Remarks in a discussion in Hudson, Wisconsin

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, August 23, 2004

The President. Yes, it really is. I appreciate you saying that. What's really interesting about this plan, by the way, is that it's--you see your own money. See, you put your own money in, tax-free. It's your money. You can save it over time if you don't spend it, obviously, and therefore, it provides an incentive to make better choices about health care needs. And all of a sudden, Kris starts saying, "Well, you know, I may not need this"--doc says you think you need it--"I may not need it." In other words, he is directly involved with the pricing and purchasing of health care, which I think is a vital component to make sure that health care decisions are aligned properly and that a health care market begins to adjust to consumer demand. And that's really what health savings accounts do. I really want to thank you for sharing with us his idea.

By the way, he got tax relief, and he got a tax relief big enough to make the cash contribution equal to his deductible. So in other words, it's--smart guy. I appreciate you sharing that with us.

Mr. Walker. Thanks for having me. Good luck in '04.

The President. Yes, thank you, sir. I appreciate you coming.

Listen, I want to thank you all for coming. I hope you found this to be an innovative way to talk about how to keep the country stronger. Let me talk about how to keep it safer.

I tell people that if this country shows weakness and uncertainty in this decade, the world will drift to tragedy. It's not going to happen on my watch. Our country changed on September the 11th. Our whole perspective about security and peace must change with the lessons of September the 11th. Let me share some of the things I've learned as the President.

First, we face an enemy that is--that has no conscience. They are--they'll cut off a head just like that and not care. They will take innocent life in order to achieve a dark vision. That's the reality of these people. That's why I tell people you cannot negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best with them. In order to secure our country, we must stay on the offense and bring them to justice, defeat them elsewhere so we do not have to face them here at home.

That is the reality of the world we live in today, and it's a stark reality, but it's necessary. It's a reality that is in the forefront of my thinking. The Government has a solemn duty to protect us, and so when you hear talk about staying on the offense, that's why. And we're making progress. We're dismantling the Al Qaida network. And it's a hard work.

It's a different--I see some great vets here with us today. This is a different kind of war that we're in. It is a--[applause]. Thanks for coming, men. But it is a different kind of war than you're used to. It's a war where there is a patient, ruthless enemy that hides and waits for countries to lower their guard and then strikes. And they're trying to intimidate us. This is really--the war on terror is an interesting way to describe the world in which we live. It's really a battle and a struggle against ideological extremists who have hijacked a great religion and used terror as a weapon to intimidate people of good heart and good soul and good conscience. I clearly see the task at hand.