[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[August 5, 2004]
[Pages 1492-1494]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks on Signing the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005
August 5, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Please be seated.
America and our allies are fighting a new kind of war against a
different kind of enemy. This conflict places great demands on the men
and women of our Armed Forces, including our Guard and Reserve. They
have met every test. They've risen to every challenge.
The war also places demands on those of us in Government. We took an
oath to protect our country. We have a solemn responsibility to support
the service men and women who defend us in the field of battle. The
Defense appropriations bill I will sign today commits $391 billion
toward meeting that responsibility. With this legislation, America's
military will know that their country stands behind them as they fight
for our freedom and as they spread the peace. No enemy or friend can
doubt that America has the resources to prevail, and we will.
I want to thank the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, for his steadfast and strong leadership of our
Pentagon. Mr. Secretary, thank you.
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. Thank
you, sir.
The President. I appreciate Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz for joining us today. I appreciate the other members
of the Pentagon team who are here. I appreciate Jim Roche and Les Brownlee representing the
Air Force and the Army. General Myers, the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is with us. I appreciate the Chairman. I
want to thank all the military generals who are here, who run their
respective branches of the services. Thank you all for coming. Thanks
for your leadership.
I appreciate Senator John Warner
representing the United States Congress. Senator Warner is a strong
leader when it comes to matters of defense. He's the chairman of the
Senate Armed Services Committee. This bill passed with overwhelming
bipartisan support. I want thank you for that, sir.
America's military is fighting in many theaters, yet always for the
same cause. We seek to preserve freedom and peace for ourselves and for
our friends.
In the last 3 years, our military men and women have struck a series
of decisive blows against the enemy. They have relentlessly attacked the
Al Qaida network. They've killed or captured many of its leaders.
They've destroyed its terror camps. We're disrupting its plans. We're
doing our duty.
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We've ended regimes in Kabul and Baghdad that supported and harbored
terrorists and threatened America. They have helped to launch the
nations of Iraq and Afghanistan on the path to lasting democracy and
liberty. They have helped friendly nations build the strength and
institutions necessary to fight terror. At this hour, our troops are
staying on the offensive against Al Qaida. We're taking the fight to the
enemies, those who can't stand the thought of a free Iraq and free
Afghanistan. Our troops are making America safer, and we're grateful for
their sacrifices.
These great achievements have come at a cost of human life and
grief. America is grateful for the families of those who mourn a loved
one. We will honor their memory by completing the mission and making the
world a more peaceful place. We have made a commitment to the men and
women of our Armed Forces. We will support them. We will provide them
fair pay and good treatment. We will continue to ensure they have the
tools they need to defeat the enemies of today. We will develop the
weapons and systems to meet the threats of tomorrow.
The bill meets these commitments: first, by providing more than $103
billion to the greatest source of American strength, our servicepeople
and their families. This appropriation is the fourth of my
administration to include a pay raise for our troops. This year's raise
of 3.5 percent brings the total pay raise over the last 4 years to
nearly 21 percent. This money is well earned, well deserved, and well
spent. The bill also fulfills my pledge to eliminate the costs that too
many servicepeople have had to pay for off-base housing. It's a real
boost to the quality of life for our military families. The excellence
and professionalism of an all-volunteer force has never been higher.
America must do all we can to encourage these special Americans to stay
in uniform. And that starts with taking care of their families.
Second, this bill meets our commitments by making sure that our
Armed Forces have every tool they need to meet and defeat the threats of
our time. This bill provides $25 billion in emergency appropriations to
support current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the frontlines in
the war on terror. This money will buy more armored Humvees, more
ammunition, more fuel, more spare parts. It will upgrade our helicopters
with the latest equipment, allowing them to fly more safely in the
dangerous theaters.
This bill helps America maintain the peace around the world and keep
our commitments to our allies. It funds construction of three new state-
of-the-art guided missile destroyers to patrol the seas, 42 new F/A-18
fighter aircraft to guard the skies. It provides $4 billion for new C-17
strategic air lifters, which will increase our ability to move forces
quickly over long distances. And $200 million will buy more Predator
unmanned surveillance aircraft to track and hunt our enemies.
This bill provides $10 billion for systems to defend against the
threat from ballistic missiles. Later this year, the first components of
America's missile defense system will become operational. This will
fulfill a pledge I made to the American people more than 4 years ago.
America and our allies face a deadly threat from ballistic missiles
armed with the world's most dangerous weapons. And we will deploy the
technologies necessary to protect our people.
Recent history has shown that threats to our shores can emerge from
failing states half a world away. By acting early to end a crisis, we
can make our world safer. That's why this bill provides $95 million to
help the people of Darfur in western Sudan. Brutal militias there are
causing human suffering on an immense scale. The
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new funding will provide famine relief, assistance for refugees, and
other humanitarian aid. Yet no amount of aid can substitute for true and
lasting peace. The Government of Sudan must stop the violence of
Janjaweed militias, and all parties must respect the cease-fire and
allow the free movement of humanitarian workers and supplies.
Third, this bill meets our commitment to America's Armed Forces by
preparing them to meet the threats of tomorrow. Our enemies are
innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking
about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we. We
must never stop thinking about how best to defend our country when we
all must always be forward-thinking.
Over the past few years, new ideas and new technologies have
increased the precision of our weapons, reduced battlefield casualties,
and lessened the toll of war on innocent life. This bill continues that
progress by funding the technologies that are changing the way we fight
wars in order to keep the peace, technology such as the Army's Future
Combat System, which will give every soldier precise tactical
information in the heat of battle; the Littoral Combat Ship, which will
increase the reach of our Navy into hostile shores and waterways; the
versatile and cost-effective Joint Strike Fighter; and wideband
satellite laser communications that will improve the ability of our
forces to communicate over great distances.
I appreciate the solid and bipartisan support of this bill. I
appreciate both people--people of both parties coming together to
support our troops. We're doing our duty to the people who are out doing
their duty to defend us and make the world a more peaceful place. The
message is clear: In a time of conflict and challenge, America stands
behind our military.
By taking care of our servicepeople in uniform, by addressing the
threats of today, by preparing for the threats of a tomorrow, this bill
will help make America a safer place.
And so I'm pleased to sign the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal
Year 2005.
Thank you all for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 9:56 a.m. in Room 350 of the Dwight D.
Eisenhower Executive Office Building. H.R. 4613, approved August 5, was
assigned Public Law 108-287.