Remarks at a fundraiser for representative Tom Latham in Des Moines

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 4, 2002

I made it clear that a scenario which I will not let stand is one in which a terrorist organization could team up with a nation that has had a history of mistreating her people, a nontransparent nation perhaps, a nation that is known to be developing weapons of mass destruction. We cannot let, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, terrorist organizations team up with nations that want to develop weapons that can be delivered from long distances that will hurt ourselves, our friends, and our allies. We're not going to let the world's worst regimes develop the worst weapons and threaten the United States of America.

We're doing everything at home to defend the homeland. We've got a good strategy in place. It starts, by the way, with having the best intelligence possible, gathering intelligence from all around the world, disseminating on a quick basis, and following every lead and every hint.

If we get any kind of whiff that somebody is trying to do something to the American people, we're moving. We've got thousands of FBI agents whose major task, primary focus, is on preventing an attack. We're doing a much better job of coordinating with State and local authorities. We've got a national strategy in place to make our borders more secure, to make our Nation more responsive to a potential bioterrorist attack. I mean, we're making good progress, and our budget reflects that. But the best way to secure the homeland is to be relentless in our pursuit against terrorists, and that's exactly what's going to happen, so long as I'm the President of the United States.

You know, I remember campaigning in Chicago, and somebody said, "Would you ever spend a deficit?" And I said, "Only if we're at war or we had a recession or there was a national emergency." Little did I realize we'd get the trifecta. [Laughter] It's going to be important for Congress to fund the priorities. But in order to make sure whatever deficit we have is short lived, they better hold the line on the rest of the budget. And that's why the President has the veto pen. It's important for there to be fiscal discipline in Washington, DC, right now.

Our economy is, as you know, has been sputtering. And thankfully, the Congress, working with me, did a smart thing. Last March, we cut the taxes on the people who pay the bills in America. Actually, I think it took place a little later than March. Last year, we cut the taxes. It happened at the exact right time. You see, in order to stimulate economic vitality and growth, when we give people their own money back, it enhances demand, which causes more production, which creates job stability.

Now, there are some in Washington that have been mumbling beneath their breath that maybe they think they want to prevent the rest of the tax relief package from going through. I do not know what economic textbook they're reading. One thing you don't do is raise taxes in the middle of a recession. In order to stimulate growth, you trust the American people with their own money, and that's what we did. I appreciate Latham's vote on that matter, and I'm going to hold the line when it comes to tax relief.