    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [February 2, 2005]
    [Pages 113-121]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union
    February 2, 2005

        Mr. Speaker, Vice President
    Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:
        As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of
    Government share a great privilege: We've been placed in office by the
    votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share
    with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the
    Palestinian Territories,
    Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.
        Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the
    commitment of our Nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This
    evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and
    around the world.
        Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going
    back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the world, the
    state of our Union is confident and strong.
        Our generation has been blessed by the expansion of opportunity, by
    advances in medicine, by the security purchased by our

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    parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror--or a lot
    of gray--[laughter]--and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we
    ask the question: What will be the state of their Union? Members of
    Congress, the choices we make together will answer that question. Over
    the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans
    have always done and build a better world for our children and our
    grandchildren.
        First, we must be good stewards of this economy and renew the great
    institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely. America's
    economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In
    the past 4 years, we've provided tax relief to every person who pays
    income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad,
    prosecuted corporate criminals, raised homeownership to its highest
    level in history. And in the last year alone, the United States has
    added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress
    delivered, and the Nation is grateful.
        Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more
    flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America
    the economic leader of the world.
        America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of
    the Federal Government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending
    discipline. I will send you a budget that holds the growth of
    discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and
    stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. My budget
    substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 Government programs
    that are not getting results or duplicate current efforts or do not
    fulfill essential priorities. The principle here is clear: Taxpayer
    dollars must be spent wisely or not at all.
        To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a
    rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No
    Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the
    rise, and we're closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now
    we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high
    school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional
    200,000 workers to get training for a better career by reforming our job
    training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And
    we'll make it easier for Americans to afford a college education by
    increasing the size of Pell grants.
        To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must
    reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small
    business is the path of advancement, especially for women and
    minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation
    and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted
    and our economy is held back by irresponsible class actions and
    frivolous asbestos claims, and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms
    this year.
        To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make
    health care more affordable and give families greater access to good
    coverage and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to
    move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda with tax credits to
    help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in
    every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical
    error and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses
    and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical
    liability reform that will reduce health care costs and make sure
    patients have the doctors and care they need.
        To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of
    affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly 4 years ago, I
    submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation,
    alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production
    here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies
    legislation will cut powerplant

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    pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides
    strong funding for leading-edge technology, from hydrogen-fueled cars to
    clean coal to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is
    enough. I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more
    secure and less dependent on foreign energy.
        All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new
    jobs, but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the
    prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were
    created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year, Americans
    are burdened by an archaic, incoherent Federal Tax Code. I've appointed
    a bipartisan panel to examine the Tax Code from top to bottom. And when
    their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to
    give this Nation a Tax Code that is progrowth, easy to understand, and
    fair to all.
        America's immigration system is also outdated, unsuited to the needs
    of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be
    content with laws that punish hard-working people who want only to
    provide for their families and deny businesses willing workers and
    invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that
    permits temporary-guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take,
    that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our
    country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.
        One of America's most important institutions, a symbol of the trust
    between generations, is also in need of wise and effective reform.
    Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th century, and we
    must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however,
    on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join
    together to strengthen and save Social Security.
        Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security
    benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement. And for them the
    system is sound and fiscally strong. I have a message for every American
    who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you; for you, the Social
    Security system will not change in any way.
        For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems
    that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago
    for a very different era. In those days, people did not live as long.
    Benefits were much lower than they are today. And a half century ago,
    about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits.
        Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security
    could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and,
    therefore, drawing benefits longer. And those benefits are scheduled to
    rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers
    paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about 3 workers.
    And over the next few decades, that number will fall to just 2 workers
    per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-
    higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.
        So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social
    Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year
    afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For
    example, in the year 2027, the Government will somehow have to come up
    with an extra $200 billion to keep the system afloat, and by 2033, the
    annual shortfall would be more than $300 billion. By the year 2042, the
    entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to
    avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically higher
    taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social
    Security benefits or other Government programs.
        I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem a long way off. But those
    dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you.

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    If you have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay
    for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in
    their twenties, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing
    before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not
    be a small matter to the United States Congress. You and I share a
    responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems
    of Social Security once and for all.
        Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid
    review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy
    retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has
    raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages.
    During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator
    John Breaux suggested discouraging early
    collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick
    Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated. All these
    ideas are on the table.
        I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move
    ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement
    security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with
    Members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms. I
    will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be
    guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security
    permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not
    jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must
    ensure that lower income Americans get the help they need to have
    dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee there
    is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must
    take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers
    have years to prepare and plan for their future.
        As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make
    the system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to reach
    that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts. Here is how
    the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken
    out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's
    retirees. If you're a younger worker, I believe you should be able to
    set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can
    build a nest egg for your own future.
        Here's why the personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will
    grow over time at a greater rate than anything the current system can
    deliver, and your account will provide money for retirement over and
    above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition,
    you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal
    account, if you wish, to your children and--or grandchildren. And best
    of all, the money in the account is yours, and the Government can never
    take it away.
        The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set
    careful guidelines for personal accounts. We'll make sure the money can
    only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We'll make
    sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees.
    We'll make sure there are good options to protect your investments from
    sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We'll make sure a
    personal account cannot be emptied out all at once but rather paid out
    over time as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And
    we'll make sure this plan is fiscally responsible by starting personal
    retirement accounts gradually and raising the yearly limits on
    contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside
    4 percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.
        Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to Federal
    employees, because you already have something similar called the Thrift
    Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks
    into any of five different broadly based investment

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    funds. It's time to extend the same security and choice and ownership to
    young Americans.
        Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is
    to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So
    many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family
    and faith and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children.
    Government is not the source of these values, but Government should
    never undermine them.
        Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of
    society, it should not be redefined by activist judges. For the good of
    families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to
    protect the institution of marriage.
        Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and
    vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research
    can help us reach that goal by developing treatments and cures that save
    lives and help people overcome disabilities, and I thank the Congress
    for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health.
        To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific
    advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives
    for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear
    standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are
    not created for experimentation or grown for body parts and that human
    life is never bought or sold as a commodity. America will continue to
    lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and
    always ethical.
        Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a
    duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As
    President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and
    women who understand the role of courts in our democracy and are well-
    qualified to serve on the bench, and I have done so. The Constitution
    also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves
    an up-or-down vote.
        Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we
    must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the
    opportunities of America. Our Government will continue to support faith-
    based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need
    to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities,
    better options than apathy or gangs or jail. Tonight I propose a 3-year
    initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs and show
    young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence.
    Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk
    youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders
    in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the
    leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura
    Bush.
        Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask
    you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention and
    provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we
    update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens
    with the highest rates of new cases, African American men and women.
        Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief
    in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and
    backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In
    America, we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a
    crime he or she did not commit, so we are dramatically expanding the use
    of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to
    Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in
    capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have
    competent lawyers by their side.
        Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an
    America that is safe from danger and protected by peace.

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    We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy, and chief
    among them is freedom from fear.
        In the 3\1/2\ years since September the 11th, 2001, we have taken
    unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We've created a new
    department of Government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on
    preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken
    up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses
    against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and
    trained more than a half million first-responders. Police and
    firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working
    every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.
        Our Nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the
    enemy abroad with measures that are determined, successful, and
    continuing. The Al Qaida terror network that attacked our country still
    has leaders, but many of its top commanders have been removed. There are
    still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists, but their number
    has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass
    destruction but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our
    country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many and
    intimidate us all, and we will stay on the offensive against them until
    the fight is won.
        Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror, and
    I thank the Congress for providing our service men and women with the
    resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue to
    support our military and give them the tools for victory.
        Other nations around the globe have stood with us. In Afghanistan,
    an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28
    countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European
    Union provided technical assistance for the elections, and NATO is
    leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We're cooperating with
    60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative to detect and
    stop the transit of dangerous materials. We're working closely with the
    governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear
    ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have
    captured or detained Al Qaida terrorists. In the next 4 years, my
    administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat
    the dangers of our time.
        In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by
    eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of
    murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in
    hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror
    will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force
    powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror and replace
    hatred with hope is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this,
    and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi
    recently declared war on what he called the ``evil principle'' of
    democracy. And we've declared our own intention: America will stand with
    the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East
    and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
        The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to
    impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main
    differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand
    an empire of oppression in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed
    rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and
    preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments
    that answer to their citizens and reflect their own cultures. And
    because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the
    advance of freedom will lead to peace.
        That advance has great momentum in our time, shown by women voting
    in Afghanistan and Palestinians choosing a new

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    direction and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights
    and electing a President. We are
    witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty, and in the coming
    years, we will add to that story.
        The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian
    Territories are now showing the power of freedom to break old patterns
    of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel
    and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can
    help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a
    peaceful, independent, democratic state. To promote this democracy, I
    will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political,
    economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states,
    Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach, and
    America will help them achieve that goal.
        To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the
    United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the
    common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of
    freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to
    Jordan to Bahrain. The Government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its
    leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in
    determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which
    showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way
    toward democracy in the Middle East.
        To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront
    regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass
    murder. Syria still allows its territory and parts of Lebanon to be used
    by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region.
    You have passed and we are applying the Syrian Accountability Act, and
    we expect the Syrian Government to end all support for terror and open
    the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state
    sponsor of terror, pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people
    of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European
    allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its
    uranium enrichment program and any plutonium reprocessing and end its
    support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you
    stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.
        Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in
    the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That country
    is a vital front in the war on terror, which is why the terrorists have
    chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting
    terrorists in Iraq so we do not have to face them here at home. And the
    victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on
    terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more
    hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible
    threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.
        We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty, as
    they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk,
    millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to
    represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly. A young woman in
    Baghdad told of waking to the sound of
    mortar fire on election day and wondering if it might be too dangerous
    to vote. She said, ``Hearing those explosions, it occurred to me: The
    insurgents are weak; they are afraid of democracy; they are losing. So I
    got my husband and I got my parents, and we all came out and voted
    together.''
        Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In
    any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility. For
    millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they
    have earned the respect of us all.

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        One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia
    Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her
    country, ``We were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the
    real occupation. Thank you to the American people who paid the cost but,
    most of all, to the soldiers.'' Eleven years ago, Safia's father was
    assassinated by Saddam's intelligence
    service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for
    the leaders of her country, and we are honored that she is with us
    tonight.
        The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy and
    will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful myth is
    being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and
    assassins are not only fighting coalition forces; they are trying to
    destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections. And the whole
    world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the
    will of the Iraqi people.
        We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for
    their own freedom and to write their own history. As Prime Minister
    Allawi said in his speech to Congress last
    September, ``Ordinary Iraqis are anxious to shoulder all the security
    burdens of our country as quickly as possible.'' That is the natural
    desire of an independent nation, and it is also the stated mission of
    our coalition in Iraq. The new political situation in Iraq opens a new
    phase of our work in that country.
        At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground and in
    consultation with the Iraqi Government, we will increasingly focus our
    efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces, forces
    with skilled officers and an effective command structure. As those
    forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security
    responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly
    be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their
    own country, and we will help that proud new nation secure its liberty.
        Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, ``Tell America not
    to abandon us.'' He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military
    strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and
    unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and
    freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come. We will
    not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would
    embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We
    are in Iraq to achieve a result, a country that is democratic,
    representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able
    to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women
    serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned.
        Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the
    world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them
    training and equipment, and they have given us an example of idealism
    and character that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our
    military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in
    honor and decency, and every day they're making our Nation more secure.
    Some of our service men and women have survived terrible injuries, and
    this grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover.
    And we have said farewell to some very good men and women who died for
    our freedom and whose memory this Nation will honor forever.
        One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the
    assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a
    letter and told me how much Byron loved being a marine and how proud he
    was to be on the frontline against terror. She wrote, ``When Byron was
    home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since
    he was born. He just hugged me and said, `You've done your job, Mom. Now
    it is my turn to protect you.' ''

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    Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts we honor freedom's defenders
    and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant
    Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.

    [At this point, in the First Lady's box, guest Safia Taleb al-Suhail
    embraced guest Janet Norwood.]

        In these 4 years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events.
    We have known times of sorrow and hours of uncertainty and days of
    victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen
    threads of purpose that unite us. The attack on freedom in our world has
    reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are
    all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our
    country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the
    peace that freedom brings.
        As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, ``Each age is a dream
    that is dying, or one that is coming to birth.'' And we live in the
    country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was
    only a dream until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from
    fascism was only a dream until it was achieved. The fall of imperial
    communism was only a dream until, one day, it was accomplished. Our
    generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with
    confidence. The road of providence is uneven and unpredictable, yet we
    know where it leads: It leads to freedom.
        Thank you, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:10 p.m. in the House Chamber of the
    Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to senior Al Qaida associate Abu
    Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel; President
    Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) of the Palestinian Authority; former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi
    Interim Government. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a
    Spanish language transcript of this address.