[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.