    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [January 31, 2006]
    [Pages 146-154]
    [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 31, 2006

        Thank you all. Mr. Speaker, Vice
    President Cheney, Members of Congress, members
    of the Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and
    fellow citizens: Today our Nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous
    woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble
    dream. Tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the
    husband who was taken so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life
    of Coretta Scott King.
        Every time I'm invited to this rostrum, I'm humbled by the privilege
    and mindful of the history we've seen together. We have gathered under
    this Capitol dome in moments of national mourning and national
    achievement. We have served America through one of the most
    consequential periods of our history, and it has been my honor to serve
    with you.
        In a system of two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches,
    there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can
    be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to
    harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act
    in a spirit of good will and respect for one another, and I will do my
    part. Tonight the state of our Union is strong, and together we will
    make it stronger.
        In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine
    both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act
    confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom, or retreat from our
    duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our
    prosperity by leading the world economy, or shut ourselves off from
    trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of
    isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting, yet it ends
    in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people, the only way
    to secure the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our
    leadership. So the United States of America will continue to lead.
        Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal: We
    seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as
    misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends
    on it. On September the 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating
    in a failed and

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    oppressive state 7,000 miles away could bring murder and destruction to
    our country. Dictatorships shelter terrorists, and feed resentment and
    radicalism, and seek weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace
    resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their
    neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom
    in the world makes our country safer, so we will act boldly in freedom's
    cause.
        Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great
    story of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely
    democracies in the world. Today, there are 122. And we're writing a new
    chapter in the story of self-government--with women lining up to vote in
    Afghanistan, and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple
    ink, and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of
    individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the start of 2006, more
    than half the people of our world live in democratic nations. And we do
    not forget the other half--in places like Syria and Burma, Zimbabwe,
    North Korea, and Iran--because the demands of justice and the peace of
    this world require their freedom as well.
        No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight
    against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is
    radical Islam--the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology
    of terror and death. Terrorists like bin Laden are serious about mass murder, and all of us must take
    their declared intentions seriously. They seek to impose a heartless
    system of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East and arm
    themselves with weapons of mass murder.
        Their aim is to seize power in Iraq and use it as a safe haven to
    launch attacks against America and the world. Lacking the military
    strength to challenge us directly, the terrorists have chosen the weapon
    of fear. When they murder children at a school in Beslan or blow up
    commuters in London or behead a bound captive, the terrorists hope these
    horrors will break our will, allowing the violent to inherit the Earth.
    But they have miscalculated: We love our freedom, and we will fight to
    keep it.
        In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our
    commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these
    vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would
    simply move the battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in
    retreat, and there is no honor in retreat. By allowing radical Islam to
    work its will, by leaving an assaulted world to fend for itself, we
    would signal to all that we no longer believe in our own ideals or even
    in our own courage. But our enemies and our friends can be certain: The
    United States will not retreat from the world, and we will never
    surrender to evil.
        America rejects the false comfort of isolationism. We are the nation
    that saved liberty in Europe and liberated death camps and helped raise
    up democracies and faced down an evil empire. Once again, we accept the
    call of history to deliver the oppressed and move this world toward
    peace. We remain on the offensive against terror networks. We have
    killed or captured many of their leaders. And for the others, their day
    will come.
        We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan, where a fine
    President and a National Assembly are fighting
    terror while building the institutions of a new democracy. We're on the
    offensive in Iraq with a clear plan for victory.
        First, we're helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that
    old resentments will be eased and the insurgency will be marginalized.
    Second, we're continuing reconstruction efforts and helping the Iraqi
    Government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis
    can experience the benefits of freedom. And third, we're striking
    terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly
    capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are

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    showing their courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in
    the cause of freedom.
        Our work in Iraq is difficult because our enemy is brutal. But that
    brutality has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy. In
    less than 3 years, the nation has gone from dictatorship to liberation,
    to sovereignty, to a Constitution, to national elections. At the same
    time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist
    infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over
    territory to Iraqi security forces. I am confident in our plan for
    victory; I am confident in the will of the Iraqi people; I am confident
    in the skill and spirit of our military. Fellow citizens, we are in this
    fight to win, and we are winning.
        The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As
    we make progress on the ground and Iraqi forces increasingly take the
    lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels. But those
    decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in
    Washington, DC.
        Our coalition has learned from our experience in Iraq. We've
    adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to
    reconstruction. Along the way, we have benefited from responsible
    criticism and counsel offered by Members of Congress of both parties. In
    the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice.
    Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for
    success and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure.
    Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy.
        With so much in the balance, those of us in public office have a
    duty to speak with candor. A sudden withdrawal of our forces from Iraq
    would abandon our Iraqi allies to death and prison, would put men like
    bin Laden and Zarqawi in charge of a strategic country, and show that a pledge
    from America means little. Members of Congress, however we feel about
    the decisions and debates of the past, our Nation has only one option:
    We must keep our word, defeat our enemies, and stand behind the American
    military in this vital mission.
        Our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices and showing a
    sense of duty stronger than all fear. They know what it's like to fight
    house to house in a maze of streets, to wear heavy gear in the desert
    heat, to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who know the
    costs also know the stakes. Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay was killed
    last month fighting in Fallujah. He left behind a letter to his family,
    but his words could just as well be addressed to every American. Here is
    what Dan wrote: ``I know what honor is--it has been an honor to protect
    and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you
    would not have to. Never falter. Don't hesitate to honor and support
    those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth
    protecting.''
        Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's wife, Lisa, and his
    mom and dad, Sara Jo and Bud, are with us this evening. Welcome.
        Our Nation is grateful to the fallen, who live in the memory of our
    country. We're grateful to all who volunteer to wear our Nation's
    uniform. And as we honor our brave troops, let us never forget the
    sacrifices of America's military families.
        Our offensive against terror involves more than military action.
    Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their
    dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of
    political freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America
    supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East. Elections are
    vital, but they are only the beginning. Raising up a democracy requires
    the rule of law and protection of minorities and strong, accountable
    institutions that last longer than a single vote.
        The great people of Egypt have voted in a multiparty Presidential
    election, and

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    now their Government should open paths of peaceful opposition that will
    reduce the appeal of radicalism. The Palestinian people have voted in
    elections, and now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm,
    reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has taken the
    first steps of reform; now it can offer its people a better future by
    pressing forward with those efforts. Democracies in the Middle East will
    not look like our own, because they will reflect the traditions of their
    own citizens. Yet liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle
    East because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity.
        The same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small
    clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people. The regime
    in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and
    in Lebanon, and that must come to an end. The Iranian Government is
    defying the world with its nuclear ambitions, and the nations of the
    world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons.
    America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats.
        Tonight let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America
    respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to
    choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our Nation hopes
    one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran.
        To overcome dangers in our world, we must also take the offensive by
    encouraging economic progress and fighting disease and spreading hope in
    hopeless lands. Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting
    enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need. We
    show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given
    dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS or an infant with malaria
    or a refugee fleeing genocide or a young girl sold into slavery. We also
    show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty,
    corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism and organized crime and
    human trafficking and the drug trade.
        In recent years, you and I have taken unprecedented action to fight
    AIDS and malaria, expand the education of girls, and reward developing
    nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform. For
    people everywhere, the United States is a partner for a better life.
    Shortchanging these efforts would increase the suffering and chaos of
    our world, undercut our long-term security, and dull the conscience of
    our country. I urge Members of Congress to serve the interests of
    America by showing the compassion of America.
        Our country must also remain on the offensive against terrorism here
    at home. The enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us.
    Fortunately, this Nation has superb professionals in law enforcement,
    intelligence, the military, and homeland security. These men and women
    are dedicating their lives, protecting us all, and they deserve our
    support and our thanks. They also deserve the same tools they already
    use to fight drug trafficking and organized crime, so I ask you to
    reauthorize the PATRIOT Act.
        It is said that prior to the attacks of September the 11th, our
    Government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. We now know
    that two of the hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to
    Al Qaida operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans
    until it was too late. So to prevent another attack--based on authority
    given to me by the Constitution and by statute--I have authorized a
    terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international
    communications of suspected Al Qaida operatives and affiliates to and
    from America.
        Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I
    have, and Federal courts have approved the use of that authority.
    Appropriate Members of Congress have been kept informed. The terrorist
    surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains
    essential to the

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    security of America. If there are people inside our country who are
    talking with Al Qaida, we want to know about it, because we will not sit
    back and wait to be hit again.
        In all these areas--from the disruption of terror networks, to
    victory in Iraq, to the spread of freedom and hope in troubled regions--
    we need the support of our friends and allies. To draw that support, we
    must always be clear in our principles and willing to act. The only
    alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more dangerous and
    anxious world. Yet we also choose to lead because it is a privilege to
    serve the values that gave us birth. American leaders--from Roosevelt to
    Truman to Kennedy to Reagan--rejected isolation and retreat, because
    they knew that America is always more secure when freedom is on the
    march.
        Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy, a
    war that will be fought by Presidents of both parties who will need
    steady bipartisan support from the Congress. And tonight I ask for
    yours. Together, let us protect our country, support the men and women
    who defend us, and lead this world toward freedom.
        Here at home, America also has a great opportunity: We will build
    the prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership
    in the world.
        Our economy is healthy and vigorous and growing faster than other
    major industrialized nations. In the last 2\1/2\ years, America has
    created 4.6 million new jobs, more than Japan and the European Union
    combined. Even in the face of higher energy prices and natural
    disasters, the American people have turned in an economic performance
    that is the envy of the world.
        The American economy is preeminent, but we cannot afford to be
    complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors
    like China and India, and this creates uncertainty, which makes it
    easier to feed people's fears. So we're seeing some old temptations
    return. Protectionists want to escape competition, pretending that we
    can keep our high standard of living while walling off our economy.
    Others say that the government needs to take a larger role in directing
    the economy, centralizing more power in Washington and increasing taxes.
    We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, even
    though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms
    of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction, toward a
    stagnant and second-rate economy.
        Tonight I will set out a better path: an agenda for a nation that
    competes with confidence; an agenda that will raise standards of living
    and generate new jobs. Americans should not fear our economic future
    because we intend to shape it.
        Keeping America competitive begins with keeping our economy growing.
    And our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to
    spend, save, and invest. In the last 5 years, the tax relief you passed
    has left $880 billion in the hands of American workers, investors, small
    businesses, and families. And they have used it to help produce more
    than 4 years of uninterrupted economic growth. Yet the tax relief is set
    to expire in the next few years. If we do nothing, American families
    will face a massive tax increase they do not expect and will not
    welcome. Because America needs more than a temporary expansion, we need
    more than temporary tax relief, I urge the Congress to act responsibly
    and make the tax cuts permanent.
        Keeping America competitive requires us to be good stewards of tax
    dollars. Every year of my Presidency, we've reduced the growth of
    nonsecurity discretionary spending, and last year, you passed bills that
    cut this spending. This year, my budget will cut it again and reduce or
    eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not
    fulfilling essential priorities. By passing these reforms, we will save
    the American taxpayer another $14 billion next

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    year and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.
        I am pleased that Members of Congress are working on earmark reform,
    because the Federal budget has too many special interest projects. And
    we can tackle this problem together, if you pass the line-item veto.
        We must also confront the larger challenge of mandatory spending, or
    entitlements. This year, the first of about 78 million baby boomers turn
    60, including two of my dad's favorite
    people--me and President Clinton.
    [Laughter] This milestone is more than a personal crisis--[laughter]--it
    is a national challenge. The retirement of the baby boom generation will
    put unprecedented strains on the Federal Government. By 2030, spending
    for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid alone will be almost 60
    percent of the entire Federal budget. And that will present future
    Congresses with impossible choices: staggering tax increases, immense
    deficits, or deep cuts in every category of spending. Congress did not
    act last year on my proposal to save Social Security, yet the rising
    cost of entitlements is a problem that is not going away. And every year
    we fail to act, the situation gets worse.
        So tonight I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine
    the full impact of baby boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare,
    and Medicaid. This commission should include Members of Congress of both
    parties and offer bipartisan solutions. We need to put aside partisan
    politics and work together and get this problem solved.
        Keeping America competitive requires us to open more markets for all
    that Americans make and grow. One out of every five factory jobs in
    America is related to global trade, and we want people everywhere to buy
    American. With open markets and a level playing field, no one can
    outproduce or outcompete the American worker.
        Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that
    upholds our laws, reflects our values, and serves the interests of our
    economy. Our Nation needs orderly and secure borders. To meet this goal,
    we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection. And
    we must have a rational, humane guest-worker program that rejects
    amnesty, allows temporary jobs for people who seek them legally, and
    reduces smuggling and crime at the border.
        Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our
    Government has a responsibility to provide health care for the poor and
    the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility. For all Americans,
    we must confront the rising cost of care, strengthen the doctor-patient
    relationship, and help people afford the insurance coverage they need.
        We will make wider use of electronic records and other health
    information technology to help control costs and reduce dangerous
    medical errors. We will strengthen health savings accounts, making sure
    individuals and small-business employees can buy insurance with the same
    advantages that people working for big businesses now get. We will do
    more to make this coverage portable, so workers can switch jobs without
    having to worry about losing their health insurance. And because
    lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice, leaving women in
    nearly 1,500 American counties without a single ob-gyn, I ask the
    Congress to pass medical liability reform this year.
        Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we
    have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often
    imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this
    addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10
    billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative
    energy sources. And we are on the threshold of incredible advances.
        So tonight I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative--a 22-percent
    increase in

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    clean-energy research at the Department of Energy--to push for
    breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and
    offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants,
    revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear
    energy.
        We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase
    our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars and in
    pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional
    research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from
    corn but from wood chips and stalks or switchgrass. Our goal is to make
    this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within 6 years.
        Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach
    another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports
    from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of
    America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move
    beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle
    Eastern oil a thing of the past.
        And to keep America competitive, one commitment is necessary above
    all: We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity.
    Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hard-
    working, ambitious people. And we're going to keep that edge. Tonight I
    announce an American Competitiveness Initiative to encourage innovation
    throughout our economy and to give our Nation's children a firm
    grounding in math and science.
        First, I propose to double the Federal commitment to the most
    critical basic research programs in the physical sciences over the next
    10 years. This funding will support the work of America's most creative
    minds as they explore promising areas such as nanotechnology,
    supercomputing, and alternative energy sources.
        Second, I propose to make permanent the research and development tax
    credit to encourage bolder private sector initiative in technology. With
    more research in both the public and private sectors, we will improve
    our quality of life and ensure that America will lead the world in
    opportunity and innovation for decades to come.
        Third, we need to encourage children to take more math and science,
    and to make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other
    nations. We've made a good start in the early grades with the No Child
    Left Behind Act, which is raising standards and lifting test scores
    across our country. Tonight I propose to train 70,000 high school
    teachers to lead Advanced Placement courses in math and science, bring
    30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms, and give
    early help to students who struggle with math, so they have a better
    chance at good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children
    succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.
        Preparing our Nation to compete in the world is a goal that all of
    us can share. I urge you to support the American Competitiveness
    Initiative, and together we will show the world what the American people
    can achieve.
        America is a great force for freedom and prosperity. Yet our
    greatness is not measured in power or luxuries but by who we are and how
    we treat one another. So we strive to be a compassionate, decent,
    hopeful society.
        In recent years, America has become a more hopeful nation. Violent
    crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1970s. Welfare
    cases have dropped by more than half over the past decade. Drug use
    among youth is down 19 percent since 2001. There are fewer abortions in
    America than at any point in the last three decades, and the number of
    children born to teenage mothers has been falling for a dozen years in a
    row.
        These gains are evidence of a quiet transformation, a revolution of
    conscience, in which a rising generation is finding that a life of
    personal responsibility is a life of

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    fulfillment. Government has played a role. Wise policies, such as
    welfare reform and drug education and support for abstinence and
    adoption have made a difference in the character of our country. And
    everyone here tonight, Democrat and Republican, has a right to be proud
    of this record.
        Yet many Americans, especially parents, still have deep concerns
    about the direction of our culture and the health of our most basic
    institutions. They're concerned about unethical conduct by public
    officials and discouraged by activist courts that try to redefine
    marriage. They worry about children in our society who need direction
    and love, and about fellow citizens still displaced by natural disaster,
    and about suffering caused by treatable diseases.
        As we look at these challenges, we must never give in to the belief
    that America is in decline or that our culture is doomed to unravel. The
    American people know better than that. We have proven the pessimists
    wrong before, and we will do it again.
        A hopeful society depends on courts that deliver equal justice under
    the law. The Supreme Court now has two superb new members on its bench,
    Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice
    Sam Alito. I thank the Senate for
    confirming both of them. I will continue to nominate men and women who
    understand that judges must be servants of the law and not legislate
    from the bench.
        Today marks the official retirement of a very special American. For
    24 years of faithful service to our Nation, the United States is
    grateful to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
        A hopeful society has institutions of science and medicine that do
    not cut ethical corners and that recognize the matchless value of every
    life. Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most
    egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms;
    creating or implanting embryos for experiments; creating human-animal
    hybrids; and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is
    a gift from our Creator, and that gift should never be discarded,
    devalued, or put up for sale.
        A hopeful society expects elected officials to uphold the public
    trust. Honorable people in both parties are working on reforms to
    strengthen the ethical standards of Washington. I support your efforts.
    Each of us has made a pledge to be worthy of public responsibility, and
    that is a pledge we must never forget, never dismiss, and never betray.
        As we renew the promise of our institutions, let us also show the
    character of America in our compassion and care for one another.
        A hopeful society gives special attention to children who lack
    direction and love. Through the Helping America's Youth Initiative, we
    are encouraging caring adults to get involved in the life of a child.
    And this good work is being led by our First Lady, Laura Bush. This year, we will add resources to encourage young
    people to stay in school, so more of America's youth can raise their
    sights and achieve their dreams.
        A hopeful society comes to the aid of fellow citizens in times of
    suffering and emergency and stays at it until they're back on their
    feet. So far the Federal Government has committed $85 billion to the
    people of the gulf coast and New Orleans. We're removing debris and
    repairing highways and rebuilding stronger levees. We're providing
    business loans and housing assistance. Yet as we meet these immediate
    needs, we must also address deeper challenges that existed before the
    storm arrived.
        In New Orleans and in other places, many of our fellow citizens have
    felt excluded from the promise of our country. The answer is not only
    temporary relief but schools that teach every child and job skills that
    bring upward mobility and more opportunities to own a home and start a
    business. As we recover from a disaster,

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    let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by
    justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity.
        A hopeful society acts boldly to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, which
    can be prevented and treated and defeated. More than a million Americans
    live with HIV, and half of all AIDS cases occur among African Americans.
    I ask Congress to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act and provide
    new funding to States, so we end the waiting lists for AIDS medicines in
    America. We will also lead a nationwide effort, working closely with
    African American churches and faith-based groups, to deliver rapid HIV
    tests to millions, end the stigma of AIDS, and come closer to the day
    when there are no new infections in America.
        Fellow citizens, we've been called to leadership in a period of
    consequence. We've entered a great ideological conflict we did nothing
    to invite. We see great changes in science and commerce that will
    influence all our lives. Sometimes it can seem that history is turning
    in a wide arc toward an unknown shore. Yet the destination of history is
    determined by human action, and every great movement of history comes to
    a point of choosing.
        Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and
    continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham
    or at Selma and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The
    United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe and
    been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having come far in
    our own historical journey, we must decide: Will we turn back or finish
    well?
        Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage.
    Like Americans before us, we will show that courage, and we will finish
    well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the
    global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this
    land. And so we move forward, optimistic about our country, faithful to
    its cause, and confident of the victories to come.
        May God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:12 p.m. in the House Chamber of the
    Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Usama bin Laden, leader of the
    Al Qaida terrorist organization; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al
    Zarqawi; and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.