Text 3988, 566 rader
Skriven 2007-01-23 23:31:10 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0701232) for Tue, 2007 Jan 23
====================================================

===========================================================================
President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 23, 2007

President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.


˙˙˙˙˙ State of the Union 2007 ˙˙˙˙˙ State of the Union 2007 Policy
Initiatives

9:13 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. And tonight, I have a high privilege
and distinct honor of my own -- as the first President to begin the State
of the Union message with these words: Madam Speaker. (Applause.)

In his day, the late Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. from Baltimore,
Maryland, saw Presidents Roosevelt and Truman at this rostrum. But nothing
could compare with the sight of his only daughter, Nancy, presiding tonight
as Speaker of the House of Representatives. (Applause.) Congratulations,
Madam Speaker. (Applause.)

Two members of the House and Senate are not with us tonight, and we pray
for the recovery and speedy return of Senator Tim Johnson and Congressman
Charlie Norwood. (Applause.)

Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished
guests, and fellow citizens:

The rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour -- when decisions
are hard and courage is needed. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors
underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked
of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined
enemies -- and the wisdom to face them together.

Some in this chamber are new to the House and the Senate -- and I
congratulate the Democrat majority. (Applause.) Congress has changed, but
not our responsibilities. Each of us is guided by our own convictions --
and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we're all held to the same
standards, and called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this
nation's prosperity; to spend the people's money wisely; to solve problems,
not leave them to future generations; to guard America against all evil;
and to keep faith with those we have sent forth to defend us. (Applause.)

We're not the first to come here with a government divided and uncertainty
in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and
achieve big things for the American people. Our citizens don't much care
which side of the aisle we sit on -- as long as we're willing to cross that
aisle when there is work to be done. (Applause.) Our job is to make life
better for our fellow Americans, and to help them to build a future of hope
and opportunity -- and this is the business before us tonight.

A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy -- and that
is what we have. We're now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth,
in a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs -- so far. Unemployment
is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the
move, and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government, but
with more enterprise. (Applause.)

Next week, I'll deliver a full report on the state of our economy. Tonight,
I want to discuss three economic reforms that deserve to be priorities for
this Congress.

First, we must balance the federal budget. (Applause.) We can do so without
raising taxes. (Applause.) What we need is impose spending discipline in
Washington, D.C. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009, and
met that goal three years ahead of schedule. (Applause.) Now let us take
the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates
the federal deficit within the next five years. (Applause.) I ask you to
make the same commitment. Together, we can restrain the spending appetite
of the federal government, and we can balance the federal budget.
(Applause.)

Next, there is the matter of earmarks. These special interest items are
often slipped into bills at the last hour -- when not even C-SPAN is
watching. (Laughter.) In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over
13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of
earmarks never make it to the floor of the House and Senate -- they are
dropped into committee reports that are not even part of the bill that
arrives on my desk. You didn't vote them into law. I didn't sign them into
law. Yet, they're treated as if they have the force of law. The time has
come to end this practice. So let us work together to reform the budget
process, expose every earmark to the light of day and to a vote in
Congress, and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in half by the
end of this session. (Applause.)

And, finally, to keep this economy strong we must take on the challenge of
entitlements. Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of
conscience, and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound. Yet,
we're failing in that duty. And this failure will one day leave our
children with three bad options: huge tax increases, huge deficits, or huge
and immediate cuts in benefits. Everyone in this chamber knows this to be
true -- yet somehow we have not found it in ourselves to act. So let us
work together and do it now. With enough good sense and goodwill, you and I
can fix Medicare and Medicaid -- and save Social Security. (Applause.)

Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that
give children the knowledge and character they need in life. Five years
ago, we rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind
Act, preserving local control, raising standards, and holding those schools
accountable for results. And because we acted, students are performing
better in reading and math, and minority students are closing the
achievement gap.

Now the task is to build on the success, without watering down standards,
without taking control from local communities, and without backsliding and
calling it reform. We can lift student achievement even higher by giving
local leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools, and by giving
families with children stuck in failing schools the right to choose
someplace better. (Applause.) We must increase funds for students who
struggle -- and make sure these children get the special help they need.
(Applause.) And we can make sure our children are prepared for the jobs of
the future and our country is more competitive by strengthening math and
science skills. The No Child Left Behind Act has worked for America's
children -- and I ask Congress to reauthorize this good law. (Applause.)

A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have
affordable and available health care. (Applause.) When it comes to health
care, government has an obligation to care for the elderly, the disabled,
and poor children. And we will meet those responsibilities. For all other
Americans, private health insurance is the best way to meet their needs.
(Applause.) But many Americans cannot afford a health insurance policy.

And so tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford
their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health
insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents.
Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or
payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health
insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income.
With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are
now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax
bills. At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those
who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now
purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal would mean a
substantial tax savings -- $4,500 for a family of four making $60,000 a
year. And for the millions of other Americans who have no health insurance
at all, this deduction would help put a basic private health insurance plan
within their reach. Changing the tax code is a vital and necessary step to
making health care affordable for more Americans. (Applause.)

My second proposal is to help the states that are coming up with innovative
ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health
insurance available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to
help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have asked the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with Congress to take
existing federal funds and use them to create "Affordable Choices" grants.
These grants would give our nation's governors more money and more
flexibility to get private health insurance to those most in need.

There are many other ways that Congress can help. We need to expand Health
Savings Accounts. (Applause.) We need to help small businesses through
Association Health Plans. (Applause.) We need to reduce costs and medical
errors with better information technology. (Applause.) We will encourage
price transparency. And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we
passing medical liability reform. (Applause.) In all we do, we must
remember that the best health care decisions are made not by government and
insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors. (Applause.)

Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration
system worthy of America -- with laws that are fair and borders that are
secure. When laws and borders are routinely violated, this harms the
interests of our country. To secure our border, we're doubling the size of
the Border Patrol, and funding new infrastructure and technology.

Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we
take pressure off the border -- and that requires a temporary worker
program. We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers
to enter our country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won't
have to try to sneak in, and that will leave Border Agents free to chase
down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists. (Applause.) We'll enforce
our immigration laws at the work site and give employers the tools to
verify the legal status of their workers, so there's no excuse left for
violating the law. (Applause.)

We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and
assimilates new arrivals. (Applause.) We need to resolve the status of the
illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and
without amnesty. (Applause.) Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it
comes to immigration. Let us have a serious, civil, and conclusive debate,
so that you can pass, and I can sign, comprehensive immigration reform into
law. (Applause.)

Extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that
keeps America's economy running and America's environment clean. For too
long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil. And this dependence
leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes, and to terrorists -- who
could cause huge disruptions of oil shipments, and raise the price of oil,
and do great harm to our economy.

It's in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply -- the way
forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America
generates electric power, by even greater use of clean coal technology,
solar and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power. (Applause.) We need
to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles, and
expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel. (Applause.) We
must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol -- (applause)
-- using everything from wood chips to grasses, to agricultural wastes.

We made a lot of progress, thanks to good policies here in Washington and
the strong response of the market. And now even more dramatic advances are
within reach. Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal.
Let us build on the work we've done and reduce gasoline usage in the United
States by 20 percent in the next 10 years. (Applause.) When we do that we
will have cut our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all
the oil we now import from the Middle East.

To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by
setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of
renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 -- and that is nearly five times
the current target. (Applause.) At the same time, we need to reform and
modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks
-- and conserve up to 8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.

Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on
foreign oil, but it's not going to eliminate it. And so as we continue to
diversify our fuel supply, we must step up domestic oil production in
environmentally sensitive ways. (Applause.) And to further protect America
against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the
current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Applause.)

America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us
to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help
us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront
the serious challenge of global climate change. (Applause.)

A future of hope and opportunity requires a fair, impartial system of
justice. The lives of our citizens across our nation are affected by the
outcome of cases pending in our federal courts. We have a shared obligation
to ensure that the federal courts have enough judges to hear those cases
and deliver timely rulings. As President, I have a duty to nominate
qualified men and women to vacancies on the federal bench. And the United
States Senate has a duty, as well, to give those nominees a fair hearing,
and a prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. (Applause.)

For all of us in this room, there is no higher responsibility than to
protect the people of this country from danger. Five years have come and
gone since we saw the scenes and felt the sorrow that the terrorists can
cause. We've had time to take stock of our situation. We've added many
critical protections to guard the homeland. We know with certainty that the
horrors of that September morning were just a glimpse of what the
terrorists intend for us -- unless we stop them.

With the distance of time, we find ourselves debating the causes of
conflict and the course we have followed. Such debates are essential when a
great democracy faces great questions. Yet one question has surely been
settled: that to win the war on terror we must take the fight to the enemy.
(Applause.)

From the start, America and our allies have protected our people by staying
on the offense. The enemy knows that the days of comfortable sanctuary,
easy movement, steady financing, and free flowing communications are long
over. For the terrorists, life since 9/11 has never been the same.

Our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not
happen. We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our
allies have prevented, but here is some of what we do know: We stopped an
al Qaeda plot to fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the
West Coast. We broke up a Southeast Asian terror cell grooming operatives
for attacks inside the United States. We uncovered an al Qaeda cell
developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America. And just last
August, British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes
bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean. For each life saved, we owe a
debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote their lives to
finding the terrorists and stopping them. (Applause.)

Every success against the terrorists is a reminder of the shoreless
ambitions of this enemy. The evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is
still at work in the world. And so long as that's the case, America is
still a nation at war.

In the mind of the terrorist, this war began well before September the
11th, and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these
past five years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this
enemy. Al Qaeda and its followers are Sunni extremists, possessed by hatred
and commanded by a harsh and narrow ideology. Take almost any principle of
civilization, and their goal is the opposite. They preach with threats,
instruct with bullets and bombs, and promise paradise for the murder of the
innocent.

Our enemies are quite explicit about their intentions. They want to
overthrow moderate governments, and establish safe havens from which to
plan and carry out new attacks on our country. By killing and terrorizing
Americans, they want to force our country to retreat from the world and
abandon the cause of liberty. They would then be free to impose their will
and spread their totalitarian ideology. Listen to this warning from the
late terrorist Zarqawi: "We will sacrifice our blood and bodies to put an
end to your dreams, and what is coming is even worse." Osama bin Laden
declared: "Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers
among us."

These men are not given to idle words, and they are just one camp in the
Islamist radical movement. In recent times, it has also become clear that
we face an escalating danger from Shia extremists who are just as hostile
to America, and are also determined to dominate the Middle East. Many are
known to take direction from the regime in Iran, which is funding and
arming terrorists like Hezbollah -- a group second only to al Qaeda in the
American lives it has taken.

The Shia and Sunni extremists are different faces of the same totalitarian
threat. Whatever slogans they chant, when they slaughter the innocent they
have the same wicked purposes. They want to kill Americans, kill democracy
in the Middle East, and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific
scale.

In the sixth year since our nation was attacked, I wish I could report to
you that the dangers had ended. They have not. And so it remains the policy
of this government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence,
diplomacy, law enforcement, and military action to do our duty, to find
these enemies, and to protect the American people. (Applause.)

This war is more than a clash of arms -- it is a decisive ideological
struggle, and the security of our nation is in the balance. To prevail, we
must remove the conditions that inspire blind hatred, and drove 19 men to
get onto airplanes and to come and kill us. What every terrorist fears most
is human freedom

-- societies where men and women make their own choices, answer to their
own conscience, and live by their hopes instead of their resentments. Free
people are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies -- and most will
choose a better way when they're given a chance. So we advance our own
security interests by helping moderates and reformers and brave voices for
democracy. The great question of our day is whether America will help men
and women in the Middle East to build free societies and share in the
rights of all humanity. And I say, for the sake of our own security, we
must. (Applause.)

In the last two years, we've seen the desire for liberty in the broader
Middle East -- and we have been sobered by the enemy's fierce reaction. In
2005, the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon raised the banner of the
Cedar Revolution, they drove out the Syrian occupiers and chose new leaders
in free elections. In 2005, the people of Afghanistan defied the terrorists
and elected a democratic legislature. And in 2005, the Iraqi people held
three national elections, choosing a transitional government, adopting the
most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab world, and then
electing a government under that constitution. Despite endless threats from
the killers in their midst, nearly 12 million Iraqi citizens came out to
vote in a show of hope and solidarity that we should never forget.
(Applause.)

A thinking enemy watched all of these scenes, adjusted their tactics, and
in 2006 they struck back. In Lebanon, assassins took the life of Pierre
Gemayel, a prominent participant in the Cedar Revolution. Hezbollah
terrorists, with support from Syria and Iran, sowed conflict in the region
and are seeking to undermine Lebanon's legitimately elected government. In
Afghanistan, Taliban and al Qaeda fighters tried to regain power by
regrouping and engaging Afghan and NATO forces. In Iraq, al Qaeda and other
Sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in Shia Islam -- the
Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of
prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shia -- and it
succeeded. Radical Shia elements, some of whom receive support from Iran,
formed death squads. The result was a tragic escalation of sectarian rage
and reprisal that continues to this day.

This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we're in.
Every one of us wishes this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like
us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own
security at risk. (Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this
hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let
us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory. (Applause.)

We're carrying out a new strategy in Iraq -- a plan that demands more from
Iraq's elected government, and gives our forces in Iraq the reinforcements
they need to complete their mission. Our goal is a democratic Iraq that
upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of its people, provides them
security, and is an ally in the war on terror.

In order to make progress toward this goal, the Iraqi government must stop
the sectarian violence in its capital. But the Iraqis are not yet ready to
do this on their own. So we're deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000
additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq. The vast majority will go to
Baghdad, where they will help Iraqi forces to clear and secure
neighborhoods, and serve as advisers embedded in Iraqi Army units. With
Iraqis in the lead, our forces will help secure the city by chasing down
the terrorists, insurgents, and the roaming death squads. And in Anbar
Province, where al Qaeda terrorists have gathered and local forces have
begun showing a willingness to fight them, we're sending an additional
4,000 United States Marines, with orders to find the terrorists and clear
them out. (Applause.) We didn't drive al Qaeda out of their safe haven in
Afghanistan only to let them set up a new safe haven in a free Iraq.

The people of Iraq want to live in peace, and now it's time for their
government to act. Iraq's leaders know that our commitment is not
open-ended. They have promised to deploy more of their own troops to secure
Baghdad -- and they must do so. They pledged that they will confront
violent radicals of any faction or political party -- and they need to
follow through, and lift needless restrictions on Iraqi and coalition
forces, so these troops can achieve their mission of bringing security to
all of the people of Baghdad. Iraq's leaders have committed themselves to a
series of benchmarks -- to achieve reconciliation, to share oil revenues
among all of Iraq's citizens, to put the wealth of Iraq into the rebuilding
of Iraq, to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's civic life, to
hold local elections, and to take responsibility for security in every
Iraqi province. But for all of this to happen, Baghdad must be secure. And
our plan will help the Iraqi government take back its capital and make good
on its commitments.

My fellow citizens, our military commanders and I have carefully weighed
the options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this
course of action because it provides the best chance for success. Many in
this chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you
understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and
far-reaching.

If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government
would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle
between Shia extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al
Qaeda and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill
out across the country -- and in time, the entire region could be drawn
into the conflict.

For America, this is a nightmare scenario. For the enemy, this is the
objective. Chaos is the greatest ally -- their greatest ally in this
struggle. And out of chaos in Iraq would emerge an emboldened enemy with
new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater
determination to harm America. To allow this to happen would be to ignore
the lessons of September the 11th and invite tragedy. Ladies and gentlemen,
nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to
succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in Iraq and to spare the American
people from this danger. (Applause.)

This is where matters stand tonight, in the here and now. I have spoken
with many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you've made. We
went into this largely united, in our assumptions and in our convictions.
And whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is
pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work.
And I ask you to support our troops in the field, and those on their way.
(Applause.)

The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will
continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others. And
that's why it's important to work together so our nation can see this great
effort through. Both parties and both branches should work in close
consultation. It's why I propose to establish a special advisory council on
the war on terror, made up of leaders in Congress from both political
parties. We will share ideas for how to position America to meet every
challenge that confronts us. We'll show our enemies abroad that we are
united in the goal of victory.

And one of the first steps we can take together is to add to the ranks of
our military so that the American Armed Forces are ready for all the
challenges ahead. (Applause.) Tonight I ask the Congress to authorize an
increase in the size of our active Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in the
next five years. (Applause.) A second task we can take on together is to
design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would
function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the
Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve
on missions abroad when America needs them. It would give people across
America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining
struggle of our time.

Americans can have confidence in the outcome of this struggle because we're
not in this struggle alone. We have a diplomatic strategy that is rallying
the world to join in the fight against extremism. In Iraq, multinational
forces are operating under a mandate from the United Nations. We're working
with Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the Gulf States to increase
support for Iraq's government.

The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran, and made it clear that
the world will not allow the regime in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.
(Applause.) With the other members of the Quartet -- the U.N., the European
Union, and Russia -- we're pursuing diplomacy to help bring peace to the
Holy Land, and pursuing the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state
living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security. (Applause.) In
Afghanistan, NATO has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and al
Qaeda offensive -- the first time the Alliance has deployed forces outside
the North Atlantic area. Together with our partners in China, Japan,
Russia, and South Korea, we're pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a
Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. (Applause.)

We will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba,
Belarus, and Burma -- and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to
save the people of Darfur. (Applause.)

American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our
work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given,
much is required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger and
poverty and disease -- and that is precisely what America is doing. We must
continue to fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa.
(Applause.) Because you funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the
number of people receiving life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more
than 800,000 in three short years. I ask you to continue funding our
efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over five
years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries. (Applause.)

I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid
reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise
and corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded
trade and debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and
eliminating poverty. (Applause.)

When America serves others in this way, we show the strength and generosity
of our country. These deeds reflect the character of our people. The
greatest strength we have is the heroic kindness, courage, and
self-sacrifice of the American people. You see this spirit often if you
know where to look -- and tonight we need only look above to the gallery.

Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa, amid great poverty and disease. He came
to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine -- but Coach
John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. (Laughter.)
Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But
he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his blessings
with others. He built a brand new hospital in his old hometown. A friend
has said of this good-hearted man: "Mutombo believes that God has given him
this opportunity to do great things." And we are proud to call this son of
the Congo a citizen of the United States of America. (Applause.)

After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share
her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment,
and began filming children's videos in her basement. The Baby Einstein
Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20
million in sales. In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to the Walt
Disney Company, and with her help Baby Einstein has grown into a $200
million business. Julie represents the great enterprising spirit of
America. And she is using her success to help others -- producing child
safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children. Julie says of her new project: "I believe it's the most
important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the
right to live in a world that is safe." And so tonight, we are pleased to
welcome this talented business entrepreneur and generous social
entrepreneur -- Julie Aigner-Clark. (Applause.)

Three weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with
his two little girls, when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With
seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the
space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their
heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says: "We got guys and girls overseas
dying for us to have our freedoms. We have got to show each other some
love." There is something wonderful about a country that produces a brave
and humble man like Wesley Autrey. (Applause.)

Tommy Rieman was a teenager pumping gas in Independence, Kentucky, when he
enlisted in the United States Army. In December 2003, he was on a
reconnaissance mission in Iraq when his team came under heavy enemy fire.
From his Humvee, Sergeant Rieman returned fire; he used his body as a
shield to protect his gunner. He was shot in the chest and arm, and
received shrapnel wounds to his legs -- yet he refused medical attention,
and stayed in the fight. He helped to repel a second attack, firing
grenades at the enemy's position. For his exceptional courage, Sergeant
Rieman was awarded the Silver Star. And like so many other Americans who
have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the respect and the gratitude
of our entire country. (Applause.)

In such courage and compassion, ladies and gentlemen, we see the spirit and
character of America -- and these qualities are not in short supply. This
is a decent and honorable country -- and resilient, too. We've been through
a lot together. We've met challenges and faced dangers, and we know that
more lie ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence -- because the State
of our Union is strong, our cause in the world is right, and tonight that
cause goes on. God bless. (Applause.)

See you next year. Thank you for your prayers.

END 10:02 P.M. EST

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070123-2.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)