State of the Union 2006

State of the Union 2006

02/10/06

Last week President Bush delivered his fifth State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. The State of the Union fulfills Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which mandates; "The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." However, the Constitution does not specify how the president shall deliver that message. George Washington, who had presided over the constitutional convention, interpreted that passage of the new Constitution to mean he should address a joint session of Congress. When John Adams succeeded Washington as president, he continued to follow Washington's precedent of delivering the "President's Annual Message" to a joint session of Congress. Thomas Jefferson, America's third president, thought that delivering the president's speech to Congress too "imperial" or "kingly." Besides, Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, preferred written communications. Therefore, he wrote the President's Annual Message, and sent it to Congress, where it was read aloud by the clerks. This practice continued for over 100 years. Woodrow Wilson became the next president to deliver his own message before a joint session of Congress. Wilson revived the tradition Washington started in 1913, saying "a president is likely to read his own message rather better than a clerk would. With only a few exceptions, the practice of delivering the annual message in a speech before a joint session of Congress continues today. This was the fourth State of the Union address that I have attended. Virtually the entire leadership of the Federal government packs into the House chamber annually for the State of the Union. In addition to my House colleagues, Senators, Cabinet Secretaries, Supreme Court Justices, Directors of key agencies, foreign dignitaries, and special guests all fill the House chamber. In 1982 Ronald Reagan was the first president to introduce "distinguished citizen guests," and recognize their contributions to the nation. Every president since then has continued this tradition. These special guests are seated with the first lady in the House Gallery. This year, one of the first lady's special guests was a southwestern Ohio native. Commander Kimberly Evans was born in Cincinnati and grew up in Mason, Ohio. She has served in the U.S. Navy since 1988. Commander Evans was invited to be the guest of the first lady, because of her outstanding service to her country. She served seven-and-a-half months commanding a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan in 2004-2005. She was the first female Navy officer to command such a team. She oversaw 80 U.S. Army soldiers and 90 Afghans and directed operations in a physically demanding environment that spanned three provinces in western Afghanistan. Commander Evans' awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal. President Bush delivered a strong steadfast speech. He emphasized the war on terror and his commitment to freedom and democracy as a way to combat radical Islam and keep America safe. The President also laid out a comprehensive energy initiative. People don't often think of energy as an issue of national security, but it is, which is why a comprehensive energy policy is imperative

When you have all the branches of the U.S. government in one room as a symbol of liberty and freedom and you echo those themes as a way to bring peace to other countries, it's a dramatic backdrop. Each and every State of the Union is a history making event, and it is awe-inspiring to be part of history.

http://www.house.gov/miketurner/news/columns/2.3.2.06.shtml