[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 25 (Monday, June 27, 2005)]
[Pages 1026-1027]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

June 18, 2005

    Good morning. Today, we face two issues of vital importance for all 
Americans, growing our economy and protecting our citizens from those 
who wish to do us harm. So in the weeks ahead, I will continue to focus 
on ways to ensure that our Government takes the side of working families 
and that America prevails in the war on terror. As we take the steps 
necessary to achieve these goals, we will make our future one of peace 
and prosperity.
    Today, we have good reason to be optimistic about our economy. More 
Americans are working today than at any time in our history. More 
Americans own their homes than at any time in our history. More 
Americans are going to college and own their own businesses than at any 
time in our history. And a new economic report shows that inflation is 
in check. Our policies have put us on the track to growth, but leaders 
in Washington must not become complacent. We need to work together to 
ensure that opportunity reaches every corner of our great country.
    Delivering opportunity means allowing families to keep more of the 
money they earn. So we enacted the largest tax relief in a generation. 
That is only a beginning. You need a reformed Tax Code that is simple, 
fair, and easy to understand and rewards your hard work and 
entrepreneurial spirit. And Congress needs to do its part by making the 
tax relief we passed permanent and burying the death tax forever.
    Delivering opportunity also means adapting to the needs of a new 
century. In this new century, American prosperity will increasingly 
depend on our ability to sell our goods and services overseas, so we 
need to pass initiatives like the Central American-Dominican Republic 
Free Trade Agreement to create a level playing field for American 
farmers and small businesses. In this new century, Americans require a 
reliable and affordable supply of energy. I proposed a comprehensive 
energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In this new 
century, Americans need to know that if they work hard their whole 
lives, they will retire with dignity, so we're working to save Social 
Security to ensure that the next generation of retirees will be as 
secure in their retirement as today's generation.
    As we work to deliver opportunity at home, we're also keeping you 
safe from threats from abroad. We went to war because we were attacked, 
and we are at war today because there are still people out there who 
want to harm our country and hurt our citizens. Some may disagree with 
my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree 
that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the 
war on terror. These foreign terrorists violently oppose the rise of a 
free and democratic Iraq, because they know that when we replace despair 
and hatred with liberty and

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hope, they lose their recruiting grounds for terror.
    Our troops are fighting these terrorists in Iraq so you will not 
have to face them here at home. We mourn every one of these brave men 
and women who have given his or her life for our liberty. The terrorists 
know they cannot defeat our troops, so they seek to weaken our Nation's 
resolve. They know there is no room for them in a free and democratic 
Middle East, so the terrorists and insurgents are trying to get us to 
retreat. Their goal is to get us to leave before Iraqis have had a 
chance to show the region what a Government that is elected and truly 
accountable to its citizens can do for its people.
    Time and again, the Iraqi people have defied the skeptics who claim 
they are not up to the job of building a free society. Nearly a year 
ago, Iraqis showed they were ready to resume sovereignty. A few months 
ago, Iraqis showed they could hold free elections. This week, Iraqis 
have worked on an agreement to expand their constitutional drafting 
committee to ensure that all communities are represented in the process. 
I am confident that Iraqis will continue to defy the skeptics if they 
build a new Iraq that represents the diversity of their nation and 
assumes greater responsibility for their own security. And when they do, 
our troops can come home with the honor they have earned.
    This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight. 
We're fighting a ruthless enemy that relishes the killing of innocent 
men, women, and children. By making their stand in Iraq, the terrorists 
have made Iraq a vital test for the future security of our country and 
the free world. We will settle for nothing less than victory.
    I'll continue to act to keep our people safe from harm and our 
future bright. Together we will do what Americans have always done, 
build a better and more peaceful world for our children and 
grandchildren.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:39 a.m. on June 17 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 18. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 18 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his 
remarks, the President referred to former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of this address.