    need a

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    different approach than either big Government or indifferent Government.
    We need a Government that is focused, effective, and close to the
    people, a Government that does a few things and does them well.
        Government cannot solve every problem, but it can encourage people
    and communities to help themselves and to help one another. Often the
    truest kind of compassion is to help citizens build lives of their own.
    I call my philosophy and approach compassionate conservatism. It is
    compassionate to actively help our fellow citizens in need. It is
    conservative to insist on responsibility and on results. And with this
    hopeful approach, we can make a real difference in people's lives.
        Compassionate conservatism places great hope and confidence in
    public education. Our economy depends on higher and higher skills,
    requiring every American to have the basic tools of learning. Every
    public school should be the path of upward mobility.
        Yet, sadly enough, many are the dead end of dreams. Public schools
    are some of the most important institutions of democracy. They take
    children of every background, from every part of the world, and prepare
    them for the obligations and opportunities of a free society. Public
    schools are Americans great hope, and making them work for every child
    is America's great duty.
        The new education reforms we have passed in Washington give the
    Federal Government a new role in public education. Schools must meet new
    and high standards of performance in reading and math that will be
    proven on tests and posted on the Internet for parents and everyone to
    see. And we're giving local schools and teachers unprecedented freedom
    and resources and training to meet these goals.
        It is conservative to let local communities chart their own path to
    excellence. It is compassionate to insist that every child learns, so
    that no child is left behind. By insisting on results and challenging
    failure where we find it, we'll make an incredible difference in the
    lives of every child in America.
        Compassionate conservatism offers a new vision for fighting poverty
    in America. For decades, our Nation has devoted enormous resources to
    helping the poor, with some great successes to show for it: basic
    medical care for those in need; a better life for elderly Americans.
    However, for millions of younger Americans, welfare became a static and
    destructive way of life.
        In 1996, we began transforming welfare with time limits and job
    training and work requirements. And the Nation's welfare rolls have been
    cut by more than half. But even more importantly, many lives have been
    dramatically improved.
        One former welfare recipient here in California--happened to be a
    mother of a chronically ill child and the victim of domestic violence--
    describes her experience upon leaving welfare. She said, ``I feel like
    an adult again. I have my dignity back.''
        We need to continue to fully transform welfare in America. As
    Congress takes up welfare reform again in the coming weeks, we must
    strengthen the work requirements that prevent dependency and despair.
    Millions of Americans once on welfare are finding that a job is more
    than a source of income; it is a source of dignity. And by helping
    people find work, by helping them prepare for work, we practice
    compassion.
        Welfare reform must also, wherever possible, encourage the
    commitments of family. Not every child has two devoted parents at home--
    I understand that. And not every marriage can or should be saved, but
    the evidence shows that strong marriages are good for children. When a
    couple on welfare wants to break bad patterns and start or strengthen a
    marriage, we should help local groups give them counseling that teaches
    commitment and respect. By encouraging family, we practice compassion.
        In overcoming poverty and dependence, we must also promote the work
    of charities

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    and community groups and faith-based institutions. These organizations,
    such as shelters for battered women or mentoring programs for fatherless
    children or drug treatment centers, inspire hope in a way that
    Government never can. Often, they inspire life-changing faith in a way
    that Government never should.
        Our Government should view the good Americans who work in faith-
    based charities as partners, not rivals. We must provide new incentives
    for charitable giving, and when it comes to providing Federal resources
    to effective programs, we should not discriminate against private and
    religious groups.
        I urge the Senate to pass the Faith-Based Initiative for the good of
    America. It is compassionate to aggressively fight poverty in America.
    It is conservative to encourage work and community spirit and
    responsibility and the values that often come from faith. And with this
    approach, we can change lives one soul at a time and make a real
    difference in the lives of our citizens.
        The same principles of compassion and responsibility apply when
    America offers assistance to other nations. Nearly half of the world's
    people still live on less than $2 a day. When we help them, we show our
    values, our belief in universal human dignity; we serve our interests
    and gain economic partners. And by helping the developing nations of the
    world, we offer an alternative to resentment and conflict and terror.
        Yet, the old way of pouring vast amounts of money into development
    aid without any concern for results has failed, often leaving behind
    misery and poverty and corruption. America's offering a new compact for
    global development. Greater aid contributions from America must be and
    will be linked to greater responsibility from developing nations.
        I have proposed a 50-percent increase in our core development
    assistance over the next 3 budget years, money that will be placed in a
    new Millennium Challenge Account. At the end of this 3-year period, the
    level of our annual development assistance will be $5 billion higher
    than current levels.
        This is a record amount of spending. And in return for these funds,
    we expect nations to rout out corruption, to open their markets, to
    respect human rights, and to adhere to the rule of law. And these are
    the keys to progress in any nation, and they will be the conditions for
    any new American aid.
        It is compassionate to increase our international aid. It is
    conservative to require the hard reforms that lead to prosperity and
    independence. And with this approach, we'll make a real difference in
    the lives of people around the world.
        Compassionate conservatism guides my administration in many other
    areas. Our health care policies must help low-income Americans to buy
    health insurance they choose, they own, and they control. Our
    environmental policy set high standards for stewardship while allowing
    local cooperation and innovation to meet those standards. Our housing
    programs moved beyond rental assistance to the pride and stability of
    homeownership. Our reforms in Social Security must allow and encourage
    and help working Americans to build up their own asset base and achieve
    independence for their retirement years.
        All of these policies and all of these areas serve the same vision.
    We are using an active Government to promote self-government. We're
    encouraging individuals and communities and families to take more and
    more responsibility for themselves, for their neighbors, for our Nation.
    The aim of these policies is not to spend more money or spend less
    money; it is to spend on what works.
        The measure of compassion is more than good intentions; it is good
    results. Sympathy is not enough. We need solutions in America, and we
    know where solutions are found. When schools are teaching, when families
    are strong, when neighbors

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    look after their neighbors, when our people have the tools and the
    skills and the resources they need to improve their lives, there is no
    problem that cannot be solved in America.
        By being involved and by taking responsibility upon ourselves, we
    gain something else as well: We contribute to the life of our country.
    We become more than taxpayers and occasional voters; we become
    citizens--citizens, not spectators; citizens who hear the call of duty,
    who stand up for their beliefs, who care for their families, who control
    their lives, and who treat their neighbors with respect and compassion.
    We discover a satisfaction that is only found in service, and we show
    our gratitude to America and to those who came before us.
        In the last 7 months, we've been tested, and the struggle of our
    time has revealed the spirit of our people. Since September the 11th, we
    have been the kind of nation our Founders had in mind, a nation of
    strong and confident and self-governing people. And we've been the kind
    of nation our fathers and mothers defended in World War II: a great and
    diverse country, united by common dangers and by common resolve.
        We, in our time, will defend our Nation, and we will deliver our
    Nation's promise to all who seek it. In our war on terror, we are
    showing the world the strength of our country, and by our unity and
    tolerance and compassion, we will show the world the soul of our
    country.
        May God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:35 a.m. at Parkside Hall. In his
    remarks, he referred to Gloria Duffy, chief executive officer,
    Commonwealth Club; and Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl, who
    was kidnaped January 23 in Karachi, Pakistan, and later killed by his
    captors.