Remarks to the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Legislative Conference

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, April 25, 2005

April 21, 2005

Good morning. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's a little early for the Texas delegation. [Laughter] I hope you're behaving yourselves. I know you are, since Billy Gammon isn't here. [Laughter] I am pleased to be with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Thanks.

Laura told me on the way over to give you all her best. Generally what happens when I mention her name, most people say, "Well, I wish you'd have sent her." [Laughter] She's doing great. She is a--really a fine person, a great mother, great wife, and a great First Lady for America. I'm a really lucky guy when she said yes when I asked her to marry me.

I really appreciate your inviting me, and I appreciate your work. I appreciate the way more than 300,000 of you around America help our fellow citizens--help our fellow citizens protect their property, help our fellow citizens provide for their families in case of calamity. Thanks for what you do. Thanks for being good stewards within the communities in which you live.

I oftentimes tell people that the great strength of America is not our military, although we'll keep it strong. The great strength of America is not the size of our wallets. The great strength of America is the hearts and souls of our fellow citizens who work in the communities in which they live to feed the hungry, provide hope for the hopeless, provide shelter for the homeless, who love a neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves. I know that's what you all do on a daily basis in the community in which you live, and thank you for making America a better place.

I welcome you to the Nation's Capital, where sometimes politics gets in the way of doing the people's business. Take John Bolton--he's a good man I nominated to represent our country at the United Nations. John's distinguished career and service to our Nation demonstrates that he is the fight man at the right time for this important assignment. I urge the Senate to put aside politics and confirm John Bolton to the United Nations.

Politics in Washington has also made it hard for some to put aside their differences to come to the table to strengthen Social Security. And that's what I'm here to talk about today. I want to spend some time with you talking about the fact that Social Security is headed for deep trouble and that those of us who have been entrusted by the people to serve our country need to act now to make sure the Social Security system is there for our children and our grandchildren.

I want to thank Bob Rusbuldt for giving me a chance to come. I appreciate the invitation. I want to thank Tom Grau for his leadership role as well. But most of all, thank you all for your interest.

The men and women of the Big "I"--I think that's what you call yourselves--[laughter]--appreciate the principles that are important for a healthy and strong America. And I appreciate the principles that you stand for, planning for the future and providing Americans with more choices and working to get your friends and clients a better deal. I appreciate your commitment to standing with your clients until their claims are settled, to help people through the rough spots. You're ensuring the American Dream, and I appreciate that as well.

By protecting homes and the savings of millions of families, you're helping this Nation be more secure for a lot of folks. And that's what I'm interested in. I'm interested in a secure nation. I'm working to make sure this Nation is a prosperous nation. And we're working hard to spread freedom and the peace we all want.

We have an ambitious agenda here in Washington. There is a lot to do. The war on terror goes on. We're still at war. There is still a ruthless enemy that would like to harm our country. They want to do us harm because of what we believe. We stand for freedom and liberty and human dignity and the rights of minorities, the right for people to worship freely. And we're not going to change. And they don't like it. But we're going to keep pressure on them. We'll work with friends and allies. We will be unrelenting in our efforts to bring the terrorists to justice, and we will not rest until America is safe.

In the long run, the best way to protect America is to change the conditions that give rise to hopelessness and extremism. That's the best way to protect generations of Americans to come. And the best way to change the conditions that give rise to hopelessness and extremism is to spread freedom.

I oftentimes tell audiences this--and it's important for our fellow citizens and people around the world to hear this--that freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world. I believe all people desire to be free. I believe morns in the Middle East want their children to grow up in a peaceful world so their children can have--can realize their God-given potential. That's what I believe. And if you believe that, then you have an obligation to help spread that freedom. And freedom is on the march.