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Skriven 2006-10-11 23:32:36 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610118) for Wed, 2006 Oct 11
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at a Steve Chabot for Congress Luncheon
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 11, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at a Steve Chabot for Congress Luncheon
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
Cincinnati, Ohio



1:02 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you so much, Congressman. Thank you, Steve, thank you for
the very, very nice introduction and the warm welcome to Ohio. I want to
thank Steve's wife, Donna, as well, who stood up a minute ago for us.

When your spouse is in politics, you're involved whether you want to be or
not. So we know that successful politicians have families like Donna and
Steve's mother, who stand with them and stay with them through every one of
these campaigns, and really are the ones who are the support -- emotional
support that they need when, like Steve talks about, you're in a campaign
and you're being characterized in a way that you're not. So thank you,
Donna, very much for your support for your husband. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be with all of you today to support Steve Chabot's
campaign for the United States Congress. A lifelong resident of Cincinnati,
Steve cares deeply about the people of Ohio. And during his 12 years in the
House, Congressman Chabot has distinguished himself as a passionate
advocate for the families of the First District.

Steve is keeping Ohio's families safe through his support for Cincinnati's
law enforcement. During his five years on the Cincinnati City Council,
Steve worked closely with the police department to develop strong
anti-crime initiatives -- programs that still protect Cincinnati from crime
today.

In Congress, through his leadership on the House Judiciary Committee, Steve
offered the Crime Victims Rights Act, the first federal legislation to
define the rights of Americans affected by crime and to give the federal
authorities the power to protect those rights. Thank you very much for
that, Steve.

As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution in the 109th
Congress, Steve's leadership helped pass the Voting Rights Reauthorization
Act, which President Bush signed into law this July. The fairness with
which Congressman Chabot conducted hearings on the bill, and his commitment
to protecting Ohioans' and Americans' civil rights have won him praise from
both sides of the aisle.

Congressman Chabot is helping Ohio's families by ensuring that their tax
dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. He supports the Presidential Line
Item Veto, which will help eliminate unnecessary spending from the federal
budget. Steve also supports President Bush's tax cuts, which have fueled
our economy and have helped add 5.7 million new jobs since 2003. And that
means 5.7 million more Americans wake up with the dignity and the sense of
purpose that comes with a job.

There are few people more dedicated to creating jobs in Ohio than
Congressman Chabot. Through his leadership on the House Small Business
Committee, Steve has improved the business climate for Ohio entrepreneurs
so that they can expand their companies and create more jobs for your
state. He supports faith-based programs that offer job training to people
on welfare, helping them learn to provide for themselves and their
families. And in the 109th Congress, Steve supported the Job Training
Improvement Act, legislation that provides counseling, skills training and
information about the job market to help unemployed Americans get back to
work.

Offering young people the hope of good employment is one of the most
important things we can do for our children. Congressman Chabot has a long
record of commitment to children and to young people. In Congress, he
supported legislation to keep harmful drugs out of Cincinnati and other
communities, and away from Cincinnati's young people. After college, while
he was going to law school, Steve was a teacher at St. Joseph's Catholic
Elementary School, just a few blocks from here. As a Congressman, he still
loves visiting local schools, where he teaches children about being good
citizens. And through his work to reduce the cost of student loans and to
increase funding for Pell Grants, Steve is helping young people throughout
Ohio realize the dream of a college education.

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people ultimately depends
on adults' ability to keep them safe, as we've been reminded in recent
weeks by the school shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin, and just recently in
Pennsylvania. Families across the country are saddened and troubled by
these attacks.

Yesterday the White House, in partnership with the Department of Education
and the Department of Justice, hosted a National Conference on School
Violence. The conclusions drawn from 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 Ohioans safe also requires protecting them from foreign
threats, by defeating terrorism and increasing liberty abroad.

Steve Chabot understands the needs of our troops at this crucial time in
our country's history. He's introduced and helped pass legislation that
improves benefits for service members' spouses and children. And in the
House, Steve is a champion of the men and women of the United States
military. (Applause.)

With us today are family members of four young men who were killed while
serving in uniform. I've just met Shauna and Billie Moore, who lost their
husband and son, Army Sergeant Benjamin Moore, when he died in a training
accident at Fort Hood in 2003. I met Kathryn Dyer, the mother of Lance
Corporal Chris Dyer; Carolyn and Greg Cifuentes, the parents of Corporal
Michael Cifuentes; and Pat Murray and Ken Kreuter, the parents of Lance
Corporal David Kreuter. Chris, Michael and David were killed by a roadside
bomb while serving in Iraq in August 2005. They were members of the Ohio
Marine Reserve Regiment that lost 20 young Marines in the same week last
August. Every one of us salute these young men and their families, and we
give their families our deepest respect and honor. (Applause.)

Thanks to the men and women in uniform, the people of Iraq 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
across 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.

Congressman Chabot's dedication to the people of Ohio, and his
achievements, remind us of why he must be reelected to the United States
Congress. Steve understands that America faces challenges too important to
be reduced to simple 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 Steve Chabot is a positive and powerful part of that dialogue.

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

Thank you all very much. Thank you for coming out to support Steve. Thank
you for your generous support for his reelection. I urge you to redouble
your efforts between now and November to make sure Steve Chabot is
reelected to the United States Congress. Thank you all very much.
(Applause.)

END 1:13 P.M. EDT
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