    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [November 10, 2003]
    [Pages 1491-1496]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Little Rock, Arkansas
    November 10, 2003

        Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Thank
    you. Please be seated, thanks. Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm
    welcome. I appreciate your fine words, Skinny. [Laughter] I got off the
    airplane, I wasn't sure who I was looking at. [Laughter]
        So we get in the limousine, and we're driving here from the airport,
    and the Governor says, ``Do you still follow
    college football?'' [Laughter] I wasn't exactly sure what he was driving
    at. I said, ``Yeah, I pay attention to it.'' He said, ``Were you paying
    attention to it a couple of weeks ago?'' I said, ``Yes, I sure was,
    Governor. Congratulations to the Hawgs.''

        Thank you all for coming today. What we're doing today is we're
    laying the foundation for what is going to be a victory

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    in Arkansas in '04 and a nationwide victory in '04.
        I want to thank you for your hard work and for your strong support.
    I want to thank you for what you did in 2000. I remember--[applause]--
    yes. I remember coming as the last stop we made prior to getting back to
    Texas after a long, long campaign. And we went to northwest Arkansas,
    and the crowds were huge. I remember flying over and seeing the line of
    red lights, all trying to get into the event. It was really a--put the
    wind at my back coming off of a tough campaign, the people of Arkansas
    did. I want thank you for support then. I want to thank you for the
    support that you've shown today. I want to thank you for what you're
    fixing to do, which is to man the grassroots and to get on the phones
    and get the signs out and to turn out the vote. When you're out working
    the vote right now, you tell them the President is focused on keeping
    America strong and secure and prosperous and free.
        The political season will come in its own time. I'm loosening up--
    [laughter]--and I'm getting ready. But I got a job to do, and I'll keep
    working on the people's business, doing what's right for America. I've
    got a job to do for everybody who lives in this country.
        My regret today is that the First Lady isn't
    traveling with me. You drew the short straw. [Laughter] But I'm proud of
    Laura. She's a great wife, a great mother, and is a fantastic First Lady
    for America. She sends her very best to all her friends here in
    Arkansas.
        Speaking about our friends, I'm proud to call your
    Governor friend and Janet Huckabee friend. Mike is doing a great job for the people of
    Arkansans. He's a strong leader. I appreciate his friendship, and I
    appreciate his leadership. I also want to thank your Lieutenant
    Governor, Win Rockefeller, and
    Lisenne for being here today. It's good
    to see you again, Governor. I appreciate your friendship.
        You got a fine Congressman named Boozman
    representing you in Washington, DC. John, you're doing a great job. I'm
    proud to call you ally and friend. I want thank all the State and local
    officials who are here. I see former--some former Congressmen. Jay
    Dickey and John Paul, it's good to see you.
        I appreciate the grassroots folks who are here, the people who are
    making this party work. I want to thank Warren Stephens and French Hill, who are the
    State finance cochairmen, for taking on the task of seeing to it that my
    campaign and the campaign of Vice President Cheney's is well-organized and well-funded. I appreciate all the
    folks who have made this event such a great success. Most of all, I
    thank you all for coming.
        In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to
    confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems
    instead of passing them on to future Presidents and future generations.
    I came to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. My
    administration is meeting the tests of our time.
        Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is
    what they got. We've captured or killed many of the key leaders of the
    Al Qaida network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In
    Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
    regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million
    people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and today, they
    live in freedom.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the
    resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased
    the defense budgets to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today,
    no one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the
    spirit of the United States military.

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        Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And
    then our Nation was attacked, and we had some scandals in corporate
    America, and we went to war to make America more secure, all of which
    affected the people's confidence. But we acted. We passed tough new laws
    to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy going
    again, I have twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax
    relief for the American people.
        I know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, to
    save, or invest, the whole economy grows and people are more likely to
    find a job. So we're returning more money to the people to help them
    raise their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital
    gains to encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives
    so they can hire new people. With all these actions, we have laid the
    foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs across America so every
    single person in this country can realize the great American Dream.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education
    reform, but there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called for and the
    Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan
    majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a
    generation.
        I appreciate your Governor leading on this
    issue. I appreciate the fine reading initiative you got here in this
    State. You see, we believe that every child in every public school can
    learn to read and write and add and subtract. We are challenging the
    soft bigotry of low expectations.
        We've increased the Federal budget to help Title I students, to help
    make sure every child can read. But we expect results. The days of
    excuse-making are over. We want results in every single classroom so
    that not one single child is left behind.
        We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland
    Security to better safeguard our borders and ports and to protect the
    American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new
    markets for Arkansas' farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs. We passed
    budget agreements that are helping to maintain spending discipline in
    Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this administration has acted on
    principle, has kept its word, and has made progress for the American
    people.
        And the United States Congress has shared in these substantial
    achievements. I want to thank John. I also want
    to thank Speaker Hastert and Leader
    Frist. They're good friends. We're working hard
    to change the tone in Washington, DC. There's a lot of needless politics
    in the Nation's Capital. We're focused on the people's business. You
    sent us to Washington to work on behalf of the people, not special
    interests, not lobbyists, but the people. And that's what we're doing.
        I've surrounded myself with people in my administration who are
    focused on results. I have put together a fine team of public servants
    to represent America. There is no finer Vice President in our Nation's
    history than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
        In 2\1/2\ years, we have come far, but our work is only beginning.
    I've set great goals worthy of a great nation. First, America is
    committed to expanding the realm of freedom and peace for our own
    security and for the benefit of the world. And second, in our own
    country, we must work for a society of prosperity and compassion so that
    every single citizen has a chance to work and to succeed and to realize
    the promise of America. It should become clear--it should be clear--that
    the future of freedom and peace depend on the actions of America. This
    Nation is freedom's home and freedom's defender. We welcome this charge
    of history, and we are keeping it.
        The war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle,
    and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will

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    not tire; we will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed.
        We are confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying
    to throw Iraq into chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers
    and innocent Iraqis. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would
    be a major defeat for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is
    trying to shake the will of America and the civilized world. America
    will not be intimidated.
        We're aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them
    there so we will not have to face them in our own country. We're calling
    on other nations to help Iraq to become a free country, which will make
    the world more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they
    assume more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These
    are not easy tasks, but they are essential tasks. We will finish what we
    have begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
        Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty,
    because free nations do not support terror. Free nations do not attack
    their neighbors. Free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of
    mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest hope and need
    of every human heart. And I believe that freedom is the right of every
    person, and I believe that freedom is the future of every nation.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we
    see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away.
    On the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing the
    healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children now
    suffering with AIDS. This great, powerful Nation is a compassionate
    nation, and we are leading the world in this incredibly important work
    of human rescue.
        We face challenges here at home, and our actions will prove worthy
    of the challenges. So long as any of our citizens who want to work can't
    find a job, we must work to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit, the
    environment for job growth is strong. The numbers look good. I'm
    encouraged by what I see, but too many of our fellow citizens aren't
    working.
        I've laid out a six-point plan to the United States Congress to make
    sure job creation remains strong and vibrant. I will stay focused on our
    economy until the American people are able to put food on the table and
    take care of their family responsibilities by finding a job.
        We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by
    strengthening and modernizing Medicare. Congress has taken historic
    action to improve the lives of older Americans. For the first time since
    the creation of Medicare, the House and the Senate have passed reforms
    to increase choices for seniors and provide coverage for prescription
    drugs. It is time for the House and the Senate to reconcile their
    differences and to get a bill to my desk. We owe it to our seniors to
    have a modern health care system available for them, and we owe it to
    those of us who are going to be seniors to make sure the Medicare system
    is modern.
        And for the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on
    the frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. People who
    have been harmed by a bad doctor deserve their day in court. Yet the
    system should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich
    settlement. Because frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care,
    they affect the Federal budget. Therefore, medical liability reform is a
    national issue that requires a national solution. I submitted a good
    bill to reform the medical liability system of our country to the
    House--to the Congress. The House of Representatives has acted. It is
    stuck in the United States Senate. It is time for some Senators to
    understand that no one in this country has ever been

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    healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We need medical liability reform.
        I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I've nominated superb men
    and women to the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. Yet some Members of the United States Senate--
    you might even know some--[laughter]--are trying to keep my nominees off
    the bench by filibusters, by blocking up-or-down votes. Every judicial
    nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on the Senate
    floor. Is it time for Members of the Senate to stop playing politics
    with American justice.
        Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. We
    must promote energy efficiency and conservation. We must use
    technologies to be able to use the resources at hand. But for the sake
    of economic security and for the sake of national security, this Nation
    must become less reliant on foreign sources of energy.
        A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation.
    I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate conservatism,
    which means we will apply the best and most effective and most
    innovative ideas to the task of helping our fellow citizens in need.
    Still, millions of men and women who want to end their dependence on
    Government and become independent through hard work must build on the
    success of welfare reform to bring work and dignity into the lives of
    more of our fellow citizens. Congress should complete the ``Citizen
    Service Act'' so more Americans can serve their communities and their
    country. And both Houses should reach agreement on my Faith-Based
    Initiative to support the armies of compassion that are mentoring our
    children, caring for the homeless, and offering hope to the addicted.
    Our Government should not fear faith. We should welcome faith and the
    healing power of faith into the lives of more of our citizens.
        A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including
    the independence and dignity that come from ownership. This
    administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in
    America. We want more people owning their own home. Today in America, we
    have a minority homeownership gap. I've submitted plans to the United
    States Congress to close that gap. We want more people owning and
    managing their own retirement accounts, owning and managing their own
    health care plans. And we want more people owning their own small
    business. We understand that when a person owns something, he or she has
    a vital stake in the future of America.
        In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take
    responsibility for the decisions they make. The culture of America is
    changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it. If you've
    got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a new culture in which each of
    us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make.
        If you're fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad, you're responsible
    for loving your child with all your heart. If you're worried about the
    quality of the education in Little Rock, Arkansas, or anywhere in
    Arkansas, you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a
    CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to
    your shareholders and your employees.
        And in the new responsibility society, each of us is responsible for
    loving a neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. The culture
    of service, the culture of responsibility is growing here in America.
    You know, I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage
    Americans to extend a compassionate hand to neighbors in need, and the
    response has been great. People want to serve. People want to help their
    communities. Policemen and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's
    uniform are reminding us what it means

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    to sacrifice for something greater than yourself. Once again, the
    children of America believe in heroes, because they see them every day.
        In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the
    courage of America. And I've been privileged to see the compassion and
    the character of the American people. All the tests of the last 2\1/2\
    years have come to the right nation. We're a strong country, and we use
    that strength to defend the peace. We're an optimistic country,
    confident in ourselves and in ideals bigger than ourselves. Abroad, we
    seek to lift up whole nations by spreading freedom. At home, we seek to
    lift up lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of America. This
    is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it. And we know
    that for our country, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you all. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. at the Statehouse Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas
    and his wife, Janet; Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller of Arkansas and his wife,
    Lisenne; Representative John Boozman and former Representatives Jay
    Dickey and John Paul Hammerschmidt of Arkansas; and former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq.