Election 2004 Senator Kerry Speech

Speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters

Remarks by John Kerry

For Immediate Release

Boston, MA - Talk about a warm welcome!� It�s great to see my good friend, Harold Schaitberger.� As you know, Harold and I spent a lot of time together in Iowa and New Hampshire.� He�s a terrific campaigner, and an outstanding leader.� And I want to congratulate him and Vinnie � I can only hope that our re-election in 2008 goes as well as theirs did yesterday.���

I�d also like to take a moment to honor a young man whose courage, compassion, and love for life were an inspiration to us all.� Mattie Stepanek was a poet, a philosopher, and a peacemaker � and he was also your number one fan.� As hard as it is to lose him, he will never be forgotten.

I�d also like to remember the brothers of Local 1009.� It�s hard to believe it�s been five years since that warehouse in Worcester went up in flames.� Six brave men went in.� None of them came out alive.� And as I stood with those families, I looked them in the eyes, and promised that their brothers, fathers, sons and husbands would never be forgotten.� And I know they haven�t been.�

And neither have those who gave their lives on� September 11th, the day that so many of America�s finest rushed into burning towers so that others could rush out.� They didn�t ask questions.� They didn�t look back.� And three hundred and forty-three of them made the ultimate sacrifice.� Their courage lifted our nation.

Finally, I want to pay tribute to your brothers and sisters who, at this very moment, are on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan.� May God protect them and bring them home safely to their families and our country.�

Now, as you all know, it�s been a pretty exciting couple of months for our campaign.� Back in early July, I was talking with an old friend of mine, and he asked me what I�d been up to.� I told him, �Well, I�ve been gearing up for that big event in Boston, working on my big speech, practicing every day.�� And he said, �Yup, I�ll bet you have.�� And I said, �This is one of the most important speeches of my career.�� And he said, �It sure is.�� And I said, �I really want to hit this one out of the park.�� And he said, �John, don�t you worry, I�m sure you�ll do just fine at the Democratic Convention.��

And I said, �Democratic Convention?� Who�s talking about the Democratic convention?� I was talking about the IAFF Convention!�

In all seriousness, I�m so proud to be here with all of you today.� Every day, you keep our families and communities safe.� Every day you risk your lives to protect ours.� Every day you give so much to this country we love.� Today, I want to talk about how we can give back � about how we can give you the support you need, and the respect you deserve.�

It�s been a long journey to this moment.� Since I entered this race a year and a half ago, I�ve traveled from one end of this country to the other � from great cities to the great Southwest, from the flag-draped front porches of Main Street America to the small family farms that dot the Midwest. I�m proud that we�ve made this great journey together.

All of you here today stood with me right from the beginning � and you never left my side.� In those long days in Iowa, you were there.� In those cold days in New Hampshire, you were there.� When the polls were down, and they counted us out, you never gave up hope.� And today, wherever I go, I look up, and the first thing I see are those gold and black T-shirts, and those gold and black signs � and I know that once again, my friends are by my side.����

Through these long months, you have shown what we always knew was true: Firefighters never give up.� Firefighters never leave a brother or sister behind.� And no matter how tough it gets, firefighters can take the heat.���

These are the values you live by, day in and day out, when you kiss your families goodbye, and head to the station � knowing full well that with the sound of an alarm, you might be called into harms way.� I know what that�s like.� And more than thirty years ago, I learned an important lesson�when you�re under attack, the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attacker. That�s what I intend to do today.

Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn�t interested in the truth � and they�re not telling the truth. They didn�t even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here�s what you really need to know about them.� They�re funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They�re a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won�t denounce what they�re up to tells you everything you need to know�he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it�s like to see the truth in the moment. You�re proud of what you�ve done�and so am I.

Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: �Bring it on.�

I�m not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America�then, now, or ever.� And I�m not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.

And let me make this commitment today:� their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security � the issues that really matter to the American people.

The situation in Iraq is a mess. That is the President�s responsibility and he owes the American people an answer.

America is on track to lose more jobs than it�s gained under George Bush and he supports a tax code that rewards companies for shipping jobs overseas.� He owes the American people an answer.

Health care costs have exploded out of control. The President has done nothing and he owes the American people an answer.

The middle class is paying a bigger share of America�s tax burden. The President needs to answer to the American people why that is fair.

Unfortunately, those in the White House are coming from a different place than you and I.� They see things a little differently than you and I.� They tell us that today, when it comes to the issues that matter most, we�re getting the job done.

Well, just saying the job is getting done doesn�t make it so.� My friends, let me tell you when the job will be done.

The job will be done when every firehouse in America has the firefighters and the equipment they need to protect our communities.� Right now, two-thirds of firehouses are understaffed, and we�re not spending one dime to fund the SAFER Act.

The job will be done when all our firefighters have the resources to fight the war on terror here at home.� Right now, in too many places, your budgets are being cut to cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

And, my friends, the job will be done when we stop opening firehouses in Baghdad while closing them down here in the United States of America.

For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values.� But values are not just words.� They're what we live by. They're about the choices we make, the causes we champion, and the people we fight for.

Let me tell you about my values.� The way I see it, all of you are full-time heroes, and you deserve nothing less than America�s full-time support.�

That�s why, for nineteen years in the Senate, I�ve fought for better equipment and training, for tracking technology and workplace protections.� I sponsored the Federal Presumptive Disability legislation, because when federal firefighters get sick because of their job, they deserve our help.� And I�ve fought for collective bargaining for all employees � including federal employees � and I�ll take on anyone who tries to take it away.�

And that�s just the beginning.� When John Edwards and I are in the White House, we�re going to fund the FIRE Act and the SAFER Act.� We�re going to create the Father Mychal Judge fund to hire 100,000 new firefighters all across America.� And we�re going to be an Administration that stands with labor.� Let us never forget that every single one of the firefighters who went up the stairs of those burning towers, and through the doors of that warehouse in Worcester � all of them were members of organized labor.� They believed in the right to organize�the right to overtime pay�the right to have a Secretary of Labor who comes from labor.� And we do too.� Those are our values, and we�re going to live and lead by them every day that we�re in the White House.� And that�s how we�re going to get the job done.

Finally, we�re going to really get the job done by creating an economy that works for you and your families, where when you work hard, you can pay your bills and create a better life for your children.�

Right now, middle class Americans are being squeezed like never before.� In the last three years, we�ve lost 1.8 million private sector jobs.� And the new jobs being created pay $9,000 less than the ones we�ve lost.� At the same time, gas prices are up, childcare costs are up, tuition is up, and family income has fallen $1,500.� As a result, today, we�ve got people working two jobs, three jobs, just to get by.� That�s not the American way.

To make matters worse, health care costs are through the roof.� The average American family has seen their premiums increase by more than $2,600 in just the last three years.� And I know that some of you have seen the results at the bargaining table, where you win an increase in wages only to see it disappear to pay for health care.�

This is bad news for our families and even worse news for our economy.� Studies show that rising costs have forced many employers � especially those in industries that pay high wages � to slow their hiring.� And many have begun hiring more part-time and temporary workers, who often don�t get health insurance at all.� So we�re losing good jobs and replacing them with ones that just don�t pay the bills.��

When I�m President, America will stop being the only advanced country that doesn�t understand that health care is not a privilege for the elected or the connected or the wealthy � but a right for all Americans.� John Edwards and I have a plan to reduce health care costs and turn our economy around.� We�re going to provide tax credits to make health insurance more affordable.� And we�re going to let all Americans buy into the same plan available to members of Congress.� In total, we�ll cut the average family�s premium by $1,000.�

The issues I�ve been talking about today � these aren�t Republican issues or Democratic issues.� They�re American values.� And frankly, it doesn�t make one bit of difference to me what party you belong to or who you�ve voted for in the past.� That�s not what this election is about.

This election is about building an America that�s stronger at home and respected around the world.� Where families sleep soundly at night knowing you have what you need to do your jobs.� An America where we once again honor those who serve our communities and protect our families.

There�s a simple rule you follow in every fire you fight: You never go in alone � you always have a brother or sister by your side.� Well, today, I want you to know that come next January, you will have a brother in the White House who stands with you every hour of every day.� I will be a president who goes into the Oval Office every morning knowing that my job is to help you do yours.� I will work my heart out for you, and I will never let you down.

But once again, I can�t get there without your help.� In the closing weeks of this campaign, I�m going to be traveling all across this country, talking to Americans about our values and our vision for the future.� And I need you to do the same.� I need you to go back to your states and knock on every door, make every call, and register every voter you can.� Tell people about who we are, what we stand for, and what we�re going to do for America.� And on election day, you make sure that every single person you�ve reached goes to the polls and makes their voice heard.� In a race like this, we can�t afford to lose a single vote.�

This isn�t going to be easy, but firefighters are no strangers to tough challenges.� I know that working together, we can take back America for its heroes.� We can reach for the next dream.� We can look to the next horizon.� For America, the hope is there.� The sun is rising.� Our best days are still to come.� Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

�Remarks by Senator John Kerry on Earth Day 2004

April 22, 2004

Houston, TX

Thank you.� I'm glad to be in Houston on Earth Day.

I�ve been spending the last few days talking with Americans about how we can build a cleaner, healthier environment.� And while there�s plenty that we�re going to do differently than this Administration on this issue, let me start by saying something nice about President Bush-he is an expert on recycling. He's recycled the same bad Republican policies from the 1980's all over again in the year 2004.

Thank you Dr. Lauren.� Your story reminds all of us about a basic American idea: �we can all make a difference and each one of us should try.�� When it comes to protecting our environment, strengthening our economy, and improving public health, effort is everything.�

Whether it�s saving our great public spaces like this one, stopping polluters from sending toxins into the water your drink, or protecting those national treasures we count on for our jobs, our livelihoods, and to feed our souls, our responsibility as Americans is to protect and preserve God�s gift to human kind.

We only have one chance with this place, and you and I together are going to make sure we use it wisely.� We�re going to ensure that our values and our beliefs reflect in how we treat our oceans, how we develop our small towns in the mountains, and how we protect our national parks and treasures.�

For we are all stewards of our land and water.� We are all capable of creating lasting change.� And we are all determined to ensure that those Americans who have yet to grace this earth can live in a country that keeps them healthy and gives them the opportunity to reach their full potential.�

But you and I know that we cannot succeed unless we change course.� We cannot build a stronger America together�an America that protects our air and our water and our children�unless we change course in November.

One of the great traditions in America is an unspoken vow between the old and the young.� For generations, older Americans have worked hard to ensure that the America they leave behind is smarter, stronger, and more secure than when they found it.�

Yet, for the first time in our history, this tradition may end and an older generation may pass on an America that is in worse shape than when they found it.� We�re facing trillions of dollars in debt.� Our foreign policy has pushed the world aside and left us to face threats on our own.� We have a health care crisis that is emptying the pockets of working families.� And in three short years, one man and one Administration has put the breaks on 30 years of environmental progress.�

Houston, do you want four more years of rolling back our clean air laws that pollute our air and give our kids asthma?� Do you want four more years of arsenic in our drinking water?� Do you want four more years of mercury levels rising in women and children?� Do you want four more years of polluters getting a tax break while you�re stuck with the bill?� Do you want four more years of ignoring our allies to stop global warming? Neither do I!�� Their kind of environment is hazardous to our health, our kid�s health, and the world�s.

We can do better because we know that the environment is about something bigger than a photo-op event once a year.� It�s about protecting our economy, our public health, and our way of life.� They are all connected and they are all endangered if we don�t change course in November.

So Houston will you help me change course in November?� Will you help me lead America to a place where no soldier ever has to be sent overseas because of our dependence on Mid-east oil?� Will you help me protect our coastlines and preserve those towns we count on for jobs and to raise our families?� Will you help me protect our clean air and clean water laws so that our kids grow up healthy?�

Houston will you help me make sure that next Earth Day George Bush celebrates it back home in Texas?

This week I have spent time in Florida and along the coast of Louisiana.� I talked about the common sense steps we can take today that will protect those places we love while creating jobs and protecting our economy.� This Administration uses the same tired old argument that you can�t have a clean environment if you want a strong economy.� Well they�re wrong.� We can have both.

I have a plan that will make this country independent from Mid-East oil in ten years.� And it will create 500,000 new jobs doing something that�s right for our environment, right for our economy, and right to strengthen our national security. We will put that tired old Republican argument to rest when we elect a new president in November!

I have a plan that will protect our oceans and our water ways.� I will enforce the BEACHES ACT and provide states with funding so that we know our beachwater is clean. I will work with local officials like Houston�s great Mayor Bill White to create strong partnerships to reduce storm-water runoff.� I will provide our states and local communities with the resources they need to protect important coastal ecosystems and implement smart coastal development.�

And when it comes to mercury, I will not let the utilities off the hook.� It just makes sense when 4.9 million women of childbearing age have high levels of mercury, and when one in six new born-infants have levels of mercury so high that they can cause brain damage.� You stop the polluters to protect the health of women and children!

Yesterday, I talked about my plan to protect our coastlines. In Louisiana, every 30 minutes a piece of land the size of a football field sinks into the Gulf of Mexico.� Costal erosion isn�t just swallowing their beaches; it�s drowning their economy.� Fishermen see their nets come up empty.� Sportsmen watch entire habitats disappear.� And families who live and visit those coastline towns fear that their homes or businesses may literally slip away.�

We can change this. We can enact laws that conserve and protect coastal regions here and all over America.� We will make the protection of our coastlines a national priority, because a secure coastline means security for the families who live there, the business owners who make a living there, and the sportsmen who hunt and fish there.

This is what we can do when we change course in November.� All it takes is a president who understands that there are no false choices to make between a clean environment and a strong economy�we can and we will have both when I am president.

We have great local leaders like Mayor Bill White, who are dedicated to making their cities and neighborhoods healthy places to live, work, and raise their families.�

Mayor White has been a leader in advocating the use of new technologies to reduce the energy use in buildings. The use of tree planting, paving and roofing materials which reflect, not absorb heat.� This could reduce energy bills and over time reduce outside air temperatures. We need to support innovative thinking like that.���