U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

39–011 2005

109th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 109–3 

STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE 

MESSAGE 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

A REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE UNION 

FEBRUARY 8, 2005.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the 

Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered 

to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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To the Congress of the United States: 

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens: 

As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of 

Government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office 

by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege 

we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq. 

Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed 

the commitment of our Nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. 

This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home 

and around the world. 

Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans 

going back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the 

world—the state of our Union is confident and strong. Our generation has been blessed—by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents’

sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror—or a lot of 

gray—and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask 

the question: What will be the state of their Union? 

Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer 

that question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, 

let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better 

world for our children and grandchildren. 

First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the 

great institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely. 

America’s economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In the past 4 years, we have provided tax relief to 

every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened 

up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised 

homeownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year 

alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered—and the Nation is grateful. 

Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will 

keep America the economic leader of the world. 

America’s prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite 

of the Federal Government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm 

for spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that 

holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes 

tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half 

by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 

150 Government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate 

current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The principle 

here is clear: a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all. 

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To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under 

the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are 

on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority 

students. Now we must demand better results from our high 

schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will 

help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening 

America’s community colleges. And we will make it easier for 

Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of 

Pell Grants. 

To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America 

must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. 

Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women 

and minorities, so we must free small business from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice 

is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class 

actions and frivolous asbestos claims—and I urge Congress to pass 

legal reforms this year. 

To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must 

make health care more affordable, and give families greater access 

to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I 

ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care 

agenda—with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, 

association health plans for small businesses and their employees, 

expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform 

that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the 

doctors and care they need. 

To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of 

affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly 4 years ago, 

I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and 

more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and 

improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong 

funding for leading-edge technology—from hydrogen-fueled cars, to 

clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough—I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes 

America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy. 

All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add 

new jobs—but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the 

prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that 

were created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year, 

Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent Federal tax 

code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code 

from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this Nation a tax code 

that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all. 

America’s immigration system is also outdated—unsuited to the 

needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should 

not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want 

only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing 

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workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug 

dealers and terrorists. 

One of America’s most important institutions—a symbol of the 

trust between generations—is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century. 

The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social 

Security. 

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security 

benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement—and for them 

the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every 

American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you, For 

you, the Social Security system will not change in any way. 

For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious 

problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people 

didn’t live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, 

and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for 

each person drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the 

founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today’s 

world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits 

longer—and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over 

the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for 

every beneficiary, right now it’s only about three workers—and 

over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees. 

So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social 

Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year 

afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. 

For example, in the year 2027, the Government will somehow have 

to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system 

afloat—and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 

billion dollars. 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 drastically 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 like 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 

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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 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 

that 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 are a young 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 is why 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 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 will make sure the 

money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock 

funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by 

hidden Wall Street fees. We will make sure there are good options 

to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve 

of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can’t be 

emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we will 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 4 percentage points of their payroll taxes in the 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 

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funds. It is 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 threats the weak and 

vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us to reach that goal, by developing treatments 

and cures that save lives and help people over come disbilities— and I thank 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 human dignity, not take advantage 

of some lives for the benefit of others. 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 legislation 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 3-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 jusVerDate Aug 04 2004 15:36 Feb 09, 2005 Jkt 039011 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD003.XXX HD003
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tice. 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 11th. 2001, we 

have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have 

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-Qaida 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 elections, and 

NATO is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are cooperating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials. We are 

working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea 

to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine 

other countries have captured or detained al-Qaida terrorists. In 

the next 4 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 

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enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently 

declared war on what he called the ‘‘evil principle’’ of democracy. 

And we have 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 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 dollars 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 re-processing, and end its support for 

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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.’’ This is the natural desire of 

an independent nation, and it also is 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 selfreliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and 

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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 are 

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’s 

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 4 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 to Providence is uneven 

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and unpredictable—yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom. 

Thank you, and may God bless America. 

GEORGE W. BUSH. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 2, 2005. 

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