    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [January 20, 2005]
    [Pages 69-70]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Inaugural Luncheon
    January 20, 2005

        Mr. Speaker, thank you, sir. Senator
    Trent Lott, thanks for being such a great
    organizer. This part of this day has gone incredibly well, and I
    appreciate your hard work. Senator Dodd,
    Senator Frist, other distinguished Members of the
    Congress, and some who aren't quite so distinguished--[laughter]--it's
    an honor to be here.

        I really want to thank you for your hospitality. Laura and I are grateful for your gifts and grateful for your
    wonderful hospitality. What a day, and what a special lunch. We really
    appreciate you having us.

        I appreciate the Justices of the Supreme Court being here. I want
    you to know how touched I was that Chief Justice came to administer the
    oath. That was an incredibly moving part of the ceremony.
        I want to thank the members of my Cabinet who are here. I appreciate
    General Myers, who is here. And I want to
    thank all my friends from Texas who have come. I'm surprised that some
    were able to penetrate the security. [Laughter] But I appreciate you
    coming.
        I'm really proud of Dick Cheney, my Vice
    President. He is a fabulous man, a man of sound judgment and great
    character, and I'm honored to serve with you, Dick.
        I want to thank President Carter and
    Mrs. Carter for coming and President
    Clinton and Senator Clinton for joining us today. It means a lot that both
    former

    [[Page 70]]

    Presidents were here. I thank you very much for the--for your presence.
        I'm also really happy that another former President is with us; that
    would be my dad. Thanks for coming--and
    Mother. [Laughter] I appreciate Barbara and Jenna. I love them
    dearly. I thank them for joining the campaign trail. It was the--like
    the camping trip I promised to take them on and never did. [Laughter]
        I want to thank my brothers and sisters. They have meant a lot to me. Their unconditional love is
    an important part of keeping perspective here in the Nation's Capital.
        I am impressed by this Inaugural ceremony. It is a magnificent
    event. I think any President who has ever been through one is able to
    step back and say, ``What an impressive moment, not in my life but in
    the life of the country.'' It reminds us that we serve a cause larger
    than ourself. We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that
    binds us.
        As leaders, we have a common duty to achieve results for the people,
    regardless of our political parties. There's important work to be done,
    and I look forward to working with Members of both Houses and both
    parties to achieve that job.
        We have a solemn duty to protect our people and to win the war on
    terror, and we will. We have other vital duties, and we will strive to
    achieve results on behalf of the people. I'm eager for the work. I'm
    looking forward to it, and I hope you are as well. I'm looking forward
    to putting my heart and soul into this job for 4 more years. Together,
    we can make this great Nation of ours a safer place and a freer place
    and a better place for all our fellow citizens.
        May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our great land.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:19 p.m. in Statuary Hall at the Capitol.
    In his remarks, he referred to Gen. Richard B. Myers, USAF, Chairman,
    Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to the President's remarks, Senator Trent
    Lott, chairman, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
    introduced the President and presented him and Vice President Dick
    Cheney with engraved crystal hurricane lamps and official photos of the
    Inaugural swearing-in ceremony, and Representative J. Dennis Hastert,
    committee member, presented them with flags flown over the U.S. Capitol.