[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 24 (Monday, June 18, 2007)]
[Pages 813-814]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast

June 15, 2007

    Gracias. Sientese, por favor. Buenos dias. Si. I thank my friend 
Luis. This isn't the first time he's introduced me. I'm proud to be 
back. I thank you for the chance to come to the National Hispanic Prayer 
Breakfast. Appreciate the opportunity to be with Hispanic American 
pastors and priests and community leaders and faith-based activists from 
all over the United States. I thank you for coming, and thanks for 
having me come. I appreciate your leadership; I appreciate your 
compassion; and I thank you for your abiding faith in the power of 
prayer.
    I'm pleased that two Senators who have got corazones grandes--
[laughter]--on the immigration bill are with us today, Senator Ted 
Kennedy and Senator Mel Martinez. Thank you all for coming. Y tambien, 
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano y Luis Fortuno--thank you all for coming; 
proud you're here.
    I thank the veterans and members of the military who are here today. 
I thank the pastors and community leaders.
    At this breakfast, we set aside our politics and come together in 
prayer. That's what we're doing. When we pray, we acknowledge our total 
dependence on Almighty God, we put our future in His hands, and we find 
that prayer lifts our spirits and changes our lives.
    This morning we have many things to pray for. We pray for our 
families and our loved ones and our friends. We pray for the strength 
and safety of our Nation. We pray for wisdom and grace in times of 
trial. And we pray to give thanks for the many blessings that God has 
bestowed upon America.
    Among those blessings are millions of talented men and women of 
Hispanic origin who call this country home. Our Nation is more vibrant 
because of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans in all sectors 
of our society--from the arts to business to religion to education. Our 
Nation is more hopeful because of the Hispanic Americans who serve in 
the armies of compassion, who are surrounding neighbors in need who hurt 
with love; people who are helping to change America one heart and one 
soul and one conscience at a time.
    Many of you at this breakfast devote your lives to serving others. 
By doing so, you're answering a timeless call to love your neighbor as 
yourself. You really represent the true strength of America, and I thank 
you for being of service to our country.
    This prayer breakfast has come a long way since it started 5 years 
ago. We could have held it in a little tiny closet. And now, as Luis 
tells me, it's oversubscribed the minute it gets announced. It's a good 
sign for our country, isn't it? People want to come together in prayer.
    Instead of a single morning meeting, you have now come to Washington 
for a 3-day conference. And I appreciate the chance--you've had a chance 
to go to Congress and discuss your concerns with Members of Congress. I 
appreciate your support for policies that expand homeownership. We want 
more Americans saying, ``Welcome to my home. Come and see my piece of 
property.'' I appreciate the fact that you're promoting small 
businesses. We want more Americans realizing the dream of owning their 
own business. And by the way, the Latino small-business community is 
strong, and we intend to keep it that way.
    I appreciate your working to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. I 
appreciate you working hard to make sure every child gets a good 
education. Thank you for your concern for our country. You're 
demonstrating el Sueno Americano es para todos.
    And I thank you for making comprehensive immigration reform your top 
priority. I share that priority. These Senators share that priority. I 
appreciate the fact that you understand that this debate can be 
emotional, and it's complex. I appreciate the fact that you understand 
that Members need to hear from you about where you think this country 
ought to go when it comes to immigration reform. There's a lot of 
emotion on this issue, and it makes sense to have people from around the 
country come and sit down with Members of Congress to talk rationally 
about the issue.
    Our responsibilities are straightforward. We've got to enforce the 
border, a basic duty of a sovereign nation. We've got to create

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a lawful way for foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans are not 
doing. Our economy depends on them. And we must resolve the status of 
illegal immigrants already in our country without amnesty and without 
animosity, because that is the only practical way to fix the problem 
that has been decades in the making. We must help new immigrants 
assimilate. That's what has always made our Nation strong. People in 
America must have confidence in this country to help people assimilate.
    Mel Martinez's parents put him on an airplane because they didn't 
want him raised in a tyrannical society on the island of Cuba, and here 
he now sits as a Member of the United States Senate. I was deeply 
touched at the Coast Guard Academy, when I was sitting there as the 
Commander in Chief of a bunch of kids who just got bars on their 
shoulders, and the head of the class got up to speak, and he talked 
about his migrant grandfather. This Hispanic American started his speech 
to his classmates--because I was there, there was a lot of cameras, 
maybe the country--talking about his migrant grandfather. Isn't it a 
fabulous country where a migrant grandfather can come and have a dream 
and work hard, and there's his grandson talking about the promise of 
America in front of the President of the United States and his 
classmates? That's the beauty of America.
    We must meet our moral obligation to treat newcomers with decency 
and show compassion to the vulnerable and exploited, because we're 
called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy.
    Most Americans agree on these principles. And now it's time for our 
elected leaders in Congress to act. You don't have to worry about these 
two Senators; they're acting; they're in the lead. Each day our Nation 
fails to act, the problem only grows worse. I will continue to work 
closely with members of both parties to get past our differences and 
pass a bill I can sign this year.
    One of the reasons that America leads the world is that we've always 
welcomed people who are determined to embrace our democracy and stand 
for freedom. We see that determination every day in the hundreds of 
thousands of Hispanic Americans who wear the uniform of the United 
States military.
    Today we're joined by a group of Hispanic American soldiers from 
Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I thank these brave men for stepping 
forward to protect our freedom. I join all of you in praying for their 
full recovery. And I'm honored to be their Commander in Chief.
    Our Nation is blessed to call these men fellow Americans. We thank 
God for sending us such brave and selfless people. We ask that He give 
His--give us the wisdom and grace to be worthy of the sacrifices they 
make and the ideals of liberty they defend.
    Thank you very much for letting me come by again. Y tambien, que 
Dios los bendiga. Amen. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 8:15 a.m. at the JW Marriott Hotel. In his 
remarks, he referred to Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., president and chief 
executive officer, Esperanza USA.