Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)

[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[July 31, 2004]
[Pages 1453-1460]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

Remarks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
July 31, 2004

The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Boy, it's
great to be back in Pittsburgh. Thank you all for being here. I'm proud
to be introduced by a great man, a great athlete, and a great adviser.
He said, ``When you ride your bike, don't fall off.'' [Laughter] I need
to listen to him more. What a wonderful person Lynn Swann is, and I'm proud to have him on my team.
We've had a great day traveling in Ohio and now in Pennsylvania,
with a stop in West Virginia. The crowds are big, the enthusiasm high.
We're on our way to 4 more years.
I'm here to ask for your help. I'm out traveling the country asking
for people's vote. I have more I want to do to see that this country is
safer, stronger, and better.
Audience member. We love you!
The President. Make sure you get your friends and neighbors to
register to vote. And then, come election time, tell them we all have a
duty in this country to participate in the elections. And when you get
them headed toward the polls, you might remind them that George Bush and
Dick Cheney are ready to lead this country with
strength and vision and optimism.
I wish Laura were here. Man, did I luck out
when she said yes. She's a great wife and wonderful, wonderful person
and a wonderful First Lady. Listen, I'm going to give you some reasons
why you need to put me back in office, but perhaps the most important
reason is so that Laura will have 4 more years as the First Lady. She
sends her best.
I'm proud to be on the stage with Senator Arlen Specter. You need to put him back in to the United States
Senate. I'm proud to be on the stage with Rick Santorum, the United States Senator. I thank Congressman--
Congresswoman Melissa Hart and Congressman
Tim Murphy for their service.
I want to thank everybody who is running for office. I particularly
want to say thanks to the grassroots activists who are here. You're the
people who are going to put up the signs and make the phone calls. Find
those discerning Democrats and wise independents and get them to join
our cause to make this country a great place for everybody.
I understand a fellow Texan was here, Lee Ann Womack. I want to thank her for her entertainment. Proud to call
her friend.

[[Page 1454]]

Listen, I'm here to ask for the vote. And every incumbent who asks
for your vote has to answer a question, and that is, why. Why--why
should the American people give me the great privilege of serving for 4
more years? In the past years, we have done a lot together. We've come
through a lot. And we've accomplished a great deal. But there's only
reason to look backward at the record, and that is to determine who best
to lead the Nation forward.
I'm here to ask for the vote. I'm traveling Ohio and West Virginia
and Pennsylvania asking for the vote because we have so much more to do
to move this country forward. I want to be your President for 4 more
years to make the country safer, to make the economy stronger. We have
more to do to make our economy stronger and more to do to make our
future brighter and better for every single citizen. From creating jobs
to improving schools, from fighting terror to spreading the peace, we
have made progress. And we still have more to do.
We have more to do to make sure our public schools are the centers
of excellence so that no child is left behind in America. 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. We're now
challenging what I call the soft bigotry of low expectations. We're
raising the bar. We're insisting on higher standards. We believe in
accountability. We believe in local control of schools. We believe in
empowering parents. Today, children across America are showing real
progress in reading and math. When it comes to improving our public
schools, we're turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
We have more to do. We've got to recognize this world of ours is
changing. The jobs of the future will require greater knowledge and
higher-level skills, so we're going to reform our high schools to make
sure the high school diploma means something. We will expand math and
science so our young people can compete in a high-tech world. We will
expand the use of the Internet to bring high-level training in the
classrooms. With 4 more years, we'll help a rising generation gain the
skills and the confidence necessary 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. Listen,
leaders in both political party, year after year after year, made
promises to our American seniors. We got it done. 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 the 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're turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
There's more to do. There's more to do. Most new jobs are created by
small businesses, which have trouble affording private health insurance.
To help more American families get health insurance at reasonable costs,
we must allow small employers to join together to purchase insurance at
discounts available to big companies.
To improve health care we must stop the frivolous lawsuits that
raise the cost of health care.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. My opponent takes a different
view.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. He blocked medical liability
reform 10 times, including twice in the past 3 years.

[[Page 1455]]

Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. See, I don't think you can be pro-doc, pro-patient,
and pro-trial-lawyer at the same time; I think you have to make a
choice. I think you have to make a choice. My opponent made his choice, and he put him
on the ticket. I made my choice. I'll stand with the docs and the
patients of America and get medical liability reform.
We can do more to harness technology to reduce costs and prevent
health care mistakes. We can do more to expand research and seek new
cures for diseases. In all we do to improve health care in America, we
will make sure the health decisions are made by patients and doctors,
not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
We have more to do to make our economy stronger. Think about what
we've been through. We've been through a recession and terror attacks
and corporate scandals. We've overcome these obstacles because the
spirit of America is strong. We've overcome these obstacles because
we've got the best, most productive workers in the world. We've overcome
these obstacles because we've got great farmers and ranchers. We've
overcome these obstacles because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in
America and the small-business sector of our economy is alive and well.
And we've overcome these obstacles because of two well-timed tax
cuts. We didn't pick winners or losers when it came to tax relief. We
had a fair view that said, ``If you pay taxes, you ought to get
relief.'' Families with children got relief. Married couples got relief.
Small businesses that purchased equipment got relief. And this time, the
check was actually 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. Because we acted,
Pennsylvania has added more than 68,000 jobs over the past four months.
When it comes to creating jobs for America's workers, we're turning the
corner, and we're not turning back.
There's more to do. There's more to make sure America is job-
friendly and America's workplaces are family-friendly. To keep American
jobs in America, regulations should be reasonable and fair. To keep
American jobs in America, we must lessen our dependence on foreign
sources of energy. To keep American jobs in America, we must end the
junk lawsuits that threaten our small-business owners. To keep American
jobs in America, we will not overspend your money and we will keep your
taxes low.
We will offer American workers a lifetime of learning and help them
get the training for the jobs of the future, at our community colleges.
You see, the education and training they offer can be the bridge between
people's lives as they are and people's lives as they want them to be.
In order to keep jobs here, in order to make sure this economy
continues to grow, we will reject economic isolationism. We will insist
on a level playing field when it comes to trade. You see, I believe
this: We can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere if the rules are
fair.
We'll help American families keep something they don't have nearly
enough of, and that's time--time to be with your kids, time to take care
of your elderly parents, time to help yourself by education. Congress
needs to enact what we call comp-time and flex-time to help American
families better juggle work and home duties.
After 4 more years--with your work, after 4 more years, there will
be better and higher-paying jobs in America, more small businesses in
America, and America will remain the greatest economic engine in the
world.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. We have more to do to wage and win the war against
terrorism. America's future depends on our willingness to lead in the
world. If America shows

[[Page 1456]]

weakness and uncertainty in this decade, the world will drift toward
tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
The world changed on a terrible September morning. And since that
day, we've 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 terror cells in dozens of countries,
including our own. Today, because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising
democracy. Because we acted, many young girls now go to school for the
first time. Because we acted, last night in Cleveland, I had the
opportunity to meet a young girls' soccer team from Afghanistan, here to
compete in the International Children's Games. Because we acted,
Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror, and America and the world
are safer.
Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit place for
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war against terror.
Pakistan forces are aggressively helping to round up the terrorists, and
America and the world are safer.
Before September the 11th, Saudi--in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were
raising money, recruiting and operating with little opposition. Today,
the Saudi Government is taking the fight to Al Qaida, and America and
the world are safer.
Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions of dollars on
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.
Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
The President. 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 enforcing the world's
sanctions. He had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction. He
harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the
families of suicide bombers. He had murdered tens of thousands of his
own citizens. He was a source of great instability in a dangerous part
of the world.
After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
in a new light. After September the 11th, this Nation needs to take
threats seriously before they fully materialize. The September 11th
Commission concluded our institutions of Government had failed to
imagine the horror of that day. Well, after September the 11th, we could
not fail to imagine--could not fail to imagine that a brutal
tyrant who hated America and had ties to
terror and had used weapons of mass destruction might use those weapons
or share his deadly capabilities with the terrorists.
We looked at the intelligence, and we saw a threat. Members of the
United States Congress--from both political parties, including my opponent--looked at the same intelligence, and they saw
a threat. The United Nations looked at the intelligence and demanded a
full accounting----
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. ----of Saddam Hussein's
weapons programs. After 12 years of defiance, he again refused to
comply. He deceived the weapons inspectors, so I had a choice to make:
either forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman, or
defend our country. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
The President. We have more to do. We have more to do. I'm seeking
the office for 4 more years, because we must--we must continue to work
with our friends and allies around the world to aggressively pursue the
terrorists in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. You see,
you cannot talk sense to these people.
Audience members. No-o-o!
The President. You cannot negotiate with them.
Audience members. No-o-o!

[[Page 1457]]

The President. You cannot hope for the best and hope they change.
Audience members. No-o-o!
The President. We must engage these enemies around the world so we
do not have to face them here at home.
America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
clarity. We put together a strong coalition of friends and allies to
help defeat this enemy. There are nearly 40 nations involved in
Afghanistan, some 30 nations in Iraq. Over the next 4 years, we'll
continue to build our alliances and work with our friends for the cause
of security and peace. But I'll never turn over America's national
security decisions to leaders of other foreign countries.
We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
peaceful and democratic societies. These two nations are now governed by
leaders who believe in the hopes and aspirations of their people. See,
they know what I know: Moms and dads of those countries want their
children to grow up in a peaceful world, just like the moms and dads
here in America. They've got dreams for their children, just like the
moms and dads in America have dreams for our children. The people of
these countries can count on our continued help. You see, when we acted
to protect our own security, we also promised to help deliver them from
tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, to help them on the path to
liberty. And when America gives its word, America will keep its word.
In these crucial times, our commitments have been kept by the men
and women of our military.
Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
The President. I want to thank all of the veterans who are here, who
have set such a great example for those who wear the uniform today. 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. The cause of freedom is in really good hands. They deserve--
those in the uniform deserve the full support of our Government.
Last September, while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan
and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their
missions. That legislation provided for body armor and for vital
equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare
parts. In the Senate, in the United States Senate, only a small, what I
would call out-of-the-mainstream minority----
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. ----of 12 Senators voted against the legislation.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Two of those Senators are my opponent and his runningmate.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Senator Kerry tried to explain
his vote by saying, ``I actually did vote for the 87 billion, before I
voted against it.''
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. End quote. [Laughter] Then he
went on to say, well, he's proud of the vote, and then he further said
the whole thing is a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated
about supporting our troops in combat.
In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by military might
and force alone. We must work to change the conditions that give rise to
terror: poverty and hopelessness and resentment. A free and peaceful
Iraq and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a
neighborhood that's desperate for freedom. See, free countries do not
export terror. Free countries do not stifle the dreams of their
citizens. Free countries listen to the hopes and aspirations of their
citizens.
By serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others. And
that makes America more secure in the long run, and it makes the world
more peaceful. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving the

[[Page 1458]]

values of our country. We know 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.
We have more to do to protect our country, more to do to protect
America. There are enemies out there that still hate us, and they're
still plotting. Listen, the September the 11th Commission said our
homeland is safer, but we're not yet safe. I agree with that assessment.
We've started the hard process of reform. We've transformed our defenses
and are creating a new Department of Homeland Security, ably run by
former Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge. We
passed the PATRIOT Act to give law enforcement new tools to track and
find terrorists. The mission of the FBI is now focused on preventing
terrorism. We're integrating law and intelligence enforcement better
than ever before. When it comes to better protecting our country, we're
turning a corner, and we're not turning back.
There's more to do--there's more to do, to do our duty to protect
the American people. We better--we've got to do a better job of securing
our ports and borders. We've got to continue to train our first-
responders. We've got to dramatically improve our intelligence gathering
capability. It's not going to be easy. It never is. There's a lot of
entrenched interests in Washington, DC. A lot of people got comfortable
with the status quo. This administration isn't. It's not enough just to
advocate reform; you have to be able to get it done.
When it comes to reforming schools to provide an excellent education
to 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 jobs, results
matter. When it comes to better securing our homeland and spreading
freedom and peace, results matter. And when it comes to picking a
President, results matter.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. They recently had a meeting in Boston.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. We heard a lot of clever speeches and some pretty big
promises. But intentions--good intentions of my opponent don't always translate into results. Listen, after 19
years in the Senate, he's had thousands of votes but few signature
achievements. During 8 years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, he
voted to cut the intelligence budget.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Yet, he had no record of
reforming America's intelligence gathering capability. He's had no
significant record of reforming education or health care.
We have a difference of opinion: He and his
runningmate oppose reforms that limit the power
of Washington and leave more power in the hands of the people; I believe
in limiting the power of Washington and giving more power to the people.
No, I'm running against an experienced Washington, DC-type Senator. He's
spent nearly 20 years there, and it appears that he's concluded the
Government just isn't big enough.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. After all, he's proposed more
than $2 trillion of additional spending, and we're just getting started
in the campaign. [Laughter]
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. But the problem is, he hasn't
told us how he's going to pay for it. Yet, all we've got to do is look
at his record to determine how he's going to pay for it. He's voted time
and time and time again for higher taxes.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. You know how he's going to pay
for his new programs? You're going to pay. But we're not going to let
him.
Audience members. No-o-o!
The President. Listen, we have a difference of opinion in the
campaign, a clear

[[Page 1459]]

difference. My opponents
share an old Washington mindset: They will give the orders; you'll pay
the bills.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. We're turning that corner, and we're not going back.
We have a time of change in this country, a time of real, rapid
change. It's an exciting time to be an American. But we've got to make
sure the Government responds to these times by standing on the side of
workers and families. We want people owning things in America. We want
workers to be able to own their own health care plans so they can take
them from job to job. We want younger workers to be able to own a
personal retirement account when it comes to Social Security, an account
they can call their own and pass on from one generation to the next. We
want more people owning their own home in America. We want more people
owning their own small business. We understand that when a person owns
something, he or she has a vital stake in the future of our country.
No, in this changing world, there are some things that won't change:
our belief in liberty and opportunity and the nonnegotiable demands of
human dignity. Values won't change, the values we try to live by:
courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. The institutions that
give us direction and purpose must not change, our families, our
religious congregations. These institutions are fundamental to our
lives, and they deserve the respect of the Government.
In this changing times, our values and strong beliefs will not
change. We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are
the foundations of society. We stand for a culture of life in which
every person counts and every person matters. We stand for judges who
faithfully interpret the law instead of legislating from the bench.
We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. This culture of
ours is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, just go
ahead and do it,'' and ``If you got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to
a culture that says each of us is 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 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 are responsible for telling the
truth to your shareholders and your employees. And in this
responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
Today I met Fay Morgan, the executive
director of the North Hills Community Outreach. It's a faith-based
program, all aimed at feeding the hungry, providing clothes to those who
need clothes in the winter, of helping people find a job. You know what
it really is? It's a program that's heard a higher calling, that's going
to love their neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves.
The strength of this country--the strength of this country is not
found in our halls of Government; the strength of this country is found
in the hearts and souls of the American citizens. And over the next 4
years, I will continue to rally the armies of compassion to help change
America one heart, one soul, one conscience 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. This isn't one of those times. It's a time where we need
firm resolve, clear vision, strong determination.
None of us will ever forget that day 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 working the
line, thanking people for their sacrifice and service,

[[Page 1460]]

thanking people for their care, for their loved ones who had rushed into
harm's way. A man grabbed me by the arm, and he said, ``Do not let me
down.''
He took it personally. The people going through the rubble took that
day personally. I know you took it personally, and so did I. I have a
responsibility that goes on. I wake up every day thinking about how
better to protect our country and our people. I will never relent in
defending America, whatever it takes.
We've come through a lot together--we've come through a lot
together. And we've done the hard work. And the country is getting
better, and the world is becoming more peaceful. That's what we long
for, a peaceful world, a world where people can grow up and realize
their hopes.
During the next 4 years, we'll spread ownership and opportunity to
every corner--I mean, every corner--of this country. We'll pass the
enduring values of America on to the next generation. We'll lead the
cause of freedom and peace, and we will prevail.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. Four years ago, I traveled your great State and our
wonderful Nation asking for the vote, and I made a pledge to my fellow
Americans. I said if you honor me with this great responsibility, I will
uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to which I have been
elected, so help me, God.
And with your help--and with your help, I will continue to do so
over the next 4 years. Thanks for coming. May God bless. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 6:08 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence
Convention Center. In his remarks, he referred to former professional
football player Lynn C. Swann; entertainer Lee Ann Womack; 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).