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Skriven 2005-12-05 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0512051) for Mon, 2005 Dec 5
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Fact Sheet: President Bush's Agenda for Economic Growth
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 5, 2005

Fact Sheet: President Bush's Agenda for Economic Growth



Today's Presidential Action:

Today, President Bush Visited The John Deere-Hitachi Plant In Kernersville,
North Carolina, And Discussed His Agenda For A Strong And Vibrant Economy.
The President outlined his pro-growth agenda to build an economy that
encourages entrepreneurship and rewards workers' efforts, giving them
control over key decisions and helping deliver prosperity to every corner
of the Nation.

In Difficult Times, The President Acted To Maintain Economic Growth. In the
past five years, the economy has endured a stock market decline, recession,
terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, high energy costs, and devastating
natural disasters. These shocks required decisive action. The President
believes the economy grows when people are allowed to keep more of their
own money. So, he called on Congress to cut taxes, and Congress responded.
We cut taxes for families, investors, and small businesses. The death tax
has been put on the road to extinction, helping farmers and entrepreneurs
pass on the results of a lifetime's hard work.
  þ These Pro-Growth Policies Have Helped Strengthen The Economy. Since May
    2003, the economy has added nearly 4.5 million new jobs. The
    unemployment rate is down to 5 percent _ lower than the average for the
    1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Last quarter, the economy grew at 4.3 percent
    and has been growing near that average for more than two years. Sales
    of new homes reached an all-time high in October, more Americans now
    own their homes, and minority ownership is at an all-time high. Real
    disposable income is up, consumers are confident, and the holiday
    shopping season is off to a strong start. New orders for durable goods
    have risen sharply, and shipments of manufactured goods are up.
    Business activity in the manufacturing sector reported its 30th
    straight month of growth. In the past five years, productivity has
    grown at some of its fastest rates since the 1960s, and small
    businesses are thriving. Each year the President has been in office,
    the rate of growth of non-security discretionary spending has been cut,
    and the government is on track to reach the goal of cutting the budget
    deficit in half by 2009.
  þ The Economy Is Growing, But There Is More Work To Be Done. America's
    economic growth cannot be taken for granted. The President is moving
    forward with a comprehensive agenda to keep the economy growing,
    generate more jobs, and lead to higher wages for America's workers.

The Economy Is Vibrant And Strong, And America's Best Days Are Still Ahead.
Throughout the last century, there have often been pessimists saying
America's best days are behind it, and the future belongs to others. Yet
throughout history, the American people have always proved the pessimists
wrong. Some even say we should repeal the tax relief sooner. The
Administration will continue to promote the pro-growth policies that give
people the freedom to pursue their dreams and build a better tomorrow for
future generations.

The President's Agenda For A Strong And Vibrant Economy

To Maintain Economic Growth, The President Is Committed To Keeping Taxes
Low And Restraining Spending. The President's tax relief, which is helping
to grow the economy, will expire in a few years unless Congress acts. If
tax relief is allowed to expire, a family of four making $60,000 today will
see its Federal income taxes eventually go up by more than 50 percent. To
maintain growth, there has to be certainty in the tax code, workers need to
keep more of their paycheck, and Congress needs to make the tax cuts
permanent. The President is also working to restrain government spending.
The President has set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and has
submitted the most disciplined budget proposal since Ronald Reagan was in
the White House. The President's plan would also terminate or reduce more
than 150 government programs, and Congress is poised to deliver savings on
more than 90 of these cuts. For the first time since 1997, Congress is
poised to deliver more than $35 billion in savings in entitlement programs.
The President's approach is clear: working families should set priorities
for their spending _ and so must the Federal government.
  þ The President Will Continue To Lead Efforts To Reform Entitlement
    Programs. In the long term, the most significant deficits will occur as
    baby boomers retire and more people receive Social Security and
    Medicare benefits. These unfunded liabilities have the potential to
    impose a great burden on future generations. The President has raised
    this issue, and Congress has a responsibility to confront the problem.

To Maintain A Vibrant Economy, The United States Must Become Less Dependent
On Foreign Sources Of Energy. High gasoline and heating costs are a tax on
the American people. Today, gasoline prices have fallen to about what they
were before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Administration will continue
to work on making America less dependent on foreign oil. The President
signed the energy bill to help America conserve more energy, make cleaner
and better use of existing resources, and promote the development of
renewable and alternative sources. To expand supply and help keep the
economy strong, the President also calls on Congress to pass legislation
that would allow us to build and expand more refineries.
  þ The United States Must Produce And Refine More Crude Oil And Natural
    Gas At Home In Environmentally Sensitive Ways. America's most promising
    site for energy is the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.
    Technology will allow for the exploration of a small portion of this
    vast tract of land in an environmentally sensitive way with almost no
    impact on land or wildlife. Developing this tiny area could yield up to
    about a million barrels of oil a day. Congress needs to authorize
    pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-environment exploration of ANWR.

The Administration Is Working To Prepare Americans For Future
Opportunities. America prospers when its workers can look to the future
with confidence, and people are more confident when they own. That is why
the President is promoting an ownership society where more people own their
own businesses and homes and have more control over their lives. So that
Americans know their hard work will be rewarded and the institutions they
depend on are reliable, the President is promoting reforms to key areas
like job training, health care, and retirement.
  þ The Administration Is Strengthening Job Training Programs To Help
    Americans Seek New Skills. Today, many Americans are moving ahead by
    changing jobs or careers. To take advantage of new opportunities, they
    need new skills. To help workers get the skills they need, Congress
    passed the President's Community-Based Job Training Initiative, which
    has provided $125 million in grants to community colleges. The
    Administration is supporting institutions that have a track record of
    success, offer a flexible curriculum, and provide training for jobs
    that actually exist. Congress needs to continue funding these job
    training programs so workers can learn better skills and earn bigger
    paychecks.
  þ The Administration Is Working For A Health Care System That Puts
    Patients In Charge Of Decisions, Offers Greater Choice, And Allows
    Workers To Own Their Own Health Care. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
    are tax-free savings accounts that can be used for routine medical
    expenses. HSAs belong to workers and can be taken from job to job. With
    an HSA, workers or their employers also purchase a high-deductible
    insurance policy to cover catastrophic costs in case of serious illness
    or accidents. These high-deductible policies have lower premiums, which
    mean lower costs for families and small businesses. Since HSAs were
    created, more than one million Americans have enrolled _ most are
    families with children, and nearly 40 percent were uninsured before
    they got an HSA.

      þ 

        The President Is Advancing A Comprehensive Health Care Agenda. The
        President has called on Congress to pass association health plans
        so small businesses can purchase insurance at the same discounts as
        big companies. The Administration modernized the Medicare system to
        give seniors more choice and help them with prescription drugs. To
        strengthen the safety net and help those in need, the President has
        proposed reforms to Medicaid, and more than 800 community health
        centers have been opened or expanded. The President has proposed to
        expand the development of health information technology. Because
        too many doctors are being sued out of business, Congress needs to
        pass national medical liability reform.
  þ The Administration Is Working To Strengthen And Reform The Rules
    Governing Private Pensions. Many companies offer traditional pensions
    and fulfill their obligations to their employees and retirees. But too
    many companies do not put away the money needed to fund these promises.
    If a company gets into financial trouble or goes bankrupt, its failure
    to fund pensions will leave retirees with slashed pension checks. Every
    American has an interest in fixing this system because the Federal
    government insures these pensions and has to step in when companies
    fail to meet their responsibilities. Companies need to keep their
    promises and have an obligation to make sure money is set aside so
    workers get what they have been promised when they retire.

      þ 

        The President Proposes To Reform Pension Rules. Current pension
        rules are confusing and misleading. Companies can technically play
        by the rules and still not fund their pension promises. These rules
        must be strengthened to require companies to accurately measure and
        report the financial status of their pension plans and to fully
        fund the promises they make. The President's plan would give
        companies that underfund pensions seven years to catch up. Some
        want to weaken the current law, but the President believes that
        pensions should be there for workers who have put in a lifetime of
        hard work. The President will not sign a bill that weakens pension
        funding for America's workers.

To Keep The Economy Growing, The United States Must Continue Opening
Foreign Markets. Ninety-five percent of America's potential customers live
abroad. By opening up new markets for American goods, crops, and services,
the government is helping the economy continue to create jobs and
opportunity at home.

  þ Through Trade, America Is Providing New Opportunities For American
    Workers. Today, many jobs across the Nation are supported by exports.
    Foreign companies come to America because they recognize the quality,
    skill level, and ethic of the American worker. At the John
    Deere-Hitachi plant in Kernersville, North Carolina, the company is
    actually in-sourcing jobs, and the plant's workforce has tripled as the
    factory has taken on production that used to be done in Japan and
    Mexico. In the 21st century, no economy can afford to be an island. To
    create new opportunities for America's workers, America's economy must
    be open to trade and investment.

The Administration Is Working To Advance Free And Fair Trade. When China
entered the World Trade Organization (WTO), one of the conditions was that
the United States and other WTO members could take steps to prevent their
markets from being flooded with cheap Chinese textiles. Last month, the
Administration reached an agreement with China to limit its increase in
textile exports to America over the next few years _ giving American
companies time to adjust. The Doha trade round has the potential to boost
American jobs by reducing and eliminating tariffs and other barriers on
farm and industrial goods; by ending unfair subsidies; and by opening the
global market to American services. The United States will push for a bold,
wide-ranging agreement. The President will continue to use American
influence to bring American workers even greater opportunities.

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