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.
End to tyranny
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 7,000 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.
Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the great
story of our time. In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies
on earth. Today, there are 122. And we are writing a new chapter in the
story of self-government -- with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan
and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink and men and
women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the
necessity of freedom.
At the start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live in
democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half -- in places like
Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran -- because the demands of
justice, and the peace of this world, require their freedom as well.
No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight
against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is
radical Islam -- the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology
of terror and death.
Terrorist threat
Terrorists like bin Laden are serious about mass murder -- and all of
us must take their declared intentions seriously.
They seek to impose a heartless system of totalitarian control
throughout the Middle East, and arm themselves with weapons of mass
murder. Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and use it as a safe haven to
launch attacks against America and the world.
Lacking the military strength to challenge us directly, the terrorists
have chosen the weapon of fear. When they murder children at a school in
Beslan or blow up commuters in London or behead a bound captive the
terrorists hope these horrors will break our will, allowing the violent to
inherit the earth. But they have miscalculated: We love our freedom, and
we will fight to keep it.
In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our
commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these
vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply
move the battlefield to our own shores.
There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat.
By allowing radical Islam to work its will -- by leaving an assaulted
world to fend for itself -- we would signal to all that we no longer
believe in our own ideals, or even in our own courage.
But our enemies and our friends can be certain: The United States will
not retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil.
America rejects the false comfort of isolationism. We are the nation
that saved liberty in Europe, and liberated death camps, and helped raise
up democracies, and faced down an evil empire. Once again, we accept the
call of history to deliver the oppressed, and move this world toward
peace.
We remain on the offensive against terror networks. We have killed or
captured many of their leaders -- and for the others, their day will
come.
We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan -- where a fine president and
national assembly are fighting terror while building the institutions of a
new democracy.
Hopes for Iraq
And we are on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory.
First, we are helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old
resentments will be eased, and the insurgency marginalized.
Second, we are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi
government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis
can experience the benefits of freedom.
Third, we are striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces
that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are showing
their courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in the cause
of freedom.
Our work in Iraq is difficult, because our enemy is brutal. But that
brutality has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy.
In less than three years, that nation has gone from dictatorship, to
liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections. At
the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist
infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over
territory to Iraqi security forces.
I am confident in our plan for victory, I am confident in the will of
the Iraqi people, I am confident in the skill and spirit of our military.
Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning.
The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As we
make progress on the ground, and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead,
we should be able to further decrease our troop levels -- but those
decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in
Washington, D.C.
Our coalition has learned from experience in Iraq. We have adjusted our
military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction. Along the
way, we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by
members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue
to reach out and seek your good advice.
Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for
success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure.
Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy.
With so much in the balance, those of us in public office have a duty
to speak with candor. A sudden withdrawal of our forces from Iraq would
abandon our Iraqi allies to death and prison put men like bin Laden and
Zarqawi in charge of a strategic country and show that a pledge from
America means little.
Members of Congress: however we feel about the decisions and debates of
the past, our nation has only one option: We must keep our word, defeat
our enemies, and stand behind the American military in its vital
mission.
A Marine's sacrifice
Our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices -- and showing a
sense of duty stronger than all fear. They know what it is like to fight
house-to-house in a maze of streets, to wear heavy gear in the desert
heat, to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who know the
costs also know the stakes.
As we honor our brave troops, let us never forget the
sacrifices of America's military families.
Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay was killed last month fighting the enemy
in Falluja. He left behind a letter to his family, but his words could
just as well be addressed to every American.
Here is what Dan wrote: "I know what honor is. It has been an honor to
protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that
you would not have to ... Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and
support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth
protecting."
Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's wife, Lisa, and his mom and dad, Sara Jo and
Bud, are with us this evening. Our nation is grateful to the fallen, who
live in the memory of our country. We are grateful to all who volunteer to
wear our nation's uniform -- and as we honor our brave troops, let us
never forget the sacrifices of America's military families.
Spread of democracy
Our offensive against terror involves more than military action.
Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark
vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political
freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America supports
democratic reform across the broader Middle East.
Liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle
East, because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity. The same is
true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is
isolating and repressing its people.
Elections are vital -- but they are only the beginning. Raising up a
democracy requires the rule of law, protection of minorities, and strong,
accountable institutions that last longer than a single vote. The great
people of Egypt have voted in a multiparty presidential election -- and
now their government should open paths of peaceful opposition that will
reduce the appeal of radicalism.
The Palestinian people have voted in elections -- now the leaders of
Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for
lasting peace.
Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps of reform -- now it can offer
its people a better future by pressing forward with those efforts.
Democracies in the Middle East will not look like our own, because they
will reflect the traditions of their own citizens. Yet liberty is the
future of every nation in the Middle East, because liberty is the right
and hope of all humanity.
The same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small clerical
elite that is isolating and repressing its people. The regime in that
country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon
-- and that must come to an end.
The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions
-- and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain
nuclear weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront
these threats.
And tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America
respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose
your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to
be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran.
Compassion
To overcome dangers in our world, we must also take the offensive by
encouraging economic progress, fighting disease, and spreading hope in
hopeless lands. Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting
enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need.
I urge members of Congress to serve the interests of
America by showing the compassion of America.
We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given
dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria,
or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also
show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption,
and despair are sources of terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking
and the drug trade.
In recent years, you and I have taken unprecedented action to fight
AIDS and malaria, expand the education of girls, and reward developing
nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform. For
people everywhere, the United States is a partner for a better life.
Shortchanging these efforts would increase the suffering and chaos of
our world, undercut our long-term security, and dull the conscience of our
country. I urge members of Congress to serve the interests of America by
showing the compassion of America.
Danger at home
Our country must also remain on the offensive against terrorism here at
home. The enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us.
I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to
aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al Qaeda
operatives and affiliates to and from America.
Fortunately, this nation has superb professionals in law enforcement,
intelligence, the military, and homeland security. These men and women are
dedicating their lives to protecting us all, and they deserve our support
and our thanks. They also deserve the same tools they already use to fight
drug trafficking and organized crime -- so I ask you to reauthorize the
Patriot Act.
It is said that prior to the attacks of September 11th, our government
failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. We now know that two of the
hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to al Qaeda
operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans until it was
too late.
So to prevent another attack -- based on authority given to me by the
Constitution and by statute -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance
program to aggressively pursue the international communications of
suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from America.
Previous presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have
-- and federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate
members of Congress have been kept informed.
This terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist
attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are
people inside our country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know
about it -- because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.
Choosing to lead
In all these areas -- from the disruption of terror networks, to
victory in Iraq, to the spread of freedom and hope in troubled regions --
we need the support of friends and allies. To draw that support, we must
always be clear in our principles and willing to act.
The only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more
dangerous and anxious world. Yet we also choose to lead because it is a
privilege to serve the values that gave us birth.
American leaders -- from Roosevelt to Truman to Kennedy to Reagan --
rejected isolation and retreat, because they knew that America is always
more secure when freedom is on the march.
Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy -- a war
that will be fought by presidents of both parties, who will need steady
bipartisan support from the Congress. And tonight I ask for yours.
Together, let us protect our country, support the men and women who defend
us, and lead this world toward freedom.
Economic opportunities
Here at home, America also has a great opportunity: We will build the
prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership in the
world.
Our economy is healthy and vigorous and growing faster than other major
industrialized nations. In the last two-and-a-half years, America has
created 4.6 million new jobs -- more than Japan and the European Union
combined. Even in the face of higher energy prices and natural disasters,
the American people have turned in an economic performance that is the
envy of the world.
Americans should not fear our economic future, because
we intend to shape it.
The American economy is pre-eminent -- but we cannot afford to be
complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors like
China and India.
This creates uncertainty, which makes it easier to feed people's fears.
And so we are seeing some old temptations return.
Protectionists want to escape competition, pretending that we can keep
our high standard of living while walling off our economy. Others say that
the government needs to take a larger role in directing the economy,
centralizing more power in Washington and increasing taxes.
We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy -- even
though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms
of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction -- toward a
stagnant and second-rate economy.
Tonight I will set out a better path -- an agenda for a nation that
competes with confidence -- an agenda that will raise standards of living
and generate new jobs. Americans should not fear our economic future,
because we intend to shape it.
