[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[September 5, 2002]
[Pages 1530-1536]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Community in Louisville, Kentucky
September 5, 2002

    Thank you all very much. Thank you all. It is great to be here in 
the State of Kentucky. Let me tell you, it's great to be back to the 
State of Kentucky. I want to thank you all for coming. It is my--it's 
going to be my honor today to talk to you about our country, our future. 
I want to talk about how to make our country a safer country and a 
stronger country and, as importantly, a better country. And there's no 
better place to do it than Louisville, Kentucky.
    I want to thank Anne for her kind 
introduction, and I want to thank the other members of the Kentucky 
delegation who are here today who are my friends, and that would be 
Senator Jim Bunning and Congressman Ken 
Lucas. I appreciate all three members of the 
congressional delegation coming down today. As you know, they're up 
there in Washington meeting, and it's an honor that three Members 
decided to come and hear the President. [Laughter]
    I want to thank your Governor, Paul Patton, 
for coming today. Governor, I appreciate you taking time to be here. I'm 
honored that you're here. I want to thank Elaine Chao, who is a member of my Cabinet, the Secretary of Labor. I 
appreciate

[[Page 1531]]

you coming, Elaine. I want to thank the head of the Small Business 
Administration, Hector Barreto, for 
joining us as well. Thank you, Hector. Oh, I forgot--I forgot to mention 
the first lady of Kentucky. One thing you learn is never to forget to 
mention the first ladies. I appreciate Judi Patton being here as well. Thank you for coming, Judi.
    Speaking about first ladies, my wife is doing 
great, too. I like to remind people that when I married her, she was a 
public school librarian. And for all the public school librarians out 
there, you've got an advocate in the White House. For all the teachers 
out there, I want to thank you for being teachers, too. She didn't like 
politics, and she didn't like politicians when I married her. Now she's 
stuck with one. [Laughter] She's doing a great job. I'm really proud of 
her. She sends her love and her best to all the people of Kentucky.
    I want to thank the members of the Louisville community who happen 
to be small-business owners for coming to visit. We just had a good hour 
discussion about small-business issues. You see, one of the best ways to 
make sure that our economy grows is to have an environment in which the 
entrepreneur can flourish and the small business can be strong. Most new 
jobs are created in America by small businesses, and therefore, we'd 
better worry about the health of small businesses, if we're worried 
about the health and security of the country.
    And I'm worried about the health and security of our country; I am. 
And we've got a lot of work to do. I'm not worried about our future 
because I'm optimistic about America. We've got a great future ahead of 
us. But so long as anybody who wants to work can't find work, I think 
we've got a problem in America. And so, therefore, our thought process 
ought to be how to create jobs, how best to make sure that the 
foundation of economic growth remains strong and that we go forward with 
creating jobs. And that's why I met with the small-business owners and 
listened to their concerns and heard their points of view.
    First, let me tell you, the foundation for our economy is strong. I 
mean, after all, interest rates are low. Inflation is low. We've got the 
best workers in the world. Our productivity is high. We've got the best 
farmers and ranchers in the world. We're really good at a lot of things 
in America, which creates the foundation for growth. I am not satisfied, 
however, until everybody can find work. And so, fundamentally, what can 
we do?
    First, you've got to understand, the role of Government is not to 
create wealth. It's to create an environment in which people can realize 
their dreams, in which small businesses can grow to be big businesses. 
And one way to encourage that is to let people keep more of their own 
money.
    When we came in, it turns out the country was in a recession. That's 
three quarters of negative growth. Fortunately, I was able to team up 
with members of both political parties to take a chapter out of this 
textbook. It's the chapter that says, if you let people keep more of 
their own money, they will demand a good or a service. And if they 
demand a good or a service, somebody is likely to produce that good or a 
service. And when somebody produces that good or a service, somebody is 
more likely to find work. The tax relief came at the right time for the 
American economy.
    If you listen carefully to some of the dialog in Washington, you 
begin to hear a little tone about, ``Well, maybe we ought to stop the 
tax relief from being fully implemented.'' That would be a mistake for 
our economy. That would be a terrible mistake for jobs and job creation. 
Not only should we resist anybody who wants to undo the tax relief, we 
need to make the tax relief permanent.
    Well, people say, ``How can cutting income taxes on the people 
affect small business?'' Well, most small businesses are sole 
proprietorships, which means they pay tax at the individual income tax 
rate level. Or

[[Page 1532]]

most small businesses are limited partnerships. And so when you cut the 
taxes on the people, you're really cutting the taxes on the sole 
proprietors and on limited partnerships. You're helping small business 
grow. And when small businesses grow, America is better off.
    But let me also tell you that in the tax relief plan we began to 
mitigate the effects of the marriage penalty. Listen, the Tax Code ought 
to encourage marriage, not discourage marriage. And the other thing is, 
we sent the death tax on the way to extinction. The death tax is bad for 
Kentucky farmers; it's bad for Kentucky ranchers; and it's bad for 
Kentucky entrepreneurs.
    And then you say, ``Well, why, Mr. President, do you need to talk 
about making the tax relief permanent?'' Because a quirk in the law in 
the United States Senate says that you won't--we're going to cut your 
taxes, but in 10 years it will have come back. It's hard for me to 
explain. I mean, how can you say, ``On the one hand, we're cutting your 
taxes; on the other hand, it goes away after 10 years''? Well, that's 
just the way the Senate happens to work right now. But there's a way to 
change that, and that is to get the United States Senate to agree to 
make all this tax relief permanent. It will help people plan. It will 
help good policy, and anybody who wants to find work is more likely to 
be able to do so if the tax relief is permanent.
    In order to make sure people find work and our economy is strong, 
Congress must not overspend. Every idea sounds like a good idea in 
Washington--just that they cost billions of dollars. We need to set 
priorities, and we have set priorities in Washington, priorities of how 
to make America safer, stronger, and better. And it's my job to hold the 
line on spending the people's money.
    See, it's important to have the right mind-set up there. We're not 
spending Government money; we're spending your money. In order to make 
sure it's spent wisely--I look forward to working with Congress to make 
sure we spend your money wisely. If we overspend, it will serve as a 
drag on our economy. If we overspend, it will make it harder for people 
to find work. I'm worried about people finding work. I want anybody who 
wants a job to be able to find one here in America.
    There's some other practical things we can do in Washington, DC. We 
need to get us a terrorism insurance bill, to get our hardhats back to 
work. Over $10 billion of construction projects are not going forward 
because people can't get the proper insurance because of what the 
terrorists did to America. The Government ought to help here. It makes 
sense that the Government help. We want our hardhats back to working. 
The construction trades believe that over 300,000 workers will go back 
to work if we can get this bill out of Congress. I want a bill out of 
Congress that helps the hardhats, not helps the plaintiffs' attorneys. I 
want people going back to work in America.
    We need an energy bill. A good energy bill will create jobs in 
America. We also need an energy bill which will encourage conservation 
and the use of renewable energy. We can do that, but we also need an 
energy bill that will encourage exploration here in America, exploration 
in environmentally friendly ways, so that we become less dependent on 
foreign sources of crude oil. An energy bill is good for jobs, and it's 
good for national security, and it's time the Congress quit talking and 
get an energy bill to my desk.
    Now, I'm optimistic about our economy. I'm optimistic about job 
growth. I'm optimistic about the future because I understand America. 
We've got problems, no question, but we have a spirit that is 
indomitable and strong. I'm also optimistic about being able to do my 
most important job, which is to protect the homeland.
    You know, one of my concerns was the farther we got away from 
September the 11th, the more likely it would be that some in our country 
might not think the enemy

[[Page 1533]]

still existed. But they do, and they're nothing but a bunch of 
coldblooded killers. That's all they are. People in our country wonder 
why, why would somebody hate America? It's because we love freedom; 
that's why. We love the idea that free people can worship an almighty 
God any way they so choose in America. We value the freedom for people 
to speak their mind in this country. We value a free press. We value 
freedom. And the more we value freedom, the more they hate us. That's 
why. That's why the enemy still exists.
    And there's another reason. Every life matters in America. Everybody 
counts. Everybody has worth. And these killers don't think that way. 
They're willing to take innocent life in the name of a hijacked 
religion. And so my job is to do everything we can to protect our 
homeland--it's to make America more secure.
    You need to know there's a lot of good folks working hard to protect 
us. I mean, anytime we're getting a hint that the enemy might be 
thinking about doing something to us, we're moving on it. We communicate 
better. We're aware. We're aware of their hatred. Prior to September the 
11th, we would never assume that America would be a battlefield. It is 
now. It's a different era. I want you to know that you should take 
comfort in the fact that a lot of good people are doing everything they 
can to make sure that America is secure, not only at the Federal level 
but at the State level and here at the local level. A lot of really good 
people are getting better information and are acting on it as quickly as 
possible.
    I went to Congress, and I said, in order to help me and future 
Presidents--and notice I say ``future Presidents,'' because I don't 
think this war and this hatred is going to go away anytime soon--that 
future Presidents can deal with the threat on the homeland, I've asked 
for a new department in Washington called the Department of Homeland 
Security. The reason I did is because there's over 100 agencies in 
Washington, DC, that have something to do with protecting the homeland. 
They're scattered everywhere. In order to make sure the number one 
priority of these agencies is your protection, I've asked that they be 
put under one umbrella, one Cabinet Secretary to be confirmed by the 
United States Senate.
    I want to be able to align authority and responsibility. I want to 
be able to say clearly to the American people, ``We're doing a better 
job of protecting our borders.'' See, we need to know who's coming into 
America, what they're bringing into America, and whether or not they're 
going to leave America when they say they're going to leave America. We 
need to do a better job of coordinating our first--the strategy of our 
first-responders, the brave police and fire and EMS teams that you've 
got right here in Louisville and all across America. We need to do a 
better job of being able to respond to potential weapons of mass 
destruction attacks--need to do a better job of taking the intelligence 
we have and analyzing it and addressing the vulnerabilities that may be 
evident here in America.
    And so I've asked Congress to act, and I appreciate the fact that 
the House of Representatives has acted. And I'm sure on your TV screens, 
if you bother to watch TV, you'll see that the Senate is debating this 
bill. I've got deep concerns about where the Senate is headed, however. 
I need the flexibility necessary to be able to move people to the right 
place at the right time in order to protect America. And I'll give you 
an example.
    On our borders we've got three different agencies involved with 
protecting the border, Customs, INS, and Border Patrol. They wear 
different uniforms. They have different strategies. They've got 
different bosses. For the sake of protecting America, any administration 
must have the flexibility to move people around to address our 
vulnerabilities. The enemy moves quickly, and so should the Federal 
Government be able to move quickly. And yet, the bill out

[[Page 1534]]

of the Senate has got rules this thick. They want to micromanage the 
process. The Senate must hear this: I expect to get a bill that is not 
in the best interests of vested interests in Washington but in the best 
interests of protecting the American people.
    The best way to protect our homeland is to hunt the killers down one 
by one and bring them to justice. The best way to secure America--the 
best way to secure our country and to protect our freedom is to find the 
killers.
    This is a different kind of war, but the war goes on. We've got some 
great veterans in this hall who remember the way war used to be. You 
could determine the size of the enemy based upon the number of tanks 
they might have or the number of airplanes they have or the number of 
ships. This is a different kind of enemy. These are commanders who hide 
in dark caves and then send youngsters to their suicidal death. They 
kind of slither into cities and hope not to get caught. They're 
sophisticated. They understand we're after them. And they're elusive, 
and they're determined. But so are we. We've got a fabulous United 
States military, and they're on the hunt. We've got a strong coalition 
of nations which have heard, as Anne 
mentioned, the doctrine that says, either you're with us, or you're with 
the enemy. We have upheld the doctrine that says, if you harbor a 
terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist.
    And I want you to tell your youngsters, your children and your 
grandchildren, that when this great Nation went into Afghanistan, we 
didn't go to conquer anybody. We went in to liberate. We went in to 
liberate people from the clutches of the most barbaric regime in 
history. This great Nation and our friends and allies not only upheld an 
important doctrine, but as a result of our action, many young girls go 
to school for the first time in Afghanistan.
    And we're not leaving. We believe so strongly that every individual 
counts, that we want to help democracy flourish in that region. And 
we're not leaving because there's still Al Qaida and their buddies 
roaming around. And there's a lot of brave folks on the hunt, probably 
some of your relatives. And if you've got a relative in the United 
States military or if you're in the United States military, this Nation 
is incredibly proud of what your relative is doing.
    I have submitted a defense spending bill that is the largest 
increase since Ronald Reagan was the President. And I did so for two 
reasons--two reasons: One, anytime we put our troops into harm's way, 
they deserve the best pay, the best equipment, and the best training; 
and secondly, I did so because I want to send a message to friend and 
foe alike that we're in this deal for the long haul. When it comes to 
the freedoms we love, when it comes to something we hold dear, this 
country is determined and patient and plenty resolved to achieve 
victory.
    Congress is back. The House passed a version of the defense bill. 
The Senate passed a version of the defense bill. I expect the Congress 
to work together and get that defense bill to my desk as soon as 
possible. It's in the interests of the United States. The American 
people are not going to like it if they see the Congress playing 
politics with the defense bill when we're at war.
    We're making progress. See, because the enemy is different and the 
nature of the war is different, sometimes you don't see what's going on. 
As I said early on, and right after September the 11th, sometimes you'll 
see what's happening, and sometimes you won't. That's just the nature of 
this war. Sometimes one of these killers will be brought to justice, and 
you'll hear about it, and sometimes they won't. But we're making 
progress. Slowly but surely, we're making progress. Slowly but surely, 
we're bringing people to justice.
    Notice I don't say, ``Slowly but surely, we're seeking revenge.'' I 
said, ``Slowly but surely, we're bringing people to justice.''

[[Page 1535]]

We owe that to our children. We owe that to our children's children. We 
must stay on the hunt for the sake of freedom here. We must continue to 
deny sanctuary. Once we get them on the run, we've also got to make it 
hard for them to light anywhere. We must make sure that those who would 
like to harbor them continue to get the message that there will be a 
consequence. We must anticipate problems before they occur. We must deal 
with threats to our security today, before it can be too late.
    Yesterday I announced to the country that I would be working closely 
with our United States Congress and the American people to explain the 
threat that Saddam Hussein poses to world 
peace. I take the threat very seriously. I take the fact that he 
develops weapons of mass destruction very seriously. I remember the fact 
that he has invaded two countries before. I know for a fact that he's 
poisoned his own people. He doesn't believe in the worth of each 
individual. He doesn't believe in public dissent.
    I look forward to a dialog. I'm a patient man. I've got tools--we've 
got tools at our disposal. And therefore, yesterday I began an important 
discussion about our future, about peace, about freedom; a discussion 
that I will continue to have with the United States Congress, Republican 
and Democrat alike; a discussion I will carry on with the American 
people; a discussion I will begin at the United Nations next week; a 
discussion I will have with the Prime Minister of Britain Saturday; a discussion I'll have with the Prime Minister 
of Canada on Monday; a discussion I'll be 
having with the President of Russia, Premier 
of China, President of France tomorrow.
    I will remind them that history has called us into action, that we 
love freedom, that we'll be deliberate, patient, and strong in the 
values that we adhere to, but we can't let the world's worst leaders 
blackmail, threaten, hold freedom-loving nations hostage with the 
world's worst weapons.
    I can't imagine what went through the enemy's mind when they hit us. 
I can't imagine what they were thinking. Let me guess. They probably 
said, America is so selfish and so self-absorbed and so materialistic, 
that after September the 11th we might file a lawsuit or two, but that's 
all we would do. They were wrong. See, they don't understand America. 
They don't understand our character, and they don't understand our 
fiber. They don't understand that, when we love something, we love it 
dearly. We love life, and we love freedom.
    And they understand one thing about us, too. When we need to be 
plenty tough, we're going to be plenty tough. And they're learning 
another thing about America. When we need to be compassionate and 
loving, we can be compassionate and loving, too. You see, I believe out 
of the evil done to America--and make no mistake, it was an incredibly 
evil act--will come incredible good. You need to tell your loved ones, 
the little ones in particular, that when they hear the President talking 
about Al Qaida, Iraq, and other places, I do so because I long for 
peace. See, I believe out of the evil done to America, if we're strong 
and focused and determined, we can achieve peace. We can not only 
achieve peace today for America but peace in the long term--but not only 
for America. See, every life matters in this country. And you don't have 
to be an American for you to matter, as far as this Nation is concerned. 
We want peace in parts of the world that have quit on peace. We want 
there to be peace in the Middle East. We want there to be peace in South 
Asia. We act because we believe in peace. And out of the evil done to 
America can come a more peaceful world.
    And out of the evil done to America can come a more compassionate 
America, too. A lot of people say, ``Well, what can I do on the war 
against terror?'' You can love your neighbor like you'd like to be loved 
yourself, is what you can do.

[[Page 1536]]

    No, I'm for a safer and strong America, and I'm for a better 
America. A better America begins, by the way, with making sure every 
child gets an education in this country and no child is left behind. A 
better America is when we take care of people who can't help themselves 
with a health care system that's modern. A better America is one that 
calls upon the best of America. See, Government can hand out money--we 
do a pretty good job of it. But what Government cannot do is put hope 
into people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. That's 
done when a loving individual puts his arm around a fellow citizen and 
says, ``I love you. What can I do to help you?''
    You see, America is changing, one person at a time--one person at a 
time. We're saving America one soul, one conscience at a time, because 
thousands of our fellow citizens have recognized it's important to serve 
something greater than yourself.
    Robert Mihalovic is here. I met two 
groups of people--I met one group of people, and I met one person. I met 
Robert. I also met the Louisville Little League team, both kind of 
heroes in their own way. One group of kids won a championship. I did 
remind them, ``It's just beginning for you. You've got a responsibility 
now that you're champs, a responsibility to make the right choices in 
life.''
    Robert is here--Robert, if you don't 
mind standing up--I'll tell you why Robert is here. He's a Navy World 
War II veteran. He's a Korean war veteran. But let me tell you something 
about him. He mentors children. See, he's decided that in order to make 
a difference, in order to be a patriot, he wants to help a child in 
need. Robert told me at Air Force One that his most beautiful moments 
come when the child hugs him and says, ``Thank you,'' when the child 
says, ``Thanks for giving me some hope, and thanks for giving me love.''
    No Government program can do that. It happens because thousands of 
citizens like Robert, who I call soldiers 
in the armies of compassion, have heard the call to love their neighbor 
like they'd like to be loved themselves. One person, one Robert can't do 
everything, but he can do something. He can help change America, one 
heart, one soul at a time.
    The enemy hit us. They did tremendous evil to America. But out of 
that evil is going to come a more compassionate country. We can deal 
with addiction and hopelessness and despair when our fellow citizens 
answer the call to make America a compassionate and a decent place. And 
that's what's happening in this country. It's happening in America. No, 
out of the evil done to America is going to come incredible good--peace 
and a better society, because we're the greatest nation, full of the 
greatest people on the face of the Earth.
    Thank you for coming. God bless. God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 11:40 a.m. in the Broadbent Arena at the 
Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. In his remarks, he referred to 
Representative Anne M. Northup of Kentucky, who introduced the 
President; Gov. Paul Patton of Kentucky, and his wife, Judi; President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; 
Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada; President Vladimir Putin of 
Russia; President Jiang Zemin of China; and President Jacques Chirac of 
France. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.