News Release - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge's Reaction to the State of the Union

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

January 28, 2003

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge's Reaction to the
State of the Union Address

"I continue to stand with the President in the war against terrorism, and I agree that we cannot and will not allow Saddam Hussein to threaten the world with weapons of mass destruction. But we also have unfinished business with Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network, and he must be dealt with. The American people still want him brought to justice.

"At home, our most urgent task is to rebuild our economy. I agree with the President that our first priority ought to be jumpstarting the economy, but the Bush economic record is a failure. I support an economic plan that puts money back in the pockets of North Carolina's working families. By investing in our infrastructure, building schools, building roads, we can construct a strong economy that grows jobs.

"I am disappointed that North Carolina's farm families have been left out of the President's vision for America. The farm economy has been hit hard by the drought, and farmers need immediate emergency aid just to survive. Our tobacco farmers are waiting anxiously for the President to signal his support for a tobacco buyout. The President gave a good speech, but we need real results, not just talk."