    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 8, 2004]
    [Pages 23-28]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Luncheon in Knoxville
    January 8, 2004

        Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all very much. Thanks
    for the warm welcome. It's glad--I'm glad to be in the land of the
    orange and white. UT--kind of sounds like home. [Laughter] Really
    appreciate coming back to Knoxville. I'm so thrilled that so many came
    out to support the Bush-Cheney ticket. As you might recall, we had
    pretty good success here in the year 2000. Because of today, we're
    laying the foundation for what is going to be even better success in
    Tennessee in 2004. We're on our way to a national victory in November of
    2004.
        I'm loosening up--[laughter]--and I'm getting ready. But there will
    be plenty of time for politics, because I've got a job to do on behalf
    of every citizen of this country. I'm focused on the people's business
    in Washington, DC. My administration

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    will continue to work hard to earn the confidence of all Americans by
    keeping this Nation secure and strong and prosperous and free.
        I'm honored you invited me here today. I know I wasn't your first
    choice. [Laughter] Laura was tied up. [Laughter]
    She's a fabulous First Lady. I'm a lucky man that she said yes when I
    said, ``Will you marry me?'' She really sends her best and her love.
    She's--I'm really proud of her.
        I also want to thank my friend Lamar Alexander for doing such a fine job in the United States Senate
    on behalf of the great people of Tennessee. He brings such class and
    dignity to public office. You've known that when he was your Governor.
    He's now doing it again as the Senator, as is the other Senator from the
    great State of Tennessee, Senator Bill Frist, the
    majority leader of the United States Senate. You've done a great job of
    sending two fine people to the Senate.
        I'm honored that members of the congressional delegation from
    Tennessee have joined us today, starting with your own homegrown Jimmy
    Duncan. I appreciate you, Jimmy. I got
    off Air Force One and the first thing he said was, ``This is my
    district.'' [Laughter]
        I want to thank Congressman Zach Wamp for
    joining us today. Thank you for being here, Zach. Congressman Bill
    Jenkins is with us today. Congressman,
    thank you for coming. I see you got a seat in the back. [Laughter] And
    Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn is with us
    today. Marsha, thank you for being here.
        I'm honored that members of the statehouse have come. It's always a
    good sign when the State senators and State legislators are coming.
    After all, all good politics is local politics. I want to thank Ben
    Atchley, he's the Republican leader in the State
    senate, for joining us today.
        Beth Harwell, who is the chairman of the
    Tennessee Republican Party, is with us. I want to thank you for coming
    too, Beth.
        I'm so honored that many of you all took time to make this event a
    successful event. Jim Haslam is event cochairman.
    Big Jim, I thank you for your friendship, and I appreciate--I also
    appreciate Jimmy for being the event cochairman. And I appreciate the
    fact that the mayor is with us today as well.
        I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds. He's from Cincinnati, Ohio. He's the national finance
    chairman of Bush-Cheney. He's working hard to make sure that this
    campaign is well-funded. When the campaign starts, we want to be ready
    to go. And thanks to the people in this room, and thanks to people
    around the country when the campaign gets started we are going to be
    ready to go.
        I appreciate David Kustoff, who is the
    State chairman. His job is to rally the grassroots. And so, for those of
    you who are involved in grassroots politics here in Tennessee, I want to
    thank you for what you're going to do. I want to thank you for the signs
    you're going to put up. I want to thank you for the phone calls you're
    going to make. I'm want to thank you for joining us as we turn out the
    vote to make sure this good State turns out in significant numbers.
        And as you're turning out that vote, I want you to remind them, in
    the last 3 years our Nation has acted decisively to confront great
    challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not to pass 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. In
    Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those
    regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million
    people in those two

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    countries once lived under tyranny, and now 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 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.
        Three years ago, the economy was in trouble and a recession was
    beginning. And then we had attacks on our country and corporate scandals
    and war, which all 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.
        We understand 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--money to people to help
    them raise their families. We're reducing 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 are laying
    the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs across America so
    that every single person in this country 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 2003 show that 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 increasing. 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're
    spending more money at the Federal level, but we're finally asking the
    question, ``Are you teaching the children how to read and write and add
    and subtract?'' This administration is challenging the soft bigotry of
    low expectations because we believe that every child can learn and we
    expect every school to teach. The days of excusemaking are over. No
    child should be left behind in America.
        We reorganized the Government and created the Department of Homeland
    Security to better safeguard the borders and ports of our country and to
    better protect the American people. We passed trade promotion authority
    to open up new markets for Tennessee's farmers and ranchers and
    entrepreneurs and manufacturers. We passed budget agreements that is
    helping to maintain much-needed spending discipline in Washington, DC.
        And last month, we completed the greatest advance in health care
    coverage for America's seniors since the founding of Medicare. The new
    Medicare law, that I pushed for and signed, will give older Americans
    the option of a prescription drug benefit and more control over their
    health care, so that they can receive the modern health care that they
    deserve.
        On issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle,
    has kept its word, and has made great progress for the American people.
    A lot of credit belongs to the Members of the United States Senate and
    the United States Congress. I enjoy working with Majority Leader Bill
    Frist. You know as well as I do he's plenty
    capable, plenty competent, and a very decent man. I enjoy working with
    Speaker Denny Hastert, who shares the same
    characteristics as Bill Frist, an honorable, decent man.
        We're working hard to change the tone in Washington, DC. There's too
    much backbiting, endless politics, name-calling. The best way to change
    the tone is to focus

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    on the people's business and to focus on results. And that's what we're
    doing with the Congress. Our record has been a good record. And those
    are the kind of people I've asked to join my administration. I put
    together a fantastic team of people, people from all walks of life to
    serve our country, people who have come to the Nation's Capital not to
    represent their own special interests but to represent the greatest
    country on the face of the Earth. There's been no finer Vice President
    than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
        In 3 years, we've done a lot. We have come far, but our work is only
    beginning. I've set great goals worthy of this 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 will work for a society that is prosperous and compassionate
    so every citizen has a chance to work and to succeed and to realize the
    great promise of our 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 continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle,
    and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will not tire; we
    will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. We are
    confronting that danger in Iraq, where all people can be certain that
    they will never again have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein. He started last year in a palace. He ended this year
    in a prison. The Ba'athist holdouts largely responsible for the 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 taken 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. And there is a
    reason why. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq will be a
    major defeat for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is
    trying to shake the will of America. America will never be intimidated
    by a bunch of thugs and assassins.
        We're aggressively after them in Iraq, defeating them there so we
    will never have to face them in our own country. Other nations are
    helping, because they understand a free Iraq will make the world more
    secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of
    their own defense and move toward self-government. These are not easy
    tasks, but they are essential tasks. We will finish what we have begun.
    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
    voluntarily committed 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
    unwelcomed consequences. And nations who abandon the pursuit of these
    weapons will find an open path to better relations with the United
    States of America.
        Yet our greatest security comes from the advance of freedom, 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 we understand that
    freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty
    God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
        America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
    tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. When we see
    disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On
    the continent of Africa, America is now

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    committed to bringing the healing power of medicine to millions of men
    and women and children now suffering with AIDS. This powerful, strong,
    and compassionate land is leading the entire world on this incredibly
    important work of human rescue.
        We face challenges here at home as well. We'll be equal to those
    challenges. This administration will continue to push a progrowth, pro-
    entrepreneur economic agenda so that people who want to work and can't
    find a job today will be able to find that job.
        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 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 sent a bill over to the House, and the House of
    Representatives passed a good bill to reform the system. The bill is
    stuck in the Senate. I look forward to working with Senator Frist and Senator Alexander to
    convince reluctant Senators to act on behalf of all the people in
    America and get a good medical liability bill to my desk. Some Members
    of the Senate must understand that no one in America has ever been
    healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
        I have a responsibility as your President to make sure the judicial
    system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men
    and women to the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not
    legislate from the bench. Some of the 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 Members of the United States Senate to
    stop playing politics with American justice.
        The Congress needs to get an energy bill to my desk. This Nation
    must be more energy-efficient. We must conserve our resources. We must
    do a better job of protecting the quality of the air in places like
    Knoxville, Tennessee. But for the sake of economic security and for the
    sake of national security, we 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 compassionate conservatism,
    which means we'll apply the best and most innovative ideas to the task
    of helping our fellow citizens in need. There's still millions of men
    and women who want to end their dependence on the Government and become
    independent through hard work. We must build on the success of welfare
    reform to bring more work and, therefore, dignity into the lives of our
    fellow citizens who are still dependent upon the Government.
        With the help of Congress, we're working to ensure that more
    Americans can serve their communities and their country through citizen
    service programs. I urge both Houses of the United States Congress to
    pass my Faith-Based Initiative, which will help empower the armies of
    compassion that are mentoring our children and caring for the homeless
    and offering hope to the addicted.
        One of the great strengths of our country is that we're a nation of
    many faiths, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. Out of that faith
    comes the deep desire for many of our citizens to heed the universal
    call to help a neighbor who hurts. The Federal Government should never
    fear the influence of faith-based programs. We ought to welcome faith-
    based programs into helping solve some of the intractable problems of
    our society.
        A compassionate society is one, also, that must promote opportunity
    for all, including the independence and dignity that come

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    from ownership. This administration understands the power of owning
    something in our society. We'll constantly strive to promote an
    ownership society. Listen, we have a minority homeownership gap in
    America. I proposed plans to the Congress to help close that gap. We
    want more people owning their own home. We want people owning and
    managing their own health care accounts and their own retirement
    accounts. We want more people owning their own small businesses. And
    that's why developing the entrepreneurial spirit and keeping it strong
    is so important. You see, 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. They respect
    each other's religious beliefs, political opinions. People take
    responsibility for the decisions they make in life. See, the culture of
    America 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 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 Knoxville, Tennessee,
    you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in
    corporate America, you are responsible for telling the truth to your
    shareholders and your employees.
        And in the new responsibility society, each of us is responsible for
    loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself. We can see
    that culture--the culture of service is strong in America. You know, I
    started the USA Freedom Corps right after September the 11th to
    encourage our fellow citizens to extend a compassionate hand to a
    neighbor in need. And the response has been fantastic. People from all
    walks of life are serving our Nation by helping people who hurt. Our
    neighborhood healers are vibrant and strong. Faith-based and charitable
    organizations thrive in our country. Policemen and firefighters and
    people who wear our Nation's uniform remind us what it means to
    sacrifice for something greater than ourself. 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 have 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
    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 all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:55 p.m. at the Knoxville Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Bill Haslam of Knoxville,
    TN; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.