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Skriven 2006-10-04 23:31:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061004b) for Wed, 2006 Oct 4
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Remarks by the First Lady at John Sweeney for Congress Reception
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 4, 2006

Remarks by the First Lady at John Sweeney for Congress Reception
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Springs, New York



5:09 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, John, for that very nice introduction. Thanks to each
and every one of you for the very warm welcome to New York. I also want to
recognize the Chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Committee, Jasper
Nolan. Thank you for being here with us. (Applause.) And also on the stage
is Mary Sweeney, the daughter of John Sweeney. (Applause.) And John's wife,
Gayle Sweeney, is on the stage with us, as well. (Applause.)

You know, when your spouse is in politics, you get involved whether you
want to or not. (Laughter.) And we know that successful politicians have
families who stand with them and are there with them all the time. So thank
you to Gayle and to Mary for supporting your husband and your dad.
(Applause.)

I'm delighted to be here with each and every one of you in Saratoga
Springs. I was disappointed that the track season was already finished, but
I'm happy to be here for an even more important Saratoga race: John
Sweeney's campaign for the United States Congress. (Applause.)

John cares deeply about the people of New York, and in Washington, he's
distinguished himself as a powerful advocate for the 20th district.

During his eight years in the House, Congressman Sweeney has brought $280
million in federal funding to the 20th district. (Applause.) He's a member
of the House Appropriations Committee, and serves on the Homeland Security
Committee, where he helped secure $21 billion for New York's recovery
efforts after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. And as Vice Chair of the
Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee,
John helped expand operations at Albany International Airport, allowing
major air carriers to service the Capital Region. He ensured that I-87 was
designated a "high priority corridor" to receive federal highway resources,
improving transportation options and quality of life for his constituents.

Congressman Sweeney grew up in public housing in Troy, and through his
subcommittee work to support HUD, John is helping other residents of the
Capital Region live in safe, affordable housing. And he's ensuring that New
Yorkers can realize the dream of owning their own home. Thank you for that,
John. (Applause.)

John brought to the Congress the principles of efficiency and
accountability that have defined his time in public service. He makes sure
that New York tax dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports
President Bush's tax cuts, which have fueled our economy, and have helped
add 5.7 million new jobs since 2003. (Applause.) 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 Sweeney. In Albany, through his service as New York's Labor
Commissioner, John improved employment opportunities throughout your state.
And in Washington, John has helped eliminate taxes and regulations that
have hindered job growth in eastern New York.

Congressman Sweeney helped to protect the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program, which provides federal assistance to Tech Valley and
other new manufacturing centers in the Capital Region. He supports the new
Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta, and secured more than $20 million
in federal funding for tech initiatives that will launch the campus.
(Applause.) And John helped bring Advanced Micro Devices to Malta to build
a computer chip manufacturing plant there -- a project that will create
more than 2,000 high-paying jobs for the people of the 20th district.

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 our
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, visiting 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 visited gang intervention programs, where
I've met with young people who are leaving gangs and finding jobs. And just
before I came here, I visited the Colonie Teen Youth Court program that was
really terrific. It's a way for young offenders, without real serious
offenses, to be able to go through a teen court to pay back to their
community with community service, and then to have to serve as jury on
another teen court. And I met several kids whose lives had been turned
around because of this teen court.

All of these visits led to a White House Conference on Helping America's
Youth last October, and then to two regional conferences recently in
Indianapolis and 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 then what
they can do about these 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 use these resources here
in your own communities.

Congressman Sweeney has a strong record of commitment to young people. He
secured funding for literacy programs -- just like he told us -- that
benefit school children in the 20th district. And he's led the effort to
keep harmful drugs like methamphetamines and steroids out of New York
communities and away from 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 on adults' ability to protect
them, as we've been reminded in recent days by the school shootings in
Colorado, Wisconsin, and just 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 National Conference on School Violence. The conference will
help affected communities heal in the wake of such 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 our country
from foreign threats, by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.
(Applause.)

John Sweeney understands the needs of our troops at this crucial time in
our country's history. He's introduced legislation to help members of
America's armed forces -- men and women who are using sophisticated
electronic devices and systems in the course of their duties -- pursue
advanced education in engineering, technology and science. And in the
House, John is a champion of the men and women of the United States
military. (Applause.)

Tonight in the crowd, I met one young man who received a Purple Heart in
Iraq, and I want to thank him again for his service. I met a couple, the
Browns, who lost their child, their son in Iraq. And every one of you --
every one of us salutes you. And we thank you from the very bottom of our
hearts. (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. (Applause.) And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be
educated. It's hard for us to imagine a country that would forbid half of
its citizens from being educated. But now, little girls are in school all
over Afghanistan.

All of us are so proud of the men and women who are deployed around the
world, defending our country overseas, to make sure that our families are
kept safe here in the United States. (Applause.)

John'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.)
John 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 John Sweeney is a thoughtful and positive part of that
dialogue. (Applause.)

This is just one reason why John 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 John. Thank you for your
generous support of his reelection. I urge you to redouble your efforts
between now and November to make sure John Sweeney is reelected to the
United States Congress.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

END 5:23 P.M. EDT
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