    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [July 25, 2007]
    [Pages 1011-1012]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on a Report by the President's Commission on Care for America's
    Returning Wounded Warriors and an Exchange With Reporters
    July 25, 2007

        The President. I've been running with Max and
    Allen--I mean, Neil. I met these guys at Walter
    Reed. Neil lost both legs, and he told me he's going to run with me on
    the South Lawn of the White House. Max lost his leg, and he told me he
    was going to be jumping out of airplanes with the 101st Airborne. Sure
    enough, he's jumping out of airplanes with the 101st Airborne, and along
    with Neil, he's running on the South Lawn.
        This is a--running with these two
    men is incredibly inspirational to me. And it
    should be inspirational to anybody who has been dealt a tough hand.
    Sometimes in life you get dealt a hand that you didn't expect to play.
    And they got dealt a tough hand, and they're playing it with all their
    soul. And I appreciate you guys being here. It means a lot to me.
        Today Senator Dole and Secretary
    Shalala delivered a report to the White
    House. I told the press corps that they were going to go out and hold a
    press conference. They've held their press conference. I'd like to make
    some comments on that report.
        First of all, the spirit of that report is, any time we have
    somebody hurt, they deserve the best possible care, and their family
    needs strong support. We've provided that in many cases, but to the
    extent we haven't, we're going to adjust. In that recommendation, there
    are things the United States Congress should do, and I call upon them to
    do it.
        In that report, there are a lot of things that the executive branch
    of Government can do, the Veterans Administration and the Department of
    Defense. And I've instructed Secretary Gates
    and Secretary Nicholson to look at every
    one of these recommendations and to take them seriously and to implement
    them, so that we can say with certainty that any soldier who has been
    hurt will get the best possible care and treatment that this Government
    can offer.
        I'm working with two men who have been hurt, two men who refuse to allow their
    current circumstances to get them down or to keep them down. I am proud
    to be with you guys. Neil, thank you.
        Sergeant Neil Duncan. Thank you, Mr.
    President.
        The President. God bless you, Max.
        Specialist Max Ramsey. Thank you, Mr.
    President.

    [[Page 1012]]

        The President. He wanted me to jump out of
    airplanes with him. I respectfully declined.

    President's Run

        Q. How does it feel to be with the Commander in Chief running around
    the track?
        Sgt. Duncan. Fantastic. It's an
    accomplishment. It's, like, the pinnacle of recovery, I think. Being a
    wounded vet, coming out of Afghanistan a little over a year and a half
    ago, and then being here, running around this track is just amazing. I
    couldn't ask for anything better.
        The President. Don't ask him why he outran me.
        Q. Why did he outrun you?
        The President. Because he's a faster runner.
    Anyway, thank you guys. It's a proud moment for me, a proud moment.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:25 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Spc. Max Ramsey, USA, who was
    injured in Iraq in March 2006; Sgt. Neil Duncan, USA (Ret.), who was
    injured in Afghanistan in December 2005; former Secretary of Health and
    Human Services Donna E. Shalala and former Sen. Robert J. Dole,
    Cochairs, President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded
    Warriors; and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.