    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 15, 2007]
    [Pages 1472-1473]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities
    Medal
    November 15, 2007

        The President. Thank you all. Good morning. Laura and I welcome you to the East Room for a joyous event,
    the presentation of two sets of important awards: the National Medals of
    the Arts and the National Humanities Medals. These medals recognize
    great contributions to art, music, theater, writing, history, and
    general scholarship.
        We congratulate the medalists. We welcome your families. We thank
    your loved ones for supporting you. And on behalf of a grateful nation,
    we honor your great talent and accomplishments.
        Obviously, I'm pleased to be here with my wife. [Laughter] I am proud to be here with Mrs. Lynne
    Cheney as well. I thank the Members of the
    United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives for
    joining us as we honor our fellow citizens. I'm so pleased to welcome
    Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment of
    the Arts, and Dr. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the
    National Endowment of the Humanities. Thank you all for coming, and
    thank you for your leadership. I'm proud that a fellow Texan,
    Adair Margo--is the Chairman of the President's
    Committee on the Arts and Humanities--has joined us.
        Our honorees represent the great strength and diversity of the American culture. The
    winners of the arts include a Native American poet, an orchestra conductor, a
    composer of choral music, a pioneer of
    electric musical instruments, and a man whose last name is synonymous with fine
    American craftsmanship. Our honorees have created some of the emblematic
    images of our time, supported museums and theaters, and helped nurture
    young talent.
        The winners of the humanities have also made great and lasting contributions
    to our society. They include scholars and historians and a
    philanthropist. These men and women have shaped our understanding of the
    past, chronicled stories of tyranny overcome by liberty, and helped
    preserve our cultural treasures for future generations.
        Your accomplishments will remind us that freedom of thought and
    freedom of expression are two pillars of our democracy. These freedoms
    have helped our Nation build some of the finest centers of learning in
    the world. They've helped inspire new movements in art and literature,
    and they've helped fill our libraries and museums and theaters with
    great works for all our citizens to enjoy.
        America is committed to supporting the arts and humanities. For more
    than four decades, the National Endowment of the Arts and the National
    Endowment for the Humanities has helped enrich our culture and deepened
    our appreciation for the ideals that bind us together as Americans. Some
    interesting programs that are run out of these important institutions,
    like ``We the People'' and ``American Masterpieces,'' that expose a new
    generation of Americans to American history and literature and art.

    [[Page 1473]]

    And Laura and I strongly support these programs.
        It is now my privilege to present the National Medals of Art and the
    National Humanities Medals. Once again, I congratulate our honorees,
    because in your work, we see the creativity of the American spirit and
    the values that have made our Nation great.
        And so now I ask the military aide to read the
    citations.

    [At this point, Lt. Cmdr. Dan Walsh, USCG, Coast Guard Aide to the
    President, read the citations, and the President presented the medals.]

        The President. My wife.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:03 a.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Lynne V. Cheney, wife of Vice
    President Dick Cheney. The transcript released by the Office of the
    Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady.