Text 402, 527 rader
Skriven 2005-02-02 23:42:02 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050202b) for Wed, 2005 Feb 2
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State of the Union Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 2, 2005

State of the Union Address



STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH Chamber of the U.S.
House of Representatives The United States Capitol Washington, D.C.

9:10 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: 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've 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

Our generation has been blessed -- by the expansion of opportunity, by
advances in medicine, by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice.
Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror -- or a lot of gray --
(laughter) -- 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 our grandchildren.
(Applause.)

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 provided tax relief to every person who pays income
taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted
corporate criminals, raised homeownership to its highest level in history,
and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new
jobs. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the
federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending
discipline. 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. (Applause.) 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: Taxpayer dollars must be spent
wisely, or not at all. (Applause.)

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're
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'll make it easier for
Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell
Grants. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care
more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage --
(applause) -- and more control over their health decisions. (Applause.) 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 country, improved information technology to prevent medical
error and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and
their employees -- (applause) -- expanded health savings accounts --
(applause) -- and medical liability reform that will reduce health care
costs and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.
(Applause.)

To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable,
environmentally responsible energy. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) My Clear
Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of
our citizens. (Applause.) And my budget provides strong funding for
leading-edge technology -- from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to
renewable sources such as ethanol. (Applause.) Four years of debate is
enough: I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure
and less dependent on foreign energy. (Applause.)

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've 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. (Applause.)

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 hardworking 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) The system, however, on
its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together
to strengthen and save Social Security. (Applause.)

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and
millions more are nearing retirement -- and for them the system is sound
and fiscally strong. 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. (Applause.) 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 did not live as long. Benefits were much lower than they are today.
And a half-century ago, about sixteen 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 sixteen 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 dramatically 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 a long way off. But those dates are
not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a five-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. (Applause.) 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 Senator
John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security
benefits. The late Senator 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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 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. (Applause.) 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're 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's why the 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 and -- or grandchildren. And best of all, the money
in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.
(Applause.)

The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful
guidelines for personal accounts. We'll make sure the money can only go
into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We'll make sure that your
earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We'll make sure there
are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on
the eve of your retirement. We'll make sure a personal account cannot be
emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to
traditional Social Security benefits. And we'll 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's time to extend the same
security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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 the Congress for doubling the
funding of the National Institutes of Health. (Applause.) 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 -- (applause) -- 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) The Constitution
also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an
up or down vote. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

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 the 11th, 2001, we have taken
unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We've 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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 the elections, and NATO is leading a mission to
help train Iraqi officers. We're cooperating with 60 governments in the
Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of
dangerous materials. We're working closely with the 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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've 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.
(Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are
now 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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 reprocessing, 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

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.
(Applause.)

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.
(Applause.)

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."
That is the natural desire of an independent nation, and it is also 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) The volunteers of our military are
unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and
decency, and every day they're 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. (Applause.) 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 Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville,
Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. 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 is
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 Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.
(Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

END 10:03 P.M. EST

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