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Skriven 2006-11-01 23:31:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0611016) for Wed, 2006 Nov 1
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Ohio Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 1, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Ohio Victory 2006 Rally
The Makoy Center
Hilliard, Ohio



3:30 P.M. EST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Deborah, thank you for the very, very kind
introduction. Deborah was not that kind just a little bit earlier when she
made me go by the Buckeye store. (Laughter and applause.) I think it had
something to do with that game earlier this season with Texas. (Laughter.)
There's one hook 'em horns over there. (Applause.)

Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming out to see me today. Thank you
for your support for Deborah for United States Congress. It's so important.
I'm so glad to be with you.

I want to recognize the Mayor of the city of Hilliard, Don Schonhardt.
Thank you very much for joining us here. Jo Ann Davidson, of course, my
good friend, and a good friend to Republicans around the country, thanks so
much, Jo Ann. Doug Priesse is here, the Chairman of the Franklin County
Republican Party.

Thanks very much to all the elected officials who are here with us today. I
know a number of you have races. I want to encourage everybody to turn out
to the polls, vote for all of our great Republican candidates across the
board; some of you already have. Now go back and bring a few more people to
the polls, as well.

I'm so happy to be here to support Deborah Pryce's campaign for the United
States Congress. I'm proud and honored to stand on the stage with her.
(Applause.)

Deborah cares deeply about the people of Ohio, and in Washington, she's a
passionate advocate for the 15th district. Congresswoman Pryce is a leader
in the House of Representatives, where she serves as Chairman of the House
Republican Caucus. This position makes her the highest-ranking Republican
woman ever to serve in the House of Representatives. (Applause.) She's also
a role model for women and girls across Ohio and across our country.

During her 13 years in Congress, Deborah Pryce has brought to Washington
the principles of efficiency and accountability that have defined her
public service. She makes sure Ohio tax dollars are spent wisely and
responsibly. She supports the Presidential Line Item Veto, which will help
eliminate unnecessary spending from the federal budget. And Deborah
supports President Bush's tax cuts. (Applause.) These tax cuts have fueled
our economy, and they've helped add 6.6 million new jobs since 2003. That
means every morning, 6.6 million more Americans wake up with the dignity
and the sense of purpose that comes with a job.

Congresswoman Pryce is dedicated to bringing jobs to Ohio. Through her
leadership on the House Financial Services Committee, Deborah has improved
the economic climate for Ohio entrepreneurs, so they can expand their
businesses and create more jobs for the 15th district. She supported and
led efforts to reauthorize the historic 1996 Welfare Reform Act. This
legislation has helped millions of Americans enjoy the independence that
comes from providing for themselves and their families.

Deborah has secured more than $30 million in funding to expand Rickenbacker
International Airport, and $90 million in funding to expand rail capacity
along the Heartland Corridor. These projects will improve Central Ohio's
freight-processing capability, create up to 20,000 new jobs, and add $15
billion to the economy of the 15th district. Thank you, Deborah, for this
very important work. (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'll need to lead healthy and successful
lives.

Congresswoman Pryce has a strong record of commitment to young people.
Deborah is a former prosecutor, and she's dedicated to keeping Ohio's
children safe in their communities. She's increased the use of DNA evidence
to keep harmful predators away from Ohio's young people. She authored
legislation -- which President Bush signed into law -- that protects women
and children from the abuse of human trafficking. (Applause.)

And something else that's especially close to my heart, Deborah is a
passionate advocate for adoption. She's led the effort in Congress to
expand the adoption tax credit, and has made sure more families who long
for children can welcome them into loving homes. (Applause.)

Congresswoman Pryce supports many initiatives to improve health care for
Ohio families, especially for women and children and senior citizens. She's
secured millions of dollars in support of the Columbus Children's Hospital.
Thanks to Deborah's efforts, this hospital is now a leading institution in
pediatric research, providing state-of-the-art medical care for children in
the 15th district. Thank you, Congresswoman Pryce, for your commitment to
Ohio's children. (Applause.)

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

Congresswoman Pryce understands the needs of our troops at this crucial
time in our country's history. She's a powerful representative for Ohioans
who've served in uniform. (Applause.) Just last month, Deborah secured a
$20.7 million contract with the VA to provide emergency care for veterans
in Central Ohio hospitals. And in Congress, Deborah Pryce 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 government that would forbid half of its citizens from being
educated. But now Afghanistan has a new elected government, and 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. 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. They ask the American people to stand with
our troops. (Applause.)

Deborah Pryce stands with our troops. 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 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, and
that we must conduct our debate here at home in a way that does not
jeopardize our troops in harm's way. (Applause.)

Deborah Pryce understands her responsibility to you and to our country. So
we must stand with Deborah during this important time in our country's
history.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Deborah Pryce. Thanks
especially to all the volunteers making the phone calls and knocking on the
doors. You've already done so much to help Deborah and our other great
candidates in Ohio, like your candidate for governor, Ken Blackwell, and
your terrific senator, Mike DeWine. (Applause.)

Deborah Pryce and Mike DeWine appreciate all of your hard work, and 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.
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, talk to your friends
and neighbors about Deborah Pryce and Mike DeWine and all of Ohio's great
Republican candidates. They need your support, and our country needs them.

Thank you all very much for coming out today. (Applause.) Thank you so
much. Thank you for -- thanks so much. Thank you for all the hard work
you're going to do for the next week to make sure Deborah Pryce is
reelected to the United States Congress on November 7th. Thank you all so
much.

END 3:43 P.M. EST

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