Statement Regarding the State of the Union

Tonight, President Bush gave his final State of the Union speech.  In it, he outlined the many important issues facing Congress and the Nation.  His words should be received with thoughtfulness and his proposals honestly debated.  We should also heed his call for bipartisan cooperation on the challenges facing the Nation.  In his words, “Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time.”     

In particular, the President was correct to call on Congress to act in a quick and bipartisan manner to pass an economic growth package spurring business investment and giving Americans back some of their own money to spend.  Congress must also put aside party differences and act quickly to ensure our intelligence agencies continue to have the tools they need to monitor terrorists overseas.  Finally, the President’s emphasis on expanding access to affordable health care must not be forgotten as we begin the second session of the 110th Congress.