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George H.W. Bush's State of the Union Address, 1992

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President George H.W. Bush
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On Jan. 28, 1992, President George H.W. Bush delivered his third State of the Union at 9:00 p.m. EST.

The State of the Union tradition stems from the U.S. Constitution's requirement that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”[1] The first State of the Union address was given by George Washington to both houses of Congress in 1790.

State of the Union address

Video

Transcript

The following text is a transcript of Bush's address, as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker and Mr. President, distinguished Members of Congress, honored guests, and fellow citizens:

Thank you very much for that warm reception. You know, with the big buildup this address has had, I wanted to make sure it would be a big hit, but I couldn't convince Barbara to deliver it for me. [Laughter]

I see the Speaker and the Vice President are laughing. They saw what I did in Japan, and they're just happy they're sitting behind me. [Laughter]

I mean to speak tonight of big things, of big changes and the promises they hold, and of some big problems and how, together, we can solve them and move our country forward as the undisputed leader of the age.

We gather tonight at a dramatic and deeply promising time in our history and in the history of man on Earth. For in the past 12 months, the world has known changes of almost Biblical proportions. And even now, months after the failed coup that doomed a failed system, I'm not sure we've absorbed the full impact, the full import of what happened. But communism died this year.

Even as President, with the most fascinating possible vantage point, there were times when I was so busy managing progress and helping to lead change that I didn't always show the joy that was in my heart. But the biggest thing that has happened in the world in my life, in our lives, is this: By the grace of God, America won the cold war.

I mean to speak this evening of the changes that can take place in our country, now that we can stop making the sacrifices we had to make when we had an avowed enemy that was a superpower. Now we can look homeward even more and move to set right what needs to be set right.

I will speak of those things. But let me tell you something I've been thinking these past few months. It's a kind of rollcall of honor. For the cold war didn't end; it was won. And I think of those who won it, in places like Korea and Vietnam. And some of them didn't come back. Back then they were heroes, but this year they were victors.

The long rollcall, all the G.I. Joes and Janes, all the ones who fought faithfully for freedom, who hit the ground and sucked the dust and knew their share of horror. This may seem frivolous, and I don't mean it so, but it's moving to me how the world saw them. The world saw not only their special valor but their special style: their rambunctious, optimistic bravery, their do-or-die unity unhampered by class or race or region. What a group we've put forth, for generations now, from the ones who wrote "Kilroy was here" on the walls of the German stalags to those who left signs in the Iraqi desert that said, "I saw Elvis." What a group of kids we've sent out into the world.

And there's another to be singled out, though it may seem inelegant, and I mean a mass of people called the American taxpayer. No one ever thinks to thank the people who pay a country's bill or an alliance's bill. But for half a century now, the American people have shouldered the burden and paid taxes that were higher than they would have been to support a defense that was bigger than it would have been if imperial communism had never existed. But it did; doesn't anymore. And here's a fact I wouldn't mind the world acknowledging: The American taxpayer bore the brunt of the burden and deserves a hunk of the glory.

So now, for the first time in 35 years, our strategic bombers stand down. No longer are they on 'round-the-clock alert. Tomorrow our children will go to school and study history and how plants grow. And they won't have, as my children did, air raid drills in which they crawl under their desks and cover their heads in case of nuclear war. My grandchildren don't have to do that and won't have the bad dreams children had once, in decades past. There are still threats. But the long, drawn-out dread is over.

A year ago tonight, I spoke to you at a moment of high peril. American forces had just unleashed Operation Desert Storm. And after 40 days in the desert skies and 4 days on the ground, the men and women of America's Armed Forces and our allies accomplished the goals that I declared and that you endorsed: We liberated Kuwait. Soon after, the Arab world and Israel sat down to talk seriously and comprehensively about peace, an historic first. And soon after that, at Christmas, the last American hostages came home. Our policies were vindicated.

Much good can come from the prudent use of power. And much good can come of this: A world once divided into two armed camps now recognizes one sole and preeminent power, the United States of America. And they regard this with no dread. For the world trusts us with power, and the world is right. They trust us to be fair and restrained. They trust us to be on the side of decency. They trust us to do what's right.

I use those words advisedly. A few days after the war began, I received a telegram from Joanne Speicher, the wife of the first pilot killed in the Gulf, Lieutenant Commander Scott Speicher. Even in her grief, she wanted me to know that some day when her children were old enough, she would tell them "that their father went away to war because it was the right thing to do." And she said it all: It was the right thing to do.

And we did it together. There were honest differences right here in this Chamber. But when the war began, you put partisanship aside, and we supported our troops. This is still a time for pride, but this is no time to boast. For problems face us, and we must stand together once again and solve them and not let our country down.

Two years ago, I began planning cuts in military spending that reflected the changes of the new era. But now, this year, with imperial communism gone, that process can be accelerated. Tonight I can tell you of dramatic changes in our strategic nuclear force. These are actions we are taking on our own because they are the right thing to do. After completing 20 planes for which we have begun procurement, we will shut down further production of the B - 2 bombers. We will cancel the small ICBM program. We will cease production of new warheads for our sea-based ballistic missiles. We will stop all new production of the Peacekeeper missile. And we will not purchase any more advanced cruise missiles.

This weekend I will meet at Camp David with Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation. I've informed President Yeltsin that if the Commonwealth, the former Soviet Union, will eliminate all land-based multiple-warhead ballistic missiles, I will do the following: We will eliminate all Peacekeeper missiles. We will reduce the number of warheads on Minuteman missiles to one and reduce the number of warheads on our sea-based missiles by about one-third. And we will convert a substantial portion of our strategic bombers to primarily conventional use. President Yeltsin's early response has been very positive, and I expect our talks at Camp David to be fruitful.

I want you to know that for half a century, American Presidents have longed to make such decisions and say such words. But even in the midst of celebration, we must keep caution as a friend. For the world is still a dangerous place. Only the dead have seen the end of conflict. And though yesterday's challenges are behind us, tomorrow's are being born.

The Secretary of Defense recommended these cuts after consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And I make them with confidence. But do not misunderstand me. The reductions I have approved will save us an additional $50 billion over the next 5 years. By 1997, we will have cut defense by 30 percent since I took office. These cuts are deep, and you must know my resolve: This deep, and no deeper. To do less would be insensible to progress, but to do more would be ignorant of history. We must not go back to the days of "the hollow army." We cannot repeat the mistakes made twice in this century when armistice was followed by recklessness and defense was purged as if the world were permanently safe.

I remind you this evening that I have asked for your support in funding a program to protect our country from limited nuclear missile attack. We must have this protection because too many people in too many countries have access to nuclear arms. And I urge you again to pass the Strategic Defense Initiative, SDI.

There are those who say that now we can turn away from the world, that we have no special role, no special place. But we are the United States of America, the leader of the West that has become the leader of the world. And as long as I am President, I will continue to lead in support of freedom everywhere, not out of arrogance, not out of altruism, but for the safety and security of our children. This is a fact: Strength in the pursuit of peace is no vice; isolationism in the pursuit of security is no virtue.

And now to our troubles at home. They're not all economic; the primary problem is our economy. There are some good signs. Inflation, that thief, is down. And interest rates are down. But unemployment is too high, some industries are in trouble, and growth is not what it should be. Let me tell you right from the start and right from the heart, I know we're in hard times. But I know something else: This will not stand.

In this Chamber, in this Chamber we can bring the same courage and sense of common purpose to the economy that we brought to Desert Storm. And we can defeat hard times together. I believe you'll help. One reason is that you're patriots, and you want the best for your country. And I believe that in your hearts you want to put partisanship aside and get the job done because it's the right thing to do.

The power of America rests in a stirring but simple idea, that people will do great things if only you set them free. Well, we're going to set the economy free. For if this age of miracles and wonders has taught us anything, it's that if we can change the world we can change America. We must encourage investment. We must make it easier for people to invest money and create new products, new industries, and new jobs. We must clear away the obstacles to growth: high taxes, high regulation, redtape, and yes, wasteful Government spending.

None of this will happen with a snap of the fingers, but it will happen. And the test of a plan isn't whether it's called new or dazzling. The American people aren't impressed by gimmicks; they're smarter on this score than all of us in this room. The only test of a plan is: Is it sound, and will it work?

We must have a short-term plan to address our immediate needs and heat up the economy. And then we need a longer term plan to keep combustion going and to guarantee our place in the world economy. There are certain things that a President can do without Congress, and I'm going to do them.

I have, this evening, asked major Cabinet departments and Federal agencies to institute a 90-day moratorium on any new Federal regulations that could hinder growth. In those 90 days, major departments and agencies will carry out a top-to-bottom review of all regulations, old and new, to stop the ones that will hurt growth and speed up those that will help growth.

Further, for the untold number of hard-working, responsible American workers and business men and women who've been forced to go without needed bank loans, the banking credit crunch must end. I won't neglect my responsibility for sound regulations that serve the public good, but regulatory overkill must be stopped. And I've instructed our Government regulators to stop it.

I have directed Cabinet departments and Federal agencies to speed up progrowth expenditures as quickly as possible. This should put an extra $10 billion into the economy in the next 6 months. And our new transportation bill provides more than $150 billion for construction and maintenance projects that are vital to our growth and well-being. And that means jobs building roads, jobs building bridges, and jobs building railways.

And I have, this evening, directed the Secretary of the Treasury to change the Federal tax withholding tables. With this change, millions of Americans from whom the Government withholds more than necessary can now choose to have the Government withhold less from their paychecks. Something tells me a number of taxpayers may take us up on this one. This initiative could return about $25 billion back into our economy over the next 12 months, money people can use to help pay for clothing, college, or to get a new car. Finally, working with the Federal Reserve, we will continue to support monetary policy that keeps both interest rates and inflation down.

Now, these are the things I can do. And now, Members of Congress, let me tell you what you can do for your country. You must pass the other elements of my plan to meet our economic needs. Everyone knows that investment spurs recovery. I am proposing this evening a change in the alternative minimum tax and the creation of a new 15-percent investment tax allowance. This will encourage businesses to accelerate investment and bring people back to work.

Real estate has led our economy out of almost all the tough times we've ever had. Once building starts, carpenters and plumbers work; people buy homes and take out mortgages. My plan would modify the passive loss rule for active real estate developers. And it would make it easier for pension plans to purchase real estate. For those Americans who dream of buying a first home but who can't quite afford it, my plan would allow first-time homebuyers to withdraw savings from IRA's without penalty and provide a $5,000 tax credit for the first purchase of that home.

And finally, my immediate plan calls on Congress to give crucial help to people who own a home, to everyone who has a business or a farm or a single investment. This time, at this hour, I cannot take no for an answer. You must cut the capital gains tax on the people of our country. Never has an issue been more demagogued by its opponents. But the demagogs are wrong. They are wrong, and they know it. Sixty percent of the people who benefit from lower capital gains have incomes under $50,000. A cut in the capital gains tax increases jobs and helps just about everyone in our country. And so, I'm asking you to cut the capital gains tax to a maximum of 15.4 percent.

I'll tell you, those of you who say, "Oh, no, someone who's comfortable may benefit from that," you kind of remind me of the old definition of the Puritan who couldn't sleep at night, worrying that somehow, someone somewhere was out having a good time. [Laughter] The opponents of this measure and those who have authored various so-called soak-the-rich bills that are floating around this Chamber should be reminded of something: When they aim at the big guy, they usually hit the little guy. And maybe it's time that stopped.

This, then, is my short-term plan. Your part, Members of Congress, requires enactment of these commonsense proposals that will have a strong effect on the economy without breaking the budget agreement and without raising tax rates.

While my plan is being passed and kicking in, we've got to care for those in trouble today. I have provided for up to $4.4 billion in my budget to extend Federal unemployment benefits. And I ask for congressional action right away. And I thank the committee. [Applause] Well, at last.

Let's be frank. Let's be frank. Let me level with you. I know and you know that my plan is unveiled in a political season. [Laughter] I know and you know that everything I propose will be viewed by some in merely partisan terms. But I ask you to know what is in my heart. And my aim is to increase our Nation's good. I'm doing what I think is right, and I am proposing what I know will help.

I pride myself that I'm a prudent man, and I believe that patience is a virtue. But I understand that politics is, for some, a game and that sometimes the game is to stop all progress and then decry the lack of improvement. [Laughter] But let me tell you: Far more important than my political future and far more important than yours is the well-being of our country. Members of this Chamber are practical people, and I know you won't resent some practical advice. When people put their party's fortunes, whatever the party, whatever side of this aisle, before the public good, they court defeat not only for their country but for themselves. And they will certainly deserve it.

I submit my plan tomorrow, and I'm asking you to pass it by March 20th. And I ask the American people to let you know they want this action by March 20th. From the day after that, if it must be, the battle is joined. And you know, when principle is at stake I relish a good, fair fight.

I said my plan has two parts, and it does. And it's the second part that is the heart of the matter. For it's not enough to get an immediate burst. We need long-term improvement in our economic position. We all know that the key to our economic future is to ensure that America continues as an economic leader of the world. We have that in our power. Here, then, is my long-term plan to guarantee our future.

First, trade: We will work to break down the walls that stop world trade. We will work to open markets everywhere. And in our major trade negotiations, I will continue pushing to eliminate tariffs and subsidies that damage America's farmers and workers. And we'll get more good American jobs within our own hemisphere through the North American free trade agreement and through the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative.

But changes are here, and more are coming. The workplace of the future will demand more highly skilled workers than ever, more people who are computer-literate, highly educated. We must be the world's leader in education. And we must revolutionize America's schools. My America 2000 strategy will help us reach that goal. My plan will give parents more choice, give teachers more flexibility, and help communities create new American schools. Thirty States across the Nation have established America 2000 programs. Hundreds of cities and towns have joined in. Now Congress must join this great movement: Pass my proposals for new American schools.

That was my second long-term proposal, and here's my third: We must make commonsense investments that will help us compete, long-term, in the marketplace. We must encourage research and development. My plan is to make the R&D tax credit permanent and to provide record levels of support, over $76 billion this year alone, for people who will explore the promise of emerging technologies.

Fourth, we must do something about crime and drugs. It is time for a major, renewed investment in fighting violent street crime. It saps our strength and hurts our faith in our society and in our future together. Surely a tired woman on her way to work at 6 in the morning on a subway deserves the right to get there safely. And surely it's true that everyone who changes his or her life because of crime, from those afraid to go out at night to those afraid to walk in the parks they pay for, surely these people have been denied a basic civil right. It is time to restore it. Congress, pass my comprehensive crime bill. It is tough on criminals and supportive of police, and it has been languishing in these hallowed halls for years now. Pass it. Help your country.

Fifth, I ask you tonight to fund our HOPE housing proposal and to pass my enterprise zone legislation which will get businesses into the inner city. We must empower the poor with the pride that comes from owning a home, getting a job, becoming a part of things. My plan would encourage real estate construction by extending tax incentives for mortgage revenue bonds and low-income housing. And I ask tonight for record expenditures for the program that helps children born into want move into excellence, Head Start.

Step six, we must reform our health care system. For this, too, bears on whether or not we can compete in the world. American health costs have been exploding. This year America will spend over $800 billion on health, and that is expected to grow to 1.6 trillion by the end of the decade. We simply cannot afford this. The cost of health care shows up not only in your family budget but in the price of everything we buy and everything we sell. When health coverage for a fellow on an assembly line costs thousands of dollars, the cost goes into the products he makes, and you pay the bill.

We must make a choice. Now, some pretend we can have it both ways. They call it "play or pay," but that expensive approach is unstable. It will mean higher taxes, fewer jobs, and eventually a system under complete Government control.

Really, there are only two options. And we can move toward a nationalized system, a system which will restrict patient choice in picking a doctor and force the Government to ration services arbitrarily. And what we'll get is patients in long lines, indifferent service, and a huge new tax burden. Or we can reform our own private health care system, which still gives us, for all its flaws, the best quality health care in the world.

Well, let's build on our strengths. My plan provides insurance security for all Americans while preserving and increasing the idea of choice. We make basic health insurance affordable for all low-income people not now covered, and we do it by providing a health insurance tax credit of up to $3,750 for each low-income family. And the middle class gets help, too. And by reforming the health insurance market, my plan assures that Americans will have access to basic health insurance even if they change jobs or develop serious health problems. We must bring costs under control, preserve quality, preserve choice, and reduce the people's nagging daily worry about health insurance. My plan, the details of which I'll announce very shortly, does just that.

Seventh, we must get the Federal deficit under control. We now have, in law, enforceable spending caps and a requirement that we pay for the programs we create. There are those in Congress who would ease that discipline now. But I cannot let them do it, and I won't.

My plan would freeze all domestic discretionary budget authority, which means no more next year than this year. I will not tamper with Social Security, but I would put real caps on the growth of uncontrolled spending. And I would also freeze Federal domestic Government employment. And with the help of Congress, my plan will get rid of 246 programs that don't deserve Federal funding. Some of them have noble titles, but none of them is indispensable. We can get rid of each and every one of them.

You know, it's time we rediscovered a home truth the American people have never forgotten: This Government is too big and spends too much. And I call upon Congress to adopt a measure that will help put an end to the annual ritual of filling the budget with pork barrel appropriations. Every year, the press has a field day making fun of outrageous examples: a Lawrence Welk museum, research grants for Belgian endive. We all know how these things get into the budget, and maybe you need someone to help you say no. I know how to say it, and I know what I need to make it stick. Give me the same thing 43 Governors have, the line-item veto, and let me help you control spending.

We must put an end to unfinanced Federal Government mandates. These are the requirements Congress puts on our cities, counties, and States without supplying the money. If Congress passes a mandate, it should be forced to pay for it and balance the cost with savings elsewhere. After all, a mandate just increases someone else's burden, and that means higher taxes at the State and local level.

Step eight, Congress should enact the bold reform proposals that are still awaiting congressional action: bank reform, civil justice reform, tort reform, and my national energy strategy.

And finally, we must strengthen the family because it is the family that has the greatest bearing on our future. When Barbara holds an AIDS baby in her arms and reads to children, she's saying to every person in this country: Family matters.

And I am announcing tonight a new Commission on America's Urban Families. I've asked Missouri's Governor John Ashcroft to be Chairman, former Dallas Mayor Annette Strauss to be Cochair. You know, I had mayors, the leading mayors from the League of Cities, in the other day at the White House, and they told me something striking. They said that every one of them, Republican or Democrat, agreed on one thing, that the major cause of the problems of the cities is the dissolution of the family. They asked for this Commission, and they were right to ask because it's time to determine what we can do to keep families together, strong and sound.

There's one thing we can do right away: Ease the burden of rearing a child. I ask you tonight to raise the personal exemption by $500 per child for every family. For a family with four kids, that's an increase of $2,000. This is a good start in the right direction, and it's what we can afford.

It's time to allow families to deduct the interest they pay on student loans. I am asking you to do just that. And I'm asking you to allow people to use money from their IRA's to pay medical and education expenses, all without penalties.

And I'm asking for more. Ask American parents what they dislike about how things are going in our country, and chances are good that pretty soon they'll get to welfare. Americans are the most generous people on Earth. But we have to go back to the insight of Franklin Roosevelt who, when he spoke of what became the welfare program, warned that it must not become "a narcotic" and a "subtle destroyer" of the spirit. Welfare was never meant to be a lifestyle. It was never meant to be a habit. It was never supposed to be passed from generation to generation like a legacy. It's time to replace the assumptions of the welfare state and help reform the welfare system.

States throughout the country are beginning to operate with new assumptions that when able-bodied people receive Government assistance, they have responsibilities to the taxpayer: A responsibility to seek work, education, or job training; a responsibility to get their lives in order; a responsibility to hold their families together and refrain from having children out of wedlock; and a responsibility to obey the law. We are going to help this movement. Often, State reform requires waiving certain Federal regulations. I will act to make that process easier and quicker for every State that asks for our help.

I want to add, as we make these changes, we work together to improve this system, that our intention is not scapegoating or finger-pointing. If you read the papers and watch TV, you know there's been a rise these days in a certain kind of ugliness: racist comments, anti-Semitism, an increased sense of division. Really, this is not us. This is not who we are. And this is not acceptable.

And so, you have my plan for America. And I'm asking for big things, but I believe in my heart you'll do what's right.

You know, it's kind of an American tradition to show a certain skepticism toward our democratic institutions. I myself have sometimes thought the aging process could be delayed if it had to make its way through Congress. [Laughter] You will deliberate, and you will discuss, and that is fine. But, my friends, the people cannot wait. They need help now.

There's a mood among us. People are worried. There's been talk of decline. Someone even said our workers are lazy and uninspired. And I thought: Really? You go tell Neil Armstrong standing on the moon. Tell the men and women who put him there. Tell the American farmer who feeds his country and the world. Tell the men and women of Desert Storm.

Moods come and go, but greatness endures. Ours does. And maybe for a moment it's good to remember what, in the dailiness of our lives, we forget: We are still and ever the freest nation on Earth, the kindest nation on Earth, the strongest nation on Earth. And we have always risen to the occasion. And we are going to lift this Nation out of hard times inch by inch and day by day, and those who would stop us had better step aside. Because I look at hard times, and I make this vow: This will not stand.

And so, we move on together, a rising nation, the once and future miracle that is still, this night, the hope of the world. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless our beloved country. Thank you very, very much.[2]

—President George H.W. Bush (R), Jan. 28, 1992 [3]

Response to the State of the Union address: Tom Foley

Speaker of the House Tom Foley (R - Wash.) delivered the response to the state of the union.[4]

Video

Transcript

The following text is a transcript of Foley's response, as prepared for delivery:

My fellow Americans.

Tonight I speak for the Democratic Party. But I also speak for working families and the middle class; for those who worked hard to move ahead, but now find themselves falling behind; for so many of strength and spirit and skill who watch with increasing uncertainty as so many of their hopes have been threatened.

This should be America's high noon.

But instead, after winning both a war in the Persian Gulf a year ago and the historic struggle of the last half century against Communism, we face an ominous, persistent recession which reminds us anew of President Kennedy's warning that "this nation cannot be strong abroad if it is weak at home."

At home in America today, thousands wait on a frozen morning outside a hotel in Chicago for just a chance to apply for a job, no matter what the work or wages.

At home in America today, the largest auto maker in the world, which once seemed to be the most secure of all corporations, announces that it will have to lay off 75,000 people in order to survive. Hammers Average Earnings

At home in America today, the average earnings increase of our workers has declined from first in the world to 10th. This year, millions more of our workers find themselves unemployed and their family's health uninsured. Many state governments are slashing education and other services and raising taxes. The nations whose freedom we protected in the past continue to surpass us in high paying jobs and the industries of the future.

The standard of living of the American people is a first and fundamental measure of the state of the American union.

So the urgent, overriding task of 1992 is to restore growth and jobs. And the great challenge of the 1990's is to reclaim our industrial edge, revive our economic leadership and make America once more the most prosperous and powerful economy on earth.

For too long we were told to wait—that things would get better on their own. There was even an effort to talk us out of the recession—or to tell us that it wasn't really happening at all.

But the truth finally became all too painful—and all too clear. The supply-side, trickle-down decade of the 1980's finally led to an economy in decline, and left us month after month with a national Administration adrift in domestic policy, seemingly without ideas and without apparent commitment or energy to move America ahead.

In the midst of this recession, the Administration even resisted extending unemployment benefits; Congress had to pass it three times last year before the President would sign it. Today, before the President had sent his message, Congress took action to renew that extension, and we now welcome the President's support. A Democratic Tax Cut

For many months, Democrats have set forth an agenda for change. We have proposed a tax cut for the middle class to help lift the consumer demand that fuels our economy. We have demanded policies to bring down the trade barriers that lock American products out of markets from Europe to Asia. We've called for national health insurance to make health care a fundamental right of all Americans.

Here too we will seek common ground with the President—and the Republicans. To achieve all this and more, we will work with him and with them to do what is best for the country.

But we will also stand our ground when basic principles are at stake. We will not agree to do the wrong thing simply for the sake of doing something. In short, we seek a fundamental change from the unsuccessful economic policies of the past 12 years.

When we say a middle-class tax cut, we mean exactly that. Not more of the tax cuts of the 1980's, which gave most of the benefits to the very few and left most of our people actually paying more in taxes.

We will insist that this time, the benefits must go to working families, not to the privileged.

We will insist that a middle-class tax cut be paid for not by taking money that should go to schools and health care, but by calling on the richest of our citizens, at long last, to pay their fair share. Seeds of the Recession

We will oppose any efforts to misuse the present crisis as an excuse to repeat the worst errors of the last decade. Then we sowed the seeds of the recession we are now in; we must not go down that path again.

During the past two Administrations, there have been consistent efforts to undo government protection of public health and safety. Today, the hurt of the unemployed is no excuse to undermine regulatory rules that protect their families and all of us from pollution, deceptive advertising, unsafe food and medicine, workplace injury and death. This is not a way to create jobs or make American business prosperous.

Nor will we accept the kind of capital gains tax cut that will lead largely to accelerated profit-taking, not accelerated investment. One can play a lot of games with statistics, but the bottom line is that two-thirds of all the money from the Administration's capital gains tax cut would go to the richest 1 percent of taxpayers. Instead, we need targeted incentives to reward companies that build and buy now—that hire instead of laying-off.

The President said tonight that when you aim at the well off you usually hit the little guy. The truth is, for 12 years they have been promising to help the little guy and then giving all the breaks to the well off, and it is time that that stopped. As Democrats our purpose is not just to end this recession but to begin a new time of economic growth and progress.

So we will propose a new commitment to civilian technology and research. For half a century American weapons were the best in the world; as we enter the new century, America must build the best consumer and industrial products. Seeking Open Markets

We will pursue a trade policy that opens markets on equal terms so that when we buy from Europe and Asia they will be buying from us as well. We will demand far-reaching changes in education and training so that our students will be the first, not the last, among the industrial nations in science and math—and so our workers will have the skills and the chance to compete successfully with anyone, anywhere.

We will also fight for fundamental change in the area of health care.

Today, millions of Americans have no health insurance at all—and even those who do have no assurance that they're safe. People worry that if they get sick their coverage will be canceled. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs continue to multiply. Workers who lose their jobs suddenly find their children without health insurance.

This issue will be a test of our national character.

Few Americans realize that the United States and South Africa are the only economically advanced nations that do not guarantee the health care of their people.

We will fight to change that in this Congress—and in the next one—as long as it takes—because lives and health are at stake, and so is the financial health of America's families.

It is not enough to make minor changes, to tinker with the edges while tolerating basic flaws. We want to replace the status quo, not protect it. We want to help the middle-class family, not tax its health care benefits.

It is time for national health insurance. It is time to cover every American. It is time to control costs. Because otherwise we will continue to pay more and more for less and less.

And soon the burden will break the budgets of middle-class families, of business and of government at every level.

Health care is one of the great unfinished tasks of our society. Almost 60 years ago America decided that people should age with dignity—and we passed Social Security. Now we must decide that families will live with dignity—and pass national health insurance.

Finally there are other, urgent issues of basic justice that also go to our character as a nation.

So we will oppose any effort from any quarter to widen and exploit racial division—or lessen our commitment to break down the barriers and at long last fulfill the pledge that millions of us make every day, from the schoolhouses of America to the floor of the House of Representatives: that we shall be "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Appeals to race should have no place in our politics or our national life. Civil Rights Promise

We will stand for another civil right of every American—the civil right to be protected from violence and crime.

Election after election, we hear tough talk; this year we will pass tougher laws if the President will ask the Republicans in the Senate to stop filibustering the crime bill that has already been passed by the House of Representatives. We will stand—and we will fight—for a woman's right to choose. If the Supreme Court removes the guarantee of choice from the Constitution of the United States, this Congress will write it into the laws of the United States.

We will stand for day care and family leave, so that workers who take time off to help a sick parent or child will no longer risk their jobs.

In closing, let me reaffirm our essential resolve—which is to make America work again. For when the economy is wrong, nothing else is right.

We cannot undo all the mistakes of the past 12 years in a single year, or in a single Congress. The Administration has waited a long time to act. Over and over we have said we can fight this recession, and we will.

We can change this nation fundamentally, and we have to.

It is true the cold war is over; the old world is past; the ways of thinking and leading will not do.

It is time now to turn our attention to our own land and to our own people, to rebuild its economic strength and standard of life, to master the very different challenges of this new era.

Only a few times have Americans stood at so decisive a turning point. Now, with all of us working together, let's get this nation moving again.[2]

—Speaker of the House Tom Foley (R - Wash.), Jan. 28, 1992[4]

Designated survivor

Each year, a member of the president's Cabinet is chosen to stay in an undisclosed location outside of Washington, D.C. to assume the presidency in case of an attack on Congress, the president, and other high-ranking officials.

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Madigan was the designated survivor.[5]

Background

The following table provides a list of annual and other presidential addresses delivered to joint sessions of Congress between 1790 and 2025. It does not include inaugurations. Click the link in the Occasion or topic column to read more about each address. The information was compiled from the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Historian.[6]

  • President Woodrow Wilson (D), whose administration overlapped with World War I, delivered the most addresses: 23.
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) followed with 19 addresses, which included a joint speech with the ambassador of France in 1934 and an address read before Congress on his behalf in 1945. World War II took place during his administration.
  • President Harry S. Truman had the third-most addresses at 16. His administration covered the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.
  • Among presidents who served between 1981 and 2025, Presidents Ronald Reagan (R) and Barack Obama (D) delivered the most addresses with 11 and 10, respectively.
Presidential addresses to joint sessions of Congress
Date Session of Congress Occasion or topic President and other speaking dignitaries
March 4, 2025 119th Congress Address President Donald J. Trump
March 7, 2024 118th Congress State of the Union Address President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
February 7, 2023 118th Congress State of the Union Address President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
March 1, 2022 117th Congress State of the Union Address President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
April 28, 2021 117th Congress Address President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Feb. 4, 2020 116th Congress State of the Union Address President Donald J. Trump
Feb. 5, 2019 116th Congress State of the Union Address President Donald J. Trump
Jan. 30, 2018 115th Congress State of the Union Address President Donald J. Trump
Feb. 28, 2017 115th Congress Address President Donald J. Trump
Jan. 12, 2016 114th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 20, 2015 114th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 28, 2014 113th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Feb. 12, 2013 113th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 24, 2012 112th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Sept. 8, 2011 112th Congress Address on American Jobs Act President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 25, 2011 112th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 27, 2010 111th Congress State of the Union Address President Barack H. Obama
Sept. 8, 2009 111th Congress Address on Health Care Reform President Barack H. Obama
Feb. 24, 2009 111th Congress Address President Barack H. Obama
Jan. 28, 2008 110th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush
Jan. 23, 2007 110th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush
Jan. 31, 2006 109th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush
Feb. 2, 2005 109th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush
Jan. 20, 2004 108th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush.
Jan. 28, 2003 108th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush.
Jan. 29, 2002 107th Congress State of the Union Address President George W. Bush.
Sept. 20, 2001 107th Congress Address on the War on Terrorism President George W. Bush.
Feb. 27, 2001 107th Congress Budget Message President George W. Bush.
Jan. 27, 2000 106th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 19, 1999 106th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 27, 1998 105th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Feb. 4, 1997 105th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 23, 1996 104th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 24, 1995 104th Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 25, 1994 103rd Congress State of the Union Address President William J. Clinton.
Sept. 22, 1993 103rd Congress Address on Health Care Reform President William J. Clinton.
Feb. 17, 1993 103rd Congress Economic Address President William J. Clinton.
Jan. 28, 1992 102nd Congress State of the Union Address President George Bush.
Mar. 6, 1991 102nd Congress Conclusion of Persian Gulf War President George Bush.
Jan. 29, 1991 102nd Congress State of the Union Address President George Bush.
Sept. 11, 1990 101st Congress Invasion of Kuwait by Iraq President George Bush.
Jan. 31, 1990 101st Congress State of the Union Address President George Bush.
Feb. 9, 1989 101st Congress Address on Building a Better America President George Bush.
Jan. 25, 1988 100th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 27, 1987 100th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Feb. 4, 1986 99th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Nov. 21, 1985 99th Congress Address on Geneva Summit President Ronald Reagan.
Feb. 6, 1985 99th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 25, 1984 98th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Apr. 27, 1983 98th Congress Address on Central America President Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 25, 1983 98th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 26, 1982 97th Congress State of the Union Address President Ronald Reagan.
Apr. 28, 1981 97th Congress Address on Economic Recovery--inflation President Ronald Reagan.
Feb. 18, 1981 97th Congress Address on Economic Recovery President Ronald Reagan.
Jan. 23, 1980 96th Congress State of the Union Address President Jimmy Carter.
June 18, 1979 96th Congress Address on Salt II agreements President Jimmy Carter.
Jan. 23, 1979 96th Congress State of the Union Address President Jimmy Carter.
Sept. 18, 1978 95th Congress Address on Middle East Peace agreements President Jimmy Carter; Joint session attended by Anwar El Sadat, President of Egypt, and by Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel.
Jan. 19, 1978 95th Congress State of the Union Address President Jimmy Carter.
Apr. 20, 1977 95th Congress Address on Energy President Jimmy Carter.
Jan. 12, 1977 95th Congress State of the Union Address President Gerald R. Ford.
Jan. 19, 1976 94th Congress State of the Union Address President Gerald R. Ford.
Apr. 10, 1975 94th Congress Address on State of the World President Gerald R. Ford.
Jan. 15, 1975 94th Congress State of the Union Address President Gerald R. Ford.
Oct. 8, 1974 93rd Congress Address on the Economy President Gerald R. Ford.
Aug. 12, 1974 93rd Congress Assumption of office President Gerald R. Ford.
Jan. 30 1974 93rd Congress State of the Union Address President Richard M. Nixon.
June 1, 1972 92nd Congress Address on Europe trip President Richard M. Nixon.
Jan. 20, 1972 92nd Congress State of the Union Address President Richard M. Nixon.
Sept. 9, 1971 92nd Congress Address on Economic policy President Richard M. Nixon.
Jan. 22, 1971 92nd Congress State of the Union Address President Richard M. Nixon.
Jan. 22, 1970 91st Congress State of the Union Address President Richard M. Nixon.
Jan. 14, 1969 91st Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 17, 1968 90th Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 10, 1967 90th Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 12, 1966 89th Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Mar. 15, 1965 89th Congress Voting rights President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 4, 1965 89th Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 8, 1964 88th Congress State of the Union Address President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Nov. 27, 1963 88th Congress Assumption of office President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jan. 14, 1963 88th Congress State of the Union Address President John F. Kennedy.
Jan. 11, 1962 87th Congress State of the Union Address President John F. Kennedy.
May 25, 1961 87th Congress Urgent national needs: foreign aid, defense, civil defense, and outer space President John F. Kennedy.
Jan. 30, 1961 87th Congress State of the Union Address President John F. Kennedy.
Jan. 7, 1960 86th Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 9, 1959 86th Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 9, 1958 85th Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 10, 1957 85th Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 5, 1957 85th Congress Address on the Middle East President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 6, 1955 84th Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jan. 7, 1954 83rd Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Feb. 2, 1953 83rd Congress State of the Union Address President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
June 10, 1952 82nd Congress Address on Steel Strike President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 9, 1952 82nd Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 8, 1951 82nd Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 4, 1950 81st Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 5, 1949 81st Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
July 27, 1948 80th Congress Address on inflation, housing, and civil rights President Harry S. Truman.
Apr. 19, 1948 80th Congress Address on 50th anniversary, liberation of Cuba President Harry S. Truman; Guillermo Belt, Ambassador of Cuba.
Mar. 17, 1948 80th Congress National security and conditions in Europe President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 7, 1948 80th Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
Nov. 17, 1947 80th Congress Address on Aid to Europe President Harry S. Truman.
Mar. 12, 1947 80th Congress Address on Greek-Turkish aid policy President Harry S. Truman.
Jan. 6, 1947 80th Congress State of the Union Address President Harry S. Truman.
May 25, 1946 79th Congress Address on Railroad Strike President Harry S. Truman.
Oct. 23, 1945 79th Congress Address on Universal Military Training President Harry S. Truman.
May 21, 1945 79th Congress Address on Bestowal of Congressional Medal of Honor to Tech. Sgt. Jake William Lindsey General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; President Harry S. Truman.
Apr. 16, 1945 79th Congress Address on Assumption of Office and War President Harry S. Truman.
Mar. 1, 1945 79th Congress Address on Yalta Conference President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 6, 1945 79th Congress Annual Message President Roosevelt was not present. His message was read before the Joint Session of Congress.
Jan. 11, 1944 78th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 7, 1943 78th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 6, 1942 77th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Dec. 8, 1941 77th Congress Address on the "Day of Infamy" President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 6, 1941 77th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
May 16, 1940 76th Congress Address on National Defense President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 3, 1940 76th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Sept. 21, 1939 76th Congress Address on Neutrality President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Mar. 4, 1939 76th Congress Address on Sesquicentennial of the 1st Congress President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 4, 1939 76th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 3, 1938 75th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 6, 1937 75th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 3, 1936 74th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
May 22, 1935 74th Congress Address on Budget Bill Veto President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Jan. 4, 1935 74th Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
May 20, 1934 73rd Congress Address on 100th anniversary of the death of the Marquis de Lafayette Andre de Laboulaye, Ambassador of France; President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; ceremony attended by Count de Chambrun, great-grandson of Lafayette.
Jan. 3, 1934 73rd Congress Annual Message President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Feb. 22, 1932 72nd Congress Address on bicentennial of George Washington's birth President Herbert Hoover.
Dec. 6, 1932 72nd Congress Annual Message President Herbert Hoover.
Dec. 8, 1931 72nd Congress Annual Message President Herbert Hoover.
Dec. 2, 1930 71st Congress Annual Message President Herbert Hoover.
Dec. 3, 1929 71st Congress Annual Message President Herbert Hoover.
Dec. 4, 1928 70th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Feb. 22, 1927 70th Congress Address on upcoming George Washington birthday bicentennial President Calvin Coolidge.
Dec. 6, 1927 70th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Dec. 6, 1926 69th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Dec. 8, 1925 69th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Dec. 6, 1924 68th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Dec. 3, 1923 68th Congress Annual Message President Calvin Coolidge.
Feb. 7, 1923 67th Congress Address on British debt due to the United States President Warren G. Harding.
Dec. 8, 1922 67th Congress Annual Message President Warren G. Harding.
Nov. 21, 1922 67th Congress Address on promotion of the American Merchant Marine President Warren G. Harding.
Aug. 18, 1922 67th Congress Address on coal and railroad strikes President Warren G. Harding.
Feb. 28, 1922 67th Congress Address on maintenance of the Merchant Marine President Warren G. Harding.
Dec. 6, 1921 67th Congress Annual Message President Warren G. Harding.
Apr. 12, 1921 67th Congress Federal problem message President Warren G. Harding.
Aug. 8, 1919 66th Congress Cost of living message President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 2, 1918 65th Congress Annual Message President Woodrow Wilson.
Nov. 11, 1918 65th Congress Terms of armistice signed by Germany President Woodrow Wilson.
May 27, 1918 65th Congress War finance message President Woodrow Wilson.
Feb. 11, 1918 65th Congress Peace message President Woodrow Wilson.
Jan. 8, 1918 65th Congress Program for world's peace President Woodrow Wilson.
Jan. 4, 1918 65th Congress Federal operation of transportation systems President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 4, 1917 65th Congress Annual Message/War with Austria-Hungary President Woodrow Wilson.
Apr. 2, 1917 65th Congress War with Germany President Woodrow Wilson.
Feb. 26, 1917 64th Congress Arming of merchant ships President Woodrow Wilson.
Feb. 3, 1917 64th Congress Severing diplomatic relations with Germany President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 5, 1916 64th Congress Annual Message President Woodrow Wilson.
Aug. 29, 1916 64th Congress Railroad message (labor-management dispute) President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 7, 1915 64th Congress Annual Message President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 8, 1914 63rd Congress Annual Message President Woodrow Wilson.
Sept. 4, 1914 63rd Congress War tax message President Woodrow Wilson.
Apr. 20, 1914 63rd Congress Mexico message President Woodrow Wilson.
Mar. 5, 1914 63rd Congress Panama Canal tolls President Woodrow Wilson.
Jan. 20, 1914 63rd Congress Trusts message President Woodrow Wilson.
Dec. 2, 1913 63rd Congress Annual Message President Woodrow Wilson.
Aug. 27, 1913 63rd Congress Mexican affairs message President Woodrow Wilson.
June 23, 1913 63rd Congress Currency and bank reform message President Woodrow Wilson.
Apr. 8, 1913 63rd Congress Tariff message President Woodrow Wilson.
Nov. 22, 1800 6th Congress Annual Message President John Adams.
Dec. 3, 1799 6th Congress Annual Message President John Adams.
Dec. 8, 1798 5th Congress Annual Message President John Adams.
Nov. 23, 1797 5th Congress Annual Message President John Adams.
May 16, 1797 5th Congress Relations with France President John Adams.
Dec. 7, 1796 4th Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Dec. 8, 1795 4th Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Nov. 19, 1794 3rd Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Dec. 3, 1793 3rd Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Nov. 6, 1792 2nd Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Oct. 25, 1791 2nd Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Dec. 8, 1790 1st Congress Annual Message President George Washington.
Jan. 8, 1790 1st Congress Annual Message President George Washington.

Footnotes