Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Committee on Finance and a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, tonight made the following comment in reaction to President Bush’s State of the Union address.
"Partisan Democrats might try to criticize the President for not having a long list of new agenda items in his speech. Well, I’d rather see him focus on the most important issues over the course of his presidency than offer a laundry list of new initiatives. Some past presidents took the laundry list approach, and everyone forgot about the dozens of new items within hours of the speech. The President’s themes of national security, finishing the job in Iraq, and increasing American competitiveness make sense.
"The terrorist threat has redefined America’s challenges in the 21st century. President Bush is committed to the steadfast, principled leadership it takes to face down that threat. His goals of freedom and democracy for Iraq and Afghanistan are the keys to peace and stability for that region as well as our part the world. No lesser cause could justify the tremendous sacrifices being made in pursuit of these goals.
"In tonight’s speech, the President once again showed why he is the most supportive, pro-renewable fuels president we’ve ever had. He spoke of the importance of using our homegrown, renewable resources with new technology that can bring us the energy we need without relying on an unstable area of the world for our energy needs. Iowa has proven success in supplying corn, soybeans and even wind for much of the fuel for renewable energy. I know rural America will be happy to provide even more help in the effort to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil. The President’s leadership on this issue has already helped a Republican-led Congress pass a renewable fuels standard despite a Democrat-led opposition. I look forward to working with him again to help reduce our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
"I was very glad to hear the President focus on health care. In Iowa I hear a lot about the number of uninsured people and the cost of health care. That’s from employees and employers alike. It’s a very real concern. People who have insurance fear they won’t be able to afford it, and people without it fear that one illness could throw them into crippling debt. Unfortunately, a Democratic senator wrote off the President’s health care ideas as ‘gimmicks’ long before the speech was even delivered. That won’t help the uninsured. What will help is an open mind to the President’s proposals. People are uninsured for a lot of different reasons, and a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. More tax breaks for health savings accounts might work for some people. A tax deduction to buy health insurance might work for others. Remember, employers get a tax break for offering their employees health insurance but there are no broad-scale tax breaks to help people without insurance buy it. Congress needs to look at the President’s proposals, and my committee will do its part. To start, next week we’re having one hearing to look at the tax proposals in the President’s new budget and another one to look at the health proposals.
"On the economy, I appreciate the President’s interest in continued growth. He’s not resting on the laurels of strong economic growth. He understands that any American who wants a job and doesn’t have a job is one American too many. In an advanced economy like ours, we have the luxury of holding out not just for any jobs, but quality jobs. The President sees that the keys to quality jobs and keeping the American workforce competitive are educated workers, tax predictability and permanence so investors are encouraged to take the risks that create opportunity, and aggressive trade policies to open overseas markets to U.S. products. President Bush has succeeded and continues to succeed in offering once-in-a-generation levels of tax relief and trade agreements that produce opportunity for American workers. Those policies are a pretty easy sell in Congress for those who of us who believe in free markets.
"Overall, the President gave a very balanced speech that clearly addressed issues that not only will bring success and security to the American people but also will help America lead the world in peace and prosperity."