[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 3 (Monday, January 19, 2004)]
[Pages 80-84]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Atlanta, Georgia

January 15, 2004

    Thank you very much. Thanks for coming. And thanks for your support. 
I'm honored--first, let me tell you how honored I am to be introduced by 
a bestselling author--[laughter]--and a great American. I am privileged 
to call Zell Miller my friend. The people of Georgia are privileged to 
call him United States Senator. He is a decent, honorable citizen of 
this country.
    I'm also proud to be on the stage with your Governor, Sonny. Sonny 
said, ``I want you to meet some of my friends from the legislature.'' He 
said, ``What's unusual about this bunch is they don't call themselves 
Republican.'' [Laughter] There's a handful of Democrat legislators here 
from the great State of Georgia. I know there's a handful of Republican 
legislators as well. I'm kind of taking you for granted tonight. 
[Laughter] But I do want to say thanks, Sonny--to Sonny and the Democrat 
legislators who've come. I'm proud to have you on my team. You're 
welcome on my team.
    And I'm proud you all are here. We put together a good team in 
Georgia in the year 2000. We're going to do better in the year 2004. 
We're laying the foundation for what is going to be a great national 
victory in November of 2004. And you're helping, and I appreciate your 
help.
    I'm loosening up. [Laughter] I'm getting ready. But I got a job to 
do for everybody who lives in this country. When you're going to your 
coffee shops and your community centers, they say, ``What is George W. 
up to,'' you tell them this, that I'm doing the people's business in 
Washington, DC, that I'm working hard to earn the confidence of every 
single American by keeping this Nation secure and strong and prosperous 
and free.
    I know that Zell's wife, Shirley, is with us today as well. Shirley, 
I'm proud you're here. Zell and I both married above ourselves. 
[Laughter] I regret that Laura hasn't joined us. She is a fabulous First 
Lady for this country. I'm really proud of her.
    And I'm proud as well of the junior Senator from the great State of 
Georgia, a close ally, good friend, good, honorable man, Saxby 
Chambliss.
    I better make sure I mention Mary Perdue as well, the first lady of 
the great State of Georgia. Governor, I appreciate what you're doing at 
the statehouse here.
    I'm proud of my friend Jamie Reynolds. I appreciate the team he has 
put together to help make this an incredibly successful fundraiser. 
Don't go overboard on Jamie. He's not bad for a country boy. [Laughter]
    I appreciate the members of the congressional delegation who are 
here: Mac Collins and Nathan Deal, Charlie Norwood, Phil Gingrey, and 
Max Burns. These are good ones, good, honorable citizens who are doing 
what they think is right for the country. I appreciate you all coming.
    I know my friend Nancy Coverdale is here. She is just a great 
personal friend of our family's. Nancy, thank you for taking time out of 
your schedule to be here.
    I'm honored that my friend Mercer Reynolds--happens to be related to 
Jamie--he's the national finance chairman for Bush-Cheney--is here. It's 
important to make sure that you've got plenty of cash on hand when 
you're running for President. You want to be well-financed. We're 
becoming well-financed. We've got a great national effort, a great 
Georgia effort. And again, I want to thank you all you all for 
participating in this.
    Ralph Reed is with us. He's the Southeast regional chairman and he's 
the Georgia chairman for my campaign, for the campaign of Vice President 
Cheney. Alec Poitevint is with us as well, who's the party chairman.
    And for the grassroots activists who are here, I want to thank you 
for what you're going to do. Thank you for the work that

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you're going to do as we're coming down the stretch. That's the work 
that's putting up the signs and talking the talk, getting on the phone, 
and addressing the envelopes. I appreciate what you're going to do. You 
cannot win a campaign unless hard-working grassroots people get out 
there and pound the pavement on behalf of this ticket. And I can assure 
you, we'll be right with you.
    And when you're out there, I want you to remind everybody that for 
the last 3 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. 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 have captured or killed many of the key leaders of the 
Al Qaida network, and the rest of them know that we are 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.
    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 and the strength and the spirit of the 
United States military.
    Three years ago, the economy was in trouble, and the recession was 
just beginning. And then there was attacks on our country and scandals 
in corporate America and war, which all affected the people's 
confidence. But this administration 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.
    We understand 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. So we're returning more money to the people to 
help them raise their families, reducing 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 are laying 
the foundation for greater prosperity and more jobs, so every single 
citizen in this country has a chance to realize the American Dream.
    Today, the American economy is strong, and it is getting stronger. 
The figures for the third quarter of 2003 show the economy grew at an 
annual rate of 8.2 percent, the fastest pace in nearly 20 years. 
Productivity is high. Business investment is rising. Housing 
construction is expanding. Manufacturing activity is increasing, and 
we've added over a quarter-million new jobs over the past 5 months. The 
tax relief we passed is working.
    Three years ago, there was a lot of talk about education reform in 
Washington, but there just 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've increased spending at the Federal level, 
particularly for Title I students, for poor students. But for the first 
time, the Federal Government is saying, ``Why don't you show us whether 
or not the children can read and write and add and subtract.'' The 
reason why we're saying that is because we believe every child, 
regardless of their background, can learn to read and write and add and 
subtract. We expect every school to teach every child to read and write 
and add and subtract. This administration is challenging the soft 
bigotry of low expectations. We expect results so that not one single 
child is left behind in America.
    We reorganized our Government and created the Department of Homeland 
Security to better safeguard our borders and ports and to protect the 
American people. We passed trade promotion authority to open up new 
markets for Georgia's farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs and 
manufacturers. We passed much-needed budget agreements to help maintain 
spending discipline in Washington, DC. And last month, we completed the 
greatest advance in health care coverage for America's seniors since the 
founding of Medicare. The new Medicare bill that I signed will give 
older Americans the option

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of a prescription drug benefit and more control over their health care. 
America's seniors deserve a modern health care system, and this 
administration delivered.
    On issue after issue--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 deserves a lot of credit. I enjoy 
working with Speaker Denny Hastert, Majority Leader Bill Frist. I enjoy 
working with Senator Miller and Chambliss and working with this Georgia 
congressional delegation. We're working hard to change the tone in 
Washington, DC. There's too much needless politics up there. There's too 
much backbiting and backstabbing. The best way to fight through that 
noise is to focus on results, to do what I call the people's business, 
and get some things done. And we're getting a lot done.
    We're also getting a lot done because I've surrounded myself with 
plenty capable people, good, honorable, decent people from all walks of 
life who have come to serve in my administration with one thing in mind, 
to represent the greatest country on the face of the Earth. Our country 
has had no finer Vice President than Dick Cheney. Mother may have a 
second opinion. [Laughter]
    In 3 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 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 every citizen has a chance to work and to succeed and to realize the 
great promise of America.
    It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the 
actions of America. We are 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 all people can be 
certain they will never again have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein. 
The Ba'athist holdouts largely responsible for the current violence now 
know there will be no return to corrupt power and the privilege they 
once held. All Iraqis who have taken the side of freedom have taken the 
winning side.
    We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent 
than accept the rise of liberty in the Middle East. You see, 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 the United States of America. America will never be intimidated by a 
bunch of thugs and assassins.
    We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them 
there so we do not have to face them in our own country. Other nations 
are helping to build a free Iraq because they understand a free and 
peaceful Iraq in the heart of the Middle East 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're essential tasks. We will finish what we have begun, 
and we will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    And part of winning the war on terror is to oppose proliferation 
around the world. Last month, after talks with the United States and 
Great Britain, Libya voluntarily committed to disclose and dismantle all 
its weapons of mass destruction programs. Leaders around the world now 
know this: Weapons of mass destruction do not bring influence or 
prestige; they bring isolation and other unwelcome consequences. 
[Laughter] And nations who abandon the pursuit of these weapons will 
find an open path to better relations with the United States of America.
    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 destruction. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and 
hope of every human heart. I 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 God's gift to every man and woman in this world.

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    America also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in this world, and when we 
see disease, starvation, and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. On 
the continent of Africa, this great, mighty land is committed to 
bringing the healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and 
children now suffering with AIDS. This great country of ours is leading 
the world in this incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We face challenges here at home as well, and our actions will prove 
that we're equal to these challenges. This administration will continue 
to promote a pro-growth, pro-small business, pro-entrepreneur economic 
agenda until everyone who wants to work can find a job.
    And for the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on 
the frivolous lawsuits which are driving up 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 
they therefore affect the Federal budget. Medical liability reform is a 
national issue that requires a national solution.
    The House of Representatives passed a good bill. The bill is stuck 
in the United States Senate. Senators Miller and Chambliss are working 
to get it unstuck. The Senate must act on behalf of the American people. 
Some of those Senators must understand that no one has ever been healed 
by a frivolous lawsuit in America.
    I have a responsibility as your President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I 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. Yet some Members, 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 Senate floor. I appreciate Senator Miller and Senator 
Chambliss' strong support for the nominees I've nominated. It's time for 
some of the Members of the United States Senate to stop playing politics 
with American justice.
    This country needs an energy plan, and Congress needs to complete 
the work on that bill and get it to my desk. We must promote energy 
efficiency and conservation and to develop cleaner technologies to help 
us explore in environmentally friendly ways. 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, 
which means we'll apply the best and most innovative ideas to the task 
of helping fellow citizens in need. We need--there are millions of men 
and women in this country who want to end their dependence on government 
and become independent through hard work. We must build on the success 
of welfare reform, put good job-training programs in place that help 
people find work that actually exists, so that more people can have work 
and dignity in their lives.
    With the help of Congress, we're working to ensure that more 
Americans can serve their communities and their country through what's 
called the Citizen Service Program. Both Houses of the United States 
Congress must pass my Faith-Based Initiative. It is essential that our 
Government not fear the influence of faith in our society but welcome 
people of faith into serving the difficult problems of heart, the 
difficult problems of the homeless, the addiction, mentoring of 
children. Faith is one of the great strengths of America, and our 
Government must welcome faith-based programs.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for every single 
citizen, 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 owning their own home. 
In our country today, we have a minority homeownership gap, and that's 
not good for America. I have put forth plans, have worked with Senator 
Miller and Senator Chambliss to close this gap. We're working hard to 
encourage more people in America to own their own home. We want more 
people owning their own health care plans and managing their health care 
plans. We want people owning and managing their

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own retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own small 
business, because we understand that when a person owns something, he or 
she has a vital stake in the future of America.
    A compassionate society is one in which people respect one another, 
respect their religious views, respect their backgrounds, and take 
responsibility for the decisions they make in life. The culture of this 
country is changing 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 that we are responsible for the decisions 
we make in life. If you are fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, 
you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart. If you're 
worried about the quality of the education in the community in which you 
live, you are 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 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 that culture of service and responsibility growing around 
us. I went to a church in downtown New Orleans today that was full of 
neighborhood healers, people who have heard the universal call, people 
from all walks of life, different religions, all aimed at serving our 
Nation by helping somebody who hurts.
    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 fantastic. The strength of this country lies in the hearts and 
souls of our citizens. Policemen and firefighters and people who wear 
our Nation's uniform remind us what it means to sacrifice for something 
greater than ourselves in life. Once again, the children of this country 
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 America. This is the work that history 
has set before us. We welcome it and know that for our country, the best 
days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all. Thanks for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 6:12 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress 
Center. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia; 
Alec Poitevint, chairman, Georgia Republican Party; and former President 
Saddam Hussein of 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).