Connecticut Delegation Offers Strong Words on Bush’s Speech
By Adam Kredo
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 – Although television viewers sat through countless standing ovations at the President’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, not everyone from the Connecticut delegation agreed with the President’s plans for the economy, Iraq and the nation’s mounting deficit.
“I would have liked to hear the President drop his demands for a permanent tax cut for the wealthiest Americans,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) in a statement.
Lieberman said such tax cuts would most likely “come at the expense of programs that help [our nation’s] neediest.”
Instead, the country’s tax policy should “be one of fairness to working families, and should not result in increasing our deficit,” Lieberman said.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) criticized Bush’s “reckless” fiscal policies.
“The president continues to push for tax cuts for those who need it the least,” Dodd said in a statement.
He added that the President’s “shortsightedness extends to failing to recognize the tremendous struggle middle class families are facing when it comes to their financial security.”
Dodd attributes problems in the economy and consumer confidence to “skyrocketing energy costs.” Moreover, he said too many people lack health care. “That is wrong. we can do better,” Dodd said in his statement.
Taking a different approach to the President’s comments on energy, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) said he thought that Bush spoke more directly than he had in the past.
“I think it’s important that this Texan who grew up on oil is saying we’re addicted to the stuff and we need to go in a different direction,” Shays said in a telephone interview.
Regarding energy independence and security, Lieberman urged the President to support his recently proposed legislation to reduce America’s oil consumption by 10 million barrels a day.
Lieberman noted that “we remain a nation at war.”
Dodd said he is frustrated by the fact that President Bush failed to offer a concrete timetable for bringing the nation’s troops home from Iraq.
“Our troops are still valiantly fighting on the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan,” Dodd said in his statement. “The President still has yet to offer a concrete strategy for bringing this conflict to an end.”
Shays was pleased by Bush’s “direct” discussion of Iraq.
“This President was not avoiding Iraq,” Shays said. “When you’re talking about opportunity for Iraqis to have democracy as opposed to dictatorship, that sounds like civil rights to me.”
The legislators expressed hope for a bipartisan approach to solving problems.
“Now more than ever, it is imperative that he reach out to work collectively to address our nation’s many pressing challenges,” Dodd said in his statement.
“I want action,” said Shays. “What I think we need is for Congress – Republicans and Democrats – to work more closely with each other. We have a constitutional responsibility to make sure we’re doing proper oversight. I have real determination that this will happen.”
