By Brian Gould, USCM Public Affairs Intern
February 3, 2003

President George W. Bush addressed Congress and the nation January 28 to give his annual State of the Union address. The President's remarks focused on the economy, health care, the environment, homeland security, and the situation in Iraq.

The centerpiece of the President's speech was his passionate plea to confront the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and Iraq. He said, "A brutal dictator, with a history of reckless aggression, with ties to terrorism, with great potential wealth, will not be permitted to dominate a vital region and threaten the United States," the President said.

He said Saddam Hussein has provided no evidence that he has completely destroyed all weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons materials and chemical agents. He revealed that Iraq had several mobile biological weapons labs, designed to produce, move, and safeguard germ warfare agents, as recently as the late 1990s. And the President insisted that Iraq has repeatedly failed to live up to its international commitments.

"Twelve years ago, Saddam Hussein faced the prospect of being the last casualty in a war he had started and lost. To spare himself, he agreed to disarm of all weapons of mass destruction. For the next twelve years, he systematically violated that agreement. He pursued chemical, biological and nuclear weapons even while inspectors were in his country."

Citing Iran and North Korea, he stressed that "different threats require different strategies." In the case of North Korea, for example, he said the United States is working closely with the countries of the region to find a peaceful solution.

The President said the right steps are being taken to protect our country from future attacks, citing the progress his Administration has made increasing homeland security since the tragedy of September 11. " We-ve intensified security at the borders and the ports of entry, posted more then 50,000 newly trained federal screeners in airports, begun inoculating troops and first responders against smallpox, and are deploying the nations first early warning network of sensors to detect biological attack."

He stressed that America is winning the war against terrorism. "We have the terrorists on the run. we're keeping them on the run. One by one, the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice," said the President.

President Bush proposed a new $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Africa to prevent seven million new AIDS cases, treat more than two million people with needed medicines, and provide care for millions of people suffering from the virus.

The President also made a strong pitch for his $674 billion economic plan, which includes proposals to eliminate taxes on stock dividends, reduce the marriage penalty, increase the child credit, and boost deductions for investments made by small businesses. The plan would also speed up and make permanent income tax rate reductions enacted in 2001. "Jobs are created when the economy grows; the economy grows when Americans have more money to spend and invest; and the best and fairest way to make sure Americans have that money is not to tax it away in the first place," said the President.

According to the President, the tax plan will save a family of four with an income of $40,000 more than $1,100 per year. More than 23 million small businesses would also benefit from his proposal, said the President, who urged Congress to act quickly in order to stimulate the stagnant U.S. economy.

He praised the progress already made in improving schools and urged continued reform, saying, "To lift the standards of our public schools, we achieved historic education reform which must now be carried out in every school and in every classroom so that every child in America can read and learn and succeed in life," Bush said.

The American health care system was another concern high on the President's agenda, as he strongly urged that action be taken this year on Medicare reform, including the addition of a prescription drug benefit. "My budget will commit an additional $400 billion over the next decade to reform and strengthen Medicare. Leaders of both political parties have talked for years about strengthening Medicare," he said.

Calling drug addiction "another cause of hopelessness," he proposed a new $600 million program to help 300,000 Americans receive drug treatment assistance over the next three years. He also stressed his intention to continue the fight against illegal drugs by cutting off supplies and reducing demand through drug education.

The President also cited the need to enact a comprehensive plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, in part by developing new technologies, including hydrogen-powered automobiles. The President, discussing new energy legislation, told Congress, " Join me in this important innovation to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy."

President Bush concluded his speech with words for both Americans at home and abroad. "We seek peace. We strive for peace. And sometimes peace must be defended. A future lived at the mercy of terrible threats is no peace at all...Many challenges, abroad and at home, have arrived in a single season. In two years, America has gone from a sense of invulnerability to an awareness of peril, from bitter division in small matters to calm unity in great causes."

The President's speech did not cite the critical budget constraints facing cities and states as a result of the weak economy and increased homeland security expenses.