 President George W. Bush during the speech, with Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Dennis Hastert behind him | |
| Date | January 29, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m. EST |
| Duration | 59 minutes |
| Venue | House Chamber, United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′19.8″N 77°00′32.8″W / 38.888833°N 77.009111°W |
| Type | State of the Union Address |
| Participants | |
| Previous | 2001 Joint session speech |
| Next | 2003 State of the Union Address |
| Website | www.WhiteHouse.gov |
The 2002 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 29, 2002, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 107th United States Congress.[1][2] It was Bush's first State of the Union Address and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Dennis Hastert, accompanied by Dick Cheney, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
In front of members of the 107th United States Congress, along with special civilian and military guests, Bush addressed the U.S. as he delivered his first State of the Union address. The speech covered the effects of the September 11 attacks four months earlier and Bush's plans to prevent future terrorist attacks upon the United States. Bush gave a progress report on the Global War on Terrorism and detailed his plans to end terrorism and bring all terrorists to justice, either by legal prosecution or death.
The issues inside the United States were also addressed by Bush, including his plan to strengthening the U.S. economy after a recession. The speech was centered on foreign affairs and was well received by both Republicans and Democrats. He said, "In four short months, our nation has comforted the victims, begun to rebuild New York and the Pentagon, rallied a great coalition, captured, arrested, and rid the world of thousands of terrorists, destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist training camps, saved a people from starvation, and freed a country from brutal oppression."[3] In that statement, Bush referred to how the United States deposed the Taliban from its rule over Afghanistan. He stated that the U.S. deposed the Emirate of Afghanistan, because the Islamic regime did not respect the human rights of Afghan citizens.
- ^ Bush, George (January 29, 2002). "President Delivers State of the Union Address". George W. Bush. Washington, D.C.: The White House. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ Bush, George W. (January 29, 2002). "President Delivers State of the Union Address". Office of the Press Secretary. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on February 1, 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2002.
- ^ "State of the Union Address: George W. Bush (January 29, 2002)".