    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [September 9, 2003]
    [Pages 1116-1120]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1116]]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Jacksonville, Florida
    September 9, 2003

        Thank you all very much. Glad you're here. Thanks for coming. It's
    great to be in Florida. It's great to be with a great Governor. [Laughter] I'm not surprised he has been so successful;
    we both share the same political consultant--[laughter]--Mother. [Laughter]
        Thanks for coming. This is a huge crowd, and it's a good sign. Today
    we're laying the groundwork for what is going to be a great national
    victory in November of 2004. Jeb is right; I'm going to need your help.
    I'm going to need your help in putting up the signs. I'm going to need
    your help when you go to those coffee shops to talk it up, put out the
    mailers. I want you to remind people that the vision I have for America
    is optimistic and hopeful for every single citizen who lives in this
    country.
        The politics season--you know, there's a lot of talk about politics
    these days. And I'm loosening up. [Laughter] I'm getting ready. The
    truth of the matter is, the political season will come in its own time,
    because I've got a job to do. I've got to do the people's work, people's
    business. And there's a lot on the agenda. And I want you to know, as
    friends and supporters, I will continue to work hard to earn the
    confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation strong and secure and
    prosperous and free.
        I regret that Laura is not traveling with me
    today. She is a fabulous First Lady. I was a lucky man when she said,
    ``Yes, I agree to marry you.'' I love her dearly, and I'm proud of the
    job she's doing on behalf of all Americans.
        Just like I love my brother. He's a courageous
    man. He's a strong man. He stands on principle, and nothing can shake
    him.
        I appreciate my friends Al Hoffman and Tom
    Petway and Johnny Rood
    and Zach Zachariah, and you all for making
    this a spectacular event. I want to thank my friend Mercer
    Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the
    national finance chairman. There's this fellow who has taken time out of
    his life to go help us raise the monies necessary to wage a viable
    campaign in 2004.
        I appreciate the fact that we've got elected officials with us
    today. The Lieutenant Governor, Toni Jennings,
    is with us. The attorney general is with us, Charlie Crist. I appreciate the speaker, Johnnie Byrd, being here today. I want to thank Jim King, the senate president. I had a chance to
    ride in the limousine with the mayor of this great city, John
    Peyton. It didn't seem like traffic was a
    problem for--to me. [Laughter]
        I want to thank Carole Jean Jordan, who
    is the chairwoman of the Republican Party, for being here.
        You know, we're here at a--I appreciate so very much a really fine,
    strong man, a man of great character, Jack Del Rio, who is the head coach of the Jaguars, for joining us
    today. I'm real proud he came. And I'm honored that the quarterback and
    his wife, Mark Brunell, came with us. I want to tell you something about him. He
    didn't say to me, ``Can you still run a fly pattern?'' He didn't say,
    ``How are you on the down and out?'' He said, ``Mr. President, my family
    prays for you.'' I'm proud that both have come.
        Before I begin, I do want to make mention of former Congressman
    Charles Bennett, a man who served his
    country and this community, longstanding United States Congressman from
    this part of the country, who is an honest, honorable, decent man who
    loved America. Today I know that he's being buried, and our thoughts and
    prayers go to his family during this tough moment. And we thank
    Congressman Bennett for being such a great American.

    [[Page 1117]]

        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. This
    administration is meeting the tests of our time.
        Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is
    what they got. We have captured or killed many key leaders of Al Qaida.
    And I can assure you, we're on the trail of the rest of them.
        In Afghanistan, 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. We increased
    the defense budget 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.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And
    then the attacks came on our country, and we had corporate scandals, and
    we began to march to war, which all affected the people's confidence.
    But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to
    account. And I twice led the United States Congress to historic tax
    relief to get our economy going again.
        I understand this, that when Americans have more take-home pay to
    spend, to save, to invest, the whole economy grows, and someone is more
    likely to be able to find a job. I also understand whose money we spend
    in Washington, DC. It's not the Government's money; it's the people's
    money. So we're returning more money to Americans to help them raise
    their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to
    encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand
    so they can hire new people.
        With all these actions, this administration has taken bold steps to
    lay the foundation for greater prosperity and for more jobs across
    America, so that every one of our citizens can realize the 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 called for and the Congress
    passed the No Child Left Behind Act, and we passed it with a solid
    bipartisan majority. And by doing so, we delivered the most dramatic
    education reforms at the Federal level in a generation. We're bringing
    high standards, strong accountability measures to every public school in
    America.
        We're bringing to the country what Governor Jeb Bush has brought to Florida, the belief that every single
    child can learn, the belief that every school must be challenged to make
    sure that they teach the basics of reading and math. Just like your
    Governor is doing here, we're doing nationwide. We are challenging the
    soft bigotry of low expectations. The days of excuse-making are over. In
    return for Federal money, we expect results in every classroom all
    across America, so that not one single child is left behind.
        During that 2\1/2\-year period, we reorganized the Government and
    created the Department of Homeland Security to better safeguard our
    ports and borders and better protect the American people. We passed
    trade promotion authority to open up new markets for Florida's farmers
    and ranchers and manufacturers and entrepreneurs. We passed much needed
    budget agreements to bring spending discipline to Washington, DC. On
    issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle. We've
    kept our word, and we've made progress on behalf of the American people.
        The United States Congress shares in these great achievements, and I
    want to thank the members of the Florida congressional delegation for
    working closely with

    [[Page 1118]]

    the administration--some members of the Florida congressional
    delegation. [Laughter] I've got a great relationship with Leader Bill
    Frist and Speaker Denny Hastert. We're working hard to change the tone of Washington,
    DC, to end all the needless partisan bickering, to elevate the
    discourse, to focus on results so the people know that we're doing their
    business.
        And those are the kind of people I've attracted to my
    administration. I have put together a great team of honorable, decent
    people to serve the American people. Our country has had no finer Vice
    President than Vice President Dick Cheney.
    Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
        In 2\1/2\ years--in 2\1/2\ years, we have done a lot, and we've come
    far. But our work is only beginning. I have 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 citizen--every single citizen--has a
    chance to work and succeed and realize the great promise of our country.
        It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the
    actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home. This Nation is
    freedom's defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are
    keeping it.
        Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle,
    and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will not tire; we
    will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. We are
    confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein's holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying
    to throw Iraq into chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers
    and innocent Iraqis.
        And there's a reason. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq
    will be a major cause of defeat for terror. This collection of killers
    is trying to shape the will of the civilized world. They're challenging
    the resolve of the United States of America. This country will not be
    intimidated.
        We are 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 build a free country which will make us
    all more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume
    more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These aren't
    easy tasks, but they're essential tasks. And we will finish what we have
    begun. 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 need and the
    deepest hope of every human heart. And I believe that freedom is the
    right of every person and the future of every nation.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the 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 land, this compassionate people, is
    leading the world in the incredibly important work of human rescue.
        We've got challenges here at home, and there's no doubt our actions
    will prove that we're equal to those challenges. I'm going to continue
    to work to create an environment that is strong for the entrepreneur and
    creates the conditions for economic growth. Just so long as somebody is
    looking for a job who wants to work and can't find one, says to me we've
    got a problem. Economic vitality, to me, means Americans will be able to
    find a job.

    [[Page 1119]]

        We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by
    strengthening and modernizing Medicare. The United States Congress took
    historic action in both bodies 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 our seniors and to
    provide coverage for prescription drugs. They are now back from
    vacation. It is time for the House and the Senate to reconcile their
    differences, to keep our promises to not only the seniors of today but
    those of us who are fixing to be seniors tomorrow, and modernize the
    Medicare system.
        For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
    frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. And I appreciate
    the leadership of Governor Jeb Bush on this issue
    here in the State of Florida. Listen, people who have been harmed by a
    bad doc deserve their day in court, no question about it. 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. And therefore, medical liability reform is a
    national issue that requires a national solution. I submitted a good
    plan to the Congress. The House of Representative acted; the Senate
    hasn't. Senators must understand that no one in America has ever been
    healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We need medical liability reform now.
        I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have named superb men and
    women for the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. Yet, some Members of the Senate are trying to
    keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-down votes. Every
    judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on the
    Senate floor. It is time for some Members of the United States Senate to
    stop playing politics with American justice.
        This country needs a comprehensive energy plan. I have proposed a
    comprehensive energy plan, and the Congress needs to complete its work
    on a plan. Listen, we need to modernize the electricity grid. We need to
    encourage new investment into the electricity grids all across America,
    and we need to make sure that the reliability standards are mandatory,
    not voluntary. We need new sources of energy. We need to use our
    technology to find alternative sources of energy. We need to use our
    technologies to encourage conservation. We need to use our technologies
    so that we can explore for environmentally friendly ways for new energy.
    What this country needs for economic security and national security is
    to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate
    nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate
    conservatism. We will apply the best and most innovative ideas to the
    task of helping our fellow citizens who hurt.
        There are still millions of men and women who want to end their
    dependence on the Government and become independent through hard work.
    We 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 that more Americans will serve their
    communities and their country. And both Houses should reach agreement on
    my Faith-Based Initiative, which will support the armies of compassion
    that are mentoring our children, that are caring for the homeless, that
    are offering hope to the addicted. This Nation should not fear faith. We
    ought to welcome faith into the compassionate delivery of help to those
    who suffer.
        A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including
    the dignity that comes from ownership. This administration will
    constantly strive to promote an

    [[Page 1120]]

    ownership society all across America. We want more of our citizens
    owning their own home. Today in America, we have a minority
    homeownership gap. I have proposed plans to the United States Congress
    to reduce that gap, and they must act.
        We want more people owning and controlling their own health care
    plans. We want Americans being able to own and control their own
    retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own small
    business, because I understand and this administration understands that
    when a person owns something, he or she has a vital stake in the future
    of the United States of America.
        In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take
    responsibility for the decisions they make. The culture of this country
    is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and
    ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a new culture in
    which each of us understands that we are responsible for the decisions
    we make in life. If you are fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad,
    you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all
    your soul. If you're worried about the quality of the education in the
    community in which you live, you're responsible for doing something
    about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are responsible for
    telling the truth to your employees and your shareholders. And in a
    responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
    neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
        The culture of service and responsibility is growing around us in
    America. I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps, an opportunity
    for people to serve in their communities. And the response has been
    strong. Our faith-based community is strong. Charitable programs are
    vibrant. Americans are hearing the call to serve something greater than
    themselves. After all, our policemen, firefighters, people who wear the
    Nation's uniform are reminding us on a daily basis what it means 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 have 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 whole Nations by spreading freedom. At home,
    we seek to lift up lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of our
    country. This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it.
    And we know that for our country and our cause, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless America. Thank
    you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:21 p.m. in the Touchdown Club at Alltel
    Stadium. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush and Lt. Gov. Toni
    Jennings of Florida; Charlie Crist, Florida State Attorney General;
    Johnnie Byrd, speaker, Florida State House of Representatives; James E.
    ``Jim'' King, Jr., president, Florida State Senate; Mayor John Peyton of
    Jacksonville, FL; Al Hoffman, finance chairman, Republican National
    Committee; Tom Petway III and Zach Zachariah, Florida State finance
    cochairmen, and Mercer Reynolds, national finance chairman, Bush-Cheney
    '04, Inc.; Carole Jean Jordan, chairwoman, and John Rood, finance vice
    chairman, Republican Party of Florida; Jack Del Rio, head coach,
    Jacksonville Jaguars football team, and Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell
    and his wife, Stacy; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.