Thank you very much. And tonight I have the 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. 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. Congratulations, Madam Speaker. 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. 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. 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. 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 we can 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. Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans and to help them 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, a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs so far. Unemployment is low; inflation is low; 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. 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. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need is spending discipline in Washington, DC. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and met that goal 3 years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the Federal deficit within the next 5 years. 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. 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. [ ] In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of the 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. 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 good will, you and I can fix Medicare and Medicaid and save Social Security. 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 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. We must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need. 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. A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have affordable and available health care. 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. 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. 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. We need to help small businesses through association health plans. We need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology. We will encourage price transparency. And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we need to pass medical liability reform. In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies but by patients and their doctors. 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. We'll enforce our immigration laws at the worksite and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers, so there's no excuse left for violating the law. We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals. We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty. 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. 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. 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. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol, 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. 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. 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 ⁄2 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Qaida 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 Qaida 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. 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 terrorists, this war began well before September the 11th and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these past 5 years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy. Al Qaida 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." Usama 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 Shi'a 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 Hizballah, a group second only to Al Qaida in the American lives it has taken. The Shi'a 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 have 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. 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. In the last 2 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. 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. Hizballah 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 Qaida fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging Afghan and NATO forces. In Iraq, Al Qaida and other Sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in Shi'a Islam, the Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shi'a, and it succeeded. Radical Shi'a 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. 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. 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 Qaida 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. We didn't drive Al Qaida 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 reenter 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 Shi'a extremists backed by Iran and Sunni extremists aided by Al Qaida 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. 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. 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've proposed 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. 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 5 years. 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. With the other members of the Quartet—the U.N., the EU, 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. In Afghanistan, NATO has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and Al Qaida offensive, the first time the Alliance has deployed forces outside the North Atlantic area. Together with our partners in China and Japan, Russia and South Korea, we're pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. 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. 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. Because you funded the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving lifesaving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in 3 short years. I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, and I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over 5 years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries. 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. 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 and 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 took a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. [ ] 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. 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 5 years, her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to 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 is the most important thing 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. 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. 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. 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. See you next year. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you very much. And tonight I have the 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. 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. Congratulations, Madam Speaker. 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. 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. 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 are 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. We are 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 we can achieve big things for the American people. Our citizens do not much care which side of the aisle we sit on, as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done. Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans and to help them 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 are now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth, a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs so far. Unemployment is low; inflation is low; 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. Next week, I will 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. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need is spending discipline in Washington, DC. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and met that goal 3 years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the Federal deficit within the next 5 years. 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. 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. [ ] In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of the 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 did not vote them into law, I did not sign them into law, yet they are 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. 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 are 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 good will, you and I can fix Medicare and Medicaid and save Social Security. 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 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. We must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need. 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. A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have affordable and available health care. 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. 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. 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. We need to help small businesses through association health plans. We need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology. We will encourage price transparency. And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we need to pass medical liability reform. In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies but by patients and their doctors. 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 are 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 will not have to try to sneak in, and that will leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists. We will enforce our immigration laws at the worksite and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers, so there is no excuse left for violating the law. We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals. We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty. 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. 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 because huge disruptions of oil shipments and raise the price of oil and do great harm to our economy. It is 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. 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. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol, 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 have done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next 10 years. 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. 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 ⁄2 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017. Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but it is 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 because. We have had time to take stock of our situation. We have 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. 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 Qaida 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 Qaida 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. 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 is the case, America is still a nation at war. In the mind of the terrorists, this war began well before September the 11th and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these past 5 years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy. Al Qaida 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 because 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." Usama 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 Shi'a 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 Hizballah, a group second only to Al Qaida in the American lives it has taken. The Shi'a 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 have 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. 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 are 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. In the last 2 years, we have 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. 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. Hizballah 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 Qaida fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging Afghan and NATO forces. In Iraq, Al Qaida and other Sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in Shi'a Islam, the Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shi'a, and it succeeded. Radical Shi'a 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 are 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. 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. We are 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 are 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 Qaida terrorists have gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them, we are sending an additional 4,000 United States marines, with orders to find the terrorists and clear them out. We did not drive Al Qaida 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 is 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 reenter 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 Shi'a extremists backed by Iran and Sunni extremists aided by Al Qaida 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. 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 have 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. 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 is why it is important to work together so our Nation can see this great effort through. Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. It is why I have proposed 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 will 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. 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 5 years. 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 are 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 are 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. With the other members of the Quartet—the YOU.N., the EU, and Russia—we are 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. In Afghanistan, NATO has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and Al Qaida offensive, the first time the Alliance has deployed forces outside the North Atlantic area. Together with our partners in China and Japan, Russia and South Korea, we are pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. We will continue to speak out for the because of freedom in places like Cuba, Belarus, and Burma, and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur. 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. Because you funded the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving lifesaving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in 3 short years. I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, and I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over 5 years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries. 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. 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 and 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 took a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. [ ] 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. 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 5 years, her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to 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 is the most important thing 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. 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 is 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. 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. 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 have been through a lot together. We have 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 because in the world is right; and tonight that because goes on. God bless. See you next year. Thank you for your prayers.
thank you very much and tonight i have the 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 in his day the late congressman thomas 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 congratulations madam speaker 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 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 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 are all held to the same standards and called to serve the same good purposes to extend this nation prosperity to spend the people 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 we are 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 we can achieve big things for the american people our citizens do not much care which side of the aisle we sit on as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done our job is to make life better for our fellow americans and to help them 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 are now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth a recovery that has created million new jobs so far unemployment is low inflation is low 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 next week i will 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 we can do so without raising taxes what we need is spending discipline in washington dc we set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and met that goal 3 years ahead of schedule now let us take the next step in the coming weeks i will submit a budget that eliminates the federal deficit within the next 5 years 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 next there is the matter of earmarks these special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour when not even is watching in 2005 alone the number of earmarks grew to over and totaled nearly 18 billion even worse over 90 percent of the 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 did not vote them into law i did not sign them into law yet they are 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 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 are 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 good will you and i can fix medicare and medicaid and save social security 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 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 we must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need 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 children and i ask congress to reauthorize this good law a future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have affordable and available health care 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 but many americans can not 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 payroll taxes on of their income single americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on of their income with this reform more than 100 million men women and children who are now covered by 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 for a family of four making 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 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 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 we need to help small businesses through association health plans we need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology we will encourage price transparency and to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits we need to pass medical liability reform in all we do we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies but by patients and their doctors 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 are doubling the size of the border patrol and funding new infrastructure and technology yet even with all these steps we can not fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border and that requires a 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 will not have to try to sneak in and that will leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists we will enforce our immigration laws at the worksite and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers so there is no excuse left for violating the law we need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals we need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty 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 extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that keeps america economy running and america 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 because huge disruptions of oil shipments and raise the price of oil and do great harm to our economy it is in our vital interest to diversify america 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 we need to press on with battery research for and hybrid vehicles and expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel we must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol 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 have done and reduce gasoline usage in the united states by 20 percent in the next 10 years when we do that we will have cut our total imports by the equivalent of 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 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 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017 achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil but it is 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 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 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 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 vote on the senate floor 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 because we have had time to take stock of our situation we have 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 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 has never been the same our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not happen we can not 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 qaida 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 qaida 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 every success against the terrorists is a reminder of the shoreless ambitions of this enemy the evil that inspired and rejoiced in is still at work in the world and so long as that is the case america is still a nation at war in the mind of the terrorists this war began well before september the 11th and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled and these past 5 years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy al qaida 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 because 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 usama 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 shi a 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 hizballah a group second only to al qaida in the american lives it has taken the shi a 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 have 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 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 are 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 in the last 2 years we have seen the desire for liberty in the broader middle east and we have been sobered by the enemy 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 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 hizballah terrorists with support from syria and iran sowed conflict in the region and are seeking to undermine lebanon legitimately elected government in afghanistan taliban and al qaida fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging afghan and nato forces in iraq al qaida and other sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in shi a islam the golden mosque of samarra this atrocity directed at a muslim house of prayer was designed to provoke retaliation from iraqi shi a and it succeeded radical shi a 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 are 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 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 we are carrying out a new strategy in iraq a plan that demands more from iraq 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 are deploying reinforcements of more than 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 qaida terrorists have gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them we are sending an additional united states marines with orders to find the terrorists and clear them out we did not drive al qaida 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 is time for their government to act iraq 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 leaders have committed themselves to a series of benchmarks to achieve reconciliation to share oil revenues among all of iraq citizens to put the wealth of iraq into the rebuilding of iraq to allow more iraqis to reenter their nation 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 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 shi a extremists backed by iran and sunni extremists aided by al qaida 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 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 have 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 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 is why it is important to work together so our nation can see this great effort through both parties and both branches should work in close consultation it is why i have proposed 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 will 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 tonight i ask the congress to authorize an increase in the size of our active army and marine corps by in the next 5 years 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 are 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 are working with jordan and saudi arabia and egypt and the gulf states to increase support for iraq 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 with the other members of the the eu and are 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 in afghanistan nato has taken the lead in turning back the taliban and al qaida offensive the first time the alliance has deployed forces outside the north atlantic area together with our partners in china and japan russia and south korea we are pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons we will continue to speak out for the because of freedom in places like cuba belarus and burma and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of darfur 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 aids especially on the continent of africa because you funded the emergency plan for aids relief the number of people receiving lifesaving drugs has grown from to more than in 3 short years i ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight and i ask you to provide billion over 5 years so we can combat malaria in 15 african countries 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 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 and courage and 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 took a look at dikembe and had a different idea 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 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 after her daughter was born julie searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child so she borrowed some equipment and began filming children videos in her basement the baby einstein company was born and in just 5 years her business grew to more than 20 million in sales in november 2001 julie sold baby einstein to 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 is the most important thing 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 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 is 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 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 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 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 have been through a lot together we have 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 because in the world is right and tonight that because goes on god bless see you next year thank you for your prayers
thank much tonight high privilege distinct honor first president begin state union message words madam speaker day late congressman thomas baltimore maryland saw presidents roosevelt truman rostrum nothing could compare sight daughter nancy presiding tonight speaker house representatives congratulations madam speaker two members house senate us tonight pray recovery speedy return senator tim johnson congressman charlie norwood madam speaker vice president cheney members congress distinguished guests fellow citizens rite custom brings us together defining hour decisions hard courage needed enter year 2007 large endeavors underway others begin much asked us must face difficult challenges determined enemies wisdom face together chamber new house senate congratulate democrat majority congress changed responsibilities us guided convictions must stay faithful yet held standards called serve good purposes extend nation prosperity spend people money wisely solve problems leave future generations guard america evil keep faith sent forth defend us first come government divided uncertainty air like many us work differences achieve big things american people citizens much care side aisle sit long willing cross aisle work done job make life better fellow americans help build future hope opportunity business us tonight future hope opportunity begins growing economy 41st month uninterrupted job growth recovery created million new jobs far unemployment low inflation low wages rising economy move job keep way government enterprise next week deliver full report state economy tonight want discuss three economic reforms deserve priorities congress first must balance federal budget without raising taxes need spending discipline washington dc set goal cutting deficit half 2009 met goal 3 years ahead schedule let us take next step coming weeks submit budget eliminates federal deficit within next 5 years ask make commitment together restrain spending appetite federal government balance federal budget next matter earmarks special interest items often slipped bills last hour even watching 2005 alone number earmarks grew totaled nearly 18 billion even worse 90 percent earmarks never make floor house senate dropped committee reports even part bill arrives desk vote law sign law yet treated force law time come end practice let us work together reform budget process expose every earmark light day vote congress cut number cost earmarks least half end session finally keep economy strong must take challenge entitlements social security medicare medicaid commitments conscience duty keep permanently sound yet failing duty failure one day leave children three bad options huge tax increases huge deficits huge immediate cuts benefits everyone chamber knows true yet somehow found act let us work together enough good sense good fix medicare medicaid save social security spreading opportunity hope america also requires public schools give children knowledge character need life five years ago rose partisan differences pass child left behind act preserving local control raising standards holding schools accountable results acted students performing better reading math minority students closing achievement gap task build success without watering standards without taking control local communities without backsliding calling reform lift student achievement even higher giving local leaders flexibility turn around failing schools giving families children stuck failing schools right choose someplace better must increase funds students struggle make sure children get special help need make sure children prepared jobs future country competitive strengthening math science skills child left behind act worked america children ask congress reauthorize good law future hope opportunity requires citizens affordable available health care comes health care government obligation care elderly disabled poor children meet responsibilities americans private health insurance best way meet needs many americans afford health insurance policy tonight propose two new initiatives help americans afford insurance first propose standard tax deduction health insurance like standard tax deduction dependents families health insurance pay income payroll payroll taxes income single americans health insurance pay income payroll taxes income reform 100 million men women children covered insurance benefit lower tax bills time reform level playing field get health insurance job americans purchase health insurance proposal would mean substantial tax savings family four making year millions americans health insurance deduction would help put basic private health insurance plan within reach changing tax code vital necessary step making health care affordable americans second proposal help states coming innovative ways cover uninsured states make basic private health insurance available citizens receive federal funds help provide coverage poor sick asked secretary health human services work congress take existing federal funds use create affordable choices grants grants would give nation governors money flexibility get private health insurance need many ways congress help need expand health savings accounts need help small businesses association health plans need reduce costs medical errors better information technology encourage price transparency protect good doctors junk lawsuits need pass medical liability reform must remember best health care decisions made government insurance companies patients doctors extending hope opportunity country requires immigration system worthy america laws fair borders secure laws borders routinely violated harms interests country secure border doubling size border patrol funding new infrastructure technology yet even steps fully secure border unless take pressure border requires program establish legal orderly path foreign workers enter country work temporary basis result try sneak leave border agents free chase drug smugglers criminals terrorists enforce immigration laws worksite give employers tools verify legal status workers excuse left violating law need uphold great tradition melting pot welcomes assimilates new arrivals need resolve status illegal immigrants already country without animosity without amnesty convictions run deep capitol comes immigration let us serious civil conclusive debate pass sign comprehensive immigration reform law extending hope opportunity depends stable supply energy keeps america economy running america environment clean long nation dependent foreign oil dependence leaves us vulnerable hostile regimes terrorists could huge disruptions oil shipments raise price oil great harm economy vital interest diversify america energy supply way forward technology must continue changing way america generates electric power even greater use clean coal technology solar wind energy clean safe nuclear power need press battery research hybrid vehicles expand use clean diesel vehicles biodiesel fuel must continue investing new methods producing ethanol using everything wood chips grasses agricultural wastes made lot progress thanks good policies washington strong response market even dramatic advances within reach tonight ask congress join pursuing great goal let us build work done reduce gasoline usage united states 20 percent next 10 years cut total imports equivalent oil import middle east reach goal must increase supply alternative fuels setting mandatory fuels standard require 35 billion gallons renewable alternative fuels 2017 nearly five times current target time need reform modernize fuel economy standards cars way light trucks conserve 8 billion gallons gasoline 2017 achieving ambitious goals dramatically reduce dependence foreign oil going eliminate continue diversify fuel supply must step domestic oil production environmentally sensitive ways protect america severe disruptions oil supply ask congress double current capacity strategic petroleum reserve america verge technological breakthroughs enable us live lives less dependent oil technologies help us better stewards environment help us confront serious challenge global climate change future hope opportunity requires fair impartial system justice lives citizens across nation affected outcome cases pending federal courts shared obligation ensure federal courts enough judges hear cases deliver timely rulings president duty nominate qualified men women vacancies federal bench united states senate duty well give nominees fair hearing prompt vote senate floor us room higher responsibility protect people country danger five years come gone since saw scenes felt sorrow terrorists time take stock situation added many critical protections guard homeland know certainty horrors september morning glimpse terrorists intend us unless stop distance time find debating causes conflict course followed debates essential great democracy faces great questions yet one question surely settled win war terror must take fight enemy start america allies protected people staying offense enemy knows days comfortable sanctuary easy movement steady financing free flowing communications long terrorists life since never success war often measured things happen know full extent attacks allies prevented know stopped al qaida plot fly hijacked airplane tallest building west coast broke southeast asian terror cell grooming operatives attacks inside united states uncovered al qaida cell developing anthrax used attacks america last august british authorities uncovered plot blow passenger planes bound america atlantic ocean life saved owe debt gratitude brave public servants devote lives finding terrorists stopping every success terrorists reminder shoreless ambitions enemy evil inspired rejoiced still work world long case america still nation war mind terrorists war began well september 11th end radical vision fulfilled past 5 years given us much clearer view nature enemy al qaida followers sunni extremists possessed hatred commanded harsh narrow ideology take almost principle civilization goal opposite preach threats instruct bullets bombs promise paradise murder innocent enemies quite explicit intentions want overthrow moderate governments establish safe havens plan carry new attacks country killing terrorizing americans want force country retreat world abandon liberty would free impose spread totalitarian ideology listen warning late terrorist zarqawi sacrifice blood bodies put end dreams coming even worse usama bin laden declared death better living earth unbelievers among us men given idle words one camp islamist radical movement recent times also become clear face escalating danger shi extremists hostile america also determined dominate middle east many known take direction regime iran funding arming terrorists like hizballah group second al qaida american lives taken shi sunni extremists different faces totalitarian threat whatever slogans chant slaughter innocent wicked purposes want kill americans kill democracy middle east gain weapons kill even horrific scale sixth year since nation attacked wish could report dangers ended remains policy government use every lawful proper tool intelligence diplomacy law enforcement military action duty find enemies protect american people war clash arms decisive ideological struggle security nation balance prevail must remove conditions inspire blind hatred drove 19 men get onto airplanes come kill us every terrorist fears human freedom societies men women make choices answer conscience live hopes instead resentments free people drawn violent malignant ideologies choose better way given chance advance security interests helping moderates reformers brave voices democracy great question day whether america help men women middle east build free societies share rights humanity say sake security must last 2 years seen desire liberty broader middle east sobered enemy fierce reaction 2005 world watched citizens lebanon raised banner cedar revolution drove syrian occupiers chose new leaders free elections 2005 people afghanistan defied terrorists elected democratic legislature 2005 iraqi people held three national elections choosing transitional government adopting progressive democratic constitution arab world electing government constitution despite endless threats killers midst nearly 12 million iraqi citizens came vote show hope solidarity never forget thinking enemy watched scenes adjusted tactics 2006 struck back lebanon assassins took life pierre gemayel prominent participant cedar revolution hizballah terrorists support syria iran sowed conflict region seeking undermine lebanon legitimately elected government afghanistan taliban al qaida fighters tried regain power regrouping engaging afghan nato forces iraq al qaida sunni extremists blew one sacred places shi islam golden mosque samarra atrocity directed muslim house prayer designed provoke retaliation iraqi shi succeeded radical shi elements receive support iran formed death squads result tragic escalation sectarian rage reprisal continues day fight entered iraq fight every one us wishes war yet would like us leave promises unkept friends abandoned security risk ladies gentlemen day hour still within power shape outcome battle let us find resolve turn events toward victory carrying new strategy iraq plan demands iraq elected government gives forces iraq reinforcements need complete mission goal democratic iraq upholds rule law respects rights people provides security ally war terror order make progress toward goal iraqi government must stop sectarian violence capital iraqis yet ready deploying reinforcements additional soldiers marines iraq vast majority go baghdad help iraqi forces clear secure neighborhoods serve advisers embedded iraqi army units iraqis lead forces help secure city chasing terrorists insurgents roaming death squads anbar province al qaida terrorists gathered local forces begun showing willingness fight sending additional united states marines orders find terrorists clear drive al qaida safe afghanistan let set new safe free iraq people iraq want live peace time government act iraq leaders know commitment open ended promised deploy troops secure baghdad must pledged confront violent radicals faction political party need follow lift needless restrictions iraqi coalition forces troops achieve mission bringing security people baghdad iraq leaders committed series benchmarks achieve reconciliation share oil revenues among iraq citizens put wealth iraq rebuilding iraq allow iraqis reenter nation civic life hold local elections take responsibility security every iraqi province happen baghdad must secure plan help iraqi government take back capital make good commitments fellow citizens military commanders carefully weighed options discussed every possible approach end chose course action provides best chance success many chamber understand america must fail iraq understand consequences failure would grievous american forces step back baghdad secure iraqi government would overrun extremists sides could expect epic battle shi extremists backed iran sunni extremists aided al qaida supporters old regime contagion violence could spill across country time entire region could drawn conflict america nightmare scenario enemy objective chaos greatest ally greatest ally struggle chaos iraq would emerge emboldened enemy new safe havens new recruits new resources even greater determination harm america allow happen would ignore lessons september 11th invite tragedy ladies gentlemen nothing important moment history america succeed middle east succeed iraq spare american people danger matters stand tonight spoken many person respect arguments made went largely united assumptions convictions whatever voted vote failure country pursuing new strategy iraq ask give chance work ask support troops field way war terror fight today generational struggle continue long turned duties others important work together nation see great effort parties branches work close consultation proposed establish special advisory council war terror made leaders congress political parties share ideas position america meet every challenge confronts us show enemies abroad united goal victory one first steps take together add ranks military american armed forces ready challenges ahead tonight ask congress authorize increase size active army marine corps next 5 years second task take together design establish volunteer civilian reserve corps corps would function much like military reserve would ease burden armed forces allowing us hire civilians critical skills serve missions abroad america needs would give people across america wear uniform chance serve defining struggle time americans confidence outcome struggle struggle alone diplomatic strategy rallying world join fight extremism iraq multinational forces operating mandate united nations working jordan saudi arabia egypt gulf states increase support iraq government united nations imposed sanctions iran made clear world allow regime tehran acquire nuclear weapons members eu pursuing diplomacy help bring peace holy land pursuing establishment democratic palestinian state living side side israel peace security afghanistan nato taken lead turning back taliban al qaida offensive first time alliance deployed forces outside north atlantic area together partners china japan russia south korea pursuing intensive diplomacy achieve korean peninsula free nuclear weapons continue speak freedom places like cuba belarus burma continue awaken conscience world save people darfur american foreign policy matter war diplomacy work world also based timeless truth much given much required hear call take challenges hunger poverty disease precisely america must continue fight aids especially continent africa funded emergency plan aids relief number people receiving lifesaving drugs grown 3 short years ask continue funding efforts fight ask provide billion 5 years combat malaria 15 african countries ask fund millennium challenge account american aid reaches people need nations democracy rise corruption retreat let us continue support expanded trade debt relief best hope lifting lives eliminating poverty america serves others way show strength generosity country deeds reflect character people greatest strength heroic kindness courage american people see spirit often know look tonight need look gallery dikembe mutombo grew africa amid great poverty disease came georgetown university scholarship study medicine coach john thompson took look dikembe different idea dikembe became star nba citizen united states never forgot land birth duty share blessings others built brand new hospital old hometown friend said man mutombo believes god given opportunity great things proud call son congo citizen united states america daughter born julie searched ways share love music art child borrowed equipment began filming children videos basement baby einstein company born 5 years business grew 20 million sales november 2001 julie sold baby einstein walt disney company help baby einstein grown 200 million business julie represents great enterprising spirit america using success help others producing child safety videos john walsh national center missing exploited children julie says new project believe important thing ever done believe children right live world safe tonight pleased welcome talented business entrepreneur generous social entrepreneur julie three weeks ago wesley autrey waiting harlem subway station two little girls saw man fall path train seconds act wesley jumped onto tracks pulled man space rails held train passed right heads insists hero says got guys girls overseas dying us freedoms got show love something wonderful country produces brave humble man like wesley autrey tommy rieman teenager pumping gas independence kentucky enlisted united states army december 2003 reconnaissance mission iraq team came heavy enemy fire humvee sergeant rieman returned fire used body shield protect gunner shot chest arm received shrapnel wounds legs yet refused medical attention stayed fight helped repel second attack firing grenades enemy position exceptional courage sergeant rieman awarded silver star like many americans volunteered defend us earned respect gratitude entire country courage compassion ladies gentlemen see spirit character america qualities short supply decent honorable country resilient lot together met challenges faced dangers know lie ahead yet go forward confidence state union strong world right tonight goes god bless see next year thank prayers
thank much tonight high privilege distinct honor first president begin state union message word madam speaker day late congressman thomas baltimore maryland saw president roosevelt truman rostrum nothing could compare sight daughter nancy preside tonight speaker house representative congratulation madam speaker two member house senate u tonight pray recovery speedy return senator tim johnson congressman charlie norwood madam speaker vice president cheney member congress distinguished guest fellow citizen rite custom bring u together define hour decision hard courage need enter year 2007 large endeavor underway others begin much ask u must face difficult challenge determine enemy wisdom face together chamber new house senate congratulate democrat majority congress change responsibility u guide conviction must stay faithful yet hold standard call serve good purpose extend nation prosperity spend people money wisely solve problem leave future generation guard america evil keep faith send forth defend u first come government divide uncertainty air like many u work difference achieve big thing american people citizen much care side aisle sit long willing cross aisle work do job make life well fellow american help build future hope opportunity business u tonight future hope opportunity begin grow economy 41st month uninterrupted job growth recovery create million new job far unemployment low inflation low wage rise economy move job keep way government enterprise next week deliver full report state economy tonight want discus three economic reform deserve priority congress first must balance federal budget without raise tax need spend discipline washington dc set goal cut deficit half 2009 meet goal 3 year ahead schedule let u take next step come week submit budget eliminate federal deficit within next 5 year ask make commitment together restrain spending appetite federal government balance federal budget next matter earmark special interest item often slip bill last hour even watch 2005 alone number earmark grow total nearly 18 billion even bad 90 percent earmark never make floor house senate drop committee report even part bill arrive desk vote law sign law yet treat force law time come end practice let u work together reform budget process expose every earmark light day vote congress cut number cost earmark least half end session finally keep economy strong must take challenge entitlement social security medicare medicaid commitment conscience duty keep permanently sound yet fail duty failure one day leave child three bad option huge tax increase huge deficit huge immediate cut benefit everyone chamber know true yet somehow find act let u work together enough good sense good fix medicare medicaid save social security spread opportunity hope america also require public school give child knowledge character need life five year ago rise partisan difference pass child leave behind act preserve local control raise standard hold school accountable result act student perform well read math minority student close achievement gap task build success without water standard without take control local community without backslide call reform lift student achievement even high give local leader flexibility turn around fail school give family child stick fail school right choose someplace good must increase fund student struggle make sure child get special help need make sure child prepare job future country competitive strengthen math science skill child leave behind act work america child ask congress reauthorize good law future hope opportunity require citizen affordable available health care come health care government obligation care elderly disable poor child meet responsibility americans private health insurance best way meet need many american afford health insurance policy tonight propose two new initiative help american afford insurance first propose standard tax deduction health insurance like standard tax deduction dependent family health insurance pay income payroll payroll tax income single americans health insurance pay income payroll tax income reform 100 million men woman child cover insurance benefit lower tax bill time reform level play field get health insurance job american purchase health insurance proposal would mean substantial tax saving family four make year million americans health insurance deduction would help put basic private health insurance plan within reach change tax code vital necessary step make health care affordable american second proposal help state come innovative way cover uninsured state make basic private health insurance available citizen receive federal fund help provide coverage poor sick ask secretary health human service work congress take exist federal fund use create affordable choice grant grant would give nation governor money flexibility get private health insurance need many way congress help need expand health saving account need help small business association health plan need reduce cost medical error better information technology encourage price transparency protect good doctor junk lawsuit need pass medical liability reform must remember best health care decision make government insurance company patient doctor extend hope opportunity country require immigration system worthy america law fair border secure law border routinely violate harm interest country secure border double size border patrol fund new infrastructure technology yet even step fully secure border unless take pressure border require program establish legal orderly path foreign worker enter country work temporary basis result try sneak leave border agent free chase drug smuggler criminal terrorist enforce immigration law worksite give employer tool verify legal status worker excuse leave violate law need uphold great tradition melt pot welcome assimilate new arrival need resolve status illegal immigrant already country without animosity without amnesty conviction run deep capitol come immigration let u serious civil conclusive debate pas sign comprehensive immigration reform law extend hope opportunity depend stable supply energy keep america economy run america environment clean long nation dependent foreign oil dependence leave u vulnerable hostile regime terrorist could huge disruption oil shipment raise price oil great harm economy vital interest diversify america energy supply way forward technology must continue change way america generate electric power even great use clean coal technology solar wind energy clean safe nuclear power need press battery research hybrid vehicle expand use clean diesel vehicle biodiesel fuel must continue invest new method produce ethanol use everything wood chip grass agricultural waste make lot progress thanks good policy washington strong response market even dramatic advance within reach tonight ask congress join pursue great goal let u build work do reduce gasoline usage unite state 20 percent next 10 year cut total import equivalent oil import middle east reach goal must increase supply alternative fuel set mandatory fuel standard require 35 billion gallon renewable alternative fuel 2017 nearly five time current target time need reform modernize fuel economy standard car way light truck conserve 8 billion gallon gasoline 2017 achieve ambitious goal dramatically reduce dependence foreign oil go eliminate continue diversify fuel supply must step domestic oil production environmentally sensitive way protect america severe disruption oil supply ask congress double current capacity strategic petroleum reserve america verge technological breakthrough enable u live life less dependent oil technology help u good steward environment help u confront serious challenge global climate change future hope opportunity require fair impartial system justice live citizen across nation affect outcome case pending federal court share obligation ensure federal court enough judge hear case deliver timely ruling president duty nominate qualify men woman vacancy federal bench united state senate duty well give nominee fair hear prompt vote senate floor u room high responsibility protect people country danger five year come go since saw scene felt sorrow terrorist time take stock situation add many critical protection guard homeland know certainty horror september morning glimpse terrorist intend u unless stop distance time find debating cause conflict course follow debate essential great democracy face great question yet one question surely settle win war terror must take fight enemy start america ally protect people stay offense enemy know day comfortable sanctuary easy movement steady financing free flow communication long terrorist life since never success war often measure thing happen know full extent attack ally prevent know stop al qaida plot fly hijack airplane tall building west coast break southeast asian terror cell groom operative attack inside united state uncover al qaida cell develop anthrax use attack america last august british authority uncover plot blow passenger plane bound america atlantic ocean life save owe debt gratitude brave public servant devote live find terrorist stop every success terrorists reminder shoreless ambition enemy evil inspire rejoice still work world long case america still nation war mind terrorist war begin well september 11th end radical vision fulfil past 5 year give u much clear view nature enemy al qaida follower sunni extremist possess hatred commanded harsh narrow ideology take almost principle civilization goal opposite preach threat instruct bullet bomb promise paradise murder innocent enemy quite explicit intention want overthrow moderate government establish safe haven plan carry new attack country kill terrorize american want force country retreat world abandon liberty would free impose spread totalitarian ideology listen warning late terrorist zarqawi sacrifice blood body put end dream come even bad usama bin laden declare death well live earth unbeliever among u men give idle word one camp islamist radical movement recent time also become clear face escalate danger shi extremist hostile america also determine dominate middle east many know take direction regime iran funding arm terrorist like hizballah group second al qaida american life take shi sunni extremist different face totalitarian threat whatever slogan chant slaughter innocent wicked purpose want kill american kill democracy middle east gain weapon kill even horrific scale sixth year since nation attack wish could report danger end remains policy government use every lawful proper tool intelligence diplomacy law enforcement military action duty find enemy protect american people war clash arm decisive ideological struggle security nation balance prevail must remove condition inspire blind hatred drove 19 men get onto airplane come kill u every terrorist fear human freedom society men woman make choice answer conscience live hope instead resentment free people draw violent malignant ideology choose good way give chance advance security interest help moderate reformer brave voice democracy great question day whether america help men woman middle east build free society share right humanity say sake security must last 2 year see desire liberty broad middle east sober enemy fierce reaction 2005 world watch citizen lebanon raise banner cedar revolution drive syrian occupier choose new leader free election 2005 people afghanistan defied terrorist elect democratic legislature 2005 iraqi people hold three national election choose transitional government adopt progressive democratic constitution arab world elect government constitution despite endless threat killer midst nearly 12 million iraqi citizen come vote show hope solidarity never forget think enemy watch scene adjust tactic 2006 strike back lebanon assassin take life pierre gemayel prominent participant cedar revolution hizballah terrorist support syria iran sow conflict region seek undermine lebanon legitimately elected government afghanistan taliban al qaida fighter try regain power regroup engage afghan nato force iraq al qaida sunni extremists blow one sacred place shi islam golden mosque samarra atrocity direct muslim house prayer design provoke retaliation iraqi shi succeed radical shi element receive support iran form death squad result tragic escalation sectarian rage reprisal continue day fight enter iraq fight every one u wish war yet would like u leave promise unkept friend abandon security risk lady gentlemen day hour still within power shape outcome battle let u find resolve turn event toward victory carry new strategy iraq plan demand iraq elected government give force iraq reinforcement need complete mission goal democratic iraq upholds rule law respect right people provide security ally war terror order make progress toward goal iraqi government must stop sectarian violence capital iraqi yet ready deploy reinforcement additional soldier marine iraq vast majority go baghdad help iraqi force clear secure neighborhood serve adviser embed iraqi army unit iraqis lead force help secure city chase terrorist insurgent roam death squad anbar province al qaida terrorist gather local force begin show willingness fight send additional united state marine order find terrorist clear drive al qaida safe afghanistan let set new safe free iraq people iraq want live peace time government act iraq leader know commitment open end promise deploy troop secure baghdad must pledge confront violent radical faction political party need follow lift needless restriction iraqi coalition force troop achieve mission bring security people baghdad iraq leader commit series benchmark achieve reconciliation share oil revenue among iraq citizen put wealth iraq rebuild iraq allow iraqi reenter nation civic life hold local election take responsibility security every iraqi province happen baghdad must secure plan help iraqi government take back capital make good commitment fellow citizen military commander carefully weigh option discuss every possible approach end choose course action provide best chance success many chamber understand america must fail iraq understand consequence failure would grievous american force step back baghdad secure iraqi government would overrun extremist side could expect epic battle shi extremist back iran sunni extremist aid al qaida supporter old regime contagion violence could spill across country time entire region could draw conflict america nightmare scenario enemy objective chaos great ally great ally struggle chaos iraq would emerge emboldened enemy new safe havens new recruit new resource even great determination harm america allow happen would ignore lesson september 11th invite tragedy lady gentlemen nothing important moment history america succeed middle east succeed iraq spare american people danger matter stand tonight spoken many person respect argument make go largely united assumption conviction whatever vote vote failure country pursue new strategy iraq ask give chance work ask support troop field way war terror fight today generational struggle continue long turned duty others important work together nation see great effort party branch work close consultation propose establish special advisory council war terror make leader congress political party share idea position america meet every challenge confront u show enemy abroad united goal victory one first step take together add rank military american arm force ready challenge ahead tonight ask congress authorize increase size active army marine corps next 5 year second task take together design establish volunteer civilian reserve corp corp would function much like military reserve would ease burden arm force allow u hire civilian critical skill serve mission abroad america need would give people across america wear uniform chance serve define struggle time american confidence outcome struggle struggle alone diplomatic strategy rally world join fight extremism iraq multinational force operate mandate united nation work jordan saudi arabia egypt gulf state increase support iraq government unite nation impose sanction iran make clear world allow regime tehran acquire nuclear weapon member eu pursue diplomacy help bring peace holy land pursue establishment democratic palestinian state living side side israel peace security afghanistan nato take lead turn back taliban al qaida offensive first time alliance deploy force outside north atlantic area together partner china japan russia south korea pursue intensive diplomacy achieve korean peninsula free nuclear weapon continue speak freedom place like cuba belarus burma continue awaken conscience world save people darfur american foreign policy matter war diplomacy work world also base timeless truth much give much require hear call take challenge hunger poverty disease precisely america must continue fight aid especially continent africa fund emergency plan aid relief number people receive lifesaving drug grown 3 short year ask continue fund effort fight ask provide billion 5 year combat malaria 15 african country ask fund millennium challenge account american aid reach people need nation democracy rise corruption retreat let u continue support expand trade debt relief best hope lift life eliminate poverty america serve others way show strength generosity country deed reflect character people greatest strength heroic kindness courage american people see spirit often know look tonight need look gallery dikembe mutombo grow africa amid great poverty disease come georgetown university scholarship study medicine coach john thompson take look dikembe different idea dikembe become star nba citizen united state never forget land birth duty share blessings others build brand new hospital old hometown friend say man mutombo believe god give opportunity great thing proud call son congo citizen united state america daughter bear julie search way share love music art child borrow equipment begin film child videos basement baby einstein company bear 5 year business grow 20 million sale november 2001 julie sell baby einstein walt disney company help baby einstein grown 200 million business julie represent great enterprising spirit america use success help others produce child safety video john walsh national center miss exploited child julie say new project believe important thing ever do believe child right live world safe tonight please welcome talented business entrepreneur generous social entrepreneur julie three week ago wesley autrey wait harlem subway station two little girl saw man fall path train second act wesley jump onto track pull man space rail hold train pass right head insists hero say get guys girl overseas die u freedom get show love something wonderful country produce brave humble man like wesley autrey tommy rieman teenager pump gas independence kentucky enlist united state army december 2003 reconnaissance mission iraq team come heavy enemy fire humvee sergeant rieman return fire use body shield protect gunner shot chest arm receive shrapnel wound legs yet refuse medical attention stay fight help repel second attack fire grenade enemy position exceptional courage sergeant rieman award silver star like many american volunteer defend u earned respect gratitude entire country courage compassion lady gentleman see spirit character america quality short supply decent honorable country resilient lot together meet challenge face danger know lie ahead yet go forward confidence state union strong world right tonight go god bless see next year thank prayer