George W. Bush delivered the last State of the Union address of his presidency Monday night, saying the United States must continue to show resolve in the war on terror to defend the nation’s security.
Bush dedicated the first 20 minutes of his speech to the state of the economy and discussed a bipartisan economic stimulus package he plans to present to Congress.
Worries about tax increases wear heavily on the minds of Americans, Bush said, asking Congress to re-authorize the tax cuts he has passed in his seven years in office.
“There is only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: Make the tax relief permanent. And members of Congress should know: If any bill raising taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it.”
Bush also announced a plan to present Congress with a budget that will eliminate or reduce 151 programs. He said this will result in a savings of $18 billion and “keep America on track for a surplus in 2012.”
Bush also expressed his displeasure with the practice of Congressional earmarks, or special-interest projects that are added on to bills. He announced a plan to prevent earmarks through an executive order that federal agencies ignore earmarks not voted on by Congress.
Andrew Hill, president of the College Republicans, said he thought Bush showed resolve in refusing to accept any “extra crap” tacked on to the economic stimulus package.
“I thought he stood pretty firm on the fact that we need to get this (stimulus) plan passed,” Hill said.
Turning his attention to the shaky housing market, Bush asked Congress to pass legislation that would make it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages and avoid foreclosure.
Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) told the Emerald in a phone interview that he felt Bush’s assessment of the economy was “totally detached” from what Americans are actually experiencing.
“As far as I can tell from his speech, he thinks the economy is just peachy,” aside from the problems with home mortgages, DeFazio said. “He simply doesn’t understand. Never has, never will.”
Bush dedicated the second half-hour of the speech to the war on terror, saying that continued success in Iraq is necessary to protecting the liberty and security of America and its allies.
“The mission in Iraq has been difficult and trying for our nation,” he said. “But it is in the vital interest of the United States that we succeed. A free Iraq will deny al-Qaida a safe haven. A free Iraq will show millions across the Middle East that a future of liberty is possible. And a free Iraq will be a friend of America, a partner in fighting terror, and a source of stability in a dangerous part of the world.”
DeFazio said that while Bush’s rationale for the past year’s troop surge had been to create “breathing room for political reconciliation” in Iraq, that has not happened and there has not been progress in the country.
“In terms of a long-term sustainable country, his own chief advisers are saying we’ll be there for another decade, which is simply unacceptable,” DeFazio said.Bush also said the U.S. is “spreading the hope of freedom” in Afghanistan, where he said the U.S. and its allies are helping to install democracy. He announced that 3,200 Marines will be deployed to Afghanistan.
“Thanks to the courage of these military and civilian personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for al-Qaida is now a young democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads and hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with a new hope,” he said.
DeFazio disagreed with Bush’s assessment that the U.S. presence in Afghanistan has been successful.
The situation in Afghanistan is bad because the attention of the world, which was initially supportive of the U.S. efforts in that nation, was shifted to the war in Iraq, DeFazio said, adding: “Afghanistan is sliding back toward anarchy as Osama bin Laden operates from his safe haven in Pakistan.”
DeFazio did express support for Bush’s request to continue to increase funding for veterans.
“We must keep faith with all who have risked life and limb so that we might live in freedom and peace,” Bush said. “Over the past seven years, we have increased funding for veterans by more than 95 percent. As we increase funding, we must also reform our veterans system to meet the needs of a new war and a new generation.”
DeFazio said Bush has proposed cutting veterans’ benefits in each of his previous six budgets, but said it is “great” that Bush has become an advocate for more funding for veterans.
“I think that’s something the entire nation can unite behind,” DeFazio said.
Bush dedicated a short portion of the speech to other issues, saying the U.S. should look toward reducing its dependence on foreign oil and support initiatives to fight hunger in the developing world. He also proposed increasing funding for HIV/AIDS relief by $30 billion over the next five years.
Hill said he thought the overall speech was good and that Bush stood firm on issues such as Iraq and the economy.
Sara Bean Duncan, the president of the College Democrats, said she thought the speech was “more of the same” and that much of what Bush had to say amounted to nothing more than “nice sound bites.”
“It does make me very thankful that we’re going to be working toward a Democratic president next year,” she said.
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