[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 44 (Monday, November 1, 2004)]
[Pages 2542-2543]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

October 23, 2004

    Good morning. In the 3 years since September the 11th attacks, our 
Government has acted decisively to protect the homeland.
    This week, I took another important step by signing the 2005 
Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This bill provides essential 
resources for Coast Guard patrols and port security, for the Federal Air 
Marshal program, and for technology that will defend aircraft against 
missiles. With this law, we are adding new resources to patrol our 
borders and to verify the identity of foreign visitors to America. The 
new law also includes vital money for first-responders and for better 
security of chemical facilities and nuclear plants and water treatment 
plants and bridges and subways and tunnels.
    All these measures show the unwavering commitment of our Government. 
And since 2001, we have tripled overall spending for homeland security. 
We are doing everything in our power to protect the American people. 
There is more to do, and we are moving forward.
    To protect America, our country needs the best possible 
intelligence. Chairman Tom Kean and other members of the 9/11 Commission 
made thoughtful and valuable recommendations on intelligence reform. My

[[Page 2543]]

administration is already implementing the vast majority of those 
recommendations that can be enacted without a vote of Congress. We are 
expanding and strengthening the capabilities of the CIA. We are 
transforming the FBI into an agency whose primary focus is stopping 
terrorism. We have established the Terrorist Threat Integration Center 
so we can bring together all the available intelligence on terrorist 
threats in one place.
    But other changes require new laws. Congress needs to create the 
position of the National Intelligence Director, with strong authority 
over the personnel and budgets of our intelligence agencies. These and 
other reforms are necessary to make our intelligence community more 
effective and to stay ahead of the threats. My administration has sent 
proposed legislation to Capitol Hill, and we are working with Congress 
to pass a good bill. I urge Congress to act quickly, so I can sign these 
needed reforms into law.
    The surest way to defend our country is to stay on the offensive 
against terrorists. In an era of weapons of mass destruction, waiting 
for threats to arrive at our doorsteps is to invite disaster. Tyrants 
and terrorists will not give us polite notice before they attack our 
country. As long as I am the Commander in Chief, I will confront dangers 
abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
    My opponent has a fundamental misunderstanding of the war on terror. 
Senator Kerry was recently asked how September the 11th had changed him. 
He replied, quote, ``It didn't change me much at all,'' end quote. And 
his unchanged world view becomes obvious when he calls the war on terror 
primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation. That is very 
dangerous thinking.
    We must fight the war on terror with every asset of our national 
power. We are waging a global campaign from the mountains of Central 
Asia to the deserts of the Middle East and from the Horn of Africa to 
the Philippines. These efforts are paying off. Since September the 11th, 
2001, more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates 
have been killed, captured, or detained. The rest of them know we will 
hunt them down.
    America faces a grave threat, and our Government is doing everything 
in its power to confront and defeat that threat. We're making progress 
in protecting our homeland and progress against the terrorists who seek 
to harm our Nation. And by staying focused and determined, we will 
prevail.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:46 a.m. on October 22 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 23. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
October 22 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his 
remarks, the President referred to Thomas H. Kean, Chairman, National 
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 
Commission). The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.