George W. Bush 2002 State of the Union Address
29 January 2002
Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished
guests, fellow citizens, as we gather tonight, our nation is at war, our
economy is in recession and the civilized world faces unprecedented dangers.
Yet the state of our union has never been stronger.
We last met in an hour of shock and suffering. In four short months,
our nation has comforted the victims, begun to rebuild New York and the
Pentagon, rallied a great coalition, captured, arrested and rid the world
of thousands of terrorists, destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist training
camps, saved a people from starvation and freed a country from brutal oppression.
The American flag flies again over our embassy in Kabul. Terrorists
who once occupied Afghanistan now occupy cells at Guantanamo Bay. And terrorist
leaders who urged followers to sacrifice their lives are running for their
own.
America and Afghanistan are now allies against terror. We will be partners
in rebuilding that country. And this evening we welcome the distinguished
interim leader of a liberated Afghanistan: Chairman Hamid Karzai.
The last time we met in this chamber, the mothers and daughters of Afghanistan
were captives in their own homes, forbidden from working or going to school.
Today women are free, and are part of Afghanistan's new government.
And we welcome the new minister of women's affairs, Dr. Sima Samar.
Our progress is a tribute to the spirit of the Afghan people, to the
resolve of our coalition and to the might of the United States military.
When I called our troops into action, I did so with complete confidence
in their courage and skill. And tonight, thanks to them, we are winning
the war on terror.
The men and women of our armed forces have delivered a message now clear
to every enemy of the United States: Even 7,000 miles away, across oceans
and continents, on mountaintops and in caves you will not escape the justice
of this nation.
For many Americans, these four months have brought sorrow and pain that
will never completely go away. Every day a retired firefighter returns
to Ground Zero to feel closer to his two sons who died there. At a memorial
in New York, a little boy left his football with a note for his lost father:
"Dear Daddy, please take this to Heaven. I don't want to play football
until I can play with you again someday." Last month, at the grave of her
husband, Micheal, a CIA officer and Marine who died in Mazar-e Sharif,
Shannon Spann said these words of farewell: "Semper fi, my love." Shannon
is with us tonight.
Shannon, I assure you and all who have lost a loved one that our cause
is just, and our country will never forget the debt we owe Micheal and
all who gave their lives for freedom.
Our cause is just, and it continues. Our discoveries in Afghanistan
confirmed our worst fears and showed us the true scope of the task ahead.
We have seen the depth of our enemies' hatred in videos where they laugh
about the loss of innocent life.
And the depth of their hatred is equaled by the madness of the destruction
they design. We have found diagrams of American nuclear power plants and
public water facilities, detailed instructions for making chemical weapons,
surveillance maps of American cities, and thorough descriptions of landmarks
in America and throughout the world.
What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that, far from ending there,
our war against terror is only beginning. Most of the 19 men who hijacked
planes on September the 11th were trained in Afghanistan's camps. And so
were tens of thousands of others. Thousands of dangerous killers, schooled
in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw regimes, are now spread
throughout the world like ticking time bombs, set to go off without warning.
Thanks to the work of our law enforcement officials and coalition partners,
hundreds of terrorists have been arrested, yet tens of thousands of trained
terrorists are still at large. These enemies view the entire world as a
battlefield, and we must pursue them wherever they are. So long as training
camps operate, so long as nations harbor terrorists, freedom is at risk
and America and our allies must not, and will not, allow it.
Our nation will continue to be steadfast, and patient and persistent
in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will shut down terrorist
camps, disrupt terrorist plans and bring terrorists to justice. And second,
we must prevent the terrorists and regimes who seek chemical, biological
or nuclear weapons from threatening the United States and the world.
Our military has put the terror training camps of Afghanistan out of
business, yet camps still exist in at least a dozen countries. A terrorist
underworld -- including groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and
Jaish-i-Mohammed -- operates in remote jungles and deserts, and hides in
the centers of large cities.
While the most visible military action is in Afghanistan, America is
acting elsewhere.
We now have troops in the Philippines helping to train that country's
armed forces to go after terrorist cells that have executed an American
and still hold hostages. Our soldiers, working with the Bosnian government,
seized terrorists who were plotting to bomb our embassy. Our Navy is patrolling
the coast of Africa to block the shipment of weapons and the establishment
of terrorist camps in Somalia.
My hope is that all nations will heed our call and eliminate the terrorist
parasites who threaten their countries and our own.
Many nations are acting forcefully. Pakistan is now cracking down on
terror, and I admire the strong leadership of President Musharraf. But
some governments will be timid in the face of terror. And make no mistake
about it: If they do not act, America will.
Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening
America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.
Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September 11, but
we know their true nature. North Korea is a regime arming with missiles
and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens.
Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an
unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.
Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support
terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas and
nuclear weapons for over a decade. This is a regime that has already used
poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens, leaving the bodies
of mothers huddled over their dead children. This is a regime that agreed
to international inspections then kicked out the inspectors. This is a
regime that has something to hide from the civilized world.
States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of
evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of
mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could
provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their
hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United
States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic.
We will work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their
state sponsors the materials, technology and expertise to make and deliver
weapons of mass destruction.
We will develop and deploy effective missile defenses to protect America
and our allies from sudden attack.
And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure
our nation's security.
We'll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on
events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer
and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most
dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.
Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun. This campaign
may not be finished on our watch, yet it must be and it will be waged on
our watch.
We can't stop short. If we stopped now, leaving terror camps intact
and terror states unchecked, our sense of security would be false and temporary.
History has called America and our allies to action, and it is both our
responsibility and our privilege to fight freedom's fight.
Our first priority must always be the security of our nation, and that
will be reflected in the budget I send to Congress. My budget supports
three great goals for America: We will win this war, we will protect our
homeland, and we will revive our economy.
September 11 brought out the best in America and the best in this Congress,
and I join the American people in applauding your unity and resolve. Now
Americans deserve to have this same spirit directed toward addressing problems
here at home.
I am a proud member of my party. Yet as we act to win the war, protect
our people and create jobs in America, we must act first and foremost not
as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans.
It costs a lot to fight this war. We have spent more than a billion
dollars a month -- over $30 million a day -- and we must be prepared for
future operations. Afghanistan proved that expensive precision weapons
defeat the enemy and spare innocent lives, and we need more of them. We
need to replace aging aircraft and make our military more agile to put
our troops anywhere in the world quickly and safely.
Our men and women in uniform deserve the best weapons, the best equipment
and the best training and they also deserve another pay raise. My budget
includes the largest increase in defense spending in two decades, because
while the price of freedom and security is high, it is never too high.
Whatever it costs to defend our country, we will pay.
The next priority of my budget is to do everything possible to protect
our citizens and strengthen our nation against the ongoing threat of another
attack.
Time and distance from the events of September the 11th will not make
us safer unless we act on its lessons. America is no longer protected by
vast oceans. We are protected from attack only by vigorous action abroad
and increased vigilance at home.
My budget nearly doubles funding for a sustained strategy of homeland
security, focused on four key areas: bioterrorism; emergency response;
airport and border security; and improved intelligence.
We will develop vaccines to fight anthrax and other deadly diseases.
We'll increase funding to help states and communities train and equip our
heroic police and firefighters.
We will improve intelligence collection and sharing, expand patrols
at our borders, strengthen the security of air travel, and use technology
to track the arrivals and departures of visitors to the United States.
Homeland security will make America not only stronger but in many ways
better. Knowledge gained from bioterrorism research will improve public
health. Stronger police and fire departments will mean safer neighborhoods.
Stricter border enforcement will help combat illegal drugs.
And as government works to better secure our homeland, America will
continue to depend on the eyes and ears of alert citizens. A few days before
Christmas, an airline flight attendant spotted a passenger lighting a match.
The crew and passengers quickly subdued the man, who had been trained by
al Qaeda and was armed with explosives. The people on that airplane were
alert, and as a result likely saved nearly 200 lives. And tonight we welcome
and thank flight attendants Hermis Moutardier and Christina Jones.
Once we have funded our national security and our homeland security,
the final great priority of my budget is economic security for the American
people. To achieve these great national objectives -- to win the war, protect
the homeland and revitalize our economy -- our budget will run a deficit
that will be small and short term so long as Congress restrains spending
and acts in a fiscally responsible way.
Americans who have lost their jobs need our help, and I support extending
unemployment benefits and direct assistance for health care coverage. Yet
American workers want more than unemployment checks. They want a steady
paycheck.
When America works, America prospers, so my economic security plan can
be summed up in one word: jobs. Good jobs begin with good schools, and
here we've made a fine start. Republicans and Democrats worked together
to achieve historic education reform so that no child is left behind. I
was proud to work with members of both parties, Chairman John Boehner and
Congressman George Miller, Senator Judd Gregg. And I was so proud of our
work I even had nice things to say about my friend Ted Kennedy.
There's more to do. We need to prepare our children to read and succeed
in school with improved Head Start and early childhood development programs.
We must upgrade our teacher colleges and teacher training and launch a
major recruiting drive with a great goal for America: a quality teacher
in every classroom.
Good jobs also depend on reliable and affordable energy. This Congress
must act to encourage conservation, promote technology, build infrastructure,
and it must act to increase energy production at home so America is less
dependent on foreign oil.
Good jobs depend on expanded trade. Selling into new markets creates
new jobs, so I ask Congress to finally approve trade promotion authority.
On these two key issues, trade and energy, the House of Representatives
has acted to create jobs and I urge the Senate to pass this legislation.
Good jobs depend on sound tax policy. Last year, some in this hall thought
my tax relief plan was too small, some thought it was too big. But when
those checks arrived in the mail, most Americans thought tax relief was
just about right.
Congress listened to the people and responded by reducing tax rates,
doubling the child credit and ending the death tax. For the sake of long-term
growth, and to help Americans plan for the future, let's make these tax
cuts permanent.
The way out of this recession, the way to create jobs, is to grow the
economy by encouraging investment in factories and equipment, and by speeding
up tax relief so people have more money to spend. For the sake of American
workers, let's pass a stimulus package. Good jobs must be the aim of welfare
reform. As we reauthorize these important reforms, we must always remember:
The goal is to reduce dependency on government and offer every American
the dignity of a job.
Americans know economic security can vanish in an instant without health
security. I ask Congress to join me this year to enact a Patients' Bill
of Rights to give uninsured workers credits to help buy health coverage,
to approve an historic increase in spending for veterans' health and to
give seniors a sound and modern Medicare system that includes coverage
for prescription drugs.
A good job job should lto security in retirement. I ask Congress to
enact new safeguards for 401(k) and pension plans. Employees who have worked
hard and saved all their lives should not have to risk losing everything
if their company fails.
Through stricter accounting standards and tougher disclosure requirements,
corporate America must be made more accountable to employees and shareholders
and held to the highest standards of conduct.
Retirement security also depends upon keeping the commitments of Social
Security, and we will. We must make Social Security financially stable
and allow personal retirement accounts for younger workers who choose them.
Members, you and I will work together in the months ahead on other issues:
productive farm policy, a cleaner environment, broader home ownership,
especially among minorities and ways to encourage the good work of charities
and faith-based groups.
I ask you to join me on these important domestic issues in the same
spirit of cooperation we have applied to our war against terrorism.
During these last few months, I've been humbled and privileged to see
the true character of this country in a time of testing. Our enemies believed
America was weak and materialistic, that we would splinter in fear and
selfishness. They were as wrong as they are evil. The American people have
responded magnificently, with courage and compassion, strength and resolve.
As I have met the heroes, hugged the families and looked into the tired
faces of rescuers, I have stood in awe of the American people.
And I hope you will join me in expressing thanks to one American for
the strength and calm and comfort she brings to our nation in crisis: our
first lady, Laura Bush.
None of us would ever wish the evil that was done on September 11th,
yet after America was attacked, it was as if our entire country looked
into a mirror and saw our better selves. We were reminded that we are citizens,
with obligations to each other, to our country and to history. We began
to think less of the goods we can accumulate and more about the good we
can do.
For too long our culture has said, "If it feels good, do it." Now America
is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: "Let's roll." In the sacrifice
of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the bravery and
generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of
responsibility could look like. We want to be a Nation that serves goals
larger than self. We have been offered a unique opportunity, and we must
not let this moment pass.
My call tonight is for every American to commit at least two years,
4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime, to the service of your neighbors
and your nation.
Many are already serving and I thank you. If you aren't sure how to
help, I've got a good place to start. To sustain and extend the best that
has emerged in America, I invite you to join the new USA Freedom Corps.
The Freedom Corps will focus on three areas of need: responding in case
of crisis at home, rebuilding our communities, and extending American compassion
throughout the world. One purpose of the USA Freedom Corps will be homeland
security. America needs retired doctors and nurses who can be mobilized
in major emergencies ... volunteers to help police and fire departments,
transportation and utility workers well-trained in spotting danger.
Our country also needs citizens working to rebuild our communities.
We need mentors to love children, especially children whose parents are
in prison, and we need more talented teachers in troubled schools. USA
Freedom Corps will expand and improve the good efforts of AmeriCorps and
Senior Corps to recruit more than 200,000 new volunteers.
And America needs citizens to extend the compassion of our country to
every part of the world. So we will renew the promise of the Peace Corps,
double its volunteers over the next five years, and ask it to join a new
effort to encourage development, and education, and opportunity in the
Islamic world.
This time of adversity offers a unique moment of opportunity, a moment
we must seize to change our culture. Through the gathering momentum of
millions of acts of service and decency and kindness, I know: We can overcome
evil with greater good.
And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the
world toward the values that will bring lasting peace. All fathers and
mothers, in all societies, want their children to be educated and live
free from poverty and violence. No people on Earth yearn to be oppressed,
or aspire to servitude, or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret
police.
If anyone doubts this, let them look to Afghanistan, where the Islamic
"street" greeted the fall of tyranny with song and celebration. Let the
skeptics look to Islam's own rich history -- with its centuries of learning,
and tolerance, and progress.
America will lead by defending liberty and justice because they are
right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere. No nation owns
these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention
of imposing our culture -- but America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable
demands of human dignity: the rule of law ... limits on the power of the
state ... respect for women ... private property ... free speech ... equal
justice ... and religious tolerance.
America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these
values around the world -- including the Islamic world -- because we have
a greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment.
We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.
In this moment of opportunity, a common danger is erasing old rivalries.
America is working with Russia, China, and India in ways we never have
before to achieve peace and prosperity. In every region, free markets and
free trade and free societies are proving their power to lift lives. Together
with friends and allies from Europe to Asia, from Africa to Latin America,
we will demonstrate that the forces of terror cannot stop the momentum
of freedom.
The last time I spoke here, I expressed the hope that life would return
to normal. In some ways, it has. In others, it never will. Those of us
who have lived through these challenging times have been changed by them.
We've come to know truths that we will never question: Evil is real, and
it must be opposed.
Beyond all differences of race or creed, we are one country, mourning
together and facing danger together. Deep in the American character, there
is honor, and it is stronger than cynicism. Many have discovered again
that even in tragedy, especially in tragedy, God is near.
In a single instant, we realized that this will be a decisive decade
in the history of liberty -- that we have been called to a unique role
in human events. Rarely has the world faced a choice more clear or consequential.
Our enemies send other people's children on missions of suicide and
murder. They embrace tyranny and death as a cause and a creed. We stand
for a different choice -- made long ago, on the day of our founding. We
affirm it again today. We choose freedom and the dignity of every life.
Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's price.
We have shown freedom's power. And in this great conflict, my fellow Americans,
we will see freedom's victory.
Thank you, thank you all, and may God bless.
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