Delegation Split on the State of the Union Speech
UNION
New Hampshire Union Leader
Greg Hellman & Alyssa Marcus
Boston University Washington News Service
1/23/2007
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 – Members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation split along party lines in their reaction to President Bush’s State of the Union speech last night.
The state’s freshmen House Democrats criticized the president’s plan for continuing the war in Iraq and his domestic proposals while Senate Republicans hailed the economic growth of the last year and gave their continuing support for the Bush Administration’s handing of the Iraq war.
In his first appearance in front of the newly elected Democratic Congress, the president focused the first half of his speech on domestic issues —energy, education and healthcare – and turned to the war in Iraq for the second half.
The president called for a reduction in dependence on foreign oil and said he aimed to cut gasoline use by 20 percent by 2017. He stopped short, however, of proposing mandatory fuel economy levels.
While reiterating his commitment to continuing to fight in Iraq, the president proposed creating a bi-partisan special advisory counsel for the war on terror.
“This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in,” Bush said. “Let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.”
“His proposal assumes there is a functioning Iraqi government; that is not the case at all,” said Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes. “Inserting 20,000 troops into a city of 10 million is too little too late. We need a new course.”
In a statement, Republican Senator Judd Gregg said he would continue to stand with the president on Iraq and support the plan to send an additional 21,500 troops.
“It is my intention to continue to give our troops in the field the support they need to do their jobs and to maintain their safety and to support efforts which will allow us to find the terrorists, especially those who subscribe to Islamic fundamentalism, before they attack America or American citizens,” Gregg said.
Both GOP senators expressed support for the president’s ideas to improve health care while recognizing they only represented a starting point for reform.
“There is no single policy that can address all the concerns regarding cost and access to quality health care, however these ideas are a step in the right direction,” Sen. John Sununu said is a statement.
“I’m at a loss to understand how raising taxes is going to give people more coverage for health care,” said Hodes.
“I think the problem is that most small businesses simply cannot afford health insurance. A tax deduction will not help them,” agreed Rep. Carol Shea-Porter in an interview following the speech.
Gregg, the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, said pursuing energy independence and getting the federal budget under control are two areas highlighted by the president that hold the greatest potential for reform.
“It is incumbent upon us to choose areas where positive results can be accomplished and aggressively pursue resolutions to those issues,” Gregg said in a statement. “This is most likely to occur in the areas of energy independence and fiscal responsibility.”
Sununu said in an interview following the speech, “We will definitely be able to eliminate the deficit in the next five years, maybe even sooner.”
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