George W. Bush during the speech, with Dick Cheney and Nancy Pelosi behind him.

The 2007 State of the Union Address was a speech given by United States President George W. Bush on January 23, 2007. The President was introduced at 21:09 Eastern Standard Time (2:09 Coordinated Universal Time) and began speaking at 21:13 EST. The speech was given in front of a joint session of Congress, presided over by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Dick Cheney in his capacity as President of the Senate. It was the first address to a Democrat-controlled Congress since 1994. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (515 × 772 pixel, file size: 138 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nancy Pelosi 2007... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (515 × 772 pixel, file size: 138 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nancy Pelosi 2007... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... Nancy Patricia DAlesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... 2003 State of the Union address given by U.S. President George W. Bush The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the... The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Metronome, a public art installation showing the time in New York City The Eastern Time Zone (ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of Northern America and the west coast of South America. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... Joint Sessions of the United States Congress are the gathering together of both House and Senate which occur on special occasions such as the State of the Union Address and Presidential Inauguration. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Nancy Patricia DAlesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. ... Seal of the office of the Vice-President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Furthermore, the speech marked the second time that a Democrat sat behind President Bush during a joint session of Congress and the first time at a State of the Union address. Traditionally, the Speaker of the House and the Vice President (the President of the Senate) are the only individuals on the rostrum with the President. However, in a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, following the terrorist attacks of nine days earlier, president pro tempore Robert Byrd, a Democrat, had taken the place of Vice President Cheney, who was at an undisclosed location.^[1] As the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is also the first woman in American history to stand on the podium during a State of the Union address. Rostrum can mean one of several different things: A rostrum (Latin beak) is an anatomical structure resembling a birds beak, such as the snout of crocodiles or dolphins or the part of the carapace of a crustacean. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Terrorist redirects here. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia the current President pro tempore of the United States Senate. ... Robert Carlyle Byrd (born November 20, 1917) is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party. ...

President Bush began his address by recognizing new House Speaker Pelosi:

Attendance

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was not present because traditionally a member of the President's cabinet, a designated survivor, does not attend in order to ensure presidential succession in the event of an emergency. Only four Supreme Court Justices attended the speech: Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, and Anthony Kennedy. Senator Tim Johnson and Congressman Charlie Norwood were not present because of serious health problems, but were acknowledged with applause. Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... Alberto Gonzales (born August 4, 1955), is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ... A designated survivor is a member of the United States Cabinet who stays at a physically distant, secure, undisclosed location when the countrys top leaders, including the president are gathered at a single location such as during State of the Union Addresses and presidential inaugurations, in order to maintain... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest judicial body in the... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch... John Glover Roberts Jr. ... Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States. ... Stephen Gerald Breyer (born August 15, 1938) is an American attorney, political figure, and jurist. ... Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. ... Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) has been an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1988. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Timothy Peter Johnson (born December 28, 1946) is the senior United States Senator from South Dakota, and a member of the Democratic Party. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Charles Whitlow Norwood Jr. ...

Speech

The President's speech focused equally on domestic policy and foreign policy.

Domestic policy

Bush placed emphasis on balancing the federal budget, eliminating excessive earmarks, changing the tax code to replace the existing business tax exemption to workers health insurance premiums with a new personal health insurance deduction, providing health care for needy individuals, and expanding health savings accounts. Bush supported “laws that are fair and borders that are secure” in regards to immigration, suggesting a temporary worker program, stating that, “[a]s a result, they won't have to try to sneak in”.^[2] He suggested resolving the status of current illegal residents “without animosity and without amnesty”. The United States federal budget is a piece of legislation passed by the American Congress to allocate funding for the next fiscal year, which begins on October 1st. ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Earmark (USA). ... In the UK, every person paid under the PAYE scheme is allocated a tax code. ... A tax exemption is an exemption to the tax law of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization are instead foregone. ... Health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). ... Foreign farm worker, New York A foreign worker (also: guest worker or economic migrant), is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. ...

Bush said the United States has been dependent on foreign oil for too long, and that this chances placing it in hostile situations. Bush asked Congress to work to reduce gasoline usage in the U.S. by 20 percent over the next ten years, and recommended research into alternative fuels. He asked Congress to "double the current capacity" of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In what appears to be a change of stance, Bush made a connection between energy policy and climate change: "America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change." Bush specifically named plug-in hybrid vehicles as part of his "advanced energy initiative" to help end the U.S. "addiction to oil." North American energy independence is a goal of many advocates of enhanced North American economic and physical security seeking primarily to reduce U.S. reliance on (what is to Americans) foreign oil, without increasing fuel taxes. ... Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... The definition of Alternative Fuel varies according to the context of its usage. ... The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is an emergency petroleum store maintained by the United States Department of Energy. ... The Energy policy of the United States is determined by federal, state and local public entities, which address issues of energy production, distribution and consumption. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... Hybrids Plus PHEV Toyota Prius conversion with PHEV-30 (30 mile all-electric range) battery packs A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an electrical power source. ...

Bush asked Congress to give future federal court nominees a "fair hearing", and a "prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor." The United States federal courts are the system of courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the federal government of the United States. ... An UP OR DOWN VOTE refers to a direct vote in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate on the substance of an amendment or bill; it is sometimes referred to as a clean vote. Members simply vote yea or nay on it. ...

In the realm of education, he asked Congress to renew the No Child Left Behind Act and consider school vouchers, although he never mentioned "vouchers" by name. President Bush signing the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act at Hamilton H.S. in Hamilton, Ohio. ... A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate by which parents are given the ability to pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school (UK state school) to which they were assigned. ...

Foreign policy

A large part of Bush's speech centered on the Iraq War. Bush emphasized that he still stood behind it, stating that, "to win the War on Terror, we must take the fight to the enemy."^[2] He stated that the dangers of terrorism have not ended, and that it is the government's duty to locate terrorists and protect the American people. He stated that it was not responsible to leave Iraq yet, as it would put "ourselves in danger and our friends at risk." He emphasized that stability in Iraq is essential, and that chaos is the enemy's greatest ally. Bush asked Americans to give the Iraq War a chance, and support the troops on the field and "those on their way," a reference to the "surge" strategy involving 20,000 soldiers and Marines sent to Baghdad and al-Anbar, most of which would go to Baghdad. For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... “The New Way Forward” redirects here. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Al Anbar (Arabic: ‎ ) is an overwhelmingly Sunni Arab province of Iraq. ...

Bush advocated adding to the ranks of the military. He asked Congress to authorize an increase in the Army and Marine active duty forces by 92,000 in the next five years. He spoke of developing a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps which could help ease the burden on military personnel: "It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time."^[2] The phrase terror (whether as terror, terrorism, or terrorist) appeared 22 times in his speech, highlighting its continuing significance in his administration's foreign policy and political position.^[2] A Civilian Reserve Corps was a humanitarian aid concept proposed by United States president George W. Bush during the State of the Union Address. ...

Bush advocated saving the people affected by the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. He advocated continuing to fight HIV/AIDS, especially in Africa. Bush asked for $1.2 billion over the next five years to combat malaria in 15 African countries. Combatants factions of the SLA Justice & Equality Movement Janjaweed  Sudan Minnawi-faction of the SLA Commanders SLA: SalaBob and Sulaiman Gamos JEM: Ibrahim Khalil Janjaweed: ? Sudan: Omar al-Bashir SLA: Minni Minnawi Casualties 300,000 civilians killed (est. ... Darfur (Arabic: , lit. ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. ...

Honored guests

Toward the end of his speech, President Bush recognized four distinguished Americans. First, he pointed out Dikembe Mutombo, a player in the National Basketball Association. He is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and recently built a new hospital in Kinshasa, his hometown. Next, he introduced business and social entrepreneur Julie Aigner-Clark, who founded the Baby Einstein Company. Then, he introduced Wesley Autrey who, three weeks prior, saved an epileptic man from being run down by a New York City Subway train. Finally, he introduced Sergeant Tommy Rieman, an American soldier who continued to fight even though he was critically injured in Iraq.^[3] Image File history File linksMetadata AutreyWesley. ... Autrey at the 2007 State of the Union Address Wesley Autrey (b. ... Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo (born June 25, 1966), is a basketball player in the NBA, playing at the position of center for the Houston Rockets. ... “NBA” redirects here. ... Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville or, before 1960, also Leopoldstad) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Image:Babyeinsteinlogo. ... Image:Babyeinsteinlogo. ... Autrey at the 2007 State of the Union Address Wesley Autrey (b. ... “Epileptic” redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as MTA New York City Transit. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ...

Critical response

Democratic response

Jim Webb, a Vietnam War veteran and Senator from Virginia whose son is serving in Iraq, delivered the Democratic response from Capitol Hill, the second year in a row for a Virginia politician. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine delivered the Democratic response in 2006. It lasted less than nine minutes, as expected, ending at 22:24 EST. James Henry Jim Webb, Jr. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... This article contains a trivia section. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Tim Kaine, the current Governor The Governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. ... Timothy Michael Tim Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is an American politician and the current Governor of Virginia. ...

Webb said he hoped the Bush administration is serious about health care, education, and revitalizing the imperiled nation, as represented by New Orleans, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina (President Bush did not mention Katrina or New Orleans in his Address). He emphasized that corporate profits are not being fairly shared, stating that chief executive officers make over 400 times that of workers, on average. Therefore, it takes an average worker over one year to make as much money as his boss makes in one day. He advocated a policy that would begin to remove U.S. troops from Iraq, pointing out that polls show the majority of the American people do not support the direction of the Iraq War or the president's strategy.^[4] The Presidency of George W. Bush, also known as the George W. Bush Administration, began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America. ... Nickname: Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718 Government  - Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area  - City  350. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ... A Chief Executive Officer (CEO), or Chief Executive, is the highest-ranking corporate officer, administrator, corporate administrator, executive, or executive officer, in charge of total management of a corporation, company, organization or agency. ... Executive compensation is how top executives of business corporations are paid. ...

Libertarian response

Steve Kubby, a California politician and declared candidate for the 2008 presidential election, delivered an unofficial response to the address for the Libertarian Party. Kubby criticized the president's policies on the economy, education, and foreign policy, which he referred to as "foreign military adventurism." [1] Steve Kubby Steve Wynn Kubby (born December 28, 1946) is a Libertarian Party activist who played a key role in the drafting and passage of California Proposition 215. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential electoral votes by state The United States presidential election of 2008 will be the 55th consecutive quadrennial election for President and Vice President of the United States, and is scheduled to be held on November 4, 2008. ... The Libertarian Party is an American political party founded on Dec. ...

Conservative response

The Wall Street Journal reported in an article the following Thursday that conservatives were upset and felt abandoned by Bush's shifts on immigration and health care, and quoted a high ranking official with the American Conservative Union saying that "the president left a lot of conservatives shaking their heads". The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an influential international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City, New York with Asian and European editions, and a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million as of 2006, with 931,000 paying online subscribers [2]. It was the... Conservatism in the United States comprises a constellation of political ideologies including fiscal conservatism, free market or economic liberalism, social conservatism,[1] bioconservatism and religious conservatism,[2][3] as well as support for a strong military,[4] small government and promotion of states rights. ... The American Conservative Union (ACU) is a large conservative political lobbying group in the United States. ...

Statistics

• This address to Congress was the second such speech written with the assistance of White House chief speechwriter William McGurn, who with a team of seasoned writers and researchers spent several weeks working on the speech.^[5]
• Keeping his remarks similar in length to the previous year's address to Congress, the President spoke for 49 minutes, and was interrupted for applause 58 times with 28 also being standing ovations.^[2]

For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... Look up speechwriter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... William McGurn is the chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush. ...

References

The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Full video of the 2007 State of the Union speech at C-SPAN.org
• Official transcript and video
• Official response transcript and video
• Representative Xavier Becerra's response in Spanish
• Discussion of the president's mispronounciation of "Democratic Party" in the speech
• News-satire article on the 2007 State of the Union