Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year
afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For
example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up
with an extra $200 billion to keep the system afloat -- and by 2033,
the annual shortfall would be more than $300 billion. By the year 2042,
the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not
taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically
higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in
Social Security benefits or other government programs.
I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem a long way off. But those dates
are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a
five-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for
college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their
20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before
they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a
small matter to the United States Congress. You and I share a
responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems
of Social Security once and for all.
Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review
of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy
retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of
indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During the 1990s, my
predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age.
Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of
Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
recommended changing the way benefits are calculated. All these ideas
are on the table.
I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move
ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement
security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with
members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms.
I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however,
be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security
permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not
jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must
ensure that lower-income Americans get the help they need to have
dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee there
is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must
take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger
workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.
As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the
system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to reach
that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts. Here is
how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is
taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of
today's retirees. If you're a younger worker, I believe you should be
able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so
you can build a nest egg for your own future.
Here's why the personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will
grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can
deliver -- and your account will provide money for retirement over and
above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition,
you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your
personal account, if you wish, to your children and -- or
grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and
the government can never take it away.
The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful
guidelines for personal accounts. We'll make sure the money can only go
into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We'll make sure that
your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We'll make
sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden
market swings on the eve of your retirement. We'll make sure a personal
account cannot be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over
time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we'll
make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal
retirement accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on
contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside
four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.
Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees,
because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings
Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any
of five different broadly-based investment funds. It's time to extend
the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans.
Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to
honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many
of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and
faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children.
Government is not the source of these values, but government should
never undermine them.
Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society,
it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of
families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment
to protect the institution of marriage.
Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable,
we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us
reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and
help people overcome disabilities -- and I thank the Congress for
doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a
culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always
serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit
of others. We should all be able to agree -- -- we should all be able
to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure
that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for
body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a
commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research
that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.
Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a
duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As
President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and
women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are
well-qualified to serve on the bench -- and I have done so. The
Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial
nominee deserves an up or down vote.
Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must
never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the
opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support
faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now
we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our
cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I
propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people
out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects
women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a
broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors,
coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to
sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will
be our First Lady, Laura Bush.
Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask
you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and
provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we
update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens
with the highest rates of new cases, African American men and women.
Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in
equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and
backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In
America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a
crime he or she did not commit -- so we are dramatically expanding the
use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to
Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in
capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have
competent lawyers by their side.
Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an
America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass
along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy -- and chief among them
is freedom from fear.
In the three and a half years since September the 11th, 2001, we have
taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We've created a new
department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on
preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken
up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses
against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and
trained more than a half-million first responders. Police and
firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working
every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.
Our nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the
enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and
continuing. The al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still
has leaders -- but many of its top commanders have been removed. There
are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists -- but their
number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass
destruction -- but no longer without attention and without consequence.
Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many,
and intimidate us all -- and we will stay on the offensive against
them, until the fight is won.
Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror -- and
I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the
resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue
to support our military and give them the tools for victory.
Other nations around the globe have stood with us. In Afghanistan, an
international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28 countries
have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European Union
provided technical assistance for the elections, and NATO is leading a
mission to help train Iraqi officers. We're cooperating with 60
governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and
stop the transit of dangerous materials. We're working closely with the
governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear
ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have
captured or detained al Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my
administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat
the dangers of our time.
In the long-term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by
eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of
murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in
hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror
will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force
powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace
hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this,
and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he
called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we've declared our own
intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support
democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate
goal of ending tyranny in our world.
The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose
our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main
differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand
an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal,
self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to
build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with
governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own
cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their
neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.
That advance has great momentum in our time -- shown by women voting in
Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people
of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president.
We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty. And in the
coming years, we will add to that story.
The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories
are now showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence
and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a
trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with
Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them
how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and
build the institutions of a peaceful, independent, democratic state. To
promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support
Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two
democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace,
is within reach -- and America will help them achieve that goal.
To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United
States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common
threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom.
Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan
to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its
leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in
determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt,
which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the
way toward democracy in the Middle East.
To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes
that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder.
Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by
terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You
have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act -- and
we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open
the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state
sponsor of terror -- pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its
people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with
European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give
up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium reprocessing, and
end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight:
As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.
Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in
the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That country
is a vital front in the war on terror, which is why the terrorists have
chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting
terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home. And
the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on
terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring
more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a
terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.
We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty -- as
they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk,
millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to
represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly. A young woman
in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire on election day,
and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote. She said, "Hearing
those explosions, it occurred to me -- the insurgents are weak, they
are afraid of democracy, they are losing. So I got my husband, and I
got my parents, and we all came out and voted together."
Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In any
nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for
millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they
have earned the respect of us all.
One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia
Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "We were occupied for 35
years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. Thank you to the
American people who paid the cost, but most of all, to the soldiers."
Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's
intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able
to vote for the leaders of her country -- and we are honored that she
is with us tonight.
The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy, and
will continue to attack it. Yet, the terrorists' most powerful myth is
being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and
assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they are trying to
destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections. And the whole
world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the
will of the Iraqi people.
We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for
their own freedom, and to write their own history. As Prime Minister
Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary Iraqis
are anxious to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as
quickly as possible." That is the natural desire of an independent
nation, and it is also the stated mission of our coalition in Iraq. The
new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in that
country.
At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground, and in
consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly focus our
efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces -- forces
with skilled officers and an effective command structure. As those
forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security
responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly
be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend
their own country -- and we will help that proud, new nation secure its
liberty.
Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to
abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military
strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and
unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and
freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come. We
will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that
would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us
out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic,
representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able
to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women
serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned.
Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world,
often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and
equipment; and they have given us an example of idealism and character
that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our military are
unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and
decency, and every day they're making our nation more secure. Some of
our servicemen and women have survived terrible injuries, and this
grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover. And we
have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our
freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever.
One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of
Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His
mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a
Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror.
She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to
protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said,
'You've done your job, Mom. Now it is my turn to protect you.'" Ladies
and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and
our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant
Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.
In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events.
We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of
victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen
threads of purpose that unite us. The attack on freedom in our world
has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world.
We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in
our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to
spread the peace that freedom brings.
As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "Each age is a dream
that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the
country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was
only a dream -- until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from
fascism was only a dream -- until it was achieved. The fall of imperial
communism was only a dream -- until, one day, it was accomplished. Our
generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with
confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable -- yet
we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.
Thank you, and may God bless America.
***
State of the Union Address
George W. Bush
January 31, 2006
Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, Members of the
Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and fellow
citizens:
Today our Nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called
America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we
are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was
taken from her so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of
Coretta Scott King.
Each time I am invited to this rostrum, I am humbled by the privilege,
and mindful of the history we have seen together. We have gathered
under this Capitol dome in moments of national mourning and national
achievement. We have served America through one of the most
consequential periods of our history -- and it has been my honor to
serve with you.
In a system of two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches,
there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can
be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to
harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act
in a spirit of good will and respect for one another -- and I will do my
part. Tonight the state of our Union is strong -- and together we will
make it stronger.
In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both
the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act
confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom -- or retreat from our
duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our
prosperity by leading the world economy -- or shut ourselves off from
trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of
isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting -- yet it
ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people ... the
only way to secure the peace ... the only way to control our destiny is
by our leadership -- so the United States of America will continue to
lead.
Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal -- we
seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as
misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends
on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a
failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring
murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter
terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek weapons of mass
destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the
rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight
against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our
country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom's cause.