    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 15 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
    [Pages 611-614]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on the Proposed ``Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment Act of
    2002''

    April 11, 2002

        Elaine, thank you very much. I appreciate the job you're doing. And
    thanks for that kind introduction. I want to welcome you all here to the
    White House, the people's house.
        It's an honor to welcome those who have heeded a great call, to love
    your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. It's a
    universal call, and it's a call that has been applicable throughout
    history. It's really needed right now. And so I want to thank you for
    coming to help discuss a very important issue, an important piece of
    legislation, a part of making sure the future of our country is hopeful
    for everybody who lives here.
        Part of the reason you're here is so we can unleash your talents and
    energy on the Hill. [Laughter] And I appreciate your willingness to be
    practical in Washington, because there is a piece of legislation that I
    hope you work on. It's an urgent time for you to act, and I think it's
    going to help America. This really isn't about any political party, I
    want to assure you. It's a way to make sure America is as hopeful as we
    possibly can be.
        I want to thank all those who are here on stage with me, besides the
    Secretary of Labor. Thank you for coming. I appreciate you being
    soldiers in the armies of compassion.
        I want to thank Senator Santorum, who is the author of the
    legislation I'm going to talk about, and Senator Brownback from the
    State of Kansas for coming. As the author of the bill, I thought you
    might have gotten a better seat. [Laughter] Sam got your seat because he
    was on time. [Laughter] I'm still for your bill. [Laughter]

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        Both Senators are fine people and good Members. And I want to thank
    you all for coming.
        I appreciate Cardinal McCarrick for being here as well, my longtime
    friend. And I want to thank you all.
        I don't know if you've met my confidant, Jim Towey, who is here. He
    works in our Faith-Based Office. There he is. Hi, Jim. How are you? Jim
    is a remarkable soul who I was able to convince to leave the private
    sector to come and work. And if you've got any complaints about how
    charitable choice is working or suggestions about how to make it work
    better, he's available. His job is to work with the faith community to
    make America a better place. He was Mother Teresa's lawyer, worked for
    Democrats and Republicans. This is not a political guy, you'll be
    pleased to hear. And he'll do his job in a way that will make you proud.
        The events of September the 11th were an incredibly dark moment. But
    the thing I'm most proud about is, through the darkness, our character
    shined. This is really an unbelievable country we live in. It was heroes
    who risked their lives, and Americans responded with incredible
    generosity. I mean, our heart was united with those who lost their--
    those whose families grieved. It was a remarkable moment, it really was.
    It was a test of our character. People prayed. All faiths were praying
    for our country. People grieved together. All the racial issues went
    away because we all realized we were Americans, with everything at
    stake--everything at stake.
        The organizations directly related to the relief efforts received $2
    billion during that quick period of time. The goodness of the country is
    overcoming the evil done to us.
        We're overcoming the evil done to us, as well, through military
    action. And we will take action. I want to assure you, we don't seek
    revenge; we seek justice. And I believe that if we're patient and
    resolved and united, that out of this evil will come lasting peace,
    peace in regions of the world that might appear now that cannot be
    peaceful. I believe we can achieve peace by being strong and to lead the
    world toward peace. Peace is the cornerstone of this Nation's foreign
    policy; it's what we aim for.
        It's going to be--there are going to be some tough moments achieving
    that peace. But you need to know that we're going to be plenty tough
    when we need to be tough. And we're going to stay focused on keeping our
    homeland safe, hunting down barbaric killers one by one. That's our
    call. History has called us into action, and we must and we will
    respond.
        But we need to do more than just make the world more secure. We need
    to make the world and our country a better place. In order to really
    battle evil, we must be more than just a military might. We must be a--
    we must show our might through our compassion for our fellow citizens.
        I gave a speech in Monterrey, Mexico, the other day, talking about
    how this Nation will help in the development of nations who are poor and
    who suffer. I was proud to give that speech.
        At home, though, we also have got to recognize even though we're a
    rich and powerful nation, there are pockets of despair and hopelessness.
    There are too many people in America who wonder whether or not America
    is meant for them. And so part of our fight to make our country more
    secure must be one also to make the country a better place for all of
    us. And the place to start is understanding that the country can be
    changed one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
        One person can't do everything, but a person can do something to
    help somebody. And your jobs as social entrepreneurs and people deeply
    committed to our future is to gather that love and compassion which
    exists. And you're doing a great job of doing that, and I want to thank
    you.
        My job is to continue to address the spirit of the country, is to
    call upon the best, and I will do so. I will remind people, if they want
    to fight evil, they must do some good. And it's also to recognize
    problems when they exist and work to solve those problems, to eliminate
    the hurdles and barriers that prevent the neighborhood healers and
    helpers from doing their jobs.
        The past 7 months have shown how much our country depends on
    charities. Yet today, America's charities face very difficult times.

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    It's ironic to me that in the immediate aftermath of September the 11th,
    we responded, and yet, there are too many charities hurting. Part of it
    is because of a recession; I recognize that. Part of it is that a lot of
    money has gone into those charities directly involved with the relief
    efforts. And that's good, but it's not good enough for the future of our
    country that many charities suffer today, and we're going to do
    something about it.
        If there is any doubt, let me just quote a few statistics to you to
    make my point. America's Second Harvest, the country's largest hunger
    relief charity, reports that more than 80 percent of its affiliates face
    increased demands for food, while 40 percent have seen a significant
    drop in food donations and funding. That's a problem.
        In Northern California, the United Way is facing an unprecedented
    fundraising shortfall for 2001. Giving was 14 percent below the year
    before. That's a problem. The group's leader said this: ``I don't think
    we've ever had a dropoff of this magnitude. It affects our ability to
    serve our community.'' And I agree.
        The United Way in Orlando was forced to lay off 17 percent of its
    staff in February because it fell significantly short of its fundraising
    goal. Many people in this room, many people whose sole purpose is to
    help an American in need, are confronting greater needs with fewer
    resources. And our Government must recognize the problem and deal with
    it in a constructive way.
        First, as I mentioned, my job is to call upon Americans to love a
    neighbor like they'd like to be loved themselves, to understand that
    being a citizen is more than just a spectator; it's a participant in
    your community. And I will continue to--I will continue to call upon
    Americans to serve. And I will continue to talk about the pockets of
    despair and hopelessness, so that it is clear to those who may be
    comfortable that they have a--there are some who aren't and we need
    their help.
        And I'm going to make sure that our Government passes legislation
    that does a couple of things: one, that encourages more private sector
    giving, that makes giving to the armies of compassion a more profitable
    venture for the individual by allowing the people to deduct from their
    income taxes all charitable gifts.
        The issue is for those who do not itemize. They don't get to deduct
    their gifts, and we ought to allow that. We ought to encourage giving by
    allowing the non-itemizers--listen, charitable giving is important for
    all of the people in our country, not just the wealthy. Everybody ought
    to be encouraged to give.
        What's called the ``CARE Act,'' the ``Charity Aid, Recovery, and
    Empowerment Act,'' sponsored by Rick Santorum and Joe Lieberman, have
    this as a part--as a core part of the bill. It is an important part of
    the legislation, and I urge you all to take your message to the Finance
    Committee in the United States Senate that has something to do with this
    type of legislation. [Laughter] I'm sure they'll respond.
        You probably know that the House is passing a good piece of
    legislation already. J.C. Watts and Tony Hall were the sponsors. It
    passed. And now, so the focus--that's why the focus is on the United
    States Senate.
        The ``CARE Act'' as well recognizes--oh, by the way, just so the
    people understand the extent of what we're talking about, 84 million
    Americans don't itemize and therefore don't have the opportunity to
    deduct. And we really believe--and I know you agree with me--that
    changing the tax laws to provide an incentive for the 84 million could
    and probably will substantially raise the amount of giving in America,
    which will be really helpful and hopeful and positive.
        The other thing the Federal Government must not do is worry about
    the role of faith-based programs in providing help to people in need.
    Let me put it a little more bluntly: The Federal Government should not
    not discriminate against faith. There must be a level playing field
    available. When we have Federal monies, people should be allowed to
    access that money without having to lose their mission or change their
    mission.
        We need to know that in our society, faith can move people in ways
    that Government can't. I mean, Government can write checks, but it can't
    put hope in people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives.
    That is done by people who have heard a call and who act on faith and
    are willing to share that faith. And I'm not talking about a particular

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    religion. I'm talking about all religions under the Almighty God.
        And we should not fear those kind of programs: programs where
    someone's addiction may be more likely cured because of faith; programs
    that are willing to go into the prison systems--you know, programs that
    say, ``Well, stamping license plates is okay, but it may not change
    somebody's life for the better''; programs in which they surround a
    child with love because of faith and provide a blueprint based upon--a
    future based upon love for a child. That's what we ought to recognize
    happens.
        Listen, some of the greatest welfare programs in America are on the
    street corners of inner-city America in a house of worship. Some of the
    best places where lost souls find hope are in our synagogues. Mosques
    provide great hope for people who wonder whether America is meant for
    them. And our Government must recognize the power of these programs.
    These programs don't have giant bureaucracies and endless rules in which
    they become entangled. They keep their focus on their mission. They
    don't keep hours. [Laughter] They're open when needed.
        There's been some anticrime programs based upon faith, like Brother
    Rivers, out of Boston, Massachusetts, who has done a fantastic job.
        And so this act recognizes that part of the mosaic of aid and
    comfort in America comes from the faith community and that we shouldn't
    fear faith, we ought to welcome it in our society. I urge that the
    ``CARE Act'' get passed out of the Senate by Memorial Day.
        I want to thank the neighborhood healers who are here. One of the
    things I brag about is the entrepreneurial spirit in America. But people
    have got to understand, the entrepreneurial spirit just doesn't pertain
    to starting a business. Our entrepreneurial spirit also pertains to
    helping people. And one of the great joys of being a candidate and
    eventually President is the opportunity to see these little programs
    that start up because somebody has heard a call. I mean, it's an
    unbelievable part of the fabric of our Nation. Somebody has heard the--
    said, ``I think I'm going to take my energy and my talent into a
    neighborhood where nobody else has dared walk,'' and have changed
    people's lives.
        And it is amazing what happens, amazing what happens when you start
    off--Brother Lusk here started off with--I don't even think--well, it
    might have been a building; it looked like a building. [Laughter] But
    now he's got this magnificent place in inner-city Philadelphia, because
    he had a vision and a dream to make something happen.
        But it is the effect--and why I feel so strongly about this mission
    that we're all on is because when that one soul who decides to do
    something changes a heart, it is likely that heart that's been changed
    is willing to change another heart. And it's that effect that will have
    an incredibly profound effect on all of us.
        In order to fight evil, we must do good. It is the gathering
    momentum of millions of acts of kindness and compassion which define the
    true face of America, that shows what this country is truly made out of.
    On the one hand, we are strong and tough militarily, but on the other
    hand, that is--we are a nation that is compassionate and decent and
    caring. And no evil, no terrorist can extinguish that light.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:33 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao,
    who introduced the President; Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of
    Washington; Rev. Eugene Rivers, pastor, Azusa Christian Community, and
    cofounder, Boston Ten Point Coalition; and Rev. Herbert Lusk II, pastor,
    Greater Exodus Baptist Church, and founder/president, People for People,
    Inc. The President also referred to S. 1924, the proposed ``Charity Aid,
    Recovery, and Empowerment Act of 2002'' and H.R. 7, the proposed
    ``Community Solutions Act of 2001.''