January 30, 2006

PRESIDENT BUSH’S FIFTH STATE OF THE UNION

A Special Senate Democratic Report on the Credibility Test the President Faces

George Bush will deliver a State of the Union Address for the fifth time in his presidency, but the empty rhetoric and failed promises of years past have made this speech a credibility test for his administration. President Bush has an opportunity this year to break with the past and offer Americans an honest assessment of the state of our union and providing a credible path forward. Americans need a commitment and specific proposals to ensure that their government is working in their interest, not for lobbyists and special interests.

The president must use this speech to show real leadership and not just partisan rhetoric to protect Americans from terrorism, create an economy that works for all Americans, address the health care crisis, break our dependence on foreign oil and restore honest leadership to Washington.

• Protecting Americans: Bush must be honest about his mistakes in Iraq and around the world in order to provide greater security for Americans here at home and around the world. Our Commander in Chief must stop acting like a Campaigner in Chief and provide an honest assessment of the challenges we face. 2006 must be a year of significant transition in Iraq for our troops and the Iraqi people.

• Restoring Honest Leadership: The president must do more than tell Americans that wrongdoers should be punished. The culture of corruption in Washington was created by Republicans on his watch. As the leader of the Republican Party, President Bush must take responsibility to clean house. This problem must be addressed immediately – the cost is too high for the American people.

• Creating Economic Growth for all Americans: Happy talk and vague promises about our economic future will not appease the millions of hard working Americans who face rising costs and lower wages. Bush must provide credible solutions that will spread the benefits of the economy to all Americans and make America competitive in a globalizing world.

• Providing Relief from the Health Care Crisis: The president must explain how he will fix the botched implementation of his Medicare drug bill and also provide real solutions to the health care crisis. Unless the president provides new proposals that will meaningfully address the staggering increase in costs and the 46 million Americans without coverage, his health care talk will not be credible.

• A Real Plan to Break our Dependence on Foreign Oil: For too long, this president has been content to use empty rhetoric on our growing dependence on foreign oil while giving billions to Big Oil and blocking Democratic attempts to break our dependence on foreign oil. Bush must put our security and consumers first by making the real investments necessary to be credible on energy independence.

• Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Americans are tired of immigration solutions that divide the country and ignore the root causes of illegal immigration. The president must support a comprehensive approach that will secure our borders and represent our values.

• A Real Commitment to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: For the past five months the people of the Gulf Coast have now seen firsthand what the president’s empty promises mean. By failing to provide the health care, housing and economic assistance that the survivors of Hurricane Katrina need, Bush has failed our nation. Bush must go further than restating his commitment, he must show what he will do to deliver real results immediately.

Click here for the Report.

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