Topic 1

Articles

111552413

id	111552413
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

Third , we need to encourage children to take more math and science , and to make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations . We 've made a good start in the early grades with the No Child Left Behind Act , which is raising standards and lifting test scores across our country . Tonight I propose to train 70,000 high school teachers to lead Advanced Placement courses in math and science , bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms , and give early help to students who struggle with math ,

111552331

id	111552331
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

To make our economy stronger and more dynamic , we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century . Under the No Child Left Behind Act , standards are higher , test scores are on the rise , and we 're closing the achievement gap for minority students . Now we must demand better results from our high schools , so every high school diploma is a ticket to success . We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career by reforming our job training system and strengthening America 's

111552756

id	111552756
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

At the same time , we must ensure that older students and adults can gain the skills they need to find work now . Many of the fastest growing occupations require strong math and science preparation and training beyond the high school level . So tonight , I propose a series of measures called Jobs for the 21st Century . This program will provide extra help to middle and high school students who fall behind in reading and math , expand advanced placement programs in low-income schools , invite math and science professionals from the private sector to teach part-time

111542653

id	111542653
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

Now the task is to build on the success without watering down standards , without taking control from local communities , and without backsliding and calling it reform . We can lift student achievement even higher by giving local leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools and by giving families with children stuck in failing schools the right to choose someplace better . We must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need . And we can make sure our children are prepared for the jobs of the future and our

111552754

id	111552754
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

All skills begin with the basics of reading and math , which are supposed to be learned in the early grades of our schools . Yet for too long , for too many children , those skills were never mastered . By passing the No Child Left Behind Act , you have made the expectation of literacy the law of our country . We 're providing more funding for our schools , a 36-percent increase since 2001 . We 're requiring higher standards . We are regularly testing every child on the fundamentals . We are reporting results to parents

111552755

id	111552755
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

But the status quo always has defenders . Some want to undermine the No Child Left Behind Act by weakening standards and accountability . Yet the results we require are really a matter of common sense : We expect third graders to read and do math at the third grade level , and that 's not asking too much . Testing is the only way to identify and help students who are falling behind . This Nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics . I

111552442

id	111552442
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that give children the knowledge and character they need in life . Five years ago , we rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind Act , preserving local control , raising standards , and holding schools accountable for results . And because we acted , students are performing better in reading and math , and minority students are closing the achievement gap .

111542001

id	111542001
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

Every dollar we invest in high-quality early childhood education can save more than 7 dollars later on : by boosting graduation rates , reducing teen pregnancy , even reducing violent crime . In States that make it a priority to educate our youngest children , like Georgia or Oklahoma , studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level , graduate high school , hold a job , form more stable families of their own . We know this works . So let 's do what works and make sure none of our children

111552088

id	111552088
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2010-01-27

Fourth , we need to invest in the skills and education of our people . Now , this year , we 've broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools . And the idea here is simple : Instead of rewarding failure , we only reward success . Instead of funding the status quo , we only invest in reform , reform that raises student achievement , inspires students to excel in math and science , and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans ,

111551871

id	111551871
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

And 4 years ago , we started Race to the Top , a competition that convinced almost every State to develop smarter curricula and higher standards , all for about 1 percent of what we spend on education each year . Tonight I 'm announcing a new challenge to redesign America 's high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy . And we 'll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers and create classes that focus on science , technology , engineering , and math : the skills today 's employers

Topic 2

Articles

111552333

id	111552333
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

To make our economy stronger and more productive , we must make health care more affordable and give families greater access to good coverage and more control over their health decisions . I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance , a community health center in every poor county , improved information technology to prevent medical error and needless costs , association health plans for small businesses and their employees , expanded health savings accounts , and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs and

111552407

id	111552407
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

We will make wider use of electronic records and other health information technology to help control costs and reduce dangerous medical errors . We will strengthen health savings accounts , making sure individuals and small-business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages that people working for big businesses now get . We will do more to make this coverage portable , so workers can switch jobs without having to worry about losing their health insurance . And because lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice , leaving women in nearly 1,500 American counties without a single ob-gyn

111552766

id	111552766
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

On the critical issue of health care , our goal is to ensure that Americans can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their individual needs . To make insurance more affordable , Congress must act to address rapidly rising health care costs . Small businesses should be able to band together and negotiate for lower insurance rates , so they can cover more workers with health insurance . I urge you to pass association health plans . I ask you to give lower income Americans a refundable tax credit that would allow millions to buy their

111543031

id	111543031
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

In January of 2006 , seniors can get prescription drug coverage under Medicare . For a monthly premium of about $ 35 , most seniors who do not have that coverage today can expect to see their drug bills cut roughly in half . Under this reform , senior citizens will be able to keep their Medicare just as it is , or they can choose a Medicare plan that fits them best , just as you , as Members of Congress , can choose an insurance plan that meets your needs . And starting this year , millions of

111551846

id	111551846
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

Already , the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs . And the reforms I 'm proposing go even further . We 'll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors . We 'll bring down costs by changing the way our Government pays for Medicare , because our medical bills should n't be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital ; they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive . And I am open to additional

111552491

id	111552491
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2008-01-28

To build a future of quality health care , we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions and empower them with better information and better options . We share a common goal : making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans . The best way to achieve that goal is by expanding consumer choice , not Government control . So I have proposed ending the bias in the Tax Code against those who do not get their health insurance through their employer . This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions , and

111552767

id	111552767
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

By computerizing health records , we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes , reduce costs , and improve care . To protect the doctor-patient relationship and keep good doctors doing good work , we must eliminate wasteful and frivolous medical lawsuits . And tonight I propose that individuals who buy catastrophic health care coverage as part of our new health savings accounts be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes .

111552021

id	111552021
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2009-02-24

Already , we 've done more to advance the cause of health care reform in the last 30 days than we 've done in the last decade . When it was days old , this Congress passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for 11 million American children whose parents work full time . Our recovery plan will invest in electronic health records , a new technology that will reduce errors , bring down costs , ensure privacy , and save lives . It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life

111552444

id	111552444
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

But many Americans can not afford a health insurance policy , and so tonight I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance . First , I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents . Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or payroll taxes on $ 15,000 of their income . Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $ 7,500 of their income . With this reform , more than 100 million men

111552446

id	111552446
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

There are many other ways that Congress can help . We need to expand health savings accounts . We need to help small businesses through association health plans . We need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology . We will encourage price transparency . And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits , we need to pass medical liability reform . In all we do , we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies but by patients and their doctors .

Topic 3

Articles

111552474

id	111552474
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran and made it clear that the world will not allow the regime in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons . With the other members of the Quartet -- the U.N. , the EU , and Russia -- we 're pursuing diplomacy to help bring peace to the Holy Land and pursuing the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security . In Afghanistan , NATO has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and Al Qaida offensive , the first time the Alliance has

111552360

id	111552360
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

To promote peace in the broader Middle East , we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder . Syria still allows its territory and parts of Lebanon to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region . You have passed and we are applying the Syrian Accountability Act , and we expect the Syrian Government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom . Today , Iran remains the world 's primary state sponsor of terror , pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving

111552745

id	111552745
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2004-01-20

Some in this Chamber and in our country did not support the liberation of Iraq . Objections to war often come from principled motives , but let us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power . We 're seeking all the facts . Already , the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons-of-mass-destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations . Had we failed to act , the dictator 's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day . Had we failed to act , Security Council resolutions

111552390

id	111552390
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

The same is true of Iran , a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people . The regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon , and that must come to an end . The Iranian Government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions , and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons . America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats .

111552119

id	111552119
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2010-01-27

Now , these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons . That 's why North Korea now faces increased isolation and stronger sanctions , sanctions that are being vigorously enforced . That 's why the international community is more united and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated . And as Iran 's leaders continue to ignore their obligations , there should be no doubt : They too will face growing consequences . That is a promise .

111552702

id	111552702
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2003-01-28

Twelve years ago , Saddam Hussein faced the prospect of being the last casualty in a war he had started and lost . To spare himself , he agreed to disarm of all weapons of mass destruction . For the next 12 years , he systematically violated that agreement . He pursued chemical , biological , and nuclear weapons , even while inspectors were in his country . Nothing to date has restrained him from his pursuit of these weapons , not economic sanctions , not isolation from the civilized world , not even cruise missile strikes on his military

111551889

id	111551889
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

Of course , our challenges do n't end with Al Qaida . America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world 's most dangerous weapons . The regime in North Korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations . Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them , as we stand by our allies , strengthen our own missile defense , and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats .

111552709

id	111552709
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2003-01-28

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program , had a design for a nuclear weapon , and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb . The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa . Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production . Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities . He clearly has much to hide .

111551973

id	111551973
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2014-01-28

You see , in a world of complex threats , our security , our leadership , depends on all elements of our power , including strong and principled diplomacy . American diplomacy has rallied more than 50 countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on cold war stockpiles . American diplomacy , backed by the threat of force , is why Syria 's chemical weapons are being eliminated .

111552354

id	111552354
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

Our Nation , working with allies and friends , has also confronted the enemy abroad with measures that are determined , successful , and continuing . The Al Qaida terror network that attacked our country still has leaders , but many of its top commanders have been removed . There are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists , but their number has declined . There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction but no longer without attention and without consequence . Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many and intimidate us all

Topic 4

Articles

111542521

id	111542521
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

America 's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the Federal Government . I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending discipline . I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation , makes tax relief permanent , and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009 . My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 Government programs that are not getting results or duplicate current efforts or do not fulfill essential priorities . The principle here is clear : Taxpayer dollars must be spent wisely or not at all .

111552034

id	111552034
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2009-02-24

In order to save our children from a future of debt , we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans . Now , let me be clear -- let me be absolutely clear , because I know you 'll end up hearing some of the same claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people : If your family earns less than $ 250,000 a year , a quarter million dollars a year , you will not see your taxes increased a single dime . I repeat

111551852

id	111551852
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

Now , a year and a half ago , I put forward an American Jobs Act that independent economists said would create more than 1 million new jobs . And I thank the last Congress for passing some of that agenda . I urge this Congress to pass the rest . But tonight I 'll lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago . Let me repeat : Nothing I 'm proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime . It is

111551882

id	111551882
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families . It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank , rent or eviction , scraping by or finally getting ahead . For businesses across the country , it would mean customers with more money in their pockets . And a whole lot of folks out there would probably need less help from government . In fact , working folks should n't have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher . So here 's

111552400

id	111552400
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

Keeping America competitive requires us to be good stewards of tax dollars . Every year of my Presidency , we 've reduced the growth of nonsecurity discretionary spending , and last year , you passed bills that cut this spending . This year , my budget will cut it again and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities . By passing these reforms , we will save the American taxpayer another $ 14 billion next year and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009 .

111552402

id	111552402
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

We must also confront the larger challenge of mandatory spending , or entitlements . This year , the first of about 78 million baby boomers turn 60 , including two of my dad 's favorite people -- me and President Clinton . -LSB- Laughter -RSB- This milestone is more than a personal crisis -- -LSB- laughter -RSB- -- it is a national challenge . The retirement of the baby boom generation will put unprecedented strains on the Federal Government . By 2030 , spending for Social Security , Medicare , and Medicaid alone will be almost 60 percent of the

111552297

id	111552297
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2012-01-24

Tax reform should follow the Buffett rule . If you make more than a million dollars a year , you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes . And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right : Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires . In fact , if you 're earning a million dollars a year , you should n't get special tax subsidies or deductions . On the other hand , if you make under $ 250,000 a year , like 98 percent of American families , your taxes should n't go up . You 're the ones

111552399

id	111552399
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2006-01-31

Keeping America competitive begins with keeping our economy growing . And our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend , save , and invest . In the last 5 years , the tax relief you passed has left $ 880 billion in the hands of American workers , investors , small businesses , and families . And they have used it to help produce more than 4 years of uninterrupted economic growth . Yet the tax relief is set to expire in the next few years . If we do nothing , American families will

111551841

id	111551841
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

In 2011 , Congress passed a law saying that if both parties could n't agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal , about a trillion dollars ' worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year . These sudden , harsh , arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness . They 'd devastate priorities like education and energy and medical research . They would certainly slow our recovery and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs . And that 's why Democrats , Republicans , business leaders , and economists have already said that these cuts

111552576

id	111552576
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2001-02-27

This reform will be welcome relief for America 's small businesses , which often pay taxes at the highest rate . And help for small business means jobs for Americans . We simplified the Tax Code by reducing the number of tax rates from the current five rates to four lower ones , 10 percent , 15 , 25 , and 33 percent . In my plan , no one is targeted in or targeted out . Everyone who pays income taxes will get relief .

Topic 5

Articles

111552500

id	111552500
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2008-01-28

Last year , I asked you to pass legislation to reduce oil consumption over the next decade , and you responded . Together , we should take the next steps . Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions . Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power . Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future . Let us create a new international clean technology fund , which will help developing nations like India and China make

111552017

id	111552017
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2009-02-24

But to truly transform our economy , to protect our security , and save our planet from the ravages of climate change , we need to ultimately make clean , renewable energy the profitable kind of energy . So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America . That 's what we need . And to support that innovation , we will invest $ 15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power , advanced biofuels , clean

111552084

id	111552084
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2010-01-27

But to create more of these clean energy jobs , we need more production , more efficiency , more incentives . And that means building a new generation of safe , clean nuclear power plants in this country . It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development . It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies . And yes , it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America . Now , I am grateful

111552281

id	111552281
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2012-01-24

We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives . The differences in this Chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change . But there 's no reason why Congress should n't at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation . So far , you have n't acted . Well , tonight I will . I 'm directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes . And I 'm proud to announce that the Department of

111552334

id	111552334
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

To keep our economy growing , we also need reliable supplies of affordable , environmentally responsible energy . Nearly 4 years ago , I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation , alternative sources , a modernized electricity grid , and more production here at home , including safe , clean nuclear energy . My Clear Skies legislation will cut powerplant pollution and improve the health of our citizens . And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology , from hydrogen-fueled cars to clean coal to renewable sources such as ethanol . Four years of debate is enough

111552449

id	111552449
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2007-01-23

It 's in our vital interest to diversify America 's energy supply . The way forward is through technology . We must continue changing the way America generates electric power by even greater use of clean coal technology , solar and wind energy , and clean , safe nuclear power . We need to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles and expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel . We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol , using everything from wood chips to grasses to agricultural wastes .

111551857

id	111551857
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

Today , no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy . After years of talking about it , we 're finally poised to control our own energy future . We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years . We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar , with tens of thousands of good American jobs to show for it . We produce more natural gas than ever before , and nearly everyone 's

111551930

id	111551930
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2014-01-28

One of the reasons why is natural gas . If extracted safely , it 's the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change . Businesses plan to invest almost $ 100 billion in new factories that use natural gas . I 'll cut redtape to help States get those factories built and put folks to work , and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas .

111551862

id	111551862
medium	Speeches
headline	Barack Obama
date	2013-02-12

In fact , much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we , the public , own together . So tonight I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an energy security trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good . If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea , then so can we . Let 's take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices

111552343

id	111552343
medium	Speeches
headline	George W. Bush
date	2005-02-02

As we fix Social Security , we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers . And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts . Here is how the idea works . Right now , a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today 's retirees . If you 're a younger worker , I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account , so