22 May 2003
Transcript: Bush Outlines Domestic and Foreign Policy Agenda
(Says "future of freedom and peace depend on the actions of the United
States.") (2610)
President Bush, having recently initiated the formal process for a
2004 re-election campaign, gave the audience at the 2003 Annual
President's Dinner in Washington May 21 a recap of the issues on his
domestic and foreign policy agendas.
Bush said the challenges that the United States has faced in the last
two and a half years "have brought out the best in America," and that
"it has never been more clear that the future of freedom and peace
depend on the actions of the United States."
He said fighting the war on terror, advancing human liberty, and
combating poverty, hunger and disease, including AIDS, are among the
United States' responsibilities around the world.
Bush listed tax relief and economic reform, education, health care and
medical liability reform, a comprehensive energy plan to lessen the
United States' dependence on foreign oil, faith-based programs "to
support the armies of compassion," and promoting an American culture
of service and responsibility as his domestic goals.
"We have a full agenda for America," Bush said, "and a clear and
optimistic vision for our future."
Following is a transcript of the president's remarks:
(begin transcript)
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
May 21, 2003
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT 2003 PRESIDENT'S DINNER
Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
7:20 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's always
nice to have a nice quiet dinner with a few friends. (Laughter.) Can't
tell you how much we appreciate you coming, though.
First, I want to thank my friend, George Allen, for putting together
this fine event. I want to thank all those who have helped. I
particularly want to thank all of you all for coming from all across
the great country. Thank you for your support. It makes a huge
difference to our "Grand Party." Your participation in the process
makes a great difference to our great country.
All of us who serve this country have important responsibilities.
You've got responsibilities at home -- to love your children with all
your heart and all your soul. You've got responsibilities in your
communities to love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
If you're a CEO in corporate America, you have a responsibility to
tell the truth to your employees and shareholders. (Applause.) We have
responsibilities here in Washington, D.C. to work together to keep
this nation strong and secure and prosperous and hopeful. And we
accept that responsibility. (Applause.)
I appreciate so very much the Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert.
(Applause.) He is such a good Speaker; we want to keep him as the
Speaker. (Applause.) And the same goes for the Majority Leader in the
United States Senate, Senator Bill Frist. (Applause.) It is a joy to
work with these two fabulous Americans.
I'm also honored to be on the -- sharing the stage with the Senate
dinner chairman, Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah -- (applause) -- the
Chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee from the state
of New York, Congressman Tom Reynolds -- (applause) -- the House
dinner chairman, Congressman Dave Camp from Michigan. (Applause.) I
want to thank all the senators and members of the House of
Representatives who are here. America is fortunate to have you -- your
service on behalf of all of us.
I want to thank the members of the Cabinet who are here. I want to
thank the Oakridge Boys for sharing their beautiful voices.
(Applause.) And most of all, I want to thank you all for supporting us
and what we're doing for the country.
For the last two and one-half years, this country has faced incredible
challenges, and those challenges brought out the best in America.
(Applause.)
The testing of America has revealed the spirit of America. The world
has seen that we are courageous, resolute, tough when we have to be,
and a compassionate people. (Applause.)
The world has seen the strength and the idealism of the United States
military. Thanks to the skill --(applause.) Thanks to the skill and
courage of our troops, and the technology of our military, the world
has seen that the guilty have more to fear from the United States of
America. Thanks to the skill and bravery of our troops and coalition
forces, because the guilty can no longer hide behind the innocent, the
world will be a more peaceful place. (Applause.)
The terrorists will have fewer places to hide. Tyrants will no longer
be free to enslave their people. Freedom has arrived in far corners of
the Earth. (Applause.)
Every friend of this country, and every enemy of this country, can be
certain America will always work to keep the peace, and we will always
keep our word.
We're working hard to change the tone in Washington, D.C., and I
believe we have. We've raised the debate to focus on results and
progress, and we're achieving great results for the American people.
One reason we're able to do so is because I put together a fabulous
team. (Applause.) To the Cabinet members here, I want to thank you for
your service. But I do want to mention one member of my team that is
not with us tonight, but is doing a fabulous job for America, and
that's the finest Vice President our nation has ever known -- Vice
President Dick Cheney. (Applause.)
Now, my mother may have a different point of view. (Laughter.) But I
got the mike. (Laughter.) The Vice President and members of the
Cabinet, and everybody else who works for me is resolved to keep the
vow we made to restore honor and dignity to the office of the
President of the United States. (Applause.)
And I'm proud of the United States Congress. The Congress is focused
on results, and they have delivered tremendous results for the
American people: major tax cuts so the working people can keep more of
their own money; education reform; Homeland Security Department to
better secure America; trade legislation. No, this Congress, instead
of endless bickering and needless partisanship, has focused on what's
-- doing right for the American people. And I'm proud of what you all
have done. (Applause.)
We've come a long way in two-and-a-half years. But we've got a lot
more work to do. We've got a lot to do. First, America is committed to
expanding the realm of freedom and peace, for our own security and for
the benefit of the world. And second, in our own country we must work
for a society of prosperity and compassion, so that every citizen has
a chance to work and succeed, and realize the great promise of the
United States of America.
Across the world it has never been more clear that the future of
freedom and peace depend on the actions of the United States. This
nation is freedom's home and defender. We welcome this charge of
history, and we will keep it. (Applause.)
As we saw again last week in Saudi Arabia and in Morocco, the war on
terror continues. Our work is not done. The enemies of freedom are not
idle, and neither are we. (Applause.) This country will not rest, we
will not tire, we will not stop until the danger to civilization is
removed. (Applause.)
Our national interests involves more than eliminating aggressive
threats to our safety. Our greatest security comes from the advance of
human liberty. Because free nations do not support terror; free
nations do not attack their neighbors; free nations do not threaten
the world with weapons of mass murder. (Applause.) As Americans, we
believe that freedom is the deepest need and hope of every human
heart. And we believe that freedom is the right of every person, and
the future of every nation. (Applause.)
America also understands that unprecedented influence brings
tremendous
responsibilities. We have duties in the world. When we see disease,
starvation, and hopeless poverty, we cannot, and we will, not turn
away. On the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing
the healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and
children who suffer from AIDS. (Applause.)
I want to thank the United States Congress. I want to thank the House,
once again, for voting for the package today to make sure that the
great compassion of America is felt in some of the most hopeless
corners of the world. I want to thank Henry Hyde, and Dick Lugar, and
Bill Frist who guided this important legislation through both Houses,
a piece of legislation which I look so forward to signing next week
before I go overseas. (Applause.) And when I go overseas, I will
remind our partners in Europe about our great heart, our great
compassion, and call upon them to join us in this great work.
(Applause.)
We have challenges at home, and there's not doubt in my mind we are
equal to those challenges. Our most urgent mission in the months ahead
is to strengthen this economy, to create the conditions for job
growth, and to provide economic security and opportunity for all our
American citizens. Prosperity is the result of hard work, and the
dreams of the American people. The role of government is not to create
wealth, but the environment in which work and entrepreneurship pay
off. (Applause.)
Republican members of the House and Senate understand that. Each body
has now passed additional tax relief to leave more money into the
hands of the American people. See, we understand this -- the money we
talk about in Washington, D.C. is not the government's money. The
money we talk about in Washington, D.C. is the people's money.
(Applause.)
Chairman Thomas in the House, and Chairman Grassley in the Senate are
working hard to reconcile any differences, and I'm confident they'll
be able to do so, and get a package to my desk that I can sign into
law. The members of the House and the Senate are results-oriented
people. When they see a problem, they act. We want everybody in
America who wants to work to be able to find a job. (Applause.)
Economic security also depends on a good education for every child. I
came to Washington with a deep desire to pass fundamental reforms in
education, to bring high standards, accountability, regular testing to
every public school in America. With a solid bipartisan majority, we
passed the No Child Left Behind Act. (Applause.) This is a good start,
but it's only a start. And now we're working with governors and chief
school officers of every state to make reform a reality. Every child
can learn the basics of reading and math, and every school must teach
those basics. The days of excuse making are over, and now we expect
results in every classroom, so that not one single child in America is
left behind. (Applause.)
We can use our past success as a model for meeting other priorities
currently before the Congress. Members of the Congress are working
with us now to strengthen and modernize Medicare, to give seniors more
health care choices, and access to prescription drugs. All of us on
the federal payroll get a choice in health care plans. Seniors ought
to have the same choices. If choice is good enough for federal
workers, it is good enough for the seniors in America. (Applause.)
Together, we've been working to cut down on frivolous lawsuits and
pass
meaningful medical liability reform. (Applause.) People who have been
mistreated by doctors deserve a day in court. Yet the system should
not reward lawyers fishing for large settlements. (Applause.) The
medical liability issue is a national problem that requires a national
solution. The House has passed a good bill, and the Senate should
follow suit. (Applause.)
I also continue to work with the Congress to pass a comprehensive
energy plan to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. (Applause.) We
must also advance our agenda of compassionate conservatism. We have a
responsibility to apply the best, most innovative ideas to the task of
helping our fellow citizens in need. We must continue to work for
meaningful, real welfare reform, to bring work and dignity into the
lives of more and more Americans. (Applause.)
The Congress should finish work on a faith-based bill to support the
armies of compassion -- for mentoring children and caring for the
homeless and offering hope to the addicted. (Applause.)
I appreciate the hard work of Orrin Hatch and Bill Frist to make sure
that our judiciary functions properly. I have submitted superb
nominations to our federal courts. The confirmation process in the
United States Senate should be about justice, not about empty
politics. (Applause.)
We have a full agenda for America, and a clear and optimistic vision
for our future. We believe in an ownership society. We want Americans
to own their own health plan. We want Americans to be able to start
their own businesses. We want more families to own homes. We want
people to be owning a piece of their retirement, so that every person
has the dignity and independence that come from ownership, assets and
property that they can call their own. (Applause.)
We also have a vision for a responsibility society. We're changing the
culture in this country, from one that has said, if it feels good,
just go ahead and do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody
else -- the culture is shifting to one in which people know they're
accountable for what they do. They're responsible for children they
bring into the world. (Applause.) A culture which says, you have a
responsibility to help a neighbor in need.
We can see the culture of service and responsibility is rising around
us in America. We started what's called USA Freedom Corps, where
response has been fantastic. Our fellow citizens from all walks of
life, all political parties, have joined in making sure that people
who hurt receive the love and affection they need.
Our faith-based charities are strong and vibrant in America. We've got
people who are willing to sacrifice on behalf of others -- those who
wear the uniform, the police and the firefighters. We've got people
who are now serving in their communities and being held up as examples
--positive examples --so that children can learn the meaning, the real
meaning of hero. No, America's culture is changing, and changing to
the better. (Applause.)
It is such an honor to be the President of a great country. Our nation
has faced mighty challenges over two-and-a-half years. We've been
endured terrorist attacks, yet we have grown stronger. We've led the
world in the fight against terrorism. We freed a great people from a
ruthless dictator, and eliminated the threat posed to world peace.
(Applause.)
We met every challenge, and we will meet every challenge that comes,
because this is the greatest country on the face of the Earth. And the
reason it is, is because of the great strength and compassion of the
American people.
It is such an honor to be here. May God bless you all, and may God
bless America. (Applause.)
7:44 P.M. EDT
(end transcript)
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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