[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).