[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 42 (Monday, October 20, 2003)]
[Pages 1389-1393]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Riverside, California

October 15, 2003

    Thanks for the warm welcome. It's nice to be back in Riverside, 
California. I appreciate your hospitality. I appreciate your friendship, 
and thank you for your strong support. I'm proud to have it.
    I understand there's been a couple of changes here in California 
since I was last time here. And tomorrow at the Mission Inn, I have the 
opportunity to congratulate the Governor-elect of the great State of 
California, and I'm looking forward to it.
    I'll tell you what we're doing here tonight. We're laying the 
foundation for what is going to be a great national victory in 2004. And 
I appreciate you being on the team and want to tell you that I'm going 
to continue to count on your support when you go to your houses of 
worship or your community centers or your coffee shops, and you tell the 
people who haven't made up their mind yet that this administration will 
continue to work for what's right and best for every single American.
    The political season is going to come in its own time. I am kind of 
loosening up--[laughter]--and getting ready. But I've got a job to do. 
I'm focused on the people's business, and there's a lot on the agenda in 
Washington, DC. I will continue to work hard to earn the confidence of 
all Americans by keeping this Nation strong and secure and prosperous 
and free.
    My one regret is that Laura isn't with me tonight. That's your 
regret too, I know. [Laughter] You kind of got the short straw. 
[Laughter] She was in the Dominican Republic today and is flying out. 
Tomorrow we'll meet at March Air Force Base, and then we're on a very 
exciting journey to Asia. I'm proud that she's going to be on my side. 
I'm going to get a few pointers from her about diplomacy. [Laughter] You 
might remember that she recently took a trip to France. [Laughter] You 
probably saw the picture of her visit there. [Laughter] I went to 
France. [Laughter] The people were nice to me, but I certainly wasn't 
treated that well by Jacques Chirac. [Laughter] Laura is great. I'm 
really lucky that she's my wife. She's a great First Lady for our 
country.
    I appreciate very much two Members of the United States Congress 
coming today. I know they flew out for this event. They're leaving in 
the morning for votes tomorrow, and that's Congressman Ken Calvert from 
this district--I appreciate you, Ken--and Congresswoman Mary Bono from 
the great State of California. Thank you, Mary.
    I want to thank my friend Jim Brulte for being here today. I told 
him if he gets any skinnier, he's going to end up in a Subway

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ad. [Laughter] But I appreciate his leadership. He's a great minority 
leader of the State senate, the cochairman of this event. I also thank 
State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth who is here. I appreciate you coming, 
Senator. Jim Battin is here, another State senator. I appreciate you 
coming, Jim. Thank you. Ray Haynes, another State senator, is here. 
Pretty soon we're going to get the whole State Senate here. [Laughter] 
Bonnie Garcia is a State assemblywoman. Russ Bogh is here with us. Thank 
you, Russ, for coming. I'm honored you're here. Bob Dutton, John Benoit, 
members of the statehouse. I want to thank all the local officials who 
are here, the supervisors and the mayors and--so honored you all are 
here. I appreciate the folks who have worked so hard to make this such a 
successful event.
    I particularly want to thank my friend Brad Freeman and Gerry 
Parsky--my friends Brad Freeman and Gerry Parsky, who have been the 
leaders in this State for my campaign. As well I want to thank my friend 
Mercer Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the Bush-Cheney national 
finance chairman. He's taken a lot of time out of his life to make sure 
this campaign of ours is well-funded. It seems like he's doing a pretty 
darn good job.
    But most of all, thanks to you all again for being here.
    You know, 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 today 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. And so we 
increased the defense budget 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 our country was attacked, and we had scandals in corporate America, 
and our Nation marched to war, all of which 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 for the 
American people.
    Here is what we believe and what 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. We also know whose 
money we spend in Washington. It is not the Government's money; it is 
the people's money.
    With all these actions, we are laying the foundation for greater 
prosperity and more jobs across our country, so that every single person 
in America has a chance to realize the American Dream. We're returning 
more money to people. We're helping them raise their families. We've 
reduced capital gains taxes and dividends. We're helping small 
businesses. When I hear that someone is looking for a job who wants to 
work and can't find that job, we will continue to work to create an 
environment that is strong for the entrepreneur. We want the people of 
America working.
    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 for and the 
Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. With a solid bipartisan 
majority, we delivered the most dramatic education reforms in a 
generation. See, we're bringing high standards to public schools all 
across America. And we're going to have strong accountability measures 
to make sure that those standards are met. In return for Federal money, 
we're now saying to the public schools, ``Show us whether our children 
can read and write and add and subtract. We believe they can. You show 
us if you're teaching them how to do so.'' You see, we're challenging 
the soft bigotry of low expectations.

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We believe every child can learn. We expect every school to teach so 
that not one single child is left behind.
    We reorganized the Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to better safeguard our borders and better safeguard the 
American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up markets 
for California's farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs. We passed 
budget agreements that is helping to maintain 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.
    And the Congress deserves a lot of credit for the success we've had. 
It's a great pleasure to work with Speaker Denny Hastert and majority 
leader Bill Frist. We're working hard to try to change the tone in 
Washington, DC, by focusing on results, not politics. We want to do 
what's right for the American people. By the way, those are the kind of 
people I've called to service in my administration. I have put together 
a superb team of Americans from all walks of life to serve in the 
administration. Our Nation has had no finer Vice President than Dick 
Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion. [Laughter]
    In 2\1/2\ years, we have 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 
for our own security and for the benefit of the world. And second, in 
our country, we must work for a society of prosperity and compassion, so 
that every citizen has a chance to work and succeed and realize the 
great promise of our country.
    It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the 
actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home and 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; and 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 Iraq into chaos by 
attacking coalition forces and aid workers and innocent Iraqis. They 
know that the advance of freedom in Iraq will be a major defeat for the 
cause of terror. This collection of killers is trying to shake the will 
of the United States of America. We will not be intimidated.
    We are aggressively striking at terrorists in Iraq, defeating them 
there so we will not have to face them in our own cities. We're calling 
other nations to help Iraq to build a free country, which will make all 
of us 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 are essential tasks. We will finish what we 
have begun, and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty, 
because free nations do not support terror. Free nations do not attack 
their neighbors. Free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of 
mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope 
of every 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 have duties in this world, and when we 
see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. 
On 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 Nation is taking the lead. We're leading 
the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges here at home as well. I talked about our need to 
make sure we continue to create the conditions for economic growth and 
vitality, so people can find work. As well we have a duty to keep our 
commitment to America's seniors by strengthening and modernizing 
Medicare. Congress took historic action. For the first time since the 
creation of Medicare, the House and the Senate passed reforms to 
increase choices for

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our seniors and to provide coverage of prescription drugs. The next step 
is for both Houses to iron out their differences and to get the bill to 
my desk. The sooner that Congress finishes the job, the sooner American 
seniors will get the health care they deserve.
    And 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. 
Because frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they affect 
the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a national issue which 
requires a national solution. The House of Representatives passed a good 
bill to reform the system. The bill is stuck in the Senate. The Senate 
must act, and those Senators holding up the bill must understand that no 
one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit in America.
    I have a duty 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. Some Members of the 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 Senate. It is time for some Members of the United States Senate to 
stop playing politics with American justice.
    This country needs a comprehensive energy plan, and the Congress 
needs to act. This Nation must promote energy efficiency and 
conservation. We must use technologies to help us find energy in an 
environmentally sensitive way. But for the sake of economic security and 
for the sake of national security, we must become less dependent on 
foreign sources of energy.
    A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation. 
I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate conservatism by 
applying the best and most innovative ideas to the task of helping our 
fellow citizens in need. Congress should complete the ``Citizen Service 
Act,'' so more Americans can serve their communities and their 
countries.
    Both Houses should reach agreement on the Faith-Based Initiative to 
support the armies of compassion that are mentoring children and caring 
for the homeless and offering hope to the addicted. This Nation is a 
great nation because we believe in worshiping freely. This Nation should 
not fear faith and providing the compassionate help to people who hurt. 
We should welcome help from the Christian community and the Jewish 
community and the Muslim community, the Hindu community, to help people 
find help they need. Love comes from houses of worship. This Government 
ought to welcome the Faith-Based Initiative.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the independence and dignity that come from ownership. This 
administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in 
America. We want more people to own their homes. We have a minority 
homeownership gap in America, and today in Fresno, I discussed ways to 
narrow that gap.
    We want people to own and manage their own health care plan. We want 
more people to own and manage their own retirement accounts. We want 
more people to own their own small business. You see, this 
administration understands 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 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 we're 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. If you're worried about the 
quality of 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 employees and 
your shareholders. And in the new responsibility society, each of us is 
responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved 
ourselves.

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    We see the culture of service and responsibility growing around us 
here in our country. I started what we call the USA Freedom Corps to 
encourage Americans to extend a compassionate hand to a neighbor in 
need, and the response has been strong, just like the response has been 
strong for charities all across our country and just like the response 
has been strong in our faith-based institutions. Policemen and 
firefighters and people who wear our 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 have 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 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.
    May God bless you all. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 6:05 p.m. at the Riverside Convention 
Center. In his remarks, 
he referred to Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger of California; 
President Jacques Chirac of France; Ray Haynes and Russ Bogh, California 
State assemblymen; Brad Freeman, California State finance chairman, 
Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.; Gerald L. Parsky, chairman, Team California, 
California Republican Party Board of Directors; and former President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq.