2007 State of the Union Policy Initiatives (January 24, 2007)

                                                     Overview Fact Sheet

President Bush Addressed The Major Issues Facing Our Nation And Discussed Opportunities For Both Parties To Work Together To Accomplish Big Objectives For The American People. The President unveiled a positive, comprehensive agenda that will improve the daily lives of the American people and explained how our actions in the world will make our Nation safer and more secure. The President believes we can find practical ways to advance the American Dream and keep our Nation safe without either party compromising its principles.

President Bush's Agenda For Spreading Hope And Opportunity In America

In The State Of The Union Address, President Bush Discussed A Domestic Agenda Including:

· Energy: President Bush asked Congress and America's scientists, farmers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to join him in pursuing the goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next ten years – Twenty in Ten. We will reach the President's Twenty in Ten goal by increasing the supply of renewable and alternative fuels and by reforming and modernizing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for cars and extending the current light truck rule. The President's energy plan also includes stepping up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways and doubling the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

· Health Care: President Bush announced his proposals to make basic, private health insurance available and affordable for more Americans. The President's plan includes reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for health insurance so all Americans get the same tax breaks for health insurance, and helping states make affordable private health insurance available to their citizens.

· Spending Reform: President Bush discussed three major reforms to spend taxpayer dollars wisely: balancing the budget through pro-growth policies and spending restraint, enacting common-sense reforms to help prevent billions of taxpayer dollars from being spent on unnecessary earmarks, and reforming entitlement programs.

· Education: President Bush discussed his priorities for strengthening and reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) this year.

· Immigration: President Bush called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve – without animosity and without amnesty – the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote assimilation into our society.

· Judges: The President has a duty to nominate qualified men and women to fill vacancies on the Federal bench, and he called on the Senate to give those nominees a fair hearing and a prompt up-or-down vote.

America's Actions In The World Will Make Our Nation Safer And More Secure

In The State Of The Union Address, President Bush Will Discuss An International Agenda Including:

· War On Terror/Iraq: The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more than a military conflict – it is the decisive ideological struggle of our time. For the safety of our people, America must succeed in Iraq, and the President believes his new Iraq plan is the best way to succeed. The President proposed to establish a special advisory council on the War on Terror made up of leaders in Congress from both political parties.

· Strengthening Our Military: President Bush asked Congress for authority to increase the overall strength of our active Army and the Marine Corps by 92,000 Soldiers and Marines in the next five years.

· The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) And The President's Malaria Initiative: The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President's Malaria Initiative are working abroad to save lives.

PRESIDENT BUSH'S INTERNATIONAL AGENDA

War On Terror/Iraq

President Bush Discussed His Determination To Defeat The Terrorists Who Are Part Of A Broader Extremist Movement That Is Now Doing Everything It Can To Defeat Us In Iraq. If the extremists prevail in Iraq, the American people will be less safe and our enemies will be emboldened and more lethal.

· The Challenge Playing Out Across The Broader Middle East Is More Than A Military Conflict – It Is The Decisive Ideological Struggle Of Our Time.On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation. On the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and have declared their intention to destroy our way of life. It is in our Nation's interests to stand with moderates working for the cause of freedom across the Middle East.

· For The Safety Of Our People, America Must Succeed In Iraq. The consequences of failure are clear: radical Islamists would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would be emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and our enemies would have a safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the American people.

Strengthening Our Military

President Bush Acted On Defense Secretary Bob Gates' Recommendation And Asked Congress For Authority To Increase The Overall Strength Of Our Active Army And The Marine Corps By 92,000 Soldiers And Marines Through 2012. A larger, all-volunteer Army and Marine Corps will expand the capabilities of our armed forces while reducing the stress on the force and the war fighter caused by deployments in the Global War on Terror. It may take some time for these new troops to become available for deployment, but it is important that our men and women in uniform know that additional manpower and resources are on the way.

President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

President Bush Discussed How The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Is Meeting His Commitment Of $15 Billion Over Five Years To Support Treatment For 2 Million People, Prevention Of 7 Million New Infections, And Care For 10 Million People. PEPFAR is the largest international health initiative in history dedicated to a single disease. PEPFAR works worldwide, but targets 15 focus countries that are home to approximately half of the world’s 39 million HIV-positive people: Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.