    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [April 1, 2004]
    [Pages 498-504]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner
    April 1, 2004

        Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Whew!
    [Laughter] Go ahead and have a seat. Thank you. I am honored you all are
    here. I appreciate such a warm welcome. It's good to be with so many
    friends from the NRCC. By ensuring that we have a Republican majority in
    the House, you're helping our confident and hopeful agenda; that's what
    you're doing. You've had great success in the last couple of years. And
    all of us who represent the people are grateful for your hard work.
        As a former House candidate--[laughter]--I have tremendous respect
    for anybody who runs for the Congress. My campaign back in 1978 in the
    19th Congressional District didn't turn out the way I hoped. As a matter
    of fact, walking in here, I saw the guy who beat me. [Laughter] There he
    is. [Laughter] I had a great time, though. It was really an interesting
    campaign. I was campaigning right after Laura and
    I got married, so it was like an extended honeymoon. [Laughter] We
    learned a lot about each other as we drove across west Texas. Laura
    likes to say I even convinced her to vote for me. [Laughter]
    Unfortunately, I didn't convince enough people. [Laughter] I put my
    political career on hold for about 15 years, but I like to think things
    worked out all right.
        This year, I'm looking forward to campaigning with a man who did win
    in his race for the Congress in 1978 and five times after that. Dick
    Cheney was a fine United States Congressman from
    Wyoming. He was by far the best Congressman from Wyoming. [Laughter]
    Dick Cheney is the finest Vice President our Nation has ever had, and
    I'm proud to have him on the

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    ticket with me. When Dick came to Congress, the House held 277 Democrats
    and only 158 Republicans. Things are a lot different today, and the
    country is better off for it.
        Thanks to your generosity and hard work, we have a strong Republican
    majority. And with your help, we intend to increase the Republican
    majority in 2004. Mr. Speaker, I can't
    tell you what a joy it is to work with you. Denny Hastert is solid as a
    rock. He's a man of his word. He's a kind and decent person. He's a man
    of enormous accomplishment. Denny Hastert needs to remain the Speaker of
    the House of Representatives for the good of the country.
        I wasn't Denny's first choice to speak
    here; Laura was. [Laughter] Mr. Speaker, she
    sends her love to you and to all our friends out here. By the way, Laura
    is a fabulous First Lady for our country.
        I appreciate Congressman Tom Reynolds, the chairman of the NRCC. Thank you, Tommy, for your good
    work. The chairman of the spring dinner is Congressman Jerry
    Lewis from California. Jerry, you did a fabulous
    job. Thank you, sir.
        I'm proud of the job my fellow Texan is doing as the majority leader
    of the House of Representatives, Tom DeLay. He's a
    great majority leader. We enjoy working with the whip, Roy Blunt from Missouri, who is doing a good job of counting those
    votes.
        I see the conference chair is with us tonight, Congresswoman Deborah
    Pryce from Ohio. Thank you for coming. The
    vice chair, Jack Kingston from Georgia, is
    with us tonight. Jack, thank you. The conference secretary, Congressman
    John Doolittle from California;
    Congressman Chris Cox, the policy chair from
    California, is with us as well. Thank you, Chris.
        And finally, the only other Congressman I'm going to mention tonight
    is my friend from Texas. He's about as fine a Congressman as you'll
    find. I'm proud to call him friend, and that's Congressman Ralph
    Hall.
        I appreciate Angela Pregano-Knight
    for sharing her talents tonight, singing the national anthem. What a
    beautiful person, and with a great voice. And finally, Timmy
    Kelly is here with us. And Timmy, thanks for
    singing ``God Bless America,'' and I'm glad you're here. Thanks for
    bringing your mom and dad with you as well.
        I finally got an opponent. [Laughter] He's an
    experienced Senator. He's built up quite a record. He's been here in
    Washington so long, he's taken both sides of just about every issue.
    [Laughter] Senator Kerry voted for the PATRIOT Act, for NAFTA, for the
    No Child Left Behind Act, and for the use of force in Iraq. Now he
    opposes the PATRIOT Act, NAFTA, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the
    liberation of Iraq. He's been on both sides of many big issues. If he
    could find a third side, I'd imagine he'd take that one too. [Laughter]
    Someone asked my opponent why he had voted against the $87 billion
    funding bill to help our troops in Iraq. Here's what he said: ``I
    actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.''
    [Laughter] End of quote. [Laughter] Sure clears things up, doesn't it?
    [Laughter]
        What is going to be clear is that the voters have a clear choice
    this year. It's a choice between keeping the tax relief that the
    Congress passed, tax relief that is moving this economy forward, or
    putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people. It is a
    choice between an America that leads the world with strength and
    confidence or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger. And I
    look forward to making these choices clear to the American people.
        I'm ready for this campaign. I'll remind the people that working
    with the United States Congress, under Speaker Hastert's leadership, we've achieved great things in the past 3
    years. I'll also remind them that we have a positive vision, a hopeful
    vision, an optimistic vision for the years ahead; a positive vision for
    winning the war on terror and extending peace and freedom

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    throughout the world; a positive vision for creating jobs and promoting
    opportunity and compassion here at home. We will leave no doubt where we
    stand, and we will win on November the 2d of this year.
        The last 3 years have brought serious challenges, and working with
    the Congress, we've given serious answers.
        When we came to office, the stock market was in decline and the
    economy was headed into a recession. But we acted. We worked together.
    We delivered historic tax relief, and now our economy is the fastest
    growing of any major industrialized nation in the world.
        We had to confront corporate crimes that cost people their jobs and
    their savings, so we worked with the United States Congress and passed
    strong corporate reforms and made it clear that we will not tolerate
    dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
        We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning, so we
    pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed
    many key leaders of the Al Qaida network, and the rest will learn there
    is no cave or hole deep enough to hide from American justice.
        Working with the Congress, we confronted the dangers of state-
    sponsored terror and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. So we
    ended two of the most violent and dangerous regimes on Earth. We freed
    over 50 million people, and once again America is proud to lead the
    armies of liberation.
        When the Vice President and I came to
    Washington, we found a military that was underfunded and
    underappreciated, so we worked with this Congress and this leadership to
    give our military the resources and respect they deserve. And today, no
    one can question the skill and the strength and the spirit of the United
    States military.
        It is the President's job to confront problems, not pass them on to
    future Presidents and future generations. A President needs to step up
    and make the hard decisions and keep his commitments, and that is how I
    will continue to lead our great country.
        Great events will turn on this election. The man who sits in the
    Oval Office and the man who is the Speaker of the House will set the
    course of the war on terror and the direction of our economy. Security
    and the prosperity of America are at stake. The other side hasn't
    offered much in the way of strategies to win the war or policies to
    expand our economy. So far, all we hear is partisan anger, loud words.
    Anger is not an agenda for the future of America. We'll take on the big
    issues with optimism and resolve and determination, and we will make it
    clear that we stand ready to lead this Nation for 4 more years.
        A big issue for every family in America is the Federal tax burden.
    Because of the leadership of Denny Hastert
    and Members of the United States Congress, we passed the largest tax
    relief since Ronald Reagan was the
    President. We have left more money in the hands that earned it. By
    spending and investing and helping create new jobs, American people have
    used their money far better than the Federal Government would have.
        Oh, I hear some pessimists around our country, but I'm optimistic
    about our economy. I'm optimistic because we've put good policies in
    place, and I'm optimistic because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong
    and we've got the best workers in the world. Economic growth in the
    second half of 2003 was the fastest in nearly 20 years. Manufacturing
    activity is increasing. Business investment is rising. Disposable income
    is rising. Inflation is low. Mortgage rates are low. Homeownership is at
    the highest rate ever. Job creation is gaining strength. We've added
    over 350,000 new jobs over the last 6 months. The tax relief we passed
    is working.
        My opponent has a different view of tax
    relief. When we passed an increase in the child credit to help families,
    he voted against it. When we reduced the marriage

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    penalty, he voted against it. When we created a lower 10-percent bracket
    for working families, he voted against it. When we reduced the tax rate
    on dividends that many seniors depend on, my opponent voted against it.
    When we gave small businesses a tax incentive to expand and to hire new
    people, he voted against it. When we passed a phaseout of the death tax,
    he voted no. We're beginning to see a pattern here. [Laughter]
        Senator Kerry is one of the main opponents of
    tax relief in the United States Congress. But when tax increases are
    proposed, it's a lot easier to get a yes vote out of him. Over the
    years, he's voted over 350 times for higher taxes on the American
    people, including the biggest tax increase in American history. He
    supported higher gas taxes 11 times. He favored a tax increase of 50
    cents a gallon. That would cost you another $5 or more every time you
    fill up the tank. For that kind of money, he at least ought to throw in
    a car wash. [Laughter]
        My opponent is proposing a lot of new
    Government spending, about $1.7 trillion at last count, and the campaign
    is just beginning. He says he's going to pay for all this by raising the
    taxes on rich people, but he's got a problem. To cover all the new
    spending, he would need to eliminate every single one of the tax
    reductions we have passed. To pay for all his new promises, he'd still
    have to raise taxes on top of that. The marriage penalty would go back
    up. The child credit would go back up. Taxes on small businesses would
    rise. Even low-income people paying at the 10-percent rate would see
    their taxes go up. It turns out, if you have a job, a child, or a dollar
    to spare, Senator Kerry thinks you're rich enough to pay taxes.
    Fortunately, he's not going to have that chance.
        Higher taxes would undermine growth and destroy jobs, just as this
    economy is getting stronger. To help grow the American economy and to
    create more jobs for our citizens, I have a better idea. We should make
    the tax cuts permanent.
        We must do more to keep this economy growing and to create more
    jobs. I'm working hard with the Congress to maintain spending discipline
    in Washington, DC.
        I have a plan to protect small-business owners and employees from
    the frivolous lawsuits that make it hard to create new jobs. The House
    of Representatives has passed good tort reform legislation, thanks to
    the leadership of Speaker Denny Hastert.
        I'm working with the leadership on a plan to control the cost of
    health care and to get people better access through association health
    care plans and tax-free health savings accounts. And the Senate needs to
    follow the lead of the House and pass medical liability reform.
        We need to knock down trade barriers and open up new markets around
    the world for this country's farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs and
    manufacturers.
        And we need a sound energy strategy. We need an energy plan to
    modernize our electricity system and make this country less dependent on
    foreign sources of energy.
        On every one of these measures, the working people have got an ally
    in the leadership in the Republican Congress.
        You know, my opponent talks about job creation, but he's against
    every one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about jobs and
    economic isolationism will not get anyone hired. The best way to create
    jobs is to reelect a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur President and United
    States Congress.
        Our future in the world also depends on America's leadership in the
    world. The momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face
    serious dangers. Al Qaida is wounded but not broken. Terrorists are
    testing our will in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and
    Iran are challenging the peace. If America shows weakness and
    uncertainty in this decade,

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    the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
        This Nation is strong and confident in the cause of freedom. Today,
    no friend or enemy doubts the word of the United States. America and our
    allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in Afghanistan. The
    Taliban chose defiance, and the Taliban are no longer in power. America
    and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in Iraq. The
    dictator chose defiance, and now the dictator sits in a prison cell.
        September the 11th, 2001, taught a lesson I will never forget. It's
    a lesson the Congress must never forget. It's a lesson this country must
    never forget. America must confront threats before they fully
    materialize. In Iraq, my administration looked at the intelligence
    information, and we saw a threat. The Congress looked at the
    intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council
    looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. The previous
    administration and Congress looked at the intelligence and made regime
    change in Iraq the policy of our country.
        In 2002, the United Nations Security Council yet again demanded a
    full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons
    programs. As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein refused to comply,
    so we had a choice to make: Either take the word of a madman, or take
    action to defend America. Faced with that choice, I will defend America
    every time.
        My opponent admits that Saddam
    Hussein was a threat; he just didn't support
    my decision to remove Saddam from power. Maybe he was hoping Saddam
    would lose the next Iraqi election. [Laughter] We showed the dictator
    and a watching world that America means what it says. Because our
    coalition acted, Saddam's torture chambers are closed. Because we acted,
    Iraq's weapons programs are ended forever. Because we acted, nations
    like Libya have gotten the message and renounced their own weapons
    programs. Because we acted, an example of democracy is rising at the
    very heart of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world is more free.
    Because we acted, America is more secure.
        We still face thugs and terrorists in Iraq who would rather go on
    killing the innocent than accept the advance of liberty. And there's a
    reason why. They know that a free Iraq will be a major defeat for the
    cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake the will
    of the United States. America will never be intimidated by a bunch of
    thugs and assassins. We are aggressively striking the terrorists in
    Iraq. We will defeat them there so we do not have to face them in our
    own country.
        Other nations are helping Iraq to build a free society, because they
    know what we know: A free Iraq will make the whole world more secure. We
    stand with the Iraqi people, the brave 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.
        On national security, Americans have the clearest possible choice.
    My opponent says he approves of bold action in
    the world, but only if other countries do not object. I'm all for united
    action, and so are our 34 coalition partners in Iraq right now. Yet,
    America must never outsource America's national security decisions to
    the leaders of other countries.
        Some are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all.
    Senator Kerry said the war on terror is far less
    of a military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law
    enforcement operation. I disagree. Our Nation followed this approach
    after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was handled
    in the courts and thought by some to be settled. But the terrorists were
    still training in Afghanistan. They were still plotting in other
    nations. They were drawing up more ambitious plans. After the chaos and
    carnage

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    of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal
    papers. With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared
    war on the United States of America, and war is what they got.
        Our men and women in the military are taking great risks and doing a
    great job. At bases across our country and the world, I've had the
    privilege of meeting with those who defend our country and sacrifice for
    our security. I've seen their great decency and unselfish courage. I can
    assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in good hands.
        This Nation is prosperous and strong, yet we need to remember that
    our greatest strength is in the hearts and souls of our citizens. We're
    strong because of the values we try to live by, courage and compassion,
    reverence and integrity. We're strong because of the institutions that
    help give us direction and purpose, our families, our schools, our
    religious congregations. These values and institutions are fundamental
    to our lives, and they deserve the respect of our Government.
        We stand for fair treatment of faith-based groups, so they can
    receive Federal support for their works of compassion and healing. We
    will not stand for Government discrimination against people of faith.
        We stand for welfare reforms that require work and strengthen
    marriage, which have helped millions of Americans find independence and
    dignity. We will not stand for any attempt to weaken those reforms and
    to send people back into lives of dependence.
        We stand for a culture of life in which every person counts and
    every person matters. We will not stand for the treatment of any life as
    a commodity to be experimented upon, to be exploited, or to be cloned.
        We stand for the confirmation of judges who strictly and faithfully
    interpret the law. We will not stand for judges who undermine democracy
    by legislating from the bench or judges who try to remake the values of
    America by court order.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. 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
    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 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. And in a responsibility
    society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like
    we'd like to be loved ourself.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
    apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
    expected of its leaders. These are not one of those times. You and I are
    living in a period when the stakes are high, the challenges are
    difficult, when resolve is needed.
        None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
    began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
    Towers. I will never forget that day. Workers in hardhats were shouting,
    ``Whatever it takes.'' One guy pointed at me and said, ``Don't let me
    down.'' As we all did that day, these men and women searching through
    the rubble took it personally. I took it personally. I have a
    responsibility that goes on. I will never relent in bringing justice to
    our enemies. I will defend the security of America, whatever it takes.
    [Applause] Thank you all.
        In these times, I've also been a witness to the character of this
    Nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American
    character, our capacity to meet a serious challenge, or our willingness
    to

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    serve a cause greater than self-interest. But Americans have given their
    answer. I've seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the
    heroism of Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of
    service and compassion renewed in our country. We've all seen our Nation
    unite in common purpose when it mattered most.
        We will need all these qualities for the work ahead. We have a war
    to win, and the world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and
    peace. We have a duty to spread opportunity and hope through every
    corner of this country. This is the work that history has set before us.
    We welcome it. And we know that for our country, the best days lie
    ahead.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:08 p.m. at the Washington Hilton.