    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 8, 2004]
    [Pages 28-34]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
    January 8, 2004

        Thank you all. Thanks for coming. It's great to be back in the great
    State of Florida. We carried it once, and we're going to carry it again.

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        And I want to thank you all for your help. I appreciate you showing
    up today. I appreciate your contributions. I appreciate your friendship,
    appreciate your prayers. I appreciate you laying the foundation for what
    is going to be a great national victory in November of '04.
        And I'm getting ready. [Laughter] I'm loosening up. [Laughter] But
    there's plenty of time for politics. See, I've got a job to do. I'm
    focused on the people's business in Washington, DC. I want you to remind
    your friends and neighbors that I will continue to work hard to earn the
    confidence of every American by keeping this Nation secure and strong
    and prosperous and free.
        I love my brother Jeb. He is a great Governor.
    He is a great Governor, first and foremost, because he has a large
    heart. He cares deeply about the people. He and I share some things in
    common. We share the same last name. [Laughter] We share the same
    political consultant--[laughter]--Mother.
    [Laughter] And we both married extremely well.
        I'm honored to be onstage with a fabulous first lady for the State
    of Florida, Ms. Columba. And a great First Lady
    for America sends her love. I'm sorry Laura is
    not here. I know she was Jeb's first choice to be
    the speaker today. [Laughter] She's in Washington. But I'm a lucky man
    to have married Laura Bush. She is a great wife, a fabulous mother, and
    a wonderful First Lady for America.
        I know my friend and former colleague in the Cabinet Mel
    Martinez is with us. Mel, thank you for
    being here today. I know Congressman Mark Foley is with us. Mr. Congressman, I'm glad you're here. I'm
    sorry Congressman Clay Shaw is not here.
    This is his district, I understand, but he is traveling with Speaker
    Denny Hastert. He made a good choice. When
    the Speaker calls, it's probably a pretty good thing to travel with him.
    I know the Lieutenant Governor, Toni Jennings,
    is here. The attorney general, Charlie Crist,
    is here. Tom Gallagher is here. Where's
    Gallagher? I appreciate you coming.
        A lot of members of the statehouse are here. It's a good sign when
    State senators and State reps show up. After all, you win campaigns by
    energizing the grassroots. I appreciate the members of the statehouse
    being here. I'm looking forward to working with you to carry Florida. I
    want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here. I want to thank
    you for what you're going to do, which is to put up the signs, to man
    the phone booths, to put out the mailers, and to turn out the vote.
        I want to thank the mayors and local officials who are here. I want
    to thank all those who worked hard to make this event such a successful
    event. We've had three event cochairmen, the Guzzettas, the Gaineses, and Elizabeth
    Fago. I want to thank you for your hard
    work. I appreciate your good work.
        My friend Mercer Reynolds is here. He's
    the national finance chairman. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio. He's taken a
    lot of time out of his private life to help make sure we get well funded
    in what's going to be a tough campaign. I want to thank my friend Al
    Hoffman from the great State of Florida, who is
    doing such a fantastic job as the--raising money. And of course, there's
    Tom Petway and Zach Zachariah, two good buddies as well who have been working hard to
    make this campaign go well.
        In the last 3 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.

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    In Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
    regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. The world is
    better off, and so are the 50 million people in those two countries who
    once lived under tyranny, and today, they live in freedom.
        Three years ago, our military was not receiving the resources it
    needed and morale was beginning to suffer, so we increased the defense
    budgets to meet 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.
        Three years ago, the economy was in trouble and a recession was
    beginning. And I want you to remember what we have come through. Not
    only was a recession beginning, but our country was attacked. And then
    there were corporate scandals and war, all of which affected the
    people's confidence. But this administration 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.
        This administration understands 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've reduced taxes on
    dividends and capital gains to encourage investment. We've given small
    businesses incentives to expand and to hire new people. With all these
    actions, we have laid the foundation for greater prosperity and more
    jobs across America, so every single citizen has a chance to realize the
    American Dream.
        Today, the American economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
    The figures for the third quarter of the year 2003 show the economy grew
    at an annual rate of 8.2 percent, the fastest pace in nearly 20 years.
    Productivity is high. Business investment is rising. Housing
    construction is expanding. Manufacturing activity is increasing, and
    we've added over 300,000 new jobs in the last 4 months. The tax relief
    we passed is working.
        Three 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. We've
    increased spending out of the Federal Government, particularly for Title
    I students, for the poorest of students. But now, because we believe
    every child can learn to read and write and add and subtract, we're
    insisting that States measure. We want to know.
        The State of Florida, led by this great Governor, is on the leading
    edge of education reform because he holds people to account. And the
    reason he does is because he and I both know every child can learn. We
    are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the
    bar. We've raised the standards. We expect results so that not one
    single child in America is left behind.
        We've reorganized our Government during the past 3 years and created
    the Department of Homeland Security to better guard Florida's ports,
    better guard our borders, to better 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, much-needed budget agreements, to help bring spending
    discipline to Washington, DC.
        And last month, we completed the greatest advance in health care
    coverage for America's senior citizens since the creation of Medicare.
    The new Medicare law that I fought for and signed--the bill that I
    campaigned for, worked for, and signed will give older Americans the
    option of a prescription drug benefit and more control over their own
    health care, so they can

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    receive the modern medical care they deserve.
        On issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle,
    has kept its word, and has made progress for the American people. The
    Congress gets a lot of credit. I enjoy working with Majority Leader Bill
    Frist, Speaker Denny Hastert, Congressman Mark Foley.
    We're working hard in Washington, DC, to change the tone of the Nation's
    Capital. There's too much politics, endless backbiting, zero-sum
    attitudes. And the best way to do that is to stay focused on the
    people's business and on results. And we have delivered results over the
    last 3 years.
        A major reason this administration has been successful is because I
    have surrounded myself with really good, decent, capable, honorable
    people, people from all walks of life, people who have come to the
    Nation's Capital to serve the United States of America, not a special or
    self interest. This Nation has had no finer Vice President than Vice
    President Dick Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
        In 3 years, we have come far. We've done a lot, 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 that is prosperous and compassionate
    so that every citizen--every citizen--regardless of their background,
    has a chance to work and to succeed and realize the great promise of
    this country.
        It is 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 goes on. 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 all the people of that
    country can now be certain they will never again have to fear the rule
    of Saddam Hussein. The Ba'athist holdouts
    largely responsible for current violence now know there will be no
    return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held. All Iraqis who
    have taken the side of freedom have chosen the winning side.
        We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent
    than accept the rise of liberty in the Middle East. You see, 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 the United States. The United States will never be intimidated by a
    bunch of thugs and assassins.
        We are on the offensive in Iraq. We're aggressively striking the
    terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat them there, so we do not have to face
    them in America. And a lot of nations are helping to build a free Iraq,
    because they understand a free Iraq is in their interest. A free Iraq
    will make the world more peaceful. And we're standing with the Iraqi
    people as they assume more of their own defense and more of their own
    self-government. These are not easy tasks, but they are essential tasks.
    And America will finish what we have begun. We will win this essential
    victory in the war on terror.
        We're working to oppose proliferation of weapons around the world.
    Last month, after talks with the United States and Great Britain, Libya
    volunteered to disclose and dismantle all its weapons of mass
    destruction programs. Leaders around the world now know weapons of mass
    destruction do not bring influence or prestige. They bring isolation and
    other unwelcome consequences. And nations who abandon the pursuit of
    these weapons will find an open path to better relations with the United
    States of America.

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        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. I believe that freedom is the future of every
    nation. And I know that freedom is not America's gift to the world;
    freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
        America 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 suffering
    with AIDS.
        We face challenges here at home as well, and we will prove that
    we're equal to the challenges. This administration will continue to
    promote a progrowth, pro-small-business, pro-entrepreneur economic
    agenda until everybody who wants a job can find one.
        And 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. He and I understand that 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 a rich settlement.
    Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, and they therefore
    affect the Federal budget.
        Medical liability reform is a national issue that requires a
    national solution. I put forth a good plan. The House of Representatives
    passed it. However, the bill is stuck in the Senate. And I know two
    United States Senators
    who keep it stuck in the United States Senate, and they might happen to
    be from your State. The Senate must act on behalf of the American people
    and pass medical liability reform, and the Senators must understand no
    one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
        I have a responsibility as the President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men
    and women for the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. Some Members from the United States Senate,
    two of them from this
    State--[laughter]--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 those Members of the United States Senate to stop playing politics
    with American justice.
        This country needs an energy plan, and the Congress needs to get an
    energy plan to my desk. I've been calling for one for several years now,
    an energy plan that encourages energy efficiency and conservation, that
    uses technology in wise ways to find additional supplies of energy. For
    the sake of economic security and for the sake of national security,
    this country must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation.
    I will continue to advance our agenda of what I call compassionate
    conservatism, which means we'll apply the best and most innovative ideas
    to the task of helping fellow citizens who are in need. There are still
    a lot of people, millions of men and women, who want to end their
    dependence on government, become independent through hard work. We must
    continue to build on the success of welfare reform to bring work and
    dignity into the lives of more of our fellow citizens.
        With the help of Congress, we're working to ensure more Americans
    serve their communities and through their country--through the citizen
    service programs. Both Houses should come together and pass my Faith-
    Based Initiative. Our Government should not fear the influence of faith
    in the lives of our fellow citizens. As a matter

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    of fact, the great strength of the country is the fact that we're a
    nation of many faiths. And faith-based community programs are those that
    are often able to change people's hearts. And when you change a person's
    heart, you help save a person's life.
        We need to rally the armies of compassion, those who mentor our
    children, those who care for the homeless, those who offer hope to the
    addicted. A compassionate society is a society that promotes opportunity
    for every citizen, 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.
    We have a minority homeownership gap in America, and I have put forth a
    plan to close that gap. We want people owning and managing their own
    health care plans and their own retirement accounts. We want more people
    owning their own small business, because 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. They respect
    their religious beliefs. They respect their opinions. And they take
    responsibility for the decisions they make in life. The culture of this
    country is changing 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're
    responsible for the decisions we make in life.
        If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're
    responsible for loving your child with all your heart. 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're responsible for telling the truth to your
    shareholders and your employees.
        In a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving
    our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. And we see the
    culture of service and responsibility growing around us. You know I
    started--right after September the 11th, I started what's called the USA
    Freedom Corps. It's a chance for people to find out ways to extend a
    compassionate hand to a neighbor in need, and the response has been
    strong, really strong.
        A lot of Americans--and I'm sure many are here--understand that
    patriotism can mean helping somebody who hurts. Charitable organizations
    in America are vibrant. Neighborhood healing groups are really good.
    Faith-based programs are strong. Police and our firefighters and people
    who wear the Nation's uniform remind us on a daily basis what it means
    to serve 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 3 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 know that for our
    country, the best days lie ahead.
        May God bless you. Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:10 p.m. at the PGA National Resort. In
    his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and his wife,
    Columba; former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel R.
    Martinez; Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings of Florida; Florida State Attorney
    General Charlie Crist; Tom Gallagher, chief financial officer, Florida
    Department of Financial Services; Al Hoffman,

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    finance chairman, Republican National Committee; Mercer Reynolds,
    national finance chairman, and Tom Petway III and Zach Zachariah,
    Florida State finance cochairmen, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; former
    President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Senators Bob Graham and Bill
    Nelson of Florida. The President also referred to Title I of the
    Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law No. 103-382), which
    amended Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
    (Public Law No. 89-10).