[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 28 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Pages 1019-1022]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring America's Promise

July 9, 2001

    Thank you all very much. Marc. There is no more important goal for 
America than to make sure every person realizes the promise of our great 
land, and I want to thank the good folks of America's Promise for 
working tirelessly to make sure that goal reaches throughout all our 
country. My administration stands side by side with you.
    And here in Washington, we can help. It's important for the Congress 
to pass the education reform package to make sure no child gets left 
behind. It's important for Congress to pass a good and meaningful 
Patients' Bill of Rights to make sure all in America have got good 
access to health care. And it's important for America for Congress to 
pass my

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faith-based initiative so that Government can stand side by side with 
the soldiers in the armies of compassion to make sure America's promise 
is rich and real for every citizen.
    I'm honored that the first chairman of America's Promise agreed to 
be our Nation's Secretary of State. He's doing a fantastic job for our 
country. Welcome, Mr. Secretary. Like me, he married well. [Laughter] 
Thank you for being here, Alma.
    I want to thank my friend Marc Racicot for being the chairman of the 
board. I want to thank Peter Gallagher. I welcome my friend the Governor 
of Maine, Angus King, for being here. I want to thank Ted Stevens and 
Connie Morella, as well, for being here--Members of the United States 
Congress. I want to thank the First Lady of Michigan, Michelle Engler, 
for joining us, as well. It is my honor to welcome to the Rose Garden 
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, as well as Bob. Thank you all, and thank you for 
being such a great supporter for America's Promise.
    I also want to thank the members of the board of directors, as well 
as the members of the Youth Leadership Team, 15 of our best in America 
who are here today. Please stand. [Applause]
    Just as I was receiving the organization's annual report, I also had 
an opportunity to say hello to the 15. And our country is in great hands 
when you look in the eyes of these 15 fantastic leaders. The record has 
been impressive, and the commitment has been deep. And I want to thank 
you, Marc, for continuing to challenge corporate America and individuals 
with the simple and urgent message: There's a need in every community, 
and a responsible society meets those needs.
    Today we're joined by several men and women from around the country 
who represent the promise of America's Promise:
    Mary Mahoney, the president and chief executive officer of Howard 
Johnson's. Where's Mary? Hi, Mary. Thank you for coming. She's been a 
mentor, and she's inspired employees at more than 500 hotels to serve as 
mentors. I want to thank you very much for your dedication.
    Leon Assael, the dean of College of Dentistry at the University of 
Kentucky, is here. Mr. Dean, where are you? Thank you for coming, Dean. 
They staffed a mobile dental van and asked volunteer faculty and 
students to serve more than 12,500 disadvantaged students in Appalachia. 
Thank you for your service to the country.
    Reverend Clifford Barnett of Virginia's Brighton Rock AME Church. 
Thank you for coming, Reverend. He set up a safe haven for children to 
come to a place or worship, not only to find hot meals but to learn how 
to serve one another.
    Charlie Trotter of Trotter's Restaurant of Chicago. Hello, Charlie. 
The man not only serves good food, but every Groundhog Day he opens his 
kitchen to teach area youth and has sponsored some of his neighborhood 
youth through scholarship programs. I want to thank you all for coming.
    This is an example of the greatness of our country, where people ask 
the question, ``What can I do to help?''--and then not wait for some 
Government activity to take place but do it anyway in spite of 
Government. I want to thank you all for serving as fantastic examples, 
just like I want to thank Aisha Shaheen. Where is she? Aisha--there she 
is. Thank you so much for coming. She understands that service is a part 
of a successful life. Catch this: She teaches honors in advanced 
placement English, biology, and calculus to inner-city youngsters in the 
south central neighborhood of Los Angeles.
    We know what children need to succeed. They need mentors and role 
models like Aisha. They need to be healthy and educated and challenged 
to serve and challenged to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be 
loved themselves. And that's what America's Promise does.
    In many neighborhoods, what a child needs is a caring adult. 
Yesterday, flying down from Maine, Angus King, the Governor of that 
State, told me about a program that he's starting to implement, where 
this summer they're going to recruit 30,000 mentors in the State of 
Maine, all aimed to surround the children of Maine with love, all aimed 
at understanding there's nothing more powerful than an individual that 
says to a child in need, ``Somebody cares for you. Somebody loves you.'' 
So Angus, I want to thank you for setting the example.

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    My dream for America is for there to be mentors all over the 
country, in every neighborhood, in every community, where adults are 
able to say to a child, ``The America's Promise belongs to you, just as 
much as it does to anybody else.''
    The effort requires a broad-scaled strategy. That's why I was 
pleased to see that America's Promise has drawn 500 national partners 
and more than 550 State and local partners. And the effort really has 
just begun.
    So I want to thank America's Promise. I want to thank you for your 
love and compassion. And I want to thank the thousands all across our 
land who are working hard to make America a fabulous country for all.
    Now, there are some things that Congress can do, as well. First, 
this Congress needs to get a education reform bill on my desk before the 
summer recess. We had a bill pass out of the House by a broad margin, a 
bill pass out of the Senate by a broad margin. There is no need for 
further delay. It is time to get a good reform bill.
    This is a bill that says every child matters. We believe in setting 
high expectations for all children in America. We believe every child 
can learn. But we also understand that educational excellence is found 
at local levels. We pass unprecedented amount of power out of Washington 
to local jurisdictions, and in return for Federal dollars, which we 
increase, we expect results. We expect there to be a measurement so we 
can herald success and address failure before it's too late.
    Secondly, the Congress must act on a Patients' Bill of Rights, a 
good Patients' Bill of Rights, one that recognizes patients are 
important, not lawyers, a Patients' Bill of Rights that encourages 
quality health care without encouraging frivolous and junk lawsuits that 
will threaten the very existence of an important health care policy in 
America. And so I urge--I urge Congress to bring a reasonable bill to my 
desk. We've made great progress. There's broad agreement.
    For example, a heart patient should be able to see a cardiologist he 
needs without going through a gatekeeper, or a woman should be able to 
see her gynecologist without asking permission, or a parent should 
always be able to choose their child's pediatrician. And anyone denied 
health care by an HMO ought to have the right to an immediate appeal, 
with the outcome determined by doctors, not HMO bureaucrats or trial 
lawyers.
    We've got the makings for a good bill, and Congress ought to act and 
bring me a bill so I can sign it before the August recess.
    And finally, there is no more important initiative than the faith-
based program that I've submitted to the United States Congress. It's 
important because Government can't make people love one another. But 
what Government can do is stand side by side with those who do love and 
those who are compassionate. I can't think of anything more important 
for our Government to recognize the power of community and faith-based 
groups in our society. If the goal is to make sure no one is left 
behind, let us stand side by side with the soldiers in the armies of 
compassion who have taken on that call, themselves.
    So I urge Congress to not get stuck in the process but to think 
about the results and to pass meaningful legislation that will allow and 
encourage and foster faith-based groups all across America to help 
people in need. I absolutely know that the great strength of the country 
lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens. And Congress must 
recognize that by enabling such faith-based programs to flourish all 
across the country.
    So there are things we can do here in Washington to help. But 
there's nothing more important than our citizens. And America's Promise 
does a fabulous job of cultivating and gathering and nurturing the 
compassion of America. It's an honor to be the President of a country 
with so many loving people.
    I understand that societies change one heart, one soul at a time, 
that here in Washington we tend to think all we've got to do is pass a 
law and everything will be fine. But that's not how it works. Cultures 
and hope change as a result of our compassion in America seizing the 
moment. And that's what America's Promise is about.
    So Marc, thank you very much for bringing the report. I'm honored to 
receive it. I encourage people all across our country to find

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a way to help, to become involved with making sure America's Promise is, 
in fact,--reaches it's hope all throughout our society. For those of you 
who are looking for a way to help our country, call America's Promise; 
say you want to help. And I can assure you we'll sign you up.
    It's now my honor to sign a resolution, like other Presidents have 
done.
    God bless you all, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 10:25 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former Gov. Marc Racicot of 
Montana, chairman of the board, Peter A. Gallagher, president and chief 
executive officer, Michelle Engler, board member, and Jackie Joyner-
Kersee, spokesperson, America's Promise; Alma Powell, wife of Secretary 
of State Colin L. Powell; and Ms. Joyner-Kersee's husband, Bobby Kersee. 
Following his remarks, the President signed the Declaration to Fulfill 
the Promise of America.