The State of the Union - Forward Looking and Strong
Statement by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza
Mexico City, January 28, 2008- "President Bush's State of the Union was forward looking and made clear his resolute determination to sprint to the finish.
"The President understands that people are concerned about the economy, and in his own words said, ‘To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy. As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty... And at kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future. In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.' President Bush has sought to address the country's economic situation head on and is aggressively working toward building bi-partisan support for the passage of a $150 billion stimulus package, as well as calling on Congress to make earlier enacted tax cuts permanent.
"Recognizing that trade is a critical component of our economy, President Bush highlighted the importance of our free trade agreements, and urged Congress to move forward on pending agreements in the hemisphere, noting that in Colombia, ‘If we fail to pass [the Colombia free trade] agreement, we will embolden the purveyors of false populism in our hemisphere. So we must come together, pass this agreement, and show our neighbors in the region that democracy leads to a better life.'
"The President also reaffirmed his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform when he said, ‘Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals.'
"President Bush announced that the next North American Leaders' Summit will be held in the great city of New Orleans this year, where he will undoubtedly have the opportunity to discuss the importance of the Merida Initiative with President Felipe Calderon and the need to build upon our already strong partnership in order to stem the rising tide of narco-related violence on both sides of our border.
"One of the defining principles of the Bush presidency has been his commitment to freedom and free people. The President prefaced his remarks about the continuing challenge in Iraq by saying, ‘Our foreign policy is based on a clear premise: We trust that people, when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace. In the last seven years, we have witnessed stirring moments in the history of liberty...And these images of liberty have inspired us. In the past seven years, we have also seen images that have sobered us...[and] serve as a grim reminder: The advance of liberty is opposed by terrorists and extremists -- evil men who despise freedom, despise America, and aim to subject millions to their violent rule.'
"He added that, ‘The Iraqi people quickly realized that something dramatic had happened. Those who had worried that America was preparing to abandon them instead saw... our forces moving into neighborhoods, clearing out the terrorists, and staying behind to ensure the enemy did not return... While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago... Some may deny the surge is working, but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al Qaida is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated... We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America.'
"I encourage you to read the fact sheets that outline the policy initiatives President Bush spoke about in his State of the Union."
See: http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2008/initiatives/index.html