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Skriven 2006-10-30 23:30:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061030c) for Mon, 2006 Oct 30
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Remarks by the First Lady at New Hampshire Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 30, 2006

Remarks by the First Lady at New Hampshire Victory 2006 Rally
Executive Court
Manchester, New Hampshire



3:28 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much. Thank you, Congressman Bradley. Thank you
for introducing me, and thank you to each and every one of you for the warm
welcome to New Hampshire.

I couldn't let another election go by without stopping in New Hampshire,
for sure. I've spent every election here since 1980 or something.
(Laughter.) But anyway, it's great to be here with all of you.

And I'm so happy to be standing today with Congressman Charlie Bass. Lisa
and Lucy are here, Lisa Bass and Charlie's daughter Lucy are here.
(Applause.) And of course, I'm very happy to be standing here with
Congressman Jeb Bradley. Thank you very much, Congressman. (Applause.) And
Senator John Sununu, who's here, thank you, Senator. (Applause.) Senator
Judd Gregg, and Kathy, is out in the crowd with you all, too. (Applause.)
Jim Coburn, your Republican candidate for governor, thank you very much,
Jim, for joining us. (Applause.) Also in the crowd is Wayne Semprini, the
Chairman of the New Hampshire State Republican Party. Wayne, thank you very
much for your hard work. (Applause.)

And I know there are a number of local officials and candidates here. Thank
you all for your service to your communities, and thanks for joining us
today. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be here with you today to support Charlie Bass and Jeb
Bradley's campaigns for the United States Congress. (Applause.) These men
care deeply about the people of your state, and in Washington, they've
distinguished themselves as passionate advocates of New Hampshire families.

Congressman Bradley and Congressman Bass are helping New Hampshire by
increasing employment opportunities in your state. During his 11 years in
Congress, Charlie Bass has improved the business climate for New Hampshire
entrepreneurs, so they can expand their companies and create more jobs for
the 2nd district.

Through his leadership on the House Small Business Committee, Congressman
Jeb Bradley -- a former small-business owner himself -- has eased the tax
burden for 112,000 small New Hampshire companies. (Applause.) He's secured
more than $4 million in federal funding to expand I-93. These resources
will improve highway safety for New Hampshire drivers, and create good
construction jobs here in the 1st district.

On the Armed Services Committee, Jeb led the effort to save the Portsmouth
Naval Shipyard. (Applause.) His efforts have protected our nation, and
saved thousands of jobs in your state.

Here in New Hampshire, your unemployment rate is a low 3.2 percent.
(Applause.) And your economy is the fastest-growing in New England.
Congratulations to the hard-working Granite Staters, and thank you to
Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley for working so hard for you in Congress.
(Applause.)

In Washington, Jeb and Charlie make sure that New Hampshire's tax dollars
are spent wisely and responsibly. They support President Bush's tax cuts.
These tax cuts have fueled our economy, and they've helped add 6.6 million
new jobs since 2003. And that means 6.6 million more Americans wake up
every morning with the dignity and the sense of purpose that comes with a
job.

Something else Jeb, Charlie, and the President have in common -- and
something I share with them -- is a commitment to natural preservation.

Congressman Bradley and Congressman Bass are enthusiastic stewards of our
country's natural resources. Through his leadership on the House Committee
on Energy and Commerce, Charlie Bass helped author the Energy Policy Act,
which promotes the use of alternative fuels in American homes.

Jeb Bradley is an avid outdoorsman, and he enjoys climbing New Hampshire's
majestic mountains. He's scaled all 48 of your state's 4,000-foot peaks,
and his current goal is to climb all 48 of these mountains in the winter.
(Applause.) Good luck with that, Jeb.

Congressman Bradley's priority is preserving the White Mountains so that
all Granite Staters can enjoy their beauty. This year, he and Congressman
Bass introduced legislation to safeguard New Hampshire's Wild River Valley,
and to designate the White Mountain National Forest as protected
wilderness. Thank you both very much for this very important work.
(Applause.)

One of the benefits of natural and historical preservation is that it gives
our children more opportunities to learn about our country. Visits to
national parks, to museums, to aquariums, and to national monuments are
great activities for young people, offering them healthy and positive ways
to learn and spend time with their families.

Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass have strong records of commitment to young
people. Jeb spent years as Little League coach in Wolfeboro, providing
local children with positive and healthy activities. Both Congressman
Bradley and Congressman Bass support the IDEA Act, which funds education
programs for young people with disabilities. Charlie Bass has introduced
legislation to increase national IDEA Act funding, and Jeb has introduced
legislation to make sure those resources are used more efficiently here in
New Hampshire. Thank you, Congressmen, for your commitment to New Hampshire
children. (Applause.)

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

Congressman Bass and Congressman Bradley understand the needs of our troops
at this crucial time in our country's history. Both Jeb and Charlie support
pay increases for soldiers, and included a 2.7 percent raise for all
members of the armed services in the most recent National Defense
Authorization bill.

Through his leadership on the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman
Bradley has secured hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure our troops
have the resources they need to keep themselves, and our country, safe.
(Applause.) He's made three visits to our troops in Iraq. On the Veterans'
Affairs Committee, Jeb is improving benefits for Granite Staters who've
served our country in uniform. He introduced legislation to expand services
at VA medical centers around the country, and led the effort to maintain
emergency room operations at the VA medical center in Manchester. Thank
you, Jeb, for that. (Applause.)

In Congress, Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley are champions 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. (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.

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around the world
defending our country. (Applause.) Every day, thousands of these men and
women 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 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. (Applause.) They ask the American people to
stand with our troops.

Congressman Bass and Congressman Bradley stand with our troops. (Applause.)
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.

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 are absolutely vital goals.
(Applause.) 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.)

Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass understand their responsibility to our country
as your representatives in the United States Congress. It's so important
that we stand with Jeb and Charlie during this crucial time in our
country's history.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Congressman Bass and
Congressman Bradley. Thanks especially to all the volunteers for your hard
work knocking on doors and making those phone calls, including the time
some of you spent at the phone bank here this morning. You've already done
so much to help Jeb and Charlie, and our other terrific Republican
candidates in New Hampshire, especially your candidate for governor, Jim
Coburn. (Applause.) In the next week, they'll need more of your energy and
enthusiasm.

We're looking forward to Election Day. This is a spirited contest, and
we've got great candidates. We've also got the best grassroots volunteers.
(Applause.) Our candidates are depending on you, so be sure to get everyone
you know to the polls. Go to the phone banks, knock on the doors, and talk
to your friends and neighbors about Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley. They need
your support, and our country needs them. (Applause.)

Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming out today, and thank you in
advance for all the hard work you're going to do for the next week to make
sure Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass are re-elected to the United States
Congress on November 7th.

Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)

END 3:42 P.M. EDT

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