| Date | February 9, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m. EST |
| Duration | 48 minutes |
| Venue | House Chamber, United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′23″N77°00′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W |
| Type | Unofficial State of the Union Address |
| Participants | |
| Previous | 1988 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 1990 State of the Union Address |
George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress on Wednesday, February 9, 1989. It was his first public address before a joint session. Like a State of the Union Address, it was delivered before the 101st United States Congress in the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives in the United States Capitol. [1] Presiding over this joint session was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Jim Wright, accompanied by Dan Quayle, the vice president in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The speech is referred to as the presidential economic address or the address on administration goals. During his speech, President Bush presented his proposed federal budget. [1] [2]
Secretary of Education Lauro Cavazos was the designated survivor and did not attend the address in order to maintain a continuity of government. [3]
In domestic matters, the President announced $2.2 billion in new funding for the National Science Foundation, increased funding for NASA and education by creating the concept of merit schools. In addition, he announced improvements to the Clean Air Act and advocated for resource exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
In foreign policy, the President emphasized his support for the Strategic Defense Initiative. [2]
Speaker of the House Jim Wright and Senator Lloyd Bentsen, both of Texas, delivered the Democratic response to the address. [4]
