January 28, 2008
For Immediate Release: January 28, 2008
Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) issued the following statement in response to President Bush's last State of the Union address tonight:
“Against the backdrop of the looming Bush recession, this address was more of the same rhetoric from a president who has squandered unprecedented budget surpluses and international good will, waged a war of choice in Iraq, and has stood idly by while millions more of Americans have fallen into poverty and joined the ranks of the uninsured.
“Americans are concerned about the their ability to provide for their families, outraged by the high cost of health care and want to bring our troops home from Iraq, yet we heard no real solutions to these serious problems.
“Over 37 million Americans are living in poverty and the number has grown by 5 million since President Bush took office. His administration has consistently pursued unfair economic policies that mostly benefit the wealthy, proving just how out of touch he is with the American people.
“While President Bush mentioned healthcare, he continues to block the Democratic Congress on key measures to help the Americans. House Republicans last week voted to uphold Bush's veto of the bipartisan bill that would have reauthorized and expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program, leaving behind 3.8 million additional low-income children who are eligible, but not enrolled.
“Even more incomprehensible, President Bush has flat-lined funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative and our domestic HIV/AIDS programs, even as data shows communities of color are increasingly bearing the brunt of the disease. Over 188,000 African-Americans were living with AIDS at the end of 2005, representing 44 percent of all cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I recently introduced new legislation (H.CON.RES.280) to support the goals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and support full and equitable funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act.
“Although I am pleased the President mentioned the global HIV/AIDS pandemic - as one of the original co-authors of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief legislation - I am disappointed he did not use this opportunity to announce a more significant commitment to the crisis. Tonight President Bush should have announced his commitment to providing the $50 billion we have proposed for global programs to combat HIV/AIDS tuberculosis and malaria over the next five years. Instead he opted to simply maintain the status quo with $30 billion.
“At a time when it’s important to show our nation and the world that our military presence in Iraq won’t be indefinite, we heard the president echo the same old war rhetoric. Sadly, drawing down nearly the same number of troops that the president sent in last year does not qualify as ending the occupation in Iraq. At a time when we need to build a new framework for diplomacy on Iran, especially in the wake of the latest National Intelligence Estimate, we heard more saber rattling.
“Tonight, 11 months before he leaves office, President Bush missed his last opportunity to stand on the right side of Americans and the right side of history.”
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) sits on the House Appropriations Committee, serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Barbara Lee Responds to President Bush's Final State of the Union Address
PRESS RELEASEFor Immediate Release: January 28, 2008
Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) issued the following statement in response to President Bush's last State of the Union address tonight:
“Against the backdrop of the looming Bush recession, this address was more of the same rhetoric from a president who has squandered unprecedented budget surpluses and international good will, waged a war of choice in Iraq, and has stood idly by while millions more of Americans have fallen into poverty and joined the ranks of the uninsured.
“Americans are concerned about the their ability to provide for their families, outraged by the high cost of health care and want to bring our troops home from Iraq, yet we heard no real solutions to these serious problems.
“Over 37 million Americans are living in poverty and the number has grown by 5 million since President Bush took office. His administration has consistently pursued unfair economic policies that mostly benefit the wealthy, proving just how out of touch he is with the American people.
“While President Bush mentioned healthcare, he continues to block the Democratic Congress on key measures to help the Americans. House Republicans last week voted to uphold Bush's veto of the bipartisan bill that would have reauthorized and expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program, leaving behind 3.8 million additional low-income children who are eligible, but not enrolled.
“Even more incomprehensible, President Bush has flat-lined funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative and our domestic HIV/AIDS programs, even as data shows communities of color are increasingly bearing the brunt of the disease. Over 188,000 African-Americans were living with AIDS at the end of 2005, representing 44 percent of all cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I recently introduced new legislation (H.CON.RES.280) to support the goals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and support full and equitable funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act.
“Although I am pleased the President mentioned the global HIV/AIDS pandemic - as one of the original co-authors of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief legislation - I am disappointed he did not use this opportunity to announce a more significant commitment to the crisis. Tonight President Bush should have announced his commitment to providing the $50 billion we have proposed for global programs to combat HIV/AIDS tuberculosis and malaria over the next five years. Instead he opted to simply maintain the status quo with $30 billion.
“At a time when it’s important to show our nation and the world that our military presence in Iraq won’t be indefinite, we heard the president echo the same old war rhetoric. Sadly, drawing down nearly the same number of troops that the president sent in last year does not qualify as ending the occupation in Iraq. At a time when we need to build a new framework for diplomacy on Iran, especially in the wake of the latest National Intelligence Estimate, we heard more saber rattling.
“Tonight, 11 months before he leaves office, President Bush missed his last opportunity to stand on the right side of Americans and the right side of history.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) sits on the House Appropriations Committee, serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.