    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [July 30, 2004]
    [Pages 1427-1435]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Grand Rapids, Michigan
    July 30, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. I appreciate you coming. Sit down if
    you've got a chair. I'm proud you're here. Thanks for inviting me. You
    can't come to Grand Rapids and not think about a great President, Gerald
    Ford. What a decent man. What an honorable
    citizen. And what a great example for Presidents.
        I appreciate you coming out for our Heart and Soul of America tour.
    This is going to be a great campaign. I'm looking forward to it. And
    there's going to be big differences. We'll have differences over taxes,
    how to keep the peace. And there seems to be a difference over the heart
    and soul of America. My opponents think you can find it in Hollywood. I think you find it
    right here in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
        I'm excited about traveling the country. I was in Springfield,
    Missouri, earlier. I'm going to Cleveland, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; on to
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, tomorrow. I like traveling. I like being with
    people. The crowds are big. The enthusiasm is high. And with your help,
    Dick Cheney and I will serve this Nation for 4
    more years.
        Speaking about my friend Dick Cheney, I
    admit, he's not the prettiest face in the race. [Laughter] But I picked
    him because he's steady and strong and reliable. He's got good judgment.
    Dick Cheney is a great Vice President.
        And speaking about really fine people, I am sorry that Laura is not here.
        Audience members. Aw-w-w!
        The President. I know it. [Laughter] Most people feel that way. They
    wish she

    [[Page 1428]]

    were speaking and I stayed at home. [Laughter] But I'm really proud of
    her. She is a great lady, a fantastic First Lady. I'm going to give you
    some reasons why I think you need to put me back in office, but perhaps
    the most important reason of all is so that Laura will be First Lady for
    4 more years.
        I want to thank Juan Olivarez for his
    leadership of this very important institution. I appreciate a fellow
    Tejano serving the community of Grand Rapids--that means a fellow Texan.
    [Laughter] I appreciate his warm words of introduction. Gracias, amigo.
        I appreciate Hoekstra--Peter Hoekstra for
    his service in the United States Congress. I'm proud to call him friend.
    And I appreciate my friend Vern Ehlers'
    service to the people of Michigan in the United States Congress as well.
        I'm honored that Terri Lynn Land and
    Mike Cox and Ken Sikkema
    are with us today. I've gotten to know these good souls during my trips
    here in Michigan. And they represent the State well. I appreciate
    Speaker Rick Johnson joining us as well; State
    Senator Bill Hardiman. I'm honored that these
    good citizens have decided to serve the people of the communities in the
    great State of Michigan. I thank them for the hard work they have done
    and are going to do to make sure we carry the State of Michigan this
    time.
        I want to thank my friend Betsy DeVos and
    Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes and the ambassador, Peter Secchia. I want to--does it strike anybody funny, ``Ambassador''
    Secchia? No? [Laughter] We love him in our family.
        I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here. I
    appreciate your willingness to work in the political process. I
    encourage you to get people to register to vote. Make sure people go to
    vote on election day. We have a duty in our society--in our democratic
    system, we have a duty to participate. And I want to thank you for
    getting people to participate. And when you get them headed into the
    polls, give them a little nudge our way. [Laughter]
        Every incumbent who asks for the vote has got to answer one central
    question, and that's why--why should the American people give me the
    privilege, the high privilege, of serving as your President for 4 more
    years? In the past few years, we've been through a lot together, and we
    have accomplished a great deal. But there's only one reason to look
    backward at the record, and that is to determine who will lead the
    Nation forward, who can do the job for the American people. I'm asking
    for your vote because so much is at stake. We have much more to do to
    move this country forward.
        I want to be your President for 4 more years to make our country
    safer, to make our economy stronger, to make the future better and
    brighter for every single citizen who lives in this country. From
    creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to protecting
    our homeland, we've made much progress, and I'm here to tell you, we
    have got more to do.
        We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
    excellence we know they can be so that no child is left behind in this
    country. When we came to office 3\1/2\ years ago, too many children were
    being shuffled from grade to grade, year after year, without learning
    the basics. So we've challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations.
    We're setting high standards. We're focusing on results. We're insisting
    on accountability. We're empowering parents. And we're making sure local
    folks are in charge of their own public schools. And today, children
    across America are showing real progress in reading and math. When it
    comes to improving America's public schools, we are turning the corner,
    and we are not turning back.
        We have more to do. This world of ours is changing. Jobs of the
    future will require greater knowledge and higher skill levels. We must
    reform our high schools to make

    [[Page 1429]]

    sure a high school diploma means something. We will expand math and
    science education so young people can compete in a high-tech world. We
    will expand the use of the Internet to bring high-level training into
    classrooms. With 4 more years, we will help a rising generation gain the
    skills and confidence to achieve the American Dream.
        We have more to do to make quality health care available and
    affordable. When we came to office, too many older Americans could not
    afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders in
    both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
    years. We got it done. Already, more than 4 million seniors have signed
    up for drug discount cards that provide real savings. And beginning in
    2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose a plan that suits
    their needs and gives them coverage for prescription drugs.
        We've expanded community health centers for low-income Americans.
    We've created health savings accounts so families can save tax-free for
    their own health care needs. When it comes to giving Americans more
    choices about their own health care and making health care more
    affordable, we are turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
        Most Americans get their health coverage through their work. But
    today's new jobs are created by small businesses, which too often cannot
    afford to provide health coverage. To help more American families get
    health insurance, we must allow small employers to join together to
    purchase insurance at the discounts available to big corporations.
        To improve health care, we must limit the frivolous lawsuits that
    raise health care costs and drive doctors out of medicine. We will do
    more to harness technology to reduce costs and prevent health care
    mistakes. We will do more to expand research and seek new cures for
    terrible diseases. And in all we do to improve health care in America,
    we will make sure that health decisions are made by doctors and
    patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
        We have more to do to make America's economy stronger. We've come
    through a lot together. We've come through a recession and terrorist
    attacks and corporate scandals. We overcame these obstacles because the
    hard work of the American people, because the entrepreneurial spirit is
    strong, because people like our farmers and ranchers refuse to buckle.
    We overcame these obstacles as well because of two well-timed tax cuts.
    We didn't--when we provided tax relief, we didn't try to pick winners or
    losers. We didn't play politics. We did it the fair way. We provided tax
    relief to every American who pays taxes--for families with children, for
    married couples, for small businesses. And this time, the check was
    really in the mail.
        Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
    as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Because we acted, America has added
    more than 1.5 million new jobs since last August. We still face serious
    challenges, especially in places like western Michigan, where the
    slowdown hit hard. I understand that. That's why I'm going to keep
    working to help all sectors of our economy recover. We will not rest
    until every American who wants to work can find a job.
        The cornerstone of our tax relief plan was help for small
    businesses. Most new jobs in America are created by entrepreneurs in
    small businesses. Today I met Bob Roth again. He
    runs a manufacturing company. He told me that business in this part of
    the country is turning around, that people are beginning to add jobs. As
    a matter of fact, his small business hired nine workers in the past
    year. He tells me the reason why is because he is confident about what
    tax relief means. He says, ``We'll take fair advantage of any relief
    that is possible. It helps us feel more confident about investing.'' The
    small-business sector of the country is leading the growth for new jobs
    in America.

    [[Page 1430]]

        We can do more to make America more job-friendly and America's
    workplaces more family-friendly. To keep American jobs in America,
    regulations must be minimal, reasonable, and fair. To keep American jobs
    here, we must lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy. To
    keep American jobs here, we must end the junk lawsuits that hurt small
    businesses. To keep American jobs in America, we will not overspend your
    money, and we will keep your taxes low.
        I met Audra and Brian van Haren. They're here today. These good folks saved about
    $2,500 on their taxes in 2003, and they're going to save another 2,500
    on their taxes in 2004. That's what the tax relief provided. It's their
    own money to begin with, by the way. It's not like--we're not passing
    the Government's out. These people worked hard for that money. They can
    spend it better than the Government can spend their money. Some of the
    tax relief is set to expire, which means they'll have to pay $1,100 more
    in taxes next year. Now is not the time to be raising taxes on the
    working people of this country.
        Over the next 4 years, we'll offer American workers a lifetime of
    learning and help them get training for the jobs of the future at places
    like our community colleges. The education and training community
    colleges offer can be the bridge between people's lives as they are and
    people's lives as they want them to be.
        Today I met Sarah Soles. She used to work as
    a part-time receptionist at a doc's office. She went back to a community
    college program. She's now a nurse. She makes more money at steady
    employment because she found time to get more training and to get a new
    degree. The community college system of America is vital in making sure
    America is a competitive place in the world.
        To make sure we continue to grow our economy and people can find
    work, we will insist on a level playing field when it comes to trade.
    This country can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere with free and
    fair trade. And we will help American families keep more of something
    they never have enough of, and that's time--time to play with the kids,
    time to go to the little league game, time to take care of their
    parents, or to go to class to improve themselves. I believe that
    Congress must enact comp-time and flex-time to help America's families
    better juggle the demands of work and home.
        After 4 more years, our Nation will have more small businesses. The
    entrepreneurial spirit will be strong. There will be greater opportunity
    and better and higher wages for the American workers.
        We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror. America's
    future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If America shows
    uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward
    tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. The world changed on a terrible September morning.
    And since that day, we have changed the world. Before September the
    11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and
    deployed thousands of killers to set up terrorist cells in dozens of
    countries, including our own. Today, Afghanistan is a rising democracy,
    an ally in the war on terror, a place where many young girls now go to
    school for the first time, and America and the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
    terrorists. Today, Pakistani forces are aggressively helping to round up
    the terrorists. They're an ally in the war on terror, and America and
    the world are safer.
        Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising
    money and recruiting and operating with little opposition. Today, the
    Saudi Government has taken the fight to Al Qaida, and America and the
    world are safer.

    [[Page 1431]]

        Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
    weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have
    sent a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass
    destruction, and America and the world are safer for it.
        Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the
    world. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the
    world's sanctions. He had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction
    against his own people. He harbored terrorists. He invaded his
    neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He murdered
    tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great
    instability in the world's most volatile region. He was a threat.
        After September the 11th, we had to look at threats in a new light.
    The lesson of September the 11th was, we must take threats seriously
    before they fully materialize. The September the 11th Commission
    concluded that our institutions of Government had failed to imagine the
    horror of that day. After September the 11th, we could not fail to
    imagine that a brutal tyrant who hated
    America, had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass destruction, might
    use those weapons or share his deadly capabilities with the terrorists.
    We saw a threat. We looked at the intelligence and saw a threat. The
    United States Congress--members of both political parties, including my
    opponent--looked at the intelligence, and they saw a threat.
        The United Nations looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat
    and unanimously demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs or he will face serious consequences.
    After 12 years of defiance, he again refused to comply. When he
    continued to deceive the weapons inspectors, I had a decision to make:
    forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman, or defend
    the United States of America. Given that choice, I will defend our
    country every time. Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell; America and
    the world are safer.
        When it comes to fighting the threats of our world and spreading
    peace, we're turning the corner, and we're not turning back. We have
    more to do. We will continue to work with friends and allies around the
    world to aggressively pursue the terrorist enemy and the foreign
    fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. See, you can't talk
    sense to them. You cannot negotiate with the terrorists. They're
    coldblooded killers. We must engage the enemy so we do not have to face
    them here at home.
        We will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
    clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help us defeat terror.
    There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations
    involved in Iraq. I'll continue to build alliances and work with our
    friends for the cause of security and peace, but I will never turn
    America's national security decisions over to leaders of other nations.
        We will keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
    peaceful, democratic societies. These two nations are now governed by
    strong leaders, people committed to freedom. People in Afghanistan and
    Iraq are stepping up for their own security. They're willing to step up
    and to fight those who want to stop the advance of a free society. You
    know why? Because they want their children to grow up in a peaceful
    world. Moms and dads in Iraq and Afghanistan have great hopes for their
    children. They want them to be educated. They want them to realize their
    dreams. The people of those countries, the freedom-lovers in those two
    countries, can count on continued help from America and our coalition.
        You see, when we acted to protect our own security, we promised to
    help deliver them from tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, and to set
    them on the path of

    [[Page 1432]]

    liberty. And when America gives its word, America keeps its word.
        In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men
    and women of our military. At bases across the 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 their
    unselfish courage. Ladies and gentlemen, the cause of freedom is in
    really good hands.
        And we must make sure they have the full support of the Federal
    Government. And that's why last September, while our troops were in
    combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to
    support our military in their missions. The legislation provided funding
    for body armor and vital equipment, for hazard pay, for health benefits,
    ammunition, fuel, and spare parts. In the Senate, only a very small,
    what I would call out-of-the-mainstream minority of 12 Senators voted
    against the legislation. Two of those twelve Senators are my
    opponent and his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Senator Kerry tried to explain
    his vote by saying this: ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] End quote. [Laughter] He's had
    different explanations since then. He said that he was proud that he and
    his runningmate voted against the funding, then he further said, ``The
    whole thing is a complicated matter.'' [Laughter] There's nothing
    complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
        In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We
    will work to change the conditions that give rise to terror: poverty and
    hopelessness and resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq, a free and
    peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a neighborhood that is
    desperate for freedom. Free countries do not export terror. Free
    countries are peaceful countries. Free countries do not stifle the
    dreams of their citizens.
        By serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others, and
    that makes America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're
    living out the ideals of this country. America knows that freedom is not
    our gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man
    and woman in this world. We are turning the corner toward a more
    peaceful world that we long for, and we're not turning back.
        We have more to do to protect our country. Enemies who hate us are
    still plotting to harm us; this is still a dangerous time. I agree with
    the conclusion of the September 11th Commission: Our homeland is safer,
    but we're not yet safe. We've started the hard process of reform. We've
    transformed our defenses. We're creating a new Department--we have
    created a new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the PATRIOT Act
    to give law enforcement tools needed to track and bring terrorists to
    justice. The mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing terrorism.
    We've integrated intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever
    have before. When it comes to better protecting America, we're turning
    the corner, and we're not turning back.
        There's more to do to better secure our ports and borders, to train
    first-responders, to dramatically improve our intelligence gathering
    capabilities. Reform won't be easy; it never is in Washington. See,
    achieving it requires taking on the entrenched interests and challenging
    the status quo. It's not enough to advocate reform; you have to be able
    to get it done----
        Audience member. Right!
        The President. ----because when it comes to reforming schools to
    provide an excellent education for all our children, results matter.
    When it comes to health care reforms to give families more access and
    more choices, results matter. When it comes to improving our economy and
    creating quality jobs, results matter. When it comes to better securing
    the homeland and fighting the forces of terror, results matter.

    [[Page 1433]]

    When it comes to choosing a President, results matter.
        This week, members of the other political party gathered in Boston.
    There was a lot of clever speeches and some big promises. Listen, my
    opponent has got good intentions, but intentions
    don't always translate to results. After 19 years in the U.S. Senate, my
    opponent has thousands of votes but few signature achievements. During 8
    years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, he voted to cut the
    intelligence budget, yet he had no record of reforming America's
    intelligence gathering capability. He's had no significant record for
    reforming education or health care. In fact, he and his
    runningmate consistently opposed reforms that
    limit the power of Washington, reforms that would leave more power in
    the hands of the people.
        My opponent has spent 20 years in the Federal
    Government, and it appears he's concluded it's not big enough.
    [Laughter] He's proposed more than $2 trillion of additional spending,
    and we're just getting started. The problem is, he hasn't told us how he
    plans to pay for it. But you know how. You and I can guess. It's an
    educated guess. After all, he's had a history of voting to raise taxes.
    But we're going to make it clear to him that raising taxes to fulfill
    all his big promises will be the wrong medicine for America's improving
    economy.
        We have a difference of opinion. They share the old Washington
    mindset: They will give the orders, and you will pay the bills. But
    we're turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
        This is a time of amazing change. It's an exciting period of time.
    In our parents' generation, moms usually stayed at home while fathers
    worked for one company until retirement. The company provided health
    care and training and a pension. Many of our Government programs and
    most basic systems, from health care to Social Security to the Tax Code,
    were set up based on those old assumptions.
        Yet, our world today is different. Workers change jobs and careers
    frequently. Oftentimes both parents work. Many times there's a single
    mom struggling to get ahead. Most new jobs are created by the small
    businesses that cannot afford to provide health care or pension or
    training. It is time to make the Government work for America's families.
    America's workers need their own health accounts that they can carry
    with them from job to job. American workers need pensions and retirement
    plans that they own, that they control, that they can pass from one
    generation to the next.
        These reforms that make sure Americans stand on the side of families
    and workers are based on this basic conviction: The role of Government
    is not to control or dominate the lives of our citizens; the role of
    Government is to help our citizens gain the time and tools to make their
    own choices and improve their own lives.
        And that's why I'm working to usher in a new era of ownership and
    opportunity in America. We want more people owning their own homes. We
    want more people owning their own small business. We want more people
    owning a piece of their retirement plans. We want people owning and
    managing their own health care accounts. When people own something, they
    have a vital stake in the future of this great land.
        Our belief in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable demands
    of human dignity are things that will never change in a rapidly changing
    world. In this changing world, there are just some things that will not
    change: The values we try to live by, courage and compassion and
    reverence and integrity; the institutions that give us direction and
    purpose, our families and our schools and our religious congregations.
    These values and institutions are fundamental to our lives and to our
    future, and they deserve the respect of Government.
        We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
    foundations of our society. We stand for a culture of life

    [[Page 1434]]

    in which every person matters and every person counts. We stand for
    judges who faithfully interpret the law instead of legislating from the
    bench.
        We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. Our culture 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're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
    If you're a mom or a dad, you're responsible for loving your child with
    all your heart and all your soul. 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 ourselves.
        The strength of this country is not our Government. The strength of
    this country is the heart and souls of the American people. That's the
    true strength of America.
        Today I had the honor of saying hello to Dr. Peggy Curry. She's the executive director of Grand Rapids Reach. The
    reason I bring her up is one of the most important initiatives over the
    next 4 years will be to continue to expand the faith-based program, to
    have Government stand on the side of faith programs, not against faith
    programs.
        Dr. Curry's program distributes food to
    senior citizens. It mentors. There's after-school programs. There's
    Christian outreach. See, it's a program that understands that when you
    help a person change their heart, they can help change their lives. For
    those of you who are soldiers in the army of compassion here in Grand
    Rapids and western Michigan, thank you for your service. Thank you for
    helping change America one heart, one soul at a time.
        For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart.
    There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected of
    its leaders. These aren't one of those times. This is a period where we
    need resolve, firm resolve and clear vision. 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. It's a day that I will
    never forget. There were workers in hardhats yelling at me, ``Whatever
    it takes.'' I remember a guy grabbing my arm--a firefighter or
    policeman, I don't know which one--he had tears in his eyes, and he
    looked at me and said, ``Do not 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 wake up every morning thinking about how to better
    protect our country. I will never relent in bringing justice to our
    enemies, whatever it takes.
        We have come through much together. We've done a lot of hard work
    together. We're turning the corner. We're moving America forward by
    extending freedom and peace around the world, and we're moving our
    country forward by expanding opportunity to every corner of this great
    land.
        During the next 4 years, we will spread ownership and opportunity so
    every single citizen has a shot at realizing the great dream of this
    fantastic country. We will pass the enduring values of our country to
    another generation. We will prevail. With your support and your prayers,
    I will be a leader America can count on in a time of great change.
        Four years ago, as I traveled this great country and came to places
    like Grand Rapids, Michigan, asking for the vote, I made a pledge to my
    fellow Americans that if you honored me with this great responsibility,
    I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had
    been elected, so help me, God. And with your help, I will do so for 4
    more years.

    [[Page 1435]]

        Thank you all. God bless. God bless you all. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:32 p.m. at Grand Rapids Community
    College. In his remarks, he referred to Juan R. Olivarez, president,
    Grand Rapids Community College; Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and
    State Attorney General Mike Cox of Michigan; Ken Sikkema, majority
    leader, and Rick Johnson, speaker, Michigan State House of
    Representatives; Betsy DeVos, chairman, Charles ``Chuck'' Yob, national
    committeeman, and Holly Hughes, national committeewoman-elect, Michigan
    Republican Party; Peter F. Secchia, former U.S. Ambassador to Italy;
    Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of Libya; former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
    Upon the United States (9/11 Commission).