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Skriven 2006-10-28 23:31:32 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610284) for Sat, 2006 Oct 28
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at New York Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 28, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at New York Victory 2006 Rally
Greece Community and Senior Center
Greece, New York



10:45 A.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Congressman. Thank you everybody. Thank you
all very much. Thank you, Congressman Reynolds; thank you very much. Thanks
to each and every one of you for such a warm welcome, I really appreciate
it.

Thanks also for coming out on a rainy morning, early in the morning, to say
hello to me -- thank you very much for that. And thanks for coming to
support Congressman Tom Reynolds and Congressman Randy Kuhl, both to be
reelected to the United States Congress. (Applause.)

I want to recognize Donna Reynolds, Tom's wife, who is here in the crowd
with us. Donna, thank you very much. Thank you for joining us. (Applause.)
Steve Minarik, the Chairman of the New York State Republican Party. Steve,
thank you for joining us. (Applause.) And in the crowd are a number of
local elected officials and candidates. Thank you all, thank you for your
service to your communities and to your state and to our country. Thanks so
much. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be here today to support Tom Reynolds and Randy Kuhl's
campaigns for the United States Congress.

Congressman Reynolds is a leader in the House of Representatives, where he
serves as Deputy Majority Whip. He was chosen unanimously by his colleagues
in the 109th Congress to be chairman of the National Republican
Congressional Committee -- one of only eight elected Republican House
leadership positions. (Applause.)

Tom is best known, though, for the passion he brings to representing the
people of New York -- and in Washington, he's distinguished himself as a
powerful advocate for the 26th district. Just two weeks ago, Tom's
dedication and leadership helped secure millions of dollars in federal
assistance for his constituents in the Buffalo area -- (applause) --
resources that will help Western New Yorkers rebuild after the devastating
snowstorm that surprised the region earlier this month. Thank you, Tom, for
this important work. (Applause.)

During his eight years in the House, Congressman Reynolds has brought
almost half a billion dollars in federal funding to the 26th district. He's
advanced health care in this region by securing federal investments in the
University at Buffalo's Bioinformatics Center, and in the Roswell Park
Cancer Institute. And Tom restored vital funding to the federal
Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, which helps New York State's
26,000 small- and mid-sized manufacturing companies compete in a global
marketplace. (Applause.)

Congressman Randy Kuhl is dedicated to the people of Western New York. He's
had a great start in Congress, and during his first term in the House he
brought the principles of efficiency and accountability that have defined
his public service -- service that includes 24 years representing Western
New Yorkers in Albany. Thank you very much, Randy. (Applause.)

In Washington, Congressman Kuhl works to make sure New Yorkers' tax dollars
are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports the presidential line item
veto, which will help eliminate unnecessary spending from the federal
budget. And he supports President Bush's tax cuts. (Applause.) These tax
cuts have fueled our economy, and they've helped to add 6.6 million new
jobs since 2003. That means 6.6 million more Americans wake up every
morning with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes with a job.
(Applause.)

Congressman Reynolds and Congressman Kuhl are dedicated to creating jobs in
New York State. Through his leadership on the Agriculture Committee, Randy
is improving opportunities for New York farmers. In just two years, Randy
has already secured $250 million in federal funds to foster economic
development in the 29th district. And during the last round of base
closings, Tom Reynolds led the effort to save the Niagara Falls Air Reserve
Station -- saving 3,000 upstate New York jobs. (Applause.)

Offering young people the hope of good employment is one of the most
important things we can do for our children. Another important way we can
help our young people is by steering them away from risky behavior, and
guiding them toward the knowledge and the self-respect they need to build
successful lives. (Applause.)

And one of the best ways we can help young people succeed is by providing
them with a good education. (Applause.) And a good education starts with
reading. If you can read, you can read every single subject. (Applause.)
Congressman Reynolds supported legislation that provided $10.2 million for
the Reach Out and Read program -- a program that's very close to my heart.
Reach Out and Read is a program that adds the authority of the medical
community to reading, where pediatricians inform young parents about the
importance of early reading with their children, and actually write a
prescription for reading.

Thank you very much for that, Congressman Reynolds. (Applause.)

Congressman Kuhl has served on the board of his local Boy Scout council,
helping boys in Western New York build leadership skills and develop the
character they need to be healthy and successful young men. Thank you,
Randy and Tom, for your commitment to New York's children. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people in New York and
throughout our country ultimately depends upon our government's ability to
protect them -- by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.
(Applause.)

Congressman Kuhl and Congressman Reynolds understand the needs of our
troops at this crucial time in our country's history. During the 1970s, Tom
served for six years in the Air National Guard and achieved the rank of
sergeant. And in the United States Congress, Tom and Randy are champions of
the men and women of the United States military. (Applause.)

And thanks to our troops, the men and women of Iraqi are now free from the
oppression of Saddam Hussein, and are working to build a democratic future
for their country. (Applause.)

And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be educated. (Applause.) It's
hard for us to imagine a country that would prohibit half of its citizens
from being educated. But now, little girls are in school all over
Afghanistan. (Applause.)

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. Every day, thousands of these young men and women
risk their lives overseas to make sure that their families, and all of our
families, are kept safe in the United States. (Applause.) Their love of our
country, and of liberty, never wavers -- and neither does their belief in
their cause.

Many of these young men and women have given their life for this belief.
Around the country, President Bush and I meet with the families. In
military hospitals, we meet with their fellow soldiers who've been wounded
in combat. And from our troops and their families, the President and I hear
the same request: that we honor the sacrifice of these men and women by
seeing their mission through. They ask the American people to stand with
our troops. (Applause.)

Congressman Reynolds and Congressman Kuhl appreciate our troops' sacrifice.
They understand that this election is critical to the future of our
country. And they know that America faces challenges too important to be
reduced to just politics. (Applause.)

President Bush has an ambitious agenda for the rest of his time in
Washington, and he takes his responsibility to the American people very
seriously. Ending our dependence on foreign oil, reforming our immigration
system, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and keeping our country safe from
terrorism are not easy tasks, but they're absolutely vital goals. To
accomplish them, we must have serious national conversations, conducted
with civility and respect.

The right to have these conversations is part of what makes our country
great, and our democracy strong. We must be mindful that people around the
world are listening to these discussions. Responsible candidates understand
that the men and women of our military are risking their lives for us
overseas, and that we must conduct our debate here at home in a way that
does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way. (Applause.) It's so important
that we stand with Congressman Reynolds and Congressman Kuhl at this
challenging time in our country's history.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Congressman Reynolds and
Congressman Kuhl. And thanks especially to all of the volunteers for your
hard work making the phone calls and knocking on the doors. You've already
done so much to help Tom and Randy, and our other terrific Republican
candidates in New York. And in the next week and a half, they'll need more
of your energy and enthusiasm. So go to the phone banks, knock on those
doors, and talk to your friends and neighbors about Tom Reynolds, Randy
Kuhl, and all of New York's great Republicans. They need your support --
and our country needs them. (Applause.)

Thank you all so much. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming out today.
Thank you in advance for all the hard work you're going to do over the next
week-and-a-half to make sure Tom Reynolds and Randy Kuhl are reelected to
the United States Congress on November 7th. Thank you all very much.
(Applause.)

END 11:05 A.M. EDT
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