Sen. Carper Reacts to the State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON – Sen. Tom Carper (D–Del.) responded to three key national concerns expressed by President Bush tonight in his State of the Union Address – the economic stimulus package, global warming and the war in Iraq.

Economic Stimulus Package

“I’m pleased President Bush has joined forces with the Congress to make passage of an economic stimulus package a top priority to reinvigorate our economy,” Sen. Carper said, a member of the Senate Banking Committee. “I believe any final stimulus package must be timely, targeted and temporary. It must be timely so money gets back in people’s pockets as soon as possible, targeted to those Americans who are need it most, and temporary so it does not overburden the federal budget.”

Global Warming

“President Bush promised to tackle global warming when he first ran for president and I am hopeful that finally in his last year in office he makes good on his pledge to engage in their important debate. This year I will continue to take a lead on Senate legislation to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and begin to eliminate harmful emissions into our air, without hurting our domestic auto industry or economic growth.”

War in Iraq

“I agree with President Bush that our brave men and women who wear the uniform have made far more sacrifices than we could ever ask of them. But now is the time for the Iraqi government to begin to make its own sacrifices and determine how to share power, land and oil revenues. The president must make it clear to the Iraqi government that the time to make important political changes is starting to run out.”