[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 23 (Monday, June 11, 2001)]
[Pages 850-851]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks to Habitat for Humanity Supporters in Tampa
June 5, 2001
Thank you very much. Mel, thank you very much. I'm so honored Mel
agreed to become the Cabinet Secretary of HUD. He brings a fresh look
and a true spirit of compassion to the job--plus, he's a Floridian.
[Laughter] He's going to make a big difference.
It's great to be here with the Lieutenant Governor. Tell Governor
Bush, I hope he slept in well. [Laughter] Here the rest of us are out
working for a better Florida and a better America. [Laughter]
I'm so honored to be here with members of the congressional
delegation: Davis, Miller, Putnam, and Young. Thank you, Congressmen,
for being here, and I look forward to flying back to Washington with you
today.
Millard, it is an honor to be here with you. I talk about soldiers
and the armies of compassion; Millard is the general, and Corporal Bush
reported for duty today. [Laughter] I did run into Sergeant Doris Meyer.
[Laughter] I can barely lift my arm. [Laughter] What a great, great
honor it was to be here with Roger and the leadership of Habitat for
this part of the State and all the volunteers, people who work hard,
sweat hard, and end up the day with a beautiful smile on your face.
I really wish I could spend more time building. It is one of these
moments of life where you realize there is something greater than
yourself in life, and that you get the joy of helping somebody help
themselves.
Johana, thank you and your family for allowing for this invasion of
your privacy. But it is important for America to see the fact that, one,
you'll own a home, and two, that you're willing to work for it. And as
importantly, there are hundreds of other Americans who are willing to
stand side by side with you so that you can enjoy one of the great
benefits of America--owning your own property, having a piece of the
future of America--so that your future and the future of your ninos is
very hopeful. And that's what America is about. This is the land of hope
and promise and opportunity. And as importantly, it is a land of
compassionate people.
I like to tell people that I wish I knew the law that I could sign
that would make people love one another. That's not the Government; that
comes from something much greater than people, as you all know. This is
a land of faith and compassion. It is a land of thousands and hundreds
of people who ask the question when they wake up, what can I do to love
my neighbor? That is not a Government function. That doesn't happen
because of Government, and you and I know that. And that's why it is so
important for our Nation to recognize the promise and power of faith in
America. And that's why our Government should not fear working side by
side with faith-based organizations. Quite the opposite: We ought to
fund faith-based organizations so that they can do their duty and love
and compassion.
Oh, there are some in our society who are skeptical about funding
faith. I hear it all the time in the Halls of Congress, ``We can't fund
faith-based organizations.'' If that's the case, are they willing to
eliminate the line item for programs such as Habitat for Humanity in the
budget? I say they shouldn't. As a matter of fact, I'm submitting a
budget next year that triples the amount of money available for programs
such as Habitat for Humanity. Should we eliminate college scholarships
where a child can go to a faith-based university? Should we say Medicaid
or Medicare recipients can't take their Federal money to a religious
hospital?
To the skeptics of faith in our society, I say, come to Habitat
Humanity building sites--listen to the opening prayer, so eloquently
delivered today by a fellow Methodist--listen to the words that are
said, that inspire people to take an extra step to help a neighbor in
need.
No, those who worry about faith in our society and Government's
willingness to stand side by side with faith, don't understand the power
of faith and the promise of
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faith and the hope of faith. And if this Nation expects to fulfill its
promise, we ought to welcome faith-based and community-based programs
all throughout America, encourage them to flourish, ask others to come
and join, call upon mentors who are willing to put their arm around a
child in need, welcome faith-based programs into our prisons, who
understand that when you change a heart, you change a man or a woman's
life.
No, this is a fabulous Nation because of our people and the
compassion buried in the hearts and souls of the American people. And
it's such a huge honor to come to a site of love and a site of
compassion and a site of care, to work side by side with fellow
Americans on kind of a hot day--[laughter]--with one thing in mind, to
help Johana and, therefore, help our society and help America continue
to be the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
I'm so honored to be here, thankful for the chance to work. And
thank you all so very much for what you do.
God bless.
Note: The President spoke at 9:15 a.m. at a building site. In his
remarks, he referred to Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan of Florida; Millard
Fuller, founder and president, Habitat for Humanity; Doris Meyer, house
leader volunteer, and Roger Girson, chairman of the board, Hillsborough
County Habitat for Humanity; and Johana Rodriguez, whose home the
President helped build.