Washington, D.C. -  Congressman Joe Donnelly released the following statement in response to President Bush's State of the Union address:

"President Bush’s final State of the Union address made clear what we already knew: There is much work to be done in the coming year. I hope the president will use his final year to work with Congress in a bipartisan manner. It is only by working together that we can get results for the American people.

I was pleased to hear the president’s remarks this evening focus on the economy and job creation. The economic well-being of our country is of great concern to me right now, and I fully support efforts underway in Congress to pass stimulus legislation that would give our economy a boost.

President Bush also focused on decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. This is an issue of great importance to our nation, and I hope we are able to make real headway as the president promised. I wish the president had talked more about the resources we have right here at home such as ethanol, bio-diesel, and other renewable energies.

I want to also honor our servicemen and women in harm’s way around the world. It is important for the president to pursue a policy in Iraq that will result in the Iraqis stepping up so our troops can start to come home and leave a stable Iraq behind.

I was hoping that the president would give more time to veterans tonight, following a year of reports of sub-par medical care for wounded soldiers, long waits for disabled veterans to get their claims processed and a VA that is grossly understaffed. Our veterans deserve the best care possible, and I will continue to fight to make sure they receive this care."