    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [May 17, 2006]
    [Pages 944-951]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Republican National Committee Gala
    May 17, 2006

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. Thanks
    for being here at the RNC Gala. I can't thank you enough for helping our
    party succeed. It's such an honor to be here. I am, first, really proud
    of the Republican Party. We're a party, over the past 5 years, that has
    made a significant difference for the American people. We have defended
    freedom at home and abroad, and by doing so, we've done our duty to make
    this Nation safer. And we've trusted the people, and as a result,
    America is a stronger and more prosperous nation.
        I want to thank my friend Ken Mehlman
    for leading our party. When I talked to him about leading the Republican
    Party, I said, ``I want to be a party that welcomes everybody, from all
    walks of life, a party based upon principles, a party that trusts the
    people, a party that stands strong in a time of historic challenge.''
    And Ken is doing a fine job of reaching out. Our party is strong, and
    it's getting stronger.
        Laura sends her love. She's a fabulous First
    Lady. She's got to be the most patient woman in America. [Laughter]
        Audience member. She's hot!
        The President. Yes--well, wait a minute. [Laughter] Muy caliente.
    [Laughter] I hope she's not watching, you know?
    [Laughter]
        I appreciate the members of my Cabinet who are here. I thank you all
    for coming. Thanks for serving. I also want to thank

    [[Page 945]]

    my friend Bill Frist, majority leader of the
    United States Senate, who is here with us. The Speaker is rounding up votes right now, but like Senator
    Frist, the Speaker is doing a fabulous job for the American people. And
    we intend to keep Denny Hastert Speaker of the House and Bill Frist
    majority leader of the Senate. I want to thank all the other Members of
    the House and the Senate who are here. Thank you all for coming.
        I appreciate Jo Ann Davidson, who is the
    cochairman of the RNC. I appreciate her leadership and her friendship. I
    want to thank Dwight and Martha Schar; he's the finance chairman for the RNC. You've done a
    great job tonight. Appreciate you making Schar look good. I want to
    thank the Gala chairs, Sam Fox, Jack Oliver, Bob and Suzy
    Pence, and Bill Paxon. I want to thank all the people who have worked to
    make this such a successful event. I particularly want to thank Diamond
    Rio for their fantastic singing.
        We're just kind of warming up for these off-year elections.
    [Laughter] Tonight is part of the process to make sure that when our
    candidates take it to the voters, they're able to do so in a way where
    people can hear them loud and clear. You know, elections are all about
    choices. And our party is a party that has built a vision based upon
    solid principle, a vision which is inclusive, a vision which does not
    shy away from certain truths and values. We're the party of the future,
    and our candidates will be running against the party of the past, a
    party that offers no new ideas like the Republican Party, a party that
    can only offer opposition. The Republican Party is the party of the
    future because we believe it is our job to take on the challenges of our
    time and not to pass them on to future Congresses or future generations.
        Ours is an optimistic party. We know we don't need to fear the
    future, because we intend to shape the future for the American people.
    We believe in the power of freedom, and we trust in the American people.
    We're going to make our choice--make these choices very clear to the
    voters come November. And I'm confident the American people will realize
    the difference between positive and negative, optimistic versus
    pessimistic, and reelect Republican majorities to the United States
    Congress.
        And I'm just getting warmed up. [Laughter] These are historic times
    in which we live, and we're in a war. We're in a war against an enemy
    that is ruthless, an enemy which adheres to an ideology of hatred, a
    backward ideology, an ideology that can't stand freedom. Ours is a
    nation that loves freedom and will never back down.
        People have a choice to make, between folks who want to stay on the
    offense and protect the American people and people who lose their nerve.
        We learned some lessons from September the 11th, lessons that I'll
    never forget. First lesson is, is that in order to protect the American
    people, which is our most important job, the United States of America
    must stay on the offense. And that's exactly what your Nation is doing.
    We will find the terrorists and bring them to justice before they can
    hurt the American people again.
        We had a second lesson learned on September the 11th, and that is,
    if we find somebody harboring a terrorist, they're just as guilty as the
    terrorists. And when I said that, I meant what I said. When your
    President speaks, he must speak clearly and mean what he says. And when
    I said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're as guilty as the
    terrorists,'' the Taliban didn't take me seriously. But we acted. We
    upheld doctrine to protect the American people, and because of our
    actions, 25 million people are no longer in the clutches of one of the
    most barbaric regimes in the history of mankind.
        A serious lesson of September the 11th is that we must take threats
    seriously before they come to hurt us. And I saw a threat, and members
    of both political parties saw a threat, in Iraq. Iraq was run by a
    dictator

    [[Page 946]]

    who was killing his own people, who had used weapons of mass
    destruction, invaded his neighbors, was shooting at our aircraft,
    harbored terrorists. The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in
    power.
        We have a plan for victory in Iraq. There's a political track taking
    place. I know it seems like a decade ago, but it wasn't all that long
    ago that 12 million people defied car bombers and assassins and
    terrorists and said loud and clear, ``We want to be free.'' Democracy is
    on the march in Iraq, and the United States of America will help these
    brave people achieve their objective.
        A new government is being formed in that country, made up of a
    Kurd and a Shi'a
    and a Sunni, people who are brave and
    dedicated, people who understand that the people of their country
    desires to be free. It shouldn't surprise us that they want to be free,
    because we firmly understand that the desire to be free is in every
    human heart. There is an Almighty, and one of the greatest gifts of the
    Almighty is freedom, and the United States of America will never forget
    that lesson.
        It's tough work. It's tough work to help a young country go from
    tyranny to democracy. But it's worth it. Free countries are peaceful
    countries. Free countries will lay the foundation of peace for our
    children and grandchildren.
        The enemy cannot defeat us in Iraq, and they can't defeat us
    anywhere else in the world. The only way we can be defeated is if we
    lose our nerve, and the Republican Party will not lose its nerve.
        We understand the power of freedom to transform our world. I want to
    remind you that this Nation lost thousands and thousands of young men
    and women during World War II and World War I, and yet today, the
    continent of Europe is whole, free, and at peace. Why? Because
    democracies do not war.
        One of the interesting lessons of history comes home to me every
    time I meet with my friend the Prime Minister of Japan. Prime Minister Koizumi is a good friend. Sixty
    years ago, the United States was embroiled in a terrible war with Japan.
    My predecessor Harry Truman had the wisdom, however, to recognize the
    power of freedom to transform societies. Today, I sit down at the table
    with the Prime Minister of a former enemy and talk about how to keep the
    peace in North Korea. They've committed troops in Iraq because he
    understands democracy can make the world a better place.
        Something happened between the time World War II ended and George W.
    was able to sit down with Prime Minister Koizumi, and what happened was, Japan assumed a Japanese-
    style democracy. One of these days, an American President will be
    sitting down with a duly elected leader from Iraq talking about keeping
    the peace, and a generation of Americans will be better off for it.
        Our party has worked hard to protect the American people. It's our
    most important duty. And we passed the PATRIOT Act. You might remember
    the debates of the PATRIOT Act. Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of the Senate, boasted, quote, he ``killed the
    PATRIOT Act.'' Because the Republican Party stood strong, our law
    enforcement have the tools necessary to protect the American people.
        There's a lot of debate in Washington, DC, about connecting the
    dots. My job is to protect you. My job is to defend the civil liberties
    of the American people. My job is to act within the confines of the
    Constitution and the law. And that's precisely what I'm doing when it
    comes to making sure we understand the intent of the enemy. Let me tell
    you this: If Al Qaida is making phone calls in the United States, we
    need to know why. We're not going to sit around and wait for another
    attack.
        These are historic times, and I'm proud to be working with
    Republican Members

    [[Page 947]]

    of the Senate and the House who are making sure we do our duty, and
    that's to defend the American people. And we're doing our duty here at
    home as well. We've got clear choices when it comes to our economy.
    People are going to be able to choose between a party that's going to
    keep your taxes low to keep the economy growing and a party that's going
    to run your taxes up. It's a stark choice, and I'm going to keep talking
    about it, because we've got a record to run on. This economy of ours is
    strong, and it's getting stronger.
        And the amazing thing is, we've overcome incredible obstacles. Think
    about the history of this economy. We've been through a recession and
    corporate scandals and an attack on the United States of America and
    high energy prices, and we've been through natural disasters. And yet
    this economy is roaring along, and we intend to keep it that way.
        You know, right after the attacks came, right after I got elected
    and then the attacks, I worked with the United States Congress to pass a
    progrowth economic policy. It was based on a principle that is profound
    and works, and that--it says when the American people have more of their
    own money to save, invest, and spend, the economy grows. The progrowth
    tax cuts we passed are working. The United States economy grew last year
    at 3.5 percent. That's faster than any major industrialized nation in
    the world. Since 2003, we've created 5.2 million new jobs. The national
    unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. Real after-tax income is 8 percent for
    Americans since 2001. That means, on average, Americans have an income
    that is more than $2,300 higher this year than it was at the beginning
    of 2001, adjusting for inflation. Consumer confidence has been at its
    highest point in nearly 4 years. Productivity is high. Manufacturing
    activity is up. People are owning homes. More minority own a home than
    ever before in our Nation's history. This economy is strong, and we're
    going to keep it strong for the American people.
        I want to remind you, we cut taxes on American families; we cut
    taxes on everybody who pays taxes. We cut taxes on the small businesses
    of America; we cut taxes on dividends; we cut taxes on capital gains.
    We've put the death tax on the road to extinction.
        And that stands in stark contrast to the Democrat Party. Here in
    Washington, DC, most congressional Democrats voted against cutting
    income tax rates. Most voted against a bill that provided tax relief for
    married couples. Most voted against a bill that doubled the child
    credit. Most Democrats voted against a bill to put the death tax on the
    road to extinction. In 2003, most congressional Democrats voted against
    cutting taxes on dividends and capital gains. They continue to block our
    efforts to make the tax cuts permanent. If we want to keep this economy
    roaring and strong, we have got to make the tax cuts permanent.
        The elections this year offer the American people a clear choice: If
    you want to send more of your paycheck to Washington, DC, vote Democrat.
    [Laughter] If you want to keep more of your paycheck for your family,
    vote Republican.
        We're also going to cut the deficit in half by 2009. You know,
    there's a myth in Washington, DC, that says we can cut the deficit by
    raising your taxes. When you're out there helping people get elected,
    you might remind people, that's not the way Washington works. Sure,
    they'll raise your taxes, but they're going to figure out new ways to
    spend your money. The best way to cut that deficit is to keep progrowth
    economic policies in place by keeping your taxes low and be wise about
    how we spend your money.
        Let me make sure you've got the record about what's taken place in
    Washington, DC, over the last couple of years. We've cut the rate of
    growth on nonsecurity discretionary spending. That's discretionary
    spending other than for the military and the homeland security.

    [[Page 948]]

        Last year, we had a cut in that discretionary spending. I proposed
    another budget to do so. The Democrats don't like that idea. They're
    trying to figure out new ways to spend your money. But the best way to
    cut that deficit in half is for the United States Congress to join with
    this administration, set priorities, and be wise about how we spend your
    money.
        I sent a supplemental up to the United States Congress recently to
    make sure our troops--what they have they need to be able to do their
    jobs, and to make sure we provide important emergency relief for
    Katrina. The number was $92.2 billion. And if the United States Congress
    sends me a bill that includes nonemergency measures that exceed the
    number I've put out there, I will veto it.
        Monday night I gave a speech of real importance for this country.
    The Republican Party needs to lead on this issue of immigration. The
    immigration system is not working, and we need to do something about it
    now. America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society, and we
    don't have to choose between the two.
        And so I talked about a five-point plan to make this country's
    immigration system work. And the first part of the plan is for the
    United States of America to secure its borders. I understand something
    about borders; you might recall I was the Governor of the great State of
    Texas. We've got a long border with Mexico. I'm very aware of the issue.
    I know how important it is to secure the borders.
        I also know how important it is to treat people with dignity. We've
    increased funding for border security by 66 percent since I've been the
    President. We've expanded our Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000
    agents. Our Border Patrol folks are doing good work under difficult
    circumstances. Over the past 5 years, we have caught and returned 6
    million people trying to come into our country.
        But our border is not yet secure, and there's more work to be done.
    And that's what I explained to the American people the other night. And
    so we're going to increase the Border Patrol agents by another 6,000 by
    the year 2008. And at the same time, we're going to make sure that we
    put the most modern technology on our border to make sure our Border
    Patrol agents can do the job.
        And until those 6,000 agents are up and running, I think it's very
    important for us to help our Border Patrol by providing 6,000 Guard
    troops. It's really important that we help the men and women in our
    Border Patrol do their job, so the American people know that we're using
    manpower, technology, and equipment to do our duty to protect the border
    of the United States of America.
        We're ending a policy called catch-and-release. Eighty-five percent
    of the folks coming across are from Mexico, and they're sent back within
    24 hours. But a lot of people are coming from other countries. The
    problem with that is we haven't had enough bedspace. So they come in,
    and a Border Patrol agent finds them, and they say, ``Why don't you
    check back for your court date?'' [Laughter] A lot of them aren't
    checking back for the court date. [Laughter] So I'm going to work with
    Congress to expand the number of detention beds, speed up the
    deportation process, make sure countries know that we're very serious
    about them taking the people that we catch trying to come into our
    country illegally. We're going to end catch-and-release.
        Secondly, to secure this border, you have got to understand there
    are people coming to work. They want to put food on the table for their
    families, and they'll do--they'll go to unbelievable means to come here.
    They walk across our deserts in the 100-degree heat. They get stuffed in
    the back of an 18-wheeler to come. They want to come and work. In order
    to secure this border, we must have an orderly way for people to come,
    on a temporary basis, who are doing jobs Americans aren't doing.

    [[Page 949]]

        We must have a rational plan that says, if you're going to come and
    work, you're allowed to do so, on a temporary basis--you've got to pass
    a criminal background check, but you ought to be able to come in an
    orderly way, so you're not having to sneak across. In order to enforce
    this border, we want people coming to work jobs Americans aren't doing,
    on a temporary basis, in a legal way.
        Secondly--thirdly, in order to make this plan work, we've got to
    make sure our employers are held to account. It's illegal for somebody
    to employ somebody here illegally. But the problem we face is that
    there's a lot of document fraud. See, people are showing up with IDs
    that an employer can't verify. So in order to make sure we secure our
    border and do our duty and treat people with dignity, we need to develop
    a tamper-proof ID card that uses biometrics, and that way, an employer
    will know whether or not they're hiring somebody who's illegally here.
    And when the word gets out, you've got to have a tamper-proof card, and
    you don't have one, it's likely you're not going to come to the United
    States at all.
        Fourthly, you got to understand, in this country, there's a lot of
    people who have been here for a long period of time--decent, hard-
    working, honorable people. I oppose amnesty, and the United States
    Congress ought to oppose amnesty. Amnesty would be harmful for those who
    have waited in line to become a citizen legally, and amnesty would
    encourage others to come in the hopes that they, too, would become
    automatically a citizen. In this debate, we must make sure we
    distinguish between those who have been here for a while and those who
    are newly arrived. For those who are newly arrived, they've got to get a
    temporary-worker card, finish out their time, and go back home.
        But for those who have been here for a while, it is unrealistic to
    deport them. What is realistic is to say, ``Pay a fine; learn the
    English language; prove that you've been working here for a while; and
    get in line--but the back of the line, not the front of the line.''
        And fifthly, to make sure we have an immigration system that upholds
    our values and speaks to the decency of America, we must help people
    assimilate into our country. And the best way to assimilate is to help
    folks learn to speak the English language.
        When you learn to speak the English language, and you're a hard
    worker, you're likely to go from somebody who's picking crops to owning
    a grocery, somebody who's cleaning offices to working in an office. You
    know, one of the great things about America is we have been a welcoming
    society. People come to this country because they want to realize the
    great American Dream. They want to be able to say, ``I'm putting food on
    the table for my family. I want to own my own home.'' Every immigrant
    who comes and works hard lifts the spirit of this country. We're a land
    of immigrants, and we're better for it. We always got to have confidence
    in our ability to be one Nation under God.
        Ours is a party that recognizes we're too dependent on oil, and we
    intend to do something about it.
        Audience member. All right! [Laughter]
        The President. I signed a good energy bill, supported by the
    Republicans. The bill encourages conservation, encourages exploration
    for oil and gas in environmentally friendly ways, so we become less
    dependent on foreign sources of oil. And it's a bill that encourages
    alternative sources of energy. I firmly believe it makes sense for us to
    encourage use of ethanol. We want our farmers growing energy and--not
    trying to buy energy from parts of the world that don't like us.
        We're on our way for breakthroughs for automobiles that will be able
    to drive the first 40 miles on electricity without using a drop of
    gasoline. The party of Lincoln has been active about spending your money
    on research and development to find new

    [[Page 950]]

    ways to power automobiles, to find better ways to burn coal, to be able
    to use solar energy. My point to you is we understand, as a Republican
    Party, that it's in our economic interests, in our national interests,
    national security interests, to get off our addiction to foreign oil.
        Ours is a party that's doing something about the cost of health
    care. The other ones are good about talking about it; we're actually
    doing something about it. You know, we have a duty, in my judgment, to
    help the poor and the elderly. That's a commitment our country has made,
    and it's a commitment the Republican Party is keeping. I want to remind
    you that for years, the Democrats have promised our seniors a stronger
    Medicare system. But we delivered. You see, it didn't make any sense to
    have a Medicare system where decisions were made out of Washington, DC,
    and that would pay $25,000 for an ulcer surgery but not one single dime
    for the prescription drugs that would have prevented the surgery from
    being needed in the first place.
        And so we reformed Medicare. We said to our seniors, ``We trust you;
    we trust you to make decisions that meets your needs.'' Do you realize
    in the State of Florida, there's over 40 different plans from which a
    senior can choose a prescription drug benefit? See, Republicans believe
    in choice. We believe that when you're able to make a choice in the
    marketplace, it helps affect cost and quality at the same time.
        You know, the Medicare drug benefit really does help our low-income
    seniors. I don't know about you, but I didn't like those stories about
    some of our seniors having to choose between food and medicine. We
    stepped up and delivered a Medicare bill, and no longer do poor seniors
    in America have to make that choice.
        Ours is a party that understands the best health care system is when
    the doctor-patient relationship is central to decisionmaking. That's why
    we're strong believers in health savings accounts. That's why we believe
    in transparency in pricing. That's why we believe in information
    technology.
        We also understand that small businesses have trouble buying
    insurance so they can afford it for their employees. And so we believe
    small businesses ought to be able to pool risk across jurisdictional
    boundaries so they can buy insurance at the same discount big businesses
    get.
        We also fully understand that junk lawsuits are driving good doctors
    out of practice and driving up the cost of medicine. Ours is a party
    that supports medical liability reform. And when you're out there
    talking to your friends, I want you to remind them that last week,
    Senate Democrats defeated the opportunity for small businesses to pool
    risk and once again defeated our ability to provide medical liability
    reform so that health care is available and affordable to the American
    citizens.
        Finally, ours is a party that will continue to work to build a
    culture of life where every human--every human is respected. You know, I
    passed--we passed and I signed a ban on partial-birth abortion. It is
    the right thing to do for the American people, to recognize the value
    and worth of every human being in our society.
        Ours is a party that understands government can pass out money but
    it cannot put love in a person's heart. And so we make sure that faith-
    based and religious charities are treated on an equal basis when it
    comes to providing compassion for those who need help.
        Ours is a political party that understands we need to have people on
    the bench who understand the difference between legislating and being a
    good judge. I was proud to nominate Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito, and I want to thank the United States Senate for
    passing--for confirming these two good men.
        I've also successfully appointed 44 courts of appeal judges, which
    is about 25 percent of all the Federal appeal court judges in our
    Nation. I'm going to continue working with Members of the Senate to make
    sure

    [[Page 951]]

    my judges get a timely hearing, and I'm going to continue nominating
    good, conservative judges who will interpret the law and not legislate
    from the bench.
        Ours is a party that believes in the sanctity of marriage, and ours
    is a party that believes in strong families. We got something to run on.
    We got something other than rhetoric to run on. We're going to run on
    principles and a strong record. And I'm confident, with your help, we'll
    continue to maintain our majorities in the United States Senate and the
    United States House, and America will be better off for it.
        I'm looking forward to the contest. [Laughter] I'm looking forward
    to getting out there among the people again, talking about what I
    believe in. I believe that because of Members of the House and the
    Senate working with the administration, that this country is more
    secure. I believe we're laying the foundation of peace; I truly believe
    that. I believe history is going to look back at this time and say,
    thank goodness we had people in the United States Congress and the House
    of Representatives, good strong Republicans, people that stay true to
    our values, that when the times got tough, we didn't try to take the
    easy course, that we understood that there's universal truths and we
    didn't back off of them, and that we understood to keep this economy
    strong and America hopeful, that government must always trust the
    American people.
        It is a joy to be your President. I'm proud to be here with you. May
    God bless you all, and may God bless our country.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:58 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. In his
    remarks, he referred to Martha Schar, wife of Dwight Schar, finance
    chairman, Republican National Committee; and former President Saddam
    Hussein, President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-
    Maliki, and Speaker of the Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani of Iraq.