    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [June 21, 2002]
    [Pages 1041-1046]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Republican Party of Florida Majority Dinner in Orlando
    June 21, 2002

        Gosh, thanks for that warm welcome. It's an honor to be back here in
    the great State of Florida. I want to--I appreciate all of you who have
    come tonight. I'm here to help support the Republican Party of this
    State and make sure your unbelievably great Governor gets reelected.
        It was a real treat for me to be able to see mi cunada, my sister-
    in-law, Columba. Jeb and I
    both married above ourselves. [Laughter] I know you're proud of the job
    that Columba's doing as the first lady of Florida. And I'm really proud
    of the job Laura's doing as the First Lady of
    America.
        I'm pleased to report that our mother is still telling both of us
    what to do. [Laughter] And we're both listening--most of the time. But
    it's great to be here with my family. As you know, we love our--we've
    got a great family; we love each other a lot. And anything I can do to
    help Jeb stay in the Governor's office I'll do,
    even if that means keeping Brogan as the
    Lieutenant Governor. [Laughter] I appreciate you, Frank. Frank Brogan is
    a very good man, and you're doing a great job, Frank. I appreciate you.
        I want to thank an Orlando product who traveled with me today for
    his service to the country. Mel Martinez is
    doing a great job in my Cabinet. I want to thank former Senator Connie
    Mack for staying involved with the Republican
    Party and for helping a lot.
        I appreciate so very much Congressman Ric Keller, who's doing a fine job in the United States Congress.
    Ric, thank you very much. Mike Bilirakis
    is here, and Mike is a great Congressman from up the coast. I appreciate
    you being here, Mike. They tell me Congressmen Miller and Foley and Weldon may be here.
    If you're not here, I can understand--I'm going to give a long speech.
    [Laughter] If you are here, thank you for your service to the State of
    Florida and to the country. And finally, they've been a little lax on
    the immigration laws

    [[Page 1042]]

    here in Florida; you let a man from Georgia come in. He's a great
    Congressman from south Georgia, Charlie Norwood--Congressman
    Norwood.
        I appreciate members of the elected--who have been elected statewide
    here in Florida: Charlie Bronson, Charlie
    Crist, and Tom Gallagher. I'm honored you all are here. I want to thank the
    chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Al Cardenas, for his hard work and noble efforts for this party. And I
    want to thank Al Hoffman and Al
    Austin for their loyal friendship and longtime
    support for both Jeb and me. I want to thank you
    for your hard work. I want to thank the mayor of this fine city and the
    mayor of Sarasota as well for coming, both Carolyn Mason and Glenda Hood. Thank you
    all for being here.
        I appreciate so very much members of the Florida legislature,
    starting with the speaker, Tom Feeney, and Senate
    Leader John McKay. Thank you both for being here,
    and all of you for coming.
        But most of all, I want to thank you all for supporting a great
    cause and a great slate of candidates. I want to thank those of you who
    have contributed your money, and I want to thank those of you who
    contribute your time. We understand--at least Jeb
    and I understand--how important it is to have a viable, vibrant
    grassroots organization. And for those of you who spent hours dialing
    phones and putting up signs and passing out pamphlets, thanks for your
    hard work. Get a little rest over the next couple of weeks--[laughter]--
    and get ready. We need you this fall.
        My attitude is, when you find a man who brings integrity to office,
    you've got to send him back into that office. And that's Jeb Bush. He's a man with strong principles. He fights for what he
    believes in. He sets high standards. The thing I'm most proud about Jeb,
    he is the Governor of everybody in the State of Florida. His vision--he
    doesn't think about keeping people out or doesn't think about keeping
    special people in. When Jeb thinks and acts, he thinks about how best to
    improve the lives of everybody.
        And I want the citizens of Florida to stay focused on his education
    agenda and his education vision. Jeb Bush
    understands and believes that every child in the State of Florida can
    learn. He knows that if you set low standards, certain children aren't
    going to learn. He believes that he's got to set high standards to make
    sure that every child in this great State learns how to read and write
    and add and subtract.
        He's a man of enormous principle who believes
    in holding people accountable. He understands that in order to make sure
    every child learns, you must measure. You see, there used to be a system
    in Florida that said--it must have said certain kids can't learn, so the
    easy way out is just to move them through. And guess who got moved
    through--inner-city African American kids. Let's just quit on them and
    move them through and hope nobody notices.
        How about children whose parents don't speak English as a first
    language? They're easy to quit on. But under the leadership of Governor
    Jeb Bush, because he set high standards and holds
    people accountable for results, his program and his vision will do more
    to make sure that every child--I mean every single child in this great
    State--is going to get a good education, and no child will be left
    behind. I'm proud of you, brother.
        It hasn't been easy times for Governors around the country when it
    comes to managing the budget. But fortunately, you've got a
    Governor who didn't run up the baselines of your
    budget when it seemed like times were plenty. You've got a fiscally
    sound Governor, somebody who understands that the people's money is
    their money, not the Government's money, somebody who's done a fabulous
    job on behalf of the taxpayers of the people of Florida.
        I've enjoyed very much working with Jeb on a
    lot of key issues, and I know for the State of Florida there is no more
    key

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    issue than making sure that the coastline of Florida didn't have a lot
    of oil and gas drilling. As a matter of fact, under our vision, it's not
    going to have any. And so we worked together on Destin Dome--we worked
    together on Destin Dome and the Collier property in the Everglades. And
    thanks to the leadership of this Governor, thanks to the leadership of
    Jeb Bush--he has been a strong environmental steward for the people of
    the State of Florida.
        This guy is doing a great job for the people.
    And I'm confident with your help, you're going to send him back up to
    Tallahassee.
        We've got work to do in Florida, and we've got work to do in
    Washington. And I want to share some thoughts about how I think things
    are going. First, I know there's a lot of talk about statistics in
    Washington, DC. They're always quoting this person's statistic or this
    smart person's statistic. Here's my attitude: If somebody wants to work
    and can't find a job, we've got a problem. If somebody's looking for
    work and can't find that job, all of us involved in public policy must
    do everything we can to expand the job base. The role of Government is
    not to create wealth. The role of Government is to create an environment
    in which the entrepreneur can flourish, in which the small-business
    owner has a chance to realize his or her dreams.
        And that's why I insisted last year that the United States Congress
    join me in cutting the taxes on the working people all around America. I
    readily concede some people in Washington read a different economic
    textbook than I have. They believe that when the economy slows down,
    you've got to keep more of the money in Washington. I believe that if
    you let people have their own money, they'll spend it. And they'll
    demand a good and service, and when they demand a good or a service,
    somebody is going to produce that good and service. And when somebody
    produces that good and service, somebody is more likely to have a job.
    It is essential in Washington and in Tallahassee that you have leaders
    understand the entrepreneurial potential of our country and of the State
    of Florida.
        So whether it be on tax policy or terrorism insurance--and by the
    way, I want to thank the Senate and the House for passing me a terror
    insurance bill, so that we can make sure large-scale construction
    projects can go forward in the State of Florida. But they've got to make
    sure they send me a bill that doesn't enrich plaintiffs' attorneys but
    instead encourages workers to be able to find work.
        And you're going to see, there's going to be some budget struggles
    in Washington, DC. The temptation is to spend, and I understand that.
    But they've given the President the veto for a reason. And one of the
    reasons is to make sure that there is fiscal discipline in Washington,
    DC. And I intend to use the veto to make sure we do not overspend in our
    nation's capital. We're making progress on the economic security front.
    But I'm telling you, we've got a lot more to do, and we will--we will.
        And we're making progress on the defense of our homeland as well. As
    you probably have heard, I have asked Congress to help me in
    streamlining and making more effective the ability for all of us
    involved with the homeland security to do our jobs. I readily concede
    that some are probably asking the question, ``Why would he try to create
    more Government?'' After all, I didn't run and say, ``Vote for me. I
    promise to create bigger Government.'' The reason why I have asked
    Congress to join me is because I want to take the over 100 agencies
    involved with homeland defense and bring them under one agency, so that
    we can be more effective, so that we can be more accountable and doing
    the most important job we have to do, which is to keep the enemy from
    hurting innocent Americans.
        I say, ``Keep the enemy from hurting innocent Americans,'' because
    that's exactly

    [[Page 1044]]

    what they want to do. We're dealing with coldblooded killers, and that's
    all they are. These are people who hijack a great religion and kill in
    the name of that religion. These are people who send youngsters to their
    death, and they hide in caves. And so I just want you to know that my
    main focus, and the main focus of a lot of hard-working people, is to do
    everything we can to protect America. We're chasing down every single
    lead--[applause]--we're chasing down every single lead. If there is a
    hint that somebody might try to do something to America, we're on them--
    we are.
        I know there's been a lot of consternation in Washington--and
    probably in your newspapers here--about the FBI and the CIA. There's no
    question that the FBI needed to change its attitude after September the
    11th. After all, prior to September the 11th, the main function of the
    FBI was to run criminals down here in America and arrest them and bring
    them to justice, and that's still an important function. But now that
    we've realized that we've got a war on our hands, an enemy that wants to
    hurt us, the FBI's primary mission is now to prevent an attack.
        And they're talking better than ever. With intelligence-gathering
    networks, we're getting pretty good at it, and we're communicating
    better. My point to you is that the defense of the homeland, although
    never perfect, is improving every single day thanks to a lot of hard-
    working Americans.
        But the best way to secure the homeland, the best way to make sure
    that I do my job, is to hunt the killers down one by one and bring them
    to justice. And that is precisely what America is going to do.
        I've submitted a significant increase in the defense spending of the
    United States. It's the largest increase since Ronald Reagan was the
    President of our country. I did so for two main reasons: One, anytime
    any one of our troops goes into the battle or into harm's way, that
    person deserves the absolute best equipment, the best pay, the best
    training possible. And the second reason is it sends a clear signal to
    our country, the coalition we have put together, and the enemy that the
    United States, when it comes to defending our freedom, will take however
    long it takes, that this is a long struggle, this is going to be a
    struggle of--it's going to last a long time.
        And we're making progress; we really are. Some of it's very evident;
    we routed out this barbaric regime called the Taliban. We sent our
    incredibly brave troops into Afghanistan, and in pretty short order we
    liberated a country. We freed people from the clutches of people who
    wouldn't even let girls go to school, and now they do, thanks to the
    United States of America.
        But a lot of what's happening you won't see. That's the nature of
    the new war. We're kind of chasing down shadowy networks, people that
    try to blend into big, crowded cities, or they hide in, as I said,
    caves. But you just need to know we're after them. We've got them on the
    run. And we're going to keep them on the run. And we're going to
    continue making sure we send a clear message: Either you're with us, or
    you're with the enemy.
        We spend a lot of time talking to our friends and allies and
    bolstering our coalition. Today one of our coalition members, President
    Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines,
    did the world a great service. There was a group of killers named Abu
    Sayyaf in her country. They kidnaped; they killed. And today their
    leader met his Maker, thanks to one of our coalition partners.
        We've hauled in, one way or the other, 2,400--make it 2,401--people
    that have been a part of this shadowy army. But there's more to do.
    There's more to do. And you can bet the United States of America, so
    long as I'm the President, is going to do what needs to be done,
    because, after all, we defend our freedom. And the decisions we make
    today and our steadfast resolve will help our children to live in a free
    world. And there's some

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    tough, tough tasks ahead, no question about it. There will be some tough
    battles.
        There's a threat that faces our country, which I take very
    seriously, and that is the capacity of some of the world's worst regimes
    to develop and harbor weapons of mass destruction. I'm a patient man.
    The United States has got a lot of tools at our disposal. And we'll use
    every tool at our disposal to make sure that the axis of evil doesn't
    hold us hostage, doesn't hold our friends hostage, and does not hurt the
    freedoms that we love so dearly.
        I believe that out of the evil done to America will come some good.
    I believe that this country is so strong and so powerful and so good and
    decent that out of the evil done on September the 11th can come some
    important, lasting contributions to the world, starting with peace.
        You know, Laura always--not always,
    sometimes--gets on me for my rhetoric. [Laughter] And if your children
    question, you know, ``Why is the President talking this way or the other
    way,'' I ask you to look them in the eye and say, because he loves
    peace; because he believes that the United States has been called into
    action, that history has given us a chance to seize the moment to use
    our position in the world to make the world more peaceful, peaceful in
    America, peaceful in parts of the world where people cannot possibly
    dream of peace right now--peace in South Asia, peace in the Middle East.
    So long as I'm the President, I will drive public policy--foreign policy
    to achieving peace.
        And at home--and at home, I believe that out of the evil is coming
    incredible good. People say, ``What can I do to help?'' You can love
    your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. If you want to fight
    evil, do some good. You see, it's the million acts of kindness and
    decency that take place every day in America that will help us fight off
    evil.
        As a result of people loving their neighbor, mentoring a child,
    helping a shut-in, our culture's changing in America. I gave a speech at
    Ohio State University a week ago today, and I was pleased to see that 70
    percent of all the graduating class had at one time or another done some
    volunteer work. It's a great sign to realize that our young have heard
    the call that life is more than just profit and loss, that life of
    service is an important part of being not a spectator but a citizen of
    the United States of America.
        The most compelling story, of course, in my judgment, after 9/11 or
    during 9/11 was Flight 93, when brave souls heard that their airplane
    was a weapon. They called their loved ones. They said a prayer, and they
    took the airplane in the ground in the ultimate gesture of serving
    something greater than yourself. I believe that lesson has reverberated
    throughout our society. I believe millions of our fellow citizens now
    realize that in order to be a full-fledged American, it means you've got
    to help somebody in need.
        There are pockets of despair and hopelessness in America that can be
    solved by love and compassion, by works of faith. And I believe that out
    of the evil, more and more Americans, as a result of our fellow
    Americans showing compassion and decency, will realize the American
    Dream extends to every neighborhood in this great land.
        I believe that Americans understand that the culture of ``If it
    feels good, do it,'' and ``You got a problem, blame somebody else,'' is
    a culture that must fade off into the sunset. It's being replaced by a
    culture of personal responsibility. Each of us are responsible for
    loving our children. If you happen to be a mom or a dad, your most
    important job is to love your children with all your heart and all your
    soul.
        In order to be a good neighbor, you must love your neighbor. If
    you're running a business, a public company in America, you have the
    responsibility to have clean balance sheets, to be--fully disclose your
    assets and your liabilities and treat your

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    shareholders and employees with the respect they deserve.
        No, out of the evil done to America has come a new culture, a new
    sense of responsibility. The enemy thought they were hurting America,
    and they killed too many lives, no question about it. But they didn't
    realize who they were dealing with. They were dealing with the greatest
    nation, the most decent nation, the most compassionate nation on the
    face of this Earth. And it is my high honor to be the President of such
    a great place.
        Thank you for coming. God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:44 p.m. in the Tuscan Ballroom at the
    Universal Studios Portofino Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Gov.
    Jeb Bush of Florida, and his wife, Columba; Charles Bronson, Florida
    commissioner of agriculture; Charlie Crist, Florida education
    commissioner; Thomas Gallagher, Florida State treasurer, insurance
    commissioner, and fire marshal; Al Hoffman, Jr., national finance
    chairman, Republican National Committee; Al Austin, finance chairman,
    Republican Party of Florida; Mayor Carolyn Mason of Sarasota, FL; Mayor
    Glenda Hood of Orlando; Abu Sabaya, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist
    group who was killed June 21 by Philippine military forces; and
    President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines.