Delivered by Utah Governor Mike Leavitt

Good morning. This is Governor Mike Leavitt of Utah. I am glad to be here today and to have this opportunity to wish all of America a happy and safe New Year.

We are entering the last year of the 20th century. A new millennium beckons and this is a time of great prosperity for our country. But to many, these are not joyful, festive times because of the circumstances we find ourselves in as a nation.

We have our military poised for any new hostility in Iraq. We have a president shadowed by impeachment. And we have a highly charged political climate in Washington.

As a country, we are going through a wrenching experience of unquestionable historic consequence. This is a difficult time no matter what side you're on.

But it has always been America's character to look beyond the dark horizon of the moment and greet the next light of day with greater resolve and unshaken confidence.

And so it might be valuable to remind ourselves today that a nation isn't just a government. A nation is its people. Obviously, we need a strong, sound government to manage the nation's interests.

But as the free-est, most generous and powerful republic on Earth, we must remember that it is not just our democratic government that makes us so. It is the aggregate of individuals.

It is the airman from the fighter squadron spending Christmas thousands of miles away from loved ones because his country needs him to perform to the best of his ability in the Persian Gulf.

It is the family experiencing lean times this holiday season who will spend what little Christmas money they have, sharing with others who have nothing at all.

This is what America is made of and this is what America will always be. In this great land of ours, there is always hope amid despair and opportunity that awaits us beyond any immediate crisis.

This is strength of character. It is a basic Republican principle that strength does not flow from government to the people. It flows from the people to the government.

It is one of the basic fundamentals that unite the Republican party and the American people. Others include a love of freedom, personal responsibility, local control, lower taxes, justice, accountability and moral courage.

The Republican message is not just about new laws and regulations. It is a message of hope, growth and opportunity. And it is not based on the actions of government, but on the inclinations of individuals whose actions and behaviors generate prosperity.

It was not the government, but the savvy and sweat of everyday citizens that lifted the U.S. economy to the point we have nearly vanquished unemployment.

The Republican emphasis on free will and free markets says you do not mess with this success by over-regulating and overburdening the very people responsible for it.

We believe in the ability of the individual. In education, for example, Republicans believe there are no individuals more sensible, caring or committed than the folks at home.

The Republican agenda for education could have been written by a parent: Rigorous academic standards, clear and measurable achievement goals, improved test scores, smaller classes, safer schools and competent teachers.

While the federal government may desire a supportive role, the reality is that state legislatures will deal in one year with more improvement than the national government could implement in a decade.

Republicans want our children's education controlled by mothers and fathers with practical choices, caring teachers and local school boards whose children attend the same schools they seek to improve.

Education remains the highest priority of the nation's governors. Not coincidentally, this is the level of government where Americans have chosen the Republican message resoundingly.

The most recent elections generated a lot of talk about the leadership of Republican governors and why they are so popular. The reason is simple.

Republican governors are cutting taxes, reforming welfare, improving schools, fighting crime, caring for the environment and bolstering state economies. We're doing it every day, along with legislators, county commissioners, mayors and school boards across the nation.

These are but a few of the successes produced by Republican ideals applied at the level of government closest to home.

Republicans in Congress have been equally successful in balancing the nation's budget, reforming welfare and providing tax relief measures like the $500 child tax credit and the reduction in capital gains tax.

We cannot forget how far we've come or how far we still want to go -- even if we are preoccupied by the historic struggle in the capital, and the outcome which remains unknown.

The events in Washington do not define us. And what does not defeat us will inevitably make us stronger.

America was born of the valor of revolutionaries who risked dishonor and death to defy the authoritarian rule of kings. We have survived wars at home and overseas. We are the country that sends its best and brightest beyond our own borders, whether it's to defend other nations or to explore the moon.

We will work our way through the short term, and we will lift our eyes to the promise and abundance of opportunity that await us in the New Year and the new century that will soon dawn.

Thank you, and may God bless America.