President
Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address February
2, saying the January 30 elections for Iraq’s national
assembly “opens a new phase” of U.S. involvement
in the country as the United States increasingly focuses
its efforts toward training and preparing Iraq’s security
forces.
“[W]e will increasingly focus our
efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces
– forces with skilled officers, and an effective command
structure,” Bush said in his address to members of
Congress, his cabinet, and the American people.
He said U.S. and coalition forces will more
and more play a “supporting role” as Iraqi forces
become more self-reliant and assume greater security responsibilities.
However, the president said he would not set a timetable
for withdrawing U.S. forces from the country “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,” Bush said.
He said his administration’s commitment
to advancing global freedom, particularly in the Middle
East, “is now being tested and honored in Iraq.”
The president said he expected success because,
by voting in elections, the Iraqi people showed the world
that they “value their own liberty.”
“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,” he said, and paid special
tribute to Iraqi democracy and human rights advocate Safia
Taleb al-Suhail, who attended the speech as the guest of
First Lady Laura Bush.
The president said that, in the long term,
global peace can only be achieved by “eliminating
the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder,”
and ending tyranny through “the force of human freedom.”
“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,” Bush said.
“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,”
he said.
The United States will promote peace and
stability in the Middle East by working with its friends
in the region “to fight the common threat of terror,
while we encourage a higher standard of freedom,”
he said.
President Bush also said the goal of having
two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting
peacefully, “is within reach” and that the United
States “will help them achieve that goal.”
He said he will ask Congress for $350 million
to support Palestinian political, economic, and security
reforms.
The president also pledged to build international
coalitions to “defeat the dangers of our time”
during his second term in office. He called upon Syria to
end its support for terrorism and to allow greater freedom
and described Iran as “the world's primary state sponsor
of terror.”
He said the United States was working with
its European allies to end Iran’s pursuit of nuclear
weapons and support for terror, but told the Iranian people,
“As you stand for your own liberty, America stands
with you.”
The first half of the president’s
speech largely concerned domestic U.S. issues, particularly
the Social Security pension plan, which he said “is
headed toward bankruptcy” by the year 2042 and would
need higher taxes, massive government borrowing or benefit
cuts in order to survive.
Bush called on members of Congress to “join
together” to permanently strengthen and save the pension
program by candidly reviewing the options. “I will
work with members of Congress to find the most effective
combination of reforms,” he said.
With the goal of “greater security
in retirement,” Bush called for the establishment
of voluntary personal retirement accounts, which would allow
individuals to invest a portion of their social security
contributions to allow their money to grow “at a greater
rate than anything the current system can deliver.”
The president also called for immigration
reform which would permit temporary guest workers to “fill
jobs Americans will not take,” and would allow U.S.
authorities to better track who is entering and leaving
the United States.
Following is the text of President Bush’s
State of the Union address, as delivered:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
February 2, 2005
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives
The United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.
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.)
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STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS 
WHITE HOUSE VIDEO 