State of the Union | Page 3

with the world's most destructive
weapons. (Applause.)
Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun. This campaign
may not be finished on our watch -- yet it must be and it will be waged
on our watch.
We can't stop short. If we stop now -- leaving terror camps intact and

terror states unchecked -- our sense of security would be false and
temporary. History has called America and our allies to action, and it is
both our responsibility and our privilege to fight freedom's fight.
(Applause.)
Our first priority must always be the security of our nation, and that
will be reflected in the budget I send to Congress. My budget supports
three great goals for America: We will win this war; we'll protect our
homeland; and we will revive our economy.
September the 11th brought out the best in America, and the best in this
Congress. And I join the American people in applauding your unity and
resolve. (Applause.) Now Americans deserve to have this same spirit
directed toward addressing problems here at home. I'm a proud member
of my party -- yet as we act to win the war, protect our people, and
create jobs in America, we must act, first and foremost, not as
Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans. (Applause.)
It costs a lot to fight this war. We have spent more than a billion dollars
a month -- over $30 million a day -- and we must be prepared for future
operations. Afghanistan proved that expensive precision weapons
defeat the enemy and spare innocent lives, and we need more of them.
We need to replace aging aircraft and make our military more agile, to
put our troops anywhere in the world quickly and safely. Our men and
women in uniform deserve the best weapons, the best equipment, the
best training -- and they also deserve another pay raise. (Applause.)
My budget includes the largest increase in defense spending in two
decades -- because while the price of freedom and security is high, it is
never too high. Whatever it costs to defend our country, we will pay.
(Applause.)
The next priority of my budget is to do everything possible to protect
our citizens and strengthen our nation against the ongoing threat of
another attack. Time and distance from the events of September the
11th will not make us safer unless we act on its lessons. America is no
longer protected by vast oceans. We are protected from attack only by
vigorous action abroad, and increased vigilance at home.
My budget nearly doubles funding for a sustained strategy of homeland
security, focused on four key areas: bioterrorism, emergency response,
airport and border security, and improved intelligence. We will develop
vaccines to fight anthrax and other deadly diseases. We'll increase

funding to help states and communities train and equip our heroic
police and firefighters. (Applause.) We will improve intelligence
collection and sharing, expand patrols at our borders, strengthen the
security of air travel, and use technology to track the arrivals and
departures of visitors to the United States. (Applause.)
Homeland security will make America not only stronger, but, in many
ways, better. Knowledge gained from bioterrorism research will
improve public health. Stronger police and fire departments will mean
safer neighborhoods. Stricter border enforcement will help combat
illegal drugs. (Applause.) And as government works to better secure
our homeland, America will continue to depend on the eyes and ears of
alert citizens.
A few days before Christmas, an airline flight attendant spotted a
passenger lighting a match. The crew and passengers quickly subdued
the man, who had been trained by al Qaeda and was armed with
explosives. The people on that plane were alert and, as a result, likely
saved nearly 200 lives. And tonight we welcome and thank flight
attendants Hermis Moutardier and Christina Jones. (Applause.)
Once we have funded our national security and our homeland security,
the final great priority of my budget is economic security for the
American people. (Applause.) To achieve these great national
objectives -- to win the war, protect the homeland, and revitalize our
economy -- our budget will run a deficit that will be small and
short-term, so long as Congress restrains spending and acts in a fiscally
responsible manner. (Applause.) We have clear priorities and we must
act at home with the same purpose and resolve we have shown overseas:
We'll prevail in the war, and we will defeat this recession. (Applause.)
Americans who have lost their jobs need our help and I support
extending unemployment benefits and direct assistance for health care
coverage. (Applause.) Yet, American workers want more than
unemployment checks -- they want a steady paycheck. (Applause.)
When America works, America prospers, so my economic security plan
can be summed up in one