    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 9, 2003]
    [Pages 1280-1286]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1280]]

    Remarks to the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce in Manchester, New
    Hampshire
    October 9, 2003

        Thanks for the warm welcome. It's good to be back in New Hampshire
    again. I've spent some quality time here. [Laughter] It's good to see
    many of our friends. It seems like Manchester is a popular destination
    place these days--[laughter]--not just because the leaves are changing.
    [Laughter] This city was the scene of my first great victory in 2000,
    the perfect flip at the Presidential Pancake Flip-off. [Laughter] I
    would suggest some of our other fellow Americans practice. [Laughter]
        I want to thank the Chamber and the Business Industry Association
    for inviting me here today to talk about two great priorities of our
    country, to create jobs for America and to win the war on terror.
        I wish Laura was with me today. She sends her
    best wishes. You might remember that she has recently been on a
    diplomatic mission. She went to Russia, and she was in France. Perhaps
    you saw the picture--[laughter]--of her in France. [Laughter] Last time
    I was in France, I got a nice welcome but nothing like that. [Laughter]
    She's such a great representative for our country. I'm really proud to
    call her wife. I love her dearly.
        I want to thank Raymond for his kind
    introduction. I appreciate Harold Turner
    as well for letting me come. Thank you all for coming. I traveled from
    Pease Air Force Base with your fine Governor
    and First Lady, Denise. Craig, I'm proud to
    call you friend. Thank you for serving your great State. I'm also here
    with my buddy Judd Gregg and his wife,
    Kathy. Don't mess with Kathy.
    [Laughter]
        I'm also honored to be here with a fine United States Senator, John
    Sununu. I appreciate you coming, John.
    Congressmen Charlie Bass and Jeb
    Bradley flew down from Washington with me today.
    I know the mayor of Manchester and the
    mayor of Nashua are here with us today.
    I'm honored you are here. Members of the executive council are here;
    State representatives are here; State senators are here. The attorney
    general is here. There are a lot of people
    here that I need to thank. I appreciate you coming and giving me a
    chance to visit with you.
        When I landed today in Manchester, I met a fellow named Robert
    Perkins. He is one of the thousands of
    citizens who volunteer in your State. I like to point out people like
    Robert Perkins, because it gives me a chance to remind our fellow
    citizens that our true strength is not our military might. Our true
    strength is not the size of our wallet. The strength of this country is
    the heart and soul of fellow citizens who are willing to love a neighbor
    just like they'd like to be loved themselves.
        Robert Perkins volunteers at the Boys and
    Girls Club here in Manchester. He helped create the chapter in 1995. He
    has dedicated 5 to 10 hours each week over the past 5 years. My call to
    our citizens is, in order to make America as hopeful and promising a
    place as possible, help somebody who hurts. Put your arm around somebody
    in need. And for those of you who already do so, like Robert Perkins,
    thank you for being patriots.
        Since I was last here, New Hampshire lost one of its finest
    citizens, Governor Hugh Gregg. He loved his
    country, and he served it well. He loved this State, and he believed in
    the common sense and wisdom of its people. This tradition continues in
    his good family. We honor Hugh Gregg's memory, and my family was proud
    to be his friend.
        I began my visit this morning at Pease, with the New Hampshire Army
    and Air Guardsmen and reservists from every branch of our military. New
    Hampshire

    [[Page 1281]]

    guardsmen have served on every front of the war on terror, from
    Afghanistan to Iraq to protecting our homeland to guarding the detainees
    at Guantanamo Bay. I went to tell them how much I appreciated the fact
    that they are showing what it means to be patriots and citizens. I told
    them that our country is grateful for their service.
        America is being tested. We're being tested abroad, and we are being
    tested here at home. And we're meeting the tests of history. We're
    defeating the enemies of freedom. And at the same time, we're
    confronting challenges to build the prosperity of our Nation. Every test
    of America has revealed the character of America. After 2 years, no one
    in the world, friend or foe, can doubt the strength or the will of the
    American people.
        When you become the President, you can't predict all the challenges
    that will come. But you do know the principles you bring to office, and
    they should not change. They shouldn't change with time, and they
    shouldn't change with polls. I took this office to make a difference,
    not to mark time. I came to this office to confront problems directly
    and forcefully, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future
    generations.
        The challenges we face today cannot be met with timid actions or
    bitter words. Our challenges will be overcome with optimism and resolve
    and confidence in the ideals of our country.
        Because we believe in our free enterprise system, we can be
    confident in our economy's future. Our economy has been through a lot,
    been through some tough times. When I took office, the stock market had
    been declining for 9 months, and the economy was headed into a
    recession. And just as we started to recover, the enemy attacked us on
    September the 11th, and that struck a blow to our economy. And then
    investor confidence was shaken by scandals in corporate America--
    dishonest behavior we cannot and we will not tolerate in our America.
    And then we faced the uncertainty that preceded the battles of
    Afghanistan and Iraq.
        We have acted to overcome all these challenges, and I've acted on
    principle. See, Government doesn't create wealth. The role of Government
    is to create the conditions where risktakers and entrepreneurs can
    invest and grow and therefore hire new workers. I've acted to create the
    conditions for job growth. See, I understand that when Americans have
    more take-home pay to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy
    grows, and someone is more likely to find a job.
        And so I twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax
    relief for the American people. We wanted tax relief to be as broad and
    as fair as possible, so we reduced taxes on everyone who pays taxes. I
    don't think it makes sense to penalize marriage in the Tax Code. We want
    to reward and honor marriage. And so we reduced the marriage penalty. We
    understand it takes a lot of--to raise a family and to educate a child,
    so we increased the child credit to $1,000. This summer I said the check
    would be in the mail, and it was.
        It's counterproductive to discourage investment, especially during
    an economic recovery. So we quadrupled the expense deduction for small
    business investment and cut tax rates on dividends and capital gains. It
    is unfair to tax the estates people leave behind after a lifetime of
    saving and building up their business or running the family farm. When
    you leave the world, the IRS shouldn't follow you. So we're phasing out
    the Federal death tax.
        I proposed and signed these measures to help individuals and
    families, but I also know the effect it would have on small businesses.
    See, most small businesses in America pay taxes under the individual
    income tax rates. Most small businesses are sole proprietorships or
    Subchapter S corporations, and so when you cut all taxes, you benefit
    the small-business owner in America. And when you couple that with the
    higher expense deductions, we've really

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    put the wind under the sails of small businesses. And that's important,
    because small businesses create most new jobs in our country. They're
    usually the first to take risks and the first to hire new people. The
    tax relief plan we passed helps small businesses, which helps economic
    growth, which means it's more likely somebody is going to find a job.
        The actions we're taking are helping people. We've cut the taxes on
    112,000 small-business owners in New Hampshire. We've reduced the
    marriage penalty for 192,000 couples. We've increased the child tax
    credit for 124,000 families. I understand this, that New Hampshire
    citizens can better spend their own money than the people in Washington.
        We're following a clear and consistent economic strategy, and I'm
    confident about the future of this country. Last month, the economy
    exceeded expectations and added net new jobs. Inflation is low. After-
    tax incomes are rising. Homeownership is at record levels. Productivity
    is high, and it is rising. Factory orders, particularly for high-tech
    equipment, have risen over the last several months. Our strategy has set
    the stage for sustained growth. By reducing taxes, we kept a promise,
    and we did the right thing at the right time for the American economy.
        Just as our economy is coming around, some are saying now is the
    time to raise taxes. To be fair, they think any time is a good time to
    raise taxes. [Laughter] At least they're consistent. But I strongly
    disagree. A nation cannot tax its way to growth or job creation. Tax
    relief has put this Nation on the right path, and I intend to keep this
    Nation on the path to prosperity.
        We are moving forward, but we cannot be satisfied. We can't be
    satisfied, so long as we have fellow citizens who are looking for work.
    Here in New Hampshire, one out of every five jobs that have been lost
    are manufacturing jobs. And that's a problem. I believe we must act
    boldly to stem the tide of job loss. So I'm asking Congress to join me
    in carrying out a six-point plan for jobs for America.
        Businesses are more likely to hire people if the health care for
    workers is affordable. We need to allow association health care plans,
    where small businesses can pool risk and gain the same bargaining power
    as big businesses. And in order to control health care costs, we need
    effective legal reform, medical liability reform at the Federal level.
        Defensive medicine against frivolous lawsuits runs up the Federal
    budgets. It increases the cost of Medicare and Medicaid and veteran
    health benefits. Medical liability reform is a national problem that
    requires a national solution. The House has passed a good bill. It is
    stuck in the Senate. Senators must understand no one has been healed by
    a frivolous lawsuit in America.
        Unfair lawsuits are also harming a lot of good and honest employers.
    There are too many large settlements that leave plaintiffs with a small
    sum and lawyers with a fortune. Class actions and mass tort suits that
    reach across State lines should be tried in a Federal court so lawyers
    cannot shop around looking for a favorable judge. And most of the money
    in a judgment or settlement should go to those who have actually been
    harmed, not the lawyer. A good bill has passed the House. It is stuck in
    the Senate. We need class action tort reform out of the United States
    Senate.
        Our economy will grow stronger and create more jobs if we have a
    sound national energy policy. The manufacturing sector of New Hampshire
    and around our country need reliable sources of energy. We need better
    infrastructure. We need to modernize the delivery of electricity and
    natural gas so cities and businesses and employers are not left in the
    dark.
        We'll continue to give low-income people help with their fuel bills
    this winter. We must use our technology to develop plain and efficient
    energy sources so we can sustain economic growth and protect the
    environment. We need more energy production close to home. For the sake
    of national

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    security and for the sake of economic security, America must be less
    dependent on foreign sources of energy. We passed a good bill out of the
    House and the Senate. They must come together and get a bill to my desk
    before they go home for Christmas.
        Most people will find jobs when employers don't have to waste time
    and resources complying with needless Government regulations. For the
    sake of American workers, we're cutting unnecessary rules and making
    some of the rules still on the books simpler to understand. This
    administration understands that small-business owners should spend more
    time building companies and pleasing customers and less time filling out
    the endless forms the Federal Government requires.
        To create jobs, we are pursuing free trade agreements that will open
    up markets for New Hampshire products. Last month, I signed trade
    agreements with Singapore and Chile, and we are working toward other
    free trade agreements across the globe. Expanded trade will help New
    Hampshire companies like Len-Tex and Warwick Mills and Tender to sell
    more goods, which will mean more jobs and better jobs for New Hampshire
    workers. I will insist that for free--not only will we have free trade
    but that there be a level playing field, that the people with whom we
    trade treat America fairly. I firmly believe that when the rules are
    fair, American workers and entrepreneurs can compete with anybody,
    anyplace, and anytime.
        There is one more thing we need to do. We need to make sure that all
    the tax relief we have passed doesn't disappear in future years. See,
    there's a quirk in the legislation. The tax cuts that we passed are
    scheduled to go away unless we act. The child credit will drop in
    several years. The death tax that we put to extinction will pop back up
    10 years after enactment. In other words, there's uncertainty in the Tax
    Code. See, Americans hear about tax relief. They don't expect to see
    higher taxes sneak through the back door. For the sake of job creation,
    for the sake of people looking for work, the United States Congress
    should make every one of the tax cuts we passed permanent.
        We have a responsibility to set good policies in Washington, and we
    are. Yet the real strength is found in the creativity and the
    entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. The entrepreneurial
    spirit is strong in this country. It's one of the great aspects of our
    national character. And that's why I'm so confident about the future of
    our economy.
        Brain Stowell is here. He's a second-
    generation entrepreneur based in Claremont, New Hampshire. I met Brian
    backstage. His family owned a cabinetmaking company called Crown Point
    Cabinetry, which started by his dad, Norm, in a garage, 25 years ago.
    Brian said, ``If you talk about me, make sure you talk about my dad,
    Norm.''
        Now that business employs 90 people. From the garage to now being an
    employer of 90 people, that's what America is all about. This year,
    four--this week, Brian added four new workers.
    Most new jobs in America are created by small-business owners. In the
    next 2\1/2\ years, he plans on adding 25 workers. Folks working now not
    only know they'll have a job, but they're about to be joined by other
    working with them.
        He says the tax cuts helped a lot. That's
    his words, not mine. Because of tax relief, he's putting more than
    $800,000 of his company's money at work in new equipment. See, he's made
    a decision. Tax relief, it creates demand. In a market-oriented economy,
    when there's more demand, somebody meets that demand with a service or a
    product. And when somebody meets that demand with a service or a
    product, somebody is more likely to find work.
        He's going to buy a new router, made in
    North Carolina. There's a router-worker who's going to be a--benefit
    from his decision caused by tax relief. He's going to

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    buy a sander made in Minnesota, spray booths made just outside of
    Boston, Massachusetts, a forklift made in Iowa, more than a dozen other
    pieces of equipment, nearly all of them made here in America. The tax
    relief encouraged Brian to make an investment. And when he makes an
    investment, not only will it help his company be more productive, the
    people who are making the equipment for Brian to purchase are more
    likely to find work and keep work.
        He's an optimist. He's an optimist because
    he believes in the people in this country. Here's what he said. He said,
    ``After September the 11th, everybody collectively held their breath,
    but our confidence has grown. We've turned a corner.'' Confidence like
    that is well-founded. We live in a country that rewards big dreams and
    honest effort. My job is to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive and
    well through good policy in Washington, DC.
        As we overcome challenges to our economy, we are also answering
    great threats to our security. September the 11th, 2001, moved our
    country to grief and moved our country to action. We made a pledge that
    day, and we have kept it. We're bringing the guilty to justice. We're
    taking the fight to the enemy. And we now see that enemy very clearly.
    The terrorists plot in secret. They kill the innocent. They defile a
    great religion. And they hate everything America stands for. These
    committed killers will not be stopped by negotiations. They won't
    respond to therapy or to reason. The terrorists who threaten America
    cannot be appeased. They must be found; they must be fought; and they
    must be defeated.
        We are in a different kind of war than we're used to. We're in a new
    war, and it requires a new strategy. We're not waiting for further
    attacks. We're striking our enemies before they can strike us again.
    We've taken unprecedented steps to protect our homeland, yet wars are
    won on the offensive. And America and our friends are staying on the
    offensive.
        We are rolling back the terrorist threat, not on the fringes of its
    influence but at the heart of its power. We're making good progress.
    We're hunting the Al Qaida terrorists and their allies wherever they
    hide, from Pakistan to the Philippines to the Horn of Africa to Iraq.
    Nearly two-thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been captured or
    killed. Our resolve is firm and clear: No matter how long it takes, all
    who plot against America will face the justice of America.
        We have sent a message understood throughout the world, ``If you
    harbor a terrorist, if you support a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist,
    you're just as guilty as the terrorists.'' And the Taliban found out
    what we meant. Thanks to our great military, Afghanistan is no longer a
    safe haven for terror. Afghanistan is free. Many young girls now go to
    the school for the first time in Afghanistan, and the people of America
    are safer from attack.
        And we fought the war on terror in Iraq. The regime of Saddam
    Hussein possessed and used weapons of mass
    destruction. He sponsored terrorist groups, inflicted incredible terror
    on his own people. Nearly every nation, every nation, recognized and
    denounced this threat for over 10 years. The U.N. Security Council, in
    Resolution 1441, demanded that Saddam Hussein disarm, to prove his
    disarmament to the world or face serious consequences. The choice was up
    to the dictator. He chose poorly.
        I acted because I was not about to leave the security of the
    American people in the hands of a madman. I was not about to stand by
    and wait and trust in the sanity and restraint of Saddam
    Hussein. So in one of the swiftest and most
    humane military campaigns in history, we removed the threat. Six months
    ago today, the statue of the dictator was pulled down.
        Since the liberation of Iraq, our investigators have found evidence
    of a clandestine network of biological laboratories, advance design work
    on prohibited longer range missiles, an elaborate campaign to

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    hide illegal weapons programs. There's still much to investigate. Yet it
    is undeniable--undeniable--that Saddam Hussein was in clear violation of the United Nations Security
    Council Resolution 1441. It's undeniable that Saddam Hussein was a
    deceiver and a danger. The Security Council was right to demand that
    Saddam disarm, and we were right to enforce that demand.
        Who can possibly think that the world would be better off with
    Saddam Hussein still in power? Surely not the
    dissidents who would be in his prisons or end up in his mass graves.
    Surely not the men and women who would fill Saddam's torture chambers or
    rape rooms. Surely not the families of victims he murdered with poison
    gas. Surely not anyone who cares about human rights and democracy and
    stability in the Middle East. There's only one decent and humane
    reaction to the fall of Saddam Hussein: Good riddance!
        Our country faces a choice. After all the action we have taken,
    after all the progress we have made against terror, there is a
    temptation to think that danger has passed. The danger hasn't passed.
    Since September the 11th, since that fateful day here in America, the
    terrorists have taken lives in Casablanca, Mombasa, Jerusalem, Amman,
    Riyadh, Baghdad, Karachi, New Delhi, Bali, and Jakarta. The terrorists
    continue to plot. They continue to plan against our country and our
    people. America must never forget the lessons of September the 11th.
        America cannot retreat from our responsibilities and hope for the
    best. Our security will not be gained by timid measures. Our security
    requires constant vigilance and decisive action. I believe America has
    only one option. We must fight this war until our work is done.
        We're fighting the war on terror on many fronts, and Iraq is now the
    central front. Saddam holdouts and foreign
    terrorists are trying desperately--desperately--to undermine Iraq's
    progress and throw the country into chaos. Terrorists in Iraq believe
    their attacks on innocent people will weaken our resolve. That's what
    they believe. They believe we'll run from a challenge. They're mistaken.
    Americans are not the running kind.
        The United States did not run from Germany and Japan following World
    War II. We helped those nations to become strong and decent and
    democratic societies that no longer wage war against America. And this
    is our mission in Iraq. We're rebuilding schools. We're rebuilding
    hospitals. Thousands of young kids have received immunizations recently.
    We're returning electricity and water to the good people of that
    country.
        We have pride in this help not only because our hearts are good,
    because our vision is clear. A stable and democratic and hopeful Iraq
    will no longer be a breeding ground for terror and tyranny and
    aggression. Free nations are peaceful nations. Our work in Iraq is
    essential to our own security. And no band of murderers and gangsters
    will stop that work or shake the will of America.
        Nearly every day, we're launching swift precision raids against the
    enemies of peace. Helped by intelligence from the Iraqis, we're rounding
    up the enemy and taking their weapons. We're working our way through the
    famous deck of cards. We've already captured or killed 43 of the 55 most
    wanted former Iraqi leaders. The other 12 have a lot to worry about.
    Anyone who seeks to harm our soldiers can know that our soldiers are
    hunting for them. Our military is serving with great courage. Some of
    the best have fallen. We mourn every loss. We honor every name. We
    grieve with every family. And we'll always be grateful that liberty has
    found such brave defenders.
        In defending liberty, we are joined by more than 30 nations now
    contributing military forces in Iraq. Great Britain and Poland are
    leading two multinational divisions. And in this cause with fine allies
    must be included the good people of Iraq. They want a peaceful country.
    They want security for their families.

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        Last week, the first battalion of the new Iraqi army completed its
    training. Within a year, Iraq will have 40,000 members in their military
    force. Tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens are guarding their own
    borders and defending vital facilities and policing their own streets.
    We're making good progress in Iraq. Six months ago, the Iraqi people
    welcomed their liberation--6 short months ago. And today, many Iraqis
    are armed and trained to defend their own liberty.
        Our goal in Iraq is to leave behind a stable and self-governing
    society which will no longer be a threat to the Middle East or to the
    United States of America. We're following an orderly plan to reach this
    goal. Iraq now has a Governing Council which has appointed interim
    government ministers. Once a constitution has been written, Iraq will
    move toward national elections. We want this process to go as quickly as
    possible. Yet, it must be done right.
        The free institutions of Iraq must stand the test of time. And a
    democratic Iraq will stand as an example to all the Middle East. I
    believe, and the Iraqi people will show, that liberty is the hope and
    the right of every land. I do not believe freedom is America's gift to
    the world. Freedom is God's gift to every individual in the world.
        Our work in Iraq has been long and hard, and it is not finished. We
    will stay the course. We will complete the task. And beyond Iraq, the
    war on terror continues. There will be no quick victory in the war on
    terror, but if we persevere, victory is certain.
        I'm confident of victory because I know the character of our country
    and our military, shown in the conduct of young men like Army Sergeant
    Matthew DeWitt of Hillsboro, New Hampshire.
    While serving in Iraq, Sergeant DeWitt stepped forward to volunteer on a
    dangerous mission to root out Saddam loyalists. In the fighting, he was
    seriously wounded. He's now receiving care at the Walter Reed Army
    Medical Center in Washington, DC. I was honored to visit him. He was
    awarded the Purple Heart. He doesn't consider himself a hero. He just
    says, ``I was just doing my job.'' Yet it is great people like this 26-
    year-old from New Hampshire who protect us. We count on them, and we're
    proud of them.
        The war on terror has brought hardship and loss to our country,
    beginning with the grief of September the 11th. Let us also remember
    that the first victory in this war on terror came that same day on a
    hijacked plane bound for the Nation's Capital. Those men and women on
    Flight 93, knowing they would die, found the courage to use their final
    moments to save the lives of others. In those moments and many times
    since, terrorists have learned about the courage of America and that we
    will not be intimidated. We will fight them with everything we have.
        Few of us are called to show the kind of valor seen on Flight 93 or
    on the field of battle. Yet all of us share a calling to be strong in
    adversity and unafraid of danger. We Americans have come through so much
    together, yet there is a lot to do. And if we're patient and united and
    determined, this Nation will not only prosper; this Nation will be
    secure as we prevail in the war against terror.
        Thank you for letting me come today, and may God bless you.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:03 p.m. at the New Hampshire Holiday
    Inn-Center of New Hampshire. In his remarks, he referred to Raymond E.
    Pinard, chairman of the
    board, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce; Harold Turner, Jr.,
    chairman, board of directors, Business and Industry Association; Gov.
    Craig Benson of New Hampshire and his wife, Denise; Mayor Robert A.
    Baines of Manchester, NH; Mayor Bernard A. Streeter of Nashua, NH; New
    Hampshire State Attorney General Peter W. Heed; and former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq.