1. Quotes
  2. Authors
  3. George W. Bush

George W. Bush Quotes
page 3

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was also the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. After graduating from Yale University in 1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975, he worked in the oil industry. Bush married Laura Welch in 1977 and ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives shortly thereafter. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before defeating Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election. Bush was elected president in 2000 after a close and controversial win over Democratic rival Al Gore, becoming the fourth president to be elected while receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent.

From a prominent political family, he is the eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, making him only the second president to assume the nation's highest office after his father, following the lead of John Quincy Adams. His brother, Jeb Bush, a former Governor of Florida, was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 presidential election. His paternal grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a United States Senator from Connecticut.

The September 11 terrorist attacks occurred eight months into Bush's first term as president. Bush responded with what became known as the Bush Doctrine: launching a "War on Terror", an international military campaign that included the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003. He also promoted policies on the economy, health care, education, Social Security reform, and amending the Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. He signed into law broad tax cuts, the Patriot Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors, and funding for the AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR. His tenure included national debates on immigration, Social Security, electronic surveillance, and torture.

In the 2004 Presidential race, Bush defeated Democratic Senator John Kerry in another relatively close election. After his re-election, Bush received increasingly heated criticism from across the political spectrum for his handling of the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and other challenges. Amid this criticism, the Democratic Party regained control of Congress in the 2006 elections. In December 2007, the United States entered its longest post-World War II recession, often referred to as the "Great Recession", prompting the Bush administration to obtain congressional passage of multiple economic programs intended to preserve the country's financial system. Nationally, Bush was both one of the most popular and unpopular presidents in history, having received the highest recorded presidential approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks, as well as one of the lowest approval ratings during the 2008 financial crisis.

Bush left office in 2009, returning to Texas where he purchased a home in Dallas. In 2010, he published his memoir, Decision Points. His presidential library was opened in 2013. His presidency has been ranked among the worst in historians' polls published in the late 2000s and 2010s.

✵ 6. July 1946   •   Other names George Walker Bush, Джордж Буш
George W. Bush photo
George W. Bush: 675   quotes 11   likes

George W. Bush Quotes

“The people have given us the duty to defend them, and that duty sometimes requires the violent restraint of violent men.”

George W. Bush

Speech 11/19/2003 Whitehall Palace, London http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040126-6.html
2000s, 2003

Men , People

“For too long our culture has said, "If it feels good, do it." Now America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: "Let's roll". In the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of responsibility could look like. We want to be a nation that serves goals larger than self. We've been offered a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass.”

George W. Bush

Invoking the words of Todd Beamer (passenger on ill-fated Flight 93 on September 11, 2001) to suggest Americans are becoming more altruistic and willing to sacrifice. State of the Union Address (January 29, 2002)
2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

Feeling

“I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person. … I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is.”

George W. Bush

Washington Times, 12 January 2005 http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20050111-101004-3771r
2000s, 2005

People , Fear , Way , Thinking

“My budget blueprint will restrain spending, yet meet growing needs with a reasonable 4 percent growth rate, which is a little more than inflation. After paying the bills, my plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, that economists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire. That would be a good worry to have. Finally, along with funding our priorities and paying down debt, my plan returns about one out of every four dollars of the surplus to the American taxpayers, who created the surplus in the first place. A surplus in tax revenue, after all, means that taxpayers have been overcharged. And usually when you've been overcharged, you expect to get something back. Tax relief means real help for both American families and the American economy. Everybody who pays income taxes will receive a tax cut. Nobody will be targeted in, and nobody will be targeted out. The typical family will get about $1,600 in tax relief, and that's real money. And that's money that will help American families manage their own accounts, manage your own balance sheets.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, Radio Address to the Nation (February 2001)

Money , Family , Help

“What we Republicans should stand for is growth in the economy. We ought to make the pie higher.”

George W. Bush

Republican primary debate in Columbia, South Carolina http://www.businessweek.com/archives/2000/b3670066.arc.htm (February 15, 2000).
2000s, 2000

“I made it very plain: We will not have an all-volunteer army. [Crowd boos] Let me restate that. We will not have a draft.”

George W. Bush

Crowd Cheers
Bush speaking at the Daytona International Speedway with his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, October 16, 2004 http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041016/nysa024_1.html
2000s, 2004

“Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical…”

George W. Bush

Speaking regarding his veto of the most recent stem cell research bill http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070620-8.html (June 20, 2007)
2000s, 2007

Life , Hope

“For too long, many nations, including my own, tolerated, even excused, oppression in the Middle East in the name of stability. Oppression became common, but stability never arrived. We must take a different approach. We must help the reformers of the Middle East as they work for freedom, and strive to build a community of peaceful, democratic nations.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2004, Speech to United Nations General Assembly (September 2004)

Peace , Communication , Freedom , Help

“Laura and I have come to Blacksburg today with hearts full of sorrow. This is a day of mourning for the Virginia Tech community -- and it is a day of sadness for our entire nation. We've come to express our sympathy. In this time of anguish, I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking about you, and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been affected.Yesterday began like any other day. Students woke up, and they grabbed their backpacks and they headed for class. And soon the day took a dark turn, with students and faculty barricading themselves in classrooms and dormitories -- confused, terrified, and deeply worried. By the end of the morning, it was the worst day of violence on a college campus in American history -- and for many of you here today, it was the worst day of your lives.It's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they're gone -- and they leave behind grieving families, and grieving classmates, and a grieving nation.”

George W. Bush

Remarks by the President at Virginia Tech Memorial Convocation http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/04/20070417-1.html (April 17, 2007)
2000s, 2007

God , Fate , People , Sadness

“No act of the terrorists will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. Their cause is lost; free nations will press on to victory.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Mission Accomplished (May 2003)

Fate , Change , Victory

“In these circumstances, we would undertake a solemn obligation to help the Iraqi people build a new Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors. The Iraqi people deserve to be lifted from insecurity and tyranny, and freed to determine for themselves the future of their country. We envisage a unified Iraq with its territorial integrity respected. All the Iraqi people — its rich mix of Sunni and Shiite Arabs, Kurds, Turkomen, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and all others — should enjoy freedom, prosperity, and equality in a united country. We will support the Iraqi people's aspirations for a representative government that upholds human rights and the rule of law as cornerstones of democracy.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, A Vision for Iraq and the Iraqi people (March 2003)

People , Peace , Law , Democracy

“I believe it is the job of a President to confront problems, not pass them on to future Presidents and future generations.”

George W. Bush

Remarks to the National Association of Home Builders, October 2, 2004 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041002-7.html
2000s, 2004

Problem , Future

“I'm for an immigration policy that's welcoming.”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2017, Interview with Matt Lauer (2017)

“But I felt it was important to put those kinds of decisions in the book. And I've got to tell you I really - I mean, I don't want to be cavalier about it but I've done what I've done and I, frankly, if people like what I did, great. And if they don't like what I did at least read the book. That's all I ask. And at least be open minded enough to figure out the decision making process. Why did I do what I did?”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2011, Q&A with Former President George W. Bush (January 2011)

People , Books , Decision , Reading

“And so literacy is crucial for the ability for this country to compete and the ability for people to realize dreams. It just is. And so we're going to - we're going to - here at SMU we're going to continue to focus on accountability in schools aiming to make sure people can read early before it's too late and we're going to do a joint venture with the Simmons Education School, which by the way, is a reform-minded school. I don't know if you know that. But the Simmons School of Education here at SMU is an excellent school run by people willing to challenge the status quo when the status quo is unacceptable.”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2011, Q&A with Former President George W. Bush (January 2011)

People , Education , School , Dreams

“We will defend the American homeland by strengthening our intelligence community – focusing on human intelligence and the early detection of terrorist operations both here and abroad. And when direct threats to America are discovered, I know that the best defense can be a strong and swift offense – including the use of Special Operations Forces and long-range strike capabilities.”

George W. Bush

1990s, A Period of Consequences (September 1999)

Intelligence , Communication , Strong

“We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq and pay a bitter cost of casualties and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Remarks on U.S.-British relations and foreign policy (November 2003)

People , Heart

“We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation — the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Second Inaugural Address (January 2005)

Freedom

“My pro-life position is I believe there's life. It's not necessarily based in religion. I think there's a life there, therefore the notion of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.”

George W. Bush

Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle (January 23, 2001)
2000s, 2001

Life , Religion , Thinking , Happiness

“Look, the key for me is to keep expectations low.”

George W. Bush

Speaking of himself and the public perception of him, in interview with Brian Williams of NBC News, (August 29, 2006) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNIOmbm3KYg&feature=related
2000s, 2006

“After all, this is a guy that tried to kill my dad at one time.”

George W. Bush

On Saddam Hussein, remarks http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020926-17.html in Houston, Texas, (September 26, 2002)
2000s, 2002

Guy , Time

“I said you were a man of peace. I want you to know I took immense crap for that.”

George W. Bush

to Ariel Sharon, quoted in [2003-06-02, Glenn, Kessler, Bush Sticks to the Broad Strokes; In Mideast Peace Push, President Wary of Details and Deep Intervention, The Washington Post, A.01, http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/343021791.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT]
2000s, 2003

Peace

“Well, you know, I think the American people are sacrificing now. I think they're waiting in airport lines longer than they've ever had before.”

George W. Bush

Press conference http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011011-7.html, in response to reporter asking why he hasn't called for any sacrifices from the American people (in the war on terror), and whether he intends to do so. (October 11, 2001)
2000s, 2001

People , Thinking , Waiting

“And America needs citizens to extend the compassion of our country to every part of the world. So we will renew the promise of the Peace Corps, double its volunteers over the next five years, and ask it to join a new effort to encourage development and education and opportunity in the Islamic world.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2002, State of the Union address (January 2002)

World , Education , Peace , Effort

“I told Barack Obama that I wouldn't let the automakers fail. I won't dump this mess on him.”

George W. Bush book Decision Points

In November 2008 https://books.google.com/books?id=iUJTvsUGWOcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=decision+points&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAGoVChMImu6s8_WEyAIVjNkeCh1oFgyY#v=onepage&q=obama&f=false.
2000s, 2008

“Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an enemy of civilization.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Address to the National Endowment for Democracy (October 2005)

“Barack and Michelle Obama arrived on the North Portico just before 10:00 a. m. Laura and I had invited them for a cup of coffee in the Blue Room, just as Bill and Hillary Clinton had done for us eight years earlier. The Obamas were in good spirits and excited about the journey ahead. Meanwhile, in the Situation Room, homeland security aides from both our teams monitored intelligence on a terrorist threat to Washington. It was a stark reminder that evil men still want to harm our country, no matter who is serving as president. After our visit, we climbed into the motorcade for the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue. I thought back to the drive I'd made with Bill Clinton eight years earlier. That day in January 2001, I could never have imagined what would unfold over my time in office. I knew some of the decisions I had made were not popular with many of my fellow citizens. But I felt satisfied that I had been willing to make the hard decisions, and I had always done what I believed was right. At the Capitol, Laura and I took our seats for the Inauguration. I marveled at the peaceful transition of power, one of the defining features of our democracy. The audience was riveted with anticipation for he swearing-in. Barack Obama had campaigned on hope, and that was what he had given many Americans. For our new president, the Inauguration was a thrilling beginning. For Laura and me, it was an end. It was another president's turn, and I was ready to go home.”

George W. Bush

Source: 2010s, 2010, Decision Points (November 2010), p. 474

Men , Peace , Hope , Democracy

“I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did anticipate a serious storm. But these levees got breached. And as a result, much of New Orleans is flooded. And now we are having to deal with it and will.”

George W. Bush

September 1, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/09/01/BL2005090100915.html
2000s, 2005

Thinking

“This cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose; it is a desire written in the human heart. We are that part of creation which seeks to understand all creation. We find the best among us, send them forth into unmapped darkness, and pray they will return. They go in peace for all mankind, and all mankind is in their debt.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Columbia space shuttle disaster (February 2003)

Peace , Understanding , Heart , Parting

“I don't know why you're talking about Sweden. They're the neutral one. They don't have an army.”

George W. Bush

In a December 2002 Oval Office meeting, after Congressman Tom Lantos suggested the Swedish Army as a peacekeeping force for the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Quoted in [Ron, Suskind, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17BUSH.html?ex=1255665600en=890a96189e162076ei=5090, Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush, The New York Times, October 17, 2004, 2007-01-30]
2000s, 2002

“I'm a uniter, not a divider.”

George W. Bush

Interview with http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/05/06/bush/print.html David Horowitz for Salon magazine (6 May 1999).
1990s

“In this different kind of war, we may never sit down at a peace table. But make no mistake about it, we are winning, and we will win.”

George W. Bush

Speech at the national convention of the American Legion, in Nashville, Tennessee (August 31, 2004) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5865710/
2000s, 2004

War , Peace

“To all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces now in the Middle East, the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you. That trust is well placed.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Invasion of Iraq (March 2003)

Women , Men , People , World

“More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: Close terrorist training camps. Hand over leaders of the Al Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens unjustly detained in our country. None of these demands were met. And now, the Taliban will pay a price.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2001, Invasion of Afghanistan (October 2001)

Training , Country

“Advancing the vision of freedom serves our highest ideals, as expressed in the U. N.'s Charter's commitment to the dignity and worth of the human person. Advancing this vision also serves our security interests. History shows that when citizens have a voice in choosing their own leaders, they are less likely to search for meaning in radical ideologies. And when governments respect the rights of their people, they're more likely to respect the rights of their neighbors.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2008, Address to the United Nations General Assembly (September 2008)

People , History , Search , Freedom

“My appointees to the [Texas] board of pardons and paroles reflect my no-nonsense approach to crime and punishment. They believe people who commit crimes against innocent Texans should pay the consequences; they believe sentences imposed by juries should be carried out.”

George W. Bush book A Charge to Keep

1990s
Source: "George W. Bush on Crime" http://www.issues2000.org/2004/George_W__Bush_Crime.htm, OnTheIssues, attributed to "A Charge to Keep", p.151-152. Dec 9, 1999.

People

“America has never been an empire. We may be the only great power in history that had the chance, and refused — preferring greatness to power and justice to glory.”

George W. Bush

1990s, A Distinctly American Internationalism (November 1999)

Justice , History , Chance

“These sources of strength are with your loved ones. For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were okay. Others took on the terrible duty of calling the relatives of a classmate or a colleague who had been wounded or lost. I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you, a parent's love is never far from their child's heart. And as you draw closer to your own families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out to those who ache for sons and daughters who will never come home.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2007, Virginia Tech Prayer Vigil (April 2007)

Love , People , Family , Feeling

“The Secure Fence Act is part of our efforts to reform our immigration system. We have more to do. Meaningful immigration reforms means that we must enforce our immigration laws in the United States. It is against the law to hire someone who is here illegally. We fully understand that most businesses want to obey that law, but they cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of widespread document fraud. So we're creating a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility, and in the meantime, holding people to account for breaking the law. We must reduce pressure on our border by creating a temporary worker plan. Willing workers ought to be matched with willing employers to do jobs Americans are not doing for a temporary -- on a temporary basis.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2004, Signing of Secure Fence Act of 2006

People , Law , Understanding , Business

“The exercise of rights is ennobled by service and mercy and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2005, Second Inaugural Address (January 2005)

Love , Life , Women , Men

“Returning to the moon is an important step for our space program. Establishing an extended human presence on the moon could vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration, making possible ever more ambitious missions. Lifting heavy spacecraft and fuel out of the Earth's gravity is expensive. Spacecraft assembled and provisioned on the moon could escape its far lower gravity using far less energy, and thus, far less cost. Also, the moon is home to abundant resources. Its soil contains raw materials that might be harvested and processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. We can use our time on the moon to develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems that will allow us to function in other, more challenging environments. The moon is a logical step toward further progress and achievement.”

George W. Bush

Speech on new space exploration initiatives http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040114-3.html (January 14, 2004)
2000s, 2004

Home , Time

“It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating. If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, a contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country. In time, this violence could engulf the region. The terrorists could emerge from the chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they had in Afghanistan, which they used to plan the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. For the safety of the American people, we cannot allow this to happen.”

George W. Bush

President Bush Discusses Fourth Anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070319.html (March 19, 2007)
2000s, 2007

People , Home , Time , Country

“More and more of our imports come from overseas.”

George W. Bush

Speech Beaverton, Oregon, (September 25, 2000) discussing U.S. oil imports, most of which come from within the western hemisphere http://www.metacafe.com/watch/174420/george_w_bush_slipups/
2000s, 2000

“We will export death and violence to the four corners of the earth in defense of our great nation.”

George W. Bush

The quote is from Bush at War by Bob Woodward, but it was not said by Bush. Woodward attributes the quote to one among "about 25 men representing three different Special Forces units and three CIA paramilitary teams" during the dedication of a September 11th memorial in the mountains of Afghanistan on February 5, 2002.
Attributed, Misattributed

Death

“Reporter: Do you want bin Laden dead?
Bush: I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, "Wanted: Dead or Alive."”

George W. Bush

America's New War: President Bush Talks with Reporters at Pentagon, CNN.com, 17 September 2001, 2007-01-24 http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0109/17/se.09.html,
2000s, 2001

Justice , Dead

“My Geordie is probably just about as bad as my English.”

George W. Bush

Asked if he will be able to understand the accent in Tony Blair's constituency in North-East England, 14 November 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3269703.stm
2000s, 2003

“We must stand united in our support of other young democracies, from the people of Lebanon struggling to maintain their hard-won independence, to the people of the Palestinian Territories, who deserve a free and peaceful state of their own. We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia. The United Nations Charter sets forth the equal rights of nations large and small. Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words. Young democracies around the world are watching to see how we respond to this test. The United States has worked with allies in multilateral institutions like the European Union and NATO to uphold Georgia's territorial integrity and provide humanitarian relief. And our nations will continue to support Georgia's democracy.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2008, Address to the United Nations General Assembly (September 2008)

People , World , Peace , Democracy

“My trip to Asia begins here in Japan for an important reason. It begins here because for a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times. From that alliance has come an era of peace in the Pacific.”

George W. Bush

Remarks by the President to the Diet, Tokyo, Japan. (February 18, 2002) http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/press/release/2002/0902-gwbjapan1.html
2000s, 2002

Peace , Time

“Power can be very addictive. And it can be corrosive. And it's important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power.”

George W. Bush

2010s, 2017, Interview with Matt Lauer (2017)

People

“The establishment of a free Iraq at the heart of the Middle East will be a watershed event in the global democratic revolution.”

George W. Bush

2000s, 2003, Address to the National Endowment for Democracy (November 2003)

Heart