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Skriven 2006-10-30 23:30:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061030b) for Mon, 2006 Oct 30
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks to Nancy Johnson for Congress and Connecticut Victory
Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 30, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks to Nancy Johnson for Congress and Connecticut Victory
Rally
Farmington, Connecticut



(October 28, 2006)

1:46 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Congresswoman. Thanks, everybody. Thank you
all very much. Thanks so much everyone. Thank you Congresswoman Johnson.
Thank you, Nancy, very much, for that kind introduction. And you are the
one who is the role model for all of us. Thank you very, very much.
(Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you out here for coming out to welcome me
on a rainy afternoon, a rainy Saturday afternoon. Thanks so much for coming
out to show your support for the reelection of your Congresswoman, Nancy
Johnson. (Applause.)

George Gallo, our Connecticut Republican Party Chair, thank you very much
for everything you do. (Applause.) And in the audience are a number of
local elected officials and candidates, a couple of mayors at least are
here with us. Thank you all very much for serving your community.
(Applause.)

Nancy's husband, Dr. Ted Johnson, is with us. Ted, where are -- there he
is. (Applause.) You know, when your spouse is in politics, you're involved
-- whether you want to be or not. (Laughter.) And we know that successful
politicians have families are the ones whose families stand with them and
are there with them all the time. Thank you very much, Dr. Johnson; thank
you for your support of Nancy. (Applause.)

I'm so happy and honored to be here today to support Nancy Johnson's
campaign for the United States Congress. It's a huge thrill for me to be
able to stand with Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. Thank you very much, Nancy,
for everything you've done already in your service to our country and to
your state. Nancy cares deeply about the people of Connecticut, and during
her 23 years in Washington, she's distinguished herself as a passionate
advocate of the 5th District.

Congresswoman Johnson has helped Connecticut families by improving health
care in your state. Nancy is a respected member of the House Ways and Means
Committee, and she chairs the health subcommittee. On the subcommittee,
Nancy co-authored the legislation that created the Medicare prescription
drug benefit, ensuring that Connecticut's senior citizens can obtain the
medicines they need to enjoy active and healthy lives. Nancy authored the
State Children's Health Insurance Plan, helping low-income families
throughout Connecticut provide quality health care for their children.
Thank you for both of those, Nancy. (Applause.)

Nancy brought to Washington the principles of efficiency and accountability
that have defined her public service. She makes sure that Connecticut tax
dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. Nancy supports the presidential
line item veto, which will help eliminate unnecessary spending from the
federal budget. And in Congress, Nancy supports President Bush's tax cuts.
(Applause.) These tax cuts have fueled our economy, and they've added 6.6
million new jobs since 2003. And that means 6.6 million more Americans wake
up with a sense of purpose and the dignity that comes with a job.

Congresswoman Johnson is dedicated to creating jobs in Connecticut. Nancy
sponsored the Invest in America Act, legislation that provides tax
incentives to companies that conduct their research and development -- and
create jobs -- here in the United States. Through her leadership on the
Ways and Means Committee, Nancy has improved the business climate for
Connecticut entrepreneurs, so they can expand their companies and create
more jobs for the 5th district.

In just the last two years, Nancy has brought more than $24 million in
federal funding to defense projects in Connecticut -- helping protect our
nation, and employing hundreds of people in your state. And she's secured
millions of dollars to improve local roads and highways. Thank you for
that, Nancy. (Applause.)

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 them
is by steering them away from risky behavior, and guiding them toward the
knowledge and the self-respect they need to lead successful lives.

Nancy Johnson has a strong record of commitment to young people. She's
helped pass legislation that gives law enforcement officers the resources
they need to protect children on the internet. And Nancy co-sponsored the
529 College Savings Plan, which President Bush signed into law in August.
This legislation allows families to save for their children's higher
education tax-free. This will help millions of young people in Connecticut
and across the United States realize the dream of a college education.
Thank you, Nancy, for this important work. (Applause.)

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

Congresswoman Johnson understands the needs of our troops at this crucial
time in our country's history. Working with her Veterans' Services
Coordinator, Nancy provides care and support to 5th district military
families who have lost loved ones in combat overseas. In Washington,
Congresswoman Johnson 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. (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.
(Applause.)

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. With us today are members of Charlie Company, 1st
Battalion, 25th Marines, and their friends and family. (Applause.) The
members of Charlie Company -- which is based nearby in Plainville -- have
just returned from Iraq, where they were stationed in Fallujah. We give
them our thanks to each and every one of them -- both the members of
Charlie Company and your family -- for service to our country. Welcome
home. (Applause.)

Every day, thousands of young men and women like the Marines of Charlie
Company risk their lives overseas to make sure that their families, and all
of our families, are kept safe here in the United States. Their love of our
country, and of liberty, never wavers -- and neither does their belief in
our cause.

Many of these young men and women have given their lives for this belief.
Around the country, President Bush and I meet with their 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.)

Nancy Johnson stands with our troops. (Applause.) She understands that this
election is critical to the future of our country. And she knows 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.

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 the debate here at home in a way that
does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way. It's so important that we
stand with Nancy and all of our Republican candidates at this challenging
time in our country's history. (Applause.)

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Congresswoman Johnson.
Thanks especially to all the volunteers for your hard work making the phone
calls and knocking on the doors.

You've already done so much to help Nancy and our other terrific Republican
candidates in Connecticut, like Congressmen Chris Shays and Rob Simmons,
and your Governor, and your Governor, Jodi Rell. (Applause.) 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 Nancy Johnson and all of Connecticut's great Republicans.
They need your support, and our country needs them. (Applause.)

Thank you all very much for coming out today. (Applause.) And thank you in
advance for all the hard work you're going to do for Nancy to make sure
Congresswoman Nancy Johnson is reelected on November 7th. Thank you all
very much. (Applause.)

END 1:59 P.M. EDT
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