[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 5 (Monday, February 3, 2003)]
[Pages 107-108]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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The President's Radio Address

January 25, 2003

    Good morning. This coming Tuesday, I will deliver the State of the 
Union Address to Congress and the American people. Our Nation faces many 
great challenges all at once. We will meet all of them with courage and 
steady purpose.
    In 2003, we must work to strengthen our economy, improve access to 
affordable, high-quality health care for all our seniors, encourage 
compassion at home and abroad, and defend our Nation against the threats 
of a new era. The war on terror is an ongoing priority for our Nation. 
We will take every measure that is necessary to protect the American 
people from terrorist groups and outlaw regimes. The world depends on 
America's strength and purpose, and we will meet our responsibilities 
for peace.
    Today I want to speak to you about a few key domestic priorities. 
When I address Congress, I will urge them to pass my plan to strengthen 
our economy and help more Americans find jobs. The tax relief already 
planned for later in this decade should be made effective this year, 
including income tax reduction, marriage penalty relief, and an increase 
in the child-tax credit. When Congress acts, I will direct the Treasury 
to return this money to taxpayers right away, which will provide 
immediate help to our economy.
    We can also lay the foundation for future prosperity by encouraging 
investment and helping Americans to prepare for the new jobs a growing 
economy will bring. I will ask Congress to eliminate the unfair double 
taxation of dividends and raise the deduction limit for small businesses 
that invest in new machinery and equipment. And to help unemployed 
workers find a job as soon as possible, I propose new reemployment 
accounts. These accounts will assist with the cost of finding work, 
including training and child care and moving expenses, and provide a 
cash bonus to workers who find a job quickly.
    Strengthening and improving Medicare is also a priority for my 
administration in the coming year. I will urge Congress to join me in 
keeping our commitment to America's seniors by working to modernize 
Medicare and include a prescription drug benefit to help seniors who are 
squeezed by rising drug prices. As a prosperous nation, we have an 
obligation to help Americans who are struggling to build better lives 
for themselves. So I will propose new initiatives to bring the work of 
faith-based and community groups to the needs of our fellow citizens. 
All of these priorities will be reflected in the budget I submit to 
Congress in early February.
    As we fund important priorities, however, we must also practice 
spending discipline in Washington. Spending restraint is important to 
economic growth and job creation. And it is critical to reducing the 
deficit caused by war and national emergency and recession. Under my 
budget, discretionary Federal spending will rise by 4 percent, about the 
same as the increase in family incomes. Government should not grow 
faster than workers' paychecks. Government should follow the example of 
American families by setting priorities and staying with them.
    In this session of Congress, we must work to make our Nation safer, 
more prosperous, and more compassionate. I look forward to working with 
the Republicans and Democrats in this important year for America and the 
world. Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 12:03 p.m. on January 24 in the 
Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 
25. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on January 24 but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.

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