George W. Bush

“ And as we debate this issue, always remember, the surplus is not the government’s money, the surplus is the people’s money.
For lower-income families, my tax plan restores basic fairness. Right now, complicated tax rules punish hard work. A waitress supporting two children on $25,000 a year can lose nearly half of every additional dollar she earns above the 25,000. For overtime, her hardest hours, are taxed at nearly 50 percent. This sends a terrible message: You will never get ahead. But America’s message must be different. We must honor hard work, never punish it. ”

“ To restructure our Nation’s defenses, to meet our growing need for energy, and to reform Medicare and Social Security.
America has a window of opportunity to extend and secure our present peace by promoting a distinctly American internationalism. We will work with our allies and friends to be a force for good and a champion of freedom. We will work for free markets and free trade and freedom from oppression. Nations making progress toward freedom will find America is their friend. ”

“ Last year, government spending shot up 8 percent. That is far more than our economy grew, far more than personal income grew and far more than the rate of inflation. If you continue on that road, you will spend the surplus and have to dip into Social Security to pay other bills.
Unrestrained government spending is a dangerous road to deficits, so we must take a different path. The other choice is to let the American people spend their own money to meet their own needs. I hope you will join me in standing firmly on the side of the people. ”

“ And tonight I challenge and invite Congress to work with me to use the resources of one picture to repaint the other, to direct the advantages of our time to solve the problems of our people.
Some of these resources will come from government, some but not all. Year after year in Washington, budget debates seem to come down to an old, tired argument: on one side those who want more government, regardless of the cost; on the other, those who want less government, regardless of the need. ”

“ I hope America is noticing the difference. We are making progress. Together, we are changing the tone in the Nation’s capital. And this spirit of respect and cooperation is vital, because in the end we will be judged not only by what we say or how we say it, we will be judged by what we are able to accomplish.
America today is a Nation with great challenges, but greater resources. An artist using statistics as a brush could paint two very different pictures of our country. ”

“ My budget puts a priority on access to health care, without telling Americans what doctor they have to see or what coverage they must choose. Many working Americans do not have health care coverage, so we will help them buy their own insurance with refundable tax credits. And to provide quality care in low-income neighborhoods, over the next 5 years we will double the number of people served at community health care centers. ”

“ As government promotes compassion, it also must promote justice. Too many of our citizens have cause to doubt our Nation’s justice when the law points a finger of suspicion at groups, instead of individuals. All our citizens are created equal and must be treated equally. ”

“ Our energy demand outstrips our supply. We can produce more energy at home while protecting our environment, and we must. We can produce more electricity to meet demand, and we must. We can promote alternative energy sources and conservation, and we must. America must become more energy independent, and we will.
Perhaps the biggest test of our foresight and courage will be reforming Medicare and Social Security.
Medicare’s finances are strained, and its coverage is outdated. Ninety-nine percent of employer-provided health plans offer some form of prescription drug coverage. Medicare does not. ”

“ Medicare must be modernized. And we must make sure that every senior on Medicare can choose a health care plan that offers prescription drugs.
Seven years from now, the baby boom generation will begin to claim Social Security benefits. Everyone in this Chamber knows that Social Security is not prepared to fully fund their retirement. And we only have a couple of years to get prepared. Without reform, this country will one day awaken to a stark choice: either a drastic rise in payroll taxes or a radical cut in retirement benefits. ”

“ My budget adopts a hopeful new approach to help the poor and the disadvantaged. We must encourage and support the work of charities and faithbased and community groups that offer help and love, one person at a time. These groups are working in every neighborhood in America to fight homelessness and addiction and domestic violence, to provide a hot meal or a mentor, or a safe haven for our children. Government should welcome these groups to apply for funds, not discriminate against them.
Government cannot be replaced by charities or volunteers. ”

“ A tax rate of 15 percent is too high for those who earn low wages, so we must lower the rate to 10 percent. No one should pay more than a third of the money they earn in Federal income taxes, so we lowered the top rate to 33 percent.
This reform will be welcome relief for America’s small businesses, which often pay taxes at the highest rate, and help for small business means jobs for Americans. ”

“ A strong America is the world’s best hope for peace and freedom. Yet the cause of freedom rests on more than our ability to defend ourselves and our allies. Freedom is exported every day, as we ship goods and products that improve the lives of millions of people. Free trade brings greater political and personal freedom.
Each of the previous five presidents has had the ability to negotiate farreaching trade agreements. Tonight I ask to give me the strong hand of presidential trade promotion authority, and to do so quickly. ”

“ Another picture would be full of blessings: a balanced budget, big surpluses, a military that is second to none, a country at peace with its neighbors, technology that is revolutionizing the world, and our greatest strength, concerned citizens who care for our country and care for each other. ”

“ Reform should be based on these principles: It must preserve the benefits of all current retirees and those nearing retirement. It must return Social Security to sound financial footing, and it must offer personal savings accounts to younger workers who want them.
Social Security now offers workers a return of less than 2 percent on the money they pay into the system. To save the system, we must increase that by allowing younger workers to make safe, sound investments at a higher rate of return. ”

“ Yogi Berra once said ‘‘when you come to a fork in the road, take it.’’ Now we come to a fork in the road. We have two choices. Even though we have already met our needs, we could spend the money on more and bigger government. That is the road our Nation has traveled in recent years. ”

“ The budget I propose to you also supports the people who keep our country strong and free, the men and women who serve in the United States military. I am requesting $5.7 billion in increased military pay and benefits, and health care and housing. Our men and women in uniform give America their best, and we owe them our support. ”

“ Government should not fund religious activities, but our Nation should support the good works of these good people who are helping their neighbors in need. So I propose allowing all taxpayers, whether they itemize or not, to deduct their charitable contributions. ”

“ She will travel across America to promote sound teaching practices and early reading skills in our schools and in programs such as Head Start.
When it comes to our schools, dollars alone do not always make the difference. Funding is important, and so is reform. So we must tie funding to higher standards and accountability for results.
I believe in local control of schools. We should not and we will not run public schools from Washington, DC. Yet when the Federal government spends tax dollars, we must insist on results. ”

“ For example, after a strategic review, we may need to increase defense spending. We may need to increase spending for our farmers or additional money to reform Medicare. So my budget sets aside almost a trillion dollars over 10 years for additional needs, that is one trillion additional reasons you can feel comfortable supporting this budget.
We have increased our budget at a responsible 4 percent. We have funded our priorities. We have paid down all the available debt. We have prepared for contingencies, and we still have money left over. ”

“ Government has a role, and an important role. Yet too much government crowds out initiative and hard work, private charity and the private economy. Our new governing vision says government should be active but limited, engaged but not overbearing. ”

“ We must act quickly. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve has testified before Congress that tax cuts often come too late to stimulate economic recovery. So I want to work with you to give our economy an important jump start by making tax relief retroactive. ”

“ We should also prepare for the unexpected, for the uncertainties of the future. We should approach our Nation’s budget as any prudent family would, with a contingency fund for emergencies or additional spending needs. ”

“ Children should be tested on basic reading and math skills every year, between grades three and eight. Measuring is the only way to know whether all our children are learning, and I want to know, because I refuse to leave any child behind in America. ”

“ Critics of testing contend it distracts from learning. They talk about ‘‘teaching to the test.’’ But let us put that logic to the test. If you test a child on basic math and reading skills and you are ‘‘teaching to the test,’’ you are teaching math and reading, and that is the whole idea. ”

“ Tax relief is right and tax relief is urgent. The long economic expansion that began almost 10 years ago is faltering. Lower interest rates will eventually help, but we cannot assume they will do the job all by themselves. ”

“ With tax relief, overtime will no longer be overtax time for the waitress. People with the smallest incomes will get the highest percentage reductions. And millions of additional American families will be removed from the income tax rolls entirely. ”

“ Values are important, so we have tripled funding for character education to teach our children not only reading and writing, but right from wrong.
We have increased funding to train and recruit teachers, because we know a good education starts with a good teacher. ”

“ As we meet tonight, many citizens are struggling with the high costs of energy. We have a serious energy problem that demands a national energy policy. The West is confronting a major energy shortage that has resulted in high prices and uncertainty. ”

“ As standards rise, local schools will need more flexibility to meet them, so we must streamline the dozens of Federal education programs into five, and let States spend money in those categories as they see fit. Schools will be given a reasonable chance to improve, and the support to do so. ”

“ And we will address the concerns of those who have health coverage yet worry their insurance company does not care and won’t pay. Together, this Congress and this President will find common ground to make sure doctors make medical decisions and patients get the health care they deserve with a Patients’ Bill of Rights. ”

“ They range from terrorists who threaten with bombs to tyrants and rogue nations intent on developing weapons of mass destruction. To protect our own people, our allies and friends, we must develop and we must deploy effective missile defenses. ”