1、美国国情咨文 英文The Union Address 2008Following is a transcript of President Bushs State of the Union address on Monday, as recorded by the Federal News Service: Thank you, Madame Speaker. Thank you all. Madame Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished guests and fellow citizens, s
2、even years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum. In that time, our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We have faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens. These issues
3、 call for vigorous debate, and I think its fair to say weve answered the call. Yet history will record that amid our differences, we acted with purpose. And, together, we showed the world the power and resilience of American self-government. All of us were sent to Washington to carry out the peoples
4、 business. That is the purpose of this body. It is the meaning of our oath. It remains our charge to keep. The actions of the 110th Congress will affect the security and prosperity of our nation long after this session has ended. In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recogn
5、ize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. Let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time. From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we have made good progress; yet we have unfinished business before us, and
6、 the American people expect us to get it done. In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country i
7、s the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. And so in all we do, we must trust in the ability of free people to make wise decisions and empower them to improve their lives for their futures. To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our econom
8、y. As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty. America has added jobs for a record 52 straight months, but jobs are now growing at a slower pace. Wages are up, but so are prices for food and gas. Exports are rising, but the housing market has declined. At kitchen tables ac
9、ross our country, there is a concern about our economic future. In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth. But in the short run, we can all see that that growth is slowing. So last week my administration reached agreement with Speaker Pelosi and Republican leader Boehner
10、on a robust growth package that includes tax relief for individuals and families, and incentives for business investment.The temptation will be to load up the bill. That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable. This is a good agreement that will keep our economy growing and our
11、 people working, and this Congress must pass it as soon as possible. We have other work to do on taxes. Unless the Congress acts, most of the tax relief we have delivered over the past seven years will be taken away. Some in Washington argue that letting tax relief expire is not a tax increase. Try
12、explaining that to 116 million American taxpayers who would see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800.Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm. Im pleased to report that the I.R.S. accepts both checks and money orders. Most Americans think th
13、eir taxes are high enough. With all the other pressures on their finances, American families should not have to worry about the federal government taking a bigger bite out of their paychecks. Theres only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: make the tax relief permanent. And members of Congress sh
14、ould know: If any bill raises taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it. Just as we trust Americans with their own money, we need to earn their trust by spending their tax dollars wisely. Next week, I will send you a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs totali
15、ng more than $18 billion. The budget that I will submit will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012. American families have to balance their budgets; so should their government. The peoples trust in their government is undermined by Congressional earmarks, special-interest projects that are oft
16、en snuck in at the last minute without discussion or debate. Last year I asked you to voluntarily cut the number and cost of earmarks in half. I also asked you to stop slipping earmarks into committee reports that never even come to a vote. Unfortunately, neither goal was met.So this time, if you se
17、nd me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, Ill send it back to you with my veto. And tomorrow I will issue an executive order that directs federal agencies to ignore any future earmark that is not voted on by Congress. If these items are truly worth fundi
18、ng, the Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote. Our shared responsibilities extend beyond matters of taxes and spending. On housing, we must trust Americans with the responsibility of homeownership and empower them to weather turbulent times in the housing market. My administ
19、ration brought together the Hope Now alliance, which is helping many struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. And Congress can help even more. Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, modernize the Federal Housing Administration and allow state housing agencies to
20、issue tax-free bonds to help homeowners refinance their mortgages. These are difficult times for many American families, and by taking these steps, we can help more of them keep their homes. To build a future of quality health care, we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions and em
21、power them with better information and better options. We share a common goal: making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. The best way to achieve that goal is by expanding consumer choice, not government control. So I have proposed ending the bias in the tax code against th
22、ose who do not get their health insurance through their employer. This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions, and I call on the Congress to pass it this year. Congress must also expand health savings accounts, create Association Health Plans for small businesses, promote he
23、alth information technology and confront the epidemic of junk medical lawsuits. With all these steps, we will help ensure that decisions about your medical care are made in the privacy of your doctors office, not in the halls of Congress. On education, we must trust students to learn if given the ch
24、ance and empower parents to demand results from our schools. In neighborhoods across our country, there are boys and girls with dreams, and a decent education is their only hope of achieving them. Six years ago, we came together to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and today no one can deny its res
25、ults.Last year, fourth and eighth graders achieved the highest math scores on record. Reading scores are on the rise. African-American and Hispanic students posted all- time highs. Now we must work together to increase accountability, add flexibilities for states and districts, reduce the number of
26、high school dropouts, provide extra help for struggling schools. Members of Congress, the No Child Left Behind Act is a bipartisan achievement. It is succeeding. And we owe it to Americas children, their parents, and their teachers to strengthen this good law. We must also do more to help children w
27、hen their schools do not measure up. Thanks to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships you approved, more than 2,600 of the poorest children in our nations capital have found new hope at a faith-based or other non-public school. Sadly, these schools are disappearing at an alarming rate in many of Americas
28、 inner cities. So I will convene a White House summit aimed at strengthening these lifelines of learning. And to open the doors of these schools to more children, I ask you to support a new $300 million program called Pell Grants for Kids. We have seen how Pell grants help low-income college student
29、s realize their full potential. Together, weve expanded the size and reach of these grants. Now let us apply that same spirit to help liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools. On trade, we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world, and empower them by opening up
30、 new markets overseas. Today our economic growth increasingly depends on our ability to sell American goods and crops and services all over the world. So were working to break down barriers to trade and investment wherever we can. Were working for a successful Doha round of trade talks, and we must
31、complete a good agreement this year. At the same time, were pursuing opportunities to open up new markets by passing free-trade agreements.I thank the Congress for approving a good agreement with Peru, and now I ask you to approve agreements with Colombia and Panama and South Korea. Many products fr
32、om these nations now enter America duty-free, yet many of our products face steep tariffs in their markets. These agreements will level the playing field. They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers. They will support good jobs for the finest workers in the world: those whose pro
33、ducts say “Made in the U.S.A.” These agreements also promote Americas strategic interests. The first agreement that will come before you is with Colombia, a friend of America that is confronting violence and terror, and fighting drug traffickers. If we fail to pass this agreement, we will embolden the
