In his last State of the Union address, President George W. Bush urged Congress to continue its support for the war in Iraq and to move quickly to jump-start a slowing economy.
He also addressed immigration, education, research and clean energy issues before focusing a large portion of his speech on American military and policy issues abroad.
Bush began his progress report by urging Congress to pass the temporary economic stimulus package that saw bipartisan support in Congress last week.
But, when some Democrat leaders proposed a new $156 billion package Monday that would provide benefits for senior citizens on Social Security as well as extend unemployment benefits, Bush said he did not endorse any legislation that could substantially raise taxes.
“Members of the Congress should know, if any bill (that) raises taxes … reaches my desk, I will veto it,” he said.
Bush went on to discuss his education policies and stood behind his No Child Left Behind legislation, saying that after six years of implementation, “no one can deny its results.”
Still, Bush addressed the need to allow more flexibility for local schools and districts in holding students and teachers accountable.
Bush introduced a proposed $300 million program called Pell Grants for Kids that he said would aim to “liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools.”
Bush drew bipartisan applause when he stressed the need for an international agreement to “slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases,” and promoted efforts to decrease oil dependency and increase the development of renewable energy sources.
He also enjoyed bipartisan applause when he urged Congress to take a strong stance on immigration issues while negotiating a way for foreign workers to continue supporting the American economy.
“Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved, and it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals,” he said.
While both Democrats and Republicans seemed to be behind clean energy policies and Bush’s earlier comments on the importance of balancing the federal budget, Congress had a strong partisan response to Bush’s views on stem cell research, his nominees for the Supreme Court and his allusion to privatizing health care.
He spent the majority of his address on the war in Iraq and his foreign policy stance on Palestine, Iran and Sudan.
Bush drew his lengthiest applause from both sides of the aisle when he saluted the members of the Armed Forces for their continued hard work and dedication in Iraq, but quickly lost Democratic applause when he promised resources to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the continued war effort.
“We make this solemn pledge,” he said. “In the fight ahead, you will have all you need to protect our nation.”
Shortly afterward, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius gave the opposition response veering away from partisan rhetoric and stressing what she called the “American response,” urging Bush to pass a permanent economic stimulus package, fight the War on Terror more effectively and provide more efficient health care.
In a press released shortly after the address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she believes Bush “offered little more than the status quo,” and said in a time when the American economy is faltering, “the status quo won’t do.”