    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [March 6, 2002]
    [Pages 350-355]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
    March 6, 2002

        Hector, thank you. One of the best
    decisions I made was, I asked you to come and be the SBA Director. And
    he's doing a fine job. One of the reasons I asked Hector is because he
    understands that the role of Government is not to create wealth but to
    create an environment in which entrepreneurs from all walks of life have
    a chance to succeed.
        I'll never forget going to the Hispanic Chamber banquet in
    California, and I was given the information about the number of Latino-
    owned small businesses in the State of California. It was a staggering
    number, and I can remember telling friends of mine in Texas and other
    States what a magnificent statistic it is, to be able to read about the
    thousands of businesses started by Latinos, which means the American
    Dream is spreading her wings in every single neighborhood, which is
    precisely the vision I have for America. I want everybody who wants to
    start their own business to feel comfortable in doing so and have an
    opportunity to succeed in America. And Hector understands that.
        I want to thank you all to the Casa Blanca tambien. I want to thank
    Fidel Vargas for being here. He's on the Social
    Security Commission; I put two Latinos on the Social Security
    Commission. The Social Security Commission spent a lot of time analyzing
    the Social Security System and came back with a solid recommendation of
    allowing younger workers, if they so choose, to have their own money
    invested in a personal savings account.
        Again, I can't think of anything better for the future of our
    country than for people to own a piece of the future of America. After
    all, it is not the Government's money we're talking about; it is the
    workers' money. And I want to thank the hard work of Fidel y los otros and the Commission of the Social Security.

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        I want to thank George Herrera, the
    president of the Chamber, el Presidente. [Laughter] I want to thank
    Liz as well for being here, y
    tambien mi abogado. Al has been my
    lawyer since when I was the Governor. He's been mi abogado cuando estoy
    el Presidente, and his advice has always been sound. He's really a smart
    guy and a very close friend.
        And finally, I want to recognize Miguel Estrada. Miguel. Miguel is a really bright attorney who I've
    named to the U.S.--nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals, DC Circuit.
    They're playing too much politics in the United States Senate on our
    judge nominees. This man deserves a hearing, and he deserves a vote.
    This is a good, solid jurist who ought to be on that bench. And I'm
    calling on the United States Senate to move quickly on Miguel's
    nomination so that we can have a good, young Latino, smart, brilliant
    man represent our Nation. Thank you for being here, Miguel.
        I first want to tell you that this is an incredible time for our
    country, and I want to assure you all, as leaders in your communities
    and moms and dads and as concerned citizens, that our Nation is doing
    everything we can to protect America, that we've got a homeland security
    strategy that is working with first-responders and bioterrorism, that we
    want to modernize our borders. We want to make sure we do everything to
    protect the American people, and we are.
        But you've also got to understand my view, and it's this, that the
    best way to protect the American people is to find a terrorist wherever
    they hide and bring them to justice. You know, when this first got
    started, I told the American people that we would be in for a long and
    difficult struggle. And after nearly 6 months, the American people still
    understand that--that in order to fight for freedom, in order to win for
    freedom, we've got to be determined and strong and not relent. History
    has called this great Nation into action, and so long as I'm the
    President, I will pursue the opportunity to protect freedom, anytime,
    anywhere.
        And as you know, I've laid out a doctrine that said if you harbor a
    terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist, and that's what the
    Taliban found out. And I like to remind my fellow Americans, not only am
    I proud of how our United States military has performed, that our
    military were not conquerors, they were liberators. We freed women and
    children from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the
    history of mankind. I cannot tell you how proud I am of our troops.
        And obviously, there is still work to be done in the first theater
    in the war against terror. This is a--I told people, and I've been
    saying this for a long time, and I will continue to say so--Afghanistan
    is still a dangerous place. There are still people in Afghanistan who
    either want to disrupt the Karzai interim
    Government, want to make sure--or try to cause Afghanistan to revert
    back to being a sanctuary for murderers and terrorists, so they can do
    one thing, and that is attack us again. And so as you know, our
    military, combined with the military of our friends and allies,
    including the Afghans, are still on the hunt.
        And we encountered a large group of Al Qaida-type terrorists, and
    we're bringing them to justice. There's a fierce battle waging, and
    it's--but we're winning that battle. I'm so sad we lose life. My heart
    breaks when I think about the moms and dads or wives or children of
    those who have lost their life. But we defend freedom, and we're
    fighting for freedom, and we must continue to fight for freedom. And so
    where we find these killers, we'll bring them to justice.
        This Nation is determined. We're united. We are patient, and we're
    resolved to defend the values we hold dear to our hearts. And that's the
    way it's going to be, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
        I also want you to know we've got a lot of work to do at home. I was
    really proud earlier this year to travel the country

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    touting the fact that I signed a significant piece of education
    legislation. It was a landmark piece of legislation. I don't remember
    the exact words I said when I spoke to the Hispanic Chamber in
    California in one of my first speeches, but I can assure you I talked
    about education because it is a passion of mine, and it was a passion of
    not only mine but of both Republicans and Democrats. I got a good bill
    on my desk because both people--leaders in both parties decided that
    there's something more important than political party in America, and
    that's the education of our children.
        This is a really good piece of legislation because, first and
    foremost, it sets high standards and high expectations for every child,
    por todos. It refuses to accept a system that quits on children early.
    As you know, in some neighborhoods in America, it's so much easier just
    to move the kids through, so much easier to say, ``You know, a Latino
    child can't read very well because his or her parents may not speak
    English, so let's just move them through the system.'' Those days have
    got to end if we want the American Dream to extend to all neighborhoods.
        And so I signed a bill that says we're going to measure for every
    child. We want to know if every child can read or write and add and
    subtract. And if not, we'll correct the problems early, before it's too
    late. Every child matters in America, and no child will be left behind.
        We put significant resources into Title I programs. But for money,
    we want results. We want to--because, you see, I believe every child can
    learn. I don't accept excuses that say certain children can't learn.
    Every child in America can learn.
        Now, we also have passed power out of Washington, DC. I don't
    believe all the wisdom in the world exists in Washington. As a matter of
    fact, I think by empowering teachers and principals and parents and
    school districts, we're more likely to achieve a common objective, which
    is high standards for every single child.
        I also have unleashed a reading initiative that I truly believe is
    going to change America for the better. I like to say reading is the new
    civil right. If you can't read, it's hard to understand other subjects;
    it's hard to excel; it's hard to be part of this fantastic future we
    have. And so we've spent a billion dollars on reading.
        And I want to assure you that the reading programs are going to be
    aimed toward teaching that which works, not that which sounds good.
    There is a science to reading. We've got some of the best scientists in
    the world now analyzing what works for all kids. And so rather than just
    spending money, we're going to make sure we spend money on what works.
    And you mark my words, as we stay focused and energized on this
    important subject, more and more children will read. And as more and
    more children will read, more and more children will realize the
    fantastic future in America. And so I'm proud of this piece of work
    we've done.
        I also want to thank you all for supporting tax relief. We cut taxes
    at exactly the right time. In order to encourage the economy to grow, it
    was very wise to give--let people keep their own money. Some up here
    don't understand that. They're reading the wrong textbook. You hear talk
    about making sure the tax relief doesn't continue. It's like raising
    taxes. You don't do that when times are slow; you encourage the vitality
    of the private sector by letting people keep their own money.
        And not only that, I heard from many of you all about the unfairness
    of the death tax, and we've now put the death tax on its way to
    extinction. It's so important for people to be able to build up their
    own assets and their own businesses and have the capacity to pass that
    on to whoever they choose, a son or a daughter, without the Government
    getting in between the entrepreneur and the family member.
        So we're making good progress. I think the economy is still--has
    still got problems. But we put the right fiscal policy in place.

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    I still think we ought to do more. We ought to not only take care of
    those who have been unemployed because of 9/11; we ought to help them
    with their unemployment benefits as well as their health benefits. But I
    like to tell people Americans don't want an unemployment check; they
    want a permanent paycheck.
        And there needs to be a stimulus bill. The House passed a good bill.
    Part of it was a small business incentive bill, recognizing that the
    small businesses create more new jobs in America than any other sector
    of our economy.
        I want to continue to push for trade. I believe trade makes sense.
    Yesterday I made a tough decision on steel. But I will tell you, in
    order to be a free trade advocate, in order to be consistent on free
    trade, we better make sure we enforce the laws on our books. The two go
    hand in hand, free trade and fair trade. And so I obviously put a
    temporary plan in place to allow the steel industry to restructure. But
    I also want to remind you all I honored the agreement of NAFTA, so that
    Mexico and Canada are exempt.
        And let me talk about Mexico right quick. My attitude toward Mexico
    is that I want Mexico to succeed. I want our neighbors to be successful.
    The best kind of neighborhood to live in is one where everybody is
    successful, and so our public policy ought to recognize Mexico as an
    incredibly important part of the American future. And therefore, I look
    forward to working with el Presidente Fox on how
    best to make sure our relationship is strong.
        One thing we can do is doing what we're doing, which is encourage
    our economy to grow and to recover. That will help Mexico. But the other
    thing is to honor NAFTA, which I have done as the President. I did so in
    the steel decision yesterday. I will continue to do so because I believe
    NAFTA is not only good for Mexico; as importantly, it is good for
    American workers as well.
        I believe--and I know we've made great progress. We've got a spirit
    of amistad. We've got a relationship that is open and strong. I told the
    Congress that I want to make sure that the Mexican citizen here is well
    respected, and we will. We respect people in our country. And one way to
    do that is to pass 245(i), which will allow for families to be reunited.
    If you believe in family values, if you understand the worth of family
    and the importance of family, let's get 245(i) out of the United States
    Congress and give me a chance to sign it.
        I also want to talk about energy. Energy is incredibly vital for our
    economic vitality. And you've got to understand, as the President,
    somebody who's concerned about our national security as well, the fact
    that we import over 50 percent of our energy from around the world is an
    indication that we're not as strong from a national security perspective
    as we could be or should be. And so we need to have an energy plan, one
    that, on the one hand, encourages conservation and the modernization of
    our infrastructure, electricity infrastructure, but we've also got to
    explore for more energy. And we can do so in an environmentally friendly
    way, starting in Alaska, where there's a lot of oil and gas.
        Those of you in California know full well that we had a little scare
    out there about a year--less than a year ago. And the State has
    responded by building more powerplants to increase the supply of energy,
    and that's good. Except what's interesting is, those plants are powered
    by natural gas. And the fundamental question is, where is that gas going
    to come from in the long term? We ought to be exploring for more natural
    gas, and a good place to start is Alaska.
        I want you to know that Mexico imports gas from the United States.
    In other words--and it's a hemispheric issue, and we've got to think
    long-term on behalf of the American citizens. And so I put out a
    comprehensive energy plan. It passed the

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    House of Representatives. It needs to get out of the Senate and get to
    my desk, for the good of the national security of the country as well as
    for the good for jobs.
        As you may know, I'm headed down to Mexico for my second visit since
    I've been the President, to Mexico. There's going to be a conference on
    development. I look forward to participating in that. I will proudly
    remind people that we are the most generous Nation in the world when it
    comes to helping developing nations.
        I don't know if you know this--just for example, I was recently, as
    you know, in the Far East. And I reminded the people out there that we
    provide 300,000 tons of food to North Korean citizens. I'm not so sure
    the President or the head of North Korea gives
    us any credit for having provided the food, but we're a compassionate
    nation, and we should be proud of our record on helping people.
        I then go to Peru, and I look forward to working with the Andean
    nations not only on issues of trade but on the cultivation of coca
    leaves for drugs. But I'll also remind them that so long as there's a
    demand for drugs, somebody's going to supply them. And it's a two-way
    street; that, one, we'll help reduce supply, but we in our Nation have
    an obligation to work with our young to reduce the demand. We must tell
    them clearly that drugs can ruin their life. We must educate the youth
    about the dangers of drug use. We must reduce demand if we expect our
    neighborhood to help clean up drugs.
        And then I'm going to El Salvador to meet with the Central American
    nations. We've got the beginnings of a free trade pact with them.
    President Flores is going to be the
    host, a remarkable young leader. Like Peru and Mexico, these are strong
    democracies; they're continuing to reform their process. It's important
    for me to herald the fact that they are embracing democratic
    institutions which make their country so much stronger and so much more
    vibrant. So I'm really looking forward to spending time in the
    neighborhood.
        I believe the best foreign policy begins in making sure your own
    neighborhood is free and democratic and peaceful. So I'm looking forward
    to spending time there as well.
        You know, I like to remind people that I truly believe that out of
    this evil that was done on us on September the 11th will come some great
    good. I believe that. I believe if we stay the course and are strong and
    determined and if the Congress passes the Defense budget I sent up
    there, which prioritizes national defense to make sure our military gets
    all the best equipment and best training possible, that we'll have the
    staying power to make the world more peaceful. And I believe it will be
    if we're strong, and we will be strong.
        I also know that at home that people are taking an assessment of
    what's important in life. And I believe as a result of that, some
    positive things will happen. I think the culture can begin to change
    from one that has said in the past, ``If it feels good, go ahead and do
    it,'' to a culture that says, ``Each of us are responsible for the
    decisions we make in life''--the responsibility era, where moms and dads
    are responsible for loving their children.
        The most important job any American will ever have, if you're
    fortunate enough to have a child, is to love your child. But it goes
    beyond that, where neighbors will love neighbors. I tell my fellow
    citizens that if you're interested in fighting--joining the war against
    terror, do some good. I mean, if you really want to stand squarely in
    the face of evil, help a neighbor in need, mentor a child, help a shut-
    in, you know, support your schools, give to charity, help to start a
    faith-based group that will help change people's hearts.
        It's this--it's the collection of the kindness of America. It's the
    collection of all the acts of kindness that take place which not only
    define our Nation but will stand

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    squarely in the face of evil. And it's happening, and I'm so proud of
    the way the American people have responded. Many in this room have as
    well, and I want to thank you for that.
        I do believe that America understands there's a new responsibility,
    that this is a new era, that, on the one hand, we've got to be diligent
    and alert, and on the other hand, we can make a difference in people's
    lives. After all, it was Flight 93 that set a new tone for America.
    People on an airline thought they were going on a business trip or
    thought they were going home. They heard the Nation's Capital was under
    attack. They got on their telephones. They told their wives they loved
    them. They said a prayer, and they sacrificed their life to save
    somebody else's.
        To me, that's one of the most defining events of September 11th and
    on. It shows me what a great nation we have. It reminds me of the
    character of the American people. And that's why we're so unique, not
    because of our Government but because of our people.
        Thank you for coming to Washington, and God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:30 p.m. in Room 450 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to
    Elizabeth Lisboa-Farrow, chair, United States Hispanic Chamber of
    Commerce; Counsel to the President Alberto R. Gonzales; Chairman Hamid
    Karzai of the Interim Authority of Afghanistan; General Secretary Kim
    Chong-il of North Korea; and President Francisco Flores Perez of El
    Salvador. The President also referred to Title I of the Improving
    America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law No. 103-382), which amended
    Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public
    Law No. 89-10); and section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality
    Act, whose provisions expired April 30, 2001.