pd05au02 Monday, August 5, 2002...

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puts the death tax on its way to extinction. However, because of the 
Senate rules, it doesn't go away after 10 years. It kind of heads toward 
extinction, but doesn't die. It's like the Senate giveth, and then they 
taketh away. You better have you a United States Senator and Members of 
the United States Congress who will support the administration and make 
the repeal of the death tax permanent.
    We need Members of the United States Congress who will work with the 
administration to get an energy bill. We can't get an energy bill out of 
the Congress. That doesn't make any sense. Listen, we are dependent upon 
foreign sources of crude oil, and some of those sources of crude oil 
aren't really friendly to the United States of America. I wouldn't call 
them friends. For the sake of job security, for the sake of national 
security, we need people in Congress who will work with us to get an 
energy bill which encourages conservation, encourages renewable sources 
of energy but, at the same time, encourages exploration, environmentally 
friendly exploration, so we become less dependent on foreign sources of 
energy.
    I look forward to having people in the United States Congress with 
whom I can

[[Page 1883]]

work, like Wayne and Bob, to make sure we've got reasonable forest 
policy. You all suffered a lot of burning here in the West because we've 
had lousy forest policy, forest policy that didn't make any sense, 
forest policy that just said, ``Let's just ignore the forest. Let's just 
let this kindling build up. Let's create a dangerous situation.'' And 
then all of a sudden, lightening struck, or man may strike, and these 
forests that have been not tended to, forests that have been ignored, 
caught on fire and our heritage was destroyed.
    For the sake of good environmental policy, commonsense environmental 
policy, send these two people up there so they can join with us, so we 
can have a forest policy that protects our forest by thinning out the 
dead wood, by making sure kindling doesn't pile up, to prevent forest 
fires from happening in the first place through sound forest management 
practices.
    I look forward to working with these two men to make sure our 
Medicare system works. Medicine has changed, and Medicare hasn't. 
Medicine is modern, got all kinds of new technologies and drugs that 
will help save lives, and Medicare is stuck in the past. For the sake of 
honoring our commitments to our seniors, we need people in Congress with 
whom we can work to make sure Medicare is modern and our seniors have 
got a prescription drug benefit.
    No, there's a lot of things we can work on, a lot of things we can 
work on together to make America a stronger place and a better place. 
One way I can--I believe I can influence America in a positive way is to 
make sure I get some good judges nominated for the Federal bench, the 
kind of judges who apply the law as it's written, not who go on the 
bench to write new laws of their own. And the Senate has got a lousy 
record on my judges. We need to change the Senate for a lot of reasons, 
and one reason is to make sure we've got a sound judiciary. There's no 
question where Wayne Allard stands when it comes to good, conservative 
judges. He's a vote on which I can count.
    There's a lot we can do together to make sure the economy is strong 
and the health care systems work, make sure environmental policy makes 
sense. These two men up here on stage with me are running for office, 
are exactly the right answers for Colorado.
    We've also got to make sure that we are able to continue to do the 
most important job we have, and that's to protect the homeland. See, 
America is still under threat. Oh, we can play like we are aren't. We 
can play like there's not a threat out there, but that's just not the 
way I am. I think we need to have people in Congress and around the 
country who are realistic, see clearly the threats we face. We've got to 
do that. The most important job we have as Government is to protect 
innocent life.
    And the reason why the issue is still alive is because there's an 
enemy lurking around out there that is pretty tough. And they're 
resolute, and they're driven by hatred. They hate what we love. We love 
life. Everybody matters, as far as we're concerned. Everybody is 
precious. They have no regard for innocent life whatsoever. They hate 
the fact that we love freedom. We love our freedom of religion. We love 
our freedom of speech. We love every aspect of freedom, and we're not 
changing. We're not intimidated. As a matter of fact, the more they hate 
our freedoms; the more we love our freedoms.
    And so we've got to do everything we can to protect the homeland. 
We've got to be realistic about the threats we face. See, after 
September the 11th, 2001, it should be evident to all Americans that 
these oceans no longer protect us. A while ago it would be easy to say 
there's a conflict somewhere, and we can pick and choose if we want to 
be involved, or there may be a threat emerging, but we really don't have 
to worry about it that much because we've got oceans to protect us. Now 
we realize that the battlefield is here at home. The battlefields used 
to be elsewhere. They're here at home now, which means the stakes are 
much higher. And when we see a threat, we've got to be realistic about 
the threat, and we've got to be firm in our resolve to deal with 
threats.
    And there's a true threat which exists in Iraq. Oh, we can hope the 
man changes, but I want you to remember that this is a person who has 
gassed his own people. It's a person who claims he has no weapons of 
mass destruction, in order to escape the dictums of the U.N. Security 
Council and the United

[[Page 1884]]

Nations, but he's got them. See, he'll lie. He'll deceive us. And he'll 
use them.
    He can't stand America. He can't stand our friends and allies. For 
11 years he's defied 16 resolutions out of the United Nations. You see, 
11 years ago, he said he wouldn't have weapons of mass destruction. He 
told the world, ``Fine, I got whipped, and I'm not going to have weapons 
of mass destruction.'' And then he defied the U.N., resolution after 
resolution after resolution. He's a threat to America, and he's a threat 
to our friends. He's even more of a threat now that we've learned that 
he's anxious to have--once again to develop a nuclear weapon. He's got 
connections with Al Qaida.
    And so I went to the United Nations to raise the issue. I went there 
for a couple of reasons. One, I want the United Nations to be effective. 
It seems like to me that, if the new war we fight requires intelligence 
sharing and cutting off the money, then we ought to have a group of 
nations working toward that end. I don't want the United Nations to be 
the League of Nations, but it's their choice to make. They have the 
choice to make, to free--the leaders of the free world have got a choice 
to make as to whether or not Saddam is going to be allowed to defy their 
resolutions and weaken--weaken their capacity to keep the peace--their 
choice.
    And Saddam Hussein has got a choice to make too. He can do what he 
said he would do; he can disarm. The Congress debated the issue, members 
from both parties stated their opinion. It was a good, healthy, open 
debate. And the Congress has now joined with the administration to speak 
with one voice, and here's our message. Our message from America is 
this: If the United Nations does not have the will or the courage to 
disarm Saddam Hussein, and if Saddam Hussein will not disarm, for the 
sake of peace, for the sake of freedom, the United States will lead a 
coalition and disarm Saddam Hussein.
    No, we've got to be realistic. We must be realistic here in America. 
We can't hope for the best. Times have changed. The battlefield is here, 
as we learned so clearly on that fateful day. And they're still out 
there. The poor souls of--in Indonesia who lost their lives are an 
example of what I'm talking about. These people are coldblooded killers.
    But you've got to know there's a lot of good people working hard 
here at home to protect you, people at the Federal level and at the 
State level, the local level, people working overtime to run down any 
hint or to chase down any lead so we can deny, disrupt any plans. We get 
a hint; I'm telling you, we're moving on it. We're doing everything we 
can. See, we are on alert. We're now aware of the realities we face.
    But we can do a better job, and that's why I asked Congress to join 
me in the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, so we can 
better coordinate amongst the agencies involved with the with securing 
the homeland, so we can set the homeland security as the priority, if 
need be change cultures, so we've got people all headed in the same 
direction, which is your protection. And the House of Representatives 
passed a good bill. But it's stuck in the Senate. They couldn't get it 
out of the Senate. They're trying to extract too high a price from me.
    For 40 years, Presidents have had the ability to suspend collective 
bargaining rules in any Department when the national security is at 
stake. For 40 years, since John Kennedy, Presidents have had that power. 
And now the Senate, in a time of war, wants to take that power away from 
me. I'll have that power in the Agriculture Department but not in the 
Department of Homeland Security. And I'm not going to accept a lousy 
bill from the Senate. And I want to thank Wayne Allard for his support. 
I know where he stands.
    The best way, however, to secure our homeland, the best way to make 
sure we defend our freedoms and fulfill our obligations to our children 
is to hunt these killers down, one at a time, and bring them to justice, 
which is exactly what we're going to do. It's going to take a while. 
It's not an easy lift. It's going to take a while. This isn't one of 
these instant gratification deals. This is going to take a while to get 
it done.
    The Congress responded to my budget request for the largest increase 
in defense spending since Ronald Reagan was the President. I want to 
thank them for that. I signed that the other day in the Rose Garden. And 
we signed that--I asked for that amount of money for two reasons. One, 
anytime this country commits our troops into harm's way,

[[Page 1885]]

they deserve the best pay, the best training, and the best possible 
equipment. We owe that to our troops, and we owe that to the loved ones 
of our troops. And for all the loved ones of our troops out there, I 
want to thank you for your sacrifices, and you tell your son, daughter, 
grandson, granddaughter, however he or she is related to you, that the 
Commander in Chief is confident in their capacity and proud of their 
service to the United States of America.
    And the other message we're sending loud and clear, that defense 
bill sends this message loud and clear to friend and foe alike, that 
we're in this deal for the long haul. There is not a calendar on my desk 
in the Oval Office that says by such-and-such a date, you quit. That's 
just--that's not the way I think. That's not the way most Americans 
think, because they understand freedom is precious and they understand 
the stakes. They can see clearly that the battleground has shifted, and 
we have an obligation and a duty for future generations of America to 
stay the course. And that's exactly what we're going to do.
    The doctrine that says, ``Either you're with us, or you're with the 
enemy,'' it still stands too. And we're making progress at dismantling 
the terrorist organization. We've hauled in a couple of thousand. One by 
one, we're finding them and bringing them to justice; like number were 
not as lucky. In either case, the sum total is, they're not a problem to 
the United States or our friends and allies anymore.
    The other day, one of them popped his head up. See, these are the 
kinds of people that hide in caves. They don't fly airplanes like the 
one I used to fly, the 102, or they don't sit in tanks. They hide in 
caves, and they send their youngsters to their suicidal deaths. And so 
you've got to treat this like a manhunt. One time, a guy the other day 
named bin al-Shibh, who was going to be the twentieth hijacker, he 
popped his head up, and he's not a problem anymore. We've got a lot of 
good people chasing them down, a lot of good people. Sometimes you'll 
see about it, read about it, or see it on TV, and sometimes you're just 
not going to see it. But you've got to know the manhunt is on, and it 
doesn't matter how long it takes, doesn't matter how long it takes. I 
like our chances better than theirs. We've got a fabulous military, and 
we've got a great resolve.
    I can't imagine what was going through their mind. They must have 
thought our religion was materialism. They must have thought we were so 
self-centered and so absorbed with our own kind of shallow materialism 
that all we would do after September the 11th was file a lawsuit. 
[Laughter] They just didn't understand, and they're going to pay a dear 
price for doing what they did to America.
    You see, this great country--this country understands what's at 
stake. This country is strong. This country is resolved. And by being 
strong and by being resolved, there's going to be some incredible good 
come out of the evil done to America, starting with peace. Amidst all 
the talk you're hearing, you've got to understand my vision is for a 
peaceful world.
    Oh, I understand the stakes; I see the risks. But the dream--and 
it's an achievable dream--is for the world to be peaceful, not only for 
Americans but for people in parts of the world that have quit on peace, 
parts of the world like the Middle East, where they just think peace 
doesn't have a chance. I believe we can achieve peace. I believe this 
Nation can lead the world to a peaceful world.
    We're going to have to be strong. We're going to have to be tough at 
times. And we've always got to remember the value we hold most dear, 
freedom, is not an American-created value. It's a God-given value that 
applies to everybody around the world. No, we can achieve a peaceful 
world, and also at home we can achieve a more compassionate world as 
well.
    The evil done to America caused a lot of good folks to take a step 
back, to kind of take an inventory of that which is important in their 
lives. A lot of good folks took a step back and said, ``How can I best 
serve my country? What can I do? What can I do to help fight evil?'' And 
the answer is, if you really want to help, love your neighbor just like 
you'd like to be loved yourself.
    See, Government can hand out money, and we can do things. We'll work 
hard on education matters. We'll work hard to make

[[Page 1886]]

sure the Medicare system works. And Government can pass money out. 
Sometimes we do a pretty good job of it. [Laughter] But what it cannot 
do is put hope in people's hearts or sense of purpose in people's lives.
    The best way to convert the evil done to America to some good is to 
recognize there's pockets of despair and hopelessness in America. 
There's loneliness. There's addiction. There are people who hurt in our 
midst. And so long as some of us hurt, we all hurt. And the best way to 
cure that loneliness and hurt is for a fellow American to put their arm 
around somebody in need and say, ``I love you. What can I do to help 
you?''
    You see, the enemy had no idea who they were hitting. They didn't 
understand America like I do and you do. This is a country full of 
people that are decent and honorable, people who learned the lesson of 
Flight 93. That was the lesson of people who were flying across the 
country. They heard the plane was going to be used as a weapon. They 
told their loved ones goodbye. They said a prayer. One guy said, ``Let's 
roll.'' They took the plane into the ground to serve something greater 
than themselves.
    No, the American spirit of sacrifice and service and compassion and 
love is alive and strong. And therefore, I boldly predict that out of 
the evil done to America will not only come a more peaceful world, but 
out of the evil done to America will be a more compassionate America, 
where the great hope of this country, the great vibrancy of the American 
Dream, will be alive and well in every corner, in every neighborhood 
here in America. I'm an optimistic fellow because I understand that 
America is the greatest country, full of the finest people on the face 
of this Earth.
    Thank you for coming. May God bless you, and may God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 12:40 p.m. at the Wings Over the Rockies 
Air and Space Museum. In his remarks, he referred to Joan Allard, wife 
of Senator Wayne Allard; Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado, and his wife, 
Frances; Marilyn Musgrave, candidate for Colorado's Fourth Congressional 
District; Ken Chlouber, candidate for Colorado's First Congressional 
District; President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, an 
Al Qaida operative suspected of helping to plan the September 11, 2001, 
terrorist attacks, who was captured in Karachi, Pakistan.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 1886-1887]
 
Pages 1865-1925
 
Week Ending Friday, November 1, 2002
 
Remarks on Signing the Help America Vote Act of 2002

October 29, 2002

    The President. Thanks for coming. Good morning.
    Before we begin today, I would like to pause and remember a devoted 
public servant who was taken from us last Friday, along with his wife 
and his daughter and several other members--several other Americans. 
Paul Wellstone was a deeply principled and a good-hearted man. He will 
be missed by all who knew him and by all who had the privilege of 
serving with him. So before we begin, would you join me in a moment of 
silence in honor of his memory.

[At this point, a moment of silence was observed.]

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