[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 5 (Monday, February 5, 2001)]
[Pages 241-243]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Fishing School

January 30, 2001

    Thank you, Tom, very much for having us. And it's such an honor to 
have John DiIulio on my staff. For those of you who don't know John, 
he's a pioneer in working with Republicans and Democrats and people who 
really care about political parties to revitalize neighborhoods and 
places where hope may have been lost, by rallying faith-based 
organizations. And so, John, I'm so honored that you've sacrificed for 
the country.
    It's good to see Steve Goldsmith here, who is a partner as well.
    A little over a week ago, a few miles from here, I was honored to be 
inaugurated your President. I'm here today to repeat the promise I made 
on the steps of the Capitol: I will work to build a single nation of 
justice and opportunity. I'm going to need some help to do that. And so 
I'm so honored four Members of the United States Congress are here: 
Senator Joe Lieberman from the great State of Connecticut; Senator Rick 
Santorum from Pennsylvania; Congressman Mark Souder of Indiana; 
Congressman Tony Hall of Ohio.

[[Page 242]]

    I'm also pleased that two members of my Cabinet came: one, Mel 
Martinez, my Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and finally, 
Rod Paige, a fellow Texan who is now the Secretary of Education.
    The Fishing School obviously attracts people who seek excellence, 
and all of us up here, regardless of our political party, love to herald 
excellence. And we love to stand next to people who have got vision and 
good intentions and a good heart. And that's Tom Lewis.
    This little haven is a refuge from violence and addiction and abuse. 
Children find learning and care, but most important, they find something 
that we can never pass legislation to achieve, and that's love. They 
find love. They find an adult saying: Somebody cares about you; somebody 
loves you; somebody wants to help you. Tom knows what we all know, that 
through loving children, you find deep fulfillment in your own heart. 
You can just see it on his face, and you can hear it in his voice.
    As a candidate for President, I had the privilege of visiting a lot 
of churches and synagogues and charitable groups all across the country, 
groups that offer food and shelter, hope and dignity. I've seen how 
effective and committed these groups are at saving and changing lives. 
As President, I am resolved to put Government on your side, Tom, on the 
side of the committed and the caring and the compassionate.
    There are so many people in need. The good news about America is, 
there are so many willing to serve. It's the great strength of our 
Nation. There's no limit to the talent and energy and compassion of this 
great land. But sometimes the need is too great, and the resources are 
too limited, and all of us, as private citizens and public officials, 
should help where we can.
    Today I'm sending to Congress a set of ideas and proposals that mark 
a hopeful new direction for our Government. We will encourage community 
and faith-based programs without changing their mission. We will 
eliminate barriers to charitable works wherever they exist, and we will 
encourage charitable giving wherever we can.
    I'm open to any good ideas that will come from the Congress. And I 
can assure you, these four good Members of Congress will have some good 
ideas. [Laughter] And they're probably not going to be afraid to tell me 
either. [Laughter] But here are some of my proposals.
    I want to fully open up the Federal after-school program, called 
21st century learning centers, to all after-school programs, including 
faith-based groups. I propose to create a compassionate capital fund 
which will provide start-up funds for promising new programs serving 
people in need. We'll make sure that funding is available to faith-based 
programs on an equal basis, with nonreligious alternatives.
    Government, of course, cannot fund and will not fund religious 
activities, but when people of faith provide social services, we will 
not discriminate against them. I propose to encourage mentoring programs 
for children of prisoners, as well as programs that, when possible, help 
to mend broken families.
    The change we seek won't come all at once by any act of Congress or 
any Executive order signed by the President. Real change happens street 
by street, heart by heart, one soul, one conscience at a time. It 
happens in places like this one, the Fishing School. Yet, I hope that 
good policies can expand and multiply these efforts, uplifting lives all 
across America.
    You know, those of us in public life oftentimes are honored to be 
able to see the best of America, to be able to find true strength, the 
true heart of the country. I believe the true heart of the country can 
be defined here at the Fishing School, a place, an idea started because 
somebody said, ``What can I do? How can I hear the universal call to 
love a neighbor just like I'd like to be loved myself?'' In this case, a 
person I call a social entrepreneur, and this is a country of social 
entrepreneurs.
    And our job, regardless of our political party, is to recognize the 
strength of the country, to nourish it and feed it within the 
Constitution, within the bounds of the Constitution, and to herald 
success when we find it. And today all of us are honored to be here to 
herald success because we have found it right here.
    God bless Tom. God bless your program.

[[Page 243]]

Note: The President spoke at 1:35 p.m. in the multi-purpose room. In his 
remarks, he referred to Tom Lewis, founder, the Fishing School; John J. 
DiIulio, Jr., who will head the White House Office of Faith-Based and 
Community Initiatives; and Stephen Goldsmith, who will serve on the 
board of the Corporation for National Service.