[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 6 (Monday, February 12, 2001)]
[Pages 259-260]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Swearing-In Ceremony for Donald Louis Evans as Secretary 
of Commerce

February 5, 2001

    Thank you, Mr. Vice President. It's great to be here with Members of 
the Congress. Thank you all for coming. Senator, thank you, sir. Two 
members of the Texas delegation are here, and we appreciate it very much 
for coming.
    I want to thank you all for giving the Vice President and me a 
chance to come and see the swearing in of a really good man, who 
married, by the way, a person with whom I went to first through seventh 
grade--[laughter]--with at Sam Houston Elementary School in Midland, 
Texas, and San Jacinto Junior High. And when we were on safety patrol--
[laughter]--little did she ever imagine I'd be President. [Laughter]
    I want to thank all the good folks who work in this Department. You 
don't know Don yet, but you're going to love him like I do. I also want 
to thank you for your service to the country. I appreciate your hard 
work on behalf of America and the American citizens.
    Don has taken an oath to serve this country, and I know he'll be 
true to that oath in every way, because in 25 years, I have never known 
him to break his word or forget a promise. Don's the kind of man you can 
trust without reservation and turn to without

[[Page 260]]

hesitation. He's a good man. I trust and admire him a great deal.
    Since we first met in west Texas, I have turned to Don many times 
for help and advice. I've never been disappointed. We were together in 
Midland, Texas, when we set out in the oil business with big dreams for 
ourselves and our families. We were together in Austin, Texas, 7 years 
ago, when I began serving the people of Texas. He was there on our 
journey that led to the Presidency.
    At every turn, Don has always been a wise and strong and steady 
influence. I thank him for taking this assignment. I am proud to call 
him my Secretary of Commerce. I'm honored to call him my friend. He has 
his work cut out for him. We came to Washington with a bold agenda. And 
we don't intend to waste any time.
    Don shares with me a conviction that open trade is a powerful force 
for good in the world. In all our dealings abroad, we must stand for 
free markets and for the principles of democracy. We must stand for free 
and open trade, without favoritism and without barriers. We have set a 
great goal, a world that trades in freedom, and that goal will take all 
of our commitment.
    Secretary Evans has a mission to represent to America's interests in 
the world. Many American industries and our farmers have met with unfair 
practices as they try to export their goods to foreign markets. In Don, 
they'll have an advocate who carries with him knowledge of trade, proven 
skill as a negotiator, and the full support of the President.
    It helps, too, that the new Secretary of Commerce has a background 
in energy. Our Nation's economy depends on the fossil fuels that keep 
our engines running. And we must be less dependent on foreign suppliers. 
Along with my Secretary of Energy, Spence Abraham, Don will help me in 
pursuing a strategy of increased domestic production and energy 
independence. Don is a key part of my economic team. We're going to make 
the case for broad, fair, and responsible tax reductions. We're going to 
respect and reward the spirit of entrepreneurship in our country, 
helping small businesses as they expand and provide employment. We are 
going to make sure that American workers can find quality jobs in our 
American landscape.
    I can't think of a better background for Commerce Secretary than a 
west Texan with a creed of hard work and independence and enterprise. 
Don has always represented those qualities for me; now he will represent 
those qualities for America.
    Mr. Secretary.

Note: The President spoke at 2:32 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of Secretary Evans.