President George W. Bush is welcomed by Bob Johnson, founder and chairman of the RLJ Companies, to the Urban Trust Bank for a discussion on the economy with small business owners and community bankers, Monday, Oct. 23, 2006 in Washington, D.C. White House photo by Eric Draper
President Bush on Monday said, "People can have a dream, and they can work hard to achieve that dream. And the role of government, it seems to me, is to make sure that the dreamers are rewarded for their hard work and their ingenuity and success. And the best way to do that is to reduce taxes on people. The more money a entrepreneur has in his or her pocket, the more likely it is he or she will be able to expand that business, which will create jobs."
In his 2006 State of the Union Address, President Bush described the state of our Union as strong - and he laid out an agenda of leadership to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom and to build our prosperity by leading the world economy. The President rejected the roads of isolationism and protectionism and called for cooperation and courage in confronting challenges. America will lead freedom's advance, compete and excel in the global economy, and renew the defining moral commitments of this land, confident of victory.
The President announced three new domestic initiatives - the American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage American innovation and strengthen our Nation's ability to compete in the global economy; the Advanced Energy Initiative, to help break America's dependence on foreign sources of energy; and a comprehensive agenda to make health care in America more affordable, portable, transparent, and efficient. With the right policies, we will maintain America's competitive edge, we will create more jobs, and we will improve the quality of life and standard of living for generations to come.
President Bush laid out ambitious goals for the future, behind which all Americans can unite, and urged the Nation to move forward with the work that needs to be done this year:
One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.