[House Document 108-144]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

108th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 108-144


 
                       STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

                   A REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE UNION




  January 23, 2004.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
 Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to 
                               be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    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 
service men 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.
    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.
    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.
    Tonight, Members of Congress can take pride in great works 
of compassion and reform that skeptics had thought impossible. 
You are raising the standards of our public schools; and you 
are giving our senior citizens prescription drug coverage under 
Medicare.
    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 the old policies and old 
divisions.
    We have 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 of us. In their efforts, their enterprise, and their 
character, the American people are showing that the state of 
our Union is confident and strong.
    Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the 
American people. Twenty-eight months have passed since 
September 11, 2001--over 2 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, 
Mombassa, 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.
    Inside the United States, where the war began, we must 
continue to give 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. Key 
provisions of the PATRIOT Act are set to expire next year. The 
terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. Our law 
enforcement needs this vital legislation to protect our 
citizens--you need to renew the PATRIOT Act.
    America is on the offensive against the terrorists who 
started this war. Last March, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a 
mastermind of September 11th, awoke to find himself in the 
custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. Last August 11th 
brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who was a key 
player in the attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 
people.We are tracking al-Qaida 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 a manhunt, going 
after the remaining killers who hide in cities and caves--and, one by 
one, we will bring the terrorists to justice.
    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.
    The first to see our determination were the Taliban, who 
made Afghanistan the primary training base of al-Qaida killers. 
As of this month, that country has a new constitution, 
guaranteeing free elections and full participation by women. 
Businesses are opening, healthcare centers are being 
established, and the boys and girls of Afghanistan are back in 
school. With help from the new Afghan Army, our coalition is 
leading aggressive raids against surviving members of the 
Taliban and al-Qaida. 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.
    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. 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 are making progress against them. The 
once all-powerful ruler of Iraq was found in a hole, and now 
sits in a prison cell. 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 every week. We are dealing with these 
thugs in Iraq, just as surely as we dealt with Saddam Hussein's 
evil regime.
    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 are 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. The killers will fail, and the Iraqi people will 
live in freedom.
    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.
    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. Nine months of 
intense negotiations involving the United States andGreat 
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.
    Different threats require different strategies. Along with 
nations in the region, we are 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 world's 
most dangerous regimes.
    When I came to this rostrum on September 20, 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 have seen their skill and 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 have had the honor of meeting 
our service men 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.
    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, tried, 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 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.
    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 are 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 dictator'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, 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.
    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, 
thePhilippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, 
Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, El Salvador, and 
the 17 other countries that have committed troops to Iraq. 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 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 people.
    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 heart the 
desire to live in freedom. And even when that desire is crushed 
by tyranny for decades, it will rise again.
    As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny, 
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 friends. 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, 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.
    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.
    In these last 3 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.
    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 higher ever. Manufacturing activity is increasing. 
Inflation is low. Interest rates are low. Exports are growing. 
Productivity is high. And jobs are on the rise.
    These numbers confirm that the American people are using 
their money far better than Government would have--and you were 
right to return it.
    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 are providing more funding for our schools--a 36 percent 
increase since 2001. We are 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.
    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 third grade level--and that is not asking to 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.
    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, and 
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. I propose increasing our support for 
America's fine community colleges, so they can train workers 
for the industries that are creating the most new jobs. By all 
these actions, we will 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 and aggressive, pro-growth economic agenda.
    Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of 
taxes. The tax reductions you passed are set to expire. 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 the Congress has given, the Congress should not 
take away: For the sake of job growth, the tax cuts you passed 
should be permanent.
    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. 
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. 
MyAdministration is promoting free and fair trade, to open up new 
markets for America's entrepreneurs, and manufacturers, and farmers, 
and to create jobs for America's 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. We should make the 
Social Security system a source of ownership for the American people.
    And we should limit the burden of Government on this 
economy by acting as good stewards of taxpayer dollars. In 2 
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. 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 5 years.
    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.
    Our Nation's healthcare 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.
    Meeting these goals requires bipartisan effort--and 2 
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.
    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.
    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.
    On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure 
that Americans can choose and afford private healthcarecoverage 
that best fits their individual needs. To make insurance more 
affordable, Congress must act to address rapidly rising healthcare 
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. I ask you to 
give lower-income Americans a refundable tax credit that would allow 
millions to buy their own basic health insurance. 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. And tonight I propose that individuals who buy 
catastrophic healthcare coverage, as part of our new health savings 
accounts, be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their 
taxes.
    A Government-run healthcare system is the wrong 
prescription. 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.
    We are living in a time of great change--in our world, in 
our economy, and 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--the 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. And 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 past 2 years. Four 
hundred thousand fewer young people are using illegal drugs 
than in the year 2001. In my budget, I have 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 
propose 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.
    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.
    To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront 
the dangers young people face--even when they are difficult to 
talk about. Each year, about three 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: 
Abstinencefor young people is the only certain way to avoid 
sexually transmitted diseases. Decisions children make now can affect 
their health and character for the rest of their lives. All of us--
parents, schools, 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 the 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.
    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.
    It is 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 Star of David or 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.
    In the past, we have worked together to bring mentors to 
the 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 
more crimes and return to prison. So tonight, I propose a 4-
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. America is the land of the 
second chance--and when the gates of the prison open, the path 
ahead should lead to a better life.
    For all Americans, the last 3 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 
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 have been a witness to the character of the American 
people, 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 is 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.' 
''
    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 and dad, help someone in need, and 
when you and your friends see a man or woman in uniform, say 
``thank you.'' And 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.
    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 bless the United States of America. Thank you.

                                                    George W. Bush.
    The White House, January 20, 2004.

                                
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