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GB Speeches - Major Addresses 1/89-3/90 [OA 8749]
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GB Speeches - Major Addresses 1/89-3/90 [OA 8749]
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Mark Davis Subject Files
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
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MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
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Davis, Mark, Files
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Subject File, 1989-1991
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13871-002
Folder Title:
George Bush Speeches-Major Addresses, 1/89-3/90
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noonan
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
January 20, 1989
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
OF THE PRESIDENT
The Capitol
12:05 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. President, Vice
President Quayle, Senator Mitchell, Speaker Wright, Senator Dole,
Congressman Michel, and fellow citizens, neighbors and friends.
There is a man here who has earned a lasting place in our
hearts, and in our history. President Reagan, on behalf of our
nation I thank you for the wonderful things that you have done for
America. (Applause.)
I've just repeated word-for-word the oath taken by George
Washington 200 years ago; and the Bible on which I placed my hand is
the Bible on which he placed his.
It is right that the memory of Washington be with us
today, not only because this is our Bicentennial Inauguration, but
because Washington remains the father of our country. And he would,
I think, be gladdened by this day. For today is the concrete
expression of a stunning fact: Our continuity these 200 years since
our government began.
We meet on democracy's front porch. A good place to talk
as neighbors, and as friends. For this is a day when our nation is
made whole, when our differences, for a moment, are suspended.
And my first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to
bow your heads.
'Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank you for your
love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the
shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do
your work, willing to heed and hear your will, and write on our
hearts these words: "Use power to help people." For we are given
power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in
the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is
to serve people. Help us remember, Lord. Amen.'
I come before you and assume the presidency at a moment
rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we
can make it better.
For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by
freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of
the dictator is over. (Applause.) The totalitarian era is passing,
its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient lifeless tree.
A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by
freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken,
and new action to be taken.
There are times when the future seems thick as a fog; you
sit and wait, hoping the mists will lift and reveal the right path.
But this is a time when the future seems a door you can
walk right through -- into a room called Tomorrow.
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- 2 -
Great nations of the world are moving toward democracy --
through the door to freedom.
Men and women of the world move toward free markets --
through the door to prosperity.
The people of the world agitate for free expression and
free thought -- through the door to the moral and intellectual
satisfactions that only liberty allows.
We know what works: Freedom works. We know what's
right: Freedom is right. We know how to secure a more just and
prosperous life for man on Earth: through free markets, free speech,
free elections, and the exercise of free will unhampered by the
state. (Applause.)
For the first time in this century -- for the first time
in perhaps all history -- man does not have to invent a system by
which to live. We don't have to talk late into the night about which
form of government is better. We don't have to wrest justice from
the kings. We only have to summon it from within ourselves.
We must act on what we know. I take as my guide the hope
of a saint: In crucial things, unity -- in important things,
diversity -- in all things, generosity.
America today is a proud, free nation, decent and civil
-- a place we cannot help but love. We know in our hearts, not
loudly and proudly, but as a simple fact, that this country has
meaning beyond what we see, and that our strength is a force for
good.
But have we changed as a nation even in our time? Are we
enthralled with material things, less appreciative of the nobility of
work and sacrifice?
My friends, we are not the sum of our possessions. They
are not the measure of our lives. In our hearts we know what
matters. We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a
bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it
means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his
home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it.
And what do we want the men and women who work with us to
say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed
than anyone around us? or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had
gotten better, and stayed a moment there to trade a word of
friendship?
No president, no government, can teach us to remember
what is best in what we are. But if the man you have chosen to lead
this government can help make a difference; if he can celebrate the
quieter, deeper successes that are made not of gold and silk, but of
better hearts and finer souls; if he can do these things, then he
must.
America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in
high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It
is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the
world.
My friends, we have work to do. (Applause.) There are
the homeless, lost and roaming, there are the children who have
nothing -- no love and no normalcy -- there are those who cannot free
themselves of enslavement to whatever addiction -- drugs, welfare,
the demoralization that rules the slums. There is crime to be
conquered, the rough crime of the streets. There are young women to
be helped who are about to become mothers of children they can't care
for and might not love. They need our care, our guidance, and our
education, though we bless them for choosing life.
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- 3 -
The old solution, the old way, was to think that public
money alone could end these problems. But we have learned that that
is not so. And in any case, our funds are low. We have a deficit to
bring down. We have more will than wallet, but will is what we need.
We will make the hard choices, looking at what we have
and perhaps allocating it differently, making our decisions based on
honest need and prudent safety.
And then we will do the wisest thing of all -- we will
turn to the only resource we have that in times of need always grows:
the goodness and the courage of the American people. (Applause.)
And I am speaking of a new engagement in the lives of
others -- a new activism, hands-on and involved, that gets the job
done. We must bring in the generations, harnessing the unused talent
of the elderly and the unfocused energy of the young. For not only
leadership is passed from generation to generation, but so is
stewardship. And the generation born after the Second World War has
come of age.
I have spoken of a thousand points of light -- of all the
community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the
nation, doing good.
We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes
leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the
White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and
the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I'll ask
every member of my government to become involved.
The old ideas are new again because they are not old,
they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism
that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.
(Applause.)
We need a new engagement, too, between the Executive and
the Congress. The challenges before us will be thrashed out with the
House and the Senate. And we must bring the federal budget into
balance, and we must ensure that America stands before the world
united -- strong, at peace and fiscally sound. But of course things
may be difficult.
We need compromise; we've had dissension. We need
harmony; we've had a chorus of discordant voices.
For Congress, too, has changed in our time. There has
grown a certain divisiveness. We have seen the hard looks and heard
the statements in which not each other's ideas are challenged, but
each other's motives. And our great parties have too often been far
apart and untrusting of each other.
It's been this way since Vietnam. That war cleaves us
still. But, friends, that war began in earnest a quarter of a
century ago, and surely the statute of limitations has been reached.
This is a fact: The final lesson of Vietnam is that no great nation
can long afford to be sundered by a memory.
A new breeze is blowing -- and the old bipartisanship
must be made new again. (Applause.)
To my friends -- and, yes, I do mean friends -- in the
loyal opposition and, yes, I mean loyal, I put out my hand.
I am putting out my hand to you, Mr. Speaker.
I am putting out my hand to you, Mr. Majority Leader.
For this is the thing: This is the age of the offered
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hand.
And we can't turn back clocks and I don't want to. But
when our fathers were young, Mr. Speaker, our differences ended at
the water's edge. And we don't wish to turn back time, but when our
mothers were young, Mr. Majority Leader, the Congress and the
Executive were capable of working together to produce a budget on
which this nation could live. Let us negotiate soon, and hard. But
in the end, let us produce.
The American people await action. They didn't send us
here to bicker. They ask us to rise above the merely partisan.
(Applause.) "In crucial things, unity" -- and this, my friends, is
crucial.
To the world, too, we offer new engagement and a renewed
vow; we will stay strong to protect the peace. The "offered hand" is
a reluctant fist; once made, strong and can be used with great
effect.
There are today Americans who are held against their will
in foreign lands and Americans who are unaccounted for. Assistance
can be shown here and will be long remembered. Goodwill begets
goodwill. Good faith can be a spiral that endlessly moves on.
"Great nations like great men must keep their word."
When America says something, America means it, whether a treaty, or
an agreement, or a VOW made on marble steps. (Applause.) We will
always try to speak clearly, for candor is a compliment. But
subtlety, too, is good and has its place.
While keeping our alliances and friendships around the
world strong, ever strong, we will continue the new closeness with
the Soviet Union, consistent both with our security and with
progress. One might say that our new relationship in part reflects
the triumph of hope and strength over experience. But hope is good.
And so is strength. And vigilance.
Here today are tens of thousands of our citizens who feel
the understandable satisfaction of those who have taken part in
democracy and seen their hopes fulfilled.
But my thoughts have been turning the past few days to
those who would be watching at home.
To an older fellow who will throw a salute by himself when
the flag goes by, and the woman who will tell her sons the words of
the battle hymns. I don't mean this to be sentimental. I mean that
on days like this, we remember that we are all part of a continuum,
inescapably connected by the ties that bind.
Our children are watching in schools throughout our great
land. And to them I say, thank you for watching democracy's big day.
For democracy belongs to us all, and freedom is like a beautiful kite
that can go higher and higher with the breeze.
And to all I say, no matter what your circumstances or
where you are, you are part of this day; you are part of the life of
our great nation. (Applause.)
A president is neither prince nor pope, and I don't seek
"a window on men's souls." In fact, I yearn for a greater tolerance,
an easy-goingness about each other's attitudes and way of life.
There are few clear areas in which we as a society must
rise up united and express our intolerance. The most obvious now is
drugs. And when that first cocaine was smuggled in on a ship, it may
as well have been a deadly bacteria, so much has it hurt the body,
the soul of our country. And there is much to be done and to be
said, but take my word for it -- this scourge will stop. (Applause.)
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And so there is much to do; and tomorrow the work begins.
And I do not mistrust the future; I do not fear what is
ahead. For our problems are large, but our heart is larger. Our
challenges are great, but our will is greater. And if our flaws are
endless, God's love is truly boundless.
Some see leadership as high drama and the sound of
trumpets calling. And sometimes it is that. But I see history as a
book with many pages -- and each day we fill a page with acts of
hopefulness and meaning.
The new breeze blows, a page turns, the story unfolds --
and so today a chapter begins -- a small and stately story of unity,
diversity, and generosity -- shared, and written, together.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United
States of America. (Applause.)
END
12:25 P.M. EST
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 29, 1990
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN ADDRESS TO
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COALITION ON AIDS
The Crystal Gateway Marriott
11:16 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Dr. Sullivan. And let
me say at the outset of these remarks that I'm a very lucky person,
and I think the country's very lucky having Dr. Louis Sullivan as our
Secretary of HHS. He's doing an outstanding job. And I want to
thank Larry Williford of Allstate, B.J. Stiles from the Coalition,
and then salute Dr. June Osborn, Dr. David Rogers, and then Belinda
Mason of the AIDS Commission, with whom I just met in the Oval
Office. And then, of course, my friend and the doctor to the
President who's been active in this cause for a long time, Dr. Burton
Lee.
I'm delighted -- and I really mean that -- to be here
with you today, the leaders who guide American business as it helps
those suffering with HIV and AIDS. You make our hearts glad, and you
make your country proud.
Other generations have faced life-threatening medical
crises, from polio to the plague. This virus is our challenge. Not
a challenge we sought. Not a challenge we chose, but today our
responsibility is clear: we must meet this challenge. We must beat
this virus. For whether talking about a nation or an individual,
character is measured not by our tragedies -- but by our response to
those tragedies.
And for those who are living with HIV and AIDS, our
response is clear: they deserve our compassion. They deserve our
care. And they deserve more than a chance -- they deserve a cure.
America will accept nothing less. We're slashing red
tape, accelerating schedules, boosting research. And somewhere out
there, there is a Nobel Prize and the gratitude of planet Earth
waiting for the man or woman who discovers the answer that's eluded
everyone else.
We pray that that day will come soon. But until that day
-- until this virus can be defeated by science -- there's a battle to
be waged by society.
Because in 1990, the most effective weapon in our arsenal
against AIDS is not just medication, but also education. Our goal is
to turn irrational fear into rational acts.
And every American must learn what AIDS is and what AIDS
is not. And they must learn now. You in this room are leaders. You
already know. The HIV virus is not spread by handshakes or hugs.
You can't get it from food or drink, coughing or sneezing, or by
sharing bathrooms or towels or conversation.
The transmission of HIV is as simple as it is deadly. In
most cases, it's determined not by what you are but by what you do
and by what you fail to do.
Let me state clearly: people are placed at risk not by
their demographics, but by their deeds, by their behavior.
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- 2 -
And so it is our duty to make certain that every American
has the essential information needed to prevent the spread of HIV and
AIDS. Because while the ignorant may discriminate against AIDS --
AIDS won't discriminate among the ignorant.
Like many of you, Barbara and I have had friends who have
died of AIDS. Our love for them when they were sick and when they
died was just as great and just as intense as for anyone lost to
heart disease or cancer or accidents.
And probably everyone here has read the heartbreaking
stories about AIDS babies and those infected by transfusions. When
our own daughter was dying of leukemia, we asked the doctor the same
question that every HIV family must ask: Why? Why is this happening
to our beautiful little girl? And the doctor said, "You have to
realize that every well person is a miracle. It takes billions of
cells to make a well person. And all it takes is one cell to be bad
and to destroy a whole person. "
In this nation, in this decade, there is only one way to
deal with an individual who is sick. With dignity, with compassion,
care, and confidentiality, and without discrimination. (Applause.)
Once disease strikes, we don't blame those who are
suffering. We don't spurn the accident victim who didn't wear a
seatbelt. We don't reject the cancer patient who didn't quit
smoking. We try to love them and care for them and comfort them. We
don't fire them, we don't evict them, we don't cancel their
insurance. (Applause.)
Today I call on the House of Representatives to get on
with the job of passing a law -- às embodied in the Americans with
Disabilities Act -- (applause) -- that prohibits discrimination
against those with HIV and AIDS. We're in a fight against a disease
-- not a fight against people. And we will not and we must not in
America tolerate discrimination. (Applause.)
The disease is attacking our most precious resource --
our people, especially our young. And the statistics are numbing.
You know them, you heard them this morning. Just look at the quilts
-- the amazing quilts hanging here on the walls today. They prove
that no one is a statistic. Every life has its own fabric, its own
colors, its own purpose, its own soul. And like the quilts, no two
are alike.
When Barbara and I left Washington for Christmas, our
last stop was out there at that marvelous clinic at NIH. We were
impressed by the determination of the people there -- the doctors,
researchers, nurses, health care workers, and especially the brave
people who are living with HIV. We learned a lot about caring, a lot
about family, and a lot about hope. And we saw the face of humanity
in the face of AIDS.
You, too, are in a powerful, unique position to influence
the response to HIV and AIDS. Washing our hands of it won't help
solve the problem, rolling up our sleeves will.
The roster of participants at this conference is an honor
roll. Allstate sponsored a landmark conference on HIV and work.
Fortune Magazine launched a survey on CEOs' response to HIV. General
Motors pledged to conduct an education program. Others are fighting
the spread of HIV by fighting to keep schools and workplaces
drug-free. And this is America responding to a crisis. And this is
America at its best.
This epidemic is having a major impact on our health care
system. The federal response is unprecedented. In 1982, we knew
little about AIDS -- and spent only $8 million. But this year I have
asked Congress for almost $3.5 billion to battle HIV. Money for
basic research, for HIV treatment and education, for protecting civil
rights.
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From Seattle to Boston, from Dallas to Detroit, federal
grants have helped coordinate the efforts of care providers, business
and community organizations to set priorities and pool resources to
meet the treatment needs of people with AIDS.
We've initiated clinical trials for promising new
therapies for HIV. Expanded the availability of experimental drugs.
Approved three new therapies that for the first time offer help to
HIV-infected people before they become sick with AIDS. We've started
a toll-free number where HIV patients and doctors can get
state-of-the-art information on new treatments. Worked with the PTA
to distribute hundreds of thousands of copies of the "AIDS Prevention
Guide" for use in schools and families nationwide.
And our $10 billion war on drugs is also a war on AIDS.
IV drug use now accounts for some of the fastest-growing infection
rates, afflicting Americans that are often among those least able to
get adequate medical help.
America has the most sophisticated health care system in
the world, but it is not without its problems. We face many
challenges. Our system depends on private insurance and individual
payments, as well as government programs. AIDS magnifies the
challenges, including the challenge of expanding access, bringing
costs under control, and overcoming obstacles to quality care. With
these concerns in mind, I asked Dr. Louis Sullivan to lead a
Cabinet-level review of health care in the 1980s. And businesses
like those you represent must play a major role in helping improve
our nation's health care system.
The crisis is not over. We report tens of thousands of
new cases every year. And many predict we can expect to continue to
do so in this decade and even into the next century.
And yet, where there is life, there is hope. There are
hopeful signs. To begin with, we can be encouraged by the news that
current projections of the infection rate will not be as high as we
thought just a year ago.
Our administration recently acted to extend AZT coverage
to help HIV-infected people not yet sick with AIDS. And all 50
states now provide Medicaid coverage for AZT treatments. Thanks to
these actions, more and more people will be able to live and work
with HIV. Keep them in your work force -- as I know many of you are
already doing -- as leaders in this effort. They can serve many,
many more productive years with no threat to you, your other workers,
or your companies. It will reduce costs for everyone. And it is the
right thing to do. (Applause.)
The pace of progress is promising. The HIV virus has
been identified, isolated, and attacked with experimental treatments
in a span of less than 10 years. The normal, centuries-long
evolution of disease and treatment compressed into a decade.
And this race against time has produced an explosion in
knowledge and basic understanding about the nature of disease and
immunology. Like the unexpected technological boons from Apollo's
race to the moon, some physicians predict the race to cure AIDS may
even lead to a cure for cancer.
Dollars spent for AIDS research are dollars spent for the
better health of all Americans. AIDS research strikes at the heart
of many human health problems from infectious disease to aging and
cancer. It includes research on a class of viruses now increasingly
believed to be the cause of not only AIDS, but also incurable
diseases like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and at least two
of the forms, two of the strains of leukemia.
We're on a wartime footing at NIH and CDC -- the Center
for Disease Control. Tonight, like every night, the lights out there
will burn late in Bethesda and Atlanta, as a group of American
pioneers, selfless, dedicated workers work to solve this problem. If
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they do -- I should say I'd rather put it when they do -- it will
be one of the greatest things our nation could do for the entire
world. (Applause.)
We're going to continue to fight like hell. But we're
also going to fight for hope. America has a unique capacity for
beating the odds -- and astounding the world.
During my own childhood, the silent whispered terror was
a mysterious killer called polio. Like HIV, the virus ignored class
distinctions and geographic boundaries.
MEMBER OF AUDIENCE: What have you been doing for 14
months? You haven't said the "A" word yet. Say the "A" word --
THE PRESIDENT: Let me say something about this. I can
understand the concern that these people feel. And I hope if we do
nothing else by coming here, I can help them understand that not only
do you care, but we care, too. And I'm going to continue to do my
very, very best. (Applause.)
Monday would come, and kids who'd been in school on
Friday were simply never seen again. Theaters were closed -- you
remember all that -- summer camps, swimming pools.
As with AIDS, regarding polio, there was a lot of
ignorance. Thousands of stray cats and dogs put to death. Kids
sleeping with camphor inhalers. And at least one town was fumigated
with DDT.
And there were terrifying outbreaks in the teens, in the
'30s, in the '50s. A cure was so far distant the experts refused to
speculate. And then, suddenly, it was over. The dreaded iron lung,
unused, cluttering hospital hallways. Children again growing up in a
world without fear.
Many comparisons have been made to epidemics past --
cholera, smallpox, yellow fever -- none of them perfect. So let me
boil down the lessons of polio to two:
There was a lot of ignorance - let's learn from that.
And in the darkest of hours, hope came unexpectedly, powerfully and
with finality. Let's work hard to see that that day comes to pass.
Together, we will make a difference for those with HIV
and AIDS and for all Americans.
Thank you all for what you do. God bless your important
work. Thank you on behalf of a grateful government. (Applause.)
END
11:34 A.M. EST
Jan. 31 Administration of George (mcGraty)
Administration of George Bush, 1990 / Jan. 31
Address Before a Joint Session of the
A year ago in Poland, Lech Walesa de-
working outside the home can be confident
We need to save more. We need to
Congress on the State of the Union
clared that he was ready to open a dialog
their children are in safe and loving care
expand the pool of capital for new invest-
January 31, 1990
with the Communist rulers of that country;
and where government works to expand
ments that need more jobs and more
and today, with the future of a free Poland
child-care alternatives for parents; where
growth. And that's the idea behind a new
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the
in their own hands, members of Solidarity
we reconcile the needs of a clean environ-
initiative I call the Family Savings Plan,
United States Congress:
lead the Polish Government.
ment and a strong economy; where "Made
which I will send to Congress tomorrow.
I return as a former President of the
A year ago, freedom's playwright Vaclav
in the USA" is recognized around the world
We need to cut the tax on capital gains,
Senate and a former Member of this great
Havel languished as a prisoner in Prague.
as the symbol of quality and progress;
encourage risktakers, especially those in our
House. And now, as President, it is my
And today it's Vaclav Havel, President of
where every one of us enjoys the same op-
small businesses, to take those steps that
privilege to report to you on the state of
Czechoslovakia.
portunities to live, to work, and to contrib-
translate into economic reward, jobs, and a
the Union.
And 1 year ago, Erich Honecker, of East
ute to society and where, for the first time,
better life for all of us.
the American mainstream includes all of
Tonight I come not to speak about the
Germany, claimed history as his guide, and
We'll do what it takes to invest in Ameri-
state of the Government, not to detail
he predicted the Berlin Wall would last an-
our disabled citizens; where everyone has a
roof over his head and where the homeless
ca's future. The budget commitment is
every new initiative we plan for the coming
other hundred years. And today, less than 1
there. The money is there. It's there for
year nor to describe every line in the
year later, it's the Wall that's history.
get the help they need to live in dignity;
where our schools challenge and support
research and development, R&D-a record
budget. I'm here to speak to you and to the
Remarkable events-events that fulfill
our kids and our teachers and where all of
high. It's there for our housing initiative-
American people about the state of the
the long-held hopes of the American
them make the grade; where every street,
HOPE-to help everyone from first-time
Union-about our world-the changes
people; events that validate the longstand-
every city, every school, and every child is
homebuyers to the homeless. The money's
we've seen, the challenges we face, and
ing goals of American policy, a policy based
drug-free; and finally, where no American is
there to keep our kids drug-free-70 per-
what that means for America.
on a single, shining principle: the cause of
forgotten-our hearts go out to our hostages
cent more than when I took office in 1989.
There are singular moments in history,
freedom.
who are ceaselessly on our minds and in our
It's there for space exploration. And it's
dates that divide all that goes before from
America, not just the nation but an idea,
efforts.
there for education-another record high.
all that comes after. And many of us in this
alive in the minds of people everywhere. As
That's part of the future we want to see,
And one more thing: Last fall at the edu-
chamber have lived much of our lives in a
this new world takes shape, America stands
the future we can make for ourselves, but
cation summit, the Governors and I agreed
world whose fundamental features were de-
at the center of a widening circle of free-
dreams alone won't get us there. We need
to look for ways to help make sure that our
fined in 1945; and the events of that year
dom-today, tomorrow, and into the next
to extend our horizon, commit to the long
kids are ready to learn the very first day
decreed the shape of nations, the pace of
century. Our nation is the enduring dream
view. And our mission for the future starts
they walk into the classroom. And I've
progress, freedom or oppression for millions
of every immigrant who ever set foot on
today.
made good on that commitment by propos-
of people around the world.
these shores, and the millions still struggling
In the tough competitive markets around
ing a record increase in funds-an extra
Nineteen forty-five provided the common
to be free. This nation, this idea called
the world, America faces the great chal-
half-a-billion dollars-for something near
frame of reference, the compass points of
America, was and always will be a new
lenges and great opportunities. And we
and dear to all of us: Head Start.
the postwar era we've relied upon to under-
world-our new world.
know that we can succeed in the global
Education is the one investment that
stand ourselves. And that was our world,
At a workers' rally, in a place called
economic arena of the nineties, but to meet
means more for our future because it means
until now. The events of the year just
Branik on the outskirts of Prague, the idea
that challenge, we must make some funda-
the most for our children. Real improve-
ended, the revolution of '89, have been a
called America is alive. A worker, dressed
mental changes-some crucial investment
ment in our schools is not simply a matter
chain reaction, changes so striking that it
in grimy overalls, rises to speak at the facto-
in ourselves.
of spending more: it's a matter of asking
marks the beginning of a new era in the
ry gates. He begins his speech to his fellow
Yes, we are going to invest in America.
more-expecting more-of our schools, our
world's affairs.
citizens with these words, words of a distant
This administration is determined to en-
teachers, of our kids, of our parents, and
Think back-think back just 12 short
revolution: "We hold these truths to be self-
courage the creation of capital, capital of all
ourselves. And that's why tonight I am an-
months ago to the world we knew as 1989
evident, that all men are created equal, that
kinds: physical capital-everything from our
nouncing America's education goals, goals
began.
they are endowed by their Creator with
farms and factories to our workshops and
developed with enormous cooperation from
One year-one year ago, the people of
certain unalienable Rights, and that among
production lines, all that is needed to
the Nation's Governors. And if I might, I'd
Panama lived in fear, under the thumb of a
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
produce and deliver quality goods and qual-
like to say I'm very pleased that Governor
dictator. Today democracy is restored;
Happiness."
ity services; intellectual capital-the source
Gardner [Washington] and Governor Clin-
Panama is free.
It's no secret that here at home freedom's
of ideas that spark tomorrow's products;
ton [Arkansas], Governor Branstad [Iowa],
Operation Just Cause has achieved its ob-
door opened long ago. The cornerstones of
and of course our human capital-the tal-
Governor Campbell [South Carolina], all of
jective. The number of military personnel
this free society have already been set in
ented work force that we'll need to com-
whom were very key in these discussions,
in Panama is now very close to what it was
place: democracy, competition, opportunity,
pete in the global market.
these deliberations, are with us here to-
before the operation began. And tonight I
private investment, stewardship, and of
Let me tell you, if we ignore human cap-
night.
am announcing that well before the end of
course leadership. And our challenge today
ital, if we lose the spirit of American inge-
By the year 2000, every child must start
February, the additional numbers of Ameri-
is to take this democratic system of ours, a
nuity, the spirit that is the hallmark of the
school ready to learn.
can troops, the brave men and women of
system second to none, and make it better:
American worker, that would be bad. The
The United States must increase the high
our Armed Forces who made this mission a
a better America, where there's a job for
American worker is the most productive
school graduation rate to no less than 90
success, will be back home.
everyone who wants one; where women
worker in the world.
percent.
146
147
Jan. 31 / Administration of George Bush, 1990
Administration of George Bush, 1990 Jan. 31
And we are going to make sure our
tion Agency to Cabinet rank-not more bu-
The state of the Government does indeed
and one of the first to fall. But he knew
schools' diplomas mean something. In criti-
reaucracy, not more red tape, but the cer-
depend on many of us in this very chamber.
what he believed in. He carried the idea we
cal subjects-at the 4th, 8th, and 12th
tainty that here at home, and especially in
But the state of the Union depends on all
call America in his heart.
grades-we must assess our students' per-
our dealings with other nations, environ-
Americans. We must maintain the demo-
I began tonight speaking about the
formance.
mental issues have the status they deserve.
cratic decency that makes a nation out of
changes we've seen this past year. There is
By the year 2000, U.S. students must be
This year's budget provides over $2 bil-
millions of individuals. I've been appalled at
a new world of challenges and opportuni-
first in the world in math and science
lion in new spending to protect our envi-
the recent mail bombings across this coun-
ties before us, and there's a need for leader-
achievement.
ronment, with over $1 billion for global
try. Every one of us must confront and con-
ship that only America can provide. Nearly
Every American adult must be a skilled,
change research, and a new initiative I call
demn racism, antisemitism, bigotry, and
40 years ago, in his last address to the Con-
literate worker and citizen.
America the Beautiful to expand our nation-
hate, not next week, not tomorrow, but
gress, President Harry Truman predicted
Every school must offer the kind of disci-
al parks and wildlife preserves that improve
right now-every single one of us.
such a time would come. He said: "As our
plined environment that makes it possible
recreational facilities on public lands, and
The state of the Union depends on
world grows stronger, more united, more
for our kids to learn. And every school in
whether we help our neighbor-claim the
something else, something that will help
attractive to men on both sides of the Iron
America must be drug-free.
problems of our community as our own,
keep this country clean from our forestland
Curtain, then inevitably there will come a
Ambitious aims? Of course. Easy to do?
We've got to step. forward when there's
to the inner cities and keep America beauti-
time of change within the Communist
Far from it. But the future's at stake. The
trouble, lend a hand, be what I call a point
ful for generations to come: the money to
of light to a stranger in need. We've got to
world." Today, that change is taking place.
Nation will not accept anything less than
excellence in education.
plant a billion trees a year.
take the time after a busy day to sit down
For more than 40 years, America and its
These investments will keep America
And tonight let me say again to all the
and read with our kids, help them with
allies held communism in check and en-
competitive. And I know this about the
Members of the Congress: The American
their homework, pass along the values we
sured that democracy would continue to
American people: We welcome competi-
people did not send us here to bicker.
learned as children. That's how we sustain
exist. And today, with communism crum-
tion. We'll match our ingenuity, our energy,
There is work to do, and they sent us here
the state of the Union. Every effort is im-
bling, our aim must be to ensure democra-
our experience and technology, our spirit
to get it done. And once again, in the spirit
portant. It all adds up. It's doing the things
cy's advance, to take the lead in forging
and enterprise against anyone. But let the
of cooperation, I offer my hand to all of
that give democracy meaning. It all adds up
peace and freedom's best hope: a great and
competition be free, but let it also be fair.
you. Let's work together to do the will of
to who we are and who we will be.
growing commonwealth of free nations.
America is ready.
the people: clean air, child care, the Educa-
Let me say that so long as we remember
And to the Congress and to all Americans, I
Since we really mean it and since we're
tional Excellence Act, crime, and drugs. It's
the American idea, so long as we live up to
say it is time to acclaim a new consensus at
serious about being ready to meet that chal-
time to act. The farm bill, transportation
the American ideal, the state of the Union
home and abroad, a common vision of the
lenge, we're getting our own house in
policy, product-liability reform, enterprise
will remain sound and strong.
peaceful world we want to see.
order. We have made real progress. Seven
zones-it's time to act together.
And to those who worry that we've lost
Here in our own hemisphere, it is time
years ago, the Federal deficit was 6 percent
And there's one thing I hope we will be
our way-well, I want you to listen to parts
for all the peoples of the Americas, North
of our gross national product-6 percent. In
able to agree on. It's about our commit-
of a letter written by Private First Class
and South, to live in freedom. In the Far
the new budget I sent up 2 days ago, the
ments. I'm talking about Social Security. To
James Markwell, a 20-year-old Army medic
East and Africa, it's time for the full flower-
deficit is down to 1 percent of gross nation-
every American out there on Social Securi-
of the 1st Battalion, 75th Rangers. It's dated
ing of free governments and free markets
al product.
ty, to every American supporting that
December 18th, the night before our
that have served as the engine of progress.
That budget brings Federal spending
system today, and to everyone counting on
armed forces went into action in Panama.
It's time to offer our hand to the emerging
under control. It meets the Gramm-
it when they retire, we made a promise to
It's a letter servicemen write and hope will
democracies of Eastern Europe so that con-
Rudman target. It brings that deficit down
you, and we are going to keep it.
never be sent. And sadly, Private Mark-
tinent-for too long a continent divided-
further and balances the budget by 1993
We rescued the system in 1983, and it's
well's mother did receive this letter. She
can see a future whole and free. It's time to
with no new taxes. And let me tell you,
sound again-bipartisan arrangement. Our
passed it along to me out there in Cincin-
build on our new relationship with the
there's still more than enough Federal
budget fully funds today's benefits, and it
nati.
Soviet Union, to endorse and encourage a
spending. For most of us, $1.2 trillion is still
assures that future benefits will be funded
And here is some of what he wrote: "I've
peaceful process of internal change toward
a lot of money.
as well. The last thing we need to do is
never been afraid of death, but I know he is
democracy and economic opportunity.
And once the budget is balanced, we can
mess around with Social Security.
waiting at the corner. I've been trained to
We are in a period of great transition,
operate the way every family must when it
There's one more problem we need to
kill and to save, and so has everyone else. I
great hope, and yet great uncertainty. We
has bills to pay. We won't leave it to our
address. We must give careful consideration
am frightened what lays beyond the fog,
recognize that the Soviet military threat in
children and our grandchildren. Once it's
to the recommendations of the health-care
and yet do not mourn for me. Revel in the
Europe is diminishing, but we see little
balanced, we will start paying off the na-
studies underway now. That's why tonight
life that I have died to give you. But most
change in Soviet strategic modernization.
tional debt.
I'm asking Dr. Sullivan, Lou Sullivan, Secre-
of all, don't forget the Army was my choice.
Therefore, we must sustain our own strate-
And there's something more we owe the
tary of Health and Human Services, to lead
Something that I wanted to do. Remember
gic offense modernization and the Strategic
generations of the future: stewardship, the
a Domestic Policy Council review of recom-
I joined the Army to serve my country and
Defense Initiative.
safekeeping of America's precious environ-
mendations on the quality, accessibility, and
ensure that you are free to do what you
But the time is right to move forward on
mental inheritance.
cost of our nation's health-care system. I am
want and live your lives freely."
a conventional arms control agreement to
It's just one sign of how serious we are:
committed to bring the staggering costs of
Let me add that Private Markwell was
move us to more appropriate levels of mili-
we will elevate the Environmental Protec-
health care under control.
among the first to see battle in Panama,
tary forces in Europe, a coherent defense
Administration of George Bush, 1990 / Feb. 1
Jan. 31 / Administration of George Bush, 1990
program that ensures the U.S. will continue
Now, I know you're probably thinking,
God bless all of you, and may God bless
The President has concluded that this
to be a catalyst for peaceful change in
Well, that's just a grandfather talking. Well,
this great nation, the United States of
proposal reflects the minimum level of U.S.
Europe. And I've consulted with leaders of
maybe you're right. But I've met a lot of
America.
forces needed in Europe to protect Ameri-
NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
children this past year across this country,
can interests and to sustain NATO's strategy
tion]. In fact, I spoke by phone with Presi-
as all of you have, everywhere from the Far
Note: The President spoke at 9:05 p.m. in
of forward defense and flexible response.
dent Gorbachev just today.
East to Eastern Europe. And all kids are
the House Chamber of the Capitol. He was
Even if-as we expect-Soviet forces in this
I agree with our European allies that an
unique, and yet all kids are alike-the bud-
introduced by Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of
region are reduced even further, the
American military presence in Europe is es-
ding young environmentalists I met this
the House of Representatives. The address
United Stated does not envision the further
sential and that it should not be tied solely
month, who joined me in exploring the
was broadcast live on nationwide radio and
reduction of its forces in Europe below this
to the Soviet military presence in Eastern
Florida Everglades; the little leaguers I
television. Prior to his address, the President
new level.
Europe. But our troop levels can still be
played catch with in Poland, ready to go
attended a reception in the Speaker's Con-
lower. And so, tonight I am announcing a
from Warsaw to the World Series; and even
ference Room hosted by the congressional
major new step for a further reduction in
the kids who are ill or alone-and God bless
leadership.
U.S. and Soviet manpower in central and
those boarder babies, born addicted to
Remarks at the Annual National Prayer
eastern Europe to 195,000 on each side.
This level reflects the advice of our senior
drugs and AIDS and coping with problems
Breakfast
no child should have to face. But you know,
military advisers. It's designed to protect
February 1, 1990
American and European interests and sus-
when it comes to hope and the future,
White House Fact Sheet on the
tain NATO's defense strategy. A swift con-
every kid is the same-full of dreams ready
President's Conventional Armed Forces
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank
clusion to our arms control talks-conven-
to take on the world-all special, because
in Europe Initiative
you all. Thank you very, very much. Vice
they are the very future of freedom. And to
President and Mrs. Quayle, and Chuck
tional, chemical, and strategic-must now
January 31, 1990
them belongs this new world I've been
Grassley, Sam Nunn, and my dear friend
be our goal. And that time has come.
Still, we must recognize an unfortunate
speaking about.
After initial discussions with NATO allies,
Billy Graham, and Ruth. Jim Baker, that
was a very inspiring testament of faith. I
fact: In many regions of the world tonight,
And so, tonight I'm going to ask some-
the President concluded that changes
also want to salute our very special guests
the reality is conflict, not peace. Enduring
thing of every one of you. Now, let me start
which have taken place in Europe over the
who have traveled far to join us in a prayer
animosities, and opposing interests remain.
with my generation, with the grandparents
last 3 months have made it possible to pro-
for peace and understanding: President Moi
And thus, the cause of peace must be
out there. You are our living link to the
pose lower levels in the area of greatest
of Kenya; President Ershad of Bangladesh;
served by an America strong enough and
past. Tell your grandchildren the story of
concentration of forces: central and eastern
Major Buyoya, the marvelous head of Bu-
sure enough to defend our interests and our
struggles waged at home and abroad, of sac-
Europe. However, the United States will
rundi; President Cristiani, a longtime
ideals. It's this American idea that for the
rifices freely made for freedom's sake. And
maintain significant military forces in
friend; the Prime Minister Kisekka. And I
past four decades helped inspire this revolu-
tell them your own story as well, because
Europe as long as our allies desire our pres-
just express for all of us a very hearty wel-
tion of '89.
every American has a story to tell.
ence as part of a common security effort.
Here at home and in the world, there's
come, and to President Ershad, a happy
And, parents, your children look to you
Therefore, in his State of the Union Ad-
history in the making, history to be made.
birthday greeting to go with Bev Shea's.
Six months ago, early. in this season of
for direction and guidance. Tell them of
dress to Congress on January 31, President
We're delighted you're here.
change, I stood at the gates of the Gdansk
faith and family. Tell them we are One
Bush proposed to revise NATO's current
And I want to thank Bev Shea and Billy.
Nation under God. Teach them that of all
position in the Conventional Armed Forces
Shipyard in Poland at the monument to the
It'll probably read: Prayer Breakfast, Bev
the many gifts they can receive liberty is
in Europe (CFE) negotiations to lower sub-
fallen workers of Solidarity. It's a monu-
Shea; Supporting Cast: Secretary of State;
their most precious legacy and of all the
stantially the levels of U.S. and Soviet
ment of simple majesty. Three tall crosses
Billy Graham. [Laughter] A lot of Presi-
gifts they can give the greatest is helping
ground and air force manpower in central
dents out here, Senators and Congressmen.
rise up from the stones, and atop each cross,
and eastern Europe to 195,000 on each
He was magnificent. [Laughter] Magnifi-
an anchor, an ancient symbol of hope.
others.
side. Forces withdrawn will be demobilized.
cent music.
The anchor in our world today is free-
And to the children and young people
There would be approximately 225,000 U.S.
dom, holding us steady in times of change,
It's often said in my line of work that a
out there tonight: With you rests our hope,
ground and air force personnel in Europe
a symbol of hope to all the world. And free-
candidate or a proposal hasn't got a prayer.
all that America will mean in the years and
after CFE reductions are completed. The
dom is at the very heart of the idea that is
Well, I'm pleased to be with an audience
decades ahead. Fix your vision on a new
proposal responds to rapid changes in east-
about whom that will never be said.
America. Giving life to that idea depends
century-your century, on dreams we
ern Europe and is designed to help propel
on every one of us. Our anchor has always
[Laughter] And this breakfast is the result
cannot see, on the destiny that is yours and
the CFE negotiations to an early conclusion
of years of quiet diplomacy-I wouldn't say
been faith and family.
In the last few days of this past momen-
yours alone.
in 1990.
secret diplomacy-quiet diplomacy by an
tous year, our family was blessed once
And finally, let all Americans-all of us
The President's initiative would super-
ambassador of faith, Doug Coe. And I salute
more, celebrating the joy of life when a
together here in this chamber, the symbolic
sede an earlier proposal establishing a level
him.
little boy became our 12th grandchild.
center of democracy-affirm our allegiance
of 275,000 each of U.S. and Soviet ground
And I was moved once again by what
When I held the little guy for the first time,
to this idea we call America. And let us
and air force manpower stationed outside of
Sam and Liz told us of Members and staff-
the troubles at home and abroad seemed
remember that the state of the Union de-
their respective national territories in the
ers on the Hill who like to regularly meet
manageable and totally in perspective.
pends on each and every one of us.
Atlantic to the Urals region.
to share a few quiet moments of prayer and