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Skriven 2006-10-04 23:31:42 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610045) for Wed, 2006 Oct 4
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Tom Reynolds for Congress Luncheon
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 4, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Tom Reynolds for Congress Luncheon
The Buffalo Marriott Niagara
Amherst, New York



12:52 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, each and every one of you, for the very, very warm
welcome to Buffalo. I appreciate it very much. Thank you, Tom, for that
very kind introduction. Governor Pataki, thank you very much for joining us
today and for your great work for the state for the last 12 years. Thank
you very, very much, Governor. (Applause.)

Tom's wife, Donna Reynolds, is also here. When your spouse is in politics,
you're involved whether you want to be or not. And we know that successful
politicians have families who stand with them and are there for them all
the time. Donna has been with Tom and supported his political life for 26
years. Isn't that great? (Applause.) And that's even more remarkable,
considering that Donna, who is from Texas, is still a Dallas Cowboys fan.
(Laughter.) Tom, of course, is a huge fan of the Buffalo Bills. So thank
you, Donna, for your loyal support of Tom, and of my home team. (Laughter
and applause.)

I'm delighted to be with each and every one of you today to support Tom
Reynolds' campaign for the United States Congress. Congressman Reynolds
serves as Deputy Majority Whip. At the beginning of the 109th Congress, Tom
was unanimously chosen by his colleagues to be Chairman of the National
Republican Congressional Committee -- one of only eight Republican House
leadership positions. But Tom is best known for his devotion to
representing the people of New York. And in Washington, he's distinguished
himself as a powerful advocate of the 26th district.

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 the region by securing federal investments at the
University of 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-size manufacturing companies compete in the global
marketplace.

Tom brought to the House the principles of efficiency and accountability
that he developed during his successful real estate career. He works to
make sure that New York tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. And
as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Tom helped eliminate
taxes and regulations that have hindered economic development in upstate
New York. By sponsoring legislation to extend relief from the alternative
minimum tax, Tom has helped middle class New Yorkers keep more of their own
money.

And he supports the President's tax cuts. These tax cuts have fueled our
economy, and they've helped add 5.7 million new jobs since 2003. And that
means 5.7 million more Americans wake up every morning with the dignity and
the sense of purpose that comes with a job.

There are few people more dedicated to bringing jobs to New York than
Congressman Reynolds. During the last round of base closings, Tom led the
effort to save the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, saving 3,000 upstate
New York jobs.

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

In his 2005 State of the Union address, President Bush announced the
Helping America's Youth Initiative, and he asked me to lead it. Helping
young people learn to make wise decisions for their lives is at the heart
of Helping America's Youth.

Since the President announced the initiative, I've traveled to many parts
of our country. I've visited with young people and with the adults who are
so important to their lives. I've been to schools and to after-school
programs. I've visited fatherhood initiatives. I've met with mentors, and
Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I've visited gang intervention programs,
where I met with young people who are leaving gangs and finding jobs.

All of these visits led to the White House Conference on Helping America's
Youth last October, and then to two regional conferences, one in
Indianapolis and one in Denver. At the conference, we introduced an online,
interactive Community Guide. This guide helps concerned adults learn more
about the problems facing youth in their own communities, and they can
learn what local resources are available to address those problems. The
guide is available on the Helping America's Youth website, which is
www.helpingamericasyouth.gov -- that's g-o-v. I encourage you to look at
the website, and to use these resources here in Buffalo in your own
community.

One of the best ways to help young people succeed is by providing them with
a good education. And a good education starts with reading. In the House,
Tom has been a champion of the Reach Out and Read program, which works with
pediatricians to educate parents about the importance of reading with their
children.

Reach Out and Read focuses on children between six months and five years of
age, during the crucial early years, which is when children first develop
their verbal skills. Through a network of more than 44,000 doctors, nurses
and other health care professionals, Reach Out and Read delivers literacy
advice and about 4 million books to more than 2.5 million needy children
every year. At Reach Out and Read, the doctor actually prescribes reading,
letting parents know how important it is for their child's brain health to
have been read to. Congressman Reynolds has helped secure $10.2 million in
federal funding for Reach Out and Read. Thank you, Tom, for this very
important work. I appreciate it very much. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people in New York and
throughout our country ultimately depends on our ability to protect them,
as we've been reminded in recent days by the school shootings in Colorado,
Wisconsin, and this week in Pennsylvania. Families across the country are
saddened and troubled by these attacks.

Next week, the White House, in partnership with the Departments of
Education and Justice, will host a conference, a National Conference on
School Violence. The conference will help affected communities heal in the
wake of these tragedies, and will equip Americans with the information they
need to ensure that their children can learn in safety.

But keeping young New Yorkers safe also requires protecting them from
foreign threats, by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.

Congressman Reynolds appreciates 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
Congress, Tom is a champion of the men and women of the United States
military. (Applause.)

And thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are now free from the oppression
of Saddam Hussein, and are working to build a democratic future for their
country. And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be educated. 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 overseas to make sure that families are kept safe
here in the United States.

Tom's dedication to the people of New York, and his achievements, remind us
of why he must be reelected to the United States Congress. (Applause.)

Tom understands that America faces challenges too important to be reduced
to just politics. 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. And Tom Reynolds is a thoughtful and positive part of that
dialogue. (Applause.)

This is just one reason why Congressman Reynolds is a wonderful leader for
New York. When you look through his distinguished record of public service,
you'll find many more.

Thank you so much for coming out to support Tom. Thanks for your generous
support for his reelection. I urge you to redouble your efforts between now
and November to make sure Tom Reynolds is reelected to the United States
Congress.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

END 1:04 P.M. EDT
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