[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 38 (Monday, September 22, 2003)]
[Pages 1226-1230]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

September 15, 2003

    The President. Thanks for your warm welcome. Thanks for coming out 
tonight. I'm honored so many showed up. Thanks for coming. Thanks for 
your friendship, and thanks for your strong support. I appreciate the 
generous contributions you have made. The truth of the matter is, what 
we're doing is we're laying the groundwork for what is going to be a 
great nationwide victory in November of 2004.
    I'm going to count on you for more than just contributions. I need 
your help. I need you to put up the signs, to mail out the brochures. 
When you go to the coffee shop, you look them in the eye, and you tell 
them this administration has got a hopeful and optimistic vision for 
every single American.
    There's a lot of talk in the air, a lot of political talk, and the 
truth of the matter is, I'm loosening up. [Laughter] I'm getting ready. 
But the political season will come in its own time. I've got a job to 
do. I'm focused on the people's business in Washington, DC. I've got a 
lot on the agenda, and I will continue to work hard to earn the 
confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation secure and strong and 
prosperous and free.
    Most of you probably wish you were at the fundraiser a month ago 
when Laura was the keynote speaker. [Laughter] If so, you've got great 
judgment. She's a fabulous First Lady.
    Audience member. So was your Mom! [Laughter]
    The President. I'm sorry she's not here tonight. And speaking about 
my mother, I'm still listening to her, by the way. [Laughter]

[[Page 1227]]

    I want to thank my friend David for being a fine chairman. He's been 
a longtime friend. I've called upon him time and time again to help, and 
he's never let me down. David, thank you, and the great team you put 
together, for--[applause].
    I've got two great campaign cochairmen for the State of 
Pennsylvania, two fine United States Senators, men with whom I work 
closely on key issues, Senator Santorum and Senator Specter. Thank you 
all for your--[applause]. Like me, Arlen married above himself. 
[Laughter] And I'm proud that Joan is with us today as well. Thank you 
for coming, Joan.
    I'm also honored that members of the Pennsylvania congressional 
delegation are with us today, Congressman Gerlach, Congressman Weldon, 
Congressman Greenwood. Congressman Sherwood is with us. It's good that 
you brought your family, Don. From the great State of New Jersey, 
Congressman Jim Saxton is with us as well.
    I'm also pleased that Attorney General Mike Fisher is with us today. 
General, thank you for coming. We've got another attorney general with 
us, from the State of Delaware, Jane Brady. Thank you for being here, 
Jane. I'm so pleased to be able to say hello to Bill Scranton. He's one 
of the great Pennsylvania political families. I'm honored you're here, 
Bill. Thank you for coming.
    Finally, I have the pleasure of saying hello to a fantastic lady and 
her two children, Connie Katz. Connie is here. She is representing her 
husband, who is running a spirited campaign for the mayor of 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And we're proud you're here.
    I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. I 
particularly want to thank Bob Asher, a national committeeman from 
Pennsylvania, and Alan Novak, who is the chairman. I thank my friend 
Mercer Reynolds, who is the national chairman of this campaign. He's 
from Cincinnati, Ohio, and he's taken a lot of time out of his life to 
help gather the resources necessary to wage a strong campaign in '04. 
Finally, I want to thank Bill Kay, who is the owner of this 
establishment. I want to thank Bill and all the good folks who have 
worked hard to put on this event. Most of all, thank you all.
    In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to 
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems, not 
to 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 declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got. We have captured or killed many key leaders of the Al 
Qaida network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In 
Afghanistan and in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those 
regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million 
people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and now they 
live in freedom.
    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 upon our country, as well as corporate scandals 
and the march to war, all of which affected the confidence of the 
American people. But we acted. We passed 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 for the 
American people.
    I believe and I know that when Americans have more take-home pay to 
spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy grows, and people are more 
likely to find a job. This administration also understands whose money 
we spend in Washington. It's not the Government's money. It's the 
people's money. We are passing more of the people's money so they can 
help raise their families. We're reducing the taxes on dividends and 
capital gains to encourage savings and investment. Small businesses now 
have new incentives to expand and to hire new people. With all these 
actions, we're laying the foundation for greater prosperity and more 
jobs, so that every single citizen of this country can realize the great 
promise of America.

[[Page 1228]]

    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 and 
Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan 
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a 
generation. We now bring high standards and strong accountability 
measures to every public school in America. We believe every child can 
learn the basics of reading and math, and we expect every school to 
teach the basics of reading and math. This administration is challenging 
the soft bigotry of low expectations. The days of excuse-making are 
over. We expect results in every single classroom, so that not one child 
is left behind.
    We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to safeguard the borders and ports and to make America more 
secure. I picked a good man to run that Department. Tom Ridge is doing a 
great job. You trained him well. [Laughter]
    We passed trade promotion authority to open up new markets for 
Pennsylvania's entrepreneurs and farmers and manufacturers. We passed 
much-needed budget agreements to bring spending discipline to 
Washington, DC. On issue after issue, this administration has acted on 
principle, has kept its word, and has made progress for the American 
people.
    The Congress gets a lot of credit. I appreciate working with Members 
of the Congress. Got a great relationship with the majority leader, Bill 
Frist, and Speaker Denny Hastert. We're going to continue to work 
together to try to change the tone of Washington, DC, to get rid of the 
needless bickering and endless politics and to focus on the people's 
business by focusing on results. Those are the kind of people I've asked 
to serve in my administration. I've put together a great team on behalf 
of America, good, honest, honorable citizens to serve the people of this 
country. Our country has had no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney. 
Mother may have a different opinion. [Laughter]
    In 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 citizen has a chance to work and to succeed 
and to realize the American Dream.
    It's clear that the future of peace and freedom depend on the 
actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home. We are 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 holdouts and 
foreign terrorists are desperately trying to throw that country into 
chaos by attacking coalition forces and aid workers and innocent Iraqis. 
They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq would be a major defeat 
for the cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake 
the will of America and the civilized world. But America will not be 
intimidated.
    We're aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them 
so we will not have to face them in our own country. We're calling on 
other nations to help to build a free Iraq, which will make them more 
secure. And we're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume more of 
their own defense and move toward self-government. These aren't easy 
tasks, but they're essential tasks. We will finish what we have begun. 
We will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    Our greatest security, however, comes from the advance of human 
liberty, because free nations don't support terror. Free nations don't 
attack their neighbors. Free nations do not develop weapons of mass 
terror to blackmail the world. 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 I believe that freedom is the future 
of every nation.
    America also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. We've duties in the world. And when we see 
disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On

[[Page 1229]]

the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing the 
healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children 
suffering with AIDS. This great, strong, compassionate Nation is leading 
the world in this important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges here at home, and our actions will prove that 
we're equal to those challenges. So long as anybody who wants to work is 
looking for a job, means that I'll continue to work for an environment 
that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit to flourish, working hard to 
make sure the environment is such that jobs grow so people can find 
work.
    We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by 
strengthening and modernizing Medicare. The 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 both bodies to iron out their 
differences to get a good bill to my desk. It is time for the Congress 
to fulfill the promise of our seniors today and those of us who are 
going to be seniors tomorrow.
    For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the 
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. People who have 
been harmed by a bad doc deserve their day in court. Yet the system 
should not reward lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich settlement. 
Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, and therefore, they 
affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue 
which requires a national solution.
    I appreciate working with Congressman Greenwood. The House passed a 
good bill to reform the system. The bill is stuck in the United States 
Senate. Senators must realize that no one has ever been healed by a 
frivolous lawsuit in America. Not these people.
    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 for our Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Members of--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 Senate floor. It is time for some Members of the United 
States Senate to stop playing politics with American justice.
    Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. The 
lessons of last summer ought to be an indication that we need to 
modernize our electricity grid. You all know it well here. I have 
submitted such a plan that will make the reliability standards 
mandatory, not voluntary, that will encourage new investment so we can 
say as we head into the 21st century, ``We're doing everything we can to 
make sure power is available to the American citizens.''
    We need to use our technology to promote conservation. We need to be 
able to explore for energy in environmentally friendly ways. We need an 
energy plan. For the sake of economic security and for the sake of 
national security, this Nation needs to be less dependent on foreign 
sources of oil.
    Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate 
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate 
conservatism, applying 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. Congress must build on the success of 
welfare reform to bring work and dignity into the lives of more of our 
fellow citizens. They should complete the ``Citizen Service Act,'' so 
more Americans can serve their communities and their country. And both 
Houses should reach agreement on the Faith-Based Initiative, to support 
the armies of compassion that are mentoring our children and caring for 
the homeless and offering hope for the addicted. It's in our churches 
and synagogues and mosques, it's where we find Hindus and Jews and 
Christians and Muslims, that we find decency and compassion. This 
country should not fear faith in the important works of saving lives.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the independence and dignity that come from ownership. This

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administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in 
America. We want more of our citizens owning their own home. We have a 
minority homeownership gap in America. I have submitted plans to the 
Congress to close that gap. We want more citizens owning and managing 
their own health care plans. We want our citizens owning and managing 
their own retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own 
business, because we understand that when a person owns something, he or 
she has a vital stake in the future of America.
    In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take 
responsibility for the decisions they make. We're changing the culture 
of America from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and ``If 
you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which each 
of us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. 
If you are fortunate 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 
worried about the quality of the education in the community in which you 
live, you're responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO 
in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your 
shareholders and your employees. And in a responsibility society, each 
of us is responsible for loving a neighbor just like we'd like to be 
loved ourselves.
    We can see the culture of service and responsibility growing around 
us here in America. I started the USA Freedom Corps to encourage 
Americans to extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in need. And the 
response has been strong. Charities are strong. Our grassroots faith-
based organizations are strong all across America. Policemen and 
firefighters and people who wear this Nation's uniform are reminding us 
what it means to sacrifice for something greater than yourself. Once 
again, the children of America believe in heroes, because they see them 
every day.
    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 
that strength to defend the peace. We're an optimistic country, 
confident in ourselves and in ideals bigger 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 this country. This is the work that history has set before us, and we 
welcome it. And we know that for our country and for our cause, the best 
days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 6:35 p.m. at Drexelbrook. In his remarks, 
he referred to Joan Specter, wife of Senator Arlen Specter; Mike Fisher, 
Pennsylvania attorney general; Connie Katz, wife of Philadelphia, PA, 
mayoral candidate Sam Katz, and their children, Philip and Lauren; 
Robert Asher, Pennsylvania finance cochairman, and Mercer Reynolds, 
national finance chairman, Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Alan Novak, chairman, 
Pennsylvania Republican Party; L. William Kay II, managing partner, 
Drexelbrook Associates; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.