For Immediate Release
Office of the Press
Secretary
January 23, 2007
President
Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
United States
Capitol
Washington, D.C.
State of the
Union 2007
State
of the Union 2007 Policy Initiatives
9:13 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. And tonight, I have a high privilege and
distinct honor of my own -- as the first President to begin the State of the
Union message with these words: Madam Speaker. (Applause.)
In his day, the late Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. from Baltimore,
Maryland, saw Presidents Roosevelt and Truman at this rostrum. But nothing could
compare with the sight of his only daughter, Nancy, presiding tonight as Speaker
of the House of Representatives. (Applause.) Congratulations, Madam Speaker.
(Applause.)
Two members of the House and Senate are not with us tonight, and we pray for
the recovery and speedy return of Senator Tim Johnson and Congressman Charlie
Norwood. (Applause.)
Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished
guests, and fellow citizens:
The rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour -- when decisions
are hard and courage is needed. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors
underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of
us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies --
and the wisdom to face them together.
Some in this chamber are new to the House and the Senate -- and I
congratulate the Democrat majority. (Applause.) Congress has changed, but not
our responsibilities. Each of us is guided by our own convictions -- and to
these we must stay faithful. Yet we're all held to the same standards, and
called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this nation's prosperity; to
spend the people's money wisely; to solve problems, not leave them to future
generations; to guard America against all evil; and to keep faith with those we
have sent forth to defend us. (Applause.)
We're not the first to come here with a government divided and uncertainty in
the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and achieve
big things for the American people. Our citizens don't much care which side of
the aisle we sit on -- as long as we're willing to cross that aisle when there
is work to be done. (Applause.) Our job is to make life better for our fellow
Americans, and to help them to build a future of hope and opportunity -- and
this is the business before us tonight.
A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy -- and that is
what we have. We're now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth, in a
recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs -- so far. Unemployment is low,
inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move, and our job
is to keep it that way, not with more government, but with more enterprise.
(Applause.)
Next week, I'll deliver a full report on the state of our economy. Tonight, I
want to discuss three economic reforms that deserve to be priorities for this
Congress.
First, we must balance the federal budget. (Applause.) We can do so without
raising taxes. (Applause.) What we need is impose spending discipline in
Washington, D.C. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009, and met
that goal three years ahead of schedule. (Applause.) Now let us take the next
step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the federal
deficit within the next five years. (Applause.) I ask you to make the same
commitment. Together, we can restrain the spending appetite of the federal
government, and we can balance the federal budget. (Applause.)
Next, there is the matter of earmarks. These special interest items are often
slipped into bills at the last hour -- when not even C-SPAN is watching.
(Laughter.) In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and
totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of earmarks never make
it to the floor of the House and Senate -- they are dropped into committee
reports that are not even part of the bill that arrives on my desk. You didn't
vote them into law. I didn't sign them into law. Yet, they're treated as if they
have the force of law. The time has come to end this practice. So let us work
together to reform the budget process, expose every earmark to the light of day
and to a vote in Congress, and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in
half by the end of this session. (Applause.)
And, finally, to keep this economy strong we must take on the challenge of
entitlements. Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of
conscience, and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound. Yet, we're
failing in that duty. And this failure will one day leave our children with
three bad options: huge tax increases, huge deficits, or huge and immediate cuts
in benefits. Everyone in this chamber knows this to be true -- yet somehow we
have not found it in ourselves to act. So let us work together and do it now.
With enough good sense and goodwill, you and I can fix Medicare and Medicaid --
and save Social Security. (Applause.)
Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that
give children the knowledge and character they need in life. Five years ago, we
rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, preserving
local control, raising standards, and holding those schools accountable for
results. And because we acted, students are performing better in reading and
math, and minority students are closing the achievement gap.
Now the task is to build on the success, without watering down standards,
without taking control from local communities, and without backsliding and
calling it reform. We can lift student achievement even higher by giving local
leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools, and by giving families with
children stuck in failing schools the right to choose someplace better.
(Applause.) We must increase funds for students who struggle -- and make sure
these children get the special help they need. (Applause.) And we can make sure
our children are prepared for the jobs of the future and our country is more
competitive by strengthening math and science skills. The No Child Left Behind
Act has worked for America's children -- and I ask Congress to reauthorize this
good law. (Applause.)
A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have
affordable and available health care. (Applause.) When it comes to health care,
government has an obligation to care for the elderly, the disabled, and poor
children. And we will meet those responsibilities. For all other Americans,
private health insurance is the best way to meet their needs. (Applause.) But
many Americans cannot afford a health insurance policy.
And so tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford
their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health
insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families
with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or payroll taxes on
$15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no
income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than
100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided
insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. At the same time, this reform will
level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their
job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal
would mean a substantial tax savings -- $4,500 for a family of four making
$60,000 a year. And for the millions of other Americans who have no health
insurance at all, this deduction would help put a basic private health insurance
plan within their reach. Changing the tax code is a vital and necessary step to
making health care affordable for more Americans. (Applause.)
My second proposal is to help the states that are coming up with innovative
ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance
available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to help them
provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have asked the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to work with Congress to take existing federal funds
and use them to create "Affordable Choices" grants. These grants would give our
nation's governors more money and more flexibility to get private health
insurance to those most in need.
There are many other ways that Congress can help. We need to expand Health
Savings Accounts. (Applause.) We need to help small businesses through
Association Health Plans. (Applause.) We need to reduce costs and medical errors
with better information technology. (Applause.) We will encourage price
transparency. And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we passing medical
liability reform. (Applause.) In all we do, we must remember that the best
health care decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by
patients and their doctors. (Applause.)
Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration system
worthy of America -- with laws that are fair and borders that are secure. When
laws and borders are routinely violated, this harms the interests of our
country. To secure our border, we're doubling the size of the Border Patrol, and
funding new infrastructure and technology.
Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we
take pressure off the border -- and that requires a temporary worker program. We
should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our
country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won't have to try to
sneak in, and that will leave Border Agents free to chase down drug smugglers
and criminals and terrorists. (Applause.) We'll enforce our immigration laws at
the work site and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their
workers, so there's no excuse left for violating the law. (Applause.)
We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and
assimilates new arrivals. (Applause.) We need to resolve the status of the
illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without
amnesty. (Applause.) Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it comes to
immigration. Let us have a serious, civil, and conclusive debate, so that you
can pass, and I can sign, comprehensive immigration reform into law. (Applause.)
Extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that
keeps America's economy running and America's environment clean. For too long
our nation has been dependent on foreign oil. And this dependence leaves us more
vulnerable to hostile regimes, and to terrorists -- who could cause huge
disruptions of oil shipments, and raise the price of oil, and do great harm to
our economy.
It's in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply -- the way
forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America
generates electric power, by even greater use of clean coal technology, solar
and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power. (Applause.) We need to press on
with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles, and expand the use of
clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel. (Applause.) We must continue investing
in new methods of producing ethanol -- (applause) -- using everything from wood
chips to grasses, to agricultural wastes.
We made a lot of progress, thanks to good policies here in Washington and the
strong response of the market. And now even more dramatic advances are within
reach. Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. Let us build
on the work we've done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20
percent in the next 10 years. (Applause.) When we do that we will have cut our
total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import
from the Middle East.
To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by
setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable
and alternative fuels in 2017 -- and that is nearly five times the current
target. (Applause.) At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel
economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks -- and conserve up to
8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.
Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on
foreign oil, but it's not going to eliminate it. And so as we continue to
diversify our fuel supply, we must step up domestic oil production in
environmentally sensitive ways. (Applause.) And to further protect America
against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the
current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Applause.)
America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to
live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be
better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the
serious challenge of global climate change. (Applause.)
A future of hope and opportunity requires a fair, impartial system of
justice. The lives of our citizens across our nation are affected by the outcome
of cases pending in our federal courts. We have a shared obligation to ensure
that the federal courts have enough judges to hear those cases and deliver
timely rulings. As President, I have a duty to nominate qualified men and women
to vacancies on the federal bench. And the United States Senate has a duty, as
well, to give those nominees a fair hearing, and a prompt up-or-down vote on the
Senate floor. (Applause.)
For all of us in this room, there is no higher responsibility than to protect
the people of this country from danger. Five years have come and gone since we
saw the scenes and felt the sorrow that the terrorists can cause. We've had time
to take stock of our situation. We've added many critical protections to guard
the homeland. We know with certainty that the horrors of that September morning
were just a glimpse of what the terrorists intend for us -- unless we stop them.
With the distance of time, we find ourselves debating the causes of conflict
and the course we have followed. Such debates are essential when a great
democracy faces great questions. Yet one question has surely been settled: that
to win the war on terror we must take the fight to the enemy. (Applause.)
From the start, America and our allies have protected our people by staying
on the offense. The enemy knows that the days of comfortable sanctuary, easy
movement, steady financing, and free flowing communications are long over. For
the terrorists, life since 9/11 has never been the same.
Our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not happen.
We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have
prevented, but here is some of what we do know: We stopped an al Qaeda plot to
fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the West Coast. We broke up
a Southeast Asian terror cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United
States. We uncovered an al Qaeda cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks
against America. And just last August, British authorities uncovered a plot to
blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean. For each
life saved, we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote
their lives to finding the terrorists and stopping them. (Applause.)
Every success against the terrorists is a reminder of the shoreless ambitions
of this enemy. The evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in
the world. And so long as that's the case, America is still a nation at war.
In the mind of the terrorist, this war began well before September the 11th,
and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these past five
years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy. Al Qaeda
and its followers are Sunni extremists, possessed by hatred and commanded by a
harsh and narrow ideology. Take almost any principle of civilization, and their
goal is the opposite. They preach with threats, instruct with bullets and bombs,
and promise paradise for the murder of the innocent.
Our enemies are quite explicit about their intentions. They want to overthrow
moderate governments, and establish safe havens from which to plan and carry out
new attacks on our country. By killing and terrorizing Americans, they want to
force our country to retreat from the world and abandon the cause of liberty.
They would then be free to impose their will and spread their totalitarian
ideology. Listen to this warning from the late terrorist Zarqawi: "We will
sacrifice our blood and bodies to put an end to your dreams, and what is coming
is even worse." Osama bin Laden declared: "Death is better than living on this
Earth with the unbelievers among us."
These men are not given to idle words, and they are just one camp in the
Islamist radical movement. In recent times, it has also become clear that we
face an escalating danger from Shia extremists who are just as hostile to
America, and are also determined to dominate the Middle East. Many are known to
take direction from the regime in Iran, which is funding and arming terrorists
like Hezbollah -- a group second only to al Qaeda in the American lives it has
taken.
The Shia and Sunni extremists are different faces of the same totalitarian
threat. Whatever slogans they chant, when they slaughter the innocent they have
the same wicked purposes. They want to kill Americans, kill democracy in the
Middle East, and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific scale.
In the sixth year since our nation was attacked, I wish I could report to you
that the dangers had ended. They have not. And so it remains the policy of this
government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence, diplomacy, law
enforcement, and military action to do our duty, to find these enemies, and to
protect the American people. (Applause.)
This war is more than a clash of arms -- it is a decisive ideological
struggle, and the security of our nation is in the balance. To prevail, we must
remove the conditions that inspire blind hatred, and drove 19 men to get onto
airplanes and to come and kill us. What every terrorist fears most is human
freedom
-- societies where men and women make their own choices, answer to their own
conscience, and live by their hopes instead of their resentments. Free people
are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies -- and most will choose a
better way when they're given a chance. So we advance our own security interests
by helping moderates and reformers and brave voices for democracy. The great
question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle
East to build free societies and share in the rights of all humanity. And I say,
for the sake of our own security, we must. (Applause.)
In the last two years, we've seen the desire for liberty in the broader
Middle East -- and we have been sobered by the enemy's fierce reaction. In 2005,
the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon raised the banner of the Cedar
Revolution, they drove out the Syrian occupiers and chose new leaders in free
elections. In 2005, the people of Afghanistan defied the terrorists and elected
a democratic legislature. And in 2005, the Iraqi people held three national
elections, choosing a transitional government, adopting the most progressive,
democratic constitution in the Arab world, and then electing a government under
that constitution. Despite endless threats from the killers in their midst,
nearly 12 million Iraqi citizens came out to vote in a show of hope and
solidarity that we should never forget. (Applause.)
A thinking enemy watched all of these scenes, adjusted their tactics, and in
2006 they struck back. In Lebanon, assassins took the life of Pierre Gemayel, a
prominent participant in the Cedar Revolution. Hezbollah terrorists, with
support from Syria and Iran, sowed conflict in the region and are seeking to
undermine Lebanon's legitimately elected government. In Afghanistan, Taliban and
al Qaeda fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging Afghan and
NATO forces. In Iraq, al Qaeda and other Sunni extremists blew up one of the
most sacred places in Shia Islam -- the Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity,
directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from
Iraqi Shia -- and it succeeded. Radical Shia elements, some of whom receive
support from Iran, formed death squads. The result was a tragic escalation of
sectarian rage and reprisal that continues to this day.
This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we're in. Every
one of us wishes this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to
leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk.
(Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within
our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve, and turn
events toward victory. (Applause.)
We're carrying out a new strategy in Iraq -- a plan that demands more from
Iraq's elected government, and gives our forces in Iraq the reinforcements they
need to complete their mission. Our goal is a democratic Iraq that upholds the
rule of law, respects the rights of its people, provides them security, and is
an ally in the war on terror.
In order to make progress toward this goal, the Iraqi government must stop
the sectarian violence in its capital. But the Iraqis are not yet ready to do
this on their own. So we're deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000
additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq. The vast majority will go to Baghdad,
where they will help Iraqi forces to clear and secure neighborhoods, and serve
as advisers embedded in Iraqi Army units. With Iraqis in the lead, our forces
will help secure the city by chasing down the terrorists, insurgents, and the
roaming death squads. And in Anbar Province, where al Qaeda terrorists have
gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them, we're
sending an additional 4,000 United States Marines, with orders to find the
terrorists and clear them out. (Applause.) We didn't drive al Qaeda out of their
safe haven in Afghanistan only to let them set up a new safe haven in a free
Iraq.
The people of Iraq want to live in peace, and now it's time for their
government to act. Iraq's leaders know that our commitment is not open-ended.
They have promised to deploy more of their own troops to secure Baghdad -- and
they must do so. They pledged that they will confront violent radicals of any
faction or political party -- and they need to follow through, and lift needless
restrictions on Iraqi and coalition forces, so these troops can achieve their
mission of bringing security to all of the people of Baghdad. Iraq's leaders
have committed themselves to a series of benchmarks -- to achieve
reconciliation, to share oil revenues among all of Iraq's citizens, to put the
wealth of Iraq into the rebuilding of Iraq, to allow more Iraqis to re-enter
their nation's civic life, to hold local elections, and to take responsibility
for security in every Iraqi province. But for all of this to happen, Baghdad
must be secure. And our plan will help the Iraqi government take back its
capital and make good on its commitments.
My fellow citizens, our military commanders and I have carefully weighed the
options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this course
of action because it provides the best chance for success. Many in this chamber
understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you understand that the
consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching.
If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government
would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle
between Shia extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al Qaeda
and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill out across
the country -- and in time, the entire region could be drawn into the conflict.
For America, this is a nightmare scenario. For the enemy, this is the
objective. Chaos is the greatest ally -- their greatest ally in this struggle.
And out of chaos in Iraq would emerge an emboldened enemy with new safe havens,
new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America.
To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September the 11th and
invite tragedy. Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more important at this moment
in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in
Iraq and to spare the American people from this danger. (Applause.)
This is where matters stand tonight, in the here and now. I have spoken with
many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you've made. We went into
this largely united, in our assumptions and in our convictions. And whatever you
voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is pursuing a new strategy
in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work. And I ask you to support our
troops in the field, and those on their way. (Applause.)
The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will
continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others. And that's
why it's important to work together so our nation can see this great effort
through. Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. It's
why I propose to establish a special advisory council on the war on terror, made
up of leaders in Congress from both political parties. We will share ideas for
how to position America to meet every challenge that confronts us. We'll show
our enemies abroad that we are united in the goal of victory.
And one of the first steps we can take together is to add to the ranks of our
military so that the American Armed Forces are ready for all the challenges
ahead. (Applause.) Tonight I ask the Congress to authorize an increase in the
size of our active Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in the next five years.
(Applause.) A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a
volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would function much like our
military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to
hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America
needs them. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a
chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.
Americans can have confidence in the outcome of this struggle because we're
not in this struggle alone. We have a diplomatic strategy that is rallying the
world to join in the fight against extremism. In Iraq, multinational forces are
operating under a mandate from the United Nations. We're working with Jordan and
Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the Gulf States to increase support for Iraq's
government.
The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran, and made it clear that the
world will not allow the regime in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.
(Applause.) With the other members of the Quartet -- the U.N., the European
Union, and Russia -- we're pursuing diplomacy to help bring peace to the Holy
Land, and pursuing the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state living
side-by-side with Israel in peace and security. (Applause.) In Afghanistan, NATO
has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and al Qaeda offensive -- the
first time the Alliance has deployed forces outside the North Atlantic area.
Together with our partners in China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, we're
pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear
weapons. (Applause.)
We will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba,
Belarus, and Burma -- and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save
the people of Darfur. (Applause.)
American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work
in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is
required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger and poverty and
disease -- and that is precisely what America is doing. We must continue to
fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa. (Applause.) Because you
funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving
life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in three short
years. I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. I ask you to
provide $1.2 billion over five years so we can combat malaria in 15 African
countries. (Applause.)
I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid
reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise and
corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded trade and
debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and eliminating poverty.
(Applause.)
When America serves others in this way, we show the strength and generosity
of our country. These deeds reflect the character of our people. The greatest
strength we have is the heroic kindness, courage, and self-sacrifice of the
American people. You see this spirit often if you know where to look -- and
tonight we need only look above to the gallery.
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa, amid great poverty and disease. He came to
Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine -- but Coach John
Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. (Laughter.) Dikembe
became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never
forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his blessings with others. He
built a brand new hospital in his old hometown. A friend has said of this
good-hearted man: "Mutombo believes that God has given him this opportunity to
do great things." And we are proud to call this son of the Congo a citizen of
the United States of America. (Applause.)
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share
her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and
began filming children's videos in her basement. The Baby Einstein Company was
born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in
sales. In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to the Walt Disney Company,
and with her help Baby Einstein has grown into a $200 million business. Julie
represents the great enterprising spirit of America. And she is using her
success to help others -- producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new
project: "I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I
believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe." And so
tonight, we are pleased to welcome this talented business entrepreneur and
generous social entrepreneur -- Julie Aigner-Clark. (Applause.)
Three weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with
his two little girls, when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With
seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space
between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He
insists he's not a hero. He says: "We got guys and girls overseas dying for us
to have our freedoms. We have got to show each other some love." There is
something wonderful about a country that produces a brave and humble man like
Wesley Autrey. (Applause.)
Tommy Rieman was a teenager pumping gas in Independence, Kentucky, when he
enlisted in the United States Army. In December 2003, he was on a reconnaissance
mission in Iraq when his team came under heavy enemy fire. From his Humvee,
Sergeant Rieman returned fire; he used his body as a shield to protect his
gunner. He was shot in the chest and arm, and received shrapnel wounds to his
legs -- yet he refused medical attention, and stayed in the fight. He helped to
repel a second attack, firing grenades at the enemy's position. For his
exceptional courage, Sergeant Rieman was awarded the Silver Star. And like so
many other Americans who have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the
respect and the gratitude of our entire country. (Applause.)
In such courage and compassion, ladies and gentlemen, we see the spirit and
character of America -- and these qualities are not in short supply. This is a
decent and honorable country -- and resilient, too. We've been through a lot
together. We've met challenges and faced dangers, and we know that more lie
ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence -- because the State of our Union
is strong, our cause in the world is right, and tonight that cause goes on. God
bless. (Applause.)
See you next year. Thank you for your prayers.
END 10:02 P.M. EST
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