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Jones Reacts To The State Of The Union

Date: Jan. 24, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Foreign Affairs Immigration


JONES REACTS TO THE STATE OF THE UNION

Tonight, Third District Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC) responded to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address. In this year's address, President Bush spoke to Congress and the American people about the war in Iraq and a series of domestic issues, including immigration.

"The President called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, promote assimilation, create a temporary worker program, and ‘resolve' the status of illegal immigrants already here," Jones said.

"While Congress must work together in a bipartisan way to get things done for the American people, there can be no ‘middle ground' in our nation's commitment to enforcing our immigration laws," Jones said. "With illegal immigration's ever-growing burden on our schools, hospitals, and federal prisons - we cannot afford to send mixed messages about the cost of illegal immigration to our government. An immigration compromise that includes any form of amnesty is not in the best interest of our country."

"In his discussion of how America will succeed in Iraq, I was disappointed to hear the President's plan to move forward with the deployment of more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq," Jones said.

"The Pentagon has warned that an escalation of our troop levels in Iraq could lead to an increase in al-Qaeda attacks, provide more targets for Sunni insurgents and fuel the jihadist appeals for foreign fighters to attack U.S. soldiers," Jones said. "Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have also indicated that even a short-term escalation of U.S. troops in Iraq could create larger problems in the long-term."

"I am persuaded by all available evidence that an escalation of U.S. troop levels is not the way forward in Iraq," Jones said.

For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kathleen Joyce at (202) 225-3415.

http://jones.house.gov/release.cfm?id=498

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