Remarks in a discussion on strengthening social security in Tucson

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 28, 2005

March 21, 2005

The President. Thank you all. Thanks. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is nice to be back in Tucson. The last time I was here, remember, we were up dealing with forest fires. And hopefully, the Healthy Forest legislation that we got passed, thanks to the help of John and Jon and members of the Arizona congressional delegation, will help us preserve this valuable national treasure.

I'm here today to talk with some distinguished citizens from your State about Social Security. Before I do so, I'd say--I've got some other things I want to talk about. [Laughter] First, I want to talk about how much I enjoy working with Senator John McCain. I appreciate the job he's doing for the people of Arizona. And I appreciate Senator Jon Kyl from the great State of Arizona. I'm glad you're being nice to him, because he is on the Senate Finance Committee. [Laughter] They're going to write the bill to make sure we have a Social Security system not only available for today's seniors but for the next generation coming up. That's what we're here to talk about. Senator, thank you for your leadership on this issue.

And how about Congressman Jim Kolbe. Appreciate you being here. Jim Kolbe has taken a lead on this issue as well. He's doing something that needs to happen. He's reached across the aisle; he has found a Democrat partner to help come up with some ideas as to how to make sure Social Security is strong for generations to come. I'm proud of your leadership, Jim. I want to thank you. He said he's been working on this issue for quite awhile.

I'm proud that Congressman Trent Franks is with us, and his wife, Josie. Thanks for coming. Congressman John Shadegg is with us. I appreciate you being here, John. You allow people from Colorado in the State? Yes. Well, if that's the ease, then why don't we introduce Bob Beauprez, Congressman from Colorado, and Congressman Joel Hefley. McCain said, "Thank you for the water." [Laughter]

Speaking about water, I had a fascinating discussion with your mayor about water for Tucson. Mayor Bob Walkup and I actually had talked about water my last trip here. He told me that he was going to work to put a long-term plan in place to make sure this great city and this part of the world has got ample supplies of water. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your vision, and thank you for your hard work on that issue.

I'm proud we've got folks from the statehouse here. Secretary of State Jan Brewer is with us. Madam Secretary, thank you for joining us. Good to see you again. The president of the senate and the speaker of the house are with us. We're honored you all are here. Thanks for coming. Good to see you men again. We got supervisors; we got local officials.

Mostly I want to thank the Tucson Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event. I appreciate you being here. Steve Touche and Jack Camper, I'm honored that you all would--and the Chamber members for inviting us to come and have a dialog about a really important issue, which I'm working my way toward. [Laughter]

I know you're playing baseball here. I wish the mighty Diamondbacks, with Ken Kendrick, all the best this year. Good to see you, Ken. Thank you, sir. Good luck.

Russell Gursky is with us. Russell, thank you for coming. Russ, why don't you stand up. Hold your applause for Russell. Russell, you right there. Oh, there he is, sorry. This Russell Gursky. He came to the airport. He is a volunteer, 91 years old, still volunteering with the RSVP program to provide help at the Tucson Police Department. I'm honored for your service. Thank you for volunteering, sir.

A couple of issues I do want to talk about. Democrats and Republicans in Congress came together last night to give Terri Schiavo's parents another opportunity to save their daughter's life. This is a complex case with serious issues, but in extraordinary circumstances like this, it is wise to always err on the side of life. I appreciate the work of the Senate and the House to get that bill for me to sign last night at about 1:08--or this morning, at about 1:08.

I also want to say something about the freedom agenda. I appreciate the strong support of Senator McCain, Senator Kyl, members of the congressional delegation for understanding that everyone desires to be free, that deep in everybody's soul is the desire to live in a free society. And they also understand that free societies are peaceful societies and that if you're interested in a peaceful world, which we're interested in, for our children and our grandchildren, the best thing to do is to spread freedom, which is precisely what is taking place. I want to assure you that over the next 4 years, we will work with our friends and allies to encourage those who live under tyranny to be bold and confident and to follow their hearts. We will work with friends and 'allies to make the world a more peaceful place by spreading freedom.

And freedom is on the march. Just think about what has happened in Afghanistan, for example. Millions went to the polls after they were shackled by the Taliban. We acted in our own self-interest. We upheld doctrine that said, "If you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist." As a result of our action in self-defense and defending America, millions of people in Afghanistan are now free. The first voter in the election was a woman.