U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) delivered the following statement in response to President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night:

"David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader, Scripture tells us. The President has to consult with the American people and their Congress. He has recognized that staying the course is not working. He must consider that more of the same will not save American lives.

"We want to work with him to bring our troops home from a more stable Iraq. Congress should not only demand accounting of what we are doing, achieving and spending in Iraq, but there also has to be some accounting of what we have spent and done in Iraq in the last four years.

"He cannot cloak the growing crisis in Iraq in half-hearted policies in health care, and energy policies here at home. We shouldn't rob Peter to pay Paul or throw a 20-foot rope to people in a 40-foot hole. But that's what the President's health care plan entails. In the midst of more dependence on foreign energy, there is no new vision to further develop old or new technologies, especially with coal. In fact, the President is afraid to utter the c word, clean coal.

It's time for leadership - for bold efforts to protect our troops, and to progress here at home. We all hope and pray that the President will truly lead us in the new direction the American People want."