Remarks in Sioux City, Iowa

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 8, 2004

Homeownership rate is at an alltime high. More minority owns--more minority families own a house than ever before in our Nation's history. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. Our small businesses all across the Nation are doing well. We've added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13 months. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. In the great State of Iowa, the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. This economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.

I've a message for the farmers and ranchers of Iowa and South Dakota and Nebraska. We will continue to open up foreign markets for your products. We'll promote renewables like ethanol and biodiesel. We will keep our farm economy strong, and you can count on me to keep my word.

My opponent has an economic plan. I want you to remember he has voted to increase taxes 98 times in 20 years as a United States Senator.

Audience members. Boo-o-o!

The President. That is five times a year. You might say that is a predictable pattern, a leading indicator. In this campaign the Senator has pledged to raise taxes on the top two brackets. But that's not enough to pay for his priorities, See, he's promised $2.2 trillion in new Federal spending. That is trillion with a "T." That's a lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts.

But raising those top two brackets, that penalizes your small-business owner, and at the same time, it doesn't even come close to paying for his promises. There's a tax gap. That's a gap between what he has promised and what he can deliver. And you know who usually fills that tax gap? Middle-class families do. We're not going to let him tax you; we're going to win on Tuesday.

The second clear choice in this election involves the quality of life for our Nation's families. I believe every child can learn and that every school must teach. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations and to reform our public schools. I have kept my word. We passed education reforms to bring high standards to the classrooms. Math and reading scores are on the rise. We're closing the achievement gap by helping minority students all across America. In a new term, we will build on these reforms, extend them to our high schools so that no child is left behind in America.

We'll continue to improve life for our families by making health care more affordable and available. We will expand health savings accounts. We will allow small businesses to join together so they can buy insurance at the same discounts available to big companies.

We will help families in need, and we will help our patients and doctors all across America by doing something about these junk lawsuits that are running up the cost of medicine. I have met too many ob-gyns across our country that are having to stop practicing medicine because these lawsuits are running up their premiums. And I have met too many expectant moms who are desperately concerned about their health and the health of their little one because they have to drive miles to find a doctor. We have a national problem when it comes to these frivolous lawsuits.