[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 10 (Monday, March 11, 2002)]
[Pages 364-368]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

March 6, 2002

    Hector, thank you. One of the best decisions I made was, I asked you 
to come and be the SBA Director. And he's doing a fine job. One of the 
reasons I asked Hector is because he understands that the role of 
Government is not to create wealth but to create an environment in which 
entrepreneurs from all walks of life have a chance to succeed.
    I'll never forget going to the Hispanic Chamber banquet in 
California, and I was given the information about the number of Latino-
owned small businesses in the State of California. It was a staggering 
number, and I can remember telling friends of mine in Texas and other 
States what a magnificent statistic it is, to be able to read about the 
thousands of businesses started by Latinos, which means the American 
Dream is spreading her wings in every single neighborhood, which is 
precisely the vision I have for America. I want everybody who wants to 
start their own business to feel comfortable in doing so and have an 
opportunity to succeed in America. And Hector understands that.
    I want to thank you all to the Casa Blanca tambien. I want to thank 
Fidel Vargas for being here. He's on the Social Security Commission; I 
put two Latinos on the Social Security Commission. The Social Security 
Commission spent a lot of time analyzing the Social Security System and 
came back with a solid recommendation of allowing younger workers, if 
they so choose, to have their own money invested in a personal savings 
account.
    Again, I can't think of anything better for the future of our 
country than for people to own a piece of the future of America. After 
all, it is not the Government's money we're talking about; it is the 
workers' money. And I want to thank the hard work of Fidel y los otros 
and the Commission of the Social Security.
    I want to thank George Herrera, the president of the Chamber, el 
Presidente. [Laughter] I want to thank Liz as well for being here, y 
tambien mi abogado. Al has been my lawyer since when I was the Governor. 
He's been mi abogado cuando estoy el presidente, and his advice has 
always been sound. He's really a smart guy and a very close friend.
    And finally, I want to recognize Miguel Estrada. Miguel. Miguel is a 
really bright attorney who I've named to the U.S.--nominated to the U.S. 
Court of Appeals, DC Circuit. They're playing too much politics in the 
United States Senate on our judge nominees. This man deserves a hearing, 
and he deserves

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a vote. This is a good, solid jurist who ought to be on that bench. And 
I'm calling on the United States Senate to move quickly on Miguel's 
nomination so that we can have a good, young Latino, smart, brilliant 
man represent our Nation. Thank you for being here, Miguel.
    I first want to tell you that this is an incredible time for our 
country, and I want to assure you all, as leaders in your communities 
and moms and dads and as concerned citizens, that our Nation is doing 
everything we can to protect America, that we've got a homeland security 
strategy that is working with first-responders and bioterrorism, that we 
want to modernize our borders. We want to make sure we do everything to 
protect the American people, and we are.
    But you've also got to understand my view, and it's this: that the 
best way to protect the American people is to find a terrorist wherever 
they hide and bring them to justice. You know, when this first got 
started, I told the American people that we would be in for a long and 
difficult struggle. And after nearly 6 months, the American people still 
understand that--that in order to fight for freedom, in order to win for 
freedom, we've got to be determined and strong and not relent. History 
has called this great Nation into action, and so long as I'm the 
President, I will pursue the opportunity to protect freedom, any time, 
anywhere.
    And as you know, I've laid out a doctrine that said if you harbor a 
terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist, and that's what the 
Taliban found out. And I like to remind my fellow Americans, not only am 
I proud of how our United States military has performed, that our 
military were not conquerors, they were liberators. We freed women and 
children from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the 
history of mankind. I cannot tell you how proud I am of our troops.
    And obviously, there is still work to be done in the first theater 
in the war against terror. This is a--I told people, and I've been 
saying this for a long time, and I will continue to say so--Afghanistan 
is still a dangerous place. There are still people in Afghanistan who 
either want to disrupt the Karzai interim Government, want to make 
sure--or try to cause Afghanistan to revert back to being a sanctuary 
for murderers and terrorists, so they can do one thing, and that is 
attack us again. And so as you know, our military, combined with the 
military of our friends and allies, including the Afghans, are still on 
the hunt.
    And we encountered a large group of Al Qaida-type terrorists, and 
we're bringing them to justice. There's a fierce battle waging, and 
it's--but we're winning that battle. I'm so sad we lose life. My heart 
breaks when I think about the moms and dads or wives or children of 
those who have lost their life. But we defend freedom, and we're 
fighting for freedom, and we must continue to fight for freedom. And so 
where we find these killers, we'll bring them to justice.
    This Nation is determined; we're united; we are patient; and we're 
resolved to defend the values we hold dear to our hearts. And that's the 
way it's going to be, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
    I also want you to know we've got a lot of work to do at home. I was 
really proud earlier this year to travel the country touting the fact 
that I signed a significant piece of education legislation. It was a 
landmark piece of legislation. I don't remember the exact words I said 
when I spoke to the Hispanic Chamber in California in one of my first 
speeches, but I can assure you I talked about education because it is a 
passion of mine, and it was a passion of not only mine but of both 
Republicans and Democrats. I got a good bill on my desk because both 
people--leaders in both parties decided that there's something more 
important than political party in America, and that's the education of 
our children.
    This is a really good piece of legislation because, first and 
foremost, it sets high standards and high expectations for every child, 
por todos. It refuses to accept a system that quits on children early. 
As you know, in some neighborhoods in America, it's so much easier just 
to move the kids through, so much easier to say, ``You know, a Latino 
child can't read very well because his or her parents may not speak 
English, so let's just move them through the system.'' Those days have 
got to end if we want the American Dream to extend to all neighborhoods.

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    And so I signed a bill that says we're going to measure for every 
child. We want to know if every child can read or write and add and 
subtract. And if not, we'll correct the problems early, before it's too 
late. Every child matters in America, and no child will be left behind.
    We put significant resources into Title I programs. But for money, 
we want results. We want to--because, you see, I believe every child can 
learn. I don't accept excuses that say certain children can't learn. 
Every child in America can learn.
    Now, we also have passed power out of Washington, DC. I don't 
believe all the wisdom in the world exists in Washington. As a matter of 
fact, I think by empowering teachers and principals and parents and 
school districts, we're more likely to achieve a common objective, which 
is high standards for every single child.
    I also have unleashed a reading initiative that I truly believe is 
going to change America for the better. I like to say reading is the new 
civil right. If you can't read, it's hard to understand other subjects; 
it's hard to excel; it's hard to be part of this fantastic future we 
have. And so we've spent a billion dollars on reading.
    And I want to assure you that the reading programs are going to be 
aimed toward teaching that which works, not that which sounds good. 
There is a science to reading. We've got some of the best scientists in 
the world now analyzing what works for all kids. And so rather than just 
spending money, we're going to make sure we spend money on what works. 
And you mark my words, as we stay focused and energized on this 
important subject, more and more children will read. And as more and 
more children will read, more and more children will realize the 
fantastic future in America. And so I'm proud of this piece of work 
we've done.
    I also want to thank you all for supporting tax relief. We cut taxes 
at exactly the right time. In order to encourage the economy to grow, it 
was very wise to give--let people keep their own money. Some up here 
don't understand that. They're reading the wrong textbook. You hear talk 
about making sure the tax relief doesn't continue. It's like raising 
taxes. You don't do that when times are slow; you encourage the vitality 
of the private sector by letting people keep their own money.
    And not only that, I heard from many of you all about the unfairness 
of the death tax. And we've now put the death tax on its way to 
extinction. It's so important for people to be able to build up their 
own assets and their own businesses and have the capacity to pass that 
on to whoever they choose, a son or a daughter, without the Government 
getting in between the entrepreneur and the family member.
    So we're making good progress. I think the economy is still--has 
still got problems. But we put the right fiscal policy in place. I still 
think we ought to do more. We ought to not only take care of those who 
have been unemployed because of 9/11; we ought to help them with their 
unemployment benefits as well as their health benefits. But I like to 
tell people Americans don't want an unemployment check; they want a 
permanent paycheck.
    And there needs to be a stimulus bill. The House passed a good bill. 
Part of it was a small business incentive bill, recognizing that the 
small businesses create more new jobs in America than any other sector 
of our economy.
    I want to continue to push for trade. I believe trade makes sense. 
Yesterday I made a tough decision on steel. But I will tell you, in 
order to be a free trade advocate, in order to be consistent on free 
trade, we better make sure we enforce the laws on our books. The two go 
hand in hand, free trade and fair trade. And so I obviously put a 
temporary plan in place to allow the steel industry to restructure. But 
I also want to remind you all I honored the agreement of NAFTA, so that 
Mexico and Canada are exempt.
    And let me talk about Mexico right quick. My attitude toward Mexico 
is that I want Mexico to succeed. I want our neighbors to be successful. 
The best kind of neighborhood to live in is one where everybody is 
successful, and so our public policy ought to recognize Mexico as an 
incredibly important part of the American future. And therefore, I look 
forward to working with el Presidente Fox on how best to make sure our 
relationship is strong.

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    One thing we can do is doing what we're doing, which is encourage 
our economy to grow and to recover. That will help Mexico. But the other 
thing is to honor NAFTA, which I have done as the President. I did so in 
the steel decision yesterday. I will continue to do so because I believe 
NAFTA is not only good for Mexico; as importantly, it is good for 
American workers as well.
    I believe--and I know we've made great progress. We've got a spirit 
of amistad. We've got a relationship that is open and strong. I told the 
Congress that I want to make sure that the Mexican citizen here is well 
respected, and we will. We respect people in our country. And one way to 
do that is to pass 245(i), which will allow for families to be reunited. 
If you believe in family values, if you understand the worth of family 
and the importance of family, let's get 245(i) out of the United States 
Congress and give me a chance to sign it.
    I also want to talk about energy. Energy is incredibly vital for our 
economic vitality. And you've got to understand, as the President, 
somebody who's concerned about our national security as well, the fact 
that we import over 50 percent of our energy from around the world is an 
indication that we're not as strong from a national security perspective 
as we could be or should be. And so we need to have an energy plan, one 
that, on the one hand, encourages conservation and the modernization of 
our infrastructure, electricity infrastructure, but we've also got to 
explore for more energy. And we can do so in an environmentally friendly 
way, starting in Alaska, where there's a lot of oil and gas.
    Those of you in California know full well that we had a little scare 
out there about a year--less than a year ago. And the State has 
responded by building more powerplants to increase the supply of energy, 
and that's good. Except what's interesting is, those plants are powered 
by natural gas. And the fundamental question is, where is that gas going 
to come from in the long term? We ought to be exploring for more natural 
gas, and a good place to start is Alaska.
    I want you to know that Mexico imports gas from the United States. 
In other words--and it's a hemispheric issue, and we've got to think 
long-term on behalf of the American citizens. And so I put out a 
comprehensive energy plan. It passed the House of Representatives; it 
needs to get out of the Senate and get to my desk, for the good of the 
national security of the country as well as for the good for jobs.
    As you may know, I'm headed down to Mexico for my second visit since 
I've been the President, to Mexico. There's going to be a conference on 
development. I look forward to participating in that. I will proudly 
remind people that we are the most generous Nation in the world when it 
comes to helping developing nations.
    I don't know if you know this--just for example, I was recently, as 
you know, in the Far East. And I reminded the people out there that we 
provide 300,000 tons of food to North Korean citizens. I'm not so sure 
the President or the head of North Korea gives us any credit for having 
provided the food, but we're a compassionate nation, and we should be 
proud of our record on helping people.
    I then go to Peru, and I look forward to working with the Andean 
nations not only on issues of trade but on the cultivation of coca 
leaves for drugs. But I'll also remind them that so long as there's a 
demand for drugs, somebody's going to supply them. And it's a two-way 
street; that, one, we'll help reduce supply, but we in our Nation have 
an obligation to work with our young to reduce the demand. We must tell 
them clearly that drugs can ruin their life. We must educate the youth 
about the dangers of drug use. We must reduce demand if we expect our 
neighborhood to help clean up drugs.
    And then I'm going to El Salvador to meet with the Central American 
nations. We've got the beginnings of a free trade pact with them. 
President Flores is going to be the host, a remarkable young leader. 
Like Peru and Mexico, these are strong democracies; they're continuing 
to reform their process. It's important for me to herald the fact that 
they are embracing democratic institutions which make their country so 
much stronger and so much more vibrant. So I'm really looking forward to 
spending time in the neighborhood.

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    I believe the best foreign policy begins in making sure your own 
neighborhood is free and democratic and peaceful. So I'm looking forward 
to spending time there as well.
    You know, I like to remind people that I truly believe that out of 
this evil that was done on us on September the 11th will come some great 
good. I believe that. I believe if we stay the course and are strong and 
determined, and if the Congress passes the Defense budget I sent up 
there, which prioritizes national defense to make sure our military gets 
all the best equipment and best training possible, that we'll have the 
staying power to make the world more peaceful. And I believe it will be 
if we're strong, and we will be strong.
    I also know that at home that people are taking an assessment of 
what's important in life. And I believe as a result of that, some 
positive things will happen. I think the culture can begin to change 
from one that has said in the past, if it feels good, go ahead and do 
it, to a culture that says, each of us are responsible for the decisions 
we make in life--the responsibility era, where moms and dads are 
responsible for loving their children.
    The most important job any American will ever have, if you're 
fortunate enough to have a child, is to love your child. But it goes 
beyond that, where neighbors will love neighbors. I tell my fellow 
citizens that if you're interested in fighting--joining the war against 
terror, do some good. I mean, if you really want to stand squarely in 
the face of evil, help a neighbor in need, mentor a child, help a shut-
in, you know, support your schools, give to charity, help to start a 
faith-based group that will help change people's hearts.
    It's this--it's the collection of the kindness of America. It's the 
collection of all the acts of kindness that take place which not only 
define our Nation but will stand squarely in the face of evil. And it's 
happening, and I'm so proud of the way the American people have 
responded. Many in this room have as well, and I want to thank you for 
that.
    I do believe that America understands there's a new responsibility, 
that this is a new era, that, on the one hand, we've got to be diligent 
and alert, and on the other hand, we can make a difference in people's 
lives. After all, it was Flight 93 that set a new tone for America. 
People on an airline thought they were going on a business trip or 
thought they were going home. They heard the Nation's Capital was under 
attack. They got on their telephones. They told their wives they loved 
them. They said a prayer, and they sacrificed their life to save 
somebody else's.
    To me, that's one of the most defining events of September 11th and 
on. It shows me what a great nation we have. It reminds me of the 
character of the American people. And that's why we're so unique, not 
because of our Government but because of our people.
    Thank you for coming to Washington, and God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 2:30 p.m. in Presidential Hall in the 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he 
referred to Elizabeth Lisboa-Farrow, chair, United States Hispanic 
Chamber of Commerce; Counsel to the President Alberto R. Gonzales; 
Chairman Hamid Karzai of the Interim Authority of Afghanistan; General 
Secretary Kim Chong-il of North Korea; and President Francisco Flores 
Perez of El Salvador. The President also referred to Title I of the 
Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law No. 103-382), which 
amended Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(Public Law No. 89-10); and section 245(i) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act, whose provisions expired April 30, 2001.