    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [March 21, 2005]
    [Pages 481-482]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Senior Citizens in Tucson, Arizona
    March 21, 2005

    [The President's remarks are joined in progress.]

        The President. ----now it's our turn to sacrifice for future
    generations, and we are. This world is becoming more peaceful, and

    [[Page 482]]

    it's because we're free. And that's a lesson we've learned from previous
    generations, that free societies are peaceful societies. You know, I
    have this great faith in the capacity of freedom to make the world a
    better place, so I just want to give you a quick foreign policy report
    and tell you that this world of ours is getting better as more people
    become free.
        I'm also talking, of course, a lot about Social Security. I think
    this is a generational issue, and it's a generational issue because your
    generation has nothing to worry about in terms of getting the promise
    Government has made. There's just no doubt about it. I know there are
    some contradictory statements being made; it's just not true. The
    promise Government has made to those who are retired or near retirement
    will be kept.
        But because the math has changed, because there's a lot of baby
    boomers like me are getting ready to retire, and we're living longer,
    and we're getting bigger benefits than the previous generation, and
    there are fewer workers, we need to worry about not this generation but
    the next generations.
        And that's really what I'm here to tell people in Tucson, is that if
    you're getting your check, you're fine. If you've got a grandkid, you'd
    better ask the political people what they intend to do about making sure
    Social Security, the safety net of Social Security, is available for
    them. And you know, I'm interested in all ideas. I think that this isn't
    a Republican issue or a Democrat issue; this is a national issue that
    requires a national dialog.
        And so I want to thank you for giving me the chance to come by to
    the Udall Center. The mayor was telling me
    what a unique place this is, and he wasn't exaggerating.
        Audience member. Yes, it's great.
        The President. It is great--well, I hope so.
        Are you playing a little cards over there? Got a little time for
    some cards. [Laughter] Anyway, thanks for letting me come by. I'm
    looking forward to meeting you all. Thank you. It's a beautiful city
    you've got here.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:51 a.m. at the Morris K. Udall
    Recreation Center. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Bob Walkup of
    Tucson, AZ. The press release issued by the Office of the Press
    Secretary did not include the complete opening remarks of the President.
    A portion of these remarks could not be verified because the tape was
    incomplete.