[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 48 (Monday, December 1, 2003)]
[Pages 1704-1709]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Phoenix

November 25, 2003

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you for coming. I'm 
honored that so many people showed up tonight. Jon said, ``If you come 
to Arizona, we may be able to get a couple of folks to come.'' 
[Laughter] This is a fantastic event. You know what we're doing? We're 
laying the foundation for what is going to be a great national victory 
in 2004.
    I'm honored you're here, I really am. I want to thank you all for 
coming. It's a big deal that you showed up. It means a lot. You know, 
I'm getting ready. I'm kind of loosening up. [Laughter] But politics 
will come in its own time. I've got a job to do. I've got a job to do in 
our Nation's Capital. And as you circulate around this important State, 
when you go to your coffee shops or your community centers or your 
houses of worship, you tell them President Bush and his administration 
is focused on the people's business. We're working on behalf of 
everybody to keep this country strong and secure and prosperous and 
free.
    My one regret for this evening, Senator, is the fact that Laura 
isn't with me.
    Audience members. Aw-w-w.
    The President. No, I know it. I know it. A lot of you would rather 
have had her than me. [Laughter] It shows how wise you are. [Laughter] 
She is a fabulous lady. She is a great wife, a wonderful mother, and 
she's doing a heck of a good job as the First Lady of this country.
    Kyl married well too; I'm honored Caryll is here. I picked two fine 
people to be the State cochairmen of this campaign, and that's Senator 
Jon Kyl and Senator John McCain. You've sent two fine Americans to the 
United States Senate.
    We've also got a great congressional delegation, some of whom are 
here tonight. I'm so honored that Congressman Jim Kolbe is

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here. Congressman J.D. Hayworth and his wife, Mary, is here. As I 
mentioned a little while ago, they're starting to call him ``Slim'' 
Hayworth. [Laughter] He's looking quite pretty these days. [Laughter] 
John and Shirley Shadegg are here with us today. John, thank you for 
coming. Cheryl and Jeff Flake are with us today. Josie and Trent Franks 
are with us today. And finally, Congressman Rick Renzi is with us today. 
I'm honored that they're--thank you all for coming.
    I appreciate working with these fine folks from Arizona. They care 
deeply about our country. They're strong leaders. They love the people 
of Arizona. I know you're proud of them. I'm proud to call them friends 
and allies.
    I also want to thank statehouse members who are here. Jan Brewer, 
the secretary of state, is with us. Jan, thank you for coming. Speaker 
Jake Flake asked me to watch Congressman Jeff Flake in Washington to 
make sure he behaved himself. [Laughter] But Mr. Speaker, I'm glad 
you're here. As Jeff came through, he said he's a real, live cowboy. I 
like coming to States where they have real, live cowboys. You know, 
Senator, we're keeping pretty good company when people show up to 
fundraisers in cowboy hats. [Laughter]
    I appreciate the mayor of this fine city, Skip Rimsza, for being 
here. Mr. Mayor, you've done a fine job, but most of all, thank you for 
coming. I do know that the former Governor, Fife Symington, is here. I 
saw him up close. He's a great Governor for the State of Arizona.
    I appreciate my buddy from down south, Jim Click, for being such a 
great friend--[inaudible]--and Jim Simmons. Both of you all have worked 
hard to make sure this has been a fantastic evening, and I want to thank 
you. I want to thank the chairman of the Republican Party, Bob Fannin, 
and I want to thank Mike Hellon, the national committeeman. I want to 
thank the grassroots activists who are here. It's important to have a 
successful fundraising operation. Evelyn, thank you for coming. 
[Laughter] It's important to have a active fundraising effort, and we've 
done well tonight. It's equally important to have an active grassroots 
effort. You see, you win campaigns when you go and you put up the signs 
and you get on the telephone and you write the letters. For the 
grassroots activists here, I want to thank you for what you're going to 
do on behalf of the Bush-Cheney ticket in '04.
    In the last 3 years, our Nation has acted decisively to confront 
great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems instead of 
passing them on to future Presidents and future generations. I came to 
seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. My administration 
is meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got. We've captured or killed many of the key leaders of the 
Al Qaida network, 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. Fifty million 
people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and today they 
live in freedom.
    Three 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, the strength, and the spirit of the 
United States military.
    Three years ago, our economy was in trouble, and recession was 
beginning. And then our country was attacked, and we had scandals in 
corporate America, and we went to war to make our country more secure 
and the world more peaceful. And all those actions 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, that when Americans have more take-home pay 
to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy grows, and someone is 
more likely to find a job. We're returning money to the people. To help 
them raise their families, we've reduced taxes on dividends and capital 
gains to encourage investment. We've given small businesses incentives 
to expand and to hire new people. With all these actions, we're laying 
the foundation for greater economic prosperity and more jobs across 
America, so that

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every single citizen in this country has a chance to realize the 
American Dream.
    Today, this economy of ours is strong, and it is getting stronger. 
They just released some new figures on the revised third-quarter growth. 
It turns out the third quarter grew at an annual rate of 8.2 percent. 
That's the fastest growth in nearly 20 years. You see, productivity is 
high; business investment is rising; housing construction is strong. The 
tax relief we passed is working.
    Three years ago, there was a lot of talk in Washington about 
education reform, and 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. We increased spending for Title I students. But for the 
first time, the Federal Government has asked a simple question: Are the 
children learning to read and write and add and subtract? In return for 
Federal money, we now expect results. You see, we believe every child 
can learn. This administration is challenging the soft bigotry of low 
expectations. Not only do we believe every child can learn, we expect 
every school to teach, so that not one single child is left behind.
    We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to better safeguard our borders and ports and to better protect 
the American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for Arizona's farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs. We passed 
budget agreements, 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.
    And the Congress gets a lot of credit. As I told you, I've enjoyed 
working with the Members from the great State of Arizona, good, 
honorable, and decent people. I've got a great relationship with Senate 
Majority Leader Bill Frist from Tennessee and Speaker Denny Hastert from 
Illinois. These are fine people.
    We're working hard on behalf of the American people. We're working 
hard to change the tone in Washington. There's too much needless 
backbiting and petty politics in the Nation's Capital. We're working 
hard to focus on results to do the people's work, and those are the kind 
of people I've attracted to my administration. I brought people from all 
walks of life, all backgrounds to serve the people of America. There has 
never been a finer administration than the one I put together for the 
people of this country, and we've had no finer Vice President than Dick 
Cheney. Mother may have a second opinion, Senator. [Laughter]
    In 3 years, we've come far. If you look at the results, we've done a 
lot. But our work is only beginning. See, I've set great goals worthy of 
this 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 own country, we must work for a society that is 
prosperous and compassionate so that every single citizen has a chance 
to work and to succeed and realize the great promise of America. 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.
    The 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 Iraq into chaos by 
attacking coalition forces, international aid workers, and innocent 
Iraqi citizens. You see, they know that the advance of freedom in Iraq 
would be a major defeat in the cause of terror. This collection of 
coldblooded killers is trying to shake the will of the civilized world 
and trying to shake the will of America. America will never be 
intimidated by a bunch of thugs.
    We're on the offensive in Iraq. We're aggressively after them. We're 
striking the terrorists in Iraq. We will defeat them there so we will 
not have to face them in our own cities. Other nations are helping, and 
there is a simple reason: They understand that a free Iraq will make the 
world more secure. And we're standing with the Iraqi people as

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they assume more of their own defense and move toward self-government. 
These are not easy tasks, but they are essential tasks. And 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 human heart. We believe that freedom is the future of every 
nation. And we know that freedom is not America's gift to the world; 
freedom is the Almighty's gift to every person who lives in the world.
    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, the healing power of medicine, to millions of men and 
women and children suffering with AIDS. This incredibly strong and 
powerful Nation is a compassionate nation, and we are leading the world 
in this very important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges here at home as well, and we will be equal to 
those challenges. This administration will stay focused on a progrowth 
economic agenda until everyone who wants to work can find a job.
    We are keeping our commitment to America's seniors by strengthening 
and modernizing Medicare. For years, seniors have asked that the Federal 
Government keep its commitment, its solemn promise, by having a modern 
Medicare system that provides preventative care and prescription drugs 
and health care choices for our seniors. And Washington listened to 
those seniors but didn't do anything. Finally, the House and the Senate 
have acted. They've approved legislation that will bring modern medicine 
to our seniors. This historic legislation is the greatest improvement in 
senior health care coverage since the enactment of Medicare in 1965. I 
look forward to signing this bill.
    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 doctor deserve their day in court, yet the system 
shouldn't reward lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich settlement. 
Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care. They affect the 
Federal budget, and therefore, medical liability reform is a national 
issue that requires a national solution. I submitted a good plan to the 
Congress. The House of Representatives acted. The bill is stuck in the 
United States Senate. I want to thank Senator Kyl and Senator McCain for 
working for this important legislation. Certain Members of the Senate 
must understand, however, that no one has ever been healed by a 
frivolous lawsuit. We need medical liability reform now.
    I have a responsibility as your President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have nominated superb men 
and women for the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Some Members of the Senate--not this Senator, 
not Senator McCain--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 to stop playing politics with American justice.
    Congress needs to get an energy bill to my desk. We need a 
comprehensive energy plan in this country. We need to encourage 
conservation, develop cleaner technology. We need to do a lot of things. 
But one thing we need to do is to become less dependent on foreign 
sources of energy. For the sake of economic security and for the sake of 
national security, I need an energy bill to my desk.
    Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate 
nation. I'll continue to advance our agenda of compassionate 
conservatism, which means we'll apply the most effective and innovative 
ideas to the task of helping our fellow citizens who hurt. See, there's 
still millions of men and women who want to end their dependence on our 
Government and become independent through work. I want to work with 
Congress to build

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on the success of welfare reform, to bring work and dignity into the 
lives of more of our citizens.
    Congress needs to complete the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that we 
can encourage more Americans to serve their communities and their 
country. We need to get the Faith-Based Initiative finished. I proposed 
a Faith-Based Initiative which will empower the armies of compassion 
which exist all across America to help the homeless, to mentor the 
children, to offer hope to the addicted. This is a great nation because 
we're a nation of many faiths. People are free to worship any way you 
see fit. But there's a commonality to our faiths, the call to help 
somebody--hurt. Our Government should not fear faith. We ought to 
welcome faith into helping cure some of the intractable problems of our 
society.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for everyone, 
including the independence and dignity from ownership. My 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. I proposed a plan to the Congress to close that gap. We 
want people owning and managing their own retirement accounts. We want 
people owning and managing their own health care plans. We want more 
people owning their own small business. This administration understands 
that when a person owns something, he or she has a vital stake in the 
future of this country.
    In a compassionate society, people respect one another, respect 
their opinions and respect their beliefs. And people take responsibility 
for the decisions they make in life. America's culture is changing 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're 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. If you're concerned 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. In a responsibility society, each of us is 
responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved 
ourself.
    The culture of service and responsibility is strong in this great 
country. It's truly one of the great strengths of America. I started 
what's called the USA Freedom Corps right after September the 11th. It 
was a chance to give people a web portal in which to find out how to 
volunteer in their communities, and the response has been really strong. 
Americans care about their neighbors. Our charities are vibrant. If 
you're involved in a charity or a faith-based group, thanks for what 
you're doing. You're making America a better place.
    Our policemen and firefighters and people who wear our Nation's 
uniform--[applause]--you haven't even got the punch line yet. [Laughter] 
People who wear the uniform remind us what it means to sacrifice for 
something greater than yourself. You know, 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 3 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 our country. This is the work that history has set 
before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our country, the best 
days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it.

Note: The President spoke at 6:36 p.m. at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & 
Spa. In his remarks, he referred to Franklin ``Jake'' Flake, speaker pro 
tempore, Arizona House of Representatives; Mayor Skip Rimsza of Phoenix; 
former Gov. Fife Symington of Arizona; Robert Fannin, Arizona State 
chairman, and Mike Hellon, Arizona national committeeman, Republican 
National Committee; and former President Saddam Hussein of

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Iraq. He 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).