Text 409, 319 rader
Skriven 2005-02-03 23:33:46 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050203b) for Thu, 2005 Feb 3
===================================================
===========================================================================
Fact Sheet: The State of the Union
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
February 3, 2005

Fact Sheet: The State of the Union



>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.__ President George W. Bush, February 2, 2005

In his State of the Union Address, President Bush described the state of
our Union as confident and strong - the U.S. economy is growing steadily,
more Americans are finding jobs, and our Nation is serving as an active
force for good in the world. The President conveyed his gratitude to the
American people for the privilege to serve once again, with a renewed
commitment to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. He recognized that,
over the last four years, Americans have come together to overcome great
challenges, and he underscored his faith and confidence in the American
people and our Nation's future.

President Bush laid out ambitious goals for the future, behind which all
Americans can unite, and urged the Nation to move forward with the work
that needs to be done this year:
 1. Growing Our Economy and Renewing Great Institutions
 2. Saving Social Security for America's Future Generations
 3. Protecting America's Families and Promoting Compassion Across the
    Nation
 4. Making America Safer with Decisive Action to Win the War on Terror and
    Spread Freedom

Growing Our Economy and Renewing Great Institutions

Over the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every taxpayer,
overcome a recession, opened new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate
criminals, raised homeownership to the highest level in history, and - in
the last year alone -created 2.3 million jobs for Americans. The President
believes we must add to those achievements to keep America the economic
leader of the world.

To ensure prosperity for future generations, we must reform institutions -
retirement plans, the tax code, our health care system, and worker training
programs - that were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We
must transform these systems so that all Americans are equipped and
prepared to realize the American Dream.

Strengthening Spending Restraint While Meeting Our Nation's Priorities: The
President's budget reflects the country's most important priorities of
ensuring economic growth and fighting the War on Terror. The President will
continue to provide whatever it takes to defend our country and protect our
homeland. He will also continue to promote pro-growth economic policies and
exercise responsible spending restraint to meet his goal of cutting the
budget deficit in half by 2009.

Making Tax Relief Permanent: The tax relief enacted over the past four
years, including the tax relief benefiting America's small businesses, is
scheduled to expire over the next several years. This tax relief must be
made permanent. Raising taxes on families and small businesses will hurt
economic growth and job creation.

Strengthening High Schools: The No Child Left Behind Act is bringing
important reforms to America's elementary schools by insisting on standards
and accountability for results. The early grades are seeing progress across
America, but we must improve America's high schools. The President wants
high standards to be applied to America's high schools to ensure that every
student graduates with the skills needed to succeed in college and a
globally competitive workforce. His Fiscal Year 2006 budget will provide
$1.5 billion in funding for a new High School Initiative to help states
hold high schools accountable for teaching all students and to provide
effective and timely intervention for those students who are not learning
at grade level. This initiative includes requirements for state assessments
in high school to ensure that diplomas are truly meaningful.

Providing Students with Assistance for Quality Higher Education: The
current Federal student-aid system does not serve American students well,
and is not the best use of taxpayer money. By reforming the student loan
program, the President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget will increase the maximum
Pell Grant award to $4,150 this year and $4,550 over five years to help
more students pay for higher education and prepare for a lifetime of
achievement. The President's budget request will increase resources for
Pell Grants by more than $15 billion over the next 10 years to provide
extra assistance for the Nation's low-income students.

Preparing Americans for Jobs of the 21st Century: America's growing and
transitioning economy requires new skills and new technologies, and the
President is committed to providing American workers with the skills they
need to succeed. President Bush believes we must ensure that every adult,
and especially low- and middle-income Americans, can access the training to
close the skills gap in America, and he will work with Congress to reform
workforce training and increase the number of people served.

Reducing Excessive Regulations: The President wants to streamline
regulations and reduce paperwork to alleviate the burdens that unduly
handicap America's entrepreneurs and job creators. Since the President took
office, his Administration has slowed the growth of burdensome new rules by
75 percent, while still moving forward with crucial safeguards for homeland
security, human health, and environmental protection.

Curbing Junk Lawsuits and Reforming Class Action: To help reduce the rising
cost of health care while improving quality and safety, President Bush
called on Congress to enact legal reform. Class action lawsuits are an
important part of the U.S. legal system, but abusive class actions harm
injured parties and undermine the American judicial system.
Asbestos-related bankruptcies are hurting workers and delaying relief for
truly sick claimants.

Making Health Care More Affordable: President Bush believes all Americans
should have access to affordable, high-quality health care. Rising
health-care costs impose a burden on families and small businesses and put
coverage out of the reach of many Americans. Many businesses - particularly
small firms - are struggling with these rising costs.
  þ The President has proposed a comprehensive, consumer-driven plan to
    address the problems of rising health-care costs and uninsurance. His
    plan includes Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Association Health Plans
    (AHPs) for small businesses, civic groups, and community organizations,
    tax credits for low-income families, medical liability reform, and a
    goal of electronic health records for most Americans within 10 years.
  þ The President's plan will help reduce the rising cost of health care
    while improving quality and safety. It will provide new and affordable
    health coverage options for all Americans - targeted to those who need
    it most: low-income children and families and employees of small
    businesses and the self-employed.

Providing Affordable, Environmentally Responsible Energy: The President's
comprehensive energy strategy will help America meet the energy needs of a
growing economy in environmentally responsible ways. His plan encourages
conservation; passage of Clear Skies legislation to cut power-plant
pollution; alternative sources of energy, including hydrogen-fuel, clean
coal, and ethanol; a modernized electricity grid; and more production here
at home, including safe, clean, nuclear energy.

Reforming Immigration to Safeguard the Liberty of America:President Bush
called on Congress to work with him to achieve significant immigration
reform that protects the homeland by controlling the borders; serves
America's economy by matching a willing worker with a willing employer when
no American is willing to fill the job; promotes compassion and protects
workers from abuse; provides incentives for temporary workers to return to
their home countries and families; and rejects amnesty and protects the
rights of legal immigrants while not unfairly rewarding those who came here
unlawfully or hope to do so.

Reforming the Tax Code: The current tax code is a maze of special-interest
loopholes that causes America's taxpayers to spend more than six billion
hours every year on paperwork and other headaches. President Bush believes
that America's taxpayers deserve - and our future economic prosperity
demands - a simpler, fairer, more pro-growth system. Taxes should be
applied fairly, and reform should recognize the importance of homeownership
and charity in our society. As a first step in reforming the code, the
President has created a bipartisan panel to advise the Secretary of the
Treasury on options to reform the tax code.

Saving Social Security for America's Future Generations
  þ Fixing the Current Social Security System: The President wants to
    strengthen Social Security for the 21st century. His fiscally
    responsible plan calls for reforms that would keep Social Security's
    promises for today's seniors and those near retirement; solve the
    financial problems of Social Security once and for all; and give
    younger workers a chance to save in personal accounts for their own
    retirement.
  þ By 2018, Social Security will owe more in annual benefits than the
    revenues it takes in, and when today's young workers begin to retire in
    2042, the system will be exhausted and bankrupt. As currently
    structured, Social Security cannot afford to pay promised benefits to
    young workers. President Bush has laid out basic principles to guide
    reform:
      þ We must make Social Security permanently sound;
      þ We must guarantee no change for those 55 years or older (born
        before 1950);
      þ We must not jeopardize our economic strength by raising payroll
        taxes;
      þ We must ensure that lower-income Americans get the help they need
        to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement;
      þ We must make sure any changes in the system are gradual, so that
        younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future;
        and
      þ We must make Social Security a better deal for younger workers
        through voluntary personal retirement accounts.
  þ The President laid out his vision for voluntary personal retirement
    accounts. Under his plan, personal retirement accounts would start
    gradually. Yearly contribution limits would be raised over time,
    eventually permitting all workers to set aside 4 percentage points of
    their payroll taxes in their accounts.
      þ There will be careful guidelines for personal accounts to provide
        greater security in retirement, including a conservative mix of
        bonds and stock funds similar to those offered under the Federal
        employee retirement plan; protection from hidden fees; protection
        from sudden market swings on the eve of retirement; and a
        requirement of pay-outs over time to prevent a person from emptying
        his or her account all at once.

Protecting America's Families and Promoting Compassion Across the Nation

Defending the Dignity of Human Life: The President is committed to medical
research that does not violate the dignity of human life or exploit one
human life for the benefit of another. President Bush will work with
Congress to prohibit the creation of human life for research and other
unethical practices.

Helping America's Youth: Statistics show that boys are at greater risk than
girls for learning disabilities, dropping out of school, violence, juvenile
arrest, and early death caused by violent behavior. Boys often begin to
fall behind girls in elementary school, which leads to higher dropout rates
and juvenile delinquency, and they often show signs of behavioral problems
early in life. As boys grow older, risk behaviors such as alcohol and drug
abuse become more prevalent, and gang involvement increases.
  þ The President announced a new outreach effort, to be led by Mrs. Laura
    Bush, to focus on young Americans, especially young men, to help ensure
    a successful future. During the next year, the President and Mrs. Bush
    are committed to highlighting the importance of focusing on at-risk
    youth, especially boys; educating parents and communities on the
    importance of promoting positive youth development; and informing
    parents and communities of strong and successful prevention and
    intervention programs that work by drawing attention to initiatives
    from around the country.
  þ The President's focus on young Americans will include support for
    programs that help youth overcome the specific risk of gang influence
    and involvement. The President proposed a three-year, $150-million
    initiative to help youth at risk of gang influence and involvement
    through grants to faith-based and community organizations. These
    organizations will provide a positive model for youth - one that
    respects women and rejects violence.

Extending and Improving the Lives of Those Living with HIV/AIDS: The
President continues his commitment to combating HIV/AIDS internationally
and domestically. President Bush called for the reauthorization of the Ryan
White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act based on the
principles of focusing Federal resources on life-extending care; ensuring
flexibility to target resources to address areas of greatest need; and
ensuring results.

Ensuring Justice and Fairness for All Americans: An important part of the
American character is our system of justice, and the principle that
everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. President Bush's new
proposal will improve state criminal-justice systems through training for
defense counsel, prosecutors, and judges to ensure they are adequately
trained to handle state capital trials. Congress should fully fund the
President's DNA Initiative to solve crime and protect the innocent from
wrongful conviction through elimination of existing backlogs of DNA
samples, strengthening lab capacity, expanding testing for convicted
offenders, and training for law enforcement and attorneys on the use of
DNA.

Making America Safer with Decisive Action to Win the War on Terror and
Spread Freedom

Since September 11, 2001, President Bush has taken unprecedented actions to
protect all Americans, including creating the Department of Homeland
Security, focusing the FBI on preventing terrorism, reforming our
intelligence agencies, expanding research on biological and chemical
defense, and improving border security.

America's Heroes in Uniform: President Bush continues to honor the service
of America's men and women in uniform serving at posts across the world.
These volunteers make every American proud as they work to secure our
Nation. Americans are grateful to the members of the armed forces, their
family members and loved ones.

Fighting Terrorism and Promoting Democracy: The Coalition forces are
succeeding in their mission to create a secure and peaceful environment in
which democracy can thrive. Taking the fight to the enemy - with the
essential help of our allies - has made America safer.
  þ Historic Days in Iraq: In cooperation with the Iraqi government and
    Iraqi security forces, Coalition forces are conducting an effective
    counter-insurgency campaign, while, at the same time, training more
    Iraqi recruits and broadening the capabilities of the Iraqi security
    forces moving toward self-sustainable security. Coalition forces are
    also working with Iraqi government ministries to protect essential
    infrastructure such as electrical transmission lines.
      þ On January 30, 2005, the Iraqi people demonstrated their commitment
        to democracy by holding the first free and fair elections in
        generations. Now begins the process of organizing the Transitional
        National Assembly, forming a government, and drafting and ratifying
        a permanent constitution that will be the basis of a fully
        democratic Iraq.
  þ Historic Days in Afghanistan: On October 9, 2004, the Afghan people
    made history by holding their first direct presidential election, with
    both men and women voting. They also adopted a constitution that
    protects the rights of all, while honoring their nation's most
    cherished traditions. The Afghan people have proven to the world that
    there is a yearning among people everywhere for democracy and freedom.
  þ Working Cooperatively with Nations Around the World: America continues
    to work tirelessly with our many counterterrorism partners overseas to
    deny al-Qaida any safe harbor and to disrupt their terrorist plots. The
    President also continues to strengthen America's defenses in the War on
    Terror.

Building the Institutions of Peace and Freedom: America's actions will
result in the spread of democracy in the broader Middle East - an important
step that will provide an alternative to terror and violence. To promote
peace in the Middle East, the President believes we must continue to
confront those who are still harboring terrorists.
  þ In partnership with nations of the broader Middle East, the President
    is advancing political, social, and economic reforms in the region.
  þ Already underway are specific initiatives on strengthening civil
    society and business groups, better targeting democracy assistance,
    modernizing education and training systems, expanding the private
    sector to create jobs, and providing microcredit opportunities for
    entrepreneurs.

President Bush seeks justice and dignity and a viable, independent, and
democratic state for the Palestinian people. The President announced that
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Israel and the West Bank
to work with our partners to build the institutions of a peaceful,
independent, democratic state. President Bush asked Congress for $350
million to support needed Palestinian reforms.

President Bush described the state of our Union as confident and strong and
urged all Americans to move forward and complete the important work ahead.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050203-11.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)