[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 11 (Monday, March 20, 2006)]
[Pages 481-482]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Celebration of Hungarian Contributions to Democracy

March 15, 2006

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Mr. Speaker, thank you for having 
me here in this beautiful Capitol to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 
the Hungarian Revolution.
    I appreciate being here with the mayor of our city, Mayor Williams. 
Good to see you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate Chairman Hyde. Mr. Chairman, 
it's good to see you. I thank the members of the diplomatic corps, most 
particularly, Ambassador Walker. I've heard of him before. [Laughter] 
Ambassador Simonyi--thank you all. Members of Congress, most 
particularly a beacon for--a steadfast beacon for liberty is how I'd 
like to define my friend Tom Lantos.

    I've come today to--not only to thank our strong ally, the 
Government of Hungary and the people of Hungary, but I've come to thank 
my friend Tom Lantos, and his wife, Annette, for never letting anybody 
forget that freedom is precious and necessary in our world.

    The Hungarian example is an example of patience and an example of 
the fact that freedom exists in everybody's soul. It's an example that 
tyranny can never stamp out the desire to be free. It's an example 
that--of a country that, once becomes free, joins with other freedom-
loving countries to keep the peace.

    I've come to remind the people of Hungary, they've got a great 
friend in America. I want to thank, by the way, the Hungarian Americans 
who are here with us today. You've made a significant contribution to 
our country.

    You know, it's an interesting world in which we live. There's an 
argument about--in some places--about whether or not freedom is 
universal, whether or not freedom is okay for some parts of the world 
but not others. I believe freedom is universal. I believe the example of 
Hungary proves that freedom is universal. I believe everybody desires to 
live in freedom. I believe there's an Almighty, and I believe the 
Almighty God's gift to each person in this world is liberty. And I 
believe the United States, and I believe Hungary, and I believe other 
free nations have the responsibility to help other people realize their 
freedom as well.

    You know, one of the interesting examples of Europe that I try to 
explain to our people is that for 100 years, there were war, where a lot 
of people lost their lives and a lot of Americans lost their life. But 
today, Europe is at peace. Europe is whole, free, and at

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peace. And I believe the reason why is because democracy has taken hold 
on that continent. And one of the leading lights of democracy has been 
Hungary.
    We thank the Hungarian people for their example. We thank them for 
their contribution in helping the newly free in Afghanistan and Iraq 
realize the blessings of liberty. We thank them for being allies in 
keeping the peace.
    Mr. Speaker, thanks for letting me come by and pay my respects to a 
strong ally and a good friend but also pay my respects to Congressman 
Tom Lantos, a person who understands the difference between freedom and 
tyranny, and a person who is willing to speak his mind all times, all 
places, everywhere.
    God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 5:45 p.m. in Statutory Hall at the United 
States Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Anthony A. Williams 
of Washington, DC; U.S. Ambassador to Hungary George H. Walker III; and 
Hungary's Ambassador to the U.S. Andras Simonyi.