    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [June 14, 2002]
    [Pages 990-996]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Reception for Governor Rick Perry of
    Texas in Houston
    June 14, 2002

        The President. Thank you for that warm welcome. It's another reason
    I'm glad to be home--[laughter]--that, plus getting a little culture.
    [Laughter] I can't tell you how great it is to see so many friends. I
    want to thank you for your prayers, for your friendship. I want to thank
    you for helping Laura and me serve our country.
        I'm here today to talk about a man who--there's no doubt in my
    mind--is not only going to win in November but do a fine, fine job on
    behalf of the Texas people. We've shared a lot. We have both been
    Governors. And we both married above ourselves. [Laughter] I appreciate
    Anita Perry, the first lady of the State
    of Texas, and she's bringing a lot of class to the office.
        I'm sorry Laura isn't here with me. She's in
    Crawford.
        Audience member. We are, too.
        The President. Well, I'm sure you are. I can understand that.
    [Laughter] You probably wish she was speaking.
    [Laughter]
        It's hard to believe that a public school librarian who didn't
    particularly care about politics or politicians--[laughter]--is now the
    First Lady of this great country, and she's doing
    a magnificent job. I'm really proud of her. Of
    course she, like my mother, is still telling me what to do. [Laughter]
    Marjorie, I'm of course listening. [Laughter]
    But we're doing great. We really are. Our family's strong. Our spirit is
    strong. Our love for our country has never been greater.
        I want to thank all the elected officials who are here. I
    particularly want to say something about the next attorney general, Greg
    Abbott. Greg, I want to thank you for your--
    [applause]. I want to thank Henry Bonilla for
    being here and for his work on behalf of our party and the Victory
    Committee. I want to thank Justices Jefferson and Rodriguez, who are
    here with us tonight.
        I know there's all kinds of candidates--Judge Carter, who's running in the 31st

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    Congressional District this year. I know my friend--thank you, Judge. I
    know my friend Tommy Craddick is here. And
    members of the statehouse, both Republicans and Democrats, are here
    tonight, and I want to thank you all for coming.
        I want to thank you all for supporting Rick. I want to thank you for
    contributing your money and, as importantly, thank you for contributing
    your time. I see a lot of what they call grassroots activists here. I
    tell you, I know I could never have won the Governor's race and/or the
    Presidency without those of you who man the phones and sign the
    envelopes and lick them and mail them and do all the hard work. And so
    on behalf of grateful candidates, thanks for what you have done and
    thanks for what you're going to do come November.
        I appreciate Rick's record. I want to talk a little bit about
    education. It is a passion of mine, and it's a passion of Rick's. It is
    absolutely essential that at all levels of government we have people who
    are willing to raise standards for every child. It is absolutely
    essential for the good of the State of Texas that we have a Governor who
    believes every child can learn, somebody who doesn't lower the bar. See,
    if you lower the standards, if you expect mediocrity, you'll get
    mediocrity, and that's not good enough for the State of Texas.
        As Rick mentioned, we reformed the education code out of the Federal
    Government. It mirrors what Rick is doing here in Texas. Let me explain
    it to you right quick. It says that if you receive money from the
    taxpayers, you've got to measure. If you get help from the Federal
    Government or the State Government, you've got to show the taxpayers but
    more importantly the parents whether or not the children all across the
    State of Texas are learning. And if they're learning, we'll praise the
    teachers. If they're meeting standards, if they're meeting expectations,
    there will be all kinds of praise for the hard-working teachers all
    across the country and in the State of Texas.
        But when we find children who aren't learning, children who can't
    read, we've got to address the problems early, before it's too late. You
    see, every child is important in the State of Texas. Every child
    matters. And you can't tell whether or not children are learning to read
    and write and add and subtract unless you have the courage to hold
    people accountable.
        Texas must not go backwards. Texas must continue to have strong
    accountability systems, so that this business about just shuffling
    children through the system stops. You see, it's easy to quit on a young
    black child. It's easy to say, ``That person can't learn. Let's just
    move them through.'' It's easy to quit on somebody whose parents may not
    speak English as a first language. It's easy to quit. But by having
    accountability and local control of schools, we measure each child,
    because each child counts. You cannot possibly fix the problem unless
    you know the problem exists.
        Education is the number one priority for this Governor. And it's the
    number one priority for the State of Texas, and that's as it should be.
    And we're making progress. We are. One of the things I love about Rick
    is, his vision of Texas includes everybody, not just a few. His vision
    of Texas says every child counts, and no child will be left behind in
    the great State of Texas.
        One of the big initiatives in Washington, DC, is the reauthorization
    of welfare. One of the great successes in our country has been the 1996
    welfare reform bill. And it basically said that we can do better than
    dependency upon Government, that we can free people by insisting upon
    work and by helping those learn how to work. It gives me great
    confidence to know that Rick is going to be the Governor of Texas as we
    talk about reauthorization. The cornerstone of helping people is to help
    them find the dignity of a job. And with Rick Perry as Governor, I'm
    confident that that dignity will spread throughout all parts of the
    great State of Texas.

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        I appreciate a man who understands there needs to be fiscal sanity
    when it comes to spending money, spending your money. And Rick saved the
    State $500 million as a result of some bold actions he took. And as you
    know, the economy kind of slowed down a little bit, and thankfully, you
    had a Governor who is willing to make the tough fiscal choices that's
    going to stand Texas in good stead in the years to come. I appreciate
    your courage, Rick, and I appreciate your leadership.
        But the thing I appreciate most is your integrity and your values,
    the fact that you make your family your top priority. I love the fact
    that you love your wife, and you love your kids. You know, we were going
    down the Gulf Freeway today. [Laughter] Traffic wasn't all that bad, by
    the way. [Laughter] If you got stuck in one of the exits, I apologize.
    [Laughter] We spent more time talking about our family. I appreciate a
    Governor who wanted to share with me the hopes and aspirations of his
    children. It's important for the State of Texas to have somebody in the
    Governor's office who's got his priorities absolutely straight, faith
    and family and the great State of Texas.
        You know, when I was one time campaigning in Chicago, a reporter
    said, ``Would you ever have a deficit?'' And I said, ``I can't imagine
    it, but there would be one if we had a war or a national emergency or a
    recession.'' [Laughter] Never did I dream we'd get the trifecta.
    [Laughter] But I want you to know we're making progress on all three
    fronts. I'm concerned about the economic security of the American
    people. I know there's a lot of focus on statistics--this number comes
    out or that number comes out. Here's my attitude: So long as somebody
    wants to work and can't find a job, we have a problem. And my focus is
    going to be to continue to expand the job base of this country so people
    can find work.
        We made a pretty good start when we cut the taxes on the working
    people. And it came at exactly the right time. There's a school of
    thought in Washington that says, if you take more of the people's money,
    the economy will benefit. I don't read the same textbook. [Laughter] My
    attitude is, when times are slow, you let people have their own money.
    And when they keep their own money, they spend it. And when they spend
    their own money, they demand a good and service. And when you demand a
    good and service, somebody's going to provide the good and service,
    which means somebody's going to be able to work. This tax cut happened
    at the right time, and we need to make the tax cuts permanent.
        In order to make sure people can find jobs and can work in America,
    we need an energy policy. We need an energy policy that, on the one
    hand, encourages conservation and makes sure that we promote renewable
    sources of energy, an energy policy that promotes the new technologies
    that are coming on line. But we need an energy policy as well that
    encourages exploration for oil and gas in the United States of America.
        The nay-sayers and the skeptics, you know, challenge that policy.
    They don't understand the technologies now available that allow us to
    provide domestic energy and at the same time protect our environment.
    But let me put it to you this way: For the sake of economic security, we
    need a sound energy policy. And for the sake of national security, we
    must become less reliant on foreign sources of energy. Some of those
    sources don't particularly care about America, I might add.
        This Congress needs to give me a trade bill so I can open up markets
    for Texas agricultural products, for high-tech products. Listen, if
    you're good at something--and we're good at a lot of things when it
    comes to our economy--we ought to be selling them to people around the
    world. This country ought to be feeding the people of the world. I need
    trade promotion

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    authority from the United States Congress for the good of the job
    creation.
        We're making progress on economic security. And we've got a long way
    to go. But I just want you to know, so long as somebody can't find work
    that wants to work, I'm working.
        And we've got a lot to do on homeland security as well. I want you
    to know what I think about the people that we're fighting. They are
    nothing but coldblooded killers. There was a bombing in Karachi.
    Innocent people lost their lives. Most of the innocent people were
    Muslims. These people, these terrorists, these killers have hijacked a
    noble religion, but the world is seeing what they're made out of, what
    they're like. They do not value individual life. And for the good of
    freedom and for the good of America and our allies and friends, we're
    going to hunt them down, one by one, and bring them to justice.
        We've made some progress. The other night when I announced this
    Department of Homeland Security, I laid out a statistic that said we've
    rounded up about 2,400 of them so far--make it 2,401.
        Audience member. That's right.
        The President. And that's good. And that's good, except there's
    still a lot of them out there. And so it is--it is my most important job
    to do everything in my power to prevent the enemy from taking innocent
    life again.
        We've got over 100 agencies in Washington, DC, involved with
    homeland security. They're scattered all throughout the bureaucracy. As
    you can imagine, it makes it kind of tough to get an efficient plan in
    place. And so I've asked the Congress to make the most impressive and
    far-reaching reorganization since Harry Truman reorganized the Defense
    Department.
        I want it all under one--one authority. I want to align authority
    and responsibility. I want it to be said that, as a result of
    reorganizing Government, our country is better prepared to enforce our
    border, to respond to emergency; our country is better prepared to
    respond to bioterrorism. We need the capacity to analyze the information
    we're getting to predict what might happen so that we can react.
        Now, this isn't going to be as easy as it seems, reorganizing
    Government. After all, there's a lot of turf in Washington, DC, and
    people are guarding their turf. There's an appropriation chairman here,
    a ranking member there that likes the idea of deciding how much money
    goes to this agency or another. For the good of the American people, I
    call upon Congress to think about not turf but security.
        I'll never forget my first hard discussion with the Director of the
    FBI. I don't know if you are aware of
    this fact, but he came on to work one week before September the 11th, so
    he got right in the middle of the action pretty quickly. And he was
    talking to me about, you know, they're doing a pretty good job of going
    after this white-collar criminal and arresting this person. And I said,
    ``That's all fine and good, and you need to keep doing it. But your most
    important priority now is to prevent attack. I want you running down
    every lead. If you've got a hint that somebody might be coming in here
    to do something to America, I want to know about it, and I want you on
    them. I want you doing everything in your power. Your agency is vital,
    but your mission has--the priority of the agency--your new mission is to
    use the resources of the United States of America to protect the
    homeland.''
        And we're making progress. We really are. The CIA and the FBI
    communicate in a lot closer way these days. There's a lot better sharing
    of information. You've just go to know that there's a lot of hard-
    working people doing everything they can to protect you. But the best
    way to secure the homeland, the best way, is to chase these killers
    down, one by one, and bring them to justice.
        We will use every tool at our disposal. We've assembled a vast
    coalition of freedom-loving countries, and we're--and

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    they're working. We're communicating with these folks. Every time I meet
    with a foreign leader, I remind him or her that our most important
    collective job is to win this war on terror. History has called us into
    action. History will look back and determine the mettle and drive and
    desire of all of us who have been given awesome responsibilities.
        We're cutting off their money, and that's vital. It's kind of hard
    for them to operate unless they have cash. And although the enemy
    doesn't require much money, if they don't have any, it's going to be
    hard for them to move. So we're working with financial institutions all
    round the world on a regular basis to cut off their money.
        Probably the most effective force we've used, of course, thus far is
    the United States military. For those of you who've got relatives in the
    military or are in the military yourselves, thanks from the bottom of my
    heart and our Nation's heart.
        I was at West Point the other day, and I was honored to give a
    graduation speech where I laid out a new doctrine called preemption,
    which I'll describe here in a second. But I shook every hand of the
    graduates. Let me tell you, the military's in good shape. These are
    fine, fine young Americans.
        I sent up to Congress the largest increase in defense spending since
    Ronald Reagan was the President, and I did it for two reasons, and I
    want to explain it to you right quickly. One, anytime we commit our men
    and women into harm's way, they deserve the best equipment, the best
    training, the best possible pay. And secondly, I submitted a significant
    increase, because we're in for a long war. I know some would hope the
    enemy would go away. They're not going away until we get them. That's a
    fact. The good news is, the American people are united and strong and
    resolved. They understand what I know, that we must defend our freedoms
    at all costs.
        You know, I can't imagine what went through the mind of the enemy.
    They probably looked at America and thought we were so self-absorbed and
    materialistic and selfish that after they killed thousands of our
    citizens, all we would do is file a lawsuit or two. [Laughter] They and
    the world have seen the true character of America.
        We love our freedom. We care about our children. We love our values.
    We love the fact that people can worship freely in America. We love the
    fact that you can have honest political discourse. That's what we love.
    We love our lifestyle, and we will use all our might to protect it.
        The threats we face go beyond just one terrorist network. The
    threats we face are bigger than a group of these shadowy figures who try
    to hide in caves and then send youngsters to their death. We face
    threats of weapons of mass destruction. In the past, we used to have a
    doctrine called containment and deterrence. You can't contain a shadowy
    terrorist network. You can't deter somebody who doesn't have a country.
    And you're not going to be able--future Presidents won't be able to
    deter or contain one of these nations which harbors weapons of mass
    destruction, nations who hate America. For the good of the American
    people, I will use all the resources at my disposal to make sure the
    world's worst regimes do not threaten, blackmail America and our friends
    with the world's worst weapons.
        I believe that out of the evil done to America is going to come
    incredible good. I've got a great painting by Tom Lea. Many of you know
    Tom Lea from El Paso. He passed away, unfortunately, earlier this year.
    And on my wall is his fantastic picture--painting, I guess you'd call
    it--of West Texas. And it reminds me of a quote Tom Lea said; it's
    something I said at our convention. He said, ``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.''
        The day I see coming for this great country is one of peace. I want
    you to tell

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    your children that behind all the war rhetoric is a strong desire for
    peace, that I long for peace not only in America, but I think if the
    United States of America remains tough and vigilant and strong and
    steady, that we will be able to achieve peace in parts of the world
    where there is no hope for peace right now. I believe that. I believe
    that the enemy, much to their chagrin--much to their chagrin--out of the
    evil will come a more peaceful world. And at home, I know out of the
    evil will come a better America.
        Today I had the honor of speaking at the Ohio State University
    graduation ceremonies. I told those kids, I said that patriotism is more
    than saluting the flag. Patriotism is service to your country.
    Patriotism is loving your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved
    yourself. If you want to fight evil, if you want to join the war on
    terror, love somebody. Do some good. It's the gathering momentum of
    thousands of acts of kindness and generosity which will show the world
    the compassionate face of America and, at the same time, show the world
    that this country is not going to be cowed by evil people.
        One person can't do everything in this society. I know that. But one
    person can do something to save a soul. Listen, in this great land of
    ours, a land of plenty, there are pockets of hopelessness and despair.
    There are too many children who wonder whether America is meant for
    them, and we're going to do something about that here in America. There
    are too many people addicted and sad and lonely, and we'll do something
    about that too. The Government can hand out checks. But what Government
    cannot do is put hope in people's hearts or a sense of purpose in their
    lives or love people. That's going to happen because this great country
    is full of loving and decent and caring souls.
        I call upon you all to continue what you're doing when it comes to
    helping a neighbor in need. The acts don't have to be huge acts. Listen,
    if you just walk across the street and tell somebody shut in that you
    love them, it's a part of making our society whole and complete. Mentor
    a child. Grab a child around the shoulders and tell them you love them
    and teach them how to read. It's these acts of compassion and decency
    which will help lay the foundation for a more hopeful America in the
    future.
        You know, when I was campaigning for Governor and still as
    President, I've talked about a cultural change. I said, it's so
    important for us to change the culture away from that of my generation,
    which has said, ``If it feels good, just go ahead and do it,'' and ``If
    you've got a problem, blame somebody else.'' That's happening in
    America. People understand that they are responsible for the decisions
    they make in life.
        I believe a culture of personal responsibility is beginning to take
    hold, and perhaps the most important catalyst for that cultural shift is
    what took place on Flight 93. People were driving--flying across the
    country, trying to get home, and all of a sudden they realized their
    airplane was a weapon. And they said a prayer, and they told their loved
    ones goodbye, and they served a cause greater than self by driving that
    airplane into the ground.
        It's that sense of sacrifice and courage that will serve as an
    example for young and old alike. It's that concept of serving something
    greater than you which will allow this great Nation to show the world
    that we will overcome evil with good.
        I want to thank you all for your friendship. I repeat, I want to
    thank you for the greatest gift you can give a President and his wife,
    and that's your prayers. I want to thank you for supporting my friend,
    the current and next Governor of the State of Texas. I want to thank you
    all for coming.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:09 p.m. in the Imperial Ballroom at the
    Hyatt Regency

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    Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Marjorie Arsht, Republican Party
    activist; Greg Abbott, candidate for Texas attorney general; Justices
    Wallace Jefferson and Xavier Rodriguez of the Texas Supreme Court; Texas
    State Representative Tom Craddick; and John R. Carter, candidate for
    Texas' 31st Congressional District.