    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [January 29, 2002]
    [Pages 129-136]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union
    January 29, 2002

        Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, Vice
    President Cheney, Members of Congress,
    distinguished guests, fellow citizens: As we gather tonight, our Nation
    is at war; our

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    economy is in recession; and the civilized world faces unprecedented
    dangers. Yet, the state of our Union has never been stronger.
        We last met in an hour of shock and suffering. In 4 short months,
    our Nation has comforted the victims, begun to rebuild New York and the
    Pentagon, rallied a great coalition, captured, arrested, and rid the
    world of thousands of terrorists, destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist
    training camps, saved a people from starvation, and freed a country from
    brutal oppression.
        The American flag flies again over our Embassy in Kabul. Terrorists
    who once occupied Afghanistan now occupy cells at Guantanamo Bay. And
    terrorist leaders who urged followers to sacrifice their lives are
    running for their own.
        America and Afghanistan are now allies against terror. We'll be
    partners in rebuilding that country. And this evening we welcomed the
    distinguished interim leader of a liberated Afghanistan, Chairman Hamid
    Karzai.
        The last time we met in this Chamber, the mothers and daughters of
    Afghanistan were captives in their own homes, forbidden from working or
    going to school. Today, women are free and are part of Afghanistan's new
    Government. And we welcome the new Minister of Women's Affairs, Dr. Sima
    Samar.
        Our progress is a tribute to the spirit of the Afghan people, to the
    resolve of our coalition, and to the might of the United States
    military. When I called our troops into action, I did so with complete
    confidence in their courage and skill. And tonight, thanks to them, we
    are winning the war on terror. The men and women of our Armed Forces
    have delivered a message now clear to every enemy of the United States:
    Even 7,000 miles away, across oceans and continents, on mountaintops and
    in caves, you will not escape the justice of this Nation.
        For many Americans, these 4 months have brought sorrow and pain that
    will never completely go away. Every day a retired firefighter returns
    to Ground Zero to feel closer to his two sons who died there. At a
    memorial in New York, a little boy left his football with a note for his
    lost father: ``Dear Daddy, please take this to heaven. I don't want to
    play football until I can play with you again some day.''
        Last month, at the grave of her husband, Micheal, a CIA officer and marine who died in Mazar-
    e-Sharif, Shannon Spann said these words of
    farewell, ``Semper Fi, my love.'' Shannon is with us tonight. Shannon, I
    assure you and all who have lost a loved one that our cause is just, and
    our country will never forget the debt we owe Micheal and all who gave
    their lives for freedom.
        Our cause is just, and it continues. Our discoveries in Afghanistan
    confirmed our worst fears and showed us the true scope of the task
    ahead. We have seen the depth of our enemies' hatred in videos where
    they laugh about the loss of innocent life. And the depth of their
    hatred is equaled by the madness of the destruction they design. We have
    found diagrams of American nuclear powerplants and public water
    facilities, detailed instructions for making chemical weapons,
    surveillance maps of American cities, and thorough descriptions of
    landmarks in America and throughout the world.
        What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that, far from ending
    there, our war against terror is only beginning. Most of the 19 men who
    hijacked planes on September the 11th were trained in Afghanistan's
    camps, and so were tens of thousands of others. Thousands of dangerous
    killers, schooled in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw
    regimes, are now spread throughout the world like ticking timebombs, set
    to go off without warning.
        Thanks to the work of our law enforcement officials and coalition
    partners, hundreds of terrorists have been arrested. Yet, tens of
    thousands of trained terrorists are still at large. These enemies view
    the entire world as a battlefield, and we must pursue

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    them wherever they are. So long as training camps operate, so long as
    nations harbor terrorists, freedom is at risk. And America and our
    allies must not and will not allow it.
        Our Nation will continue to be steadfast and patient and persistent
    in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will shut down
    terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring terrorists to
    justice. And second, we must prevent the terrorists and regimes who seek
    chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons from threatening the United
    States and the world.
        Our military has put the terror training camps of Afghanistan out of
    business, yet camps still exist in at least a dozen countries. A
    terrorist underworld, including groups like Hamas, Hizballah, Islamic
    Jihad, Jaish-e-Mohammed, operates in remote jungles and deserts and
    hides in the centers of large cities.
        While the most visible military action is in Afghanistan, America is
    acting elsewhere. We now have troops in the Philippines, helping to
    train that country's armed forces to go after terrorist cells that have
    executed an American and still hold hostages. Our soldiers, working with
    the Bosnian Government, seized terrorists who were plotting to bomb our
    Embassy. Our Navy is patrolling the coast of Africa to block the
    shipment of weapons and the establishment of terrorist camps in Somalia.
        My hope is that all nations will heed our call and eliminate the
    terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own. Many
    nations are acting forcefully. Pakistan is now cracking down on terror,
    and I admire the strong leadership of President Musharraf. But some governments will be timid in the face of
    terror. And make no mistake about it: If they do not act, America will.
        Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from
    threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass
    destruction. Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since
    September the 11th, but we know their true nature.
        North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass
    destruction, while starving its citizens.
        Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an
    unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.
        Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support
    terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas
    and nuclear weapons for over a decade. This is a regime that has already
    used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens, leaving the
    bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children. This is a regime
    that agreed to international inspections, then kicked out the
    inspectors. This is a regime that has something to hide from the
    civilized world.
        States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of
    evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of
    mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They
    could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match
    their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the
    United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be
    catastrophic.
        We will work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their
    state sponsors the materials, technology, and expertise to make and
    deliver weapons of mass destruction. We will develop and deploy
    effective missile defenses to protect America and our allies from sudden
    attack. And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary
    to ensure our Nation's security.
        We'll be deliberate; yet, time is not on our side. I will not wait
    on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws
    closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the
    world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most
    destructive weapons.

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        Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun. This campaign
    may not be finished on our watch; yet, it must be and it will be waged
    on our watch. We can't stop short. If we stop now, leaving terror camps
    intact and terrorist states unchecked, our sense of security would be
    false and temporary. History has called America and our allies to
    action, and it is both our responsibility and our privilege to fight
    freedom's fight.
        Our first priority must always be the security of our Nation, and
    that will be reflected in the budget I send to Congress. My budget
    supports three great goals for America: We will win this war; we will
    protect our homeland; and we will revive our economy.
        September the 11th brought out the best in America and the best in
    this Congress. And I join the American people in applauding your unity
    and resolve. Now Americans deserve to have this same spirit directed
    toward addressing problems here at home. I'm a proud member of my party.
    Yet as we act to win the war, protect our people, and create jobs in
    America, we must act, first and foremost, not as Republicans, not as
    Democrats but as Americans.
        It costs a lot to fight this war. We have spent more than a billion
    dollars a month, over $30 million a day, and we must be prepared for
    future operations. Afghanistan proved that expensive precision weapons
    defeat the enemy and spare innocent lives, and we need more of them. We
    need to replace aging aircraft and make our military more agile to put
    our troops anywhere in the world quickly and safely. Our men and women
    in uniform deserve the best weapons, the best equipment, the best
    training, and they also deserve another pay raise.
        My budget includes the largest increase in defense spending in two
    decades, because while the price of freedom and security is high, it is
    never too high. Whatever it costs to defend our country, we will pay.
        The next priority of my budget is to do everything possible to
    protect our citizens and strengthen our Nation against the ongoing
    threat of another attack. Time and distance from the events of September
    the 11th will not make us safer unless we act on its lessons. America is
    no longer protected by vast oceans. We are protected from attack only by
    vigorous action abroad and increased vigilance at home.
        My budget nearly doubles funding for a sustained strategy of
    homeland security, focused on four key areas: bioterrorism, emergency
    response, airport and border security, and improved intelligence. We
    will develop vaccines to fight anthrax and other deadly diseases. We'll
    increase funding to help States and communities train and equip our
    heroic police and firefighters. We will improve intelligence collection
    and sharing, expand patrols at our borders, strengthen the security of
    air travel, and use technology to track the arrivals and departures of
    visitors to the United States.
        Homeland security will make America not only stronger but, in many
    ways, better. Knowledge gained from bioterrorism research will improve
    public health. Stronger police and fire departments will mean safer
    neighborhoods. Stricter border enforcement will help combat illegal
    drugs. And as government works to better secure our homeland, America
    will continue to depend on the eyes and ears of alert citizens.
        A few days before Christmas, an airline flight attendant spotted a
    passenger lighting a match. The crew and
    passengers quickly subdued the man, who had been trained by Al Qaida and
    was armed with explosives. The people on that plane were alert and, as a
    result, likely saved nearly 200 lives. And tonight we welcome and thank
    flight attendants Hermis Moutardier and
    Christina Jones.
        Once we have funded our national security and our homeland security,
    the final great priority of my budget is economic security for the
    American people. To achieve these great national objectives--to win the
    war, protect the homeland, and revitalize our economy--our budget will

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    run a deficit that will be small and short term, so long as Congress
    restrains spending and acts in a fiscally responsible manner. We have
    clear priorities, and we must act at home with the same purpose and
    resolve we have shown overseas. We'll prevail in the war, and we will
    defeat this recession.
        Americans who have lost their jobs need our help, and I support
    extending unemployment benefits and direct assistance for health care
    coverage. Yet, American workers want more than unemployment checks; they
    want a steady paycheck. When America works, America prospers, so my
    economic security plan can be summed up in one word: jobs.
        Good jobs begin with good schools, and here we've made a fine start.
    Republicans and Democrats worked together to achieve historic education
    reform so that no child is left behind. I was proud to work with members
    of both parties: Chairman John Boehner and
    Congressman George Miller; Senator Judd
    Gregg. And I was so proud of our work, I even had
    nice things to say about my friend Ted Kennedy. [Laughter] I know the folks at the Crawford coffee shop
    couldn't believe I'd say such a thing--[laughter]--but our work on this
    bill shows what is possible if we set aside posturing and focus on
    results.
        There is more to do. We need to prepare our children to read and
    succeed in school with improved Head Start and early childhood
    development programs. We must upgrade our teacher colleges and teacher
    training and launch a major recruiting drive with a great goal for
    America, a quality teacher in every classroom.
        Good jobs also depend on reliable and affordable energy. This
    Congress must act to encourage conservation, promote technology, build
    infrastructure, and it must act to increase energy production at home so
    America is less dependent on foreign oil.
        Good jobs depend on expanded trade. Selling into new markets creates
    new jobs, so I ask Congress to finally approve trade promotion
    authority.
        On these two key issues, trade and energy, the House of
    Representatives has acted to create jobs, and I urge the Senate to pass
    this legislation.
        Good jobs depend on sound tax policy. Last year, some in this Hall
    thought my tax relief plan was too small; some thought it was too big.
    But when the checks arrived in the mail, most Americans thought tax
    relief was just about right. Congress listened to the people and
    responded by reducing tax rates, doubling the child credit, and ending
    the death tax. For the sake of long-term growth and to help Americans
    plan for the future, let's make these tax cuts permanent.
        The way out of this recession, the way to create jobs, is to grow
    the economy by encouraging investment in factories and equipment and by
    speeding up tax relief so people have more money to spend. For the sake
    of American workers, let's pass a stimulus package.
        Good jobs must be the aim of welfare reform. As we reauthorize these
    important reforms, we must always remember the goal is to reduce
    dependency on government and offer every American the dignity of a job.
        Americans know economic security can vanish in an instant without
    health security. I ask Congress to join me this year to enact a
    patients' bill of rights, to give uninsured workers credits to help buy
    health coverage, to approve an historic increase in the spending for
    veterans' health, and to give seniors a sound and modern Medicare system
    that includes coverage for prescription drugs.
        A good job should lead to security in retirement. I ask Congress to
    enact new safeguards for 401(k) and pension plans. Employees who have
    worked hard and saved all their lives should not have to risk losing
    everything if their company fails. Through stricter accounting standards
    and tougher disclosure requirements, corporate

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    America must be made more accountable to employees and shareholders and
    held to the highest standards of conduct.
        Retirement security also depends upon keeping the commitments of
    Social Security, and we will. We must make Social Security financially
    stable and allow personal retirement accounts for younger workers who
    choose them.
        Members, you and I will work together in the months ahead on other
    issues: productive farm policy; a cleaner environment; broader
    homeownership, especially among minorities; and ways to encourage the
    good work of charities and faith-based groups. I ask you to join me on
    these important domestic issues in the same spirit of cooperation we've
    applied to our war against terrorism.
        During these last few months, I've been humbled and privileged to
    see the true character of this country in a time of testing. Our enemies
    believed America was weak and materialistic, that we would splinter in
    fear and selfishness. They were as wrong as they are evil.
        The American people have responded magnificently, with courage and
    compassion, strength and resolve. As I have met the heroes, hugged the
    families, and looked into the tired faces of rescuers, I have stood in
    awe of the American people.
        And I hope you will join me--I hope you will join me in expressing
    thanks to one American for the strength and calm and comfort she brings
    to our Nation in crisis, our First Lady, Laura Bush.
        None of us would ever wish the evil that was done on September the
    11th. Yet, after America was attacked, it was as if our entire country
    looked into a mirror and saw our better selves. We were reminded that we
    are citizens with obligations to each other, to our country, and to
    history. We began to think less of the goods we can accumulate and more
    about the good we can do.
        For too long our culture has said, ``If it feels good, do it.'' Now
    America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed, ``Let's roll.'' In the
    sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the
    bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new
    culture of responsibility could look like. We want to be a nation that
    serves goals larger than self. We've been offered a unique opportunity,
    and we must not let this moment pass.
        My call tonight is for every American to commit at least 2 years,
    4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime, to the service of your
    neighbors and your Nation. Many are already serving, and I thank you. If
    you aren't sure how to help, I've got a good place to start. To sustain
    and extend the best that has emerged in America, I invite you to join
    the new USA Freedom Corps. The Freedom Corps will focus on three areas
    of need: responding in case of crisis at home; rebuilding our
    communities; and extending American compassion throughout the world.
        One purpose of the USA Freedom Corps will be homeland security.
    America needs retired doctors and nurses who can be mobilized in major
    emergencies, volunteers to help police and fire departments,
    transportation and utility workers well-trained in spotting danger.
        Our country also needs citizens working to rebuild our communities.
    We need mentors to love children, especially children whose parents are
    in prison. And we need more talented teachers in troubled schools. USA
    Freedom Corps will expand and improve the good efforts of AmeriCorps and
    Senior Corps to recruit more than 200,000 new volunteers.
        And America needs citizens to extend the compassion of our country
    to every part of the world. So we will renew the promise of the Peace
    Corps, double its volunteers over the next 5 years, and ask it to join a
    new effort to encourage development and education and opportunity in the
    Islamic world.
        This time of adversity offers a unique moment of opportunity, a
    moment we must

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    seize to change our culture. Through the gathering momentum of millions
    of acts of service and decency and kindness, I know we can overcome evil
    with greater good.
        And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the
    world toward the values that will bring lasting peace. All fathers and
    mothers, in all societies, want their children to be educated and live
    free from poverty and violence. No people on Earth yearn to be oppressed
    or aspire to servitude or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret
    police. If anyone doubts this, let them look to Afghanistan, where the
    Islamic ``street'' greeted the fall of tyranny with song and
    celebration. Let the skeptics look to Islam's own rich history, with its
    centuries of learning and tolerance and progress. America will lead by
    defending liberty and justice because they are right and true and
    unchanging for all people everywhere.
        No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them.
    We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always
    stand firm for the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity: the rule of
    law; limits on the power of the state; respect for women; private
    property; free speech; equal justice; and religious tolerance.
        America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these
    values around the world, including the Islamic world, because we have a
    greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment. We
    seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.
        In this moment of opportunity, a common danger is erasing old
    rivalries. America is working with Russia and China and India, in ways
    we have never before, to achieve peace and prosperity. In every region,
    free markets and free trade and free societies are proving their power
    to lift lives. Together with friends and allies from Europe to Asia and
    Africa to Latin America, we will demonstrate that the forces of terror
    cannot stop the momentum of freedom.
        The last time I spoke here, I expressed the hope that life would
    return to normal. In some ways, it has. In others, it never will. Those
    of us who have lived through these challenging times have been changed
    by them. We've come to know truths that we will never question: Evil is
    real, and it must be opposed. Beyond all differences of race or creed,
    we are one country, mourning together and facing danger together. Deep
    in the American character, there is honor, and it is stronger than
    cynicism. And many have discovered again that even in tragedy--
    especially in tragedy--God is near.
        In a single instant, we realized that this will be a decisive decade
    in the history of liberty, that we've been called to a unique role in
    human events. Rarely has the world faced a choice more clear or
    consequential.
        Our enemies send other people's children on missions of suicide and
    murder. They embrace tyranny and death as a cause and a creed. We stand
    for a different choice, made long ago on the day of our founding. We
    affirm it again today. We choose freedom and the dignity of every life.
        Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's
    price. We have shown freedom's power. And in this great conflict, my
    fellow Americans, we will see freedom's victory.
        Thank you all. May God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:15 p.m. in the House Chamber of the
    Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Corona, CA, resident Guillermo
    Sobero, who was kidnaped May 27, 2001, and later killed by the Abu
    Sayyaf terrorist group operating in the southern Philippines; President
    Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan; and alleged terrorist Richard C. Reid. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this address. The Executive order of January 29

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    establishing the USA Freedom Corps is listed in Appendix D at the end of
    this volume.