[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
[June 26, 2008]
[Pages 881-883]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
June 26, 2008

    The President. Gracias. Sientese. [Laughter] Luis, thank you, sir. So he asked, would I come to the prayer 
breakfast. My answer was, por supuesto. [Laughter] I am honored to join 
you. I was proud to stand with you in 2002 at the first National 
Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, and today I am proud to stand with you at 
the--for the final time as your sitting President.
    This happens to be an important event, in my view. It's an important 
event because it reminds us that no matter what our status in life might 
be, that we have a duty to respond to a higher power.
    Audience member. Amen!
    The President. You know, next year in Crawford, Laura and I are going to have a different kind of prayer 
breakfast. I'll be cooking the eggs, and she'll be praying I don't burn 
them. [Laughter]
    I do want to welcome the First Lady of Panama, Vivian Fernandez de 
Torrijos. Thank you for coming. 
As some of you may or may not know, the--mi ninita lived in Panama for a while, and the government and the 
people there were so kind and hospitable, and I can't--and I'll never be 
able to repay you for that. So thank you very much. Please give your 
esposo my best regards, el Presidente 
de Panama. Si, thank you.
    Proud to be here with pastors and community leaders. Thank you for 
doing what you're doing.
    Each of you here this morning is here to celebrate a simple and 
powerful act, prayer to an Almighty God. You know the comfort that comes 
from placing our worries in the hands of a higher power. You know the 
humility that comes from approaching our Maker on bended knee. And you 
know the strength that comes from lifting our thoughts from worldly 
cares and focusing on the eternal.
    Today I ask all to join together to pray that God continues to 
bestow His blessings on our wonderful country. We pray that the Almighty 
will strengthen America's families. A caring family is the foundation of 
a hopeful society. We pray that every child in America can grow up in a 
loving and stable home. We pray for the day when every child in America 
is welcomed in life and protected in law. And we pray that in every 
community across this great land, the Almighty will strengthen los 
valores de la familia y de la fe.
    We pray that America will strengthen those who serve nuestros 
hermanos y hermanas in need. We pray for the continued success of faith-
based and community groups like Esperanza, all aiming to transfer

[[Page 882]]

[transform] * our great country one heart, one soul, one conscience at a 
time. I was proud to hear of the work of Esperanza in Philadelphia. I've 
known Esperanza for ochos anos. I was first impressed by the vision of 
making sure that every child gets a good education. It's Luis who started a charter school. It's a tremendous 
school. Less than 1 percent of students drop out, and more than 90 
percent of the graduates are planning to go to college this fall. 
There's nothing more hopeful than to give a child a good education.
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    * White House correction.
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    I'm impressed by the program called Esperanza Trabajando. This 
program helps at-risk youths and former prisoners move from lives of 
hopelessness to futures of accomplishment and self-sufficiency. 
``Esperanza Trabajando,'' for those of you who don't speak Spanish--and 
frankly, mine isn't all that good--[laughter]--means ``Hope is 
Working,'' and that's exactly what you are demonstrating, Luis, and others in this room demonstrate cada dia--every 
day.
    For the past 8 years, my administration has provided unprecedented 
support for the compassionate work performed by faith-based and 
community groups, because I understand this: Government can hand out 
money, but government cannot put hope in a person's heart. And 
oftentimes that is found in our faith community and our community 
organizations. And so we've lowered the barriers that kept government 
and faith-based groups needlessly divided and ensured that America's 
armies of compassion are at the center of our Nation's efforts to make 
our society more hopeful for every individual.
    Organizations like yours have shown the ability to save and change 
lives. And in your mercies of love and mercy, you must always have a 
strong and reliable partner in government.
    We pray that Almighty will strengthen and protect those who serve 
the cause of freedom. These brave men and women share our cherished 
belief that the desire for liberty is written by the Almighty in every 
human heart. We believe in the universality of freedom. And where we see 
people suffer from forms of government that create hopelessness or 
disease and hunger and mosquito bites, that deny people a hopeful life, 
the United States must act under the theory, under the principle that to 
whom much is given, much is required.
    Audience member. Amen!
    The President. I'm impressed--deeply impressed by those who wear our 
Nation's uniform. I appreciate--some have given their lives, others have 
suffered injuries in freedom's cause. And this morning I am honored to 
note that five brave servicemen who are being treated at Walter Reed 
Army Medical Center are with us today. We thank you for your sacrifice, 
we pray for your recovery, and we honor your service to the United 
States of America.
    This, like, might not be on the schedule, but if you five guys would 
mind letting me have my picture taken with you, I'd be honored. So like, 
when the speech is about to end, which is soon--[laughter]--head to the 
exits, and I'll see you.
    We also honor those who struggle for freedom against oppressive 
regimes. It's essential that the United States always remember--in our 
great comfort--that we always remember that there are those who want 
their freedom just like we have our freedom. One of those men is Juan 
Carlos Gonzalez Leiva. He's a 
lawyer and human rights activist on the island of Cuba. Juan Carlos was 
unjustly jailed for more than 2 years by the Cuban regime because he 
supported a dissident journalist. While he was imprisoned, his cane and 
his dark glasses were confiscated, which is especially cruel because 
Juan Carlos is blind. The guards took away his braille Bible, but they 
could not take away his spirit. Today, Juan Carlos is no longer in jail, 
but he remains under the surveillance of the Cuban Government.

[[Page 883]]

    Juan Carlos continues his 
important fight for human rights in Cuba, and the United States must 
always stand squarely with those who struggle for their human rights 
against tyranny. And today we're honored that his hermano is with us. 
Onel Ramon Gonzalez Leiva is here 
on his behalf. Onel, we want to thank you for coming. Our prayers go out 
to your brother and those who struggle with him. And we ask for the day, 
we pray for the day when the light of liberty shines on the people of 
Cuba and those who long for freedom. Onel, bienvenidos.
    So as I mentioned, this is my last visit as your President to the 
Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. It's been a joy every time I have come. 
During the last 7\1/2\ years, I have been touched by how many Americans 
have come up and said, ``I'm praying for you, Mr. President,'' people 
I've never seen before in my life, may never see again. It's amazing. 
You would think they would come up and say, you know, ``I'd like a new 
highway,'' or ``How about an additional bridge?'' [Laughter] But no, 
total strangers come and say, ``I just want you to know, we lift you up 
in prayer.'' Somebody asked me what all that meant, and I said, well, 
you know, I'm finally beginning to understand the story of the calm in 
the rough seas. And I attribute it to the fact that millions of people 
have been so kind and generous to pray for me and Laura.
    And so on my final trip here as your sitting President, I thank you 
for your prayers. I can't thank you enough for your spiritual support. 
And it's made a significant difference during these 7\1/2\ years. Being 
your President has been an unimaginable honor and a joyous experience.
    Thank you, and God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 8:37 a.m. at the JW Marriott Hotel. In his 
remarks, he referred to Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., president, Esperanza; and 
President Martin Torrijos Espino of Panama. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.