State of the Union AddressesBush, George W. (George Walker)
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State of the Union Addresses
Bush, George W. (George Walker)
Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
Tonight the armies of compassion continue the march to a new day in the
Gulf Coast. America honors the strength and resilience of the people of
this region. We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and
better than before. And tonight I'm pleased to announce that in April
we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and
the United States in the great city of New Orleans. (Applause.)
There are two other pressing challenges that I've raised repeatedly
before this body, and that this body has failed to address: entitlement
spending and immigration. Every member in this chamber knows that
spending on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and
Medicaid is growing faster than we can afford. We all know the painful
choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases,
sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, or crippling deficits. I've laid
out proposals to reform these programs. Now I ask members of Congress
to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save
these vital programs for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.)
The other pressing challenge is immigration. America needs to secure
our borders -- and with your help, my administration is taking steps to
do so. We're increasing worksite enforcement, deploying fences and
advanced technologies to stop illegal crossings. We've effectively
ended the policy of "catch and release" at the border, and by the end
of this year, we will have doubled the number of border patrol agents.
Yet we also need to acknowledge that we will never fully secure our
border until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here
and support our economy. (Applause.) This will take pressure off the
border and allow law enforcement to concentrate on those who mean us
harm. We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people
here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be
resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws
and our highest ideals. (Applause.)
This is the business of our nation here at home. Yet building a
prosperous future for our citizens also depends on confronting enemies
abroad and advancing liberty in troubled regions of the world.
Our foreign policy is based on a clear premise: We trust that people,
when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace. In
the last seven years, we have witnessed stirring moments in the history
of liberty. We've seen citizens in Georgia and Ukraine stand up for
their right to free and fair elections. We've seen people in Lebanon
take to the streets to demand their independence. We've seen Afghans
emerge from the tyranny of the Taliban and choose a new president and a
new parliament. We've seen jubilant Iraqis holding up ink-stained
fingers and celebrating their freedom. These images of liberty have
inspired us. (Applause.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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