[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 2 (Monday, January 17, 2005)]
[Pages 35-38]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the United States Agency for International Development

January 10, 2005

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. Good 
morning. A little more than 2 weeks ago, the world witnessed one of the 
worst displays of natural destruction in history. Since that time, the 
world has witnessed one of history's greatest displays of compassion.
    Most of you are members of this great organization, the United 
States Agency for International Development. Some of you are members of 
nongovernmental organizations. All of you are playing an important role 
in that compassionate response. The world has taken notice, and the 
American people are grateful.
    Throughout the many affected regions, the loss of life and property 
is immense. People and nations throughout Asia and around the world are 
working to ease the suffering brought on by this terrible disaster. The 
international community has responded with generosity and compassion, 
and the men and women of USAID have been at the center of that response. 
And I'm here to thank you.
    I want to thank our Secretary of State for his fantastic service to 
our Nation. I want to thank him for recently leading a delegation to the 
affected areas to express our Nation's deepest concerns. I want to thank 
him for keeping my little brother straight. [Laughter] But the Secretary 
is--any time he represents America does so with such dignity and 
strength. And Mr. Secretary, you did so again, and the world better 
understands our heart as a result of your trip. And I thank you for it.
    And I appreciate Andrew's work. [Applause] Andrew, you should take 
that as a good sign. [Laughter] Either that, or it's all your close 
relatives who are here. [Laughter] But I really do want to thank Andrew 
for not only helping to organize the effort but

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for his travels and his concern and his willingness to put in the long 
hours necessary to make sure that which we spend works.
    And I want to thank you all for working along with Andrew. I know 
the response disaster team of USAID is sitting behind me. Andrew tells 
me that the response disaster team went into work the minute we heard 
about the disaster. And since then, you've been working long hours. I 
appreciate it very much.
    We just finished meeting with a group of representatives and heads 
of nongovernmental organizations, NGOs, all of which are providing love 
and compassion and help. After that meeting, I must tell you my spirits 
were raised even higher than they were walking into the meeting. There 
is no question in my mind that the NGOs of America provide such vital, 
vital help in times of disaster.
    A little later on, I want to make yet another appeal for people in 
America to donate money. But I do want to remind our fellow citizens, as 
you donate money to the tsunami relief effort, make sure you continue to 
contribute to NGOs, because those groups--we still have problems in 
other parts of our country and other parts of the world. It is essential 
that your contribution not replace the ongoing contributions you're 
making to help the NGOs of America. You should view the tsunami relief 
effort as extra help, to help solve the problem, so that we don't short-
change the compassionate needs--the needs for compassion elsewhere in 
our country and the world.
    Colin and brother Jeb earlier, and Andy came by and reported to me 
what they have seen. The pictures do not do the devastation justice. 
They don't tell the whole story of what we've seen on TV, what these 
people have seen in person. The devastation was on a scale that none of 
them had ever experienced. I think Colin referred to Banda Aceh as 
something the equivalent of Hiroshima. They reported that the efforts 
are well-coordinated. In other words, there's a huge problem, but the 
good news is, is that the efforts, the compassion, the money, the hope, 
is well-coordinated and that your work is making a difference in saving 
lives and helping people who need help. That's what you're here to do, 
and it's working.
    USAID personnel in the region responded the very day the disaster 
struck. So not only did the response team get set up, but the people 
around the world began to move. Your fellow colleagues and yourselves 
have been working day and night, 24 hours a day, and we're grateful. 
It's not easy. I know; it's hard, particularly in the time of year in 
which this hit. But you're doing your job, and for that, I'm extremely 
grateful.
    I think the intensity of the effort reflects the enormity of the 
task. After all, the death toll is estimated at 150,000 people and may 
climb even higher. Among the dead are thousands of children, and as many 
as 5 million people are thought to be homeless or without food and clean 
water. You're coordinating airlifts of relief supplies to the affected 
areas. You're arranging for clean water. You're arranging for medical 
aid. You're arranging for psychological help. And that's important work.
    USAID has delivered food, temporary shelter, hygiene kits, and 
supplies to help people survive. In other words, we've been focused on 
the relief effort. Now we're beginning to focus on rehabilitation and 
rebuilding. And as a result, USAID is arranging small loans for those 
whose livelihoods have been destroyed. We were talking about the NGOs 
who have been working along with USAID. I think Ruth mentioned the fact 
that her agency has now provided a fishing boat. In other words, we're 
beginning to help rebuild lives and help people get back on their feet.
    The NGOs, including our faith-based organizations, had been working 
in these regions for decades. As the head of the NGO or the 
representative of the NGO, spoke--said, ``Well, Mr. President, we have 
been there for 30 or 40 years.'' And as a result of having been there, 
there's an infrastructure in place, which is good news for those who 
need help.
    Not only are these people, the NGOs, expressing the world's concern, 
the cooperation between our Government and the NGOs has been superb. And 
that's important. It is important because we don't want to have a 
duplication of effort. We want to make sure that we assess the needs and 
make sure that our

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contributions, whether they be from the public sector or the private 
sector, are spent wisely. And having listened carefully to Colin and 
Andrew and the NGO heads, I can say to the American people that to the 
best extent possible, we're coordinating our efforts.
    We're not only coordinating our efforts here at home; we're also 
doing a better job of coordinating our efforts with other governments 
and international NGOs. We made an initial commitment of $350 million 
for relief efforts. That's a commitment from the Federal Government. And 
the NGOs, in turn, are using some of those funds effectively to meet the 
needs of the people on the ground. In other words, what we have done is 
we've made a commitment at the Federal level, and we said how best to 
spend that money. And the best way to spend that money is to actually 
spend it with people who know what they're doing on the ground. We don't 
need to try to--now is not the time to try to come up with a new way of 
solving old problems. Now is the way to use people who have been solving 
problems in an effective way to help people on the ground. And that's 
exactly what we're doing.
    Our military is doing a fantastic job, by the way. I want to thank 
our commanders on the ground, and I want to thank our troops who are 
representing the best of America. Navy vessels, including the U.S.S. 
Abraham Lincoln, have moved into the region, and they are providing food 
and medical supplies and clean water. Helicopters and military aircraft 
are meeting critical needs by airlifting supplies directly to the 
victims. After all, many of the victims have lived in remote areas. And 
so many other places, our servicemen--like in so many other places, 
those who wear our uniform are showing the great decency of America. And 
I thank them for that. I can't tell you how much our Government and the 
people of America appreciate the good work our military is doing to help 
relieve the suffering from this crisis.
    The NGOs with which I met tell me about the incredible outpouring of 
generosity here at home. And I want to thank all those who have 
contributed to the NGOs. I particularly want to thank two former 
Presidents, 41 and 42--[laughter]--or Dad and Bill--[laughter]--for 
stepping up and helping to raise money. It's important that Presidents 
Clinton and Bush do what they have done, and I can't thank them enough 
for taking time out of their busy schedules to send out an appeal to the 
citizens of our country.
    Listen, people want to help. I repeat, make sure that this help 
doesn't take the place of other help you're giving, but if you do want 
to continue to help, and I ask you to do so, please go to 
usafreedomcorps.gov on the web page, and that's a way to make sure your 
money--shows you where to send your money and to make sure it's properly 
used. And as well, hopefully the legislation I sign that will allow 
taxpayers to deduct this month's contribution for tsunami relief from 
your 2004 tax returns is further incentive, kind of a little kick to the 
heart. [Laughter]
    The United States Government and the NGOs that have worked so hard 
for so long in the region are committed to this area of the world for a 
long time. This is one of these projects that's not going to happen 
overnight. The intense scrutiny may dissipate and probably will, but our 
focus has got to stay on this part of the world. We have a duty--we have 
made a commitment, and our commitment is a long-term commitment to help 
these good folks in the part of the world that got affected get back on 
their feet.
    Well after the immediate danger passes, USAID is still going to be 
in the hard-hit areas. And I thank you for that. See, you're going to be 
helping the people improve their schools and develop health services and 
mitigate conflict and reinvigorate local economies and help build 
institutions of democracy so people can live in peace and freedom.
    As our Government's leader in relief and reconstruction, USAID and 
its predecessors have done this kind of work before. You have done big 
jobs in the past, such as the Marshall plan. And we're committed to not 
only solving this problem, but we're committed to the work that goes on 
year-round in nearly a hundred countries, countries that include Iraq 
and Afghanistan, where you're helping to build--to bring a better future 
to millions of people who have been newly liberated and to regions in 
the world like Darfur in the Sudan, where you're helping to reduce 
deaths and violence in that troubled region.

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    The efforts of USAID is essential for the foreign policy of the 
United States of America. Your efforts and the efforts of others, 
especially to create jobs, promote markets, improve health, fight HIV/
AIDS, and help democracy take root, are instrumental to making the world 
a better place and to protecting the American people.
    From Sudan to Sumatra, the world has seen America at its best 
through the work you do. Sometimes you don't get thanked enough. I don't 
know how many times a President has been by to say thanks, but I'll tell 
you this: It's my distinct honor to come by and say thanks. I appreciate 
your compassion. I appreciate your love for your fellow human being, and 
thank you for the work you do.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:32 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; and Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, U.S. 
Agency for International Development.