[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 83-87]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  The PRESIDENT. 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.
  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 Department of Homeland Security 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 the great works of 
compassion and reform that skeptics had thought impossible. You are 
raising the standards for 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 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 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.
  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, 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.
  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. 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 11, 
awoke to find himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. 
Last August 11 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 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 a manhunt, going after 
the remaining killers who hide in cities and caves; and one by one, we 
will bring these 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 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 help from the new Afghan army, our coalition 
is leading aggressive raids against 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.
  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

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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 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.
  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 11, 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 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.
  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, Norway, El Salvador, and 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 country.
  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.
  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 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 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.
  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.

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  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.
  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 in America.
  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. That is 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.
  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. I propose 
increasing our support for America's fine community colleges. I do so 
so they can train workers for 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 an 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 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. My administration 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 by 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 hard-working men and women out from the shadows of American life.
  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.
  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.

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  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. 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 
health care coverage as part of our new health savings accounts be 
allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes.
  A government-run health care 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. 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. 400,000 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 do not 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 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. Decisions children now make can affect their 
health and character for the rest of their lives. All of us, parents, 
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 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 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.
  In the past, we have 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 
cannot 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 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 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 have been a 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 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, Ashley, 
while you do your

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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 courage 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.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  At 10 o'clock and 6 minutes p.m., the President of the United States, 
accompanied by the committee of escort, retired from the Hall of the 
House of Representatives.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms escorted the invited guests 
from the Chamber in the following order:
  The members of the President's Cabinet.
  The Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  The Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

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