On January 20, President Bush delivered his third State of the Union address to Congress and the American people, placing the war on terrorism and the economy on the top of his agenda. He also discussed several other issues of importance to women and their families.
The President began by highlighting a number of accomplishments during his term, including the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the capture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, enactment of Medicare prescription drug legislation, and student performance under the No Child Left Behind Act. Of particular interest to women, he noted that, “As of this month, [Afghanistan] has a new constitution, guaranteeing free elections and full participation by women. Businesses are opening, health care centers are being established, and the boys and girls of Afghanistan are back in school.”
During his speech, the President previewed issues that will be addressed in the budget he plans to send to Congress the first week of February, including taxes, job training, health insurance, and abstinence education.
The President urged Congress to make permanent the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts arguing, “What the Congress has given, the Congress should not take away.” He also stressed that young workers should be able to save part of their Social Security taxes in a personal retirement account.
To further prepare students for entering the workforce, the President proposed a series of measures called “Jobs for the 21st Century” that will provide extra assistance to middle- and high-school students who are falling behind in reading and math, expand Advanced Placement (AP) programs in low-income schools, and encourage public school districts to invite math and science professionals from the private sector to teach part-time in high schools. He also argued for larger Pell Grants for those students who take demanding courses in high school and for increased funding for community colleges “so they can train workers for industries that are creating the most new jobs.”
Addressing the high cost of health insurance, President Bush urged Congress to pass legislation establishing association health plans (AHPs) among small businesses. He also asked Congress to provide low-income individuals with a refundable tax credit to purchase basic health insurance. Finally, President Bush announced a proposal to allow individuals who purchase catastrophic health coverage to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes.
Family values were a major theme of the speech. The President stressed the importance of the institution of marriage and stated that the Defense of Marriage Act “protects marriage under federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states.” He expressed his concern that judges have begun to redefine marriage under court order and added, “if judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process.”
In his remarks, the President noted that, “each year, about 3 million teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that can harm them or kill them or prevent them from ever becoming parents.” He proposed a grassroots campaign to inform parents about the risk of STDs and announced his intention to double federal funding for abstinence programs in public schools.
Noting the decline of drug use in high schools, the President proposed an additional $23 million for schools to implement drug testing programs “as a tool to save children’s lives.”
Pointing out that approximately “600,000 inmates will be released from prison back into society” this year, the President proposed a $300 million Prison Re-Entry Initiative to expand job training and placement services, to provide transitional housing, and to help mentor newly-released prisoners.
