State of the Union speech highlights

Homeland security

Asked Congress to renew the controversial Patriot Act, key provisions of which expire next year. The act gives federal law enforcement far-reaching powers to investigate individuals, but critics say it infringes on civil rights.

Health care

Endorsed allowing small businesses to band together to lower insurance rates, giving lower-income Americans a refundable tax credit for insurance and letting catastrophic health care premiums be fully tax deductible.

Economy

Asked that Congress make permanent, economic-stimulation tax reductions, and called for modernization of the electrical system, conservation promotion and less dependency on foreign energy.

Education

Proposed a Jobs for the 21st Century program focusing on reading and math, advanced placement programs in low-income schools and math and science professionals teaching part time in schools.

Illegal aliens

Continued to oppose amnesty for illegal aliens but asked Congress to adopt his temporary worker program matching foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job.

War in Iraq

Commended U.S. forces and proposed doubling the budget of the National Endowment for Democracy to focus on developing free elections, free markets and free press in the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan.