Mahoney Responds to President's state of the Union Address

Statement

Congressman Tim Mahoney (FL-16) issued the following statement in response to President Bush's State of the Union address: "As the economy slows, our nation is facing an enormous challenge. The gap between the richest Americans and everyone else continues to grow. Florida's families and seniors are facing real hardships as they struggle to make ends meet in a slowing economy, with rising gas prices, skyrocketing property taxes, and increased homeowner's insurance premiums. "Tonight President Bush recognized the urgency of America's current economic situation. I applaud his bipartisan work with Congressional leadership on the economic stimulus package, which allots $150 billion to keep our economy growing in the short-term. As the President also recognized, the job is not yet complete and we need to couple this short-term stimulus with a long-term solution. "I also applaud the President for prioritizing earmark reform and recognizing the public's concern about the process. This year, Congress passed the most sweeping earmark reform in history which created an open process requiring transparency and I look forward to working with my colleagues on any further changes that might need to be made to the newly transparent process. "However, I am disappointed that President Bush lacked a plan for winning the war on terror. Seven years have gone by and Osama bin Laden is still free and intelligence reports indicate that al Qaeda poses as serious of a threat as it did on September 10, 2001. Afghanistan continues to backslide into violence and Iran remains a source of instability in the Middle East. We need to rethink our strategy and work together toward a solution with real results, not increased spending and troop build-up.

"President Bush has also failed us yet again on immigration. During his time in office, he has failed to provide the leadership or vision needed to secure our borders. Between the borders surrounding my district and the Southwestern borders I visited last year, I have seen first-hand that the problems that persist with little interference from our federal government.

"The President should listen to the American people and their demand for change. The success of our nation depends on it."

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