[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 4 (Monday, January 28, 2002)]
[Pages 97-101]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Arrival in Charleston, West Virginia

January 22, 2002

    The President. Thank you all. It's nice to be back. I appreciate 
this West Virginia welcome. Thank you for your hospitality, and thank 
you for giving me a chance to give you a little update on how we're 
doing as a nation.
    But first, before I begin, I want to thank our friend, a great 
friend to West Virginia, Shelley Moore Capito, for her leadership. I've 
learned some things about Shelley Moore: One, she's very bright; two, 
she doesn't always do what the President says--she's got a little bit of 
an independent streak; but three, she loves West Virginia. She loves the 
State, and she's working hard to do what's right for the West Virginia 
people. And I'm proud to call her friend. And I hope you're proud to 
call her Congresswoman.
    It's been a pleasure to work with some of the distinguished Members 
you have sent to Washington, DC, and there's no more distinguished than 
Senator Robert Byrd. He loves his State; he loves the country. I have 
been spellbound by his speeches. I've been interested to hear his points 
of view. I look forward to working with him as Congress comes back to 
Washington, DC, after the Christmas break. West Virginia has got a fine 
friend in Senator Byrd, and so does America, and I'm proud to call him 
friend.
    And I appreciate your Governor being here today, Governor Wise. It's 
awfully kind of him to come and say hello to the President. We're 
working closely together on a subject that's dear to your heart and dear 
to my heart, and that's how to make sure West Virginia, and all of 
America, remains safe, make sure we've got a homeland that's secure. And 
the Governor is working closely on this issue with us.
    I appreciate so very much the former Governor, Cecil Underwood, and 
my friend, for being here. I don't know if they put Cecil into 
``Ripley's'' or not--[laughter]--but he was the youngest Governor ever 
and the oldest Governor ever, and he's still looking pretty spry to me.
    I appreciate the Speaker and the Senate President, as well as the 
minority leaders in the Senate and the House for coming. Thank you all 
for being here to say hello. And your mayor showed up. Mr. Mayor, thanks 
for coming, as well. It's an honor to be with my fellow citizens from 
West Virginia on such a beautiful day. And it's a day for me to tell 
you, folks, we're winning.
    Little did I realize the last time I was here that I would be coming 
back to this very spot to thank the fine men and women of the West 
Virginia Guard for helping us fight and win the war against terror--all 
of you. For all who wear our uniform, I want to thank--say thank you on 
behalf of all Americans. For the moms and dads and wives and husbands 
and sons and daughters of those who wear the uniform--some of whom had 
been deployed out of West Virginia--thanks from the bottom of our hearts 
for your sacrifice. It is for a cause that is noble and a cause that is 
just and a cause that this great Nation will win.
    I appreciate the fact that our Nation is now on alert, that we're 
ready, that if you see something odd happening in your neighborhood, 
that you now know to go and notify the local police--something different 
is happening, and we might ought to take a look at it.
    Every morning I wake up like I did this morning, and I get to the 
Oval Office--I'm an early morning man. Barney and Spot and I head out to 
the South Lawn. [Laughter] I head in to the Oval Office, and the first 
thing I look at is potential threats to the United States. Every morning 
I'm reminded that my most important job in this day and age is to make 
sure our Government, the Federal Government and all governments at all 
levels do everything we can to prevent a further attack on the good 
people of this country.
    I want to assure you, we're chasing down every lead; we're following 
every hint. Our FBI is on full alert. Their primary task now is to 
prevent another attack. We're working with States--as I mentioned the 
Governor--we're working with local officers to better share information 
to disrupt and prevent.

[[Page 98]]

And I'm so proud of the way our Nation is responding, but the truth of 
the matter is, the best way to secure the homeland of the United States 
is to find the enemy where he hides and bring him to justice.
    I know I'm like many moms--many dads, and Laura is like many moms 
who yearn for peace. We want nothing more than our children to be in a 
peaceful world. But I understand that in order to defeat the evil ones, 
we must use the mighty U.S. military to put--after we have put them on 
notice, to rout them out of their caves and to bring them to justice. 
And that's exactly what our Nation will do.
    Our military has performed brilliantly. I gave them a task with 
clear objectives, and they're accomplishing those tasks and those 
objectives. I said real clear to the world that--real clearly to the 
world--the old west Texan in me slipping out--[laughter]--clearly to the 
world, I said that either you are with us or you are against us when it 
comes to finding terror. I'm proud to report many, many, many nations 
have signed up to be with us. But I want to assure you all that if I 
tire, they will go to sleep. And if we blink, so will they. And 
therefore, it's so important for this Nation to remain steadfast and 
resolved and strong in our purpose to free the world of terror so our 
children can live peacefully.
    I want to thank the people of West Virginia and the American people 
for their patience. They understand that the task at hand may take a 
while. They understand that this country is in this for the long pull, 
that in order to secure freedom for generations to come, that we, this 
generation, must be willing to sacrifice, must be patient, must be 
determined, and must be resolved. We have no other choice, as far as I'm 
concerned. It's either allow terror to spread its wings and terrorize 
others, or to stand tough. And this Nation has made the decision to 
stand tough. And I'm proud of her.
    A fellow came the other day to the office and said, ``Well, are you 
worried about Mr. bin Laden?'' I said, ``No, I'm not too worried about 
him. He's the guy that needs to be worried.'' [Laughter] But I want to 
assure you, the objective is not bin Laden. Oh, we'll get bin Laden. 
There's only so many caves he can hide in, if he's still hiding in 
caves. My attitude was, once we get him running, it's just a matter of 
time before we bring him to justice.
    But the mission is broader than just one person. The mission is to 
make sure that terror, wherever it tries to settle in, is routed out. 
The mission is to say to the governments that think that we're not 
watching, ``We're watching, and if you try to harbor a terrorist, feed a 
terrorist, you're just as guilty as those who would commit murder on 
innocent citizens.''
    So I want to reiterate what I said to those who are making the 
sacrifice by wearing the uniform and particularly their families. I want 
to thank you. I grieve and mourn and pray when we lose a life. And we 
will, when it comes to the war on terror. But I told----
    Audience member. We love you, sir!
    The President. Thank you. [Laughter]
    But I told the families that I've spoken to, by word and written 
letter, that this Nation is doing the right thing, that we're seeds in 
history, that we refuse to be shaped by terror, that we will win the war 
on terror, and the cause of sacrifice is noble, and it is just.
    What a great nation we have: A nation that is willing to sacrifice 
for freedom and, at the same time, a nation that is liberating women and 
children in Afghanistan from the evil repression of the Taliban; a 
nation that not only stands on principle but a nation that is a nation 
of liberators. I'm so proud of our military and the American people, and 
the Afghan women and children thank you from the bottom of our heart.
    I know a lot of people are thinking overseas, and that's--I can 
understand that, but we've got a lot of work here to do at home, too. 
The evil ones, when they hit us, affected our economy. And I've got to 
tell you something: I'm worried about people being able to find jobs. My 
economic plan is based upon this word: jobs. I want to ask that question 
all around the country, what do we do to create work? There's a lot of 
good people who want to work, and we've got to help them find work. And 
so I'm asking Congress, when they come back, to keep in mind one word: 
jobs.
    Now, we've got to help people. We've got to help the good folks who 
have lost their

[[Page 99]]

job as a result of 9/11, and that means extending unemployment benefits. 
We can do that. That means helping them with health care, and we'll do 
that. But the American people, they don't want just an unemployment 
check; they want a permanent paycheck. And that's what we've got to be 
figuring out how to do.
    I remember when I was campaigning in West Virginia, I said, ``If 
you'd give me a chance to become your President, one thing I'll fight 
for is to let the working people keep more of their own money.'' And 
guess what? We got it done. I mean, a real tax relief package that 
understands that by giving people their own money, somebody is going to 
spend more. And if somebody spends more, somebody is going to produce 
what their spending--spend money to produce what their spending on, 
which means they've got to hire people. Listen, tax relief equals jobs.
    And thank goodness we did it when we did. This economy was slowing 
down--the evidence shows it--in March of 2001. It was beginning to kind 
of grind down, and tax relief happened at the right time. There's some 
weird economics going on in Washington. There are some saying they don't 
want the tax relief plan to go through, which is basically a tax 
increase. They want to raise taxes in the midst of a recession. I can't 
imagine what textbook they're reading. [Laughter] But raising taxes, or 
not allowing money in people's pockets in the midst of the recession, is 
the wrong prescription. If you want to create jobs, let the American 
people have more of their own money so they can spend it.
    We've got to sell more products around the world. I've spent a lot 
of time talking to American farmers. I said, ``Look, our farmers are the 
best in the world. We're the best at growing crops. So why don't we try 
to feed people who don't have food?'' It seems like, to me, it makes 
sense for us to open markets for U.S. products.
    We're good at what we do. We've got the best workers in the world. 
We're the most productive people on the face of the Earth. We should not 
fear opening markets; we ought to welcome opening markets so we can sell 
more products. If we sell more products overseas, it means more jobs for 
the working people in America.
    In order to grow our economy--in order to grow our economy, we've 
got to have an energy plan. Believe it or not, we're the first 
administration in a long time that's developed a comprehensive energy 
plan. On the one hand, it says, we've got to do a good job of 
conservation. We've got to promote technologies that will enable people 
to have the same lifestyle without burning as much energy. We've got to 
figure out ways for our cars to burn less fuel, but be able to be 
comfortable and be able to let families drive all throughout West 
Virginia. We've got to conserve energy.
    But conservation is only one half of the equation. In order to 
become less dependent on foreign sources of energy, we've got to find 
and produce more energy at home, including coal. I don't view the world 
as zero sum. I believe that we can have coal production and enhanced 
technologies in order to make sure the coal burns cleaner. I believe we 
can have both. Now, I know there are some in Washington who don't want 
to concede that, but they must not have much faith in the technology 
that's coming on line. I don't believe we can be independent as a nation 
unless we've got a constructive coal policy.
    And so I asked Congress, once and for all, to pass a comprehensive 
energy plan, including exploring for natural gas in the State of Alaska 
so we can be less dependent.
    The other day--some of the most interesting meetings are taking 
place in Washington. The other day I was with Jimmy Hoffa. A lot of 
people say, ``Well, he's a Republican. Obviously, he doesn't care about 
the union.'' That's not true at all, for starters. I care about working 
people. I don't care what label they put on them. I don't care if 
they're a Democrat, Republican, independent, union, nonunion; I want to 
find jobs for everybody. I'm the President of everybody, not just a few. 
And so I sat down with Jimmy, and we talked about--and I was with the 
head of the carpenters, and seafarers, and construction people. And 
we're talking about jobs.
    And he reminded me, one reason he was so strong for the energy plan 
was not only because it was good for U.S. security--he cares about U.S. 
security just like I care

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about U.S. security--but because when we explore for energy in America, 
it means jobs for working people. This is just as much of a job program 
as it is an energy--as a national security program, folks. And it's 
about time Congress skips all the politics and focuses on what's right 
for the American people.
    Congress is coming back tomorrow to Washington, and my call to 
Congress is, not let the year 2002 become a bitter, political year. Now, 
I know a lot of them are running for office, and that's fine. And I've 
got my favorites--[laughter]--like Shelley Moore. But there are some 
things that are more important than political party.
    The national security is more important than political party. And I 
appreciate the way Democrats and Republicans have worked together. 
Energy is more important than political party. Jobs are more important 
than political party. And we showed what's possible in Washington on the 
education bill. We passed a good piece of legislation that says, public 
education is a cornerstone of job security. It's a cornerstone of hope. 
And the Federal Government is going to take an active role in promoting 
accountability to make sure nobody gets left behind in America.
    I trust the local people of West Virginia to make the choices for 
the children of West Virginia. So we're going to pass power out of 
Washington, so the schools are run locally. But there are some major 
initiatives inherent in that bill. One of them is making sure every 
child reads. I mean every child, not just a few, not just only one kind 
of child--every single child. If we want to have an America that is 
hopeful and prosperous, if we want to have a job-oriented country, we'd 
better make sure our schools teach every child how to read. And if they 
don't, it's time for us to start blowing the whistle on failure and 
changing things early, before it's too late.
    So there I was, a couple of weeks ago, traveling the country, 
saying, ``You know, Ted Kennedy is a pretty good fellow.'' I know that 
sends a lot of shock waves throughout American political scene. 
[Laughter] It certainly shocked him. [Laughter] We worked together on 
the education bill. Instead of saying, ``Well, I can't talk to you 
because you're of this party, and you can't talk to me because I'm that 
party,'' we said, ``Why don't we do what's right for America when it 
comes to our children? Why don't we set aside all the bickering? It's 
time for us to understand in Washington that America is more important 
than our political parties and come together and do what's right for the 
American people.''
    We are a strong, strong nation, and I am so proud to be the 
President of such an incredible land. You know, the enemy, when they hit 
us on 9/11, really didn't understand America. They thought we were soft. 
I guess they were watching too much TV. [Laughter] They didn't 
understand our character or our resolve. They didn't understand that if 
you anger a mighty nation, that we will rise up with one voice and bring 
justice. We're a nation not of revenge but a nation of justice. We're a 
nation that loves our freedom. We're a nation--a nation based upon some 
fundamental values and principles.
    You know, after 9/11, a lot of mothers and dads sat down at their 
dinner tables and reassessed their value systems. They said, ``We now 
understand our most important job is to love our children. We may be 
working 8 to 5, but loving your children is forever.'' There's a lot of 
mothers and dads--there's a lot of moms and dads saying, ``I love you,'' 
on a daily basis, and that's good. Out of evil can and has come good.
    Audience member. How's Laura?
    The President. She's doing great. Thank you for mentioning her name. 
[Laughter] Laura is doing great. I got to tell you, what a fabulous, 
fabulous wife and First Lady she is. It's clear I married above myself. 
[Laughter]
    But I want you all to know that many have asked, ``What can I do to 
help America?'' And they're still asking that question. Well, the best 
way to fight evil is with good. The best way to let the enemy know here 
at home that they have not affected us is for parents to love their 
children more, is for people in communities all across West Virginia to 
help a neighbor at need. If you've got a shut-in across the street from 
you and want to be a soldier in the war against terror, walk across the 
street on a daily basis and say, ``Can I help you?''
    If your church group or synagogue or mosque knows somebody who's 
lonely, why

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don't you help set up a mentoring program so the child knows somebody in 
America loves him or her? If you want to be a soldier in the war against 
terror, love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
    America is defined not by our Government. America is defined by 
millions of acts of kindness that take place every single day all across 
America, because this Nation is a nation of such strong values, of such 
strong faith, that nobody, no evil one will ever be able to diminish the 
good inherent in the soul and character of the American people.
    It is my honor to be your President and to be the President of such 
a fabulous land. Thank you for having me come. May God bless. God bless 
America. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m. at Yeager Airport. In his 
remarks, he referred to Gov. Robert E. Wise and former Gov. Cecil H. 
Underwood of West Virginia; Speaker Robert S. Kiss and Minority Leader 
Charles S. Trump IV, West Virginia House of Delegates; President Earl 
Ray Tomblin and Minority Leader Vic Sprouse, West Virginia Senate; Mayor 
Jay Goldman of Charleston; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida 
terrorist organization; James P. Hoffa, general president, International 
Brotherhood of Teamsters; Douglas J. McCarron, general president, United 
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners; Mike Sacco, president, Seafarers 
International Union; and Edward C. Sullivan, president, Building and 
Construction Trade Department.