George Walker Bush

“ The victims of the Oklahoma City bombing have been given not vengeance, but justice. And one young man met the fate he chose for himself six years ago.
For the survivors of the crime and for the families of the dead, the pain goes on. Final punishment of the guilty cannot alone bring peace to the innocent. It cannot recover the loss or balance the scales. ”

“ Our most solemn obligation is to protect the American people. That is why we're pursuing and bringing to justice terrorists. We're fighting them overseas so we don't have to face them here in the United States of America.
But the effort requires more. It requires using the power of liberty to marginalize extremists. And the best way to do so is to use our national resources to strengthen the institutions of freedom. ”

“ As a champion of the free enterprise system in Congress, Chris Cox knows that a free economy is built on trust. In the years ahead, Chris will vigorously enforce the rules and laws that guarantee honesty and transparency in our markets and corporate boardrooms. He will be an outstanding leader of the SEC.
Today, the American economy is the envy of the world. Our economy is growing faster than that of any other industrialized country. We have added over 3.5 million new jobs during the last 2 years. The unemployment rate is down to 5.2 percent. More Americans are working today than ever before. ”

“ Another lesson is that aiding the rise of strong and stable democracies requires the efforts of much more than Washington, D.C. It requires the efforts of other governments, and non-organizational -- non-governmental organizations, and people around the world.
The work of democratic development is the work of all free nations. This is precisely the message that Secretary Rice and I have been carrying around the world. We're rallying other nations to train peacekeepers to support Afghanistan and Iraq, and to act boldly to alleviate hunger and poverty. ”

“ Life and history bring tragedies and often they cannot be explained but they can be redeemed. They are redeemed by dispensing justice, though eternal justice is not ours to deliver; by remembering those who grieve, including Timothy McVeigh's mother, father and sisters; and by trusting in purposes greater than our own. ”

“ And thirdly, there are nations like Afghanistan and Iraq, where we removed dangerous regimes that threatened our people, and now have a special obligation to help them build free societies that become allies in the fight against these extremists.
It's in America's vital interest to help all these nations combat ideologies of hate. It's in our security interest to eliminate safe havens for terrorists and extremists. It's in our national interest to develop institutions that allow them to govern their territories effectively and improve their lives. ”

“ I've given Chris a clear mission, to continue to strengthen public trust in our markets so the American economy can continue to grow and create jobs. The Nation is increasingly a nation of stockholders. A generation ago, only a small percentage of American families invested in stocks and bonds. Today, more than a half of households are investing for their families and for their futures. Now more than ever, we must make sure Americans can rely upon the integrity of our markets.
Chris Cox is a good man to have taken on this job, and he'll do a fine job on behalf of the American people. ”

“ Institutions, of course, include a democratic system of government, a vibrant free press, independent judiciary, a free enterprise system, places of worship where people are free to practice their faith. These institutions include an education system that provides citizens a link to the world, health infrastructure that combats plagues like HIV/AIDS and malaria, and women's organizations that help societies take advantage of the skills and talents of half their population. ”

“ Small businesses are flourishing. Families are taking home more of what they earn. To maintain the confidence that is the cornerstone of our economic system, we must ensure the honesty of American business and the integrity of the capital markets and stock exchanges. ”

“ We're transforming the United States military so we can deliver justice to the terrorists in a more effective way.
We're transforming America's capabilities to help poor and struggling societies become healthy and prosperous -- and we've seen those effective transformations through the Emergency Plan for AIDS, or Malaria Initiative, or the Millennium Challenge Account. The Millennium Challenge Account represents a different approach to development. ”

“ Cosby has appealed to the common humanity of his audience, rather than the differences that might divide it. Dr. Cosby's career has included stand up comedy, the adventure show, I Spy, situation comedies and children's programming that highlighted his interest and dedication to education. ”

“ Investors must have confidence that the information they use to make their investment decisions is fair and accurate.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is the primary Federal agency that performs this essential function. The SEC investigates corporate fraud and holds guilty parties responsible when they mislead shareholders and employees. ”

“ Today, every living person who was hurt by the evil done in Oklahoma City can rest in the knowledge that there has been a reckoning. At every point from the morning of April 19, 1995, to this hour, we have seen the good that overcomes evil. ”

“ And we award it today to 12 outstanding individuals. The men and women we honor span the spectrum of achievement. Some are fighters; others are healers; all have left an enduring legacy of hope and courage and achievement. ”

“ They can become, like thousands of other compassionate citizens, become soldiers in the armies of compassion by helping HIV/AIDS victims, or help educate people around the world. Or they can make the noble choice that has sustained freedom for generations and join the United States military. ”

“ Chris understands how markets work, and he knows the need for transparency in financial exchanges and in the halls of business. He proved that he can bring people together of diverse opinions to get things done. ”

“ One thing is for certain: that if we expect democracies to prevail, to marginalize the extremists, countries -- it requires countries to have good, strong democratic leaders, and the best way to encourage that is to have them come to our colleges and universities. We've made good progress about changing the student visa regime after 9/11. We've increased the number of students coming here. And it's in our interest that we continue to increase the number of students coming to study in the United States. ”

“ A lesson we've learned is that civilian expertise is vital to strengthening the institutions of freedom. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we've developed an important tool to tap into civilian expertise called Provincial Reconstruction Teams. PRTs bring together civilian, diplomatic and military personnel. They move into communities that our military has cleared of terrorists. They help ensure that security gains are followed with real improvements in daily life by helping local leaders create jobs and deliver basic services and build up local economies. ”

“ Tender of Resignation
1. I, George Walker Bush, under AFR 35-41, paragraph 20-10, hereby voluntarily tender my resignation from all appointments held by me at this time.
2. The reasons for the submission of this resignation are:
Inadequate Time To Fullfill possible Future commitments
3. I understand that, if this resignation is accepted, I will be honorably discharged from all appointments held by me.
4. I (am) (am not) accountable or responsible for public property or funds. ”

“ Security has improved, as well as the economy. Political reconciliation is taking place at the grassroots and federal level. And as the Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable, our troops are beginning to come home under a policy of return on success. ”

“ The last G8, our partners stood up and made strong commitments to help Africa deal with malaria and HIV/AIDS. They have yet to make good on their commitments. And I will remind them it's one thing to make a promise, it's another thing to write the check, and the American government expects our partners to live up to their obligations. ”

“ PRTs are uniquely suited to situations like Afghanistan and Iraq. In the future, civilian expertise will be needed in other countries where we do not have ongoing military operations. At the moment we lack the capability to rapidly deploy civilian experts with the right skills to trouble spots around the world. ”

“ We're helping nations across the world build these institutions, and we face three challenges as we do so. First of all, there are developing nations, many on the continent of Africa, that are facing extreme poverty and health epidemics and humanitarian catastrophes, and are therefore vulnerable to extremists who take advantage of chaos and instability. ”

“ Secondly, there are nations like Colombia and Lebanon and Pakistan that are facing transnational threats from drug cartels or terrorist networks that seek safe haven on their territory and threaten to overwhelm their institutions. ”

“ So we launched the surge -- 30,000 additional troops to work with Iraqi forces to protect the Iraqi people from terrorists, insurgents and illegal militias. Today, because we acted, violence in Iraq is down to its lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down. ”

“ One element of the new office is an Active Response Corps, made up of civilian experts from many government agencies who deploy full-time to at-risk countries. This Corps will eventually include 250 personnel from the Departments of State and Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, AID, and other civilian agencies with relevant expertise. ”

“ It will be made up of American citizens with critical skills -- such as police officers and judges and prosecutors and engineers and doctors and public administrators. The Corps will give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time. ”