    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [January 22, 2002]
    [Pages 91-96]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Arrival in Charleston, West Virginia
    January 22, 2002

        The President. Thank you all. It's nice to be back. I appreciate
    this West Virginia welcome. Thank you for your hospitality, and thank
    you for giving me a chance to give you a little update on how we're
    doing as a nation.
        But first, before I begin, I want to thank our friend, a great
    friend to West Virginia, Shelley Moore Capito, for her leadership. I've learned some things about
    Shelley Moore: One, she's very bright; two, she doesn't always do what
    the President says--she's got a little bit of an independent streak; but
    three, she loves West Virginia. She loves the State, and she's working
    hard to do what's right for the West Virginia people. And I'm proud to
    call her friend. And I hope you're proud to call her Congresswoman.
        It's been a pleasure to work with some of the distinguished Members
    you have sent to Washington, DC, and there's no more distinguished than
    Senator Robert Byrd. He loves his State; he
    loves the country. I have been spellbound by his speeches. I've been
    interested to hear his points of view. I look forward to working with
    him as Congress comes back to Washington, DC, after the Christmas break.
    West Virginia has got a fine friend in Senator Byrd, and so does
    America, and I'm proud to call him friend.
        And I appreciate your Governor being here today, Governor
    Wise. It's awfully kind of him to come and
    say hello to the President. We're working closely together on a subject
    that's dear to your heart and dear to my heart, and that's how to make
    sure West Virginia, and all of America, remains safe, make sure we've
    got a homeland that's secure. And the Governor is working closely on
    this issue with us.
        I appreciate so very much the former Governor, Cecil
    Underwood, and my friend, for being here.
    I don't know if they put Cecil into ``Ripley's'' or not--[laughter]--but
    he was the youngest Governor ever and the oldest Governor ever, and he's
    still looking pretty spry to me.
        I appreciate the Speaker and the Senate
    President, as well as the minority leaders
    in the Senate and the House for coming. Thank you all for being here to say hello.
    And your mayor showed up. Mr. Mayor, thanks for
    coming, as well. It's an honor to be with my fellow citizens from West
    Virginia on such a beautiful day. And it's a day for me to tell you,
    folks, we're winning.
        Little did I realize the last time I was here that I would be coming
    back to this very spot to thank the fine men and women of the West
    Virginia Guard for helping us fight and win the war against terror--all
    of you. For all who wear our uniform, I want to thank--say thank you on
    behalf of all Americans. For the moms and dads and wives and husbands
    and sons and daughters of those who wear the uniform--some of whom had
    been deployed out of West Virginia--thanks from the bottom of our hearts
    for your sacrifice. It is for a cause that is noble and a cause that is
    just and a cause that this great Nation will win.
        I appreciate the fact that our Nation is now on alert, that we're
    ready, that if you see something odd happening in your neighborhood,
    that you now know to go

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    and notify the local police--something different is happening, and we
    might ought to take a look at it.
        Every morning I wake up like I did this morning, and I get to the
    Oval Office--I'm an early morning man. Barney and Spot and I head out to
    the South Lawn. [Laughter] I head into the Oval Office, and the first
    thing I look at is potential threats to the United States. Every morning
    I'm reminded that my most important job in this day and age is to make
    sure our Government, the Federal Government and all governments at all
    levels, do everything we can to prevent a further attack on the good
    people of this country.
        I want to assure you, we're chasing down every lead; we're following
    every hint. Our FBI is on full alert. Their primary task now is to
    prevent another attack. We're working with States--as I mentioned the
    Governor-- we're working with local officers
    to better share information to disrupt and prevent. And I'm so proud of
    the way our Nation is responding, but the truth of the matter is, the
    best way to secure the homeland of the United States is to find the
    enemy where he hides and bring him to justice.
        I know I'm like many moms--many dads, and Laura is like many moms who yearn for peace. We want nothing
    more than our children to be in a peaceful world. But I understand that
    in order to defeat the evil ones, we must use the mighty U.S. military
    to put--after we have put them on notice, to rout them out of their
    caves and to bring them to justice. And that's exactly what our Nation
    will do.
        Our military has performed brilliantly. I gave them a task with
    clear objectives, and they're accomplishing those tasks and those
    objectives. I said real clear to the world that--real clearly to the
    world--the old west Texan in me slipping out--[laughter]--clearly to the
    world, I said that either you are with us, or you are against us, when
    it comes to finding terror. I'm proud to report many, many, many nations
    have signed up to be with us. But I want to assure you all that if I
    tire, they will go to sleep. And if we blink, so will they. And
    therefore, it's so important for this Nation to remain steadfast and
    resolved and strong in our purpose to free the world of terror so our
    children can live peacefully.
        I want to thank the people of West Virginia and the American people
    for their patience. They understand that the task at hand may take a
    while. They understand that this country is in this for the long pull,
    that in order to secure freedom for generations to come, that we, this
    generation, must be willing to sacrifice, must be patient, must be
    determined, and must be resolved. We have no other choice, as far as I'm
    concerned. It's either allow terror to spread its wings and terrorize
    others, or to stand tough. And this Nation has made the decision to
    stand tough. And I'm proud of her.
        A fellow came the other day to the office and said, ``Well, are you
    worried about Mr. bin Laden?'' I said, ``No,
    I'm not too worried about him. He's the guy that needs to be worried.''
    [Laughter] But I want to assure you, the objective is not bin Laden. Oh,
    we'll get bin Laden. There's only so many caves he can hide in, if he's
    still hiding in caves. My attitude was, once we get him running, it's
    just a matter of time before we bring him to justice.
        But the mission is broader than just one person. The mission is to
    make sure that terror, wherever it tries to settle in, is routed out.
    The mission is to say to the governments that think that we're not
    watching, ``We're watching, and if you try to harbor a terrorist, feed a
    terrorist, you're just as guilty as those who would commit murder on
    innocent citizens.''
        So I want to reiterate what I said to those who are making the
    sacrifice by wearing the uniform, and particularly their families. I
    want to thank you. I grieve and mourn and pray when we lose a life. And
    we will, when it comes to the war on terror. But I told----

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        Audience member. We love you, sir!
        The President. Thank you. [Laughter]
        But I told the families that I've spoken to, by word and written
    letter, that this Nation is doing the right thing, that we're seeds in
    history, that we refuse to be shaped by terror, that we will win the war
    on terror, and the cause of sacrifice is noble, and it is just.
        What a great nation we have: A nation that is willing to sacrifice
    for freedom and, at the same time, a nation that is liberating women and
    children in Afghanistan from the evil repression of the Taliban; a
    nation that not only stands on principle but a nation that is a nation
    of liberators. I'm so proud of our military and the American people, and
    the Afghan women and children thank you from the bottom of our heart.
        I know a lot of people are thinking overseas, and that's--I can
    understand that, but we've got a lot of work here to do at home, too.
    The evil ones, when they hit us, affected our economy. And I've got to
    tell you something: I'm worried about people being able to find jobs. My
    economic plan is based upon this word: jobs. I want to ask that question
    all around the country, what do we do to create work? There's a lot of
    good people who want to work, and we've got to help them find work. And
    so I'm asking Congress, when they come back, to keep in mind one word:
    jobs.
        Now, we've got to help people. We've got to help the good folks who
    have lost their job as a result of 9/11, and that means extending
    unemployment benefits. We can do that. That means helping them with
    health care, and we'll do that. But the American people, they don't want
    just an unemployment check; they want a permanent paycheck. And that's
    what we've got to be figuring out how to do.
        I remember when I was campaigning in West Virginia, I said, ``If
    you'd give me a chance to become your President, one thing I'll fight
    for is to let the working people keep more of their own money.'' And
    guess what? We got it done--I mean, a real tax relief package that
    understands that by giving people their own money, somebody is going to
    spend more. And if somebody spends more, somebody is going to produce
    what their spending--spend money to produce what their spending on,
    which means they've got to hire people. Listen, tax relief equals jobs.
        And thank goodness we did it when we did. This economy was slowing
    down--the evidence shows it--in March of 2001. It was beginning to kind
    of grind down, and tax relief happened at the right time. There's some
    weird economics going on in Washington. There are some saying they don't
    want the tax relief plan to go through, which is basically a tax
    increase. They want to raise taxes in the midst of a recession. I can't
    imagine what textbook they're reading. [Laughter] But raising taxes, or
    not allowing money in people's pockets in the midst of the recession, is
    the wrong prescription. If you want to create jobs, let the American
    people have more of their own money so they can spend it.
        We've got to sell more products around the world. I've spent a lot
    of time talking to American farmers. I said, ``Look, our farmers are the
    best in the world. We're the best at growing crops. So why don't we try
    to feed people who don't have food?'' It seems like to me, it makes
    sense for us to open markets for U.S. products.
        We're good at what we do. We've got the best workers in the world.
    We're the most productive people on the face of the Earth. We should not
    fear opening markets; we ought to welcome opening markets so we can sell
    more products. If we sell more products overseas, it means more jobs for
    the working people in America.
        In order to grow our economy--in order to grow our economy, we've
    got to have an energy plan. Believe it or not, we're the first
    administration in a long time that's developed a comprehensive energy
    plan. On the one hand, it says, we've got to do a good job of
    conservation. We've got

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    to promote technologies that will enable people to have the same
    lifestyle without burning as much energy. We've got to figure out ways
    for our cars to burn less fuel, but be able to be comfortable and be
    able to let families drive all throughout West Virginia. We've got to
    conserve energy.
        But conservation is only one half of the equation. In order to
    become less dependent on foreign sources of energy, we've got to find
    and produce more energy at home, including coal. I don't view the world
    as zero sum. I believe that we can have coal production and enhanced
    technologies in order to make sure the coal burns cleaner. I believe we
    can have both. Now, I know there are some in Washington who don't want
    to concede that, but they must not have much faith in the technology
    that's coming on line. I don't believe we can be independent as a nation
    unless we've got a constructive coal policy.
        And so I asked Congress, once and for all, to pass a comprehensive
    energy plan, including exploring for natural gas in the State of Alaska
    so we can be less dependent.
        The other day--some of the most interesting meetings are taking
    place in Washington. The other day I was with Jimmy Hoffa. A lot of people say, ``Well, he's a Republican. Obviously,
    he doesn't care about the union.'' That's not true at all, for starters.
    I care about working people. I don't care what label they put on them. I
    don't care if they're a Democrat, Republican, independent, union,
    nonunion; I want to find jobs for everybody. I'm the President of
    everybody, not just a few. And so I sat down with Jimmy, and we talked
    about--and I was with the head of the carpenters and seafarers and
    construction people--and we're talking
    about jobs.
        And he reminded me, one reason he was so
    strong for the energy plan was not only because it was good for U.S.
    security--he cares about U.S. security just like I care about U.S.
    security--but because when we explore for energy in America, it means
    jobs for working people. This is just as much of a job program as it is
    an energy--as a national security program, folks. And it's about time
    Congress skips all the politics and focuses on what's right for the
    American people.
        Congress is coming back tomorrow to Washington, and my call to
    Congress is, not let the year 2002 become a bitter political year. Now,
    I know a lot of them are running for office, and that's fine. And I've
    got my favorites--[laughter]--like Shelley Moore. But there are some things that are more important than
    political party.
        The national security is more important than political party. And I
    appreciate the way Democrats and Republicans have worked together.
    Energy is more important than political party. Jobs are more important
    than political party. And we showed what's possible in Washington on the
    education bill. We passed a good piece of legislation that says, public
    education is a cornerstone of job security; it's a cornerstone of hope;
    and the Federal Government is going to take an active role in promoting
    accountability to make sure nobody gets left behind in America.
        I trust the local people of West Virginia to make the choices for
    the children of West Virginia. So we're going to pass power out of
    Washington, so the schools are run locally. But there are some major
    initiatives inherent in that bill. One of them is making sure every
    child reads. I mean every child, not just a few, not just only one kind
    of child--every single child. If we want to have an America that is
    hopeful and prosperous, if we want to have a job-oriented country, we'd
    better make sure our schools teach every child how to read. And if they
    don't, it's time for us to start blowing the whistle on failure and
    changing things early, before it's too late.
        So there I was, a couple of weeks ago, traveling the country,
    saying, ``You know, Ted Kennedy is a
    pretty good fellow.'' I know that sends a lot of shock waves throughout
    American political scene.

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    [Laughter] It certainly shocked him. [Laughter] We worked together on
    the education bill. Instead of saying, ``Well, I can't talk to you
    because you're of this party, and you can't talk to me because I'm that
    party,'' we said, ``Why don't we do what's right for America when it
    comes to our children? Why don't we set aside all the bickering? It's
    time for us to understand in Washington that America is more important
    than our political parties and come together and do what's right for the
    American people.''
        We are a strong, strong nation, and I am so proud to be the
    President of such an incredible land. You know, the enemy, when they hit
    us on 9/11, really didn't understand America. They thought we were soft.
    I guess they were watching too much TV. [Laughter] They didn't
    understand our character or our resolve. They didn't understand that if
    you anger a mighty nation, that we will rise up with one voice and bring
    justice. We're a nation not of revenge but a nation of justice. We're a
    nation that loves our freedom. We're a nation--a nation based upon some
    fundamental values and principles.
        You know, after 9/11, a lot of mothers and dads sat down at their
    dinner tables and reassessed their value systems. They said, ``We now
    understand our most important job is to love our children. We may be
    working 8 to 5, but loving your children is forever.'' There's a lot of
    mothers and dads--there's a lot of moms and dads saying, ``I love you,''
    on a daily basis, and that's good. Out of evil can and has come good.
        Audience member. How's Laura?
        The President. She's doing great. Thank you
    for mentioning her name. [Laughter] Laura is doing great. I got to tell
    you, what a fabulous, fabulous wife and First Lady she is. It's clear I
    married above myself. [Laughter]
        But I want you all to know that many have asked, ``What can I do to
    help America?'' And they're still asking that question. Well, the best
    way to fight evil is with good. The best way to let the enemy know here
    at home that they have not affected us is for parents to love their
    children more, is for people in communities all across West Virginia to
    help a neighbor at need. If you've got a shut-in across the street from
    you and want to be a soldier in the war against terror, walk across the
    street on a daily basis and say, ``Can I help you?'' If your church
    group or synagogue or mosque knows somebody who's lonely, why don't you
    help set up a mentoring program so the child knows somebody in America
    loves him or her. If you want to be a soldier in the war against terror,
    love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
        America is defined not by our Government. America is defined by
    millions of acts of kindness that take place every single day all across
    America, because this Nation is a nation of such strong values, of such
    strong faith, that nobody, no evil one will ever be able to diminish the
    good inherent in the soul and character of the American people.
        It is my honor to be your President and to be the President of such
    a fabulous land. Thank you for having me come. May God bless. God bless
    America. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m. at Yeager Airport. In his
    remarks, he referred to Gov. Robert E. Wise and former Gov. Cecil H.
    Underwood of West Virginia; Speaker Robert S. Kiss and Minority Leader
    Charles S. Trump IV, West Virginia House of Delegates; President Earl
    Ray Tomblin and Minority Leader Vic Sprouse, West Virginia Senate; Mayor
    Jay Goldman of Charleston; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida
    terrorist organization; James P. Hoffa, general president, International
    Brotherhood of Teamsters; Douglas J. McCarron, general president, United
    Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners; Mike Sacco, president, Seafarers
    International Union; and Edward

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    C. Sullivan, president, Building and Construction Trade Department.