Lieberman Says "Unsteady" State of the Union Demands Stronger Economic, Security Leadership

Lieberman Says "Unsteady" State of the Union Demands Stronger Economic, Security Leadership

Nearly a year and a half after 9/11, the state of our union continues to be unsteady. Our security is threatened by tyrants and terrorists from abroad. And the American Dream has been jeopardized by a stagnant, stumbling economy here at home. I am confident we can meet these serious challenges - with the right kind of leadership.

President Bush at first showed strong leadership in guiding the war against terrorism. But over the past year, our government's homeland security efforts have been too cautious, its instincts too reactive, its vision too blurry. With porous ports, intelligence agencies fundamentally unchanged, and local first responders in dire need of resources and information, now is the time for big and urgent action to protect America from terrorism. And now is the time to put real resources behind our promises - something this President is sadly failing to do so far.

President Bush has consistently and wisely confronted Saddam Hussein's ongoing defiance of the world community, and I will stand with him at this critical moment to reduce the threat the Iraqi regime poses to the safety and stability of the world.

The case for action needs to be made not just the American people but to many of our allies, who remain skeptical of our efforts. Their caution is unwarranted, in my view, in light of the compelling evidence of Iraq's threat to the security of its neighbors and the world. But the Administration undermines our international standing when it resorts to unilateralist, often arrogant treatment of our friends. In the world today, we grow stronger, not weaker, when we stand with the international community to advance our common values. If we show strong leadership and a commitment to working with our allies, we will improve our standing in the world and our chances of success in the mission to disarm Iraq and defeat terrorism.

On the economy, the President has offered no leadership - just a one-note strategy of tax cuts we can't afford and that haven't worked to create jobs or growth. The President has put forward no constructive new ideas - just a confrontational, outdated ideology. His approach is unfair, unaffordable, and totally ineffective. During this President's term, business investment has been weaker than it has been in half a century. More than 2 million jobs have been lost, and more than a million people have fallen below the poverty line. The median income has actually dropped for the first time in a decade. It's getting harder for the middle class to save for retirement, afford college, pay for health care and put up the down payment on a house. And just two years after running a record surplus, we're projecting deficits of more than $300 billion.

Right now we need a strategically-targeted, fiscally-responsible stimulus plan that will give our economy an immediate shot in the arm. Instead, the President once again is proposing a plan that is the equivalent of shooting ourselves in the foot. The only thing his budget-busting package of tax cuts will grow is the national debt. I hope Congress will scrap this slow-growth approach and develop a pro-growth proposal, along the lines of the stimulus plan I offered in October.

My $150 billion package of tax cuts is tailored to revive business investment, reignite job growth, restore investor confidence, and rekindle consumer spending - all while keeping the budget in balance. It would give businesses an immediate tax credit to invest in new information technology; rev up the burgeoning biotechnology and nanotechnology industries to produce high-paying high-tech jobs; send a new cash tax rebate to the 34 million taxpayers who didn't get one in 2001; put in place a specially designed zero capital gains rate for investments in new and expanding businesses; and implement a New Jobs Tax Credit to encourage immediate hiring. Also, unlike the President's plan, almost all of it would be allocated this year, when the economy needs it most.

After two years of disappointing and disappearing leadership from the Bush Administration, there are other uncertainties in the state of our union today. Our air, water, and land are being threatened by this Administration's do-nothing global warming plan and its preference for protecting special interests over protecting the environment and public health. The promise of a quality education for every child is being hampered by the Administration's broken promise to fund the high standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. And our citizens' health remains tenuous, as this Administration keeps launching partisan political salvos instead of seeking constructive solutions to extend quality care to more Americans.

I remain optimistic, though, that we can meet these challenges and build the richer, safer, and better America we all want. And that is because American values are stronger, our people are more resilient, our businesses are better, and our soldiers are braver than any others on earth. It is our responsibility now to avoid wasting that greatness, to harness our country's limitless spirit, and to find common ground and common-sense solutions to the problems we face.