    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [January 5, 2002]
    [Pages 15-16]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 5, 2002

        Good morning. The events of September the 11th left America sadder
    and stronger, and they clarified some important goals for our country.
    We have a war to wage and a recession to fight. Defending our country
    and strengthening our economy are great priorities for 2002. We must be
    determined, and we must keep our focus.
        This Saturday, I'm traveling in Oregon and California, talking with
    people who have been hit hard by the economic downturn. When I return to
    Washington on Monday, I will be meeting with my economic advisers and
    other officials to discuss the latest economic data and work for a quick
    recovery for our economy.
        My administration has offered our ideas for creating new jobs. I've
    proposed speeding up the tax reductions Congress passed last year
    because the faster tax rates come down, the faster our economy will
    grow. I have proposed tax refunds for lower and moderate income families
    to put money in the hands of people with kids to support and bills to
    pay. I have proposed reforming the alternative minimum tax so employers
    and entrepreneurs no longer see their taxes rise as their profits
    shrink. In tough times, we need to encourage entrepreneurship and small-
    business growth, not punish it. I've proposed better tax treatment for
    employers and entrepreneurs who invest in new equipment, which will help
    the hard-working people who use the equipment, and those who manufacture
    the equipment. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates that these
    ideas could save at least 300,000 threatened jobs.
        I'm also calling on Congress to act immediately to help the
    unemployed workers. I've proposed extending unemployment benefits by 13
    weeks, and I've supported tax credits to protect the health insurance of
    workers who've been laid off.
        But we can't stop there. It is important to help workers who've lost
    their jobs. It is even more important to help workers find new jobs. In
    tough times, people need an unemployment check, but what they want is a
    paycheck. Americans want the independence of a job and the satisfaction
    of providing for their families, themselves. A job is more than a source
    of income; it is a source of dignity.
        I made my proposals to create new jobs and help dislocated workers
    on October the 4th, 3 months and 943,000 lost jobs ago. The House of
    Representatives accepted my proposals, but the Senate Democratic
    leadership would not even schedule a vote. Some in the Senate seem to
    think we can afford to do nothing, that the economy will get better on
    its own, sooner or later. I say that if your job is in danger or you
    have a loved one out of work, you want that recovery sooner, not later.
        We need a plan to lengthen unemployment benefits; we need a plan to
    shorten the recession. The Senate should act on both. America's workers
    cannot afford more delay.
        Thank you for listening.

    [[Page 16]]

    Note: The address was recorded at 9:20 a.m. on January 4 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 5. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    January 4 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.