    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [May 8, 2005]
    [Pages 770-773]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks With Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands in a
    Discussion With Students in Valkenburg, the Netherlands
    May 8, 2005

        Prime Minister Balkenende. Well,
    ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It's very good that you're here. But
    in the first place, I would like to say to the President of the United
    States, be welcome in the Netherlands. We really enjoy that you're here.
    It's an important day that you're in the Netherlands today, because on
    the 6th of May--that's what we call our Liberation Day--and we always
    think about our freedom. And at your last event, you said a lot about
    importance of freedom and democracy, and you realize what Americans
    meant for the European countries after the Second World War. During the
    Second World War, your people were here, but after, you helped us.
        And it's very important that you're here today and that you'll have
    the meeting in Margraten. It's so important to be there and also for us
    to show our respect and to say thanks for what all the Americans have
    done for the Netherlands.
        We already had a breakfast meeting. We talked about some very
    important issues. We talked about the Middle East peace process. We
    talked about the struggle against terrorism because we are--we have the
    same position. It's a threat to world society. We have to work together.
    We talked about the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked about
    China and some other issues. We talked about political situation in the
    Netherlands and the United States. It was a very fruitful and
    interesting meeting.
        Mr. President, it's great that you're in the Netherlands. We
    appreciate very much that you're here today and that we have the meeting
    in Margraten. But also today we have a meeting with students, and we
    thank you for being here and be willing to have a discussion with these
    young people. It's very important. It's always challenging and
    encouraging if you have the meeting with the students.
        And now, Mr. President, I give you the floor.
        President Bush. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. It's an honor to be
    in the Netherlands. Laura and I have been really
    looking forward to coming to your beautiful country. I want to thank you
    for the meeting we just had. It was a fruitful discussion. I appreciate
    your leadership, appreciate your friendship.
        You know, I will be honoring a generation that made enormous
    sacrifices so that my generation could grow up in a free world. I'm
    really looking forward to going to the cemetery and paying homage to
    those who fought for freedom. It will be a solemn occasion but an
    important moment to reflect upon. And I look forward to talking to the
    next generation about the responsibilities that you'll have to make sure
    the communities in which you grow up are hopeful communities and this
    country in--which you love is a free country.

    [[Page 771]]

        I want to thank you all for coming. I'm honored that you took time
    out of your life to come and have a visit with me. There's nothing like
    a young generation of Americans to keep an old guy--I mean, young
    generation of citizens to keep an old guy like me feeling young.
        But Mr. Prime Minister, again, thanks for your hospitality. I want
    to thank Her Majesty as well for joining
    Laura and me today. It's awfully, awfully kind of
    her to do so. Thank you.
        Prime Minister Balkenende. Thank you, Mr. President. Now the time is
    for the students. Looking to the relationship between the United States
    and the Netherlands, it's good to say that many things are uniting us,
    but also sometimes you have some division. That's also possible, and
    that's also good for the debate. And maybe it's good now to give the
    floor to you, and maybe it's good to start with Miss Madeline
    Hoffmeister.

    PATRIOT Act

        Q. Thank you very much. Mr. President, I have a question relating
    of--concerning the terrorism. And you made many laws after 9/11, many
    laws and many measures. And I'm wondering, will there be a time when you
    drop those laws and when you decrease the measures?
        President Bush. No, I appreciate that question. Look, a free society
    such as ours, obviously, must balance the Government's most important
    duty, which is to protect the American people from harm, with the civil
    liberties of our citizens. And every law we passed that was aimed to
    protect us in this new era of threats from abroad and the willingness
    for people to kill without mercy has been scrutinized and, of course,
    balanced by our Constitution. But the question really is, can a
    transparent society openly deal with a debate about civil liberty versus
    the tension of protecting ourselves? And I believe we have done so in
    good balance in America, but we're constantly reevaluating law.
        The PATRIOT Act was passed. It was a very important measure to
    enable our law enforcement officials to share information, which they
    weren't able to do at times, to be able to protect ourselves. And yet
    Congress is now evaluating certain aspects of that law. That's what
    happens in democracies and stands in stark contrast, by the way, to
    societies that are closed and nontransparent, where people don't get to
    determine the course of action.
        And so to answer your question, it depends upon what Congress says
    and whether or not I agree with it, because I have the right to veto any
    law as well. Of course, they have the right to override my veto. But I
    feel comfortable in telling you that we've been able to successfully
    balance the civil liberties of our citizens with the necessary--the
    necessity to protect ourselves.
        Listen, one of the interesting things about September the 11th that
    I want you to understand as we have this discussion is that I fully
    understand that for some, September the 11th was an important moment and
    a terrible moment--and we appreciate the condolences of the people of
    the Netherlands--but for us, it was a change of attitude. I mean, it
    changed a lot about how I looked at the world, and a lot of Americans,
    it changed how they looked at the world. I mean, it was more than just
    an attack. It was a whole mindset. And that's why your question is
    really relevant--did that mindset, did that change of attitude cause us
    to then begin to take away certain civil liberties? And I would argue,
    it did not.
        Prime Minister Balkenende. You're convinced by the President?
    [Laughter]
        President Bush. Don't put her on
    the spot. [Laughter] That's a little rough question, Mr. Prime Minister.

    U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy

        Q. Thank you. I've a question about the reason you are here. We are
    honoring the soldiers who died in the Second World

    [[Page 772]]

    War. In the years later, America was involved in a lot of conflicts, in
    a lot of wars. What's the benefit when you can ask to your people--you
    are, in the first place, President of America, you're responsible for
    your own people----
        President Bush. Right----
        Q. ----what can you ask from your people, not only the dead and the
    wounded but also the economic consequences? Last week I received a
    brochure about raise funding for U.S. aid for poor people. So what----
        President Bush. You received--I beg your pardon--received a brochure
    for?
        Q. ----raise funding for poor people----
        President Bush. Oh, to raise funding, yes.
        Q. ----the economic consequences of all this involvement in
    conflicts, what's the balance between the responsibility to the world
    and the responsibility to your own people?
        President Bush. I think we have a responsibility to both. And at
    home, of course, economic vitality is really important and to make sure
    the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. Seventy percent of new
    jobs in America are created by small-business owners, which is--it
    speaks to our--the environment of encouraging entrepreneurship, which
    means less lawsuits and good tax policy and less regulations. A vibrant,
    growing economy is one which we collect more revenues, and therefore,
    we're more capable of helping and doing our duty to those who can't help
    themselves.
        And that's the interesting balance of a free society, by the way, is
    the extent to which the welfare state is prevalent. And I believe we--
    Government has a role to help those who cannot help themselves and then
    encourage people who can help themselves to realize dreams through good
    education and good policy.
        Abroad, we have a responsibility as well. First, let me just tell
    you, the hardest decision a President makes is war. Nobody wants to be
    at war--nobody. Now the question is, how do we spread peace? And one way
    you spread peace is spread democracy. That's the lesson of World War II.
    If that thought troubles you, we can discuss this a little more. But the
    lesson of World War II, at least, was that by spreading democracy
    throughout Europe, that Europe at last became whole, peace--free, whole,
    and at peace. See, that's the lesson that people at least ought to take
    away from the experience of the last 60 years. I believe it applies to
    the next 60 as well.
        But we have other duties as well. HIV/AIDS, for example, in the
    continent of Africa is a pandemic that has got to be appalling to the
    free world. And my Government is spending $15 billion as part of a
    global effort to help defeat HIV/AIDS. We feed more of the hungry than
    any nation, and it's an obligation we readily accept. But as well, as we
    work to help those who hurt, we also have got to put practical policies
    in place.
        And that's why I'm such a believer in free trade, because trade
    ultimately--the benefits of trade, the benefits of economy, the benefits
    of growing businesses far exceed the capacity of governments to hand out
    aid to people. And so, in Africa, for example, we've got a policy of
    feeding the hungry and providing money for help, but we've also got a
    free trade policy with Africa, which is helping these economies grow,
    which provides opportunity and hope for people that are living in those
    countries. So we have a balanced obligation at home and abroad.
        Thank you, sir.
        Prime Minister Balkenende. We'll give the press one minute to do
    other things, and then we can go on with our discussion.

    [At this point, the public portion of the event concluded.]

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 9:15 a.m. in the Selys de
    Fanson Zaal-

    [[Page 773]]

    Schatkaner Building at the Chateau St. Gerlach. In his remarks, he
    referred to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.