[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 37 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Pages 1183-1187]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

September 9, 2003

    Thanks for coming. Great to be back in beautiful Fort Lauderdale. I 
appreciate so

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many folks showing up tonight, and I'm honored to be introduced by a 
great Governor. I'm not surprised he's so successful. We both share the 
same political consultant--[laughter]--Mother. [Laughter]
    This is a fantastic turnout, and I'm so honored you're here. What 
we're doing is laying the framework and the foundation for what will be 
a great victory in November of 2004. I appreciate your contributions, 
but Jeb is right. We're going to count on you to energize the 
grassroots, to make the phone calls, and to put up the signs. And when 
you go to the coffee shop, you tell them that this administration is 
committed to making sure that our country is positive and hopeful and 
optimistic for every single citizen who lives in America.
    There's a lot of politics in the air, it seems like. And I'm 
loosening up, and I'm getting ready. The truth of the matter is, the 
political season will come in its own time. I've got a job to do. I've 
got a job to do on behalf of the American people, and there's a lot on 
the agenda. But I will assure you, my administration will continue to 
work hard to earn the confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation 
secure and strong and prosperous and free.
    I am sorry Laura didn't travel with me today, not as sorry as you, 
probably. [Laughter] But I am really proud of Laura. She's a fabulous 
wife, great mom, and a terrific First Lady for the United States of 
America.
    I want to thank this cast of characters who is on the stage with me 
tonight: my great friend Al Hoffman, who is the honorary State finance 
chair; Tom Petway, who is the State finance cochair; Zach Zachariah, the 
State finance cochair; and my friend Jim Blosser, who is the event 
chairman tonight. I want to thank you guys for your hard work. Thank you 
all.
    Also, I want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds, the national 
finance chairman, from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is taking a lot of time off 
to make sure that this campaign is well-funded. I appreciate members of 
the statehouse who are here. Johnny Byrd, the speaker of the house, is 
with us today. Other members of the statehouse, State senators are with 
us. I want to thank you all for coming. Make sure you do what Brother 
says to do--[laughter]--most of the time. [Laughter] I'm honored that 
our attorney general, Charlie Crist, is with us today. I know we've got 
local officials with us. I particularly want to say thanks to the mayor, 
Jim Naugle of Fort Lauderdale, and Oliver Parker, mayor of Lauderdale-
by-the-Sea.
    But most of all, I want to thank you all for coming. This is a big 
turnout. It makes me feel pretty spunky to see this many people out 
there.
    In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to 
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems and 
not pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. I came to 
seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. This 
administration is meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists, coldblooded killers, declared war on the United States 
of America, and war is what they got. We have captured or killed many 
key leaders of Al Qaida, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. 
In Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those 
regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Think about this: 
50 million people who once lived under tyranny in those two countries 
now live in freedom, thanks to the United States of America and our 
friends and allies.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the 
resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased 
the defense budgets to prepare for the threats of a new era. And today, 
no one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the 
spirit of the United States military.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And 
then the attacks came on our country, and we had scandals in corporate 
America, and war. All affected the people's confidence. But we acted. We 
passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account. And to get 
the economy going again, I have twice led the United States Congress to 
pass historic tax relief.
    I know that when Americans have more take-home pay to spend, to 
save, or to invest, the whole economy grows and people are more likely 
to find a job. I also know whose money we spend in Washington, DC. We do

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not spend the Government's money. We spend the people's money.
    We're returning the money to the people so they can better raise 
their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to 
encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand 
and, therefore, to hire new workers. With all these actions, we are 
laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs so that 
everybody in America has a chance to realize the great promise of our 
country.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education 
reform, but there wasn't much action. So I acted. I called upon the 
Congress to pass the No Child Left Behind Act. And with a solid 
bipartisan majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in 
a generation. We bring high standards and strong accountability to every 
public school in America. We are challenging the soft bigotry of low 
expectations, because we believe every child can learn the basics of 
reading and math, and we insist that every school teach the basics of 
reading and math. In return for Federal money, we're now asking schools 
to show us whether or not children are learning to read and write and 
add and subtract. We're providing extra resources to make sure that not 
one single child is left behind in America.
    We reorganized our Government to create the Department of Homeland 
Security to better guard our ports and borders and to protect the 
American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for Florida's ranchers and farmers and entrepreneurs and 
manufacturers. We passed budget agreements to--so that we have much-
needed spending discipline in Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this 
administration has acted on principle. We have kept our word, and we 
have made progress for the American people.
    The Congress gets a lot of credit. I'm happy to work with Speaker 
Hastert and Senator Frist. We're working hard to change the tone in 
Washington, to get rid of all the needless politics, to elevate the 
discourse, to focus on results, so the people know we went to the 
Nation's Capital to serve our country.
    And those are the kind of people who I've attracted to my 
administration. I have put together a fabulous team on behalf of the 
American people, good, honorable, hardworking, decent Americans. Our 
country has had no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney. Mother may 
have a second opinion. [Laughter]
    In 2\1/2\ years--2\1/2\ years, we've done a lot. We have come far, 
but our work is only beginning. I have set great goals worthy of a great 
nation. First, America is committed to expanding the realm of freedom 
and peace, not only for our own security but for the benefit of the 
world. And second, in our own country, we must work for a society of 
prosperity and compassion so that every single citizen has a chance to 
work and to succeed and realize the American Dream. It is clear that the 
future of peace and freedom depend on the actions of America. This 
Nation is freedom's home. This Nation is freedom's defender. We welcome 
this charge of history, and we are keeping it.
    Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle, 
and neither are we. This country will not rest. We will not tire. We 
will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. We are 
confronting that danger in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein holdouts and 
foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw Iraq into chaos by 
attacking coalition forces, aid workers, and innocent Iraqis. They know 
that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be a major defeat for their 
cause of terror. The collection of killers is trying to shake the will 
of the United States of America and the civilized world. This country 
will not be intimidated.
    We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq. By defeating 
them there, we will not have to face them on our own streets. We're 
calling other nations to help Iraq build a free country, which will make 
us all more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume 
more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These are not 
easy tasks, but they are essential tasks. We will finish what we have 
begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    Yet I understand that our greatest security comes from the advance 
of human liberty, because free nations do not support terror. Free 
nations do not attack their neighbors. And free nations do not threaten 
the world

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with weapons of mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the 
deepest need and hope of every human heart, and I believe that freedom 
is the right of every person and the future of every nation, including 
nations like Cuba.
    America also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. And when we 
see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. 
On the continent of Africa, this great, strong, compassionate Nation is 
now committed to bringing the healing power of medicine to millions of 
men and women and children now suffering with AIDS. This great land is 
leading the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges at home as well. And our actions will prove that 
we are equal to those challenges. So long as anybody who wants to work 
cannot find a job, I will continue to work to create an environment that 
emphasizes job growth.
    As well, we must keep our duty and commitment to America's seniors 
by strengthening and modernizing Medicare. Congress took historic action 
to improve the lives of older Americans. For the first time since the 
creation of Medicare, the House and the Senate have passed reforms to 
increase choices for our seniors and to provide coverage for 
prescription drugs. It is now time for the House and the Senate to iron 
out their differences, to modernize Medicare, not only for the seniors 
who are depending upon Medicare today but for those of us who will be 
depending upon Medicare tomorrow. We have an obligation to the future of 
this country.
    For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the 
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. I appreciate 
Jeb's leadership on this issue here in the State of Florida. Listen, 
people who have been harmed by a bad doctor of course deserve their day 
in court. The system should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing 
for rich settlements.
    Because frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they 
affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue 
that requires a national solution. I have put out a good reform plan for 
medical liability. The House acted. It is stuck in the Senate. Senators 
must understand, we need to change the system. No one has ever been 
healed in America because of a frivolous lawsuit.
    I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men 
and women to the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Some Members of the United States Senate are 
trying to keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-down votes. 
Every judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on 
the floor of the United States Senate. It is time for some Members of 
the United States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.
    Our Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. 
It should be clear to the Congress that we need to modernize our 
electricity grid. [Laughter] We have put forth a plan to do so. We must 
promote energy efficiency and more conservation. We must use our 
technologies to discover new sources of energy. We must use technology 
to find more energy here at home in environmentally friendly ways. For 
the sake of economic security and for the sake of national security, 
this Nation must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate 
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate 
conservatism. We will apply the best and most innovative ideas to the 
task of helping our fellow citizens who hurt. There are still millions 
of men and women who want to end their dependence on Government and 
become independent through hard work. We must build on the success of 
welfare reform to bring work and, therefore, dignity into the lives of 
more of our fellow citizens.
    Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that more 
Americans can serve their communities and their country. And the 
Congress should reach agreement on my Faith-Based Initiative to support 
the armies of compassion, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and Muslim, all of whom 
are serving our country by mentoring children, by caring for the 
homeless, and by offering hope to the

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addicted. Our Nation should not fear faith. We should welcome faith into 
the compassionate delivery of those who hurt.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the independence and the dignity that come from ownership. This 
administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in 
America. We want more people owning their own home. We have a minority 
homeownership gap in America, and I have submitted plans to the United 
States Congress to close that gap. We want more Americans owning and 
managing their own health care accounts. We want more Americans owning 
and managing their own retirement accounts. We want more Americans 
starting their own small business, because we understand in the Bush 
administration that when a person owns something, he or she has a vital 
stake in the future of our country.
    In a compassionate society, people respect one another, and they 
take responsibility for the decisions they make. We're changing the 
culture of America from one that has said, ``If it feels good, just go 
ahead and do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' 
to a culture in which each of us understands that we are responsible for 
the decisions we make in life. If you're lucky enough to be a mom or a 
dad, you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart and 
all your soul. If you're concerned about the quality of the education in 
your community, you're responsible for doing something about it. If 
you're a CEO in corporate America, you are responsible for telling the 
truth to your shareholders and your employees. And in this new 
responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our 
neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
    We can see the culture of service and the culture of responsibility 
growing around us here in America. It was right after 9/11/2001, I 
started what's called the USA Freedom Corps to encourage Americans to 
extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. And the response has 
been great. Our faith-based organizations are vibrant and strong. Our 
charities are doing well here in America. People understand the call to 
serve something greater than yourself in life, just like our policemen 
and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's uniform. Once again, 
the children of America believe in heroes, because they see them every 
day. And in these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and 
the courage of America. And I've been privileged to see the compassion 
and the character of the American people.
    All the tests of the last 2\1/2\ years have come to the right 
nation. We're a strong country, and we use our strength to defend the 
peace. We're an optimistic country, confident in ourselves and in ideals 
better than ourselves. Abroad, we seek to lift up whole nations by 
spreading freedom. At home, we seek to lift up lives by spreading 
opportunity to every corner of America. This is the work that history 
has set before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our country and 
for our cause, the best days lie ahead.
    Thank you for coming. May God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 6:18 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-
Six. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; and 
Charlie Crist, Florida State attorney general.