President George W. Bush delivers his fifth State
of the Union Address at the Capitol, Tuesday,
Jan. 31, 2006. Sitting behind Bush at
the podium are Vice President Dick Cheney
and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. | |
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President Bush urged the United States to
engage the international community as a means of building
prosperity, security, freedom and hope around the world
in his State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress and
the American people.
Speaking at the U.S. Capitol January 31,
Bush said that in the “decisive year” of 2006,
the United States must choose to exercise leadership in
the world in order to secure peace and protect its citizens.
“In a complex and challenging time,
the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad
and inviting – yet it ends in danger and decline.
The only way to protect our people … the only way
to secure the peace … the only way to control our
destiny is by our leadership – so the United States
of America will continue to lead,” Bush said.
Recalling U.S. global involvement in the
20th century, such as its fight against fascism and genocide
in World War II, and its support for democracies during
the Cold War, Bush said the United States “rejects
the false comfort of isolationism.”
Assuring both friends and enemies that the
United States “will not retreat from the world,”
and “will never surrender to evil,” Bush said
that the United States accepts “the call of history
to deliver the oppressed, and move this world toward peace.”
The president said his administration “is
committed to an historic, long-term goal – we seek
the end of tyranny in our world.” Dictatorships fuel
resentment and radicalism, shelter terrorists, and seek
to acquire weapons of mass destruction, he said.
“Democracies replace resentment with
hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors,
and join the fight against terror,” he said.
Repeating U.S. support for democratic reform
in the Middle East, Bush said democracy requires not only
elections, but also “the rule of law, protection of
minorities, and strong, accountable institutions that last
longer than a single vote.”
The president against called upon the new
Palestinian leaders in Hamas to recognize Israel, disarm
their militias, reject terrorism, and to work for lasting
peace.
On Iran, he repeated U.S. and international
opposition to allowing the country to obtain nuclear weapons,
but told the people of Iran that the United States respects
them and their country, as well as their right to win their
own freedom, saying the United States “hopes one day
to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic
Iran.”
Bush vowed to stay on the offensive against
terrorists and insurgents around the world, including those
in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying the United States “cannot
find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating
within our borders,” since that would “simply
move the battlefield to our own shores.”
He said the ultimate path to defeating terrorists
and their ideology will be to offer “the hopeful alternative
of political freedom and peaceful change."
Bush said the United States also must show
compassion by encouraging economic progress, fighting diseases
such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and “spreading hope
in hopeless lands.”
“[R]egions overwhelmed by poverty,
corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, organized
crime, human trafficking, and the drug trade,” he
said.
Bush, rejecting economic isolationism, warned
against complacency even though the American economy is
“pre-eminent.” He reminded his audience that
the global economy is dynamic and the United States has
new competitors such as India and China.
Protectionism, high taxes and measures discouraging
immigration are “forms of economic retreat,”
he said, and “lead in the same direction – toward
a stagnant and second-rate economy.”
At the beginning of his speech, the president
paid tribute to civil rights leader Coretta Scott King who
died earlier in the day, saying she “called America
to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream.”
(See related article.)
Saying the United States is “addicted
to oil,” the president proposed an advanced energy
initiative intended to increase funding for technological
research into alternative power sources and cleaner, more
fuel-efficient automobiles. (See White House fact
sheet.)
Bush also proposed the American Competitiveness
Initiative, designed to give U.S. schoolchildren more education
and grounding in mathematics and science. (See White House
fact
sheet.)
For additional information about the history
and significance of this address, see related
article.
Following is the transcript of President
Bush’s 2006 State of the Union Address:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 31, 2006
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
BY THE PRESIDENT
United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.
9:12 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Mr. Speaker,
Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, members of the
Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests,
and fellow citizens: Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful,
courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals
and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we are comforted by
the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was taken
so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta
Scott King. (Applause.)
Every time I'm invited to this rostrum,
I'm humbled by the privilege, and mindful of the history
we've seen together. We have gathered under this Capitol
dome in moments of national mourning and national achievement.
We have served America through one of the most consequential
periods of our history -- and it has been my honor to serve
with you.
In a system of two parties, two chambers,
and two elected branches, there will always be differences
and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a
civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden
into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must
act in a spirit of goodwill and respect for one another
-- and I will do my part. Tonight the state of our Union
is strong -- and together we will make it stronger. (Applause.)
In this decisive year, you and I will make
choices that determine both the future and the character
of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing
the enemies of freedom -- or retreat from our duties in
the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our
prosperity by leading the world economy -- or shut ourselves
off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging
time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem
broad and inviting -- yet it ends in danger and decline.
The only way to protect our people, the only way to secure
the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our
leadership -- so the United States of America will continue
to lead. (Applause.)
Abroad, our nation is committed to an historic,
long-term goal -- we seek the end of tyranny in our world.
Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality,
the future security of America depends on it. On September
the 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a
failed and oppressive state 7,000 miles away could bring
murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter
terrorists, and feed resentment and radicalism, and seek
weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment
with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their
neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step
toward freedom in the world makes our country safer -- so
we will act boldly in freedom's cause. (Applause.)
Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance
of freedom is the great story of our time. In 1945, there
were about two dozen lonely democracies in the world. Today,
there are 122. And we're writing a new chapter in the story
of self-government -- with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan,
and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple
ink, and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the
rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the
start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live
in democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half
-- in places like Syria and Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea,
and Iran -- because the demands of justice, and the peace
of this world, require their freedom, as well. (Applause.)
No one can deny the success of freedom,
but some men rage and fight against it. And one of the main
sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam -- the
perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of
terror and death. Terrorists like bin Laden are serious
about mass murder -- and all of us must take their declared
intentions seriously. They seek to impose a heartless system
of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East, and
arm themselves with weapons of mass murder.
Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and
use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America
and the world. Lacking the military strength to challenge
us directly, the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear.
When they murder children at a school in Beslan, or blow
up commuters in London, or behead a bound captive, the terrorists
hope these horrors will break our will, allowing the violent
to inherit the Earth. But they have miscalculated: We love
our freedom, and we will fight to keep it. (Applause.)
In a time of testing, we cannot find security
by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our
borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone,
they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the
battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in retreat.
And there is no honor in retreat. By allowing radical Islam
to work its will -- by leaving an assaulted world to fend
for itself -- we would signal to all that we no longer believe
in our own ideals, or even in our own courage. But our enemies
and our friends can be certain: The United States will not
retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil.
(Applause.)
America rejects the false comfort of isolationism.
We are the nation that saved liberty in Europe, and liberated
death camps, and helped raise up democracies, and faced
down an evil empire. Once again, we accept the call of history
to deliver the oppressed and move this world toward peace.
We remain on the offensive against terror networks. We have
killed or captured many of their leaders -- and for the
others, their day will come.
We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan,
where a fine President and a National Assembly are fighting
terror while building the institutions of a new democracy.
We're on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory.
First, we're helping Iraqis build an inclusive government,
so that old resentments will be eased and the insurgency
will be marginalized.
Second, we're continuing reconstruction
efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption
and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience
the benefits of freedom. And, third, we're striking terrorist
targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly
capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are showing their
courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in
the cause of freedom. (Applause.)
Our work in Iraq is difficult because our
enemy is brutal. But that brutality has not stopped the
dramatic progress of a new democracy. In less than three
years, the nation has gone from dictatorship to liberation,
to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections.
At the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting
off terrorist infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds,
and turning over territory to Iraqi security forces. I am
confident in our plan for victory; I am confident in the
will of the Iraqi people; I am confident in the skill and
spirit of our military. Fellow citizens, we are in this
fight to win, and we are winning. (Applause.)
The road of victory is the road that will
take our troops home. As we make progress on the ground,
and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be
able to further decrease our troop levels -- but those decisions
will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians
in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
Our coalition has learned from our experience
in Iraq. We've adjusted our military tactics and changed
our approach to reconstruction. Along the way, we have benefitted
from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members
of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will
continue to reach out and seek your good advice. Yet, there
is a difference between responsible criticism that aims
for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything
but failure. (Applause.) Hindsight alone is not wisdom,
and second-guessing is not a strategy. (Applause.)
With so much in the balance, those of us
in public office have a duty to speak with candor. A sudden
withdrawal of our forces from Iraq would abandon our Iraqi
allies to death and prison, would put men like bin Laden
and Zarqawi in charge of a strategic country, and show that
a pledge from America means little. Members of Congress,
however we feel about the decisions and debates of the past,
our nation has only one option: We must keep our word, defeat
our enemies, and stand behind the American military in this
vital mission. (Applause.)
Our men and women in uniform are making
sacrifices -- and showing a sense of duty stronger than
all fear. They know what it's like to fight house to house
in a maze of streets, to wear heavy gear in the desert heat,
to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who
know the costs also know the stakes. Marine Staff Sergeant
Dan Clay was killed last month fighting in Fallujah. He
left behind a letter to his family, but his words could
just as well be addressed to every American. Here is what
Dan wrote: "I know what honor is. … It has been
an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death
with the secure knowledge that you would not have to….
Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those
of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth
protecting."
Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's wife, Lisa, and
his mom and dad, Sara Jo and Bud, are with us this evening.
Welcome. (Applause.)
Our nation is grateful to the fallen, who
live in the memory of our country. We're grateful to all
who volunteer to wear our nation's uniform -- and as we
honor our brave troops, let us never forget the sacrifices
of America's military families. (Applause.)
Our offensive against terror involves more
than military action. Ultimately, the only way to defeat
the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred
and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political
freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America
supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East.
Elections are vital, but they are only the beginning. Raising
up a democracy requires the rule of law, and protection
of minorities, and strong, accountable institutions that
last longer than a single vote.
The great people of Egypt have voted in
a multi-party presidential election -- and now their government
should open paths of peaceful opposition that will reduce
the appeal of radicalism. The Palestinian people have voted
in elections. And now the leaders of Hamas must recognize
Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace.
(Applause.) Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps of reform
-- now it can offer its people a better future by pressing
forward with those efforts. Democracies in the Middle East
will not look like our own, because they will reflect the
traditions of their own citizens. Yet liberty is the future
of every nation in the Middle East, because liberty is the
right and hope of all humanity. (Applause.)
The same is true of Iran, a nation now held
hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and
repressing its people. The regime in that country sponsors
terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon
-- and that must come to an end. (Applause.) The Iranian
government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions,
and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian
regime to gain nuclear weapons. (Applause.) America will
continue to rally the world to confront these threats.
Tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens
of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country.
We respect your right to choose your own future and win
your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the
closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran. (Applause.)
To overcome dangers in our world, we must
also take the offensive by encouraging economic progress,
and fighting disease, and spreading hope in hopeless lands.
Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting enemies,
it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need.
We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the
God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS,
or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide,
or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion
abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption,
and despair are sources of terrorism, and organized crime,
and human trafficking, and the drug trade.
In recent years, you and I have taken unprecedented
action to fight AIDS and malaria, expand the education of
girls, and reward developing nations that are moving forward
with economic and political reform. For people everywhere,
the United States is a partner for a better life. Short-changing
these efforts would increase the suffering and chaos of
our world, undercut our long-term security, and dull the
conscience of our country. I urge members of Congress to
serve the interests of America by showing the compassion
of America.
Our country must also remain on the offensive
against terrorism here at home. The enemy has not lost the
desire or capability to attack us. Fortunately, this nation
has superb professionals in law enforcement, intelligence,
the military, and homeland security. These men and women
are dedicating their lives, protecting us all, and they
deserve our support and our thanks. (Applause.) They also
deserve the same tools they already use to fight drug trafficking
and organized crime -- so I ask you to reauthorize the Patriot
Act. (Applause.)
It is said that prior to the attacks of
September the 11th, our government failed to connect the
dots of the conspiracy. We now know that two of the hijackers
in the United States placed telephone calls to al Qaeda
operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans
until it was too late. So to prevent another attack –-
based on authority given to me by the Constitution and by
statute -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program
to aggressively pursue the international communications
of suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from
America. Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional
authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use
of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress have
been kept informed. The terrorist surveillance program has
helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to
the security of America. If there are people inside our
country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know about
it, because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.
(Applause.)
In all these areas -- from the disruption
of terror networks, to victory in Iraq, to the spread of
freedom and hope in troubled regions -- we need the support
of our friends and allies. To draw that support, we must
always be clear in our principles and willing to act. The
only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically
more dangerous and anxious world. Yet we also choose to
lead because it is a privilege to serve the values that
gave us birth. American leaders -- from Roosevelt to Truman
to Kennedy to Reagan -- rejected isolation and retreat,
because they knew that America is always more secure when
freedom is on the march.
Our own generation is in a long war against
a determined enemy -- a war that will be fought by Presidents
of both parties, who will need steady bipartisan support
from the Congress. And tonight I ask for yours. Together,
let us protect our country, support the men and women who
defend us, and lead this world toward freedom. (Applause.)
Here at home, America also has a great opportunity:
We will build the prosperity of our country by strengthening
our economic leadership in the world.
Our economy is healthy and vigorous, and
growing faster than other major industrialized nations.
In the last two-and-a-half years, America has created 4.6
million new jobs -- more than Japan and the European Union
combined. (Applause.) Even in the face of higher energy
prices and natural disasters, the American people have turned
in an economic performance that is the envy of the world.
The American economy is preeminent, but
we cannot afford to be complacent. In a dynamic world economy,
we are seeing new competitors, like China and India, and
this creates uncertainty, which makes it easier to feed
people's fears. So we're seeing some old temptations return.
Protectionists want to escape competition, pretending that
we can keep our high standard of living while walling off
our economy. Others say that the government needs to take
a larger role in directing the economy, centralizing more
power in Washington and increasing taxes. We hear claims
that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy -- even
though this economy could not function without them. (Applause.)
All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in
the same direction -- toward a stagnant and second-rate
economy.
Tonight I will set out a better path: an
agenda for a nation that competes with confidence; an agenda
that will raise standards of living and generate new jobs.
Americans should not fear our economic future, because we
intend to shape it.
Keeping America competitive begins with
keeping our economy growing. And our economy grows when
Americans have more of their own money to spend, save, and
invest. In the last five years, the tax relief you passed
has left $880 billion in the hands of American workers,
investors, small businesses, and families -- and they have
used it to help produce more than four years of uninterrupted
economic growth. (Applause.) Yet the tax relief is set to
expire in the next few years. If we do nothing, American
families will face a massive tax increase they do not expect
and will not welcome.
Because America needs more than a temporary
expansion, we need more than temporary tax relief. I urge
the Congress to act responsibly, and make the tax cuts permanent.
(Applause.)
Keeping America competitive requires us
to be good stewards of tax dollars. Every year of my presidency,
we've reduced the growth of non-security discretionary spending,
and last year you passed bills that cut this spending. This
year my budget will cut it again, and reduce or eliminate
more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not
fulfilling essential priorities. By passing these reforms,
we will save the American taxpayer another $14 billion next
year, and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.
(Applause.)
I am pleased that members of Congress are
working on earmark reform, because the federal budget has
too many special interest projects. (Applause.) And we can
tackle this problem together, if you pass the line-item
veto. (Applause.)
We must also confront the larger challenge
of mandatory spending, or entitlements. This year, the first
of about 78 million baby boomers turn 60, including two
of my Dad's favorite people -- me and President Clinton.
(Laughter.) This milestone is more than a personal crisis
-- (laughter) -- it is a national challenge. The retirement
of the baby boom generation will put unprecedented strains
on the federal government. By 2030, spending for Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid alone will be almost 60
percent of the entire federal budget. And that will present
future Congresses with impossible choices -- staggering
tax increases, immense deficits, or deep cuts in every category
of spending.
Congress did not act last year on my proposal
to save Social Security -- (applause) -- yet the rising
cost of entitlements is a problem that is not going away.
(Applause.) And every year we fail to act, the situation
gets worse.
So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating
a commission to examine the full impact of baby boom retirements
on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This commission
should include members of Congress of both parties, and
offer bipartisan solutions. We need to put aside partisan
politics and work together and get this problem solved.
(Applause.)
Keeping America competitive requires us
to open more markets for all that Americans make and grow.
One out of every five factory jobs in America is related
to global trade, and we want people everywhere to buy American.
With open markets and a level playing field, no one can
out-produce or out-compete the American worker. (Applause.)
Keeping America competitive requires an
immigration system that upholds our laws, reflects our values,
and serves the interests of our economy. Our nation needs
orderly and secure borders. (Applause.) To meet this goal,
we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border
protection. (Applause.) And we must have a rational, humane
guest worker program that rejects amnesty, allows temporary
jobs for people who seek them legally, and reduces smuggling
and crime at the border. (Applause.)
Keeping America competitive requires affordable
health care. (Applause.) Our government has a responsibility
to provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and
we are meeting that responsibility. (Applause.) For all
Americans -- for all Americans, we must confront the rising
cost of care, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship,
and help people afford the insurance coverage they need.
(Applause.)
We will make wider use of electronic records
and other health information technology, to help control
costs and reduce dangerous medical errors. We will strengthen
health savings accounts -- making sure individuals and small
business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages
that people working for big businesses now get. (Applause.)
We will do more to make this coverage portable, so workers
can switch jobs without having to worry about losing their
health insurance. (Applause.) And because lawsuits are driving
many good doctors out of practice -- leaving women in nearly
1,500 American counties without a single OB/GYN -- I ask
the Congress to pass medical liability reform this year.
(Applause.)
Keeping America competitive requires affordable
energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted
to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the
world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology.
Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop
cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources
-- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances.
So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy
Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research
-- at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs
in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and
offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired
plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean,
safe nuclear energy. (Applause.)
We must also change how we power our automobiles.
We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid
and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on
hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge
methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from
wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make
this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within
six years. (Applause.)
Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies
will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than
75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.
(Applause.) By applying the talent and technology of America,
this country can dramatically improve our environment, move
beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence
on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. (Applause.)
And to keep America competitive, one commitment
is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the world
in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage in
the world has always been our educated, hardworking, ambitious
people -- and we're going to keep that edge. Tonight I announce
an American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage innovation
throughout our economy, and to give our nation's children
a firm grounding in math and science. (Applause.)
First, I propose to double the federal commitment
to the most critical basic research programs in the physical
sciences over the next 10 years. This funding will support
the work of America's most creative minds as they explore
promising areas such as nanotechnology, supercomputing,
and alternative energy sources.
Second, I propose to make permanent the
research and development tax credit -- (applause) -- to
encourage bolder private-sector initiatives in technology.
With more research in both the public and private sectors,
we will improve our quality of life -- and ensure that America
will lead the world in opportunity and innovation for decades
to come. (Applause.)
Third, we need to encourage children to
take more math and science, and to make sure those courses
are rigorous enough to compete with other nations. We've
made a good start in the early grades with the No Child
Left Behind Act, which is raising standards and lifting
test scores across our country. Tonight I propose to train
70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced-placement courses
in math and science, bring 30,000 math and science professionals
to teach in classrooms, and give early help to students
who struggle with math, so they have a better chance at
good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children
succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds
in the world. (Applause.)
Preparing our nation to compete in the world
is a goal that all of us can share. I urge you to support
the American Competitiveness Initiative, and together we
will show the world what the American people can achieve.
America is a great force for freedom and
prosperity. Yet our greatness is not measured in power or
luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another.
So we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society.
In recent years, America has become a more
hopeful nation. Violent crime rates have fallen to their
lowest levels since the 1970s. Welfare cases have dropped
by more than half over the past decade. Drug use among youth
is down 19 percent since 2001. There are fewer abortions
in America than at any point in the last three decades,
and the number of children born to teenage mothers has been
falling for a dozen years in a row. (Applause.)
These gains are evidence of a quiet transformation
-- a revolution of conscience, in which a rising generation
is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life
of fulfillment. Government has played a role. Wise policies,
such as welfare reform and drug education and support for
abstinence and adoption have made a difference in the character
of our country. And everyone here tonight, Democrat and
Republican, has a right to be proud of this record. (Applause.)
Yet many Americans, especially parents,
still have deep concerns about the direction of our culture,
and the health of our most basic institutions. They're concerned
about unethical conduct by public officials, and discouraged
by activist courts that try to redefine marriage. They worry
about children in our society who need direction and love,
and about fellow citizens still displaced by natural disaster,
and about suffering caused by treatable diseases.
As we look at these challenges, we must
never give in to the belief that America is in decline,
or that our culture is doomed to unravel. The American people
know better than that. We have proven the pessimists wrong
before -- and we will do it again. (Applause.)
A hopeful society depends on courts that
deliver equal justice under the law. The Supreme Court now
has two superb new members -- new members on its bench:
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. (Applause.)
I thank the Senate for confirming both of them. I will continue
to nominate men and women who understand that judges must
be servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench.
(Applause.)
Today marks the official retirement of a
very special American. For 24 years of faithful service
to our nation, the United States is grateful to Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor. (Applause.)
A hopeful society has institutions of science
and medicine that do not cut ethical corners, and that recognize
the matchless value of every life. Tonight I ask you to
pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of
medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating
or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal
hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos.
Human life is a gift from our Creator -- and that gift should
never be discarded, devalued or put up for sale. (Applause.)
A hopeful society expects elected officials
to uphold the public trust. (Applause.) Honorable people
in both parties are working on reforms to strengthen the
ethical standards of Washington -- I support your efforts.
Each of us has made a pledge to be worthy of public responsibility
-- and that is a pledge we must never forget, never dismiss,
and never betray. (Applause.)
As we renew the promise of our institutions,
let us also show the character of America in our compassion
and care for one another.
A hopeful society gives special attention
to children who lack direction and love. Through the Helping
America's Youth Initiative, we are encouraging caring adults
to get involved in the life of a child -- and this good
work is being led by our First Lady, Laura Bush. (Applause.)
This year we will add resources to encourage young people
to stay in school, so more of America's youth can raise
their sights and achieve their dreams.
A hopeful society comes to the aid of fellow
citizens in times of suffering and emergency -- and stays
at it until they're back on their feet. So far the federal
government has committed $85 billion to the people of the
Gulf Coast and New Orleans. We're removing debris and repairing
highways and rebuilding stronger levees. We're providing
business loans and housing assistance. Yet as we meet these
immediate needs, we must also address deeper challenges
that existed before the storm arrived.
In New Orleans and in other places, many
of our fellow citizens have felt excluded from the promise
of our country. The answer is not only temporary relief,
but schools that teach every child, and job skills that
bring upward mobility, and more opportunities to own a home
and start a business. As we recover from a disaster, let
us also work for the day when all Americans are protected
by justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity. (Applause.)
A hopeful society acts boldly to fight diseases
like HIV/AIDS, which can be prevented, and treated, and
defeated. More than a million Americans live with HIV, and
half of all AIDS cases occur among African Americans. I
ask Congress to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act,
and provide new funding to states, so we end the waiting
lists for AIDS medicines in America. (Applause.) We will
also lead a nationwide effort, working closely with African
American churches and faith-based groups, to deliver rapid
HIV tests to millions, end the stigma of AIDS, and come
closer to the day when there are no new infections in America.
(Applause.)
Fellow citizens, we've been called to leadership
in a period of consequence. We've entered a great ideological
conflict we did nothing to invite. We see great changes
in science and commerce that will influence all our lives.
Sometimes it can seem that history is turning in a wide
arc, toward an unknown shore. Yet the destination of history
is determined by human action, and every great movement
of history comes to a point of choosing.
Lincoln could have accepted peace at the
cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King
could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved
only half a victory over segregation. The United States
could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and
been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having
come far in our own historical journey, we must decide:
Will we turn back, or finish well?
Before history is written down in books,
it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will
show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead
freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global
economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of
this land. And so we move forward -- optimistic about our
country, faithful to its cause, and confident of the victories
to come.
May God bless America. (Applause.)
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