Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senatorial Candidate John Cornyn in Dallas, Texas March 28, 2002
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Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Mar. 28 Sr., of Mississippi. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these re- marks. Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senatorial Candidate John Cornyn in Dallas, Texas March 28, 2002 Thank you very much. Thank you all. finder for Republican Governors. I appre- Please be seated. Thanks. Everybody in ciate my friend Henry Bonilla for taking Crawford says hello—[laughter]—starting on the Texas Victory 2002 committee. It with Laura. I wish she’d have come with is important we send Henry back to the me today, but—[applause]—she is doing a United States House of Representatives. I fabulous job. I tell people it’s because she’s know Kay Granger from Fort Worth is from Midland, Texas. But I send her best. here, and I appreciate so very much work- She’s got a lot of friends here. And the ing with Kay. She is a great friend, a reli- country now realizes why I asked her to able voice for sound and commonsense pol- marry me. [Laughter] A lot of people are icy in Washington, DC. still wondering why she said yes, but never- I’m so glad to see Greg Abbott, the next theless, she’s doing great, and she sends attorney general of Texas, here. I know that her love. And I want to thank you all for Wallace Jefferson and Mike Schneider are coming here today as well. here. Thank you all for coming. I know It is my honor to come and campaign that Jeb Hensarling, the next United States for the next United States Senator from Congressman from the 5th Congressional the State of Texas. I’m going to miss Phil District, is here as well. Congratulations on Gramm. He is a close friend. He is a your primary win, Jeb. Charles Matthews strong, strong advocate for principles that is here. Our party chairman, Susan are sound for our freedom. He has been Weddington, is here. I want to thank Susan a great United States Senator from Texas. for her longtime service to the Republican I was disappointed he chose not to run Party of Texas. I see Tommy Craddick is again. I understand, but I was disappointed. here, other members of the house and the But my disappointment waned when I real- State senate. I miss you. I wish I could ized my friend John Cornyn was running count on your votes in Washington, like to take his place. I know John. I’ve seen I could have in Austin. But thanks for com- him work. I’ve seen him in action. I’ve ing by to see your old buddy. And thank not only seen him as a campaigner but you all for being here as well. somebody who does in office what he said This is an important election for Texas. he is going to do. There is no question And it’s an important election for the coun- in my mind that he can do the job and try. We’ve got to have a man like John bring a standard of excellence to the Cornyn representing our State in Wash- United States Senate. And there’s no ques- ington. And there are a lot of reasons why. tion in my mind we need him in the First, we’ve got to get good, conservative United States Senate to make sure our judges appointed to the bench and ap- agenda moves forward. proved by the United States Senate. I want I want to thank Bill and Rita Clements people on the bench who don’t try to use for being here. I like to call Bill the path- their position to legislate from the bench. 521 r 24 2004 10:45 Jul 26, 2004 Jkt 193762 PO 00000 Frm 00521 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193762A.XXX 193762A Mar. 28 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 We want people to interpret the law, not will demand more goods and services. And try to make law and write law. And I sent if they demand more goods and services, such a man up from Mississippi the other somebody will help produce those goods day, a good, honest, honorable man, who and services. And if somebody else pro- had been approved unanimously by the duces those goods and services, it makes United States Senate earlier and yet did it easier for somebody to find work. And not get a vote on the floor of the United so we cut the taxes on the people. Right States Senate. We need people like John in the middle of a recession, we cut the Cornyn in the United States Senate, who taxes, which is the right thing to do. will work with the White House to have Now, there are some people up there a solid judiciary, to make sure that the who read a different textbook. See, they judges do what they’re supposed to do in advocate raising your taxes. They get caught the United States and not overstep their in that Washington trap. They forget whose bounds. money we’re spending. John Cornyn under- We need somebody like John, who is stands we spend the people’s money, not going to take a tough position, tough stand the Government money, and he’ll be a reli- on issues like energy. I don’t need to be able ally when it comes to making sure telling my friends in Texas that we’ve got that tax relief that we passed is permanent an energy problem, but we do. We need and long lasting and real. to do a better job of conservation, no ques- And I’ll tell you an issue that’s coming tion about it. And we will. As technology up where we’re going to need his support, advances, we will conserve more. But for if they don’t get it done this year. We put the sake of our national security, we need the death tax on its way to extinction. But to be finding more energy at home. We because of a quirk—but because of a Sen- need to be less dependent on foreign ate rule, after 10 years that death tax can sources of crude oil. John Cornyn will be come back to life. I proposed, Phil has a steady vote and a steady voice when it proposed, that we make the death tax— comes to good, sound energy policy in getting rid of the death tax permanent. I Washington, DC. guarantee he’ll vote for that. You know, one of the interesting issues You know, when I was campaigning in that always faces us in Washington is what Chicago in the general election, somebody to do with the people’s money. The tend- said, ‘‘Would you ever deficit spend?’’ I ency, of course, is to overpromise and then said, ‘‘Well, only if we were at war or there overspend. We need fiscal sanity in Wash- was a national emergency or we were in ington. I want to thank Phil and his leader- recession.’’ Little did I realize we’d get the ship on the issue of taxation. As you may trifecta. [Laughter] remember—I think it was in this room— We’ve dealt with the recession with good I said, ‘‘If you give me a chance to be fiscal policy, a budgeting process that holds your President, I will make sure the people the line on spending, and at the same time, get to keep a substantial amount of their let people have more of their own money own money.’’ I reminded people that we back. And it’s important for us to make weren’t dealing with the Government’s sure that those actions we took to stimulate money; we were dealing with the people’s the private sector remain in place. money. John understands that. And we’re also dealing with the other And we passed tax relief in Washington two issues. Today I had the opportunity exactly at the right time. You see, we un- of going to the Dallas Fire Department’s derstand—Phil understands, I understand, training center to thank Texas Task Force and John understands—that if you let peo- 1 for going to New York City on September ple keep more of their own money, they the 16th, to be there at Ground Zero to 522 24 2004 10:45 Jul 26, 2004 Jkt 193762 PO 00000 Frm 00522 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193762A.XXX 193762A Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Mar. 28 help rescue those who were trapped in the rehabilitated. They hate what America rubble. I went by there because I wanted stands for. They hate our religious toler- to highlight one of the key initiatives in ance. They hate our freedom of speech. the homeland defense strategy, which is to They hate freedom of the press. They de- make sure we’ve got a coordinated effort spise freedom. They despise freedom. And with our first-responders, to respond to any therefore, the best way to secure the home- emergency that may come up from this land, and the only way to secure the home- point forward. land for the long term, is to hunt them The reason I bring that up to you is down one by one and bring them to justice. that my most important job as your Presi- And that’s exactly what I intend to do. dent is to defend the homeland, is to pro- I don’t know what was on their mind tect American people from further attacks.