    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [June 15, 2007]
    [Pages 757-759]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
    June 15, 2007

        Gracias. Sientese, por favor. Buenos dias. Si. I thank my friend
    Luis. This isn't the first time he's
    introduced me. I'm proud to be back. I thank you for the chance to come
    to the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. Appreciate the opportunity to
    be with Hispanic American pastors and priests and community leaders and
    faith-based activists from all over the United States. I thank you for
    coming, and thanks for having me come. I appreciate your leadership, I
    appreciate your compassion, and I thank you for your abiding faith in
    the power of prayer.
        I'm pleased that two Senators who have got corazones grandes--
    [laughter]--on the immigration bill are with us today, Senator Ted
    Kennedy and Senator Mel
    Martinez. Thank you all for
    coming. Y tambien, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano y Luis Fortuno,
    thank you all for coming; proud you're here.
        I thank the veterans and members of the military who are here today.
    I thank the pastors and community leaders.
        At this breakfast, we set aside our politics and come together in
    prayer. That's what we're doing. When we pray, we acknowledge our total
    dependence on Almighty

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    God, we put our future in His hands, and we find that prayer lifts our
    spirits and changes our lives.
        This morning we have many things to pray for. We pray for our
    families and our loved ones and our friends. We pray for the strength
    and safety of our Nation. We pray for wisdom and grace in times of
    trial. And we pray to give thanks for the many blessings that God has
    bestowed upon America.
        Among those blessings are millions of talented men and women of
    Hispanic origin who call this country home. Our Nation is more vibrant
    because of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans in all sectors
    of our society, from the arts to business to religion to education. Our
    Nation is more hopeful because of the Hispanic Americans who serve in
    the armies of compassion, who are surrounding neighbors in need who hurt
    with love; people who are helping to change America one heart and one
    soul and one conscience at a time.
        Many of you at this breakfast devote your lives to serving others.
    By doing so you're answering a timeless call: to love your neighbor as
    yourself. You really represent the true strength of America, and I thank
    you for being of service to our country.
        This prayer breakfast has come a long way since it started 5 years
    ago. We could have held it in a little tiny closet. And now, as
    Luis tells me, it's oversubscribed the
    minute it gets announced. It's a good sign for our country, isn't it?
    People want to come together in prayer.
        Instead of a single morning meeting, you have now come to Washington
    for a 3-day conference. And I appreciate the chance--you've had a chance
    to go to Congress and discuss your concerns with Members of Congress. I
    appreciate your support for policies that expand home ownership. We want
    more Americans saying: ``Welcome to my home. Come and see my piece of
    property.'' I appreciate the fact that you're promoting small
    businesses. We want more Americans realizing the dream of owning their
    own business. And, by the way, the Latino small-business community is
    strong, and we intend to keep it that way.
        I appreciate your working to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. I
    appreciate you working hard to make sure every child gets a good
    education. Thank you for your concern for our country. You're
    demonstrating el Sueno Americano es para todos.
        And I thank you for making comprehensive immigration reform your top
    priority. I share that priority. These Senators share that priority. I
    appreciate the fact that you understand that this debate can be
    emotional, and it's complex. I appreciate the fact that you understand
    that Members need to hear from you about where you think this country
    ought to go when it comes to immigration reform. There's a lot of
    emotion on this issue, and it makes sense to have people from around the
    country come and sit down with Members of Congress to talk rationally
    about the issue.
        Our responsibilities are straightforward. We've got to enforce the
    border, a basic duty of a sovereign nation. We've got to create a lawful
    way for foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans are not doing. Our
    economy depends on them. And we must resolve the status of illegal
    immigrants already in our country without amnesty and without animosity,
    because that is the only practical way to fix the problem that has been
    decades in the making. We must help new immigrants assimilate. That's
    what has always made our Nation strong. People in America must have
    confidence in this country to help people assimilate.
        Mel Martinez's parents put him on an airplane because they didn't
    want him raised in a
    tyrannical society on the island of Cuba, and here he now sits as a
    Member of the United States Senate. I was deeply touched at the Coast
    Guard Academy, when I was sitting there as the Commander in Chief of a
    bunch of kids who just got bars on their shoulders, and the head of the
    class got up to speak, and he talked

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    about his migrant grandfather. This Hispanic American started his speech
    to his classmates--because I was there, there was a lot of cameras,
    maybe the country--talking about his migrant grandfather. Isn't it a
    fabulous country where a migrant grandfather can come and have a dream
    and work hard, and there's his grandson talking about the promise of
    America in front of the President of the United States and his
    classmates? That's the beauty of America.
        We must meet our moral obligation to treat newcomers with decency
    and show compassion to the vulnerable and exploited, because we're
    called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy.
        Most Americans agree on these principles. And now it's time for our
    elected leaders in Congress to act. You don't have to worry about these
    two Senators. They're acting; they're in the lead. Each day our Nation
    fails to act, the problem only grows worse. I will continue to work
    closely with members of both parties to get past our differences and
    pass a bill I can sign this year.
        One of the reasons that America leads the world is that we've always
    welcomed people who are determined to embrace our democracy and stand
    for freedom. We see that determination every day in the hundreds of
    thousands of Hispanic Americans who wear the uniform of the United
    States military.
        Today we're joined by a group of Hispanic American soldiers from
    Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I thank these brave men for stepping
    forward to protect our freedom. I join all of you in praying for their
    full recovery. And I'm honored to be their Commander in Chief.
        Our Nation is blessed to call these men fellow Americans. We thank
    God for sending us such brave and selfless people. We ask that He give
    His--give us the wisdom and grace to be worthy of the sacrifices they
    make and the ideals of liberty they defend.
        Thank you very much for letting me come by again. Y tambien, que
    Dios los bendiga. Amen. Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:15 a.m. at the JW Marriott Hotel. In his
    remarks, he referred to Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., president and chief
    executive officer, Esperanza USA; and Ens. Marc A. Mares, USCG.