[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[September 30, 2003]
[Pages 1210-1214]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Chicago, Illinois
September 30, 2003

    Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Please be seated. Thanks 
for the warm welcome. I always love coming to the great city of Chicago. 
It's really one of the great cities in our country. I was here last 
summer, and I'm really happy the baseball season is still going on. It's 
exciting for the citizens of this city to know that the Cubs are still 
alive and kicking. I wish you all the best.
    Thanks for your help. And what we're doing today is laying the 
groundwork, putting down the foundation for what is going to be a great 
national victory in November of 2004. I appreciate your generosity. I 
want to thank you for your hard work. I thank you for your 
contributions, but I'm going to call on you to do more. I'm going to ask 
you to go to your coffee shops, drug stores, community centers and 
remind the people that this administration has got a message that is 
positive and hopeful and optimistic for every single American.
    I'm getting ready, and I'm loosening up. But there's a time for 
politics. This political season will come in its own time. Right now I'm 
focused on doing the people's business. I've got a job to do, and 
there's a lot on the agenda. I will continue to work hard to earn the 
confidence of every American by keeping this Nation strong and secure, 
prosperous, and free.
    I want to thank Pat Ryan and all those 
who worked hard to put this event on. It is a fantastic turnout, and I 
understand how much work goes into a successful lunch like today, and I 
really thank you a lot. I appreciate your leadership, Pat.
    I'm also honored to be introduced by the great Speaker of the House, 
Denny Hastert. He's truly one of the 
greats. I really do enjoy working with Denny. He's a no-nonsense kind of 
fellow. He looks you in the eye and tells you what he believes. And 
that's refreshing in Washington, DC, by the way. He cares a lot about 
the people of his district, the people of this State, and he loves his 
country. And like me, he married above himself. [Laughter] And I'm glad 
Jean is here with us today as well.
    Speaking about wives, I notice Laura was 
doing a little diplomacy today. [Laughter] I'm really proud of her. She 
is a fabulous woman, a great mom, a great wife, and a terrific First 
Lady for the people of this country.
    I'm honored as well that members of the Illinois congressional 
delegation are here. I want to thank them for their hard work on behalf 
of this State and for helping out at this fundraiser today. Mark Kirk; 
Phil Crane--Congressman Crane is with 
us. Judy Biggert is with us. Dan 
Manzullo is with us. John Shimkus is with us. I appreciate you all coming, and I'm honored 
to call you friend.
    We had a member--a meeting of the former Governors club behind the 
stage here. And I'm a member. It was good to see two other members. That 
would be Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson, and I'm honored they're here. I'm proud to call them 
friend.

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    I want to thank Bob Kjellander, who is 
the national committeeman from this State, and Mary Jo Arndt, who is the national committeewoman. I want to thank 
all the grassroots activists. I'm glad to know Mary Jo brought her 
family with her. [Laughter] I want to thank my friend Mercer 
Reynolds, who is a Cincinnati businessman 
who is my national finance chairman. But most of all, I want to thank 
you all for coming.
    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 and not let 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've captured or killed many of the key leaders of the 
Al Qaida network that orchestrated the attacks on America on September 
the 11th, 2001. And the rest of them know we're on their trail. In 
Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those 
ultimatums chose to--those regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are 
no more. Fifty-million people in those two countries once lived under 
tyranny, and now 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 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 our country was attacked, and we began a march to war. We found out 
some of our corporate citizens forgot to tell the truth--all of which 
affected the confidence of our country. But we acted. We passed tough 
laws to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get the economy 
going, we have twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax 
relief for the American people.
    Here's what the Speaker and I know: We 
know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, save, or 
invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more likely to find a 
job. We understand whose money we spend in Washington, DC. We do not 
spend the Government's money. We spend the people's money. And so we're 
returning more money to American families to help them meet their needs. 
We're reducing the taxes on dividends and capital gains to encourage 
investment. We give small businesses incentives to expand and hire new 
people. With all these actions, we're laying the foundations for greater 
prosperity and economic vitality and more jobs across America, so that 
every single one of our citizens is able to realize the great promise of 
America.
    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 
Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan 
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a 
generation. We're bringing high standards and strong accountability to 
every public school in America. See, we believe every child can learn 
the basics of reading and math. That's what we believe. And we expect 
every school to teach the basics of reading and math.
    We are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. In return 
for Federal money, we expect results. The days of excuse-making are 
over. We want every child to learn to read and write and add and 
subtract, so that not one single child is left behind in America.
    We reorganized the Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to safeguard our borders and ports and to make the American 
people more secure. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for Illinois' ranchers and farmers and manufacturers

[[Page 1212]]

and entrepreneurs. We passed budget agreements--and Mr. Speaker, thank 
you for working on those--to bring much needed spending discipline to 
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.
    We have done a lot, and the Congress deserves a lot of the credit. 
We have set out goals. We have met those goals, thanks in large part to 
the leadership of Speaker Denny Hastert. 
He and Senator Bill Frist are great leaders of 
the United States Congress. They work closely with the administration. 
They've got one thing in mind. They want to work with us to get rid of 
this needless partisan bickering that dominates the Washington, DC, 
landscape and the zero-sum politics of Washington. And we can do that by 
not only working to change the tone in Washington but by focusing on 
results, by saying, ``Here's what we're going to do,'' and then go out 
and do it. Speaker Hastert, you are a great leader of the House of 
Representatives of the United States.
    I've asked good people to join my administration, people who are as 
well working to change the tone in Washington, good, solid citizens who 
are there to serve something greater than themselves, good people like 
Don Rumsfeld, who was educated right here 
in this part of the--of our country. Now, I've got a strong team, solid 
Americans from all walks of life. Our country has had no finer Vice 
President than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a different opinion. [Laughter]
    Now, we've done a lot in 2\1/2\ years. 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 has a chance to work and to succeed 
and to realize the American Dream. It is clear that the future of 
freedom and peace depend on the actions of America. This Nation is 
freedom's home, and we are freedom's defender. We welcome this charge of 
history, and we are keeping it.
    Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom, those who hate 
America, are not idle, and neither are we. This country will not rest. 
We will not tire, and we will not stop until this danger to civilization 
is removed.
    We're 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 in the cause of terror. This collection of killers is 
trying to shake the will of America and the civilized world. But America 
will not be intimidated.
    Aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, we're defeating them 
there so we don't have to face them in our own country. We call on other 
nations to help build a free Iraq. We stand with the Iraqi people as 
they assume more of their own defense and move towards self-government. 
These aren't 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 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 hope 
of every human heart. And I believe that freedom is the right of every 
person and that freedom is 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

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is now committed to bringing the healing power, the healing power of 
medicine, to millions of men and women and children now suffering with 
AIDS. This great land, this great strong and compassionate Nation, is 
leading the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges at home as well. The Speaker knows that, and I know it. And our actions will prove 
equal to those tasks. So long as anybody in America who wants to work is 
looking for a job, I will work hard to make the conditions for economic 
growth positive and strong. I want our people working in America.
    We have other duties as well. We have a duty to keep our 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 the choices for our seniors and to provide 
coverage for prescription drugs. The next step is for both Houses to 
reconcile their differences, to iron out the details, and get a bill to 
my desk. The sooner they finish the job, the sooner we can say we have 
done our duty to America's seniors.
    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 doc deserve their day in court. Yet the system 
should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for rich settlements. 
Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, and therefore, they 
affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue 
which requires a national solution. And so I proposed a good bill, and I 
worked with the Speaker on it. We passed a good bill out of the House of 
Representatives, but the bill is stuck in the Senate. And the Senate 
must act on behalf of the American people. Those Senators must 
understand that no one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
    I have a responsibility to make sure the judicial system runs well, 
and I have met that duty. I've nominated superb men and women for our 
Federal courts, people who interpret the law, not legislate from the 
bench. 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 of the Members of the United States Senate to stop playing politics 
with American justice.
    Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. The 
Speaker knows this, and Mr. Speaker, I appreciate your leadership on 
this issue. As we learned a while ago, we need to modernize our 
electricity grid. [Laughter] We need to bring it up to the standards of 
the 21st century. We need to make sure that the delivery of electricity 
is not a voluntary act. It's a--requires mandatory reliability 
standards. We need to make sure we do a better job of using our 
technologies to conserve more energy. We need to develop alternative 
sources to foreign oil. We need clean coal technology. One of the things 
we need to do is, for economic security and national security, 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, applying the most innovative ideas to the task of helping 
our fellow citizens in need. There are millions of men and women who 
want to end their dependence on government, 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 more 
Americans can serve their communities and their country. And both Houses 
should finally reach agreement on my Faith-Based Initiative to support 
the armies of compassion which exist all around

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our country, that are mentoring our children, that are caring for the 
homeless, that offer hope to addicted. This great Nation should not fear 
faith, should not fear those who rely upon faith as their motivation to 
provide help to those who hurt. We need to welcome faith in our society.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the independence and dignity that come from ownership. See, this 
administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in 
America. We want more people owning their own home. We want people 
owning and managing their health care accounts. We want people owning 
and managing their own retirement accounts. We want more people owning a 
small business, because we understand 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 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 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. If you're concerned 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'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 our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved 
ourselves.
    We can see the culture of service and responsibility growing around 
us here in America. You know, 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 really strong. People want 
to serve. People want to be involved in their community. Our faith-based 
and charities are strong, providing the much needed healing to those who 
need help.
    Policemen and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's uniform 
are reminding us 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'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 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, and we welcome it. And we know that for our country 
and for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel 
and Towers. In his remarks, he referred to Patrick G. Ryan, luncheon 
chairman; Jean Hastert, wife of Speaker of the House of Representatives 
J. Dennis Hastert; former Gov. Jim Edgar and former Gov. James R. 
Thompson of Illinois; Robert Kjellander, Illinois national committeeman, 
and Mary Jo Arndt, Illinois national committeewoman, Republican National 
Committee; Mercer Reynolds, national finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, 
Inc.; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.