“Tuesday night, President Bush adhered to a uniquely American tradition, inscribed into the constitution, and delivered the annual State of the Union address to the nation.  This address gives the President an opportunity to speak on the current state of our union and define what path he envisions the nation taking on important matters that impact each and every American including the healthcare crisis, the War in Iraq, the mounting deficit, skyrocketing energy costs and the need to improve education standards in this country. 

“I am grateful the President acknowledged that we have a healthcare problem in this country and must provide affordable healthcare for the poor and the elderly; I am committed to working with the President to achieve this end.  However, I am immeasurably disappointed he did not recognize the problems with the newly implemented Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Although the government had two years to iron out the problems in the new prescription drug benefit, problems in the system run rampant and beneficiaries are being denied access to promised and necessary medications.   

“I find it troubling that the President touted providing healthcare for the poor and the elderly yet he supports the Republican-led bill, expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives only one day after the address, that cuts nearly $7 billion for Medicaid, the healthcare plan that provides coverage for the poor, disabled and elderly. 

“I know I can speak on behalf of all Americans in saying how proud we are of the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform.  But unfortunately, the President failed to offer a solid plan for getting our troops out of Iraq. The American people want to know what is next. Each day, we spend $260 million in Iraq and American citizens deserve to know how the money is being spent, that there is a plan to win the peace and a strategy that will ultimately bring our men and women in uniform home safely.   

“Under President Clinton, we witnessed a balanced budget from 1998 - 2001.  Since President Bush has taken office, we have not only seen the President borrow more money than the previous 42 presidents combined, but for the fifth year in a row, we are experiencing the largest budget deficit in our nation's history.  As a leading Member of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I was pleased to hear President Bush reiterate his desire to cut the deficit in half by 2009 and will do all I can to aid him in these efforts.   

“Tonight, the President addressed the need for cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable renewable energy and set forth initiatives to fund research of ethanol production from corn, soybeans and wood chips.  As the first member to stand up and applaud on either side of the aisle in support of this initiative and a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I wholeheartedly support research into alternative sources of energy and look forward to working with President Bush as the United States strives to become less dependent on foreign sources of oil.   

“I join President Bush in addressing the need for cleaning up Washington and restoring accountability to all levels of our nation's government.  There is simply no excuse for those who choose not to abide by the law; those who choose to ignore the law should be punished for their actions. 

“Finally, the President committed to improving our nation’s math and science classes.  I support investing in our education system and ensuring our education standards are up to par as today’s students aim to compete and succeed in today’s technological and modern world. 

“As Congress reconvenes for legislative business in 2006, I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we address the issues outlined by President Bush on Tuesday evening - the real and everyday needs of the American people.  While we may have different ideas as to how to address the problems that face our nation today, we must put aside partisan politics and work together to make our nation safe, strong, and more competitive in today’s global economy.”