Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives
The United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.
In Focus: State of the
Union 2005
9:10 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
Our generation has been blessed -- by the expansion of opportunity, by
advances in medicine, by the security purchased by our 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. (Applause.)
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 four years,
we 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care
more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage -- (applause)
-- and more control over their health decisions. (Applause.) 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
country, improved information technology to prevent medical error and needless
costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees --
(applause) -- expanded health savings accounts -- (applause) -- and medical
liability reform that will reduce health care costs and make sure patients have
the doctors and care they need. (Applause.)
To keep our economy growing, we also need
reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. (Applause.)
Nearly four 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.
(Applause.) My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and
improve the health of our citizens. (Applause.) And my budget provides strong
funding for leading-edge technology -- from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal,
to renewable sources such as ethanol. (Applause.) Four years of debate is
enough: I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and
less dependent on foreign energy. (Applause.)
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 pro-growth, easy
to understand, and fair to all. (Applause.)
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 hardworking 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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.) The
system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we
must join together to strengthen and save Social Security. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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
sixteen 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 sixteen workers paying in for every
beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers. And over the next few
decades that number will fall to just two 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.
If you have a five-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 20s, 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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 four
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 funds. It's time to extend the same security, and
choice, and ownership to young Americans. (Applause.)
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 re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children,
and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of
marriage. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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 -- (applause) -- 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 and
sold as a commodity. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) The Constitution also gives the
Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up or down vote.
(Applause.)
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 three-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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America
that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our
children all the freedoms we enjoy -- and chief among them is freedom from fear.
In the three and a half 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. (Applause.)
Our nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy
abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and continuing. The al
Qaeda 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. (Applause.)
Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror -- and I
thank the Congress for providing our servicemen 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. (Applause.)
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 Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my
administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat the
dangers of our time. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
That advance has great momentum in our time -- shown by women voting in
Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new 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. (Applause.)
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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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 servicemen and women have
survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do everything we can
to help them recover. (Applause.) 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 front line 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.'" 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. (Applause.)
In these four 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. (Applause.)
END 10:03 P.M. EST
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050202-11.html