[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 43 (Monday, October 29, 2001)]
[Pages 1552-1556]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Business, Trade, and Agricultural Leaders

October 26, 2001

    Thank you for that warm welcome, and welcome to the White House. I 
appreciate you giving us a chance to share with you our strategy on how 
we're going to win the war against terror.
    It starts with assembling a good team, and I put together a fabulous 
administration. I picked a great Vice President in Dick Cheney. Some of 
you may know him. [Laughter] But I know him a man who gives solid 
advice, and he's got great judgment. And the Nation's lucky that he left 
the--left his previous occupation to serve our country.
    I'm also pleased to be joined by three members of my Cabinet who are 
all involved with shepherding through an economic stimulus plan through 
the United States Congress. Secretary Paul O'Neill is doing a fabulous 
job. I've got great confidence in Paul and his ability to sell to the 
American people and to the United States Congress that which we're 
trying to do to make sure our economy grows. And I want to thank you, 
Paul, for your service, as well.
    Bob Zoellick is traveling the world promoting free trade. I'll talk 
a little bit about trade later on. But I want to thank his tireless 
efforts. One thing that we're all hopeful for is that we start a new 
round of WTO talks at Doha, Qatar. And Bob's working hard to make that 
happen. I just have come from China, as you know, and he proceeded me 
there, and they were still talking about the Zoellick touch. [Laughter]
    And I want to thank Spence Abraham, as well, who's helping us 
shepherd a realistic energy plan through the United States Congress. So 
thank you all for being here.
    We are at the beginning of what I view as a very long struggle 
against evil. We're not fighting a nation; we're not fighting a 
religion; we're fighting evil. And we have no choice but to prevail. 
We're fighting people that hate our values. They can't stand what 
America stands for. And they really don't like the fact that we exist. 
And I want to assure you all that we will fight this fight on every 
front. We will use every resource we have. And there is no doubt in my 
time--in my mind--that in our time, we will prevail. There's no doubt.
    And we're fighting this war on a variety of fronts. We've put 
together a vast coalition of nations to slowly but surely encircle those 
who would terrorize and to send the message that their actions will not 
stand. I really appreciate the hard work of the Secretary of State 
Powell. He is working endlessly to not only keep a coalition together 
but to broaden it. And it's working--and it's working.
    We're fighting them on a financial front. We're choking off their 
money. We're seizing their assets. We will be relentless as we pursue 
their sources of financing. And I want to thank the Secretary of 
Treasury for leading that effort.
    We're sharing intelligence, because in order to fight a war--the new 
war of the 21st

[[Page 1553]]

century--we've got to know more about the enemy, where they try to hide, 
where they may try to strike next. And so we've got great cooperation 
with intelligence services from around the world, as well as great 
cooperation internally between the CIA and the FBI.
    The culture in our agencies have changed. We are now interested in 
preventing attack. We're now interested in finding those who may attack 
America and arrest them before they do. We've had over--nearly 1,000 
people have been detained in America and questioned about their motives 
and their intentions. The FBI is on full alert, and they take 
information garnered from around the world and share that information in 
a way that will make Americans proud.
    And we've also put our military into action. I've got great 
confidence in the American military. I've also got great confidence in 
our strategy, as we uphold this doctrine: It says, if you harbor a 
terrorist, you're a terrorist. If you harbor anybody who has harmed 
America, you're just as guilty as those who have harmed our country.
    And therefore the Taliban Government, which we gave ample time to 
respond to reasonable demands, are now paying the price for harboring 
the Al Qaida organization, as they should. We're slowly but surely 
dismantling Taliban defenses, Taliban military installations, the 
Taliban command and control structure, all aimed at bringing the Al 
Qaida criminals to justice.
    It is the first battle in the war of terrorism. The American people 
are going to have to be patient, just like we are. They're going to have 
to be determined, just like our military is. And with that patience, and 
with that determination, we will eventually smoke them out of their 
holes and get them and bring them to justice. And that's exactly what 
the world demands. And that's what the United States will deliver.
    It's hard for some Americans to realize that this is a two-front 
war. After all, history has basically said there would never be two 
fronts, one abroad and one in America. But we now have a second front on 
this war against terror here at home. We've been struck, obviously, on 
September the 11th, and we're being struck again. Anytime anybody puts 
anthrax in a letter, it's an act of terror.
    The press often ask me, ``Well, is this the--is the evil one hiding 
from us in Afghanistan, the ones who have done this to America?'' I 
said, ``I don't know.'' We don't know yet. But we do know the evil one 
who hides thinks in ways that we can't possibly think in America--so 
destructive, such a low regard for human life. And anybody who puts 
anthrax, trying to kill American citizens, shares the same set of 
values. Whoever has done it shares that same value of evil that we saw 
on September the 11th. And we'll find them and bring them to justice, as 
well.
    But we've got a strategy to fight the war on the homefront. As I 
mentioned, we're disrupting, as much as we possibly can, any possible 
attack on America. Every day I meet with the FBI Director and the 
Attorney General and Tom Ridge, who heads the Office of Homeland 
Security, to get a report on the activities that were taking place. We 
take every threat seriously. We respond to every piece of information we 
receive.
    As I mentioned, we have arrested or detained over 1,000 people here 
in America, to determine--to find out what they know. And if they know 
something that is helpful, we will act on it.
    And we've got a great response mechanism in place. Today I mourned 
the lives of two who--two postal officers who lost their life in the 
line of duty. But I can tell the American people that because of the 
hard work of many in our public health offices, I believe we've saved a 
lot of lives, too, by responding as quickly as we have.
    Today, right here in this room, I had the honor of signing a piece 
of antiterrorist legislation widely supported by Members of both parties 
in both Houses. It's needed legislation to help us do the job the 
American people expect, which is to protect the homeland.
    This is a two-front war. It's a two-front war. And it's a war we're 
going to win on both fronts. But make no mistake; the best way to make 
sure we protect our homeland is to succeed by bringing the terrorists 
abroad who try to strike us to justice.
    Now, there's another front on the war, as well, and that's our 
economy. And there's no question the terrorists want to cast a shadow

[[Page 1554]]

of fear on the businesses of America. They understand how important our 
businesses are to our way of life. After all, the entrepreneurial spirit 
is strong in America. It's part of our culture. It's part of a hopeful 
society. And the more that can be disrupted, that spirit of commerce and 
enterprise, the more successful they think they will be.
    But they're not going to succeed there, either. In all our wars, the 
productive power of the economy has been one of our Nation's great 
advantages. And that's true today. But it's clear that our economy has 
been shocked. There's been shockwaves sent throughout all parts of the 
Nation's economic fabric. Obviously, we took a huge hit at the financial 
center of our country, in New York City. Our transportation system has 
been severely disrupted, which has, in turn, affected hotels and people 
who work in hotels.
    This administration is deeply concerned about those who have lost 
jobs, and we know there are a lot of Americans who hurt. And we hurt for 
them. And we're going to work with Congress to take the appropriate 
actions.
    I also know that some in this room have made a tough economic 
decision by delaying any layoffs or have chosen not to lay off workers. 
And I applaud you for that. And I thank you for making that decision, on 
behalf of the workers in America. I believe it's the right thing to do 
during this national emergency.
    But our Government must act wisely, as well. We must understand that 
our job is to help restore confidence in the future of the country in a 
way that is wise and sound. Buildings can be rebuilt, and they will be. 
Transportation systems will be invigorated, and they will be, as well. 
But the vitality of our economy depends upon the willingness of 
Americans to spend and for Americans to start new businesses to purchase 
new equipment and to invest in the future of this country. And I 
understand that. And we're taking practical steps. And let me share some 
of those with you.
    We're supporting American aviation with money and loans, to make 
sure the planes fly. We're also beefing up security at our airports, to 
make sure people feel safe in flying. And we're working with Congress to 
get a long-term law passed that will say to the American consumer and 
the American flyer, this Government is doing everything in our power to 
secure the airways on your behalf.
    As I mentioned, we're--we've spent money in a supplemental to 
rebuild New York City and the Pentagon. It's the right thing to do. 
We've got SBA, the Small Business Administration, helping small 
businesses in the areas impacted by the attacks from the evil ones. 
We're paying for improved security at our post offices. We're just 
beginning to secure the post offices in a way--you see, the post office, 
obviously, was set up as a way to efficiently deliver mail, not 
understanding that someone would dare use the mail as a weapon against 
America. And we're adjusting quickly to the new realities that we face.
    All this costs money, and we're spending it here in Washington. And 
when the money we've committed is spent, we believe it will have a 
positive effect on the economy. But we must be careful not to overspend. 
There's a lot of good ideas in Washington, and a lot of them cost a lot 
of money. And we must be careful to assess our needs and make sure we're 
cautious about how we spend taxpayers' money. We believe the best way to 
stimulate and restore confidence to the economy is not through 
additional spending, but through tax relief.
    Tax relief arrives quickly. If we can get a bill out of both the 
House and the Senate, it will happen in quick fashion. Unlike spending 
programs, we won't have to wait for plans to be drafted and contracts to 
be let. The tax relief for new investment in the House stimulus package 
will go into effect as soon as the bill is signed, if we can get it out 
of the Senate. New lower tax rates for consumers and entrepreneurs will 
show up in paychecks on the first day of the next year--of the new year, 
if we can get that passed out of the Senate. The tax rebates for low- 
and moderate-income folks would begin to arrive soon, if we can get it 
out of the Senate.
    Tax relief will put money rapidly into the hands of consumers. Tax 
relief will improve incentives to save and invest and will give a 
powerful boost to our national economy. And tax relief is efficient. 
When we've tried

[[Page 1555]]

in the past to spend our way out of an economic slowdown, we have found 
that the money has often been spent unwisely.
    Tax relief, on the other hand, lets individuals decide for 
themselves what they need most. Tax relief lets economic resources flow 
to places where they can do the most good for the country. The House's 
tax relief plan accelerates some income tax reductions already planned 
for individuals and entrepreneurs and small businesses. This will give 
people opportunity to make decisions for themselves. And we've learned 
from experience that free decisions are usually the best decisions for 
our economy as a whole.
    And third, and most important, tax relief will expand productive 
investment. The House plan allows businesses to speed up the expensing 
of new equipment. And it reforms the corporate Tax Code, so that 
companies do not face higher effective rates as their profits decline. 
Together, these two changes will persuade many companies that time has 
come to reinvest in America. And when we invest in America, we create 
jobs for American workers.
    Tax relief is an essential step. But it's not the only step we 
should take. We need an energy plan for America. Under the leadership of 
the Vice President, we drafted a comprehensive, commonsense plan for the 
future of this country. It passed the House of Representatives. It needs 
a vote in the United States Senate.
    Oh, I understand energy prices are low right now, thank goodness. 
But that shouldn't lead our Nation to complacency. We need to be more 
self-reliant and self-sufficient. It is in our Nation's national 
interest that we develop more energy supplies at home. It is in our 
national interest that we look at safe nuclear power. It is in our 
national interest that we conserve more. It is in our national interest 
that we modernize the energy infrastructure of America. It's in our 
national interest to get a bill to my desk, and I urge the Senate to do 
so.
    And we can restore economic confidence by expanding trade. More open 
trade is essential to the growth of our Nation's economy. A part of our 
economic recovery program is to give me the ability to negotiate trade 
agreements. I need trade promotion authority to expand opportunity for 
businesses large and small, for entrepreneurs in America. I need trade 
promotion authority to expand the job base of this great Nation.
    I'm the first President who hadn't had trade promotion authority. I 
need it now. It's in our Nation's best interest that we have it. And 
it's in the best interests of our world that we trade in freedom.
    We have a chance to draw all the people into the world--in the world 
into an open market economy, and that will offer better living standards 
and more political freedom and will enhance human dignity all across our 
globe. And it's our Nation's interest that that happen.
    Nobody is disqualified from an open world that trades freely. No one 
will be disqualified by religion, no one by nationality. No one will be 
disqualified by geography. Our enemies fear this world precisely because 
they know how attractive modernization is to the oppressed people around 
the globe. Our enemies fear open societies in which men and women can 
think for themselves, can decide their own destinies, can decently 
support their own families, can educate their sons and their daughters 
in a modern world. Our enemies fear a society which is pluralistic and 
open to worship an almighty God.
    Our enemies are right to fear open societies, because those 
societies leave no room for bigotry and tyranny. The promise of our time 
has no room for the vision of the Taliban or Al Qaida.
    This is a time of promise for America. I'm incredibly optimistic 
about this Nation's future, because I understand America and I 
understand the people of America. Franklin Roosevelt warned us 70 years 
ago that fear feeds on itself and contributes to the very problems that 
first gave it rise. America has prevailed over fear in a Great 
Depression and in a global war, and we will do so again.
    The character of our country has not changed. Oh, the TV sets have 
changed; the telephones have changed; the cars have changed; but not the 
heart and soul of America. When they struck America, they did not 
understand our Nation. They did not understand our resolve. They did not 
understand our patience. They did not understand our will to win.

[[Page 1556]]

    I want to thank the Business Council for coming and for joining this 
war. All of us need to understand, it is now time to plant the flag of 
freedom firmly in our nation and around the world, because what we do 
today will determine whether or not our children and our grandchildren 
can grow up in a life that we knew. What we do today will determine how 
free America is for the future. And we will not fail.
    Thank you all for coming, and God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House.