[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.