    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [September 9, 2003]
    [Pages 1127-1131]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1127]]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    September 9, 2003

        Thanks for coming. Great to be back in beautiful Fort Lauderdale. I
    appreciate so many folks showing up tonight, and I'm honored to be
    introduced by a great Governor. I'm not surprised
    he's so successful. We both share the same political consultant--
    [laughter]--Mother. [Laughter]
        This is a fantastic turnout, and I'm so honored you're here. What
    we're doing is laying the framework and the foundation for what will be
    a great victory in November of 2004. I appreciate your contributions,
    but Jeb is right. We're going to count on you to energize the
    grassroots, to make the phone calls, and to put up the signs. And when
    you go to the coffee shop, you tell them that this administration is
    committed to making sure that our country is positive and hopeful and
    optimistic for every single citizen who lives in America.
        There's a lot of politics in the air, it seems like. And I'm
    loosening up, and I'm getting ready. The truth of the matter is, the
    political season will come in its own time. I've got a job to do. I've
    got a job to do on behalf of the American people, and there's a lot on
    the agenda. But I will assure you, my administration will continue to
    work hard to earn the confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation
    secure and strong and prosperous and free.
        I am sorry Laura didn't travel with me today,
    not as sorry as you, probably. [Laughter] But I am really proud of
    Laura. She's a fabulous wife, great mom, and a terrific First Lady for
    the United States of America.
        I want to thank this cast of characters who is on the stage with me
    tonight: my great friend Al Hoffman, who is the
    honorary State finance chair; Tom Petway,
    who is the State finance cochair; Zach Zachariah, the State finance cochair; and my friend Jim
    Blosser, who is the event chairman tonight. I
    want to thank you guys for your hard work. Thank you all.
        Also, I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds, the national finance chairman, from Cincinnati, Ohio,
    who is taking a lot of time off to make sure that this campaign is well-
    funded. I appreciate members of the statehouse who are here. Johnny
    Byrd, the speaker of the house, is with us
    today. Other members of the statehouse, State senators are with us. I
    want to thank you all for coming. Make sure you do what Brother says to do--[laughter]--most of the time. [Laughter] I'm
    honored that our attorney general, Charlie Crist, is with us today. I know we've got local officials
    with us. I particularly want to say thanks to the mayor, Jim
    Naugle of Fort Lauderdale, and Oliver
    Parker, mayor of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
        But most of all, I want to thank you all for coming. This is a big
    turnout. It makes me feel pretty spunky to see this many people out
    there.
        In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to
    confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems and
    not pass 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, coldblooded killers, 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 the rest of them know we're on their trail.
    In Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
    regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Think about this:
    50 million people who once lived under tyranny in those two countries
    now live in freedom, thanks to the United States of America and our
    friends and allies.

    [[Page 1128]]

        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.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And
    then the attacks came on our country, and we had scandals in corporate
    America, and war. All 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.
        I know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, to
    save, or to invest, the whole economy grows and people are more likely
    to find a job. I also know whose money we spend in Washington, DC. We do
    not spend the Government's money; we spend the people's money.
        We're returning the money to the people so they can better raise
    their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to
    encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand
    and, therefore, to hire new workers. With all these actions, we are
    laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs so that
    everybody in America has a chance to realize the great promise of our
    country.
        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 upon the
    Congress to pass the No Child Left Behind Act. And with a solid
    bipartisan majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in
    a generation. We bring high standards and strong accountability to every
    public school in America. We are challenging the soft bigotry of low
    expectations, because we believe every child can learn the basics of
    reading and math, and we insist that every school teach the basics of
    reading and math. In return for Federal money, we're now asking schools
    to show us whether or not children are learning to read and write and
    add and subtract. We're providing extra resources to make sure that not
    one single child is left behind in America.
        We reorganized our Government to create the Department of Homeland
    Security to better guard our ports and borders and to protect the
    American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new
    markets for Florida's ranchers and farmers and entrepreneurs and
    manufacturers. We passed budget agreements to--so that we have much
    needed spending discipline in Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this
    administration has acted on principle. We have kept our word, and we
    have made progress for the American people.
        The Congress gets a lot of credit. I'm happy to work with Speaker
    Hastert and Senator Frist. We're working hard to change the tone in Washington, to
    get rid of all the needless politics, to elevate the discourse, to focus
    on results, so the people know we went to the Nation's Capital to serve
    our country.
        And those are the kind of people who I've attracted to my
    administration. I have put together a fabulous team on behalf of the
    American people, good, honorable, hard-working, decent Americans. Our
    country has had no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a second
    opinion. [Laughter]
        In 2\1/2\ years--2\1/2\ years, we've done a lot. We have 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, not only for our own security but 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 realize the American Dream. It is clear that the
    future of peace and freedom depend on the actions of America. This
    Nation is freedom's

    [[Page 1129]]

    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 holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately trying
    to throw Iraq into chaos by attacking coalition forces, aid workers, and
    innocent Iraqis. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be
    a major defeat for their cause of terror. The collection of killers is
    trying to shake the will of the United States of America and the
    civilized world. This country will not be intimidated.
        We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq. By defeating
    them there, we will not have to face them on our own streets. We're
    calling 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 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.
        Yet I understand that our greatest security comes from the advance
    of human liberty, because free nations do not support terror. Free
    nations do not attack their neighbors. And free nations do not threaten
    the world with weapons of mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is
    the deepest need and hope of every human heart, and I believe that
    freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation,
    including nations like Cuba.
        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, this great, strong, compassionate Nation 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 is
    leading the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
        We face challenges at home as well. And our actions will prove that
    we are equal to those challenges. So long as anybody who wants to work
    cannot find a job, I will continue to work to create an environment that
    emphasizes job growth.
        As well, we must keep our duty and commitment to America's seniors
    by strengthening and modernizing Medicare. Congress took 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 our seniors and to provide coverage for
    prescription drugs. It is now time for the House and the Senate to iron
    out their differences, to modernize Medicare, not only for the seniors
    who are depending upon Medicare today but for those of us who will be
    depending upon Medicare tomorrow. We have an obligation to the future of
    this country.
        For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the
    frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. I appreciate
    Jeb's leadership on this issue here in the State of Florida. Listen,
    people who have been harmed by a bad doctor of course deserve their day
    in court. The system should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing
    for rich settlements.
        Because frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they
    affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue
    that requires a national solution. I have put out a good reform plan for
    medical liability. The House acted. It is stuck in the Senate. Senators
    must understand, we need to change the system. No one has ever been
    healed in America because of a frivolous lawsuit.
        I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated

    [[Page 1130]]

    superb men and women to the Federal courts, people who will interpret
    the law, not legislate from the bench. Some Members of the United States
    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 floor of the United States Senate. It is time for some
    Members of the United States Senate to stop playing politics with
    American justice.
        Our Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan.
    It should be clear to the Congress that we need to modernize our
    electricity grid. [Laughter] We have put forth a plan to do so. We must
    promote energy efficiency and more conservation. We must use our
    technologies to discover new sources of energy. We must use technology
    to find more energy here at home in environmentally friendly ways. For
    the sake of economic security and for the sake of national security,
    this Nation must 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 Government and
    become independent through hard work. We must build on the success of
    welfare reform to bring work and, therefore, dignity into the lives of
    more of our fellow citizens.
        Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that more
    Americans can serve their communities and their country. And the
    Congress should reach agreement on my Faith-Based Initiative to support
    the armies of compassion, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and Muslim, all of whom
    are serving our country by mentoring children, by caring for the
    homeless, and by offering hope to the addicted. Our Nation should not
    fear faith. We should welcome faith into the compassionate delivery of
    those who hurt.
        A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including
    the independence and the 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. We have a minority
    homeownership gap in America, and I have submitted plans to the United
    States Congress to close that gap. We want more Americans owning and
    managing their own health care accounts. We want more Americans owning
    and managing their own retirement accounts. We want more Americans
    starting their own small business, because we understand in the Bush
    administration that when a person owns something, he or she has a vital
    stake in the future of our country.
        In a compassionate society, people respect one another, and they
    take responsibility for the decisions they make. We're changing the
    culture of America from one that has said, ``If it feels good, just go
    ahead and do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,''
    to a culture in which each of us understands that we are responsible for
    the decisions we make in life. If you're lucky 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 concerned about the quality of the education in
    your community, 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 shareholders and your employees. And in this new
    responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
    neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
        We can see the culture of service and the culture of responsibility
    growing around us here in America. It was right after 9/11/2001; I
    started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage Americans to
    extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. And the response has
    been great.

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    Our faith-based organizations are vibrant and strong. Our charities are
    doing well here in America. People understand the call to serve
    something greater than yourself in life, just like our policemen and
    firefighters and people who wear our Nation's uniform. Once again, the
    children of America believe in heroes, because they see them every day.
    And 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 our strength to defend the
    peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in ideals
    better 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 and
    for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
        Thank you for coming. May God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:18 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-
    Six. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; and
    Charlie Crist, Florida State Attorney General.