Mrs. Janet Norwood, late Sgt.
Bryan Norwood's mom, embraces Ms.
Safia Taleb al-Suhail of Iraq. Safia's dad was
murdered by Saddam Hussein 10 years ago for speaking publicly. Mr.
Norwood shakes hands with Marine Staff Sgt. John M. Martinez.
< return
Mrs. Bush with representatives of each
liberated country...
President Bush
makes the rounds...
The incredibly lovely Dana Reed, the let
Christopher Reeve's wife, attended the Address as a guest.
Congressmen hold up purple stained
fingers in solidarity with Iraq's voters in Sunday's election.
President Bush smiling after he tells
the Democratic side of the Aisle, that he is willing to work with
"anyone with ideas the will really work" on Social Security Reform.
(aimed directly at John Kerry)
The cabinet applauds
Congressmen ink
their fingers
The President Speaks
John Kerry busies himself reading...
while applause explodes
as the President speaks...
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Introduction
Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, fellow
citizens:
As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of
government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office by
the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we
share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian
territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.
Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the
commitment of our nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all.
This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home
and around the world.
Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going
back to work, with our nation an active force for good in the world
-- the state of our union is confident and strong. Our generation
has been blessed -- by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in
medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice.
Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror -- or a lot of gray --
and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask the
question: What will be the state of their union?
Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer that
question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us
do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our
children and grandchildren
Economy
First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the great
institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely.
America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized
nation. In the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every
person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new
markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised home
ownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year
alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action
was needed, the Congress delivered -- and the nation is grateful.
Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more
flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep
America the economic leader of the world.
America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of
the federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for
spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that
holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes
tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half
by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150
government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate
current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The
principle here is clear: a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or
not at all.
To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a
rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No
Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the
rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students.
Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every
high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an
additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by
reforming our job training system and strengthening America's
community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to
afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell grants.
To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must
reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small
business is the path of advancement, especially for women and
minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless
regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits.
Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible
class actions and frivolous asbestos claims -- and I urge Congress
to pass legal reforms this year.
To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make
health care more affordable, and give families greater access to
good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I ask
Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health-care agenda --
with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a
community health center in every poor county, improved information
technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association
health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded
health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will
reduce health-care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors
and care they need.
To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of
affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years
ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages
conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid,
and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear
energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution
and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides
strong funding for leading-edge technology -- from hydrogen-fueled
cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four
years of debate is enough -- I urge Congress to pass legislation
that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.
All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new
jobs -- but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the
prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that
were created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year,
Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I
have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top
to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I
will work together to give this nation a tax code that is
pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all.
America's immigration system is also outdated -- unsuited to the
needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not
be content with laws that punish hard-working people who want only
to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers,
and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy
that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not
take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and
leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and
terrorists.
Social Security
One of America's most important institutions -- a symbol of the
trust between generations -- is also in need of wise and effective
reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th
century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century.
The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward
bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save
Social Security.
Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security
benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement -- and for them
the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every
American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you,
the Social Security system will not change in any way.
For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems
that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades
ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as
long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half
century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person
drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the founders of
Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people
are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer -- and those
benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few
decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary,
right now it's only about three workers -- and over the next few
decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary.
With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher
benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.
So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social
Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year
afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before.
For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to
come up with an extra $200 billion to keep the system afloat - and
by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than $300 billion. By
the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If
steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would
be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and
severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government
programs.
I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But
those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you
have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for
college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in
their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing
before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should
not be a small matter to the United States Congress.
You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve
the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.
Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid
review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for
wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the
possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During
the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing
the retirement age. Former Sen. John Breaux suggested discouraging
early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Sen. Daniel
Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are
calculated.
All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms
would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty,
because our children's retirement security is more important than
partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the
most effective combination of reforms. I will listen to anyone who
has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic
principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not
leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic
strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must ensure that lower
income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of
mind in their retirement. We must guarantee that there is no change
for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care
that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have
years to prepare and plan for their future.
As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make
the system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to
reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts.
Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money
you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social
Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker,
I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your
own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own
future.
Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will
grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system
can deliver -- and your account will provide money for retirement
over and above the check you will receive from Social Security. In
addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in
your personal account, if you wish, to your children or
grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours,
and the government can never take it away.
The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set
careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the
money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds.
We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall
Street fees. We will make sure there are good options to protect
your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your
retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied
out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to
traditional Social Security benefits. And we will make sure this
plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal retirement
accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions
over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four
percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.
Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal
employees, because you already have something similar, called the
Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their
paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds.
It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to
young Americans.
Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is
to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society.
So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to
family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral
children. Government is not the source of these values, but
government should never undermine them.
Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of
society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the
good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional
amendment to protect the institution of marriage.
Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and
vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical
research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and
cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities -- and I
thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes
of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that
scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage
of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to
agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure
that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for
body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a
commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical
research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.
Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a
duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench.
As president, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men
and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and
are well qualified to serve on the bench -- and I have done so. The
Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial
nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.
Faith-based initiatives
Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we
must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the
opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support
faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places.
Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in
our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail.
Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep
young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood
that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will
be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves
parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs
ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of
this nationwide effort will be our first lady, Laura Bush.
Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask
you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and
provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we
update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow
citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African-American men
and women.
Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief
in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and
backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In
America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a
crime he or she did not commit -- so we are dramatically expanding
the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will
send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense
counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives
must have competent lawyers by their side.
War on Terror
Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an
America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will
pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy -- and chief
among them is freedom from fear.
In the three and a half years since September 11th, 2001, we have
taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have created a
new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI
on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies,
broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on
defenses against biological and chemical attack, improved border
security, and trained more than a half million first responders.
Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many
others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we
thank them all.
Our nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the
enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and
continuing. The al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country
still has leaders -- but many of its top commanders have been
removed. There are still governments that sponsor and harbor
terrorists -- but their number has declined. There are still regimes
seeking weapons of mass destruction -- but no longer without
attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target
of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all -- and we
will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.
Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror --
and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with
the resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must
continue to support our military and give them the tools for
victory.
Other nations around the globe have stood with us. In Afghanistan,
an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28
countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the
European Union provided technical assistance for elections, and NATO
is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are
cooperating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security
Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials.
We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North
Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and
nine other countries have captured or detained al Qaeda terrorists.
In the next four years, my administration will continue to build the
coalitions that will defeat the dangers of our time.
In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by
eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of
murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in
hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that
terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The
only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror,
and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our
enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently
declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy.
And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the
allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East
and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to
impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the
main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and
expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal,
self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is
to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations,
with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their
own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and
their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.
That advance has great momentum in our time -- shown by women voting
in Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the
people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a
president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of
liberty. And in the coming years, we will add to that story.
The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian
territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns
of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice
departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for
meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will
discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian
people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful,
independent democratic state. To promote this democracy, I will ask
Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political,
economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states,
Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach
-- and America will help them achieve that goal.
To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the
United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the
common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of
freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from
Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can
demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of
its people in determining their future. And the great and proud
nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle
East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.
To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront
regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of
mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon,
to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace
in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian
Accountability Act -- and we expect the Syrian government to end all
support for terror and open the door to freedom.
Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror --
pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom
they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make
clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium
enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its
support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you
stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.
Iraq
Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in
the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That
country is a vital front in the war on terror, which is why the
terrorists have chosen to make a stand there.
Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we
do not have to face them here at home. And the victory of freedom in
Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on terror, inspire
democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and
progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat
from the lives of our children and grandchildren.
We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty --
as they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great
risk, millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and
women to represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly.
A young woman in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire
on election day, and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote.
She said, "hearing those explosions, it occurred to me -- the
insurgents are weak, they are afraid of democracy, they are losing.
... So I got my husband, and I got my parents, and we all came out
and voted together."
Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In
any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for
millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they
have earned the respect of us all.
One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia
Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "we were occupied for 35
years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. ... Thank you
to the American people who paid the cost ... but most of all to the
soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by
Saddam's intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was
finally able to vote for the leaders of her country -- and we are
honored that she is with us tonight.
The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy,
and will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful
myth is being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car
bombers and assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they
are trying to destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free
elections. And the whole world now knows that a small group of
extremists will not overturn the will of the Iraqi people.
We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for
their own freedom, and to write their own history. As Prime Minister
Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary
Iraqis are anxious ... to shoulder all the security burdens of our
country as quickly as possible." This is the natural desire of an
independent nation, and it also is the stated mission of our
coalition in Iraq.
The new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in
that country. At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground,
and in consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly
focus our efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security
forces -- forces with skilled officers, and an effective command
structure. As those forces become more self-reliant and take on
greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition
partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. In the end,
Iraqis must be able to defend their own country -- and we will help
that proud, new nation secure its liberty.
Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not
to abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military
strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm
and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi
friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations
to come.
We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because
that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can
wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is
democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its
neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is
achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with
the honor they have earned.
Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the
world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them
training and equipment; and they have given us an example of
idealism and character that makes every American proud. The
volunteers of our military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in
loyalty, unmatched in honor and decency, and every day they are
making our nation more secure. Some of our servicemen and women have
survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do
everything we can to help them recover. And we have said farewell to
some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose
memory this nation will honor forever.
One name we honor is Marine Corps Sgt. Byron Norwood of
Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Falluja.
His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved
being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against
terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I
wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged
me and said: 'You've done your job, mom. Now it's my turn to protect
you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor
freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here
this evening by Sgt. Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.
Closing
In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large
events.
We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of
victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have
seen threads of purpose that unite us.
The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in
freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great
venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew
the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that
freedom brings.
As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "each age is a dream
that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the
country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery
was only a dream -- until it was fulfilled.
The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream -- until it
was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream --
until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of
its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of
Providence is uneven and unpredictable -- yet we know where it
leads: It leads to freedom.
Thank you, and may God bless America
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