print-only banner
The White House Skip Main Navigation
  
 Home > State of the Union


State of the Union: Behind the Scenes

President George W. Bush prepares his State of the Union Address with White House speechwriters Matthew Scully, left, Mike Gerson, center, and John McConnell in the Oval Office Jan. 23, 2003. President Bush reviews the text with Director of Presidential Speechwriting Michael Gerson in the Oval Office, Jan. 23, 2003. Sketching notes in the margin of speech drafts, President Bush rewrites portions of the address in the Oval Office Jan. 23, 2003. President Bush gives his speechwriting team a few points after revising the State of the Union Address in the Oval Office Jan. 23, 2003. Meeting with the President are, from left, Matthew Scully, John McConnell, Mike Gerson and Advisor Karen Hughes.
President Bush practices his address in the family theater of the White House Jan. 24, 2003. Advisers listen to President Bush’s delivery of his speech in the family theater of the White House Jan. 24, 2003. Advisor Karen Hughes reviews parts of the speech with White House Staff Secretary Harriet Miers and Director of Communications Dan Bartlett as White House speechwriters confer behind them during a rehearsal in the family theater of the White House Jan. 26, 2003. After days of revisions and rehearsals, President Bush reads through his State of the Union speech during a late afternoon practice session in the family theater of the White House Monday, Jan. 27, 2003.

America faces major challenges at home and abroad. The President believes we cannot ignore these challenges or pass along our problems to future generations. We must confront them squarely with actions equal to the demands we face. In his State of the Union Address, the President will propose bold steps to answer these challenges—confident that America will meet these tests.