Bush Vows to Push Growth Package in ’92 : White House: In Thanksgiving address, he says he has proposals to aid families through tough times but offers no details of an economic strategy.

President Bush vowed Thursday to pursue a growth package next year, and he blamed Congress for failing to help spur the sluggish economy with tax cuts, bank reforms and cuts in health care costs.

“These proposals would let Americans do more, produce more, dream more, dare more. They would create more jobs--good jobs--for American workers,” Bush said in his traditional Thanksgiving address.

His message from the presidential mountain retreat of Camp David, Md., was filled with references to families struggling through tough times, along with images of Americans defying adversity to build a prosperous future.

But the President gave no details of an economic strategy.

Bush has been accused of failing to provide clear domestic leadership for a nation disenchanted with rising unemployment and stalled growth as it struggles to emerge from a yearlong recession.

In the last days before Congress adjourned for the year Wednesday, Bush had left conservative Republicans to carry the banner for tax cuts to stimulate growth, giving only lukewarm support for their frenzied efforts to attach a tax package to any piece of legislation.

Their package included Bush’s long-sought capital gains tax cut and tax breaks for first-time home buyers. It failed.

In his Thanksgiving message, Bush said he will use his State of the Union speech in January to urge Congress to set aside election-year politics and enact “a common-sense series of economic growth measures.”

“Politicians should remember that hot rhetoric won’t fill empty stomachs. It won’t create a job. It won’t get the people’s business done,” he said.

Meanwhile the President, whose main achievements have been in global affairs, said he will fight for American jobs in the international arena.

“I will continue taking what independent steps I can to help the economy, like fighting to create opportunities in foreign markets for American workers,” Bush said.

He also said he will tackle the credit crunch, ensure that unemployment checks are available and move quickly to get money in the new transportation bill out to build roads.

In what may become a theme in his reelection campaign, Bush deftly tied his international successes to the home front by suggesting they provide a strong foundation for solving today’s problems.

“We need to address today’s problems and tomorrow’s promise in a new world united in economic competition, not frozen in nuclear conflict,” he said.

“Inflation is down. Interest rates have fallen to the lowest level in years. This year we will export billions of dollars more in goods and services than ever before, and that means jobs for American men and women,” Bush said.

The Bush Administration had tried this year to overhaul the banking system, which it said would free up more money for investment.