For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 29, 2001
Radio Address by the President to the Nation
The Bush Ranch
Crawford, Texas
Listen to the President's Remarks
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Two thousand and
one has been a year that Americans will always remember. We
suffered great loss, and we found a new unity. We were
attacked, and we responded swiftly. We have seen the
strength of America in countless acts of kindness, compassion and
courage.
This year ends with progress on the battlefield and accomplishment
at home. The men and women of our military have successfully
fought a new kind of war. They applied new tactics and new
technology to rout a new kind of enemy. The lessons we learn
in Afghanistan will guide our military to the future, and make our
country stronger and more secure.
On the home front, we're strengthening our defenses against
terrorist attack, while upholding our constitutional
liberties. Our airways are more secure, and we are standing
on alert.
And here in Washington, we have built a record of
achievement. We've set out clear priorities of tax relief
and education reform, and we achieved them. Strengthening a
troubled economy was one of my first priorities. So we
passed the biggest tax reduction in a generation. And on
January 1st, the next round of tax relief takes effect.
As of January 1st, the marginal tax rate for moderate-income
taxpayers falls to 10 percent. Tax credits to encourage
businesses to provide day care will expand. And the adoption
tax credit will increase to $10,000. Yet, we cannot stop here.
I was disappointed by the failure of the Senate to act on my
proposals to help laid off workers and to stimulate job
creation. I outlined these proposals in October, more than
800,000 lost jobs ago. My ideas passed the House of
Representatives. And according to the Council of Economic
Advisors, they could save 300,000 endangered jobs. But the
Senate would not schedule them for a vote. I hope that we
can resolve in the new year and put politics aside and get the job done
for the American people.
Education was another top priority, and we passed the boldest
reform of the federal education program in nearly four
decades. We raised standards, put a new emphasis on reading,
protected local control, and made sure that our schools teach all of
our children. These are real achievements, and we must do
more.
We must have quick action on other issues that passed the House of
Representatives, but languished in the Senate. I'm counting
on the Senate to take up my proposals to assure America's energy
independence, to stimulate our economy and create jobs, to adopt a
solid patients' bill of rights, to mobilize faith-based institutions
for a new era of effective compassion, and to enhance our ability to
negotiate favorable trade agreements for the United States.
We have work to do to strengthen Social Security and put Medicare
on sound footing for the future. Above all, this coming year
will require our sustained commitment to the war against
terrorism. We cannot know how long this struggle will
last. But it can end only one way: in victory for
America and the cause of freedom.
We look back on 2001 with sadness and with pride. We
must look forward with determination and with resolve.
Thank you so much for listening, and Happy New Year to you all.
END
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