    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [January 15, 2009]
    [Pages 1577-1580]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Farewell Address to the Nation
    January 15, 2009

        Thank you. Fellow citizens: For 8 years, it has been my honor to
    serve as your President. The first decade of this new century has been a
    period of consequence, a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart,
    I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the
    journey that we have traveled together and the future of our Nation.
        Five days from now, the world will witness the vitality of American
    democracy. In a tradition dating back to our founding, the Presidency
    will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people. Standing on
    the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose history reflects the
    enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our
    whole Nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to
    President-elect Obama, his wife
    Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.
        Tonight I am filled with gratitude to Vice President Cheney and members of my administration; to Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to
    our wonderful daughters Barbara and
    Jenna; to my parents, whose examples have
    provided strength for a lifetime. And above all, I thank the American
    people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the prayers that
    have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless acts of
    courage, generosity, and grace that I have witnessed these past 8 years.
        This evening my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you
    from this house, September the 11th, 2001. That morning, terrorists took
    nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I
    remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center 3 days later,
    surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember
    talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the
    Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard
    Flight 93. I remember Arlene Howard, who gave
    me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost.
    And I still carry his badge.
        As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much
    as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a
    briefing on the threats to our Nation. I vowed to do everything in my
    power to keep us safe.
        Over the past 7 years, a new Department of Homeland Security has
    been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have
    been transformed. Our Nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the
    terrorists' movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots.
    And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the
    terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a
    nation where the Taliban harbored Al Qaida and stoned women in the
    streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging
    girls to go to school. Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a
    sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle
    East and a friend of the United States.
        There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions, but there
    can be little

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    debate about the results. America has gone more than 7 years without
    another terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who
    toil night and day to keep us safe: law enforcement officers,
    intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and
    the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
        Our Nation is blessed to have citizens who volunteer to defend us in
    this time of danger. I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots
    and their families. And America owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all
    our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher
    honor than serving as your Commander in Chief.
        The battles waged by our troops are part of a broader struggle
    between two dramatically different systems. Under one, a small band of
    fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns
    women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder. The other
    system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of
    Almighty God, and that liberty and justice light the path to peace.
        This is the belief that gave birth to our Nation. And in the long
    run, advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our
    citizens. When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose
    leaders who pursue campaigns of terror. When people have hope in the
    future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism. So
    around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights, and
    human dignity. We're standing with dissidents and young democracies,
    providing AIDS medicine to dying patients--to bring dying patients back
    to life, and sparing mothers and babies from malaria. And this great
    republic, born alone in liberty, is leading the world toward a new age
    when freedom belongs to all nations.
        For 8 years, we've also strived to expand opportunity and hope here
    at home. Across our country, students are rising to meet higher
    standards in public schools. A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is
    bringing peace of mind to seniors and the disabled. Every taxpayer pays
    lower income taxes. The addicted and suffering are finding new hope
    through face--faith-based programs. Vulnerable human life is better
    protected. Funding for our veterans has nearly doubled. America's air
    and water and lands are measurably cleaner. And the Federal bench
    includes wise new members like Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.
        When challenges to our prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them.
    Facing the prospect of a financial collapse, we took decisive measures
    to safeguard our economy. These are very tough times for hard-working
    families. But the toll would be far worse if we had not acted. All
    Americans are in this together. And together, with determination and
    hard work, we will restore our economy to the path of growth. We will
    show the world once again the resilience of America's free enterprise
    system.
        Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced
    setbacks. And there are things I would do differently if given the
    chance. Yet I've always acted with the best interests of our country in
    mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right.
    You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made, but I
    hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.
        The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and
    there are some guiding principles that shape--should shape our course.
        While our Nation is safer than it was 7 years ago, the gravest
    threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are
    patient and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or
    deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities,
    and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our
    resolve. And we must never let down our guard.

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        At the same time, we must continue to engage the world with
    confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can
    be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject
    isolationism and its companion, protectionism. Retreating behind our
    borders would only invite danger. In the 21st century, security and
    prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America
    does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.
        As we address these challenges and others we cannot foresee tonight,
    America must maintain our moral clarity. I've often spoken to you about
    good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil
    are present in this world, and between the two there can be no
    compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every
    time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is
    eternally right. This Nation must continue to speak out for justice and
    truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance
    the cause of peace.
        President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, ``I like the dreams of the
    future better than the history of the past.'' As I leave the house he
    occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young
    country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And
    even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.
        I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the
    character of our people. This is a nation that inspires immigrants to
    risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a nation where
    citizens show calm in times of danger and compassion in the face of
    suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And
    Laura and I have invited some of them to join us
    in the White House this evening.
        We see America's character in Dr. Tony Recasner, a principal who opened a new charter school from the
    ruins of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in Julio Medina, a former inmate who leads a faith-based program to help
    prisoners returning to society. We see it in Staff Sergeant Aubrey
    McDade, who charged into an ambush in
    Iraq and rescued three of his fellow marines.
        We see America's character in Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California. His son Nathan, a marine, gave
    his life in Iraq. When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered
    some surprising news. He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical
    Corps in honor of his son. This good man was 60 years old, 18 years
    above the age limit. But his petition for a waiver was granted, and for
    the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine. Lieutenant
    Commander Krissoff could not be here tonight because he will soon deploy
    to Iraq, where he will help save America's wounded warriors and uphold
    the legacy of his fallen son.
        In citizens like these, we see the best of our country, resilient
    and hopeful, caring and strong. These virtues give me an unshakable
    faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there's more
    ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals,
    this great Nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.
        It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President.
    There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been
    inspired by the greatness of our country and uplifted by the goodness of
    our people. I have been blessed to represent this Nation we love. And I
    will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any
    other, citizen of the United States of America.
        And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time, good night. May God
    bless this house and our next President, and may God bless you and our
    wonderful country. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:01 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his

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    remarks, he referred to Malia and Natasha ``Sasha'' Obama, daughters of
    President-elect Barack Obama; Arlene Howard, mother of Port Authority
    police officer George Howard, who was killed at the World Trade Center
    on September 11, 2001; Anthony Recasner, principal, Samuel J. Green
    Charter School, New Orleans, LA; and Julio Medina, executive director,
    Exodus Transitional Community, New York City. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.