[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 30 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[Pages 1010-1011]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on a Report by the President's Commission on Care for America's 
Returning Wounded Warriors and an Exchange With Reporters

July 25, 2007

    The President. I've been running with Max and Allen--I mean, Neil. I 
met these guys at Walter Reed. Neil lost both legs, and he told me he's 
going to run with me on the South Lawn of the White House. Max lost his 
leg, and he told me he was going to be jumping out of airplanes with the 
101st Airborne. Sure enough, he's jumping out of airplanes with the 
101st Airborne, and along with Neil, he's running on the South Lawn.
    This is a--running with these two men is incredibly inspirational to 
me. And it should be inspirational to anybody who has been dealt a tough 
hand. Sometimes in life you get dealt a hand that you didn't expect to 
play. And they got dealt a tough hand, and they're playing it with all 
their soul. And I appreciate you guys being here. It means a lot to me.
    Today Senator Dole and Secretary Shalala delivered a report to the 
White House. I told the press corps that they were going to go out and 
hold a press conference. They've held their press conference. I'd like 
to make some comments on that report.

[[Page 1011]]

    First of all, the spirit of that report is, any time we have 
somebody hurt, they deserve the best possible care, and their family 
needs strong support. We've provided that in many cases, but to the 
extent we haven't, we're going to adjust. In that recommendation, there 
are things the United States Congress should do, and I call upon them to 
do it.
    In that report, there are a lot of things that the executive branch 
of Government can do, the Veterans Administration and the Department of 
Defense. And I've instructed Secretary Gates and Secretary Nicholson to 
look at every one of these recommendations and to take them seriously 
and to implement them, so that we can say with certainty that any 
soldier who has been hurt will get the best possible care and treatment 
that this Government can offer.
    I'm working with two men who have been hurt, two men who refuse to 
allow their current circumstances to get them down or to keep them down. 
I am proud to be with you guys. Neil, thank you.
    Sergeant Neil Duncan. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. God bless you, Max.
    Specialist Max Ramsey. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. He wanted me to jump out of airplanes with him. I 
respectfully declined.

President's Run

    Q. How does it feel to be with the Commander in Chief running around 
the track?
    Sgt. Duncan. Fantastic. It's an accomplishment. It's like the 
pinnacle of recovery, I think. Being a wounded vet, coming out of 
Afghanistan a little over a year and a half ago, and then being here, 
running around this track is just amazing. I couldn't ask for anything 
better.
    The President. Don't ask him why he outran me.
    Q. Why did he outrun you?
    The President. Because he's a faster runner. Anyway, thank you guys. 
It's a proud moment for me, a proud moment.

Note: The President spoke at 4:25 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Spc. Max Ramsey, USA, who was 
injured in Iraq in March 2006; Sgt. Neil Duncan, USA (Ret.), who was 
injured in Afghanistan in December 2005; former Secretary of Health and 
Human Services Donna E. Shalala and former Senator Bob Dole, Cochairs, 
President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors; 
and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.