February 3, 2006

A Forward Looking Agenda

By Congressman Joe Pitts

On January 31, President George W. Bush delivered his fifth State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and a national television audience.

From the outset of his speech, the President noted the historic times in which we live.  We are a nation at war abroad, and with major challenges here at home.  The President was very honest in acknowledging these challenges, and he certainly is not one to shrink from them.

From my seat on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I heard the President discuss a number of critical issues that I believe are worth noting.

Terrorism

Though we’ve heard it many times before, it was gratifying to hear our Commander in Chief reiterate his continued commitment to winning the war on terror.  Our enemies would like nothing more than for us to become complacent and forget that we are engaged in a long term war against the evil of international terrorism.

From the first hours after we learned we were under attack on that fateful September day more than four years ago until now, President Bush has displayed unwavering vigilance, determination and grit in facing down those who seek our total destruction.

Tuesday night was no different.  The President encouraged America to renew its resolve, reminding us there is neither honor nor peace in retreat.  As Congress begins to deal with the many challenges before us this year, we would do well to keep this in mind.

Energy

Though national security must always be of utmost importance to policymakers in Washington, our challenges are many more than merely protecting our homeland.  The President also brought to bear his vision for moving America forward on a host of domestic issues.

Chief among these issues is America’s energy consumption.  Anyone who has paid a heating bill this winter or had to fill his or her car with gas lately understands the magnitude of this challenge.

The fact is that the United States is too dependent on foreign sources of oil.  The best thing President Bush did in addressing our energy concerns in his State of the Union speech was to provide a goal for America to work toward.

The President’s goal is to replace 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East with new energy technologies and renewable fuels by 2025.  His plan to start us down this road includes a number of initiatives, but the common theme is innovation.

American innovation has a history of bringing dynamic solutions to our nation’s greatest challenges.  We have no reason to believe that this challenge will be any different.

Our potential is great in areas such as hydrogen fuel cells, solar and wind energy, ethanol fuel production and clean coal technology.  But, whatever advancements emerge, the best thing government can do is get out of the way and unleash the power of American innovation.

Health Care

Another important domestic topic the President discussed is America’s access to affordable health care.  Acknowledging that health care costs are on the rise for millions of Americans, President Bush outlined a vision for making our health care more affordable and efficient.

I believe a common-sense first step toward achieving these shared goals is the improvement of health information technology.  In an age where technology is streamlining industries across the spectrum of our dynamic economy, the health care industry is lagging behind. 

One way to improve would be to move toward electronic health records for patients.  This would cut costs, help prevent prescription errors, and eliminate unnecessary red tape.

Congress should also take up medical liability reform this year.  Frivolous lawsuits and excessive jury awards have led to ballooning insurance costs for all Americans.  Reform is needed, and it should be a priority for this Congress.

With these and other initiatives in mind, I look forward to working with the president and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress this year to move America forward.

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