Press Releases 08
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
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