For Immediate Release
June 18, 2005
President's Radio Address
Audio
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.
Today we face two issues of vital importance for all Americans:
growing our economy and protecting our citizens from those who wish to
do us harm. So in the weeks ahead, I will continue to focus on ways to
ensure that our government takes the side of working families, and that
America prevails in the war on terror. As we take the steps necessary
to achieve these goals, we will make our future one of peace and
prosperity.
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Today we have good reason to be optimistic about our economy. More
Americans are working today than at any time in our history. More
Americans own their homes than at any time in our history. More
Americans are going to college and own their own businesses than at any
time in our history -- and a new economic report shows that inflation
is in check. Our policies have put us on the track to growth, but
leaders in Washington must not become complacent. We need to work
together to ensure that opportunity reaches every corner of our great
country.
Delivering opportunity means allowing families to keep more of the
money they earn. So we enacted the largest tax relief in a
generation. That is only a beginning. You need a reformed tax code
that is simple, fair, and easy to understand, and rewards your hard
work and entrepreneurial spirit. And Congress needs to do its part by
making the tax relief we passed permanent and burying the death tax
forever.
Delivering opportunity also means adapting to the needs of a new
century. In this new century, American prosperity will increasingly
depend on our ability to sell our goods and services overseas, so we
need to pass initiatives like the Central American Dominican Republic
Free Trade Agreement to create a level playing field for American
farmers and small businesses. In this new century, Americans require a
reliable and affordable supply of energy. I proposed a comprehensive
energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In this new
century, Americans need to know that if they work hard their whole
lives, they will retire with dignity, so we're working to save Social
Security to ensure that the next generation of retirees will be as
secure in their retirement as today's generation.
As we work to deliver opportunity at home, we're also keeping you
safe from threats from abroad. We went to war because we were
attacked, and we are at war today because there are still people out
there who want to harm our country and hurt our citizens. Some may
disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all
of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a
central front in the war on terror. These foreign terrorists violently
oppose the rise of a free and democratic Iraq, because they know that
when we replace despair and hatred with liberty and hope, they lose
their recruiting grounds for terror.
Our troops are fighting these terrorists in Iraq so you will not
have to face them here at home. We mourn every one of these brave men
and women who have given his or her life for our liberty. The
terrorists know they cannot defeat our troops, so they seek to weaken
our nation's resolve. They know there is no room for them in a free
and democratic Middle East, so the terrorists and insurgents are trying
to get us to retreat. Their goal is to get us to leave before Iraqis
have had a chance to show the region what a government that is elected
and truly accountable to its citizens can do for its people.
Time and again, the Iraqi people have defied the skeptics who claim
they are not up to the job of building a free society. Nearly a year
ago, Iraqis showed they were ready to resume sovereignty. A few months
ago, Iraqis showed they could hold free elections. This week, Iraqis
have worked on an agreement to expand their constitutional drafting
committee to ensure that all communities are represented in the
process. I am confident that Iraqis will continue to defy the skeptics
as they build a new Iraq that represents the diversity of their nation
and assumes greater responsibility for their own security. And when
they do, our troops can come home with the honor they have earned.
This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished
overnight. We're fighting a ruthless enemy that relishes the killing
of innocent men, women, and children. By making their stand in Iraq,
the terrorists have made Iraq a vital test for the future security of
our country and the free world. We will settle for nothing less than
victory.
I'll continue to act to keep our people safe from harm and our
future bright. Together we will do what Americans have always done:
build a better and more peaceful world for our children and
grandchildren.
Thank you for listening.
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