    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [September 27, 2002]
    [Pages 1676-1683]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1676]]

    Remarks at a Luncheon for Congressional Candidate Bob Beauprez in Denver, Colorado
    September 27, 2002

        Thank you all. Nice to be out West. [Laughter] Thank you all for
    coming today. And ``Congressman,'' thank you for that kind introduction.
    Bob Beauprez is the right man to represent the State of Colorado. There
    is no question in my mind. I am proud to stand with him, and I hope the
    good folks of Colorado are wise enough to send him to Washington, DC.
        I'm honored to be up here with Claudia,
    mother of four. These two folks love their family; they love their
    country. And Claudia, I appreciate you're willing to sacrifice. See,
    moving out of Colorado is a pretty good size sacrifice. [Laughter] But
    like Bob, I married above myself. [Laughter] And my good wife sends her love and her best to our friends who are
    here, and to the Beauprezes in their quest of this high office--the
    Governor and the first lady of the State of Colorado. She sends her best, as do
    I.
        By the way, she's doing a fabulous job. She
    was down in Mexico representing the United States. She's winging her way
    back to Crawford. I'm going to see her tonight after my trip. Tomorrow
    we're going to spend a little quality time on the ranch, helping to make
    sure we maintain perspective, understanding that there's life outside of
    the Beltway, that the values of central Texas and the values of the West
    out here in Denver are important values to keep a part of our spirit.
        And so I'm honored to be here to campaign. She sends her love. By the way, she is doing a fabulous
    job. She is a great First Lady for America, and I'm really proud of her.
    Not bad for a west Texas girl who, when I married her, was a public
    school librarian who, frankly, didn't care for politics and wasn't too
    keen on politicians. [Laughter] She's a great lady. She sends her love.
        I also am honored to be here with your Governor. He is one of the Nation's best Governors. Unlike some of
    them, he can run on his record. [Laughter] And it's a record that's
    going to put him back in office. And that's good for Colorado. I'm
    honored Frances is here with him as well, a
    great first lady for the State of Colorado.
        I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. I want to
    thank Chairman Benson. I've known him for a long
    time. He's a fine leader. I want to thank you for what you have done and
    what you're going to do, and that is, you're going to turn out the vote.
    You're going to man the precincts. You're going to do what you're really
    good at, which is grassroots politics. And a lot of times you don't get
    thanked enough. I'm here to thank you. I want to thank you for turning
    out the vote, not only to make sure the Governor
    wins and Bob wins but to make sure Wayne Allard
    goes back to the United States Senate.
        I want to thank Senator Campbell
    for being here and the rest of the congressional delegation. You've sent
    some fine folks to Washington, DC, and I've enjoyed working with all of
    them. And I want to thank the folks who have organized this dinner--or
    lunch, however you want to call it. [Laughter] It's a big crowd. Bob,
    it's a good sign. See, the folks here know what I know--that you're a
    man of principle, a man of character.
        I love the Beauprez story. It's an American story, really, when you
    think about it. It's a Colorado story. It embodies the values of the
    State of Colorado and the best of America. After all, his grandfather
    came here penniless in 1910, left a wife and child behind. He wasn't
    sure if he could make it in America. He came and worked hard. Had the
    honor of meeting Bob's mom and

    [[Page 1677]]

    dad. One of them got out of the eighth grade.
    And the mom got a little farther in school: she got out of the ninth
    grade. But they're truly the American story, that hard work and dreaming
    big dreams and loving one another and raising your family means you can
    get ahead in America. Those are the values of Bob Beauprez, and they're
    important values for America to understand, and they're good values for
    the United States Congress.
        I like to support a man who's made a living, who understands what it
    means to take risk, who's not only worked on a farm but has had a vision
    and saw that vision come to be. It's the kind of thinking we need in
    Washington, because we've got a problem with our economy. And here's the
    problem: Anytime somebody who wants to work can't find work, that's a
    problem. And even though there is economic growth, we don't have enough
    growth. And even though interest rates are low and inflation is low, the
    foundation for a growing economy--we need to do more.
        But here's our attitude about the economy. 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 producer can make a
    living, in which the small business can grow to be a big business.
        You're backing the right man for Congress. He understands how the
    economy works. He will join me and others in making sure the tax cuts
    which we passed are a permanent part of American life. There's an
    interesting debate in Washington about taxes; there always is. There's
    some who want more of your taxes in Washington; there are some who want
    less. I believe that when the economy slowed the way it was slowing when
    we came in, we needed to let people keep more of their own money. Here's
    the page of the textbook which we read. It says: ``If you have more
    money in your pocket, it means you're more likely to demand a good or a
    service. And if you demand a good or a service in the American system,
    somebody is going to produce the good or a service. And when somebody
    produces the good or a service, somebody is more likely to find work.''
    The tax cuts came at the right time in American history.
        The tax cuts stimulate economic growth. The tax cuts are good for
    small business creation. Small businesses create 70 percent of the new
    jobs in America. Most small businesses are not incorporated. Most small
    businesses are sole proprietorships or limited partnerships and,
    therefore, pay income taxes at the individual rates. And so when you
    drop the rates, you're encouraging capital creation in the small-
    business sector of America. Those who oppose tax cuts do not understand
    job creation and what the small-business community does for job
    creation.
        It's hard for me to explain why we need to make them permanent. It's
    kind of--some of the things that happen in Washington: On the one hand,
    they taketh away; on the other hand, they giveth. In this case, we had
    tax reductions, but because of a rule in the United States Senate, those
    tax reductions cease after 10 years from the date of enactment. Congress
    gives, and then it takes away. And that's not right. What I need--I need
    allies in Washington who will make those tax reductions permanent so
    people can plan and save, and the job will grow.
        And we did a good thing in that tax reduction plan. We sent the
    death tax on its way to extinction. The death tax is bad for Colorado
    ranchers. The death tax is bad for Colorado farmers. If you're
    interested in curtailing urban sprawl, you ought to eliminate the death
    tax, so people aren't forced to sell their farms and ranches when they
    don't want to, because of a bad tax. The death tax is bad for small
    businesses. The death tax is just plain bad. And this State and this
    district better send somebody to Washington who will vote to permanently
    repeal the death tax.

    [[Page 1678]]

        Economic vitality and economic growth means that we've got to manage
    our resources wisely, and we're not managing our forest resources wisely
    in America. We're allowing our forests to grow up like giant piles of
    kindling and just hoping that something doesn't happen. We're--backwards
    policy. We don't listen to the folks out West enough. We don't listen to
    the folks whose job it is to conserve our forests for future
    generations. The fires that have devastated the West should send a clear
    signal to not only the voters of this district but to the people in
    Washington, DC, that America, for the sake of our precious resources,
    and America, for the sake of future generations, must have forest policy
    based upon common sense. We must thin out our forests so that they're
    not giant piles of kindling for future national disasters.
        Bob's commonsense approach makes sense for Colorado. He understands
    as well, when you're good at something, you ought to promote it. We're
    good at high-tech. We're good at growing crops. We're good at producing
    things, and we ought to be selling our products overseas. And so I
    appreciate that we're going to have a fellow free-trader elected to the
    United States Congress from this district. Trade is good for jobs. Trade
    is good for Colorado. And trade is good for America.
        In order to create more jobs in America, Congress needs to act when
    it comes to terrorism insurance. There's some significant projects on
    hold because people can't get insurance because of what the terrorists
    did to us. It's estimated there's over 300,000 jobs that have been
    delayed, 300,000 hardhat, good, hard--good-paying jobs, because we can't
    get terrorism insurance. And Congress ought to act, and they need to
    move.
        The problem is--well, here's the problem: Some of them are more
    interested in rewarding the trial lawyers than they are the hardhats. We
    need a bill that focuses--we need policy that focuses on the hard-
    working people, those people wearing the hardhats. We've got to get them
    back to work. I need somebody up there who will join me in putting good,
    commonsense policy in place--people can find work in America. We want
    them working.
        And one other thing I want to share with you about how to make sure
    the economy grows: We must be fiscally sound with your money; we cannot
    allow Congress to overspend. And here's the danger. Every idea in
    Washington sounds like a good idea. Everybody's idea sounds brilliant.
    And the problem in Washington politics is, every one of those brilliant
    ideas has got a price tag on them in the billions. And it begins to add
    up.
        And the other danger is, there's no budget. Senator
    Armstrong remembers the days when the
    Senate had a budget. They don't have one now. And if you don't have a
    budget, guess what's likely to happen? People overspend. For the sake of
    job creation, for the sake of jobs, we need to make sure the United
    States Congress understands whose money they're spending. They're not
    spending the Government's money; they're spending your money. And I need
    fiscal conservatives, people who will protect your pocketbook in
    Washington, DC.
        No, we're going to work together to make America a stronger place by
    making sure people can find work. Oh, I know there's a lot of talk about
    national security, and there should be, during these days. But part of
    making sure America is a secure place is that our economy is strong, and
    we continue to focus on job creation, which I'll do.
        But my most important job these days is to protect the homeland, is
    to protect America against nothing but a bunch of coldblooded killers,
    protect our country against people who hate us because of what we love.
    They hate us because we love freedom. They hate us because we love the
    idea that people can worship an almighty God any way they see fit. They
    hate us because we speak our mind: we allow public discourse and
    dissent. They

    [[Page 1679]]

    hate us because we have a free press. And so long as we love freedom,
    they'll hate us. But we're never, ever going to relinquish our love of
    freedom in America.
        Let me tell you something else about the enemy: They're resourceful;
    they're slippery; they're the ones who hide in caves and send youngsters
    to their suicidal death. These are folks that have hijacked a great
    religion and then take innocent life. And that's a huge difference
    between America. See, in America we value life. Everybody matters. Every
    person counts, not only in America but around the world. Human life is
    precious to the American people, part of our culture. The enemy doesn't
    think that way. And therefore, we've got to do everything we can to
    defend against them, to make sure they never hurt us again.
        And a lot of good people are working a lot of long hours to protect
    the American people--just are--you've got to know it. You've got to know
    that we're doing a better job now of coordinating between agencies in
    Washington. I mean--once we've learned that oceans no longer protect
    us--there's a new mentality in your Nation's Capital as well as your
    statehouse and at the local level as well. A lot of good people are
    sharing information, are running down leads. Anytime we get a hint
    something might be happening to America, we're going to react to it. We
    owe that to the American people. We will do so and protect the United
    States Constitution at the same time.
        We're making progress at home, but we need to make more progress.
    And one way to do so is to create a Department of Homeland Security. I
    remember when I first made the announcement, somebody said, ``Well, all
    that's going to mean is bigger Government.'' I readily concede I didn't
    campaign on the slogan: ``Vote for me. I want your Government to be
    bigger.'' But I do want it to work. I want it to perform. There's over
    100 agencies involved in the homeland defense. And if the number one
    priority is to protect the homeland, it seems like, to me, it makes
    sense to have them under one umbrella so that we can have a new culture
    in those agencies. It's not to say they won't do other functions, but we
    want them focused on your job, on your security, and on their job.
    That's what we want in America.
        And so I've asked Congress to respond. And the House acted quickly,
    and I appreciate the votes of the Members here from the House. The
    Senate is bogged down right now. They're bogged down over a dispute as
    to how best to run the agency. I want to thank Senator
    Campbell's strong support of my
    position, which I'm about to share with you. And it's this: I don't need
    a giant--and when I say ``I,'' it's not only me, it's other Presidents--
    don't need a thick book of regulations trying to micromanage the
    Department of Homeland Security. That's not what we need. We need
    flexibility. We need to be able to move quickly. We need to be able--
    need to put the hard-working people in the right place at the right
    time, to protect us from an enemy. Let me give you some examples of what
    I'm talking about.
        After September the 11th, the Customs Service wanted to require
    inspectors at the Nation's 301 ports of entry to wear radiation
    detection devices. That makes sense: Put a radiation detection device on
    that will help to determine whether or not somebody is trying to
    struggle a weapons of mass destruction in the country--eminent sense,
    logic that folks should want to do that. The union that represents the
    Customs workers objected. They didn't think that was right. They sought
    to invoke collective bargaining, which would have taken at least a year
    to resolve. We don't have a year to resolve issues like that. See, we
    need to be able to move quickly. We need to be able to respond. It's our
    job. In order to locate employees in cases of emergency, the Customs
    Service thought to have employees provide their home addresses or their
    telephone numbers to the Customs Service--in other words, if there
    needed

    [[Page 1680]]

    to be a quick response, we needed to have their numbers available. The
    union objected. They said such a request would violate the privacy
    rights of workers.
        We're in a different time here in America. In this case, a union
    filed a grievance and sought to negotiate something as sensible as this
    request. I'm for workers' rights. I believe people ought to be able to
    have collective bargaining if that's what they want. But in the name of
    national security, this administration, future administrations need this
    flexibility to put people--the right place at the right time, in order
    to protect America from an enemy which still wants to hurt us.
        Hope we can get it right in the Senate--an opportunity for the
    Senate, House to leave behind a legacy that America is more fully
    protected as time goes on. But the best way to protect America, short
    term and long term, is to hunt the killers down, one at a time, and to
    bring them to justice. And that's what we're doing. We're doing it in a
    variety of ways. First, you just need to know the doctrine that says, if
    you're--you're either with us, or you're with them--it still stands.
        There's a lot of people still with us. This is a different kind of
    war, and we need people with us. As I mentioned, these are folks that
    like to hide in caves or the dark recesses of cities around the world.
    They don't have tanks. They don't have airplanes. They don't have ships.
    We don't measure success based upon our capacity to destroy their
    ability to fight war. We measure success based upon how many we have
    hauled in or how many weren't so lucky. We've gotten over a couple of
    thousand of them so far. ``We'' not only means the United States but
    others with whom we work. And a like number have not been as lucky.
    We're slowly but surely dismantling the Al Qaida terrorist network.
        It's not a very glamorous war for some to cover. It's hard to get
    breathless over an arrest. Bin al-Shibh
    popped his head up. He was the guy that thought he was going to be the
    20th hijacker, or wanted to be. He's no longer a threat. He's no longer
    a threat to America. He's no longer a threat to our friends. It doesn't
    matter how long it takes, folks, the enemy has got to understand: we're
    going to get them. It doesn't matter how long it takes; we're going to
    pursue them. You see, we're fighting for our freedom. We're fighting for
    that which we hold dear.
        I sent up to Congress the largest increase in defense spending since
    Ronald Reagan was the President. I did it for two reasons. One, anytime
    we commit our troops into harm's way, they deserve the best pay, the
    best equipment, and the best possible training. We owe that to our
    troops, and we owe it to their loved ones as well. And for those of you
    in the audience who have got a loved one in the military--one, proud of
    your son or daughter; two, I have got full confidence in your son or
    daughter; and three, thank you for your sacrifice. And secondly, the
    reason I asked for a increase the size of which I did is because I
    wanted to send a message to friend and foe alike that when it comes to
    the defense of our freedoms, we're not quitting. There's no calendar on
    my desk that says, well, we've reached this time; it's time to stop.
    That's not how I think. That's not how America thinks. We want our
    friends understanding that. We want the enemy to know it as well, that
    when it comes to the defense of our country, comes to defending the
    values we hold dear, it doesn't matter how much it costs; it doesn't
    matter how long it takes: The United States will be firm and resolved.
    We owe that to our children, and we owe it to our children's children.
        I've got a problem, however. The defense budget I submitted hasn't
    made it to my desk yet. Here we are trying to defend the homeland, and
    it's stuck. The House passed it. The Senate passed it. Now it's time for
    the leadership in Washington, DC, to get the defense bill to my desk
    before they go home. It's important for--it's an important signal to
    send. And they

    [[Page 1681]]

    ought to stop playing politics with defense appropriations at this time
    in American history.
        There's not going to be an easy road to secure our freedom. There is
    going to be--there are some steep hills to climb. But we're ready to
    climb them as a nation, I think. There's a steep hill to climb in Iraq.
    I went to the United Nations the other day, and I want to share with you
    why I went. First, I wanted to make sure the world heard the case: This
    man is a dictator who tortures and rapes
    women--has women raped in order to make a point; who kills, stifles
    dissent through murder; the man who said he would get rid of weapons of
    mass destruction and still has them. And we need to fear the fact that
    he has weapons of mass destruction. He's used them before. He's used
    them on his own people before. He's invaded two countries. He's lied and
    deceived the world.
        The United States is no longer secure because we've got oceans.
    We're vulnerable to attack, as we learned so vividly. My job is to not
    only deal with problems--people kind of run around and lurk--my job is
    also to anticipate problems. My job is to be realistic about our future.
    My job is to make sure that the world's worst leader is not able to blackmail or hurt America or our
    friends and allies with the world's worst weapons. We've got to make
    sure that these dictators aren't able to team up with terrorist groups,
    use their weapons of mass destruction as a way to intimidate those of us
    who love freedom.
        So I went to the United Nations. My message was, ``We want you to
    succeed as an organization. We remember what it was like when the
    collective body was the League of Nations, unable to stop
    totalitarianism, that in order to secure the freedom in the 21st
    century, it's important to have an effective body. But you've been
    ineffective,'' I said. ``For 11 long years you have said one thing to
    the dictator in Iraq, and he has thumbed his
    nose. For 11 years you've allowed this man to be--to lie and deceive
    about weapons of mass destruction, and you have not held him to account.
    And now is the time. For the sake of freedom, you have got a choice: You
    can hold him to account. And for the sake of freedom, he has got a
    choice: He can disarm.''
        There's no negotiations, by the way, for Mr. Saddam
    Hussein. There's nothing to discuss. He
    either gets rid of his weapons and the United Nations gets rid of his
    weapons--he can either get rid of his weapons and the United Nations can
    act, or the United States will lead a coalition to disarm this man.
        I'm willing to give peace a chance to work. I want the United
    Nations to work. I want him to do what he
    said he would do. But for the sake of our future, now's the time--now's
    the time. For the sake of your children's future, we must make sure this
    madman never has the capacity to hurt us with a nuclear weapon or to use
    the stockpiles of anthrax that we know he has, or VX--the biological
    weapons which he possesses.
        I appreciate both Republicans and Democrats in our country
    understanding this issue. The other day I was at--greeted in the Cabinet
    Room members of both parties from the United States Congress, both
    parties, who understand the stakes--members of both parties who
    understand the stakes, people who are willing to work with us to send a
    clear message to the world, a unified message, a strong resolution which
    defines our vision for peace.
        Soon I'll have a--soon you'll see a resolution come forth supported
    by members of both parties--not everybody, I can understand that. This
    is an important debate, a debate where people will speak their
    conscience. I'm absolutely convinced as we've laid out the facts,
    members from both parties understand the stakes, understand we're
    talking about freedom, and understand we cannot allow this
    madman to threaten us, to threaten others, to
    threaten our friends with the world's worst weapons.

    [[Page 1682]]

        I want you to know that behind the rhetoric of war is a deep desire
    for peace, that I believe that by remaining strong and diligent that we
    can achieve peace, that we can achieve peace not only for America but
    peace around the world. I believe that by speaking clearly about terror,
    delineating good from evil, remaining forceful in our desire for
    freedom, we can achieve peace in the Middle East.
        I laid out a vision for peace. I'm going to stay on that vision. I
    believe so strongly it's possible. And I believe we can achieve peace in
    South Asia. I want you to tell your kids that when they hear the debate,
    listen to the rhetoric: This administration has got a deep desire for a
    peaceful world. I also have a deep desire for a better world, too, a
    better country.
        As we work to keep the peace we've also got to work to make America
    a better place for all of us. I mean every single citizen. That means
    we've got to have an education system that is next to none. I believe
    strongly in setting high standards and challenging the soft bigotry of
    low expectations. I believe every child can learn.
        I know Bob shares that vision, and I know the Governor does as well. I'm proud to sign an important piece of
    education reform--for the first time said that if you receive Federal
    money, why don't you show us whether or not your children are learning
    to read and write and add and subtract? See, if you believe every child
    can learn, if you're willing to challenge the soft bigotry of low
    expectations, then just show us. And if they are, we'll praise the
    teachers and praise the superintendents. But when we find our children
    trapped in schools that won't teach and won't change, we must demand
    something different. No child should be left behind in America.
        A better America is one that has got a modern health care system.
    And I look forward to working with Bob to make sure that the Medicare
    system is modern. Medicine has changed; Medicare hasn't. And it's time
    to keep the promise of Medicare with a modern system, starting with
    prescription drug benefits for our seniors.
        And by the way, I appreciated what the House did. I call upon the
    Senate to do the same thing that the House did the other day. In order
    to make sure medicine is affordable and accessible, we need medical
    liability reform at the Federal level. Let me just put it to you this
    way: Too many lawsuits are driving docs out of business. Too many
    lawsuits are making health care hard to get for a lot of folks. Too many
    lawsuits, too many frivolous and junk lawsuits are driving up your cost
    for health care, and we need to do something about it, starting at the
    Federal level. The House acted. The Senate must show the same kind of
    courage, for the sake of the American people.
        There's a lot of things we can do in Washington, but the best way to
    make America a better place is to call upon our fellow citizens to love
    a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. See, Government
    can hand out money--sometimes we do a pretty good job of it--but what it
    cannot do is cause people to love one another. It can't put hope in
    people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. That is done
    when a fellow citizen puts his arm around somebody who hurts, and says,
    ``I love you.'' That's how that happens. That's done when a church or a
    synagogue or mosque decides to feed the hungry or find shelter for those
    who have no housing. It's done when somebody mentors a child. It's done
    when somebody runs a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop. That's what happens,
    see.
        That's the true strength of the country, by the way. The true
    strength of the country is in the hearts and souls of our fellow
    citizens. You know, people have asked me, what can they do to help in
    the war against terror? My answer is, love a neighbor. If you want to
    fight evil, do some good. Try to make your community a better place in
    which somebody can live and realize their dreams.

    [[Page 1683]]

        No, the enemy hit us--the enemy hit us. They didn't know who they
    were hitting. They probably thought after 9/11/2001 that maybe a couple
    lawsuits would be filed against them. They didn't understand America.
    They didn't understand our view of freedom; nor did they understand that
    this great Nation would rise up--this Nation would take a step back and
    assess what was important and rise up. A lot of people now understand to
    be a patriot means more than just putting your hand over your heart. It
    means doing something to make your community a better place. A true
    patriot is somebody who helps eliminate those pockets of despair and
    hopelessness by loving somebody.
        I believe out of the evil done to America is going to come great
    good--still mourn the loss of life, like we all do, but I know the
    culture is beginning to change from one that has said, ``If it feels
    good, do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to
    a day in which each of us understand we're responsible for the decisions
    we make in life. We're responsible for loving our children, if you're
    lucky enough to be a mom or a dad. You're responsible for the quality of
    life in the community in which you live. You're responsible for loving
    your neighbor like you'd like to be--self. If you're running corporate
    America, you're responsible to tell the truth to your employees and your
    shareholders.
        This great country is responding to the evil done. I'm an optimistic
    guy, because I believe America can achieve anything it sets its mind to,
    believe we can achieve peace. And I believe we can help eliminate the
    pockets of despair and make sure this country remains such a beacon of
    hope for everybody, for every citizen who is fortunate enough to live in
    this great land.
        The reason I believe that way is, I understand that America is the
    greatest nation, full of the finest people, on the face of our Earth.
    God bless you all, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:26 a.m. in the Plaza Ballroom at the
    Adam's Mark Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to candidate Bob
    Beauprez's wife, Claudia, and his parents, Joe and Maria Beauprez; Bob
    Benson, chair, Republican Party of Colorado; Gov. Bill Owens of
    Colorado, and his wife, Frances; former Senator William L. Armstrong of
    Colorado; Ramzi bin al-Shibh, an Al Qaida operative suspected of helping
    to plan the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, who was captured in
    Karachi, Pakistan; and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Bob Beauprez
    was a candidate for Colorado's Seventh Congressional District.