With a growing economy, tax receipts are on the rise, helping to bring down the deficit in 2005. To stay on track to meet my goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009, we must maintain our pro-growth policies and insist on spending restraint.
The 2007 Budget also continues our efforts to improve performance and make sure the taxpayers get the most for their money. My Administration expects to be held accountable for significantly improving the way the Government works. In every program, and in every agency, we are measuring success not by good intentions or by dollars spent, but rather by results achieved.
In the long term, the biggest challenge to our Nation's fiscal health comes from unsustainable growth in entitlement spending. Entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare are growing faster than our ability to pay for them, faster than the economy, faster than the rate of inflation, and faster than the population. As more baby boomers retire and collect their benefits, our deficits are projected to grow. There will be fewer people paying into the system, and more retirees collecting benefits. These unfunded liabilities will put an increasing burden on our children and our grandchildren. We do not need to cut these programs, but we do need to slow their growth. We can solve this problem and still meet our Nation's commitment to the elderly, disabled, and poor.
My Budget also includes proposals to address the longer-term challenge arising from unsustainable growth in Medicare, while ensuring modern health care for our seniors. In addition, I will continue to call on Congress to enact comprehensive reform of Social Security for future generations, so that we return the system to firm financial footing, protect the benefits of today's retirees and near-retirees, provide the opportunity for today's young workers to build a secure nest egg they can call their own, and assure our children and grandchildren a retirement benefit that is as good as is available today.
This was the budget speech by the US President.