Full text of 2001 address before Congress

Our budget provides more than $700 million over the next 10 years for a Federal compassion capital fund, with a focused and noble mission, to provide a mentor to the more than one million children with a parent in prison and to support other local efforts to fight illiteracy, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, and other difficult problems.

With us tonight is the mayor of Philadelphia. Please help me welcome Mayor John Street. Mayor Street has encouraged faith-based and community organizations to make a significant difference in Philadelphia. He’s invited me to his city this summer to see compassionate action. I’m personally aware of just how effective the mayor is. Mayor Street’s a Democrat. Let the record show, I lost his city—big time. But some things are bigger than politics. So I look forward to coming to your city, to see your faith-based programs in action.

As Government promotes compassion, it also must promote justice. Too many of our citizens have cause to doubt our Nation’s justice when the law points a finger of suspicion at groups instead of individuals. All our citizens are created equal and must be treated equally.

Earlier today I asked John Ashcroft, the Attorney General, to develop specific recommendations to end racial profiling. It’s wrong, and we will end it in America. In so doing, we will not hinder the work of our Nation’s brave police officers. They protect us every day, often at great risk. But by stopping the abuses of a few, we will add to the public confidence our police officers earn and deserve.

My budget has funded a responsible increase in our ongoing operations. It has funded our Nation’s important priorities. It has protected Social Security and Medicare. And our surpluses are big enough that there is still money left over.

Many of you have talked about the need to pay down our national debt. I listened, and I agree. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to act now, and I hope you will join me to pay down $2 trillion in debt during the next 10 years. At the end of those 10 years, we will have paid down all the debt that is available to retire. That is more debt, repaid more quickly than has ever been repaid by any nation at any time in history.

We should also prepare for the unexpected, for the uncertainties of the future. We should approach our Nation’s budget as any prudent family would, with a contingency fund for emergencies or additional spending needs. For example, after a strategic review, we may need to increase defense spending. We may need to increase spending for our farmers or additional money to reform Medicare. And so, my budget sets aside almost a trillion dollars over 10 years for additional needs. That is one trillion additional reasons you can feel comfortable supporting this budget.

We have increased our budget at a responsible 4 percent. We have funded our priorities. We paid down all the available debt. We have prepared for contingencies. And we still have money left over.

Yogi Berra once said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Now, we come to a fork in the road; we have two choices. Even though we have already met our needs, we could spend the money on more and bigger Government. That’s the road our Nation has traveled in recent years.

Last year Government spending shot up 8 percent. That’s far more than our economy grew, far more than personal income grew, and far more than the rate of inflation. If you continue on that road, you will spend the surplus and have to dip into Social Security to pay other bills. Unrestrained Government spending is a dangerous road to deficits, so we must take a different path.

MORE FROM STATE OF THE UNION

State of the Union Section Front

Bush hits the road to sell Social Security ideas Bush urges ‘wise’ reform of Social Security Bush charts course, with rocks ahead Fineman: The power of swagger and a hug For moderates, a chance for subtle protest WP: Retirees would lose some profits WashPost: Issue is toughest domestic battle WashPost: Winning the war of perception Wolk: Bush’s domestic priority Russert: Bush bets presidency on Iraq State of the Union Section Front   Add State of the Union headlines to your news reader: