[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 37 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[Pages 1819-1824]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

September 3, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. What a spectacular 
day. Thank you all for being here. It's great to be in the land of kind 
people and tall corn. Laura and I are proud to be here. We started early 
this morning in Pennsylvania, then went to Wisconsin. We're ending our 
day in this beautiful and important State. You might remember it's the 
State that started me on the way to the nomination 4 years ago.
    We have a--we've got a real soft spot in our heart for Iowa. It's 
going to be even softer--with your help, we're going to carry Iowa this 
November. I'm here to ask for the vote. I believe you got to get out and 
tell the people what you believe and ask for their help, and I'm here to 
ask for it.
    And I'm thrilled to be traveling with Laura. Today I'm going to give 
you some reasons why I think you ought to put me back in there, but 
perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady for 
4 more years.
    I'm real proud of my runningmate. Dick Cheney is a--he's a fine guy. 
You know, it's pretty clear he wasn't the prettiest face on the ticket. 
[Laughter] It's not why I picked him. I picked him because of his 
experience, his steady judgment, and because he can get the job done.
    I'm proud to be standing up here with Chuck Grassley. He's a great 
United States Senator. Every time I talk to him he says, ``Remember 
Iowa.'' You're lucky to have him in the Senate, and I hope you keep him 
there.
    I'm proud also to be here with your Congressman, Jim Leach. He's a 
fine, honorable, decent citizen of the State of Iowa, and I'm proud to 
call him friend.
    I appreciate all the statehouse people who are here, the local 
officials who are here. I want to thank Majority Leader Chuck Gipp for 
being here.
    I want to thank my friend Dave Roederer, who is the statewide 
chairman for this campaign here. I want to thank all the grassroots 
activists who are here. Those are the people who are going to put up the 
signs, make the phone calls, and register your friends and neighbors to 
vote.
    We have a duty to vote in this country, and as you get out to 
register friends, make sure you don't overlook discerning Democrats. You 
might remember Zell Miller. There's a lot of folks like Zell who 
understand, with 4 more years this country will be safer, stronger, and 
better for every American.
    We are approaching an historic national election, and the time for 
choosing is almost here. This election will come down to the records we 
have built, the convictions that we hold, and the visions that guide us. 
I look forward to campaigning in Iowa a lot. I look forward to coming--
I'll tell you where I stand. I'll tell you what I believe, and I'll tell 
you where I'll lead this country for the next 4 years.
    I believe that every child can learn, and I know that every school 
must teach. Because we're challenging the soft bigotry of low 
expectations, because we've raised the bar, because we believe we ought 
to measure so we can solve problems early, before it's too late, we're 
closing an achievement gap in America, and nothing will hold us back.
    I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor America's seniors 
with good health care. And I appreciate working with Chairman Chuck 
Grassley on strengthening Medicare. It made no sense to have a Medicare 
system where the Government would pay thousands of dollars for heart 
surgery but not one dime for the medicine to prevent the heart surgery 
from happening in the first place. Beginning in 2006, seniors will have 
prescription drug coverage. Rural hospitals

[[Page 1820]]

in Iowa will now be taken care of. We're not turning back.
    I believe strongly in the innovative spirit of America's workers, 
small-business owners, farmers, and ranchers. And so we unleashed that 
energy with the largest tax relief in a generation. We have been through 
a lot together in this economy. We've been through a recession, 
corporate scandals, and an attack on our country which cost us dearly. 
But because we acted, this economy is strong, and it is getting 
stronger.
    This morning, we received the jobs report for August. It shows that 
our economy has added 144,000 new jobs. Plus revisions upwards of about 
60,000 for the previous 2 months. We've added 22,000 manufacturing jobs 
last month. We've added over 1.7 million jobs since August of '03. The 
national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That's lower than the average 
of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. The unemployment rate in your 
State is 4.4 percent. This economy is strong. The farm economy is 
strong, and we intend to keep it that way.
    I believe a President must confront problems and not pass them on to 
future Presidents and future generations. I believe the most solemn duty 
of the American President is to protect the American people. If America 
shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift 
toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch.
    I'm running for President with a clear and positive plan to build a 
safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running on a compassionate 
conservative philosophy that Government should help people improve their 
lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this Nation wants steady, 
consistent, principled leadership, and that is why, with your help, 
we're going to win in November.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. The world in which we are living is changing. Just 
think about what's happened after a generation. Most people had one job 
for their entire career, and most of those people were men. Today, women 
make up a significant portion of the workplace. They work inside the 
home and outside the home. And yet, most of our fundamental systems, the 
Tax Code, health coverage, pension plans, and worker training, were 
created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. And so, to make sure 
that citizens are equipped and prepared and thus truly free to make your 
own choices, we will transform these systems to make our country a 
better place.
    Any plan has got to begin with making sure that we have a growing 
economy. This global market is expanding. It's creating new markets and 
new competitions. To make sure that we have jobs here in America, 
America must be the best place in the world to do business. To make sure 
jobs are here in America and this economy continues to grow, Congress 
needs to pass a sound energy plan and get it to my desk, an energy plan 
that says we'll encourage conservation, that we'll have clean coal 
technology, that we'll be wise about how we explore for resources here 
at home, but an energy plan as well that understands the great promise 
of renewables like ethanol and biodiesel. In order to keep jobs here, we 
must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    In order to keep jobs here, we've got to get rid of the needless 
regulations that harm our small businesses, and we need tort reform so 
people can keep their doors open. To have jobs here in America, we need 
a level playing field when it comes to trade. We opened up our markets 
for foreign goods, and that's good for you. You see, when you have more 
choices, you're likely to get the product you want at a better price and 
higher quality. What I'm saying to the world is, ``You treat us the way 
we treat you.'' You see, we can compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime, 
so long as the rules are fair.
    And one reason this economy is strong in Iowa is because we're 
selling Iowa farm products all around the world.
    In order to make sure we've got jobs here in America, we need to be 
wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low. It would be 
a big mistake to run up the taxes on the American people. To keep the 
economy strong, we've got to keep your taxes low.
    I tell you, we've got an issue in this campaign. I'm running against 
a fellow who has thus far promised $2 trillion in new spending.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!

[[Page 1821]]

    The President. Now, we've still got a couple of months to go. 
[Laughter] It's awfully tempting out there to tell people what they want 
to hear, particularly when it comes to spending your money. So they 
said, ``How are you going to pay for all that money--all that 
spending?'' He said, ``That's simple. I'm just going to tax the rich.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Yes, we've heard that before, haven't we? First of 
all, you can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to support all his 
programs. Secondly, the rich figure out a way to dodge it, and you get 
stuck with the bill. But we're not going to let him tax you. We're going 
to win in November.
    A drag on our economy is the Tax Code, which is a complicated mess. 
It is filled with special interest loopholes. Our people spend 6 billion 
hours of paperwork and headache every year on the Tax Code. The American 
people deserve better, and our economy needs a different Tax Code. So in 
a new term, I will lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the 
Federal Tax Code.
    One way to make sure we've got jobs here is to make sure our worker 
training programs work. We're going to reform the WIA, the Workforce 
Investment Act. We'll make more money available to our community 
colleges to make sure we're able to match the workers with the skills 
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
    To make sure people can cope in a changing world, we've got to make 
sure our kids get a great education. Most new jobs are filled by people 
with 2 years of college, yet only about one in four of our students gets 
there. In our high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs to 
help students at risk. We'll place a new focus on math and science. Over 
time, we'll require a rigorous exam before graduation. By raising 
performance at our high schools and expanding Pell grants for low- and 
middle-income families, we will help more Americans start their career 
with a college diploma.
    In a time of change, we need to do more to make sure quality health 
care is available and affordable. You see, more than one-half of the 
uninsured are small-business employees and their families. In a new 
term, we must allow small firms to join together to purchase insurance 
at the discounts available for big companies.
    I met with Marshall Petersen today. He runs--he and his family run 
Hawkeye Company. It's a small business here in Cedar Rapids. He said 
that the insurance costs have been rising rapidly over the next years--
over the last years. He's worried about making premiums for his 
employees. He supports association health plans, the pooling efforts, 
because he believes his business can reduce costs. He said, ``This is 
going to allow small businesses to have lower risk. It's going to allow 
me to retain quality employees.'' We must change our way of thinking 
about small-business insurance in America.
    To help more Americans find affordable coverage, we'll offer tax 
credits to encourage small businesses, employees to set up health 
savings accounts. To make sure medicine is available to all, we will 
expand community and health centers all across the country. Every poor 
county in America ought to have a community health center. And to make 
sure health care is available and affordable, we got to stop these 
frivolous lawsuits that are running good docs out of business and 
running your costs up.
    We have a national problem when it comes to medical liability. I've 
talked to docs all over the country who are worried about staying in 
business, who are anxious about being able to practice their science of 
healing. See, I don't think you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient, and pro-
hospital and pro-plaintiff-attorney at the same time. I think you have 
to choose. My opponent made his choice and he put him on the ticket. I 
made my choice. I am for medical liability reform--now.
    In all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure 
the health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by 
bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    In changing times, in order to bring stability to people's lives, we 
must encourage an ownership society in America. One of the great 
statistics of the recent times has been the homeownership rate in 
America is at an alltime high. Think about that. The minority 
homeownership gap in America is closing. More and more of our fellow 
citizens are opening up the door to their home saying, ``Welcome to my 
house.''

[[Page 1822]]

    Over the next 4 years, we'll expand homeownership in America. And to 
make sure that people have confidence in the future, we must allow 
younger workers to take some of their own tax money and set up personal 
savings accounts. We'll protect Society Security. Nothing is going to 
change, as a matter of fact, for older citizens and baby boomers like 
me, when it comes to Social Security. The fiscal solvency of this system 
is in question for younger workers. We must think differently. We must 
allow younger workers to build their own nest egg that they can call 
their own, that they can pass on to the next generation. Social Security 
reform needs to be strengthened now.
    What I'm telling you is we have a difference of philosophy in this 
campaign. My opponent's programs expand Government. My programs expand 
freedom and opportunity for every American.
    In a changing world, some things don't change, the values we try to 
live by, the institutions like family and marriage and religious 
congregations that give our society purpose. Because family and work are 
sources of stability and dignity, I support welfare reform that 
strengthens family and requires work. I support a culture of life in 
which every person matters and every person counts. Religious charities 
provide a safety net of mercy and compassion. Our Government must 
support those charities. It must never discriminate against faith-based 
programs.
    Because the union of a man and woman deserves an honored place in 
our society, I support the protection of marriage against activist 
judges. And I will continue to appoint Federal judges who know the 
difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the 
law.
    This election will also determine how America responds to the 
continuing danger of terrorism. Since that terrible morning, September 
the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for 
pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at 
stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. We're 
transforming our military. We're strengthening our intelligence 
services. We're staying on the offensive. We're striking the terrorists 
abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. We're working to 
advance liberty in the broader Middle East because freedom will bring 
the hope and the peace we all long for. And we will prevail.
    Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home 
base of Al Qaida; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups; 
Saudi Arabia was a fertile ground for terrorist fundraising; Libya was 
pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat; and Al Qaida was 
largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Today, because the United 
States and our friends and allies acted with firm resolve, the 
Government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is 
capturing terrorists; Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests; Libya is 
dismantling its weapons programs; the army of a free Iraq is fighting 
for freedom; and more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key members and 
associates have been detained or killed. Because we have led, America 
and the world are safer.
    The progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and 
some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam 
Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long 
history of pursuing, even using weapons of mass destruction. And we know 
that September the 11th requires our country to think differently. We 
must deal with threats before they fully materialize. In Saddam Hussein, 
we saw a threat.
    I went to the United States Congress. Members of both political 
parties looked at the intelligence I looked at, remembered the history 
of Saddam Hussein, and came to the came conclusion: He was a threat. And 
they authorized the use of force--one of whom was my opponent. He looked 
at the very same intelligence I looked at. He came to the same 
conclusion I came to, and when it came time to authorize the use of 
force, he voted yes.
    The last option of a President is commit troops into combat. That's 
why I went to the United Nations. I was hoping that diplomacy would deal 
with this threat. The United Nations looked at the same intelligence I 
did. They had a lengthy debate, and they came to a conclusion with a 15-
to-nothing vote that Saddam Hussein must disclose, disarm, or

[[Page 1823]]

face serious consequences. The free world spoke again.
    As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the demands of 
the free world. He was not about to disclose or disarm. As a matter of 
fact, when inspectors were sent into his country, he systematically 
deceived the inspectors. So I had a choice to make. I had to make a 
decision, a decision that only comes to the Oval Office, a decision no 
President would ask for but must be prepared to make: Do I forget the 
lessons of September the 11th and trust the word of a madman, or do I 
take action to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend America 
every time.
    Because we acted to defend our country, because we acted in our 
self-interest, 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq have been 
liberated. Our world is changing. Freedom is on the march. Think about 
this. In Afghanistan it wasn't all that long ago that the people of that 
country were living in darkness under the rule of the Taliban, a 
barbaric group of people who wouldn't even let young girls go to school, 
who would whip their mothers in the public square because they weren't 
toeing the line completely. Today in Afghanistan, a brief period after 
the Taliban have been removed, over 10 million people have registered to 
vote in the upcoming Presidential election. It's an amazing statistic, 
isn't it? People love freedom around the world. Liberty is powerful.
    In Iraq, the country now has a strong Prime Minister, a National 
Council, and national elections are scheduled in January. We're standing 
with the people in those countries. We're standing with them because 
they long for freedom, and we're standing with them because when America 
gives its word, America must keep its word.
    As importantly, we're serving a vital and historic cause. Free 
societies do not export terror. Free societies in the Middle East will 
be hopeful societies which no longer feed resentment and violence for 
export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists 
instead of harboring them, and that helps our Nation become more secure. 
So our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We'll help new leaders 
to train their armies. We'll help them stand up their own armies so they 
can defeat the few who are trying to hold back the demands and the 
desires of the many. We will help those countries move toward elections 
and get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, 
and then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.
    At bases across our country, I've had the high privilege of meeting 
with those who defend our country and sacrifice for our security. I've 
seen their great decency and their unselfish courage. I want to thank 
the veterans who are here for having set such a great example for those 
who wear the uniform.
    I have made a commitment to our troops and to their loved ones. They 
will have all the resources they need to complete their missions. That's 
why I went to the United States Congress and proposed $87 billion of 
funding for body armor and fuel and spare parts and ammunition, that 
which was necessary to help our troops in Afghanistan and in Iraq. We 
received great support for that initiative. The support was so strong 
that only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against it, 2 of 
whom are my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As a matter of fact, only four United States Senators 
voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against funding our 
troops. Two of those Senators were my opponent and his runningmate.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. When asked to explain why, you might remember he 
said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against 
it.'' He then was asked--he said he's proud of his vote, and he just 
finally said, when pressed, it was a complicated matter. There's nothing 
complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
    We put together an alliance to help us. There's nearly 40 nations in 
Afghanistan and some 30 nations in Iraq. I appreciate the contributions 
these countries are making. Over the next 4 years, we'll continue to 
work with our friends and allies in the cause of freedom and peace. But 
I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders 
of other countries.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use 
of American strength

[[Page 1824]]

is to advance freedom. I'll tell you why I believe so strongly that 
societies can change: I've seen it firsthand. I've spent time at the 
table with Prime Minister Koizumi. He's a friend. He's the Prime 
Minister of Japan. Yet it wasn't all that long ago, when you think about 
it, that our dads and grandfathers were at war with the Japanese in 
World War II. And yet, here we are, sitting at a table, talking about 
the peace. Here we are, talking about how to deal with Kim Chong-il in 
North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other troubled spots around the 
world. I doubt my conversations would be happening if Harry Truman and 
Americans right after World War II did not believe in the power of 
liberty to transform a society from one with which we were at war to one 
that we're now friends with.
    Liberty can transform societies. One day, an American President will 
be sitting down with the duly elected leader of Iraq, talking about how 
to keep the peace, talking about how to make the world a more peaceful 
place.
    I've heard the skeptics and the doubters, but I believe that 
millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I 
believe that given the chance, they will embrace the most honorable form 
of government ever devised by man. I believe these things because 
freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty 
God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
    This young century will be the century of liberty. By promoting 
freedom at home and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more 
hopeful America. We will spread ownership and opportunity to every 
corner of this country. We will pass the enduring values of our country 
to a new generation. We will continue to lead the world to promote 
freedom and peace.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is 
expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time 
that needs firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values 
that makes us a great nation.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers. It's a day I will never forget. Workers in hardhats were 
screaming at me, ``Whatever it takes.'' I was doing my best to comfort 
those who had been in the rubble, and a guy grabbed me by the arm and he 
said, ``Don't let me down.'' As I wake up every morning, I think about 
how to better protect our country. I will never relent in defending 
America, whatever it takes.
    Four years ago, I traveled your great State asking for the vote, and 
I made a pledge that if you honored me with this great responsibility, I 
would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office to which I had been 
elected. With your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more 
years.
    God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:28 p.m. at Noelridge Park. In his 
remarks, he referred to Iowa State Representative Chuck Gipp; Senator 
Zell Miller of Georgia, who gave the keynote address at the Republican 
National Convention; Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim 
Government; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan; and Chairman Kim 
Chong-il of North Korea. This item was not received in time for 
publication in the appropriate issue.