    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [December 20, 2005]
    [Pages 1891-1893]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for John J. Danilovich as Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium
    Challenge Corporation
    December 20, 2005

        Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's nice to be back
    here at the State Department. I'm glad to be with my friend, Condi
    Rice, who's doing a fabulous job as our
    Secretary of State. It's also good to be here with the Board and staff
    of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. And I'm proud to be here to
    congratulate the new Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador John
    Danilovich.
        This is a vital program for our country and for my administration,
    and that's why I've come. The MCC is an integral part of our strategy to
    fight poverty and to encourage economic development. And leading this
    organization requires a combination of idealism and managerial skill and
    diplomatic savvy and economic expertise. John Danilovich has those
    qualities. That's why I picked him, and that's why he's going to be a
    great executive leading this important corporation.
        I'm also proud to be standing up here with Irene, and I'm glad to be with his three children,
    J.C., Alice,
    and Alex, proud members of the
    Danilovich family. I appreciate Ambassador Negroponte being here today. Thank you, John. He's doing a fine job
    as the Director of National Intelligence. In order to defeat the enemy,
    we have got to have the best intelligence possible. Thanks for your
    leadership.
        Deputy Secretary Bob Kimmitt of the
    Treasury is with us. I see my friend, Mosbacher, here, from OPIC. Thanks for coming, Rob. Members of the
    administration too numerous to mention are here, and I want to thank the
    ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, Your Excellencies, thanks
    for being here today.
        America is founded on the belief that every life has dignity and
    every life has value, and we have long felt a special responsibility to
    help the less fortunate. For decades, our country sent aid to
    developing--to the developing world with the best of intentions, but we
    did not ask if we were getting the best of results. Too often, American
    aid was squandered by inept leaders, pocketed by corrupt officials, and
    swallowed up by rampant inflation. Without insisting on accountability
    in exchange for generosity, we were not serving the people of the
    developing countries, and we were not serving the American taxpayers.
        And so my administration decided to do something about it. We
    decided to insist

    [[Page 1892]]

    upon results. Almost 2 years ago, we launched the Millennium Challenge
    Account as an entirely new way to provide aid. The MCA is based on clear
    principle: Countries that seek our aid must demonstrate a record of
    performance. I don't think that's too much to ask on behalf of the
    taxpayer, nor is it too much to demand on behalf of people living in the
    countries we're trying to help.
        Specifically, countries seeking MCA assistance have got to show
    results in three key areas. They must govern justly; that makes sense.
    They must invest in their people; that's a wise use of money. And they
    must encourage economic freedom.
        Poor countries that prove a commitment to these sound policies are
    eligible to apply for an MCC compact. That's an interesting word,
    ``compact.'' It means we're working together. It means these countries
    have to design a proposal that will reduce national poverty and
    stimulate economic growth. We consider each proposal through a rigorous
    process--sometimes too slow and too rigorous--and then award compacts to
    countries with wise proposals that include a way to measure results. By
    requiring countries to create and implement their own strategies, they
    have a stake in their own success, and we're giving Americans reason to
    be confident as we spend their money.
        The Millennium Challenge Account has the potential to transform the
    way the world delivers aid. So far, we have signed compacts with five
    nations and committed to deliver nearly a billion dollars in assistance.
    That money is making life-changing difference in some of the poorest
    countries in the world. In Madagascar, where 80 percent of the people
    live on less than $2 a day, the MCA compact is helping to modernize the
    national land registry, which will help secure property rights for more
    than 60,000 families. In Honduras and Nicaragua, MCA compacts are
    helping farmers improve their business plans to grow more profitable
    crops and to get the crops to the markets faster. In Georgia, where I
    visited last spring, an MCA compact is helping to rebuild a gas pipeline
    that will provide reliable heat and electricity for more than a million
    people. And in Cape Verde, off the Atlantic coast of Africa, an MCA
    compact is funding the construction of new roads and bridges that will
    connect some of the nation's key islands. These small nations are making
    big commitments, and America is proud to stand by their side.
        We support people who fight corruption. We support people who invest
    in the health and education of their children. We support people who
    understand that economic freedom is the way to improve the lives of
    their citizens.
        We have more to do to fight poverty. I believe central to our
    foreign policy must be, ``To whom much is given, much is required.''
    That's why we're leading the fight against HIV/AIDS. That's why we're
    feeding the hungry. And we're going to continue to help eradicate
    poverty around the world. John Danilovich is the right person to take on
    this part of our efforts to fight poverty. He knows how to set
    priorities. He knows how to solve problems. He knows how to cut through
    bureaucracy.
        In his first 6 weeks on the job, he has taken steps to streamline
    the administration at the Corporation and to expedite the application
    process for eligible countries. John and the MCC Board will now consider
    the applications of nearly two dozen countries that were recently
    selected as eligible for compacts. Many of these countries have made
    good progress on their proposals. I've asked John to complete and sign
    several more compacts in the coming months.
        It's a good program. Let's get it moving, and let's implement it for
    the sake of eliminating poverty around the world. The success of the MCA
    is reinforcing our belief that lifting nations out of poverty requires
    partnership, not paternalism. In the 21st century, America is willing to
    be a partner with every nation that works to advance the prosperity,
    equality, and liberty of its people.

    [[Page 1893]]

        This is a commitment I've carried across continents from the United
    Nations in New York to Europe, to South America, to Africa and Asia. It
    is a commitment I have urged leaders of other developed nations to
    adopt, by insisting on measurable results for their own foreign aid. It
    is a commitment that I urge the United States Congress to continue to
    support by funding our requests for MCC funding. And it is a commitment
    that I am honored to entrust to Ambassador John Danilovich as he becomes
    the second Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge
    Corporation.
        Congratulations, John. Thanks for your willingness to serve.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. in the Benjamin Franklin Room at
    the U.S. State Department. In his remarks, he referred to Robert A.
    Mosbacher, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Overseas Private
    Investment Corporation (OPIC). The transcript released by the Office of
    the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Ambassador Danilovich.