The principles I laid out in the course of the campaign, and the principles we laid out at the recent economic summit are still the principles I believe in. And that is nothing will change for those near our Social Security, payroll — I believe you were the one who asked me about the payroll tax, if I'm not mistaken — will not go up. And I know there's a big definition about what that means. Well, again, I will repeat. Don't bother to ask me. Or you can ask me. I shouldn't — I can't tell you what to ask. It's not the holiday spirit. It is all part of trying to get me to set the parameters apart from the Congress, which is not a good way to get substantive reform done.

According to a recent study, frivolous litigation has helped drive the total cost of America's tort system to more than 230 billion dollars a year. That's a lot of lawsuits. The figure is more than twice the amount Americans spent on automobiles in 2002.

I want you to know that the death tax takes up more than 300 pages of laws and regulations in the current tax code. By getting rid of the death tax forever, we have simplified the code by 300 pages.

I think it is fair to say that I believe we've got a great chance to establish a Palestinian state. And I intend to use the next four years to spend the capital of the United States on such a state.

We had a good discussion about the problems that face the Social Security system, and there is a recognition among the experts that we have a problem... I think we have a responsibility to solve problems before they become acute.

I don't view relations as one that there's a score card that says, you know, well, if we all fight terror together, therefore, somebody owes somebody something.

You cannot lead this world and our country to a better tomorrow unless you see a better — if you have a vision of a better tomorrow.

With the campaign over, Americans are expecting a bipartisan effort and results. I'll reach out to everyone who shares our goals.

If you're feeling healthy, like I'm feeling healthy these days, don't get in line for the flu shot.

DUANE ALBERTS OF PINE SHELTER FARMS: Well, Mr. President, it's time to kill the death tax. I just want to start out that way.
DUBYA: Well, he's got — the man's got an opinion. We've got it — it's on its way to extinction. Unfortunately, it pops back up. It's going to be an odd year in 2010. You can imagine people — I mean, it goes away in 2010, it pops back up in 2011. So people are going to have some weird choices in 2010 when it comes to the death tax. But never mind. It's a little morbid.

We have a problem with litigation in the United States of America. Vaccine manufacturers are worried about getting sued, and therefore they have backed off from providing this kind of vaccine. One of the reasons I'm such a strong believer in legal reform is so that people aren't afraid of producing a product that is necessary for the health of our citizens and then end up getting sued in a court of law.

JAMES HUBB: Mr. President, how would you rate yourself as an environmentalist? What specifically has your administration done to improve the condition of our nation's air and water supply?
DUBYA: Off-road diesel engines. We have reached an agreement to reduce pollution from off-road diesel engines by 90 percent. I've got a plan to increase the wetlands by three million.

We proposed and passed a Healthy Forest bill, which was essential to working with — particularly in western states, to make sure that our forests were protected. What happens in those forests, because of lousy federal policy, is they grow to be — they are not — they're not harvested. They're not taken care of.

You've got to be able to speak clearly in order to make this world a more peaceful place.

Any hopeful society has a growing economy, and I have a plan to keep this economy moving forward.

We stand for a culture of life in which every person matters, every being counts. We stand for marriage and family, which are the foundations of society. We stand for the Second Amendment.

We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their — their love with women all across this country.

I don't think you give timelines to dictators.

You know, there's concern about jobs going overseas. I share the concern. We want people working here. We want our jobs here. And the best way to do so is to make sure this is the best place to do business in the world. The best way to make sure jobs are here, this is a place for risk-takers, feel comfortable taking risk, and you're able to do so without getting sued right and left — so we need tort reform.

Your fellow citizens ought to worry about somebody who is out there making promise after promise after promise, like over $2 trillion worth of new promises, and not telling you how he's going to pay for it. You know, he says, well, we can pay for it because we'll tax the rich. Well, we've heard that kind of language before. And you know what happens with this kind of tax the rich deal. That's why they've got accountants and lawyers. So the rich figure out ways not to pay, and you get stuck with the tab.

Let me talk about marriage, traditional marriage. First of all, I believe our society is better off when marriage is defined as between a man and a woman. It's my belief. And finally, let me encourage everybody, as we debate this issue, to do so with the utmost of respect. I mean, this is a issue that requires thoughtful dialogue. It's a serious issue. And it's one that — I hope we can have a debate in a way that is uplifting and not tearing people down on either side of the issue. And I will pledge to you — I will — I will do my very best to bring a thoughtful dialogue on this vital issue. And so what I'll do the next four years is continue to state what I believe. I'm not going to change my beliefs just because there's been an election.

Health savings accounts are new. Anything new in society, when it comes to health, requires a certain amount of education. Now, if you're a small business like Sharon is, I want you to listen to these accounts.

There's over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative, an initiative that we helped put together during my administration. Some 40 nations are involved in Afghanistan. Nearly 30 nations are involved in Iraq. We've got good, strong alliances of people working together. I'm never going to turn over our national security needs to leaders of other countries, however.

REPORTER: What do you think tribal sovereignty means in the 21st century, and how do we resolve conflicts between tribes and the federal and state governments?
DUBYA: Yeah — tribal sovereignty means that, it's sovereign. It's — you're a — you're a — you've been given sovereignty, and you're — viewed as a sovereign entity. [Laughter emanates from the audience]
REPORTER: Okay.
DUBYA: And, therefore, the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between — sovereign entities.

If you're paying taxes, you're going to have tax relief and the government ought not to pay favorites.

I have long expressed my concerns about Iran, after all it's a totalitarian society where free people are not allowed to ex — you know exercise their — uhh, their rights as human beings.

You cannot be pro-small business and pro-trial lawyer at the same time.

I anticipated this three years ago. I asked my team to put together a strategy to make us less dependent upon foreign sources of energy. I submitted that plan to the United States Congress... For example, had ANWR been passed — had it not been vetoed in the past, we anticipate an additional barrels of oil would have been coming out of that part of the world, which would obviously have a positive impact for today's consumers.

One sure way to hold things up is that the federal lands say, you can't build on us.

I'm working with Congress to pass the Striving Reader and Math Initiative Program, and that's a fancy word for saying we're going to intervene quickly with struggling middle-class — middle grade and high school students.

Broadband technology must be affordable. In order to make sure it gets spread to all corners of the country, it must be affordable. We must not tax broadband access. If you want broadband access throughout the society, Congress must ban taxes on access.

We have an obligation to lead the fight on AIDS, on Africa.

We want people owning something in America. That's what we want. The great dream about America is, I can own my own home, people say.

We increased the child credit to $1,000 per child. That helps people raising their families. If you've got children, it helps a lot.

Now, the advantage of this plan is — the tax-free is an advantage, by the way.

By the way, Patty is a 7-Eleven franchisee, owner. Pays taxes, by the way, business taxes at the individual income tax rate. So when you hear them talking about, going to run up these — tax the rich, that's what you're talking about, right there.

We need less regulations. I suspect — we met with a homeowner — home builder yesterday, Congressman. Remember the guy? He was upset that he had to fill out forms at the federal, state, and local level in order to build a house.

Alphonso and I have set a job. We want to close the minority homeownership gap in America. We want more people owning their own home, and we want more of our minorities owning their own home, as well.

[The estate tax is] on its way to being put to extinction. I say, on its way — you'll hear me talk in a minute that these — some of these taxes don't really go away. It's like they go away for a period of time, but they come back.

The tax relief we passed, 11 million taxpayers this year will save $1,086 off their taxes.

But the Congress giveth, the Congress taketh away. And these tax relief will be — will expire on an irregular basis.

Marriage ought to be defined by the people, not by the courts.