George W. Bush 2004 State of the Union Address
20 January 2004
Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished
guests, and fellow citizens: America this evening is a nation called to
great responsibilities. And we are rising to meet them.
As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and
women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope
to the oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making
America more secure. (Applause.)
Each day, law enforcement personnel and intelligence officers are tracking
terrorist threats; analysts are examining airline passenger lists; the
men and women of our new Homeland Security Department are patrolling our
coasts and borders. And their vigilance is protecting America. (Applause.)
Americans are proving once again to be the hardest working people in
the world. The American economy is growing stronger. The tax relief you
passed is working. (Applause.)
Tonight, members of Congress can take pride in the great works of compassion
and reform that skeptics had thought impossible. You're raising the standards
for our public schools, and you are giving our senior citizens prescription
drug coverage under Medicare. (Applause.)
We have faced serious challenges together, and now we face a choice:
We can go forward with confidence and resolve, or we can turn back to the
dangerous illusion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw regimes
are no threat to us. We can press on with economic growth, and reforms
in education and Medicare, or we can turn back to old policies and old
divisions.
We've not come all this way -- through tragedy, and trial and war --
only to falter and leave our work unfinished. Americans are rising to the
tasks of history, and they expect the same from us. In their efforts, their
enterprise, and their character, the American people are showing that the
state of our union is confident and strong. (Applause.)
Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people.
Twenty-eight months have passed since September 11th, 2001 -- over two
years without an attack on American soil. And it is tempting to believe
that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting --
and false. The killing has continued in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh,
Mombasa, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Baghdad. The terrorists continue to plot
against America and the civilized world. And by our will and courage, this
danger will be defeated. (Applause.)
Inside the United States, where the war began, we must continue to give
our homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they need
to defend us. And one of those essential tools is the Patriot Act, which
allows federal law enforcement to better share information, to track terrorists,
to disrupt their cells, and to seize their assets. For years, we have used
similar provisions to catch embezzlers and drug traffickers. If these methods
are good for hunting criminals, they are even more important for hunting
terrorists. (Applause.)
Key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year. (Applause.)
The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. (Applause.) Our
law enforcement needs this vital legislation to protect our citizens. You
need to renew the Patriot Act. (Applause.)
America is on the offensive against the terrorists who started this
war. Last March, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a mastermind of September the
11th, awoke to find himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities.
Last August the 11th brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who
was a key player in the attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 people.
We're tracking al Qaeda around the world, and nearly two-thirds of their
known leaders have now been captured or killed. Thousands of very skilled
and determined military personnel are on the manhunt, going after the remaining
killers who hide in cities and caves, and one by one, we will bring these
terrorists to justice. (Applause.)
As part of the offensive against terror, we are also confronting the
regimes that harbor and support terrorists, and could supply them with
nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The United States and our allies
are determined: We refuse to live in the shadow of this ultimate danger.
(Applause.)
The first to see our determination were the Taliban, who made Afghanistan
the primary training base of al Qaeda killers. As of this month, that country
has a new constitution, guaranteeing free elections and full participation
by women. Businesses are opening, health care centers are being established,
and the boys and girls of Afghanistan are back in school. With the help
from the new Afghan army, our coalition is leading aggressive raids against
the surviving members of the Taliban and al Qaeda. The men and women of
Afghanistan are building a nation that is free and proud and fighting terror
-- and America is honored to be their friend. (Applause.)
Since we last met in this chamber, combat forces of the United States,
Great Britain, Australia, Poland and other countries enforced the demands
of the United Nations, ended the rule of Saddam Hussein, and the people
of Iraq are free. (Applause.)
Having broken the Baathist regime, we face a remnant of violent Saddam
supporters. Men who ran away from our troops in battle are now dispersed
and attack from the shadows. These killers, joined by foreign terrorists,
are a serious, continuing danger. Yet we're making progress against them.
The once all-powerful ruler of Iraq was found in a hole, and now sits in
a prison cell. (Applause.) Of the top 55 officials of the former regime,
we have captured or killed 45. Our forces are on the offensive, leading
over 1,600 patrols a day and conducting an average of 180 raids a week.
We are dealing with these thugs in Iraq, just as surely as we dealt with
Saddam Hussein's evil regime. (Applause.)
The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And America
has always been willing to do what it takes for what is right. Last January,
Iraq's only law was the whim of one brutal man. Today our coalition is
working with the Iraqi Governing Council to draft a basic law, with a bill
of rights. We're working with Iraqis and the United Nations to prepare
for a transition to full Iraqi sovereignty by the end of June.
As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom will do all
in their power to spread violence and fear. They are trying to shake the
will of our country and our friends, but the United States of America will
never be intimidated by thugs and assassins. (Applause.) The killers will
fail, and the Iraqi people will live in freedom. (Applause.)
Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their own
security and their own future. And tonight we are honored to welcome one
of Iraq's most respected leaders: the current President of the Iraqi Governing
Council, Adnan Pachachi.
Sir, America stands with you and the Iraqi people as you build a free
and peaceful nation. (Applause.)
Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for
the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose
and dismantle all of his regime's weapons of mass destruction programs,
including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Colonel Qadhafi
correctly judged that his country would be better off and far more secure
without weapons of mass murder. (Applause.)
Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and
Great Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq
did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words
must be credible, and no one can now doubt the word of America. (Applause.)
Different threats require different strategies. Along with nations in
the region, we're insisting that North Korea eliminate its nuclear program.
America and the international community are demanding that Iran meet its
commitments and not develop nuclear weapons. America is committed to keeping
the world's most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous
regimes. (Applause.)
When I came to this rostrum on September the 20th, 2001, I brought the
police shield of a fallen officer, my reminder of lives that ended, and
a task that does not end. I gave to you and to all Americans my complete
commitment to securing our country and defeating our enemies. And this
pledge, given by one, has been kept by many.
You in the Congress have provided the resources for our defense, and
cast the difficult votes of war and peace. Our closest allies have been
unwavering. America's intelligence personnel and diplomats have been skilled
and tireless. And the men and women of the American military -- they have
taken the hardest duty. We've seen their skill and their courage in armored
charges and midnight raids, and lonely hours on faithful watch. We have
seen the joy when they return, and felt the sorrow when one is lost. I've
had the honor of meeting our servicemen and women at many posts, from the
deck of a carrier in the Pacific to a mess hall in Baghdad.
Many of our troops are listening tonight. And I want you and your families
to know: America is proud of you. And my administration, and this Congress,
will give you the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror.
(Applause.)
I know that some people question if America is really in a war at all.
They view terrorism more as a crime, a problem to be solved mainly with
law enforcement and indictments. After the World Trade Center was first
attacked in 1993, some of the guilty were indicted and tried and convicted,
and sent to prison. But the matter was not settled. The terrorists were
still training and plotting in other nations, and drawing up more ambitious
plans. After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough
to serve our enemies with legal papers. The terrorists and their supporters
declared war on the United States, and war is what they got. (Applause.)
Some in this chamber, and in our country, did not support the liberation
of Iraq. Objections to war often come from principled motives. But let
us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power.
We're seeking all the facts. Already, the Kay Report identified dozens
of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities and significant
amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations. Had we
failed to act, the dictatator's weapons of mass destruction programs would
continue to this day. Had we failed to act, Security Council resolutions
on Iraq would have been revealed as empty threats, weakening the United
Nations and encouraging defiance by dictators around the world. Iraq's
torture chambers would still be filled with victims, terrified and innocent.
The killing fields of Iraq -- where hundreds of thousands of men and women
and children vanished into the sands -- would still be known only to the
killers. For all who love freedom and peace, the world without Saddam Hussein's
regime is a better and safer place. (Applause.)
Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized.
This particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain,
Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain,
Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands --
(applause) -- Norway, El Salvador, and the 17 other countries that have
committed troops to Iraq. (Applause.) As we debate at home, we must never
ignore the vital contributions of our international partners, or dismiss
their sacrifices.
From the beginning, America has sought international support for our
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have gained much support. There
is a difference, however, between leading a coalition of many nations,
and submitting to the objections of a few. America will never seek a permission
slip to defend the security of our country. (Applause.)
We also hear doubts that democracy is a realistic goal for the greater
Middle East, where freedom is rare. Yet it is mistaken, and condescending,
to assume that whole cultures and great religions are incompatible with
liberty and self-government. I believe that God has planted in every human
heart the desire to live in freedom. And even when that desire is crushed
by tyranny for decades, it will rise again. (Applause.)
As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny and despair and
anger, it will continue to produce men and movements that threaten the
safety of America and our friends. So America is pursuing a forward strategy
of freedom in the greater Middle East. We will challenge the enemies of
reform, confront the allies of terror, and expect a higher standard from
our friend. To cut through the barriers of hateful propaganda, the Voice
of America and other broadcast services are expanding their programming
in Arabic and Persian -- and soon, a new television service will begin
providing reliable news and information across the region. I will send
you a proposal to double the budget of the National Endowment for Democracy,
and to focus its new work on the development of free elections, and free
markets, free press, and free labor unions in the Middle East. And above
all, we will finish the historic work of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq,
so those nations can light the way for others, and help transform a troubled
part of the world. (Applause.)
America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our
most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire.
Our aim is a democratic peace -- a peace founded upon the dignity and rights
of every man and woman. America acts in this cause with friends and allies
at our side, yet we understand our special calling: This great republic
will lead the cause of freedom. (Applause.)
In the last three years, adversity has also revealed the fundamental
strengths of the American economy. We have come through recession, and
terrorist attack, and corporate scandals, and the uncertainties of war.
And because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this economy
is strong, and growing stronger. (Applause.)
You have doubled the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000, reduced the
marriage penalty, begun to phase out the death tax, reduced taxes on capital
gains and stock dividends, cut taxes on small businesses, and you have
lowered taxes for every American who pays income taxes.
Americans took those dollars and put them to work, driving this economy
forward. The pace of economic growth in the third quarter of 2003 was the
fastest in nearly 20 years; new home construction, the highest in almost
20 years; home ownership rates, the highest ever. Manufacturing activity
is increasing. Inflation is low. Interest rates are low. Exports are growing.
Productivity is high, and jobs are on the rise. (Applause.)
These numbers confirm that the American people are using their money
far better than government would have -- and you were right to return it.
(Applause.)
America's growing economy is also a changing economy. As technology
transforms the way almost every job is done, America becomes more productive,
and workers need new skills. Much of our job growth will be found in high-skilled
fields like health care and biotechnology. So we must respond by helping
more Americans gain the skills to find good jobs in our new economy.
All skills begin with the basics of reading and math, which are supposed
to be learned in the early grades of our schools. Yet for too long, for
too many children, those skills were never mastered. By passing the No
Child Left Behind Act, you have made the expectation of literacy the law
of our country. We're providing more funding for our schools -- a 36-percent
increase since 2001. We're requiring higher standards. We are regularly
testing every child on the fundamentals. We are reporting results to parents,
and making sure they have better options when schools are not performing.
We are making progress toward excellence for every child in America. (Applause.)
But the status quo always has defenders. Some want to undermine the
No Child Left Behind Act by weakening standards and accountability. Yet
the results we require are really a matter of common sense: We expect third
graders to read and do math at the third grade level -- and that's not
asking too much. Testing is the only way to identify and help students
who are falling behind. This nation will not go back to the days of simply
shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the
basics. I refuse to give up on any child -- and the No Child Left Behind
Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America's children. (Applause.)
At the same time, we must ensure that older students and adults can
gain the skills they need to find work now. Many of the fastest growing
occupations require strong math and science preparation, and training beyond
the high school level. So tonight, I propose a series of measures called
Jobs for the 21st Century. This program will provide extra help to middle
and high school students who fall behind in reading and math, expand advanced
placement programs in low-income schools, invite math and science professionals
from the private sector to teach part-time in our high schools. I propose
larger Pell grants for students who prepare for college with demanding
courses in high school. (Applause.) I propose increasing our support for
America's fine community colleges, so they can -- (applause.) I do so,
so they can train workers for industries that are creating the most new
jobs. By all these actions, we'll help more and more Americans to join
in the growing prosperity of our country. Job training is important, and
so is job creation.
We must continue to pursue an aggressive, pro-growth economic agenda.
(Applause.) Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of taxes.
The tax reductions you passed are set to expire. Unless you act -- (applause)
-- unless you act -- unless you act, the unfair tax on marriage will go
back up. Unless you act, millions of families will be charged $300 more
in federal taxes for every child. Unless you act, small businesses will
pay higher taxes. Unless you act, the death tax will eventually come back
to life. Unless you act, Americans face a tax increase. What Congress has
given, the Congress should not take away. For the sake of job growth, the
tax cuts you passed should be permanent. (Applause.)
Our agenda for jobs and growth must help small business owners and employees
with relief from needless federal regulation, and protect them from junk
and frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.)
Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our
economy run -- so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity
system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.)
My administration is promoting free and fair trade to open up new markets
for America's entrepreneurs and manufacturers and farmers -- to create
jobs for American workers. Younger workers should have the opportunity
to build a nest egg by saving part of their Social Security taxes in a
personal retirement account. (Applause.) We should make the Social Security
system a source of ownership for the American people. (Applause.) And we
should limit the burden of government on this economy by acting as good
stewards of taxpayers' dollars. (Applause.)
In two weeks, I will send you a budget that funds the war, protects
the homeland, and meets important domestic needs, while limiting the growth
in discretionary spending to less than 4 percent. (Applause.) This will
require that Congress focus on priorities, cut wasteful spending, and be
wise with the people's money. By doing so, we can cut the deficit in half
over the next five years. (Applause.)
Tonight, I also ask you to reform our immigration laws so they reflect
our values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary worker program
to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans
can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy
because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system.
A temporary worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing Border
Patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security.
I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration,
and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary worker program
will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while
bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of
American life. (Applause.)
Our nation's health care system, like our economy, is also in a time
of change. Amazing medical technologies are improving and saving lives.
This dramatic progress has brought its own challenge, in the rising costs
of medical care and health insurance. Members of Congress, we must work
together to help control those costs and extend the benefits of modern
medicine throughout our country. (Applause.)
Meeting these goals requires bipartisan effort, and two months ago,
you showed the way. By strengthening Medicare and adding a prescription
drug benefit, you kept a basic commitment to our seniors: You are giving
them the modern medicine they deserve. (Applause.)
Starting this year, under the law you passed, seniors can choose to
receive a drug discount card, saving them 10 to 25 percent off the retail
price of most prescription drugs -- and millions of low-income seniors
can get an additional $600 to buy medicine. Beginning next year, seniors
will have new coverage for preventive screenings against diabetes and heart
disease, and seniors just entering Medicare can receive wellness exams.
In January of 2006, seniors can get prescription drug coverage under
Medicare. For a monthly premium of about $35, most seniors who do not have
that coverage today can expect to see their drug bills cut roughly in half.
Under this reform, senior citizens will be able to keep their Medicare
just as it is, or they can choose a Medicare plan that fits them best --
just as you, as members of Congress, can choose an insurance plan that
meets your needs. And starting this year, millions of Americans will be
able to save money tax-free for their medical expenses in a health savings
account. (Applause.)
I signed this measure proudly, and any attempt to limit the choices
of our seniors, or to take away their prescription drug coverage under
Medicare, will meet my veto. (Applause.)
On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure that Americans
can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their
individual needs. To make insurance more affordable, Congress must act
to address rapidly rising health care costs. Small businesses should be
able to band together and negotiate for lower insurance rates, so they
can cover more workers with health insurance. I urge you to pass association
health plans. (Applause.) I ask you to give lower-income Americans a refundable
tax credit that would allow millions to buy their own basic health insurance.
(Applause.)
By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes,
reduce costs, and improve care. To protect the doctor-patient relationship,
and keep good doctors doing good work, we must eliminate wasteful and frivolous
medical lawsuits. (Applause.) And tonight I propose that individuals who
buy catastrophic health care coverage, as part of our new health savings
accounts, be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes.
(Applause.)
A government-run health care system is the wrong prescription. (Applause.)
By keeping costs under control, expanding access, and helping more Americans
afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private medicine that makes
America's health care the best in the world. (Applause.)
We are living in a time of great change -- in our world, in our economy,
in science and medicine. Yet some things endure -- courage and compassion,
reverence and integrity, respect for differences of faith and race. The
values we try to live by never change. And they are instilled in us by
fundamental institutions, such as families and schools and religious congregations.
These institutions, these unseen pillars of civilization, must remain strong
in America, and we will defend them. We must stand with our families to
help them raise healthy, responsible children. When it comes to helping
children make right choices, there is work for all of us to do.
One of the worst decisions our children can make is to gamble their
lives and futures on drugs. Our government is helping parents confront
this problem with aggressive education, treatment, and law enforcement.
Drug use in high school has declined by 11 percent over the last two years.
Four hundred thousand fewer young people are using illegal drugs than in
the year 2001. (Applause.) In my budget, I proposed new funding to continue
our aggressive, community-based strategy to reduce demand for illegal drugs.
Drug testing in our schools has proven to be an effective part of this
effort. So tonight I proposed an additional $23 million for schools that
want to use drug testing as a tool to save children's lives. The aim here
is not to punish children, but to send them this message: We love you,
and we don't want to lose you. (Applause.)
To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics
play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in
professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing
drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous,
and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment,
and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call
on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the
lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids
now. (Applause.)
To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront the dangers
young people face -- even when they're difficult to talk about. Each year,
about 3 million teenagers contract sexually-transmitted diseases that can
harm them, or kill them, or prevent them from ever becoming parents. In
my budget, I propose a grassroots campaign to help inform families about
these medical risks. We will double federal funding for abstinence programs,
so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is
the only certain way to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases. (Applause.)
Decisions children now make can affect their health and character for
the rest of their lives. All of us -- parents and schools and government
-- must work together to counter the negative influence of the culture,
and to send the right messages to our children.
A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe
we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of
the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization. Congress
has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage
Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage
under federal law as a union of a man and a woman, and declares that one
state may not redefine marriage for other states.
Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order,
without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives.
On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard.
If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only
alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our
nation must defend the sanctity of marriage. (Applause.)
The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct
it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each
individual has dignity and value in God's sight. (Applause.)
It's also important to strengthen our communities by unleashing the
compassion of America's religious institutions. Religious charities of
every creed are doing some of the most vital work in our country -- mentoring
children, feeding the hungry, taking the hand of the lonely. Yet government
has often denied social service grants and contracts to these groups, just
because they have a cross or a Star of David or a crescent on the wall.
By executive order, I have opened billions of dollars in grant money to
competition that includes faith-based charities. Tonight I ask you to codify
this into law, so people of faith can know that the law will never discriminate
against them again. (Applause.)
In the past, we've worked together to bring mentors to children of prisoners,
and provide treatment for the addicted, and help for the homeless. Tonight
I ask you to consider another group of Americans in need of help. This
year, some 600,000 inmates will be released from prison back into society.
We know from long experience that if they can't find work, or a home, or
help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison. So
tonight, I propose a four-year, $300 million prisoner re-entry initiative
to expand job training and placement services, to provide transitional
housing, and to help newly released prisoners get mentoring, including
from faith-based groups. (Applause.) America is the land of second chance,
and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a
better life. (Applause.)
For all Americans, the last three years have brought tests we did not
ask for, and achievements shared by all. By our actions, we have shown
what kind of nation we are. In grief, we have found the grace to go on.
In challenge, we rediscovered the courage and daring of a free people.
In victory, we have shown the noble aims and good heart of America. And
having come this far, we sense that we live in a time set apart.
I've been witness to the character of the people of America, who have
shown calm in times of danger, compassion for one another, and toughness
for the long haul. All of us have been partners in a great enterprise.
And even some of the youngest understand that we are living in historic
times. Last month a girl in Lincoln, Rhode Island, sent me a letter. It
began, "Dear George W. Bush. If there's anything you know, I, Ashley Pearson,
age 10, can do to help anyone, please send me a letter and tell me what
I can do to save our country." She added this P.S.: "If you can send a
letter to the troops, please put, 'Ashley Pearson believes in you.'" (Applause.)
Tonight, Ashley, your message to our troops has just been conveyed.
And, yes, you have some duties yourself. Study hard in school, listen to
your mom or dad, help someone in need, and when you and your friends see
a man or woman in uniform, say, "thank you." (Applause.) And, Ashley, while
you do your part, all of us here in this great chamber will do our best
to keep you and the rest of America safe and free. (Applause.)
My fellow citizens, we now move forward, with confidence and faith.
Our nation is strong and steadfast. The cause we serve is right, because
it is the cause of all mankind. The momentum of freedom in our world is
unmistakable -- and it is not carried forward by our power alone. We can
trust in that greater power who guides the unfolding of the years. And
in all that is to come, we can know that His purposes are just and true.
May God continue to bless America.
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