For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 17, 2005
Remarks by the President at Republican National Committee Gala
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Washington, D.C.
6:56 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming.
(Applause.) Thanks for coming. Please be seated. (Laughter.) Thank
you for the warm welcome. Thank you for supporting the Republican
Party. I am proud to be here today to not only offer my thanks, but to
remind you that our party has a positive, hopeful, optimistic vision
for every single person who is fortunate to be an American.
(Applause.)
We are driving the debate on all key domestic and foreign policy
issues. Because of our achievements, the American people see the
Republican Party as the party of reform and optimism, the party of
ideals and vision. And one of the reasons I asked Ken Mehlman to serve
as the chairman of our party is because he is a man of vision, he is an
idealistic soul. He is willing to take our message to every
neighborhood in the United States of America. He did a fabulous job in
managing my campaign in 2004. I'm proud to call him Chairman of the
Republican Party. (Applause.)
The Comedian-in-Chief -- (laughter) -- is tied up. But she sends
her love. (Applause.) Many of you know Laura as a friend; I'm
fortunate to know her as a wife. She is a great mother and a fabulous
First Lady for the United States. (Applause.) If you ever want to get
a laugh, all you have to do is poke fun at the President and his
mother. (Laughter.)
I want to thank my Secretary of Interior, Gale Norton is with us.
I want to thank the members of Congress who are here. I just had a
chance to shake hands with Leader Bill Frist, who's doing a fabulous
job. (Applause.) I enjoy working with the leadership of the House --
Denny Hastert is a great Speaker of the House; Tom DeLay is a fine
Majority Leader. (Applause.) Roy Blunt is a great Whip. (Applause.)
I thank all the members of the Senate who are here, members of the
House who are here. I appreciate my friend, Governor Haley Barbour,
from the great state of Mississippi, who has joined us. (Applause.)
I want to thank Dwight Schar, the RNC Finance Chairman, and his
wife Martha. I want to thank all the committee who is up here for
working so hard to make this a successful evening. I appreciate your
leadership. I appreciate your hard work. I appreciate your
contributions.
I want to thank Jo Ann Davidson, the RNC Co-Chairman. I appreciate
my friend, Ambassador Mercer Reynolds, who is here. You might have
heard from Mercer -- (laughter) -- in the course of the 2004 year.
(Laughter.) I appreciate his hard work on my behalf. I want to thank
The Spinners, and I want to thank Ricky Skaggs.
But most of all, I thank you all. I want to thank you for
supporting this event, and I want to thank you for supporting our party
over the past years.
You know, we took on the 2004 campaign with good ideas and a bold
agenda. But the reason the people listened is because we did a lot in
2000 and 2002 -- 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. In other words, we came
to Washington, D.C. to solve problems. We came with some principles on
how to solve those problems. And most importantly, we have shown the
American people we're capable of delivering results that are good for
the American people. (Applause.)
I mean, we understand that when you face economic hard times, the
best way to get out of a recession is to let people keep more of their
own money. (Applause.) We understand that when entrepreneurs and
small businesses have more money in their treasury, they're more likely
to hire somebody. And the economic policies we put in place during
rough economic times are paying off. Our economy is growing. Since
May 2003, we've added three-and-a-half million new jobs. More people
are working in America today than ever before in our nation's history.
(Applause.)
We came to Washington to challenge the status quo when it came to
education. A lot of us were appalled at a system that just simply
shuffled kids through the system. And so we wanted to challenge the
soft bigotry of low expectations -- (applause) -- and we successfully
have challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations -- (applause) --
by insisting on high results and measurement so we can determine
whether or not every child is learning to read and write and add and
subtract. Because we acted, test scores are rising in America, the
achievement gap for minority students is closing, the door of
opportunity in our great country is opening more and more to every
single child. No child will be left behind in America. (Applause.)
We came to Washington to help keep commitments. Our nation has
made a commitment to health care for our seniors. And yet, the
Medicare system that was available for our seniors was old and
antiquated. We modernized Medicare. We said to seniors that you've
got to have a medicine -- a medical system that is up-to-date and
current. Because we acted, we have given our seniors the medicine and
pharmaceuticals that they deserve and they need to have good health
care in their elder years. (Applause.)
And we believe in ownership. We want more people owning something
in America. We want more entrepreneurs owning their own business. Do
you realize today, more people own a home than ever before in our
nation's history? (Applause.) More minority families own a home than
ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.) Our party likes the
idea when somebody opens their door and say, welcome to my house,
welcome to my piece of property. We understand that when you own
something, you have a vital stake in the future of the United States of
America.
No, we came to Washington to solve problems, and a major problem
was presented to us, and that was the problem of a terrorist attack.
But we acted. We put together a -- the Homeland Security Department.
It's the largest reorganization of government in nearly a half a
century. And I put good people in positions of responsibility and
authority. I've asked them to streamline our government so that I can
look you in the eye and tell you, the United States government is doing
everything we can to protect the people of this country. But the best
way to protect the people of America is to stay on the offense against
the terrorists and bring them to justice. (Applause.)
We have supported the United States military, and I can't tell you
how proud I am to be the Commander-in-Chief of such a fine group of men
and women. (Applause.) We've closed down terrorist networks and
cells; we've disrupted their finances; we have chased their leaders
down in mountains and deserts. We have been relentless, and we will
stay relentless.
Our most important duty is to protect the American people from
these cold-blooded killers. And when the American President speaks, he
must mean what he says. (Applause.) And I meant what I said -- if you
harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist. And I
was speaking directly to people like the Taliban. And because we
acted, not only did we uphold doctrine and enhance the credibility of
the United State s of America, but we freed nearly 30 million people
from the clutches of one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of
mankind. (Applause.) And I took great heart in recognizing that the
first voter in the first presidential election in years in Afghanistan
was a 19-year-old woman. (Applause.)
Because we acted, the Middle East and the world are rid of Saddam
Hussein and his murderous regime. (Applause.) And like you, I was
overwhelmed by the courage of the over 8 million Iraqis who defied the
suiciders and car bombers and assassins to cast their vote in the
country's first free and democratic election in decades. (Applause.)
We were successful, we delivered results because we stayed true to our
principles and we were not afraid to push forward with new ideas.
Let me put it to you this way: I do not need a poll or a focus
group to tell me where I need to lead this country. (Applause.) In
the midst of the Civil War, the first Republican President, Abraham
Lincoln said, "As our case is new, so we must think anew and act
anew." And we continue that proud tradition today, as we're heading
into the second term.
Many of the most fundamental systems -- the tax code, pension
plans, health coverage, legal systems, and public education -- were
created to meet the needs of an earlier time. In the next four years
we'll reform these institutions to meet the needs of a new century.
See, we have a duty. The job of the President is to confront problems,
not to pass them on to future Presidents and future generations.
(Applause.)
And that's why I'm talking about Social Security. And the debate
has only just begun. (Applause.) But I believe the side of reform is
going to prevail, because the American people now are beginning to
realize we have a serious problem when it comes to Social Security.
And that problem begins with people like me. See, I'm fixing to
retire. (Laughter.) As a matter of fact, I turn retirement age in
2008. It turns out to be a convenient time. (Laughter.) But there's
a lot of people like me; there's a lot of baby boomers getting ready to
retire. As a matter of fact, when we fully retire there will be over
70 million people retired. To put that in perspective, today there are
40 million retirees. So there's a lot of us who will be receiving
greater benefits.
They used to say when you're running for Congress, vote for me, I'm
going to increase the benefits. (Laughter.) Sure enough, people got
elected. (Laughter.) And they increased the benefits. (Laughter.)
To compound things even worse, we're going to live longer. I urge you
to exercise on a daily basis. (Laughter.) You got a lot of people
receiving greater benefits, living longer, with fewer people paying
into the system. In 2017, the Social Security system goes into the
red.
See, somebody -- as I travel the country -- and I'm going to go to
Milwaukee here later this week for yet another stop -- this is an
education program -- I've got to educate people about the truth, about
the reality. See, a lot of people think there's a lockbox --
(laughter) -- that we take your money and we save it for you. This is
a pay-as-you-go system -- you pay your payroll taxes and we go ahead
and spend it here in Washington, D.C. (Laughter.) In 2017, the system
goes into the red. In 2027, we're $200 billion short on what we owe
people like me, relative to the payroll taxes. In 2041, the system
goes bankrupt. We've got a serious problem.
We don't have a problem for those people receiving Social Security
today. As a matter of fact, if you were born prior to 1950, the system
is in good shape, you're going to get your check. We have a problem
for generations to come. And now is the time to act. Now is the time
for people to come together and solve this problem once and for all.
(Applause.)
Not only do we need to save Social Security permanently for younger
generations, we got to make it a better deal for people coming up.
That's why I believe younger people ought to be able to take some of
their own money and set it aside in a voluntary personal savings
account, so they can get a better rate of return on their money than
the government can get for them. (Applause.) But this idea has got
more benefits to our society than just better rates of return. See, I
don't subscribe to the notion that only certain people are a part of
the investor class. I believe every American should be a part of the
investor class. I believe every American should be encouraged to own
assets, so they can pass it on to whomever they choose -- assets that
the federal government can never take away. (Applause.)
Our party is the party of growth, and we're showing the country
we're also the party of spending restraint. That's why I submitted the
first budget to actually cut non-security, discretionary spending since
Ronald Reagan was in office. Congress is on track to hold
non-discretionary -- non-security, discretionary spending below last
year's levels. And that's an important message to send. And the
message is this: We're going to spend your money wisely, or we're not
going to spend it at all. (Applause.)
Our tax code is out of date. It is incoherent. (Laughter.) We
spend too many hours trying to figure it out. So I've appointed a
bipartisan panel to examine the code from top to bottom. And when
their recommendations are delivered, we're going to work together to
put together a tax code that is pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, easy to
understand and fair to all. (Applause.)
I've been spending some time talking about a subject that I know is
dear to your heart. See, you've been going to the gas -- gasoline
pumps lately. This country needs a -- we need an energy plan. I
submitted a plan to the Congress when I first arrived here. Four years
of debate is enough. We need a plan that encourages conservation,
encourages environmentally sensitive exploration for oil and gas in our
own hemisphere, in our own country. We need a plan that encourages the
use of renewables. We need a plan that makes wise use of coal and
nuclear power. We need a plan that allows us to diversify away from
hydrocarbons. We need a plan that is good for economic security and
national security, a plan that makes us less reliable on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.)
I put that plan to the United States Congress. The House passed a
good bill. Now it is time for the United States Senate to follow
suit. And I expect them, for the sake of this country and for the sake
of our economy, to get me a bill by the August recess, a bill that I
can sign. (Applause.)
We're going to continue to work to free our businesses, small and
large, from needless regulations, and to protect honest job creators
from the junk lawsuits. We're making progress. I signed a bill that
passed both the House and the Senate for class-action reform and
bankruptcy reform. Now we need to pass asbestos litigation reform.
And for the sake of good medical care, we need to stop these junk
lawsuits that are running good docs out of practice and running up the
price of your medical bills. (Applause.)
We've got a clear agenda to make health care more affordable and to
give families greater access to coverage and more control over their
health care decisions. We're going to move forward to improve
information technology. We're going to continue to expand health
savings accounts. Congress needs to pass association health care plans
so small businesses are able to pool risk and buy insurance at the same
discounts that big business is going to do. (Applause.) One thing
we're not going to do is we're not going to allow the federal
government to make the health care decisions for patients and doctors
in America. (Applause.)
We'll continue to pass along to future generations time-honored
values that sustain freedom and personal responsibility here at home.
One of the most important initiatives I've laid out and that we're now
implementing is our faith-based and community groups initiative. It's
an initiative that understands that in parts of our country, people of
faith and people of goodwill are able to heal broken hearts. The
federal government should not fear faith-based institutions. We ought
to welcome the healing works of the faith community in America.
(Applause.)
This party of ours will continue to promote a culture of life, and
we will defend the institution of marriage from being redefined forever
by activist judges. (Applause.) And speaking about judges --
(laughter) -- in the last two elections, the American people made clear
that they want judges who faithfully interpret the law, not legislate
from the bench. (Applause.) I have a duty to nominate well-qualified
men and women to the federal judiciary. I have done just that, and I
will continue to do so.
The Senate also has a duty to promptly consider each of these
nominees on the Senate floor, discuss and debate their qualifications,
and then give them the up or down vote they deserve. (Applause.) And
speaking of confirmations, the Senate should also promptly confirm Mr.
John Bolton, my nominee -- (applause) -- my nominee to be our
ambassador to the United Nations, so we can get on to the business of
reforming that vital institution. (Applause.)
Over the next four years, we'll be relentless in tracking down the
terrorists. We will confront them abroad so we don't have to face them
here at home. And as we do so, I want you to understand I understand
that the best way to make America more secure is to spread freedom and
democracy. (Applause.)
Freedom is on the march, because I believe etched in everybody's
soul is the desire to be free. I don't care what your religion is, I
don't care where you're from; deep in your soul is the desire to be
free. I believe every mother across the globe wants to raise her child
in a peaceful and free society. I believe every -- (applause) -- I
believe everybody wants to be able to express themselves freely, and
worship freely without fear of government.
People in the Palestinian Territories cast their ballot against
violence and corruption. The people of Lebanon are rising up to demand
freedom and independence. The people in Egypt are taking its first
steps on the path to democratic reform. The people in the Ukraine have
stood strongly for their rights. I was in Georgia recently, the site
of the Rose Revolution, where people stood in the town square and said,
let us be free. Freedom is on the march, and the world will be more
peaceful as a result of it. (Applause.)
We have a duty for future generations. We have a duty to leave
this world more peaceful. We have a duty to reform the institutions
that are old and tired. That's our duty.
You know, political parties can take one of two approaches to great
problems. One approach is simply to do nothing, to deny that a problem
exists, or delay solutions, or refuse to take responsibility. The
political parties that choose this option will not gain the trust of
the American people. The other approach is to lead, to focus on the
people's business and to take on the tough problems. And that's
exactly what we're doing here in Washington, D.C. We're focusing on
the people's business and we are taking on the tough problems. And
that's why the American people have entrusted us with the leadership of
this nation at an historic time.
It's a great privilege to serve the American people, and it carries
great responsibilities. You see, the actions that we take today will
shape the course of events for the next half-century. We've set big
goals, and they're not always easy to achieve. The truth of the matter
is, if they're easy, somebody else would have already done it. But
we're going to continue to be the party of idealism and reform. And
we'll continue to lead, no matter how tough the challenge.
We'll trust the American people. We'll continue to give them a
clear choice. And so long as we stay true to our values and our ideas,
we will do what Americans have always done -- and that is to build a
better world for our children and our grandchildren.
Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 7:21 P.M. EDT
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